Nazis Raze Railway Bridge

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20042, 14 September 1939, Page 6

Nazis Raze Railway Bridge

GERMAN ARMY CHIEF IN POLAND Heavy Rain Falling On Northern Front BIG TOLL OF LIFE TAKEN BY TANKS Officer’s Story Of Refusal To Take Prisoners (Elec. Tel. Copyright.—United Press Assn.) ( Reed. Sept. 14, 2 p.m. LONDON. Sept. 13. A Paris report says that Saarhrueken is stated to he “definitely threatened as a result of the Drench advance.” The French have occupied many Oerman villages.

A report from Luxembourg states that the Derma ns destroyed the raihvay and bridge between Metz and 'Frier crossing the Moselle. This can he attributed to the Oerman Tears of a French oiYciisive in this region.

Berlin reports that the Oerman Chief of Stait, Oeneral Von Brauchitsch. has joined the Oerman troops in Poland in the front line near Radom, where fierce lighting is reported.

It appears that I Terr Hitler visited Lord/, and not Lodz as had previously been reported. A Oerman communique says that, the visit was an agreeable surprise to the troops and population. It also stated that unfavourable weather conditions were now dclevoping.

A Bucharest message quotes the Rumanian weather bureau ■which states that heavy rain is falling in northern Poland. There is no rain, however, in the south. Lt is reported from Tallinn that the entire Tarta region of Estonia is flooded.

Reports received by the Reuter agency from the PolishRumanian frontier state that, the Borman air _ force _is desperately trying to cut off Poland’s communications with Rumania. This means ceaseless bombing and machinegunning of the railway and road leading from Lwow and Stanislawow to the frontier town of Snyatin. This road is littered with abandoned ears riddled with machine-gun bullets. Lwow lias been heavily bombed in the last two days. Factories and the railway and houses are suffering heavily. Synatin is reported to have been bombed and the station damaged. Seven bombs fell in the crowded market-place of a Jewish village near the frontier and 200 persons were killed.

A. report from Copenhagen quotes a German tank corps officer, who has just returned to Berlin from Poland, as stating:—“The German tanks in Poland have been even more successful than it had been imagined they could he, hut at what a cost. Modern warfare will prove it is nothing hut a gigantic massacre.” In the course of an interview with the Politiken’s Berlin correspondent, he continued : “The Germans lost at least 15,000 men on the Polish front. It is impossible to estimate the Polish losses, hut they must he between 150.000 and 380.000. AVe readily admit that it was most deplorable, but we found it impossible to take prisoners. AYe had to shoot everyone within sight because of the fear that some might get behind our tanks. Moreover, we had nobody to take charge of prisoners. Thus we have scarcely any prisoners as we have to shoot everyone. The Poles are very courageous fighters. It will not he an easy task to conquer Poland, because we, will have to kill every soldier before the nation is likely to give in.”