The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-06-21

| NSUHtAHuVu 1TUTE PhRc k the Mezze airport in the outskirts and that the Allied position had thus been improved on the west side of Damascus.
 Meszo commands . good road to Beirut and 0 narrow gauge rail- road which links Damascus with Beirut vic Kayak. StiR Resistance To the south, the Allies we've TO. ported meeting especially stih re-. sistance from the Vichy troopy, The Ylchy troops still held domi. aant hills to the north, surrounded by . network of orchards and mar- ket gardens in small fields divided by narrow lanes.
 It was indicated that the Allies were trying to surround Damascus In order to cut of tho line of re- treat Of the Vichy forces to the north.
 Dispatches from the Middle East emphasized tho difiiculties Of the attacking forces because of the great belt of orchards, and vine- yards which surround Damascus. Apricot, fig, pistachio and almond orchards, walnut and poplar groves vineyards and fields of wheat, bar Icy and corn around In a wide area.
 It was said that aS long as the Vichy troops held hill positions they could see into the Allied lines deS. pito the Allied control of tho air,
 The Allied forces were reported to DO making some progress up the coast twoard Beirut and Jerusaiem's radio said that the Vichy troops were believed to have started Q TO. treat northward.
 French Admit ft Vichy, France, June 2i-(UP)- Ohicial dispatches from Beirut gNid today that British artillery had be- gun bombardment of Dainascus yesterday afternoon and he'd caused serious fires.
 The dispatches said that the syrian government" had protested through fraq to Britain against the bombardment, on the ground that there might be serious reper. cusylons among Arabs over the bombardment Of Q city which to MohanmedanS is holy. (It was not made plain why the "syrian government" should be con. cerned at possible anti.Britsh re- percussiong.)
 Dispatches from Djibouti, French somaliland, asserted that British artillery shells caused disastrous" fires in tho ancient covered Street Called Straight"
 Vichy forces regained the Mezze air field west of Damascus in an overnight counter-attack, 1t was said.
 It was admitted that the Vichy forces had evacuated Kunetlra but is was asserted that they did 50 after capturing c number of prosin- CTS exceeding the number of vichy forces engaged in the op- eration."
 Cairo Sends Report
 Cairo, June 2l --(UP)- British forces are progressing in the coastal sector Of Syria in their advance on Beirut, and counter-attacks by Vichy forces south of Damascus have been repulsed, making new gains possible for Allied troops, British general headquarters for the Middle East said today.
 A communique said there had been little change in the central Syrian area although Vichy resis- tance is being gradually worn down."
 There was nothing of importance to report in Libya, headquarters said.
 "In Abyssinia (Ethiopia) an Ital- ian force in Q position covering the Dadesya river was attacked by OH troops and driven across the river to its west bank" the communique said. "In this operation the enemy sustained heavy losses in men and materials"
 Beirut, June 2i-(UP)-Alliet troops are infiltrating into tht Vichy lines south of Damascus, |