Allies Capture Sidon

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 142, 17 June 1941, Page 5

Allies Capture Sidon

Double-Pronged Thrust Against Beirut

Early Fall of Damascus Likely

United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. LONDON, June 15. Reports from Vichy to-night state that Sidon, the Syrian port 25 miles south of Beirut, lias been occupied by British forces and that the Sengalese troops who were defending it have taken up positions along a river 13 miles north of Sidon and 12 miles from Beirut. A communique from British General Headquarters in Cairo says that Allied troops are in contact with Vichy forces along the whole front. Although our progress yesterday was slower than on previous days, further penetrations have been made in the centre of our advance. We have occupied Jezzin, 12 miles east of Sidon, and are continuing our advance northwards. Free French headquarters in Jerusalem say that entry into Damascus, the Syrian capital, can be expected shortly. Another message from Jerusalem says that 2500 square miles of Syrian territory is now under British control.

The victors of Sidon aro now pushing on against tho defences of Beirut, the road to which is thick with antitank obstacles and snipers’ posts, and General Dentz, the 1 rench commander, is reported to have established strong artillery and machine-gun positions concealed In the olive groves south of the town.

In the centre sector of the advance the British thrust northward from Jezzin provides means of patesing by these defences of the coastal plain by traversing the mountains and out-dank-iug the main positions. The capture of Jezzin was also valuable for the operations again Sidon, giving the Allies control of a road to Sidon, which, according to the British United Press correspondent, was undefended and thus permitting the forces in the central sector to support a local outflanking movement against Sidon. The fighting for Sidon provided the nearest approach to a full-scale battle •o far, with Allied and German-Vichy planes and British and Vichy Government warships contesting the seaward flank and the air and land forces of both sides clashing south and east of the town.

Vichy’s official announcement of Sidon's fall followed hard on the heels of a communique from Beirut saying that, while British warships continued their systematic bombardment of the Sidon districts, armoured cars launched an attack on Friday and Saturday. Vichy sources said that General Bentz's air force, with reinforcements flown from France, twice on Saturday forced the British warships to withdraw from the coast, but the British reinforced their naval strength to nine units and Sidon fell when a severe naval bombardment made the position untenable. The bombers’ attacks on the warships, However, enabled the Senegalese defenders to hold on until nightfall, after which they slowly withdrew under constant pressure from the Australians to positions on the north bank of the Nahred Damour River.

The Beirut radio, in admitting the withdrawal northward, says that the British carried out violent land and sea attacks against Sidon last night and this morning. The Australians, after establishing themselves on the outskirts of Sidon, suffered violent counter-attacks by tanks, in addition to heavy lire from machine-guns, mortars and lield guns in the olive groves around the town. They Held on lirimly and then fought their way in by hand-to-hand lighting through the houses and streets.

The Free French In London are optimistic that Damascus will capitulate soon. The Governor of Damascus is reproted to have passed through Ankara en route to Istanbul, and General Dentz Has significantly called on officials at Damascus and Beirut to remain at their posts. Gendarmes patrol the streets of Damascus and Beirut at night as a precaution against disorders, and proclamations call on the people to remain calm. The evacuation of civilians continues.

The commander of the Free French forces, General Le Gentilhomme, was wounded during the bombing of a road by planes with Tricolour markings, says a Damascus message. Colonel Collet, the famous French colonial soldier who deserted with his cavalry unit from Syria and joined the Free French, and whose forces are operating in the Damascus region, conferred with a number of prominent Syrians and sent them back to their homes with appeals to their followers to facilitate the bloodless progress of the Allies.

The Brazzaville radio, the Free French station in Equatorial Africa, says that British and Imperial troops from Iraq are advancing rapidly toward Aleppo and Palmyra, where there are two important aerodromes once used by tke Germans.

Vichy officials say that a British motorised detachment from Iraq made contact with Vichy troops at Abu Kemal, on the Euphrates just within the border of Syria 10, and occupied the town on Saturday. An observer, in conversation with young Frenchmen captured in Syria, received repeated denials that Germans were in Syria. However, when they were confronted with concrete evidence

they were obviously distressed. Others said they were lighting only because Marshal Petain ordered them to. They knew that Germany, not Britain, was the enemy of Franco. A statement made yesterday that the Syrian air bases had been handed over to the Germans without Marshal Petain’s knowledge is likely to have a marked effect on French public opinion.

The German's to-day made their iirst mention of action in Syria in a communique announcing attacks on British warships off the Syitan coast. An K.AJbL. Middle East communique says: “In Syria our aircraft continued to support our advancing ground forces and also maintained patrols over our supporting naval units off the coast. B.A.F. lignters attacked .German bombers ana escorting lighters which approached our naval forces. Several hostile lighters and one bomber were damaged. A number of other hostile aircraft were attacked and damaged by our lighters near Kayak. Our bomber ! aircraft attacked hostile troops and | motor transport in the Mirgille area. 1 Aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm tor-

pedoed an enemy vessel near Beirut.'' An Independent French Agency message from Jerusalem says that the Syrian and Lebanese territory so far occupied bf the Allies equals in area several French departments and contains nearly half a million inhabitants. Officers devoted to the Allied cause have already taken the first steps toward the realisation of the Allies' promise of independence and the reorganisation of the Departments of Finance, police, Custom's, Public Works and Education, which are now running smoothly under improved conditions. Merchants from Syria and the Lebanon are being granted permits to purchase petrol anywhere in Palestine and also to send into the occupied territory wheat, flour, rice, sugar, coffee and kerosene. * A Vichy communique states that Canadians are participating in the attack in the region of Merj Iyun. (There is no confirmation from other •ources that Canadians are in Syria.)