MARSEILLES BOMBED

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 157, 3 June 1940, Page 7

MARSEILLES BOMBED

BRITISH CASUALTIES. LYONS AGAIN RAIDED. Received June 3. 9.40 a.m. LONDON, June 2. The Associated Press Paris correspondent says that several • persons aboard a British vessel are reported to have been killed or wounded when the Germans bombed Marseilles. Some! observers express the opinion that the raid was staged for the benefit of Signor Mussolini as a demonstration of German air power. The Lyons district was again bombed this morning, causing several civilian casualties. GERMAN LOSSES.

It is semi officially stated that authentic German documents reveal that the Germans have lost half a million men since May 10. A German communique says: “We broke the resistance ot the remaining sections of the French Army in NorthEastern France and took 26 000 prisoners in the Lille region alone. We are attacking the remainder of the B.E.F. on both sides of Dunkirk. The British are stubbornly resisting in difficult terrain, bixt we are progressing well. On the southern front enemy tank, attacks near Abbeville faded. unfavourable weather, our air force attacked the troops embarking at Dunkirk and sank five transports and badly damaged three cruisers or destroyers, and also ten merchantmen. Our high-speed torpedo-boats sank a destroyer and submarine. A U-boat torpedoed an enemy warship off Osterid. The enemv lost 49 ’planes yesterday. 39 of which were shot down in combat. Nine of our ’planes are missing.” DEFENCE OF DUNKIRK. SOMME ATTACK REPULSED. ALL FRONTS REVIEWED. LONDON. June 1. Reports from Paris indicate that the German advance is held at various points and that the defends around Dunkirk are intact. The British forces, aided by the flood, transferred men to reinforce the south flank, and thus help General Prioux’s detachments, who are hacking their way to the coast. The French military spokesman said that the Germans will find that the northern Allied resistance has “lasted too long for the good of the Germans” when they turn to the SommeAisne front. The French and British forces occupy the entire; southern bank of the Somme, except at a bridgehead near Amiens. The French, after sharp: fighting, recaptured the western part of Abbeville —a- triangular section bounded to the north and east by the river, and to the west by the Somme. Canal. Some troops at another point in this region established a foothold north of the Somme. The spokesman said the Dunkirk defences were considerable, lacking neither defenders, ammunition, sripplies nor energetic command. Dunkirk has not been attacked from the land and the enemy has-been-unable to assemble sufficient forces foi an attack to be likely to succeed. The withdrawal of the Allied units from the northern battlefield to Dunkirk is continuing under most favourable conditions. Large units of General Prioux’s army are participating in the defence of Dunkirk, but an important section of General Prioux’s force has not yet l>eeu able to reach the area. The position of these men is admittedly becoming more and more difficult . SLIGHT LOSSES. The Germans have insufficient means to attack tin* fortified positions around Dunkirk from the sea, but' they have been bombarding from the air and laying mines off the coast and also sending in motor torpedo-boats. Nevertheless the Allies continued to land i food and ammunition and withdraw troops not needed for the defence of Dunkirk. The losses are slight. The Germans are increasing their activity on the Somme at- the point where the French established a bridgehead on the north bank. On a small

front yesterday they attacked twice, the first time with infantry and the second time with the support of tanks and dive bombers. Both attacks were repulsed. A French official communique states: “On land, sea and in the air the French and British forces at Dunkirk are continuing in complete solidarity the stubborn fight to resist the German drive and assure the evacuation. In the Somme region the enemy counter-attacked but this was repulsed.” 1 The French official evening com munique states: “In the north our troops are successfully resisting renewed efforts on the part of the enemy, and have continued to cover 'the embarkation. There is continued activity on both sides on the Somme front. There is nothing of importance to report from the rest of the front. On Friday afternoon our bombers heavily attacked enemy columns and troop concentrations in spite of the activities of enemy fighters. Our ’planes carried out an extensive reconnaissance over the Meuse, Moselle and the Rhine. On Saturday our lighters attacked a number of German ’planes over the Rhine Valley. Several enemy machines were brought down.” EMINENT GENERAL. * While definite news from the north of France is small, such details of the magnificent rearguard action which is being fought by the B.E.F. and French troops evokes the highest praise in Britain, not only for the unbounded courage of the troops but also for the masterly staff work and organisation of the commanders. The highest tributes are heard on all sides to the skill of General Prioux and the indomitable spirit of his French troops in their amazing rearguard action. Of General Prioux, the Evening Standard comments: “All Britain does him honour to-day. His name must be inscribed in the gallery of great soldiers and associated with steadfast retreats alongside Marshal Ney and Sir John Moore.” Marshal Ney, the famous French soldier under Napoleon, in the 1812 expedition to Russia, commanded the centre at Borodino, and was created Prince of Moskowa on the evening of the victory. In the retreat he was a tower of strength, animating the rear guard with his own sublime courage. An equally famous retreat in history was that of General Sir John Moore at Corunna, who withdrew the British forces under heavy French fire, in January, 1809. Moore was mortally wounded in the action. FRENCH RESISTANCE. NAZI THRUSTS FAIL. APPEAL FOR AIR RECRUITS. Received June 3, 12.30 p.m. PARIS, June 2. The morning communique states: “In the region of Dunkirk we are resisting the enemy’s unceasing attacks with admirable vigour. Our troops have contained all the German efforts. The evacuation was carried on actively throughout yesterday and last night ’ despite artillery and air bombardment. “On the Somme the enemy tried to make some raids, but without, result. On the rest of the front there has been artillery activity at several points.” A London message says that, for the first time since the outbreak of the war, all the German stations broadcast an urgent appeal to German youth to enlist in the air force.

The Berlin High Command announces : ‘‘The coastal strip which the British are defending tenaciously has been further reduced from the east. Nieunort and the coast north-west-wards are in German hands. Adin-1-erke and Ghyvelde. six miles from Dunkirk, have been taken. The Germans have captured 200 guns from one army alone.”'