HIGHLAND REGIMENT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 June 1940, Page 6

HIGHLAND REGIMENT

IN ACTION ON SOMME FRONT FIERCE RESISTANCE TO ENEMY. MAIN BLOW AT FRENCH ARMIES. RUGBY, June 6. According to an eyewitness report from somewhere in France, a Highland regiment of a famous division today has been fiercely resisting the Germans attacking along the Somme front. These troops are part of-the British forces holding a section of the line near Abbeville. The Germans, launching a strong push in the darkness of last night from the Somme, where they already had several bridgeheads, isolated several of the positions. There the British troops, although surrounded, fought on tenaciously, living up magnificently to the division’s reputation for toughness and courage. The eyewitness states that the German penetrations made it necessary to withdraw the British line at certain places to positions several miles, south of the Somme, but every inch of ground is being combated. The British troops are in excellent spirits, despite heavy • artillery and machinegun fire and low bombing attacks. Probably the German attack on this section of the front would have been even fiercer save for the terrific artillery bombardment of several bridges carried out yesterday, in which more than thirty thousand shells were fired. Up to the present moment, it is not clear whether or not this attack on the Lower Somme is merely a sideshow to distract attention from the much heavier assault further east which the French armies are so gallantly resisting. A report from this eyewitness gives an assurance that whatever should develop, every preparation has been made to meet the situation. GERMAN REPORT OPERATIONS PROCEEDING AS PLANNED. LONDON, June 6. A German communique says: “The operations which were begun on June 5 are proceeding according to plan. Our troops everywhere have gained ground to the south-west. “We have increased our prisoners at Dunkirk to 58,000. Captured war materials are beyond estimate. “Our air force yesterday bombed troop concentrations and marching columns behind the enemy front and also attacked important aerodromes in Central France and the military and merchant harbour of Cherbourg. Last night our planes successfully attacked numerous aerodromes on the eastern and south-eastern coast of England. “The enemy lost 143 planes yesterday. Nineteen of our planes are missing. The enemy last night continued his attacks on non-military objectives in northern and western Germany, but no substantial damage was done. We shot down three planes engaged in these operations.” ELASTIC DEFENCE SUCCEEDING ADMIRABLY. ' IMPROVEMENT ON EARLIER TACTICS. LONDON, June 6. “The Times” correspondent with the French forces says General Weygand’s system of elastic defence, for combating the German armoured forces is succeeding so admirably that bitter tears must be shedding about Sedan, where the French line attempted to retreat before the German armoured units, instead of letting them pass through, after which the French could have reformed and dealt with the German infantry.