“EPIC COURAGE OF FRENCH”

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23043, 11 June 1940, Page 7

“EPIC COURAGE OF FRENCH”

Enormous German Losses WEYGAND’S APPEAL TO TROOPS (Received June 10, 7 p.m.) LONDON, June 9. The correspondent of “The Times” with the French forces states: “The French are fighting with epic courage and tenacity. For four days, in a blazing,sun, this army of citizens has stood up to hell on earth—ceaselessly bombed from the air, assailed by inhuman masses of tanks throwing jets of-withering flame 80 yards before them, wave .after wave of infantry, and mercilessly shelled by night. “Nowhere have the French gone back more than 15 miles. Furthermore, they have Inflicted enormous and untmnkable losses on the Germans. The enormity of the losses among this fanaticised beast-hke generation of Germans is perhaps the most fearful aspect of to-day’s bloody battle. , “The Allied bombers continue to blast away hundreds of German tanks, and the renowned French 75’s are firing point-blank. One battery destroyed '25 tanks during the day,". To-day is the crucial day of the great German offensive. ■ A French military spokesman said that all Ger- ’ many’s available forces on the West'em Front had been flung into a fresh ;attack, launched at dawn from the sea to the Argonne, It is estimated that Germany now -has between 1.800.000 and 2,000,000 men engaged, apart from armoured divisions. It is expected that the battle will develop most violently and that to-day will be the critical day. The Germans, using between 90 and 100 divisions, have thrown everything they possess into the battle. The French, who yesterday withdrew under orders, abandoning small stretches of ground, resumed the struggle with the same determination. . The Allied Commander-in-Chief ; (General Weygand) has sent the following message to the French armies: e “The German offensive has now been ‘.launched on the whole front from the i-sea to Montmedy. It will stretch to- ' morrow as far as Switzerland. The ■ order still is for each man to fight without thought of retreat, looking straight ahead where his Command has placed him. “The Commander-in-Chief is not unaware of the valiant effort in which the armies are engaged and the Air Force is giving a magnificent example. He \Jltenks them for their effort, but FratSfe demands still more. /‘Officers, non-commissioned officers and men, the' safety of our country requires of you not only your courage, but all the resolution, initiative and fighting spirit of which you are capable. The enemy has suffered considerable losses. He will soon reach the end of his effort.- We have now reached the last phase. Hold fast.” The French night communique states: “As announced in the morning communique. the enemy extended his front attack as far as the Argonne while continuing his previous offensives. Diminishing his pressure against Bresle he pushed his armoured units in the region of Forges-les-Eaux and Argueil towards the regions of Rouen and Gisors. Some reconnaissance detachments reached the outskirts of Rouen and Pont de Larcfae. where they vainly tried to cross the Seine. “Further east. between Montdidier and Noyon the enemy was much less incisive than last evening. It appears from numerous statements by prisoners that in this region the enemy suffered yesterday afternoon a serious set-back with considerable losses.” In the Oise and Aisne sector, another German army has been sorely tried, and it was not until early this afternoon that the enemy resumed his new offensive, after bringing up new divisions supported bv armoured units. In the Champagne district, an enemy attack launched at {lawn was stemmed, and the Germans were only able to cross the Aisne at two points, where they were vigorously counter-attacked. In the north, a group of parachute troops came down behind the French lines, but are now surrounded.