REACHING PEAK

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20259, 29 May 1940, Page 11

REACHING PEAK

25-MILE FRONT NAZIS GROSS RIVER FRENCH CABINET MEETS PREMIER TO BROADCAST MORE BERLIN CLAIMS (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. May 28, 3 p.m.) LONDON, May 27. The great battle on a front of 25 miles along the Lys River between Menin and Courtrai continues to rage with extreme violence. The French spokesman late last night said that the Germans had crossed the Lys at several points. He added that the fighting seemed to have reached its maximum intensity. The fate of Calais was unknown at nightfall. The remainder of the front was comparatively calm. An assembly of the French Cabinet was suddenly summoned at 10 p.m. The President, M. Lebrun, attended. In the early hours of this morning it was officially stated that the Cabinet had examined the military and political situation and also heard the views of the Allied Commander-in-Chief, General Weygand. The Premier of France, M. Reynaud, was to broadcast to the nation at 8.30 am.

The Belgian Prime Minister, M. Pierlot, and the Foreign Minister, M. Spaak, earlier in the day went to Paris from London after a meeting of the War Cabinet. They had conferred with the French Premier, M. Reynaud, and M. Daladier before the French Cabinet met. German Version of Air Fights

A German communique states: We are continuing the attacks in Flanders and Artois. Northward of Menin we deeply penetrated the enemy positions and advanced close to Ypres.

“The German air force again facilitated the advance of the army in concentrated activities against the area in which, the enemy is hemmed in. Our planes attacked aerodromes in the vicinity of Paris and roads and railways southward of Reims. German planes destroyed 20 planes on one aerodrome. The enemy losses yesterday totalled 73 planes. “The German air force also attacked ports on the Belgian and French coasts and set fire to docks at Dunkirk

“We heavily repulsed attacks by French colonial troops north-eastward of Lens. A German armoured car near Boulogne set fire to an enemy destroyer

“German air attacks against Channel ports still in enemy hands are foiling British attempts to rescue the hemmed-in troops and evacuate them across the Channel.

“Fifteen German planes had not returned from the operations of yesterday. *. “We landed parachute troops at N A Vl furfher German communique claims that several Allied warships and transports were damaged by bombs. It adds that Allied, planes again carried- out indiscriminat bombing over western Germany, but “no damage was done.” The German High Command claims that speed boats sank a British destroyer during the push towards Ostend and also an Allied submarine off Helder.