HALTING NAZI ADVANCE

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 195, 14 May 1940, Page 7

HALTING NAZI ADVANCE

Belgium And Allies

BRAVE SACRIFICE BY OFFICER Premier Reviews Position (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) LONDON, May 12. The Belgian Premier, M. Pierlot, in a broadcast tonight to the Belgian nation, said that the response of the Allies had been immediate and very satisfactory. He appealed to the public to be calm and firm.

M. Pierlot announced that the Belgian counter-attack in the Maastricht sector halted the German advance. He added: “The latest reports state that the Germans have nowhere resumed the advance. Our line east of the Albert Canal and further north has not yet been dented. Violent German attacks on the Liege forts were all repulsed, and the approaches to the forts are covered with German corpses.

“Allied planes shot down a hundred German machines.” “The enemy have been unable to penetrate our territory at auy point on a considerable scale,” he proceeded. “Thorough demolition checked the German advance. The crossing of the Albert Canal was due to the failure to blow up two bridges. The death of the officer in charge of the operations caused delay, enabling the enemy to occupy the bridges and cross them with motorized forces. Another officer later penetrated the German lines, reached the powder chambers, and blew himself up with a bridge. The Germans attacked across another bridge with an enormous mass of tanks and aircraft. The Belgians withdrew to Tongres. Our eastern defences on the Albert Canal are still intact. The Belgians withdrew according to plan to various points east of the Aleuse in Luxemburg. French motorized troops attacked the enemy in Luxeuburg, which is partly in the possession of the enemy. Near Brussels and elsewhere the enemy dropped parachutists, and we are actively hunting them down. “The Allies are advancing satisfactorily.” M. Pierlot denied that his Government intended to leave the capital. The Foreign Minister, M. Spaak, in an interview said that events are developing just as was expected by the Belgian General Staff, and that since last night the situation had been more or less stabilized. There had been German attacks on French advanced posts, but ou the eastern part of the front, from lhe Saar to the Swiss frontier, there is nothing to report. German aircraft have been very active over northern, north-eastern, and eastern France, but they were vigorously attacked by ground defences and Allied aircraft. During the day 30 German machines were shot down over France.