THE WESTERN FRONT

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23004, 26 April 1940, Page 11

THE WESTERN FRONT

Patrol Clashes East Of Moselle ENEMY AIRCRAFT SHOT DOWN (UNITED PRESS ASSOCTATIOK—COPTRIGHT.) (Received April 25, 8 p.m.) LONDON, April 24. This evening’s French official communique states: “Two patrol encounters to the east of the Moselle turned to our advantage. “On Monday night our aircraft made many long-distance reconnaissances, penetrating many hundred kilometres over enemy territory. They flew over the Prague region. “Towards the evening of April 23, ah enemy reconnaissance aircraft was brought down within our territory.” The headquarters of the British Air Force in France announces; “Yesterday British and German fighter patrols fought an indecisive action near Verdun. One Messerschmitt 110 is believed to have been shot down. One of our aircraft was set on fire by enemy action. The pilot escaped by using his parachute. “There was artillery activity on both sides between the Moselle and the Blies. Enemy patrols have been repulsed to the west of the Vosges. There was an exchange of rifle fire along the banks of the Rhine.” SUBMARINES IN PORT SINKING OF GERMAN SHIPS DETAILS OF EXPLOITS REVEALED (BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.) RUGBY, April 24. The home-coming of several British submarines recently engaged in operations off Norway enables further details of their successful activities against German naval and supply ships to be told. The Trident, a sister ship of the ill-fated Thesis, sank a 9000-ton German tanker which formed part of the German advance forces in the Nazi attack on Norway. The Trident had no sooner reached her area of operations than she sighted the German tanker. “Our first torpedo struck her and she began to sink rapidly,” said one of the crew. ' “Our commander watched the captain of the German ship until the bridge of his vessel was submerged and he had to throw himself into the sea. We picked him up and brought him on board.” It is believed that among them three other submarines which have now returned—the Sealion, Snapper, and Sunfish—sank between 35,000 and 40,000 tons of enemy shipping, including transports bearing troops and war material. The Sunfish alone is reported to have sunk 17,000 tons- of enemy ships. The Snapper landed four German prisoners from the Hamburg tanker Moonsund, which she sank and which carried 400 tons of aviation petrol—enough to fly 200 German bombers to England and back. The Snapper was depth-charged on numerous occasions and was also bombed from the air. The latter three submarines are sister-ships of the Salmon and Spearfish. which themselves have fine records to their credit. BRITISH LABOUR MANIFESTO APPEAL TO NEUTRAL NATIONS INVITATION TO JOIN ALLIES RUGBY, April 24. The National Council of Labour considered the international situation and at the close of its meeting issued the following statement: “By the invasion of Denmark and Norway, Nazi Germany has added two more democratic nations to the list of victims of the lawless violence which caused this war. “Two peaceable peoples who asked for nothing more than to be left in undisturbed possession of their land and to pursue their democratic, way of life have been forced into the war to further Herr Hitler’s plans of conquest, and facilitate his malignant design of destroying the Allied nations, who are fighting to defend the freedom and security of all nations. “The National Council of Labour once more solemnly urges upon the nations which are striving to maintain their neutrality in this great struggle the significance of these events. Nazi Germany has once again shown that it will respect the neutrality of no country that stands in its way. No nation is safe, whatever pledges of non-aggression the Nazi Government may give. “The Allied nations, resolute in their determination to defeat Hitlerism, have hastened to assist the freedom-loving peoples who haye been drawn into this war. British and French forces are fighting side by side with the brave defenders of Norway to repel the invader^ “The issue in this struggle is now clearly defined. Neutrality has ceased to have any meaning for the Nazi aggressor. It is no guarantee of a nation’s security. British Labour is convinced that the way to peace and freedom lies in an alliance of all the democratic peoples, whose liberty and independence are as much at stake as those of the democratic countries already involved in the war.”