Evening star., 1942-06-04
Commands in Minor
Raid on French Area;
Get Valuable Data
Only Slight Casualties
Are Reported After
Reconnaissance Action
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
LONDON, June 4. - British
Commands secuted German po-
sitions in the Boulogne-Le Tou-
quet area across Dover Strait
again early today and were
reported to have returned
with valuable information"-a
phrase which suggests the in
cidental capture Of prisoners.
Royal Navy warships escorted the
black-faced special service troops to
and from the French coast and
Royal Air Force fighter planes
provided a protective umbrella for
the operation and return, a COM
munique said.
(The German high command
said its forces had repulsed "an
attempted British landing" on the
occupied French coast and that
German troops had captured
some prisoners and arns.")
The Boulogne-Le Touquet area, Is
miles from England's Dover coast,
is viewed by military experts as one
of several areas suitable as bridge
heads for an invading Allied army
1t Is a doorstep to the valleys of
the French Rivers Seine and Somme
through which English forces have
struck at Paris in the past.
NaZi Diversion Reported.
There have been reports from the
Russian front recently that the Ger
mans were forced to divert some
forces from this area of France,
particularly armored divisions which
have been the backbone of the Ger
man defenses in France.
The operation took on implica-
tlons of added Importance in the
absence of the Commando leader
Vice Admiral Lord Louis Mount
batten. He was in Washington with
Field Marshal Sir John G. Dill,
member of the combined chiefs of
staff group set up last February "to
insure complete coordination Of the
war effort" of the United States and
Britain.
Also reported participating in the
Washington talks were Gen. George
c. Marshall, United States Army
Chief of Staff, and 1t. Gen. Henry
H. Arnold, chief of the United States
Army Air Forces, who has just re-
turned there from London.
Casualties Are Slight.
The nocturnal action, confusing
the invaders in a theater important
to Adolf Hitler's continental de-
fenses, was described as a minor
reconnaissance raid" The COM
munique supplied few details.
1t was later announced by COM
bined operations headquarters that
the raiders suffered "only slight
casualties"
THE naval and military force
which took part in minor recon-
naissance raid between Boulogne
and LIE Touquet in the early hours
of today" it said, have now re-
turned to England.
"A small contingent of special
service troops landed on the French
coast, where they engaged the en-
emy and obtained valuable infor-
nation. Our troops suffered only
slight casualties
Troops on such a mission nor
many seek to ascertain the disposi-
ton of Notifications, stores and
garrisons and capture some enemy
soldiers for questioning to deter
mine the caliber, training and
morale Of their opposition.
Previous Scouting Trip.
Commands landed in approx
innately the same region on a scout
ing trip April %. This followed a
parachute troop action which
knocked out the Bruneval radio
location post in February and
powerful attack March 27 on the
st. Nazaire U-boat base, declared by
the British to have blasted a lock
gate and set off three-day fight
in which pro-Allied French civilians
participated.
Boulogne's docks, air fields, bar
racks and gun emplacements have
been bombed dozens of times
by day and by night by the RAF
since it fell to the Germans May 26,
1910.
LIE Touquet is a resort town on the
Canche River estuary Is miles
farther south along coast of dunes
and marshes. Also known as Paris
PLACE, it was a center of social life
for British officers and men sta
toned at the nearby Staples base
In the World War.
The raid was executed in the
Absence of Lord Louis Mountbatten,
the Commands commander in
chief. He is in Washington for