DAMASCUS MAY BE BLOODLESS VICTORY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 140, 16 June 1941, Page 8

DAMASCUS MAY BE BLOODLESS VICTORY

FALL AWAITED

"Weakening Resistance Of French In Sjria i I' \. an-] jii-.Mli Wirr-i. ~. lice. 2 p.m. LONDON, June 15. .Si:;ns are increasing of a weakening of resistance in Syria, and an advance into iiamaseus by the Free French forces may be expected .-In.iily. Free French headquarters in Lon don arc- optimistic: that Damascus ■will capitulate soon. The governor of die < ity is reported to have passed through Ankara en route to Istanbul, and (ienerai Uentz, the French commander, ha:-" significantly called on the ollHiils of Damascus and Beirut to remain at their posts. Olonel Collet, who recently left the Syrian forces to join de Gaulle, is operating in the Damascus region. He conferred with a number of prominent Syrians and sent them back to their homes with appeals to their followers to facilitate the bloodless progress of the Allies. Australians at Sidon The Australians, after establishing themselves on the outskirts of Sidon, si i tiered violent counter-attacks by tanks, and in addition heavy fire from machine-guns, mortars and field guns in the olive groves around the town. They held on grimly, then foiiprht. their way in by hand-to-hand lighting through houses and streets. Vichy authorities state that General Dentz's Syrian air force, •< with reinforcements flown from France, twice on June 14 forced the British warships to withdraw from the coast, but the Britisil reinforced their naval strength to nine units and Sidon fell when a severe naval bombardment made the position untenable. The bombers' attacks on the warships, however, enabled the Senegalese defenders to hold on until nightfall, after which they slowly withdrew, under constant ' pressure from the Australians, to positions on the north bank of Nahreddamour, adds the Vichy report. The Beirut radio, admitting the withdrawal northward, says the British carried out violent land and sea attacks against Sidon last evening and this, morning. Rapid Advances From Iraq. The Brazzaville radio says British and Imperial troops from Iraq are advancing rapidly towards Aleppo and Palmyra. A Vichy report states that a British motorised detachment from Iraq made contact with Vichy troops at Abukmal on June 10 and occupied the town on June 14.