ENEMY THRUST

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 May 1940, Page 5

ENEMY THRUST

RESISTED FIERCELY IN FRANCE ATTEMPTED RIGHT WHEEL TO THE NORTH. FIGHTING OF UNIMAGINABLE VIOLENCE. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. LONDON, May 20. The spearheads of the German mechanised onslaught yesterday continued to attack westward along and behind the French network of light fixed defences. Some progress was made, and the most westward points of fighting appear to have been Maubeuge, Le Cateau and St Quentin, and, to the south, somewhere near Le Fere, which is 75 miles from Paris. Dispatches last, night stated that the fighting was •

of unimaginable violence. This morning there is intense enemy pressure on the northern sise of the bulge, where the French are also continuing to counter-attack. In northwestern Belgium the British, French and Belgium troops yesterday continued their strategic retreat without undue pressure, and at 3.35 o’clock this morning British General Headquarters communique stated that the British front was held successfully in the face of strong enemy pressure. The French communique this morning states: "Our troops are fighting vigorously in the region northward of St Quentin in order to check the enemy push. In the neighbourhood of Rethel we threw back during the night enemy elements which had crossed the Aisne. The German attacks were intensely renewed in the region of Montmedy, but were repulsed. During the night our bombers ferociously pursued a plan for disorganising enemy supplies.” The position facing General Weygand and his officers may be summarised from a review of the military situation giveh by a French army spokesman. He said that the situation remained serious and grave at certain points but there had been no considerable change in the general position in the past 24 hours. There had been further pressure on the northern side of the salient driven by the Germans in France, but at all other points the German attacks had been successfully repulsed. Referring to this pressure, the spokesman said that the French were stubbornly resisting the German attempt to right wheel to brjng continuous pressure in the direction of Cambrai. The German column advancing in this direction appears to be that which entered Le Cateau. It is being fiercely resisted east of Cambrai. RAILWAY DEMOLITIONS ROUTE BETWEEN FRANCE & SWITZERLAND. SAFEGUARDS AGAINST SABOTAGE. FARIS, May 19. The demolition of all canal and railway bridges by the French Army has interrupted railway communication be-, tween France and Switzerland via Basle. In an effort to frustrate treachery from within, the Swiss Government has closed all telephone kiosks, forbidden foreigners to possess arms and created an industry guard to prevent sabotage. Foreigners have voluntarily surrendered 2090 firearms in the Geneva area.