AREA OF FIGHTING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 May 1940, Page 5

AREA OF FIGHTING

INDICATION OF LATEST OPERATIONS STRENGTH OF GERMAN FORCES IN BOULOGNE. MORE THAN MERE SCATTERED UNITS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received This Day, 10.0 a.m.) LONDON, May 24. The latest position is: Firstly, a battle for Calais, which the Germans claim to be approaching; secondly, an Allied drive from the north, reaching Bapaume; thirdly, a battle along the Somme, centring on Amiens, where the fighting is still .in the southern suburbs; fourthly, German thrusts from Sedan and on. the Aisne, achieving some gains and finally, a German thrust towards the Lys River, hinging on Ghent, where street fighting is reported to be proceeding. The Germans claim that this drive has brought them to the Lys, but do not say where. The Germans claim to have taken Saint Omer and that fast' columns are approaching the gates of Calais. A French military spokesman said French local successes on the Somme front include driving out of the Germans from several bridgeheads southward of the river. These successes have been achieved especially southward of Amiens. Fighting is continuing on the outskirts of Amiens. The German infiltration through the gap between Arras and Bapaume is continuing slowly towards the north-west. There is still a swarm of German motorised units, even more numerous than previously but not so massive. They are raiding Picardy to the ports. Two heavy German attacks on the remainder of the front, one directed against Attigny and the other against French positions southward of Sedan, where perhaps a division of Germans is engaged, failed to achieve material results. It is authoritatively stated that the German forces at Boulogne are more than mere scattered mechanised units. The port may be regarded as temporarily abandoned, rather than as permanently lost. It is presumed that some few British troops have been taken prisoner.;