ROUTED BY FRENCH FORCES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23916, 18 September 1939, Page 7

ROUTED BY FRENCH FORCES

SEVERE LOSSES SUFFERED

TERRIFIC ARTILLERY DUEL

(United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) I LONDON, Sept. 16. (Received Sept. 17, at 11 p.m.) | According to a message from Washington the New York Times Paris correspondent says: * The Western Front activity is of a nature heralding large-scale action. The Nazi reaction suggests that they are expecting a heavy blow. The activity is greatest on the 12-mile sector facing Saarbrucken, where the French have continued to make progress, taking two more villages. The chief work continues to be preparation of positions from which to initiate ‘ ulterior operations,’ which is being' done along the entire front. The French have never relaxed pressure and have never lost the initiative. The ' concentration of forces is being completed and the armies are nearly all in position. The British troops are fitting into the plan as they arrive, although it is believed that only the Air Force has been in action so far. A message from Brussels states that the Germans weire forced to evacuate Perl so hurriedly that there was no time to blow up the railway. The French high command is still most discreet concerning the exact whereabouts of the positions taken. Le Temps points out that there has been no bombing of vital French communications, and ascribes it to the sacrifices made by Poland, which have attracted the greater part of the Nazi Air Force’s time. The Berlin correspondent of the Danish paper Politikep says preparations are being made for a great fight on the Western Front. Already vast territories in the west of Germany have been evacuated, and it is expected that 18,000,000 or . 20,000,000 will eventually be moved to Central Germany. All the ordinary duties of Nazi 'Party organisations have been suspended in order to build up an inner front. ; It has been ofllcially confirmed by Berlin that towns near the Siegfried Line have been evacuated, but this is described as a temporary measure. The French are reported to have pushed beyond Perl in an effort to turn the German flank at Moselle; The enemy, fighting doggedly on the hill' tops and in the woods, blew up a railway running parallel with the Luxembourg border from Metz to Trier. An official communique states During the night there were activities in numerous sectors, with strong enemy artillery section south of Saarbrucken. Our troops made some advances east of the Moselle River. A strong enemy counter-attack with artillery preparations was repulsed in the area adjoining the lower valley of the Nied.” The British United Press says the French seized dozen.? of German villages, which they consolidated as advance posts in a slow but sure advance along 40 miles of the frontier from Luxembourg to east of the River Blies. The French pressure, especially around Saarbrucken, is apparently forcing the Germans to move back their artillery. Semi-official reports state that the German gunfire is beginning to fall short of towns, notably at the Saarque mines. It is estimated that over one-third of the 30 principal mines In the Saar are in French hands, j The Basle correspondent of the Associated Press of America reports that the Royal Air Force yesterday participated in a series of major battles on the Palatinate front. The French newspapers assert that French planes are masters of the air on the Western Front. It is stated that each day finds the Cfermans more nervous. Evidence of this is found in the enemy’s incessant artillery barrage anct fruitless infantry counter-attacks. German war planes flying low try to bomb and machine-gun the French front lines, but they have been “ chased from the sky.” / ? French military despatches confirm that the war’s biggest Western Front battle resulted in a crushing German defeat after three waves of infantry and massed tanks failed to break through the new French defences on the German hills. The battle raged in a loop formed by the narrow Nied River, in the exact centre of sector between the Moselle River and Saarbrucken. The Germans were hurled back in spite of support from terrific shelling from the Siegfried Line and furious strafing by planes.* An official French communique issued last night j says; “The enemy is continuing to send up reinforcements opposite our lines. He abandoned and destroyed certain villages while retiring yesterday. A big battle raged in the loop of the Niied River adjacent to the Saar-French frontier, north from the village of Niedaltdorf. Reports state that the attacking German formations were hurled back despite terrific shelling, assistedscores of German warplanes divebombing the French positions., Fresh German troops were brought up from Trier, but the French stood firm despite an intense 10-hour artillery barrage. They are reported to have awaited the oncoming formations in newly-dug trenches. | “ The French artillery speedily found the range and the massed German tank formations Were blown up, resulting in the most severe German losses. The French thereupon took the initiative and charged the dazed attackers with bayonets, turning it into a rout. The German High Command at the outset brought up 100,000 picked troops in an endeavour to prevent the French front gaining a footing on the rugged plateau which forms a triangle between the Nied River and the Saar, from which guns not only dominate the industrial town of Saarlouis, but bring the main Siegfried line within range. The retreating Germans destroyed the Trier-Metz milway line, which was partly blown up a week ago.” j M. Daladier paid a surprise visit to the Maginot line on Saturday. It has been officially stated that Germany is heavifly reinforcing the Western Front. The troops are abandoning considerable! territory and destroying villages before they retreat. There is intensive artillery activity. French troops at several points are now fighting the defenders of the Siegfried Line itself. The battle of the Saar River may be approaching a decisive phase, but much more must be achieved before; the Siegfried Line will be seriously imperilled. The New York Times Paris correspondent says that the Germans are bringing up more troops to the Western Front, where the fighting is becoming fiercer every day. It is heaviest at present on the front 20 miles west of Saarbrucken, where the object is the possession of observation points dominating not only the Saar Valley but also parts of the west wall. The purpose of the Gorman attack near the Nied River was to regain observation points along the plateau from where Saarlauten could be brought under French fire. The German attacks were soon stopped. It is reported from Paris that at least 15 German and the same number or more French divisions are engaged on the Western Front, totalling 300,000 men. The Basle correspondent of the Associated Press of America says that the Nazis are fiercely counter-attacking on a 60-miles front extending from Moselle to the Vosges. The assault is the most extended undertaken, involving all arms, and it slightly forced back the French right flank, where the Nazi airmen were most effective. On the other hand, the French are confining their thrusts to the forested, hilly areas, which are affording great protection from tha air. The British and French flyers are keeping the enemy at high altitudes, thus minimising thdlr bombing efficiency and eliminating the strafing of moving-up troops. French officers are jubilant over the ease with which hazard mimefields have been removed by night by scouting parties aided by artillery. ;