Evening star., 1941-01-16
BY ROY p. PORTER,


NEW YORK, Jan. 16.-French
military men declare that German
agents, sometimes working behind
the French lines in French uniforms
during actual fighting. played a
tremendous role in the military
campaign which resulted in the
occupation of two-thirds of France.
The French called this secret
work espionage and sabotage. The
Germans regarded it as the same
systematic campaign of exterior and
interior forces working together
which brought German occupation
of other lands.
It was harder to recognize in
France because the countereSpio-
mage service shut off all information
with the declaration OF war and
jealous censors clamped down.
Beginning long before war ac-
tually threatened, French authori-
ties are convinced, German agents
carried on-not only in Paris but
throughout France-a carefully
planned campaign which came to
head when invading German
armies swept through the shattered
remnants of badly equipped and
morally disintegrated French de-
fenSe units.
Many French officers say they are
sure there was gigantic spy ring
operating inside the French Army.
Officer Gets False Orders.
One young French officer whom
I know, commanding tank unit
near Sedan, was maneuvering his
equipment from position to posi-
ton in early June fighting in
determined effort to halt the ad-
vance of the German Panzer divi-
sions.
In the midst of the battle a
French Army motorcycle with side
car raced up to him. A man in
French captains uniform excitedly
told him he had new orders from
field headquarters and handed him
what appeared to be an official
command to withdraw. 1t was
signed and stamped and, when 1
saw it later. it looked exactly as
an army order should.
Yet, when the withdrawal had been
effected-leaving wide gap between
the French supporting units through
which the Germans poured unhin-
dered-French field headquarters
reprimanded the tank commander
severely for abandoning his position
without direct orders. The young
officer produced the paper and the
brigade commander pronounced it
false.
A similar instance occurred in
the German fight to cross the Meuse
River. Two field artillery batteries
received an order by telephone to
withdraw to specified position on
the south side Of the Meuse, where,
they were told, additional guns were
being placed to strengthen the de-
fenses.
When the batteries arrived they
found the positions had been shifted
days before and German units were
already encircling them. They were
forced to abandon their guns and
ammunition to escape being taken
prisoners.
Munitions Train DESTROYED.
As the Germans moved through
Northern France toward the English
Channel in the westward push,
British soldiers at Rennes received
an order to load and evacuate a
trainload of heavy and light am
munition. Working all night, in
continuous shifts, they had the shells
ready to move early on a Saturday
morning. The order came through
that the train was to leave at
10 am.
The British went about other bus
iness, but were surprised to wake
up Sunday and find the train still
standing in the yards. The same
morning a squadron of German
bombers came roaring over, made
straight for the munitions train
scored number of direct hits and
destroyed it.
Several days later intelligence Of
hcers discovered that during the
night of Saturday to Sunday, after
the trains departure had been de-
layed by false orders. some one had
painted the tops of the freight cars
white, giving the German aviators
perfect target.
When the German forces marched