WIDE OPERATIONS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 60, 13 March 1943, Page 5

WIDE OPERATIONS

FRENCH GUERRILLAS ACTIVITIES AGAINST GERMANS Recd. 6 p.m. Rugby, March 11. Fighting French headquarters states: "A communique has been received to-day from the general headquarters of French guerrillas and partisans somewhere in France.” The communique, which is retrospective, covers all activities in France from December 20 to January 20. More than 300 separate operations are listed and an analysis shows that during I his period French geurrillas and partisans killed 282 German officers and men. partially or entirely wrecked 14 trains, destroyed 94 railway locomotives. and 436 coaches, blew up four bridges. ' destroyed 26 trucks, started 12 major fires, wrecked 10 labour exchanges, destroyed more than 1000 tons of fuel and requisitioned food, and killed 10 informers of French nationality.

Guerrilla headquarters in France informed General de Gaulle that any ou standing operations would be announced in a special communique and relayed to Fighting French headquarters with the minimum delay. The first of such special communique received to-night says: “A Reynal detachment onerating in the region of Chalons Hasted off the rails in Chagny a train full of German troops travelling eastward. The operations were made at a wellchosen spot when the train was going at top speed. More than 250 Germans were killed and hundreds were wounded. Two other trains were wrecked in the Cote d’Or, and the first carrying war material was destroyed. Twenty-two trucks of the second, carrying coal to Italy, were destroyed. From these operations our guerrillas and partisans withdrew without loss—(Signed) High Command, French Guerrillas and Partisans.”

“The difference between guerrillas and partisans is that the former are spare-time fighters pursuing their normal occupations in the day. while the latter live in hiding and devote their whole time to attacking the enemy. Both operate in disciplined bands organised on a strictly military basis and: named after heroes of victories of the Revolution.” Twenty-nine German soldiers were seriously wounded and several were nrobablv killed when guerrillas m daylight attacked a German column in a working-class district in Lyons, according to other information which has reached the Fighting French headquarters. The Germans, who were young replacements for seasoned troops who had been sent elsewhere, were thrown into a panic when i...- guerrillas showered hand-grenades on them from an alley. The .Germans used their machine-guns wildly, and. killed a bov among some bystanders The whole area has been cordoned off, and the Gestapo is searching from house to house. ... Guerrillas blew up a munitions tram near Valence, killing the German train crew. ~ Reuter's correspondent on the French frontier says that 50 Germans were killed when two German trains collided as the result of sabotage near St Morocco radio says that in Al sace two voung men have been executed for disobeying German labour orders, and several others have been deported. Others have been sent to prison without any reason being P A German transport ship was so severely damaged when a bomb was thrown aboard n at . Tr it had to be beached. The Germans have arrested six hostages.—B.O.W.