ON WESTERN FRONT

Waikato Times, Volume 126, Issue 21038, 14 February 1940, Page 7

ON WESTERN FRONT

COLD STOPS ACTIVITIES CLAIMS BY GERMANY FRENCH PATROL DEFEATED (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON. Feb. 13 Activity on the Western Front is again held up by the extreme cold and the French communique issued last night said there was nothing to report. An earlier communique issued in Paris stated: “An enemy attack on one o£ our posts was repulsed. There has been some artillery iiring.” The Berlin official news agency claims that a German patrol at Forbach killed, wounded or took prisoner the majority of a numerically stronger French patrol. The light began when the French, with machine-guns and grenades, attacked a German post at a range of 15 to 20 yards. The German battalion commander ordered a pincer movement, which isolated the French patrol and prevented reinforcements from arriving by holding off a numerically stronger force to the rear. The French fought courageously and refused to surrender. The Germans, states the report, killed seven of the Frenchmen, wounded several others and took several prisoners. The only German casualty was one man wounded. Strength of Armies A message from Paris states that Colonel Fabry, in Le Matin, says the German Army will soon reach 200 divisions. The Allied armies will reach this figure some time later, when the British Army is fully developed. Belgium has 20 welltrained divisions.