BELGRADE BOMBED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 April 1941, Page 5

BELGRADE BOMBED

ALTHOUGH DECLARED OPEN TOWN VARIOUS GERMAN CLAIMS SOVIET-YUGOSLAVIAN PACT. ANNOUNCED JUST BEFORE NAZI ATTACK. (By Telegraph —Press Association —Copyright) LONDON. April .6. The Germans this morning launched attacks against Yugoslavia and Greece. A broadcast communique by Herr Hitler announced that the German people had been at war with Greece and Yugoslavia since early this morning. , A Greek communique states mat at 5.30 a.m. German troops in Bulgaria launched an attack against Greek troops on the frontier of Thrace and eastern Macedonia. It adds that the Greek forces arc defending their national soil. There is no news yet of land operations against Yugoslavia but Belgiade has been bombed. A German communique states that operations against Yugoslavia began this morning when strong formations of bombers and divebombers attacked barracks, aerodromes and other military objectives. Military objectives in Belgrade were successfully bombed and 10 Yugoslav planes were shot down. The Germans also claim to have destroyed a Yugoslav troop train. Belgrade is one of the three cities in I Yugoslavia which, it was recently announced, would be open towns in the event of war. A little over two hours before Hitler’s announcement the Moscow radio announced that the Soviet Premier and Foreign Minister, M. Molotov, and the Yugoslav Ambassador. M. Gavrilovitch, signed a Russian-Yugoslav treaty of friendship and non-aggression at Moscow yesterday after negotiations over the last few days. The treaty, which is operative immediately, stipulates that each country will respect the other’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and will maintain a policy of strictest friendship if the other is the victim of aggression. The radio stated that the treaty is to operate for five years, and, if not denounced one year before, then will operate for a second five-year period. ATTACK FROM BULGARIA. A Swiss report says that the first attack against Yugoslavia came from the Bulgarian frontier. The feeling throughout Yugoslavia is calm and determined and the attack has found Yugoslavia prepared. The Turkish radio in a broadcast in Greek said that a Belgrade radio report stated Belgrade was being bombed. There was no comment. At exactly 5.30 a.m. the German Minister to Athens called on the Greek Prime Minister, M. Korizis, and informed him that German troops would invade Greece. After the attacks had been launched the German Foreign Minister, Herr von Ribbentrop, handed Notes to the Yugoslav and Greek Ministers to Berlin. BRITISH AND AMERICAN AID. Official circles in London state that Yugoslavia will receive the unqualified support of the British Empire. In Washington, President Roosevelt and the Secretary of State, Mr Hull, are following developments closely by Press and radio. The Secretary of the Navy, Colonel Knox, said the German attack on Yugoslavia came as no surprise to the United States Government. The United States would supply to the invaded Balkans all the help she could. It is announced in Berlin that operations are to be expected in the eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea which will make it dangerous for merchant shipping to pass through these waters. The danger zone embraces the whole of the eastern Mediterranean to Turkish territorial waters. BRITISH TROOPS IN GREECE. The German Foreign Minister. Herr von Ribbentrop, in his Note to the Greek Minister, alleged that British troops had occupied all vantage points in Greece. In the last few days Greece had become the scene of operations by British forces and large-scale landings had taken place. Axis statements of the number of British troops in Greece vary. In Ger- ; many a few days ago it was stated that 350,000 had landed there. Today the figure is put at. 200,000. Signor Mussolini's mouthpiece, Signor Gayda. thinks there are 100.000 British troops in Greece.