LINE IN BELGIUM

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23661, 21 May 1940, Page 7

LINE IN BELGIUM

BRITISH WITHDRAWAL SATISFACTORY PROGRESS DEFENCES ESTABLISHED (Received May 20, 7.35 p.m.) LONDON, May 20 The strategic withdrawal of the British and Belgian troops in northern Belgium is progressing satisfactorily, and numerous reinforcements are continually disembarking. The German news agency claimed yesterday that an Allied tank and armoured car attack south-west of Brussels was repulsed, and 20 tanks were destroyed. German casualties on most fronts had been slight, but "it was possible there had been heavy losses in some places."

The Sunday Times correspondent in a despatch from the British headquarters, says the British Army found itself exposed overnight to the grave danger of a flank encirclement after the German thrust between Namur and Sedan. The German advance northward would have menaced communications to northern France and the Channel ports, hence the withdrawal, Which was accomplished so swiftly and skilfully that the enemy had no knowledge of it in time to interfere. British aircraft kept off enemy reconnaissance aircraft. This withdrawal is in no way comparable with the retreat from Mons or the German incursion of 1918. The British Army then fought desperately from bad positions with depleted forces, and the French were equally spent and exhausted.

To-day. the British Army is intact, apart from relatively unimportant casualties suffered during the fighting before Brussels, and stands entrenched with important defence works and lines of resistance behind the present line.

The Gort Line/ at which the Army has worked hard all the winter, is strong, and we hold behind it all the ground and command of the sea and Channel crossings with a degree of safety never approached in the last war. DRIVE TO CHANNEL reported Nazi aim ULTIMATUM TO BRITAIN LONDON, May 19 (Nazi sources close to Hitler believe that he will try to occupy the channel ports and demand that Britain surrender. If Britain refuses he will launch an air attack. GERMANS SHOT DOWN AIR FIGHT OFF DUTCH COAST (Rccoived May 20, 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, May 10 Two Blenheims patrolling the Dutch coast attacked three Heinkel Ill's and three Messerschmitt 110's, shooting down two of the latter.