THIRD OF POLAND

Grey River Argus, 8 September 1939, Page 7

THIRD OF POLAND

TAKEN BY GERMANY MOVE ON WARSAW Desperate Resistance BERLIN, September 6. To-day’s military communiques, if correct, indicate that Germany has seized of Poland, including the nation’s richest provinces. The War Ministry has announced the occupation of the fortified city of Bromberg, and the industrial centre of Keilce, which has also been taken. LONDON, September 6. The Berlin radio announced that, the Germans aflje 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 of Warsaw. There was sharp fighting in the Warta-Kamiensk region, south-west of Warsaw. On the south-west, in the vicinity of Cracow, the Poles are holding overwhelming numbers of the enemy. 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. NEW YORK, September 6. The United Press Warsaw correspondent states that the Polish forces are reported to be making a desperate stand west and north of Warsaw, after their anti-aricraft 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 trie capital, and a major battle seems to be impending.

POLES' TACTICS. ON FABIAN LINES. LONDON, September 6. The Paris 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 designer 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. NORTHERN SECTORS UNALTERED. POLES HOLD THEIR POST. NEW YORK, September 6. The East Prussian front is unchanged. It is understood that the German losses were especially heavy around Tczew. near Danrig, among the regiment of Herr Hitler's bodyguard. NEW YORK, September 6. A Warsaw communique states that the Poles continue to hold Gdynia. They captured a German anti-tank guh. Seventy German bombers raided Warsaw on September 5, dropping explosives and incendiary bombs, causing casualties. Anti-aircraft fire brought down eight. It adds that entemy aviators have continued their aerial brutality, bombarding towns railway stations, and columns of refugees. Polish planes effectively bombed German tank columns near Chiechanow and Radomska. It repeats the claim that Berlin was bombed from the air.

POLES RETAIM WESTERPLATTE RIGA, September 6. A small garrison of Poles in Danzig harbourt continued to hold the munitions depot at the Westerplatte, j n persistent defiance of the guns oi

the German Navy, and bombs from aeroplanes. Poland’s Losses COAL AND INDUSTRIAL REGIONS. CRAWCOW’S' FALL DENIED. (Received September 7, 10.30 p.m.) LONDON, September 6. A Berlin broadcast claims that Poland has lost her entire coal supply and her industrial region. It says also that the battlefields are covered with abandoned Polish material. Berlin despatches officially claim that the city of Cracow, in the southwest, has fallen, though the Warsaw radio denies the loss of it. Defence of Warsaw AGAINST WITHERING FIRE. POLISH RANKS THINNED. (Received September 7 10.40 p.m.) WARSAW, September 7. Polish forces are reported to be' making a desperate stand to the west and north of the capital, in the face of a withering fire, which is thinning their ranks. I The Polish General Staff has confirmed the removal of the Government to Lublin, south of Warsaw. The Germans are reported to be pressing on to Lublin. General Advance ON SOUTH-WEST FRONT. BY GERMAN FORCES. (Received September 7, 11.40 p.m.) BERLIN, September 7. The German High Command, in a communique, says: Our army is advancing on Warsaw and Lublin. Our forces also have passed within a few miles of Lodz (60 miles south of Warsaw). Those German forces that are pushing from the south and the west drove back the enemy from the Cracow industrial area. Eastern Upper Silesia is now in German hands. Further north Piotrkow and two adjacent towns have been captured.

South West Advance STEMMED BY POLES. (Received September 7, 11.45 p.m.) WARSAW, September 7. The latest Polish communique says: The Polish troops are stemming the German advance on the south-west-ern front. The heroic Westerplatte garrison is still holding out in German planes bombed Warsaw several times, also troop concentrations. In retaliation Polish planes bombed the enemy’s armoured columns.

A Stand at Lodz AND EAST OF CRACOW. (Received September 7, 11.45 p.m.) WARSAW, September 7. * The Germans admit severe fighting in Lodz district, also west from Tarnow i(which is 45 miles east of Cracow). Polish Airmen HEROIC WORK. (Received September 7, 11.45 p.m.) WARSAW, September 7. Field-Marshal Smigly-Rydz (Polish Generalissimo) has issued an Order of the Day to the Polish Air Force, as follows: “Airmen, you are the front rank of soldiers of Poland! Despite the enemy’s great ascendancy, you are fulfilling your duties heroically. Poland 'will remember you forever!” Polish Women’s Army FIGHTING LIKE TIGERS. (Received September 7, 10.45 p.m.) WARSAW, September 7. Stories are filtering in about Poland’s Women’s Army. A German officer in one of the captured towns is quoted as saying: “They fight like tigers.”

Cracow Falls GERMANS ALSO TAKE KIELCE. [lndependent Cable.] (Received September 8, 12.45 a.m.) COPENHAGEN, September 7. A communique says that German troops entered the city of Cracow, in north-west Poland with 237,000 population), without a battle at noon on Wednesday. The commanding German General rendered military honours to Marshal Pillsudski’s Grave in Cracow. It is officially reported that the Germans, after the fall of Cracow, began advancing toward Lodz and have captured the. city of Kielce.