FIERCE FIGHTING IN WEST

Southland Times, Issue 23947, 13 October 1939, Page 7

FIERCE FIGHTING IN WEST

FRENCH REPEL NAZI PATROLS HAND GRENADES USED BY RAIDING PARTIES (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) PARIS, October 11. Two German raiding parties of 150 each lost 60 killed and wounded without capturing a solitary Frenchman, says a French war communique. The Germans were repelled in fierce hand-to-hand fighting in which hand grenades were used. A French western front communique reports increasing enemy patrols between the Moselle and the Saar, with artillery action by both sides. This indicates that the Germans are continuing their tactics of the past three days. Their determined efforts to secure prisoners failed. The Germans, in spite of clouds and rain, are employing numerous observation aeroplanes escorted by fighters, and attempting to photograph behind the French lines, but the French de-

fensive fire is so intense they have rarely succeeded in crossing no-man’s land, and when they did were roughly handled by the British and the French fighters. German patrols were again repulsed during the night south of Saarbrucken and in the region south of Pirmasens. It is unofficially stated that German activity, in spite of driving rain and mud, may be a prelude to an effort to relieve the French pressure on Saarbrucken.

The Paris newspaper Petit Parisien says that now there is no doubt of the quality of the troops the Germans are employing. The German High Command states that there was weak artillery activity during the day after a quiet night. The French Air Minister (M Guy La Chambre) told the Senate Air Commission that French pursuit pilots had proved superior in all the air battles, in which there had frequently been a superior number of enemy planes. Reconnaissance planes had carried out day and night missions often for several hundred miles behind the German lines.

The output of planes and new material was up to estimate and the operations had demonstrated that the quality of the aircraft was excellent.

DANISH PRODUCE GOES TO GERMANY

COPENHAGEN, October 11. The majority of Denmark’s agricultural exports went to Germany in the past week. None went to Britain. COST OF MOBILIZATION IN BELGIUM BRUSSELS, October 11. The Belgian Minister of Finance announced that Belgium’s mobilization was costing £BO,OOO sterling a day.