WARSAW STILL HOLDS OUT

Evening Star, Issue 23370, 13 September 1939, Page 9

WARSAW STILL HOLDS OUT

NAZIS LAUNCH THREE-FRONT OFFENSIVE

Final Effort To Crush Polish Resistance

AD Former German Territory Now In

Invaders’ Hands

Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright

BUDAPEST, September 12. (Received September 13, at 10 a.m.) The opening notes of the Polonaise by Chopin, whose heart is buried in a Warsaw church, told Europe to-day that Warsaw is still holding out. After the radio had ended its night broadcast the opening bars were sounded every 30 seconds on a xylophone. . The Associated Press of America representative with the German army west of Warsaw says the German headquarters announced that German forces launched a three-front offensive this morning, which it expects to be the final push to break the Polish resistance. The fronts are east of Radom, north of Lodz, and north-east of Warsaw. Four Polish divisions in the Radom sector are reported to he beginning to surrender. The Germans also said the bitter struggle at Lodz appeared to be ending, with heavy Polish losses. The United Press correspondent with the German army near Radom says it is officially reported that Germans have suffered 12,000 to 15,000 casualties, mostly in the last two days. The killed numbered 1,500 to 2,000. The heaviness of the casualties indicates that a bloody, and perhaps decisive, battle is raging. • The German High Command claims that all territory in Poland belonging to Germany- before the Great War is now in German hands. The battle west of the Vistula is drawing to a close. Ger man troops are approaching the fortress of Nodlin and others have crossed the Warsaw-Bialystok railway. The Nazis estimate that about 22 of the 50 Polish divisions have been “trapped or wiped out.” They claim that 18 divisions caught west of the Vistula in the last three days will be unable to cross the river. The North American Newspaper Alliance’s Paris correspondent states that ‘ Pertinax ’ points out that only 15 out of a total of 50 Polish divisions are engaged against 50 German divisions.

BATTLE RAGING NAZIS MEET FIRST ORGANISED RESISTANCE ATTACKING IK FULL FORGE ENGAGEMENT MAY DECIDE WARSAW'S FATE NEW YORK, September 12. (Received September 13, at noon.) The special representative of the Associated Press with the German army ga vs:—The German counter-attack against the first organised Polish resistance of the war was resumed at dawn north of the Lodz region. It is the third day of a bitter battle, in which it is estimated that 2.000 to 5,000 Poles have been killed and wounded in the first 24 hours. The Germans are attempting to force the surrender of 50,000 Poles. This battle, in the opinion of the Germans, will decide the fate of Warsaw. The Germans attacked 50,000 Poles, driving them from Poznan and the Corridor. ■ Caught in a pocket, the retreating Poles are attempting to break through in the direction of Warsaw in one of the most desperate attempts the Polish army ever made. The Germans replied with a heavy artillery bombardment and unleashed a murderous air attack. GERMAN ALLEGATION PRISONERS RELEASED FROM GAOLS BERLlN,'September 12. (Received September 13, at 12.5 p.m.) The wireless attacks the defender of Warsaw, General Czuma, for allegedly releasing and arming prisoners from gaols and arming civilians, which is a “ criminal act.” It adds that the Germans will treat armed civilians as insurgent combatants. HITLER VISITS FRONT BERLIN, September 12. (Received September 13, at 11 a.m.) The German radio announced that Herr Hitler paid a second visit to the troops near Warsaw*

GALLANT POLISH CAVALRY DESPERATE CHARGES LAUNCHED MOWN DOWN BY MACHINE GUNS ROME, September 12. (Received September 13, at 10.30 a.m.) “ This war’s motif is horses against armoured cars,” write Fan Italian eyewitness of the battle near Warsaw between German mechanised units and Polish cavalry trapped in the square formed by the towns of Skierniewice, Sockaczew, Gabin, and Kntno. “ Four times the cavalry charged, to be met by withering cross machine-gun fire.- More horses than men were slaughtered, as the gunners were ordered to fire at the horses’ legs, the cavalrymen being unsaddled. Wearied, they attempted to take refuge in bushes nnd swamps. The Germans finally allowed some to join the retreating infantrymen, thus adding to the confusion. v

