FIERCE BATTLE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20034, 5 September 1939, Page 5

FIERCE BATTLE

HEART OF DANZIG FIRE USED BY NAZIS CAPTURE OF POST OFFICE STRUGGLE FOR DUMP DEFENDERS HOLDING OUT (Elcc. Tel. Copyright —United Press Assn.) (Reed. Sept. 5, 11,15 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 4. After three days of incessant bombardment, the little Polish garrison to-day still held the Westerplatte ammunition dump. It is estimated that 30 German planes dropped over 50 bombs. A fierce battle is reported to have taken place in the heart of Danzig for the Post Office building, which 70 Poles stubbornly defended for two days until the Nazis poured petrol on the roof of the building and set fire to . it. Twenty Poles were killed and the rest were taken prisoners.

The Danzig correspondent of the United Press of Great Britain, in his first dispatch since the annexation of the Free City toy Germany describes how flame finally broke the resistance of the 70 Poles armed with machine-guns who held the Post Office in the centre of the city. After vainly assaulting the Germans brought up light artillery and blew away the front of the building. They then poured water with petrol on top of it into the building and set it afire.

The correspondent adds that the chatter of machine-guns at every offensive indicates that some of the defenders of th e Westerplatte ammunition dump are still alive. Planes dropped 60 bombs on to the fort yesterday, while shelling from the sea continues. The populace was ordered out of .the surrounding territory today, apparently in preparation for a smothering bombardment.

A Polish General Staff communique says that the Polish forces have been withdrawn from Czestochowa owing to an attack by superior German forces using armoured tanks. The Poles regained the suburbs of Orlowa, Kack, or Puck, in the fighting round Gdynia. The Warsaw correspondent of the United Press of America says that Poland has called more men to the colours.

a communique admits German vances in south-east Silesia but claims Polish successes in the Gdynia and Danzig sectors where Orlow and Kack have been recaptured.

A Czech legion, comprised of refugees, is fighting for the Poles. The Polish radio station at Warsaw announced that Poland had recaptured the frontier station of Zbazyn.

The official agency in Berlin says that the Poles pierced the Vistula dykes in th e Tzcew region, flooding the neighbouring lowlands. They also • destroyed the Vistula bridges at Tzcew and Liessau.