ENEMY REPULSED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23620, 2 April 1940, Page 7

ENEMY REPULSED

WESTERN FRONT TWO ATTACKS FAIL HEAVY GUNS IN ACTION By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright (Received April 1, 6-30 p.m.) LONDON, April 1 Two attacks against French outposts were repulsed yesterday and some Germans were killed and some taken prisoner, says a message from Paris. The Berlin news agency says: "One German patrol captured six prisoners and another captured a machine-gun in heavy fighting in which the enemy lost 10 men killed and a number wounded. The German losses were slight." Mobile guns of heavy calibre were prominent in violent artillery duels in the Vosges and eastward of the Saar. The tactics both of the French and the Germans are to quietly move guns into favourable positions, launch a fierce but brief attack, and then hastily withdraw before the enemy can fix the position of the guns. The Germans attempted a number of minor infantry raids, but withdrew with losses. A number of British militiamen engaged night patrols in no-man's-land. There was fairly intensive activity by both Air Forces. It is officially, stated from Berlin that German aeroplanes shot down seven French aeroplanes in a series of fights on the Western Front, and that the Germans suffered no losses. The correspondent of the Daily Mail with the French Army reveals that many valuable secrets of a new Dornier were discovered in an aeroplane which the French forced down just behind the front line. FLIERS' VICTORIES BRITISH AND FRENCH SCORES BEING REGISTERED NEW ZEALANDER'S LEAD LONDON, March 31 A score board of British and French pilots' successes is being carefully kept, says the Paris correspondent of the. Daily Telegraph. The New Zealander, Flving-Officer E. J. ("Cobber") Kain. is at present leading with five certainties, but a friendly French rival, whose name so far has not been revealed, is expected to receive shortly credit for his fifth enemy aeroplane. A sergeant-pilot at present heads the French list with three official victories. EARLY OFFENSIVE BELIEF OF ITALIANS ATTACK ON MAGINOT LINE LONDON. March 28 The Italian people have abandoned hope that Signor Mussolini's activities, combined with the visit to Europe of President Roosevelt's personal envoy, Mr. Sumner Welles, will promote an armistice, and they believe the war will develop tragic activity immediately. Signor Gayda, Signor Mussolini's unofficial mouthpiece, in an article in his newspaper, II Giornale d'ltalia, entitled "Enough of These Olive Branches," announced the definite failure of the peace offensive, and the fact that Signor Mussolini had conferred with the Chief of Staff of the Army,. Marshal Graziani. The communique issued after this conference, that Italy was solely concerned with her own defences, lends weight to the generally accepted report that Hitler told Signor Mussolini he was ready to attack the Maginot Line at any moment, and was convinced of a successful result. Italian non-belligerence is unquestioned, and the reasons for the Brennero meeting between Hitler and Signor Mussolini, it is generally agreed, were simply concerned with the maintenance of supplies from Italy. DEMAND FOR LEATHER PROBLEM FOR BRITAIN LONDON. March 28 The Government _is considering measures to increase the export of leather goods. Four methods are contemplated. They are: The control of prices, the introduction of standard civilian footwear in a strictly limited range, an increase in experiments to discover a substitute for leather, and the use of whalehide for bootlaces. Apart from export , considerations,, military requirements include 2,000,000 pairs of boots for the French Army and 261,000 pairs for the British Army in the next three months.