“ This morning mechanised units moved in on the forces still trapped. During the night they had formed into small squares behind heaps of dead horses. The artillery resumed lire at dawn, and massed aeroplanes flew over, aiming a rain of fire which made the ground boil. The cavalry again attempted to find an opening, but the waves lost their form in bfbody groups. When the smoke and dust cleared it revealed a horrible sight—horses without men and men without horses.” GERMAN CLAIMS ALL ARMS ENGAGED BERLIN, September 12. (Received September 13, at 11 a.m.) The High Command claims that German troops reached Chyrow, 15 miles south of Pryzemysl. The air force, aided by the army, harassed the enemy’s rear lines of communication east of the Vistula. Fighting planes blocked the eastern outlets from Warsaw, and destroyed the station at Bialystok. Naval forces occupied Grossendorf fortress which protects Gdynia. No bombs were dropped in German territory on the western front, SLOVAKS ADVANCE INTO POLAND BERLIN, September 12. (Received September 13, at 12.5 p.m.) It is officially announced that there is some fighting on the western front and that the Polish lines east of Warsaw have been broken. The Slovaks advanced as much as 12 miles on some fronts into Poland.

VAIN GERMAN EFFORT SEVENTEEN AIR RAIDS ON WARSAW LONDON, September 12. (Received September, 13, at 11 a.m.) The Eolisb Telegraph Agency states that the Germans failed to penetrate the Polish positions on the Narew and Bug Rivers. There were 17 air raids on Warsaw yesterday. VALIANT POLES DEFENDING THE CAPITAL BUDAPEST, September 12. (Received September 13, at 11 a.m.) A Lwow radio declares that volunteers are preparing to defend Warsaw to the last. A Polish communique claims a stalemate despite savage attacks by German tanks, planes, and artillery. CASUALTY IN WARSAW WIFE OF BRITISH OFFICIAL LONDON, September 12. (Received September 13, at 10.30 a.m.) Mrs Shelley, wife of the passport control officer at the British Embassy in Warsaw, was killed in an air raid last week. The remaining Embassy officials were unharmed. WILL NOT FIGHT THE POLES SLOVAK'BATTALION INTERNED PARIS, September 12. (Received September 13, at 11 a.m.) It is reported from Bratislava that a Slovak battalion refused to entrain for Poland, the officers and men saying they would not fight the P.oles. The battalion was disarmed and interned in barracks. The Germans have forbidden flights by Slovak airmen, ostensibly because the Germans are unfamiliar with their planes and might shoot them down, but really because numbers deserted to Poland. POLISH REFUGEES CROSS SOVIET BORDER MOSCOW, September 12. (Received September 13, at 11 a.m.) It is announced that numerous Polish refugees have crossed the Soviet border. 7,000 POLISH CASUALTIES LONDON, September 12. (Received September 13, at 1 p.m.) A Polish communique announces that German forces are active in the Modlin sector, also along the San River, but are not making progress towards Lwow. A German attack west of Warsaw launched at dawn resulted in 7,000 Polish casualties. NAZI RUTHLESSHESS SILESIAN TOWNS BURNED DOWN REPRISAL' FOR ACTIVITIES OF SHARPSHOOTERS STOCKHOLM, September 12. (Received September 13, at 1 p.m.) The correspondent of 1 Svenska Dagbladet,’ who toured Silesia, reports that the towns of Wieruczow, Lututow, Sulojow, Falkon, Prozedborz, aqd Radomak, all on or about the Pilica River, have been burned down as reprisal for the activities of the franctireurs (irregular sharpshooters) after the Polish regular troops had retreated. Smaller villages met the same fate, but Lodz is intact. WEAK GERMAN DEFENCES SUCCESS OF LEAFLET RAIDS GERMANS NOT AWARE OF PLANES' APPROACH LONDON, September 12. (Received September 13, at noon.) London aviation experts are greatly satisfied with the Royal Air Force leaflet raids, which indicate that the German ground defences are weak. The pilots participating state that searchlights were not operated on a single occasion, indicating that the detectors failed to register their approach. It was not until the leaflets fluttered down that the defences came into action. The German anti-aircraft batteries are apparently weak, for they did not attempt a barrage. It is pointed out, however, that the real test will come only if important military objectives are bombed. REICH ADMINISTRATION NEW POST FOR HIMMLER BERLIN, September 12. (Received September 13, at 1 p.m.) Field-Marshal Goering has appointed Herr Himmler deputy to Dr Frick, head of the Reich Administration.

