French Operations Start, But Kept Secret

Northern Advocate, 5 September 1939, Page 5

French Operations Start, But Kept Secret

LONDON, September 4. A BROADCAST MESSAGE FROM DAVENTRY AT 11.50 LAST NIGHT SAID THAT FRANCE’S FIRST WAR COMMUNIQUE STATES THAT OPERATIONS HAVE BEEN BEGUN BY THE WHOLE LAND, SEA AND AIR FORCES. Although the War Ministry announced at 11,30 a.m. today that operations have begun involving the entire French land, naval and air forces, the theatre of operations was not stated officially. The “Paris Midi.” however, comments: “Great silence is being observed on the military operations on the Western Front, but it can be assured that we are not inactive.

“The 'German armies are going' to be forced to loosen their grip on heroic Poland, whose troops at several points have passed to the offensive.”

The German wireless from Berlin, on the other hand’, announces that there is nothing to report from the Western frontier. The Associated Press of Great Britain correspondent in Paris says a General Staff communique announced: “Contact has been made on the front with the German forces.” It added that the naval forces had taken up the post assigned to them, and the airforce had done the necessary scouting.

In a message from Paris, the Independent Cable Service reports that French troops have penetrated the German lines at a dozen points, advancing as much as three kilometres.

The Admiralty has announced that naval activity is continuing on all seas, but so far there has been no major operations to report.

Polish forces reported that there were seven air raids on Warsaw this morning, which indicated that the Germans have unleashed a great offensive on all fronts during, the night, presumably hoping to subdue Poland quickly, and move troops to the Western Front.

The Copenhagen correspondent of the “New York Times” states that an unidentified Netherlands wireless station reported that an air battle was proceeding over Friesland and the Netherlands.

The 'Netherlands Government issued a communique stressing the seriousness of the violation of neutrality. It requested both parties to investigate whether their forces were responsible, and to take measures to prevent the repetition of such flights.