FIGHTING IN WEATHER BELOW ZERO

Northern Advocate, 3 January 1938, Page 4

FIGHTING IN WEATHER BELOW ZERO

CIVIL WAR

(Received 10 a.m.) LONDON, January 1. A message from Saragossa says the rebels claim to have captured San Bias, two and a-haif miles west of Teruel, and Concur, four and a-half miles north-west. They also claim to have re-occupied an importantstrategic point at Muel'a de Teruel, thus establishing contact with the besieged garrison. Reports indicate that the insurgents' advance continues. Later reports state that, in spite of a blizzard and a temperature below zero, the fighting continues inside and outside Teruel. Heavy Casualties.

The insurgent defenders are still not relieved, but GO,OOO relief troops, equipped with German quick-firing guns, are inflicting very heavy casualties on the loyalists. Simultaneously, numerous aerial combats are taking place. The insurgents claim to have advanced towards Villa Star and to be threatening the loyalists’ retreat. Reuter Representative lI.S. Journalist Killed. Mr E. R. S. Shepshanks, Reuter’s special correspondent with the Spanish insurgents, and Mr A. Johnson, an American journalist, were killed when the motor car in which they weri* travelling together in the Teruol battle area suffered a direct hit from a Republican shell. Mr Noil, an American Associated Press correspondent, was wounded in one leg. i Assassination Attempt.

The Spanish insurgents allege that an attempt was made to assassinate the Spanish High Commissioner at Tckuuli, with bombs wrapped in parcels smd despatched from French Morocco. Throe leading insurgent officials opened! the parcels and found them to con thin time bombs.