HEAVY LOSSES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 March 1943, Page 4

HEAVY LOSSES

INFLICTED ON GERMANS OPERATIONS OF FRENCH GUERILLAS. DEVELOPING ON BIG SCALE. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.35 a.m.) RUGBY, March 11. Fighting French headquarters state that a communique has been received today from the general headquarters of the French guerillas and partisans somewhere in France. The communique is retrospective and covers all activities in France from December 20 until January 20.. Over 300 separate operations are listed and an anlysis shows that during this period French guerillas and partisans killed 282 German officers and men, partially or entirely wrecked fourteen trains, destroyed 94 railway locomotives and 436 coaches, blew up four bridges, destroyed 26 trucks, started twelve major fires, wrecked ten labour exchanges, destroyed over a thousand tons of fuel and requisitioned food and killed ten informers of French nationality. The guerilla headquarters in France informed General de Gaulle that any outstanding operations would be announced in a special communique, relayed to Fighting French headquarters with minimum delay. The first such special communique, received tonight, says: “The Reynal detachment, in operations in the region of Chalons, blasted off the rails at Chagny a train full of German troops, travelling eastwards. The operations were effected at a well-chosen spot, when the train was going at top speed. Over 250 Germans were killed and hundreds were wounded. Two other trains were wrecked in the Cote O’Or. The first, carrying war material, was completely destroyed. Twenty-two trucks of the second train, which was carrying coal to Italy, were destroyed. From these operations our guerillas and partisans withdrew without loss. —(Signed) High Command, French Guerillas and Partisans.” The difference between the guerillas and partisans is that the former are spare time fighters, pursuing their normal occupations by day, while the latter live in hiding and devote their whole time to attacking the enemy. Both operate in disciplined .bands, organised on a strictly military basis, named after heroes or victories of the Revolution.