ALL NIGHT

Taranaki Daily News, 26 September 1940, Page 7

ALL NIGHT

DAKAR SHELLED STATEMENT BY VICHY SUPERIORITY OF BRITISH

Rec. 11 p.m. Vichy, Sept. 25. The British in all-night shelling of Dakar killed 100 persons, it is semiofficially announced at Vichy. General Boisson has ample forces to repel a landing, but the British are immensely superior at sea, having two battleships, four cruisers, six destroyers and six troopships carrying 7000 troops. The French have the crippled battleship Richelieu, but they consider the cruiser Georges Leygues and three destroyers are not able to be used. The British made six attempts to land troops under General de Gaulle in West Africa, but all were repulsed, it is unofficially stated at Vichy. The British commander threatened to destroy the fortification and occupy the city unless the defenders surrendered at 6 a.m. yesterday. General Boisson declared: "We ■will fight to the end." Sinking of Submarine. The British sank the submarine Persee, which holed a British cruiser. Most of the crew were saved. French coastal artillery shot down three British planes. "Our ships have begun reprisals." said the Minister for the ..avy, Admiral Darlan. "Air attacks concentrated on the resefVoir were ineffective.

Admiral Darlan in an order of the day to the French navy, stated: "The land, sea and air forces of Africa repulsed landing attempts and inflicted severe losses on aggressor warships and launched reprisals. One British cruiser is reported to have been badly holed off Dakar." Marshal Petain sent a message to General Boisson, Governor - General of French West Africa, as follows: "France is following with emotion and co.nfidence your resistance against the mercenary treason of the British aggression." French sources at Vichy alleged that a British attempt to land at Rufisque, 25 miles from Dakar, was repulsed following the refusal of the Dakar authorities to receive General de Gaulle's emissaries. The British admiral is alleged to have issued an ultimatum for the second time demanding the right to land troops, which was refused. The British attempted to land 2000 troops, but suffered heavily. The French batteries claimed that they drove off the warships.