SUBMARINE PERIL BRITISH STEAMER SUNK GREW RESCUED BY AMERICAN SHIP LONDON, September 12. (Deceived September 13, at 10.30 a.m.) Tb© Ministry of Information announces that the British steamship lnverliffey was sunk by a submarine. The crew was rescued by the American freighter R. G. Stewart. FINNISH SHIP MINED FOURTEEN LIVES LOST ESBJERG, September 12. (Received September 13, at 10 a.m.) It was revealed to-day that the Finnish windjammer Olivebank was mined on Friday, 105 miles south-west of Bouvbjerg (Denmark). Fourteen were lost, and seven climbed the high steel mast and were without food or water until picked up by fishermen on Sunday. ESCAPE AFTER ATTACK FOUR BRITISH MERCHANTMEN (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 12. ((Received September 13, at 11 a.m.) The Ministry of Information, in announcing the loss of the Inverliffey, adds that, on the other hand, four British merchant ships reported that they were attacked by U-boats, but successfully eluded these attacks. ESSENCE OF THE NEWS The news from the west front does not as yet indicate a general offensive by the Allies, but it is revealed that a British Army has been landed without casualty, and that the principal allied thrust into the Saar sector has penetrated 10 miles into German territory, bringing the advance close up to the Siegfried line, which is under a heavy bombardment that may be the prelude to an immediate attempt to break in. Poland continues to stem the encircling advance on Warsaw, which still resists capture. A writer in the ‘ Dominion ’ comments that the extent of the Nazi success in Poland to date is not to be wondered at. On their own admission 70 divisions are engaged in the east, and a German division consists of 15,200 men. Poland’s entire military strength is 67 divisions, each of only 12,000 men, and the equipment or the Polish army is inferior, especially for operations of the type which have been launched in Western Poland. vww.WiVwvrwwiVM RESCUED BY SWEDISH TANKER GREW OF THE GARTAV6N HORTA, September 12. (Received September 13, at 12.15 p.m.) A Swedish tanker landed 24 of the crew of the British ship Gartavon, all uninjured. The submarine ordered the crew to i the boats and sank the Gartavon. CONVOY SYSTEM PROTECTING BRITISH MERCHANTMEN SCHEME NOW UNDER WAY LONDON, September 12, The Ministry of Information announced that the convoy system had been put into force, but was not as yet operating completely. “ When the war was forced on us, British merchantmen were scattered on trade routes all over the world. It takes time to collect convoys, and it is obviously undesirable to give details.” ATHENIA'S SURVIVORS CIVIC RECEPTION IN GLASGOW (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY,; September 12. (Received September 13, at 12.30 p.m.) Seven hundred survivors of the Athenia were entertained at a civic reception by the Lord Provost of Glasgow. They included Americans, Canadians, Poles, Finns, and New Zealanders. All, in spite of the language difficulty, joined in choruses and songs rendered by Sir Harry Lauder. The Lord Provost announced that recommendations would be sent to various Governments that the bravery of the crew should be recognised. NEW ZEALAND PASSENGERS WELLINGTON, September 13. The Government has received a cable from the High Commissioner (Mr Jordan) confirming that Mrs Marjorie Tomlinson, who xvas a passenger by the Athenia, is safe, but there is no news so far of Misses Fletcher and Harper. Mr Jordan has been advised that Mrs C. E. Carter, of Palmerston North, has been rescued.