WAR OPERATIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 6 September 1939, Page 5

WAR OPERATIONS

AERIAL ATTACK NEAR KIEL

Athenia. was Torpedoed

A Heavy Loss of Life Itow Feared

Intense German attack all along Polish Front

(United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright).

HEAVY FIGHTING.

escape are reported to he receiving similar treatment. KATOWICE CAPTURED. (Received this day at 9.35 a.m.). NEW 10RK, Sent. 5. The United Press Berlin correspondent says it is efficially stated that the Germans have captured Katowice, an important industrial centre in Poland. RED CROSS TRAIN DESTROYED., '(Received this day at 9.35 ,a.m.). ■ NEW YORK, Sept; 5. ’ From Paris, the Polish Telegraphic Agency reported that 50 German air raiders destroyed a Red Cross train near Szydlowicz.

ON SILESIAN FRONT. LONDON, Sep. 5. The Warsaw correspondent of “The Times”’'corifirfris the fact that military operations in Poland are heaviest on the /Silesian frohf>’, in " the southwest ~(thri ’'mineralised region), but says that ’the city of Katowice (popuation 1,280,000) a .centre of the iron works arid coal ! mining is still’held by the Poles. It is only a few miles from the German frontier.

The correspondent 'states that the German ' artillery . bombardment of Katowice is continuous., as are. air raids on the city of Cracow (about 50 miles east pf Katowice). Craco.w has a population of 221,000, and the civil population have largely been evacuated..

NOW NEAR WARSAW

(Received this day at 9.35 a.m.)

In the adjacent areas, the fields have been emptied of livestock. The roads are choked with refugees fleeing westwards,- and with Polish troops marching eastwards. The correspondent adds that the Poles regained ground near Rybnik.

NEW YORK, Sept. 5.

The United Press Warsaw correspondent says artillery and machine-gun fire were heard at Warsaw, resulting in the belief that the opposing forces are now near. All roads from the city are clogged by the evacuating populace. It is expected that the Government will shortly depart. Their destination is announced.

A HUGE FORCE.

LONDON, Sep. 5,

“The ..Times” correspondent' at Zil* ina, Czechoslovakia, says: “German troops - have ' converged from ,-their Slovak base upon Neumarkt, and also came from Levoca, Jablopka, and Poprad in Hungary, whence cavalry and infantry, preceded by tanks' and armoured cars, ;' took . Slovak . troops with them. The Slovak troops, .however, halted .at the'border, and formed defensive posts.

AIR COMBAT

NEW YORK, Sept. 5

The United Press Berlin correspondent says it is officially announced that German aeroplanes in combat between Warsaw and Lodz, brought down 11 Polish planes. German losses are not stated.

.“There are now 400,000 troops, under German command in Slovakia, of whom 180,000, mainly Austrians, are fighting.

■A German air-raid with incendiary bombs annihilated the village of Chiemluch near Tarnow, in South Poland, killing many.”

POLES FORCED BACK.- • * MONTREAL, Sep. 5. A Warsaw official communique admits that tlie Poles were forced to abandon- Grudienz and Bydgoszcz (population 119,000, ‘ (thp : key cities of the Corridor. After severe fighting, they were abandoned at 11.58 p;m. WARSAW,-Sep. 5; The Polish staff admits that it has been forced to abandon Bydgoszcz, south of the Corridor. The capture of Czestochowa, already reported, seriously e dangers

Katowice

HITLER NEAR DANZIG. BERLIN, Sep. 4. The German High Command announces that Herr Hitler has arrived on the Eastern Front, and that he saw German troops cross the Vistula River at Kulnr (south of Danzig); He also inspected the liberated province of West Prtlssid. ! A communique claims that the German troops on the Silesian front have captured Nove, Sviecie, Wadoowice and Mlawa, where 'fighting was heaviest. The communique claiihs that 15,000 prisoners have reached the neighbourhood of Cracotv. •

WARSAW AGAIN RAIDED

WARSAW, Sep. 5

Hie capital has suffered further air raids by seventy i German ’planes. While the flames from buildings set' on fire by an earlier attack were lighting up the evening sky vester-i day, anti-aircraft guns scattered the' oncoming planes, three of which dived and bombed from a low alti-; tude. The streets are, deep with I broken glass from the shattered windows. • ' • 25 ’PLANES .DOWNt—. r -WARSAW,, Sep. 5. A communique e claims that , the Poles shot down v seventeen raiding German ’planes, and lost : eight, .themselves. • Already twenty-four German airmen are imprisoned in a suburb of Warsaw. About twelve Of them are suffering from head wounds resulting from parachute jumps. GERMAN TERRORISM. USED AGAINST POLES. LONDON. Sep. 5. The Warsaw correspondent of “The Times” says: “News coming in hourly of an appalling German terror. The German invaders on the Fast Prussian front are reported to be taking Off women aiid children wholesale as hos- I tngcs to Fast Prussia. Dnnziegers of of" Polish bl'ood who are unable to