MARKED ACTIVITY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 106, 1 November 1939, Page 11

MARKED ACTIVITY

WESTERN FRONT

RAIDS AND AMBUSHES

FIGHTING IN AIR

A BELATED NAZI REPORT

(Daventry Broadcast.)

LONDON, Tuesday Night,

Tonight's French communique states that there was marked activity between the Moselle and the Saar. Raids and ambushes took place, and patrols were active.

A German reconnaissance aircraft was brought down in French territory yesterday, and two other enemy machines were brought down out of control on the German lines on the Saar front. It is stated that tlie Germans are using long-range shelling for the first time, and are shelling positions six miles behind the French front line. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright.) (Received November 1, noon.) LONDON, October 31. A Paris message states that antiaircraft gunners shot down at least one German plane a hundred miles inside French territory. There have been aerial reconnaissances on both sides. Seven French planes made flights into enemy territory, and all returned safely with valuable information. A German High Command communique states that there was weak artillery fire and patrol activity between the Moselle and the Palatinate Forest. There was nothing special in other sectors. Four enemy planes were brought down. It is reported from Berlin that German reconnaissance units crossed the French frontier, bringing back "as much war material as they could carry. A communique states that German scouts before tlie Maginot Line found sections of the French second line of defence completely abandoned, including an uncompleted trench line 1100 yards from a French village, whose houses were deserted and in a state of disorder. A second village was also abandoned.

Machine-gun nests and shelters between the villages were deserted.

The scouts, who returned by an other route, found all positions evacuated and munitions,, steel hei mets, and equipment were strew about.

A later communique admits that reports of the activities of the scouts were "a belated description of events some time ago, the precise date of which is unknown.**

Copenhagen reports that tlie Berlin correspondent of the "Politiken'' says that German military authorities consider that it would be madness to launch an offensive before the spring. Meanwhile, Germany will exert the greatest diplomatic activity and will build up supplies. A Luxembourg message says that aerial activity prevails. Six French machines flying over Luxembourg encountered violent anti-aircraft fire.