CONFIDENT OF FINAL VICTORY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 141, 15 May 1940, Page 7

CONFIDENT OF FINAL VICTORY

The Commander-in-Gliief of the Dritish Expetlitionaij Porce (General Lord Gort) lias issued an order of the day to liis troops in which he congratulates the oiticeis and men on the manner in which the advance to the support of the Low Countries lias been curried out, aided by tbe 1t.A.1?. '“We are now on the eve of one of the great moments in the history of our Empire. The struggle will be hard and long-, but we can be confident of the final victory, declares Lord Gort. It is authoritatively stated that there is no reason to believe that Liege is in danger of falling. The Germans may have captured the northern fort of Liege. There is no confirmation that the Germans have launched an attack on the Maginot Line or that Germans are parachutingbehind the British lines. The German High Command claims the capture of the city of Liege. Troops are alleged to have reached the Meuse between Namur and Givet and to have crossed the Meuse to Trench soil. It is also stated that German troops have crossed the Eranco-Belgian frontier at several places near Cliarlevi le and Mezieres, and have also penetrated enemy positions in tbe area of Merzig and Tirmasens, where British and Irencli prisoners were taken. t Crowds tore to pieces some parachute troops landing on Greater Brussels. Gne was lynched near the Belgian News Agency building. German ’planes machine-gunned a train drawing up at Tournai station carrying 650 German prisoners, -twenty were killed. DOWAGER QUEEN’S ESCAPE. Elizabeth, dowager Queen of the Belgians, narrowly escaped capture by parachute troops who landed in the gardens of the Royal Castle at Laeken. Royal Guards overpowered the Germans as the Queen watched the slioit battle from a window. The Official German News Agenc-y claims that the Belgian and Dutch Armies have been separated by the German wedge and that, the Allied forces are unable to reach the Dutch in order to help them. The Dutch, therefore, have no choice but surrender or annihilation. The News Agency also states that the Germans drove hack the British, Trench, and Belgian forces on the Gette River, pursuing them in the direction of Louvain and Havre. A German communique claims that the breach in the Dutch defences has been widened north-westward of foort. Ground has been gained in the direction of C recli . “The German forces in Southern Holland have forced then way through Breda and have captured Rozendaal. The Geima'ns have crossed the Turnhout Canal m Belgium and reached Grossegefte, further south.: Northward of Namur we have attacked tanks retreating to the fortified positions.