The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-15
FRANCE
NAZI TROOPS MOVE
ON FRENCH SOIL
Continued from Page One)

20 AAS
where the Prussians Destroy
ed the French fighting force
and ended the war Of 1870.
The high commands COM
munique said the Germans
were making a "momentous
effort with furious obstf
macy and at the expense of
heavy casualties" to press on
through Sedan after enter
ing the town., which is on
the east bank of the Mouse.
The French, still holding
the west bank, accepted the
challenge and plunged into
the battle at this bottle
neck of the valley. (Here
seven words were censored.)
'tHinge" Of Front
Military quarters described
Sedan as the northern hinge" of
the French front where the Magi-
not line covering Frances border
with Germany and Luxembourg
joins the new line of Notifications
protecting the Belgian frontier.
The German strategy appeared
to be to try to crack that hinge
and drive into the Plains of
Champagne.
Tonight, "a hours after the Ger
mans had reached the Mouse, the
tide was swinging back and forth
in what French military observers
called the first stages of 1.-The great
est battle in history"
On the fIanks of this front, to-
nights French communique said,
German attacks were repulsed
both to the northwest in Belgium
and to the southeast in the Moselle
valley.
Sedan, where Napoleon III gave
up his sword to the King of Prussia
and the second empire fell in the
war of 1870, was emptied by the
French.
The Germans, hurting sixty
miles from their own border,
through Luxembourg and Belgium.
engaged the French Chere 5 words
were censored. in a vast new con.
fIict which is being called 1.-THE
greatest battle of all times in all
countries"
Use Tanks, Planes
Both sides flung tanks, planes.
guns and men into furious fighting
for their armies were involved in a
life or death struggle.
On the whole front, French dis.
patches estimated, the Germans
are employing between 5000 and
1000 planes.
The main front extends for one
hundred miles, along the Meuse
from the Belgian Citadel of Liege
through Namur and Dininant, Bel.
GUM, to the French fortresses
around Sedan, (part of Frances
northern defenses known as 1.-THE
Little Maginot Line.")
Two German armored divisions,
followed by masses of infantry on
foot and artillery hauled by trac-
tors, reached the Meuse valley in
a giant bound southwest through
the Ardennes Mountains and for.
ests of Belgium.
Liege, Namur, Dinant and Sedan
were attained by the Germans,
French military commentators &C.
rowledged.
The French, after delaying the
German advance with light cavalry
units, took their stand on the
Meuse.
Their Sedan line lies seven miles
within French territory.
Entry Acknowledged
French military dispatches ac-
knowledged German entry into
Sedan, most of which lies on the
east bank of the river.
LIN LlIIiS A1OuoIlldl City 10 41o
miles northeast of Paris.
zThe great battle for which it is
famed, ending the war of 1870, was
fought between 24O, 900 Prussians
and 1900 900 disorganized and COM
pletely outmaneuvered French.
Sedan also was held by the I'm
perial German armies for four
years during the World war. 1t was
taken back by the American Rain
bow Division and the French just
before the Armistice.
Today, flame-throwing k S,
supported by planes which dived to
bomb and machinegun were rumor-
ed to have led the German attack
on the French around Sedan.
These rumors said the German
tanks hurl lethal fire 70 yards,
compared with the 15-yard range
World wa rapparatus which was
about as dangerous to the handlers
as to the intended victims.
German armored cars appeared
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