POLAND’S DEFENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 7 September 1939, Page 5

POLAND’S DEFENCE

HEAVY FIGHTING.

AGAINST MASSED GERMANS

(P^y,lndependent, Cable,),.

(United Press Association—By'Ejectrio Te'egr aph—Copyi ight). :

WARSAW, Sep. 6. It is reported - -that* -heavy • fighting tSSk place to-day,, thirty ;.mile§ northeast or Warsaw on the line joining Plonsk and Cienhanow.

GERMAN PROGRESS

LODZ AND CRACOW MENACED

.NEW YORK, Sep. 6. The American Associated Press correspondent at Berlin ‘reports? the latest German communique on Polish operations, which is as follows: U our i mountain; and . , motorised 1 troops on a broad front have forced ; the nprthqrn . exits of , the Beskiden Mountains ,in the Cracow district, south-jvest.- 1 , v of Cracow icity-..- They then began.a swiftattack on. Novysacz (south of.:Cracow). At the same time German forces from the: south and the we6t. drove tho enemy into Cracowvi ji ; iy. : Further riorth the-towns oLCheciny, Lupussonof-and•; Piorakow (north rof the city i of') Czestochowa hawe been captured .fiwith a drive which- is progressing along the Eastern Embankment of the Werta River, from the western frontier, towards the city of Lodz.: ‘ : !

“' The East Prussian army took' •Cich- >- anow 'arid pressed the enemy southward. , Our airman are disturbing the enemy’s traffic lines and' comrimnications.’ Many’ rail-lines are interrupted. The commuflique adds: 1 Our casuAalties thus far average four dead and twenty-five ‘ woundrid for every ten pF thousand engaged. SABOTAGE ' NATION’S DEFENCES • U'j'C 1"j. WARSHAW, September 6. Tt is reported from Lubin tha'£ the Polish defence has been handicapped by sabotage that,has been carried on by the German minority. A whole village in the Lublin district, hearing gun-fire, rushed out shouting “Heil Hitler.” ' i

Many have been arrested for espionage. ,

GERMAN SPIES. • NEW YORK, Sep. 6. The London correspondent of the American Associated Press says that the British Broadcasting Corporation intercepted a Warsaw wireless message reporting that ”a: number of German parachutists dropped behind the Polish lines. They were dressed as Polish soldiers. The Germans were' captured, eourtmaVtialled, and sentenced to death. ' • • > •,

(This message is confirmed from Warsaw.), ' ' '

THE CAPTURED GERMANS!’ WARSAW, Sep. 6. The Warsaw radio station regularly includes ■ news bulletins in the German language, with the lists pf names of Germans takem prisoner. The radio< adds a few words of comfort to their families in Germany. CZEOH-SLOVAK LEGION. LONDON, Sep. 5. “The Times” Warsaw correspondent says:— A Czechoslovak Legion is being formed under General:- Prcbala. MAJOR BATTLE COMING. FIGHT FOR WARSAW. WARSAW, Sep. 6. A major battle for the capital is expected to start hourly. Machine-guns are to be heard chattering at the edge of the city. » t. The Polish radio announced that the Germans are massed north-.west of Warsaw, 22 miles distant, on a line from Oienchanow to Plonsk.

Tliis is likely to be the first decisive •battle since the-.invasion. If the Poles are unable to hold here, .the last stand before the capital will probably be Novydwor, which is fifteen miles northwest. ?'

Tlie wholesale evacuation of Warsaw is being carried out. • - ; The citizens of Warsaw, are cheerful despite the inconvience of continuous artillery and air bombardments.

COUNTER ATTACKS. , POLISH STRATEGY. LONDON, Sep. 5. “The Times” Warsaw, correspondent States,, dqspite the heavy pressure on them in Silesia the Poles have now ( taken the initiative in. a number of places,. This action is fully in accordance with the Poles’ expected plan of operations. The Polish strategy provides for swift counter-attacks where the? invasion is weakest, not giving the enemy time to ; maintain heavy concentrations at any single point. Once the Poles are fighting on a shorter line of defence, namely, that forinbd by the Vistula river and the Bug river, they should be able to use | their cavalry and their specialised forces to the best advantage. The Germans’ difficulties while advancing into enemy country are already amply displayed, even in Silesia, where they had counted on the support of the German-speaking population. On the. contrary, the population -there is so restive that the German commanders are unable to send up adequate numbers of troops to the front line.

