GALLANT STAND

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 161, 7 June 1940, Page 7

GALLANT STAND

HIGHLAND REGIMENT. EXCELLENT SPIRITS. FRENCH SUCCESS. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) Received June 7, 10.50 a.m. • . . LONDON, June 6. Tfie British United Press Paris correspondent says the French captured a Somme bridgehead in the Peronne region after a fierce counter-attack. According to an eye-witness report from “somewhere in France,” says a British Official Wireless report, a Highland regiment of a famous division to-day has been fiercely resisting the Germans attacking along the Somme front.. These troops are part of the British force holding a section of the line near Abbeville.

The Germans, launching a strong push in the darkness last night from the Somme, where they already had several bridgeheads, isolated several of the positions. There the British troops, although surrounded, fought -on tenaciously, living up magnificently to the division’s reputation for toughness and courage. The eye-witness states that the German penetrations have made it necessary to withdraw the British line at certain places to positions several miles south of the Somme, but every inch of the ground is being combated. The British troops are in excellent spirits despite the heavy artillery and machine-gun fire, and low-bombing attacks. » Probably the German attack on this section of the front would have been even fiercer save for the terrific artillery bombardment of several bridges carried out yesterday, in which more than 30,000 shells were fired. Up to the moment it is not clear whether or not this attack on the Lower Somme is merely a side-show to distract attention from the much . heavier assault further east, which the French Armies are so gallantly resisting. The report from this eyewitness gives an assurance that,' whatever should develop, every preparation has been made to meet the situation. MAIN LINES HELD. EARLIER SURVEY. LONDON, June 6. The German offensive is still in its preliminary stage. The French High Command states that the battle was resumed at dawn to-day and that enemy pressure was particularly marked south of the Somme, clausing a withdrawal of the advanced French troops. On the whole the positions were maintained along the rest of the front. Other reports show that the Germans are heavily pounding the Allied lines in order to find weaknesses. There is considerable speculation as to where the main thrust will hut the heavy pressure on the Somme front and .the slight Allied withdrawal suggests that Hitler’s objective will be along the coast. The Allies have never held the lower reaches of the Somme since the German thrust to the Flanders coast. The reports suggest that General Weygand’s tactics are to create a depth of defences as the best means of combating penetrations by tank units. These defences consist of successive points of support solidly held and deeply spaced* to nrevent enemy infantry and supplies from pouring in after the tanks. DEEP FRENCH DEFENCES. General Weygand reports: “The situation is good enough. The battle is progressing as we expected. The enemy have not yet brought up all their forces.” The French military spokesman says nothing very definite has been received regarding the Somme front. The Germans arc employing the same tactics as before and have made some progress, but the French defences are very deep and the Germans have achieved nothing which can be described as penetration. The Germans are attacking on both sides of Amiens, near Peronne, and also at Chauny (south of St. Quentin). A report received in Paris says the Germans hold three bridgeheads south of the Somme. The front from the sea to the feoissons area for -most of the way follows the Somme Valley. Starting from the coast, the French control the Somme .estuary, south of Abbeville, and a week ago they established a bridgehead on the northern bank. From the estuary to Amiens the valley is narrow hut marshless, and there is a double water line to cross, as the Somme Canal runs parallel with the river. The southern slopes of the lower valley • form part of a rampart, and the area behind them is dotted with small woodsFrom Amiens along the middle and upper Somme the French have continued recently to improve their positions. Behind the towns of Peronne and Ham, where the river makes two turns, they have organised the front in depth, often at the cost of stiff fighting against German light detachments. But from this region toward boissons there is an interval of about 12 miles between the Somme and the Oise which is not guarded by rivers, and the only water line consists of canals. . lu® country is flat and dry, and it is here that the new offensive is developing, according to the French military spokesman. It is a region of previous German threats in the direction ot PanS NAZI. ORGANISATION. The Flanders battle has shown that the German arrangements for supplying and maintaining their armoured divisions were extremely good, states a London message. Probably the rehearsals in Austria and Czechoslovakia helped in perfecting the arrangements. The Germans showed themselves excellent in .pioneer work. As soon as a river was reached the pioneers crossed in small rubber boats and in a very short time got their pontoons in place and were laying bridges across. Naturally these pioneers surfered very heavy casualties. The battle also showed some of our own limitations. The Germans had the advantage of using mobile forces constructed solely for a European war. •whereas we had to have mechanised forces capable of being used in the many spheres in which the British Army is called upon to serve. The British authorises recognise that the German forces showed remarkable, flexibility. After testing the whole front they would find a way through and concentrate all their armoured forces on it. They did this across the Meuse.