ALLIED ACTION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 May 1940, Page 5

ALLIED ACTION

ADVANCE THROUGH BELGIUM ENEMY BOMBING OF OPEN TOWNS. APPROPRIATE REPRISALS TO BE TAKEN. Although it had 1 been known since early in the morning that (he Allies had taken all necessary measures to help Holland and Belgium, the first official intimation, Daventry stales, came in a broadcast by the French Prime Minister, M. Reynaud. who stated that three countries had been invaded by the Germans and these countries had asked the Allies for help. Between 7 and 8 o’clock our forces crossed the -frontier into Belgium. Hitler, he said, . had now thrown off his mask and it was known that this attack was a move against France. A correspondent with the British forces on the Belgian frontier watched highly mechanised forces roar across the frontier. For hours tanks, armoured cars, and other mechanised forces rushed past in a never-ending stream. The Allied forces were operating in accordance with plans prepared in anticipation of such a situation arising. The Belgian Defence Minister states that the Germans have been halted everywhere on the Belgian defence lines. Five Belgian aerodromes were raided, but the planes had already left. Many German parachute troops have been landed, and these have been dealt with. It is stated that the whole of Luxemburg and the Limburg province of Holland have been overrun by the Germans. A communique issued by The Hague states that Dutch troops have fulfilled their task according to plan, and have destroyed bridges over the Meuse. German planes failed in attempts at landing parachutists," who have been surrounded. Dutch forces have dislodged the Germans from the principal bridge at Rotterdam and the Germans are now entirely surrounded. Forty have been taken prisoner. Many other German losses include four German armoured trains, one of which was blown up at the frontier. Gerriian aircraft in Holland, Belgium and France have bombed a large number of towns. Doubtless the bombing has been aimed at military objectives, but the Germans admit that the damage done had gone far beyond military objectives. This bombing of civilians has now given France a free hand. Britain has warned Germany that the Allies are prepared to reply appropriately to any attacks the Germans may make on British or French towns or on towns in any of the countries which the Allies are assisting. In the first air attack on Brussels 37 people were killed and 61 injured and a hospital wrecked. In a further attack it is reported that 80 people were killed, including women and children. At Antwerp a military hospital was destroyed. A railway station 25 miles south-east of Namur is burning after a German air attack. In a French town 15 people were killed and 30 wounded and in another French town the casualties were 16 killed and 30 injured. German planes flew over Paris for two hours, but the only damage was from shrapnel from anti-aircraft fire. The Germans lost at least 100 planes. The Dutch brought down 70, 18 or more were brought down in France, 8 or 9 in Belgium and five at least by the R.A.F. when German planes unsuccessfully attacked R.A.F. air bases in France. The R.A.F. is carrying out offensive operations against aerodromes occupied by the enemy in Holland. On the Western Front British planes have attacked enemy troops and engaged German bombers. A number of German planes have been destroyed. A French communique states tnat French and British troops are advancing on a front extending from the North Sea to the Moselle and progress continues in Belgium territory. Fortyfour German planes were brought down on French territory yesterday.