ALL UNITS ACTIVE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 116, 15 April 1940, Page 7

ALL UNITS ACTIVE.

WESTERN FRONT OPERATIONS. FIERCE ENCOUNTERS. LONDON, April 14. All types of units are increasingly active oil the Western Front. Severe interchanges of shelling have been aimed at definite objectives, such as road junctions, strong points and villages. Patrols by mobile detachments and reconnaissance units have been intensified, with fiercer encounters, including one French fixed bayonet attack in the Blies sector. Saturday’s French official morning communique states: “On the evening ol April 12, in the region of tne Saar, our artillery fired on enemy works in construction. During the night there was infantry activity along the banks of the Rhine, both in the region of the east of Mulhouse and in the vicinity of Strasbourg. The enemy attempted unsuccessfully to raid an island in the Rhine occupied by our troops to the north of Huninigue.” The French official evening (.communique states : “The day was marred by a sharp renewal of activity by contact units. To the cast of the Moselle a local enemy attack, prepared and supported by heavy artillery fire, completely failed. The enemy was unable to force its way 1 through the entanglements and had to fall hack. More to tho east encounters between reconnaissance parties resulted to our advantage. Between the Saar and the Vosges a raid by us succeeded,.” A Berlin High Command communique said the Western Front was quiet. GERMANS LAUNCH ATTACK. SUFFER HEAVY CASUALTIES. Received April 15, 11.15 a.m. PARIS, April 14. It is authoritatively stated that 200 Germans launched a big attack -cast ol the Moselle. A cabled communique reports heavy German casualties. French anti-aircraft guns brought down two German ’planes near Lens. Seven of the eight occupants were killed. The French official evening communique states: —“On several points in front of the Vosges enemy infantry units supported by artillery fire tried to force our lines. They were repulsed and suffered losses.”