ARRAS AND ABBEVILLE RETAKEN

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20254, 23 May 1940, Page 5

ARRAS AND ABBEVILLE RETAKEN

BRITONS SMASHING NAZI FLANK

X/' ' ' GENERAL WEYGAND VOICES CONFIDENCE MR. CHURCHILL’S VISIT TO FRANCE (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. May 23, 11.30 a.m.) ~:r . . LONDON, May 22. It is officially announced in Paris that the French have recaptured Arras. The French military spokesman subsequently stated that the German advance guards had been “chased out” of Abbeville.

A morning communique issued in Paris stated: “The enemy pressure continued in the direction of the coast, taking the form of raids carried out by small motorised detachments. Arras is now in our hands. In Lorraine, the enemy having bombed three towns behind our front, wc retaliated on three towns behind the German front.”

To-night’s French communique states: “In the course of the day fighting continued in the north and Belgium. There was nothing of importance elsewhere.” The French military spokesman in Paris said that the British had strongly smashed the German right flank near Cambrai. This was the British United Press version. Other agencies so far were more guarded, merely referring to spirited fighting near Cambrai. The French military spokesman said that fighting was progressing in the region of Neufchatel. Prepared For Counter-Attack # Reuter’s military correspondent says that only a limited number of troops, are resisting the German thrust at Cambrai. The remainder was prepared for a counter-attack. Reuter’s correspondent further says .that the French military spokesman indicated that combats between the Allies and the Germans were continuing near Qambrai. The battle was ebbing first one way and then another. The Press Association’s military correspondent says the recapture of Arras is believed to indicate that General Weygand has begun an important counter-move with the object of imperilling the German advanced mechanised Units by a vigorous flank attack. The correspondent states that while it would be wrong to take an over-optimistic view of this preliminary success, experts consider the recapture of Arras mjay prove the first step towards checking the desperate thrust by the Germans towards the coast. > Heavy rain to-day helped to relieve the pressure and give a brief respite from the constant air bombing and enable the Allies to mass tanks. / A high)military source in Paris states that the French.are now- entrenched on the south bank of the Somme. All bridges across the Somme have been blown up. Interest now is focussed in Picardy, into whicn small German detachments have infiltrated. French troops are reported to be near Amiens. There were no new attempts to-day to cross the Aisne and the enemy attacks on Montmedy ceased. % The British United Press reports that the German casualties are estimated at 500,000 with a proportion of one killed to’ seven wounded. The casualties of the Allies are estimated at 100,000. r Bombing by Royal Air Force It is officially stated in London that the Royal Air Force again heavily bombed enemy communications. The objectives included railway junctions and bridges eastward of Aachen. In a raid this morning over the Franco-Belgian border, lasting four hours, British planes bombed and machine-gunned German columns advancing ,to support the drive by mechanised forces to the Channel. Many tons of bombs were dropped. The Prime Minister, Mr. Winston Churchill, accompanied by naval, military and air advisers, visited France to-ejav. lc conferred with the Premier of France, M. Reynaud and the Commander-in-Chief, General Weygand. He returned to London in the evening.

Jn an address broadcast from Paris, M. Reynaud said: I have just seen General Wcygand, who returned from the front. He toJd me: ‘I am full of confidence provided everyone docs his duty with ferocious determination.’ The civilian population must not be scared by raids by the German mechanised columns which resemble the inroads of cavalry m former days.

• The people must remain at their posts. Any slackening in the speed or volume of production would amount to a weakening of the national effort and impair the strength of the country. Orders to this effect have been issued to the civil and military authorities.) If we hold out for a monthmilfnT n d ° so ~ then we shall have covered threequarters of the road to victory.”