FIGHT FOR WARSAW

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 September 1939, Page 7

FIGHT FOR WARSAW

MAJOR BATTLE EXPECTED 1 . PsL CITY BEING EVACUATED $ ■ • • ....... • • ' ■’ . • ••• ' ' ’ ' [by CABLE —PBESS ASSN. —COPYBIGHT.] 2 -■ ’ - _ • .. . -> WARSAW,' September 6, | A major battlfe for the capital is expected to start hourly. * Machine-guns be heard chattering at the edge of the city. X The Polish that the Germans ar6 massed north- ? west of distant, on a line from Chiechanow to 2 Ponsk. This is likely to be the first decisive battle since the in-1 vasion. If the Poles are. unable to hold here, the last stand before the capital will probably be Novydwor, which; is north-£ west. ' ■ £

The wholesale evacuation of Warsaw is being rapidly carried out. The citizens despite the inconvenience of continuous artillery • and air bombardments. Cinemas . - and theatres are open until, dusk:Cafes and restaurants are carrying bh withreduced staffs. < , The Polish radio interrupted its programme to appeal to the citizens to report to the nearest police,'with spades in order to dig trenches around Warsaw. It declared that all, man-power was needed. The Berlin radio announces that the Germans are advancing rapidly on Warsaw from the'north. A Polish communique states that the Germans had reached a point between Ponsk and‘Chiechanow, bringing the advance, of motorised units to 35 miles northward 7 of Warsaw. On the south-west, the Poles are holding overwhelming numbers of the enemy. There was sharp fighting in the.,War-ta-Kamiensk region, south-west of Warsaw.

The East Prussian ... front is unchanged. DESPERATE POLISH STAND. (Received September-7, 2.15 p.m.) • NEW YORK, September 6. The United Press * Warsaw correspondent states that the Polish forces are reported to be jnaking a desperate stand west and north of Warsaw, after their anti-aircraft guns brought down eight of 70 enemy planes which bombed the capital. - Neutral military observers do not believe that the Germans could immediately break the outlying defence lines, although the Nazi advanced troops are believed to be only ten miles away. : ~ . The reinforced Polish troops have dug in for a desperate defence of the capital, and a major battle seems to be impending., , • |

GERMAN PLANS AFFECTED. “LIGHTNING WAR” DELAYED. (Received September 7, 10.40 a.m.) LONDON. September 6> 1 German circles in London believe that Herr Hitler’s, strategy is , aimed at the, .British and French pressure is effective Oil the western, front,; says the. London Gorrespcndent-Of: the- United Press. The success of a lightning war is problematical// Military experts consider that the Polbs'-lia-ve doife well to'block the tempo of the German advance, in view of their strategic disadvantage,. It appears that the German idea of smashing Poland in two or three weeks is destined to fail. There is not the slightest indication of. a collapse of the Polish army. On the contrary, the Poles ’are carefully withdrawing their main forces within the natural strategic defences east of the Vistula, but meanwhile they are fight; ing obstinately, and are delaying enemy actions. It is expected that the Corridor, if not severed already, will quickly be severed, although, the garrisons are holding the. outposts at the Hel Peninsula, and . the Westerplatte. It is . believed that the Germans cannot -.'advance further southward until their flanks are protected. The Pains correspondent of the United Press says that Poland’s strategy is to weaken and confound the enemy by progressive retreats, until the Poles reach their fortified lines. It is explained that it would be suicidal for the Poles to engage in a pitched battle. in view of the superiority of the German man-power and equipment,/ The basic feature of the Polish plan is quick movement, with each change designed to force the Germans into abrupt-and costly changes of plans: thus the retreat is according to plan. The invaders will be forced to pay heavily for their frontier advances.

HEAVY GERMAN LOSSES. ’’ (Recd. September 7. 1 p.m.) BERLIN, September 6. The War Ministry has announced

! the occupation Of the fortified city of* J Bromberg, and the industrial centred 'of Keilce, whiOh has also been taken. £ ! It is understood’:; tliat the German ; ? losses were especially heavy around .Tczew, near Danzig,‘among the regi-j--(ment of Herr Hitler’s bodyguard. . The “Diplqmatische Korrespondenz”£ says that Germany, is willing to bury J the old struggle with’'France, but will X resist unprovoked aggression. £ ■ H POLISH STRATEGY. t — . i LONDON, September 5. ~ The Warsaw correspondent of “The .j| Times” states that in spite of heavy pressure in Silesia, the Poles have *? taken the’initiative in a number of places. This is fully in accordance with the expected plan of operations, b Polish strategy provides for swift counter-attacks where the weakens, not givirig the enemy time to maintain heavy concentrations at any 2 single point. Once the Poles are fighting bn £ shorter line of defence—that formed £ by the Vistula, and Bug rivers—they £ should be able to use their cavalry and > specialised . forces to the best advan- 2 tage. . . - * The Germans’ difficulties while ad- .*► vancing into enemy country are al- 2 ready amply displayed—even in Silesia, where they had counted on : the support of the German-speaking popu- * lation, which, on the contrary, is sb 'Hrestive that the Germans are unable to send up adequate numbers of • troops, j to the front line. < : «* A Warsaw message says that after * fierce fighting, the Poles are south-eastwards in orderly fashion. , « “The Times” reviewing the rapid de- 2 velopments on the Polisß/front, points but that though the Corridor has been «« cut that .does not imply that, the :Poles * farther north have been sdbdued, nor * that resistance east of the Vistula is slackening. -No other result ‘Was"'pos- ?i * sible, because the Corridor is so nar-< row that the range., of . powerful artilery firing from either flank could most span it and; the open plains af- '?? forded no natural defensive positions. A Berlin message says that German; aeroplanes raided an, area between < Warsaw and Lodz and shot down; 11 aeroplanes which twent lip to engage them. ■ It is reported that ..’offensives irom 'i East Prussia reached.;' Przasnysz, 40 .r miles from the capital:. : ? ‘ The Germans claim .that .four Polish £ bombers, two fightbrs, andfhine other types were brought down.at:Lodz. German forces, crossing the , Vistula at Grudziadz, penetrated 12 miles south-. ?? eastwards. ‘ The train service between Poland.? and Lithuania has been suspended as a result of trains running, between the’; two countries being bombed by German < aeroplanes. : .

’ GERMAN COMMUNIQUE./ \ j NEW. YORK,, September 6. The American Associated Press correspondent -at Berlin, reports. the latest German communique on Polish operations, as .follows:-/-Our mouritairi/ahd motorised troops on a broad . front' /have - forced the northern exits of the Beskiden Mountains in the Cracow district, southwest of Cracow city. They then began a swift attack on Novysacz (south of Cracow). At the same time German forces from the south and the west drove .the enemy into Cracow. Further north the towns of Checiny. Lupussono and Piotrkow (north of the city of. Czestochowa) have been captured with a drive which is progressing along the Eastern Embankment of the Wara River, from the western 1 frontier, towards the city of Lodz. , The East Prussian army took Cichanow and pressed the enemy southward. i, Our airmen are disturbing the enemy’s traffic lines and communications. Many rail-lines are interrupted. The communique adds: Our casualties thus far average four dead and 25 .wounded for every 10,0.00 men engaged. .