STOUT POLISH RESISTANCE 1 .; ; 7 NEW YORK, Sep. 5. ; The Paris correspondent of the “New York limes,” states that the Germans are meeting. in Poland with such resistance that they will be compelled forthwith to act methodically. WARSAW IN DANGER. WARSAW, Sep. 5. The fortifications of Warsaw are reported to. have fallen into German hands, after fierce fighting. The Poles are now retreating southeastwards in an orderly fashion. The German-Hungarian and -SlovakHungarian frontiers have been closed. GERMAN PLANE RAIDS. BERLIN, Sep. 5. German planes raided the area between Warsaw and Lodz (30 miles south of Warsaw) and they shot down eleven Polish planes which went up to engage them.

THE CORRIDOR CRT. ~- LONDON, Sep. 5. The “Times” reviewing the rapid developments that have occurred on the Polish front points out that the Corridor has been cut. This, it says, does not imply, however, that the Poles further north have been subdued, nor that their resistance east of Vistula river is slackening. No ,other result in the. Corridor was .possible, because the Corridor is. so narrow that the range of. powerful artillery firing from either flank could almost span it. The open plains here have Afforded the Poles.no natural defensive positions.

POLISH OFFICIAL REPORT

A .Polisli conmiunique states :

“On the south-western front the enemy was repelled, and his forces held in check.

“On the northern front, overwhelming enemy forces, strongly supported by tanks, have reached a line from Ciechanow to Plonsk (north of Warsaw). “Enemy planes have continued to harass our entire operations, bombarding our towns and transport columns, and our infantry. “Polish planes have effectively bombarded armoured car detachments.” CONFISCATED BY NAZIS. DANZIG, Sep. *6. The Danzig property of the Polish State and Polish institutions m Danzig have been confiscated under a German decree, as 1 has the • Slovak property of Doctor Szathmary, the Slovak Minister at Warsaw. It is said •that this is due to Dr Szathmary’s broadcast calling on the Slovak’s to resist the Germans.

A NEW YORK REPORT

NEW YORK. September 5,

The Paris correspondent of the “New v ork Times” says: It is believed that the Germans are meeting with such a resistance in Roland that they will he compelled, henceforth, to act methodically. Thus the main armies on both the western fronts are, not likely to come to grips for some time. Planes dived And machine-gunned peasants on the farms and ioadsides,

and- dropped 200 bombs on a cemetery, in a suburb of Warsaw, where villagers were burying the victims of Friday’s air-raids. i The Poles report that the Germans bombed from the air 31 towns and villages, in the past 30 hours. It is estimated that’looo planes are engaged, of which the Poles have brought down more than 75.

APPEAL FOR MAN POWER. (Received this day at 9.30 a.m.)! BUDAPEST, Sept. 6. The Polish radio interrupted a programme to appeal to citizens to report to the nearest police 'with spades to dig trenches around Warsaw. It‘declared .all the 'Manpower was needed. GERMAN ADVANCE. NEARING WARSAW. (Received this day at 9.30 a.m.). WARSAW, Sept. 6. A communique states Germans have reached a point between Ponsk arid Cliiechanow, bringing' the advance motorised units 35 miles northward of Warsaw. Oh the southwest, Poles are holding overwhelming numbers of the enemy. There was shafp fighting in Warta-Kamiensk region, southwest of Warsaw.::

The'East Prussian front'is unchanged. ; : ■■ - ' ’ - : " i '

*77 RAID ON WARSAW. -y <

8 BOMBERS BROUGHT DOWN. ■> (Received this, day, at 11.5 aun.) LONDON, September 6. It s is announced in Berlin that' 70 Germhil bombers raided 1 Warsaw yesterday, dropping explosives and incendiary bombs. Anti-aircraft fire brought' down eight.

GERMANS ADVANCING

(Received this-day at 10.30 a.m.)

NEW YORK, Sept. 6

A Berlin radio announces the Germans are" advancing rapidly on Warsaw from the north.

A Warsaw communique states the Poles continue to hold Gdynia.

GERMAN LOSSES HEAVY.

(Received this day at 10.30 a.m.).

BERLIN, Sept. 6,

The War Ministry announced the oc. cupation of the fortified city' of Bromberr, and the industrial centre of Kielee, which was also taken. It is understood the German'losses' were especially heavy around Tczew, near Danzig, among a regiment forming Hitler’s bodyguard.