BATTLE CONTINUES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 169, 17 June 1940, Page 8

BATTLE CONTINUES

ALONG WHOLE FRONT. FRENCH COUNTER-ATTACKS. ; (British Official Wifeless.) RUGBY, June 14. An official French communique : states: “From the sea to the Argonne, the battle continues along the whole front, but le6e violently at several points. The withdrawals of our. troops, especially from Paris, which began this morning, were executed according to plan. . “Our troops have carried out several counter-attacks. Vigorous German attacks this -morning ~ against positions west of the Saar were repulsed with heavy losses to the enemy. “Last night the Fleet Air Force attacked oil stores in the area of Venice. Leaflets were dropped by our ’planes over Rome. Railway lines, industrial plant, and troop concentrations were shelled on the Italian coast by our warships.” GENERAL’S CAPTURE . The Daily Telegraph reveals that General Giraud was captured at Sedan last month by a trick. An officer in u French uniform arrived at headquarters purporting to ask for aid for the Twentieth Division of the Ninth Army, which General Cirqud commanded. After ascertaining that General Giraud was really at headquarters, he departed, allegedly to rejoin his division, but an hour later 12 German tanks surrounded the chateau headquarters and captured General Giraud and his staff after brief resistance. EXODUS FROM PARIS. One of the last Britons to leave Paris was the Daily Mail’s correspondent who said that when the news of the’rapid German advance was received there was a frantic rush to get cars carts, horses, and anything with which to escape. The Government did not inform the people because it _ was imperative to avoid a last-minute rash from Paris, which would clutter up the roads and hamper the tary. • Most of these people by now have been taken prisoner.. An enormous crowd surrounded a woman selling .cherries. There was nothing else to eat. , ‘ .j- ---. The correspondent, telling scenes o.n the roads, says the highways were jambed with cars, lorries, horses, pedestrians, women with babies in , their arms and old men fainting. , The German light advanced detachments, moving rapidly along the Av- ( enue Versailles suddenly stopped as it waiting for new orders before enter- , ing the city. There was nothing barring the way, and not a shot . was fired. SORROWFUL SCENE. The great trek of refugees is . unceasing. Those reaching Tours said they were bombed and machine-gun-ned twenty miles south-eastward of Paris yesterday, many being killed. Tours has twice had air raids. The Times correspondent says many vehicles, grossly overloaded, broke down and scores of others ran out of petrol of which garages sold, out of supplies. The food shortage is serious, and wayside cafes are closed because stocks are exhausted. The Government is doi.ng its utmost to rush supplies to meet the phenomenal demand, for never m history have there been so many refugees in one country at one time.' Among the French are Belgian, Luxemburg, Polish and Dutch refugees. „ . _ NAZIS IN CAPITAL. German troops to-n-ght were marching in the Paris streets, goose-step-ping column by column along the Champs Elysees, save the Daily .Mail s correspondent from the south of Paris, who received details of the German occupation from officials who permitted him to leave att.er closing the city gates. German machine-guns were posted at the corners of squares. The German general asked the Chief of Police to continue to function until further orders. The Germans have ordered bakers, butchers, and provision shops to open normally, but nc puses and no taxis are operating. Comparatively few German soldiers actually' entered Pans, but there were lar<re numbers of Black Guard motor-cyclists and police. TRAIN BOMBED. A stationary train in the main station at llheims was bombed from a low height, and several direct hits were registered, states an R.A.F. communique. Another aircraft following an hour later machine-gunned troops marching through the city. At Soissons road and railway bridges were repeatedly attacked, and some of them were destroyed. At Chateau Thierry a huge explosion followed a direct hit on the railway junction. At Laon another railway junction and nearby warehouses were extensively damaged. During the night oil tanks at Dunkirk were set on fire, 'and at Flushing and Ostend other-air-craft made a low-level attack on aeroj dromes, inflicting further damage.