INTENSE FIGHTING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 May 1940, Page 5

INTENSE FIGHTING

IN ARRAS AND CAMBRAI AREAS French Report Violent Encounters POWERFUL ENEMY FORCE REPELLED GREAT AND VALIANT EFFORTS BY ALLIED FORCES Intense fighting is taking place in the Arras and Gambia! area, a Daventry broadcast states. Boulogne has been occupied by the Germans, Nearly all the British troops there gou saiely away. There is increased enemy pressure on the line oi the Somme. South of Sedan the enemy’s continued attack is making slight progress in spite of the means employed. German forces are penetrating to the coast through the narrow gap between the Allied and French armies and are destroying communications of all sorts. The Allied military authorities are not announcing the places which the Germans may have reached. This is not done with any desire to keep the information from the public, but in order to keep it from the enemy. A French war communique states that although violent encounters have been taking place for several days past in the north, particularly in the region of Cambrai and Arras, they had not, up to now, enabled the Allies to re-establish a continuous front line. South of Sedan a German attack was carried out by powerful forces. A French counter-attack resulted in a very clear success. The 8..A.F. achieved a long list of successes against far stronger enemy formations. Eleven British fighters met a much largbr formation of enemy fighters. They shot down eleven and seriously damaged three others. The R.A.F.’s bag for the day was 23 German planes shot down and 26 others seriously damaged. Eight British machines were shot down or are missing and four others made forced landings. One patrol of Spitfires accounted for eight Messerschmitt 110’s and three bombers. Widespread attacks were made on German troops and supplies in the Ardennes and other planes made flights over Germany, where communications were bombed, besides a hangar.