BATTLE FOR CITY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 167, 14 June 1940, Page 8

BATTLE FOR CITY

VIOLENCE MAINTAINED. , PARIS, June 12. - The French night communique says: “The battle continues with the same violence along the whole front. Between the sea and the Oise the enemy has accentuated his efforts on the Seine from Rouen to Vernon, attempting to extend the bridgehead which he succeeded in establishing southward of the river. He is seeking to push on to Evereux, also Pacy stir Eure, but we are vigorously holding him. The enemy has also launched reconnaissance detachments on the north • bank of the Seine which is between Rouen and Le Havre. “On the Lower Oise the enemy has made contact with our forces. Enemy advance guards have begun violent attacks in the regions of Crepy en. Valois and Betz. On the Marne in the neighbourhood of Chateau Thierry enemy masses advancing from the north have succeeded in throwing some troops to the south bank. In the region of Rheims new enemy tank motorised forces are engaged in battle. The entire Mechanised Corps, comprising three to four armoured divisions and two to three motorised divisions, have now entered the struggle, j “After bitter fighting, our divi- ! sions here withdrew step by step to I the Mountain of Rbeims.” It is officially stated that four j were killed and 16 wounded on the ■raids on Switzerland of whom two were killed and 18 wounded at Geneva. NAZI VERSION.

The German High Command states that the air force on June II sank seven transports and damaged ten. Enemy ’planes raided Western Germany last night and dropped incendiary bombs in the middle ol one town. “The British unsuccessfully attacked Bergen and Trondheim (in Norway) and lost four ’planes. The total enemy losses yesterday were 39 machines. Three more barrage balloons were shot down. Three of our ’planes are missing.” (From Dav.cntry.) The exodus from the capital continues, and more than a million people have left, but the essential services and certain businesses continue to operate. The withdrawal of the Government is complete, and the radio stations are operating in the provinces.