Pacific News-Review

Notes And Comment On

The Progress Of The War

From May 15 To June 11

May 15: The Germans, who simultan eously invaded Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg on May 10, now occupy the whole of the northern half of Holland; are half-way across the southern half of Holland; have thrust in deeply along the Albert Canal, between Holland and Bel gium; are deep into Belgium on the east ern side; and are thrusting into France in great strength on the line of the Meuse, south of Luxemburg, near Sedan.

The “Fifth Column” (resident Germans, and traitors who have turned against their own country) are attacking the de fenders behind their own lines, causing enormous confusion. Parachutists, dropped by passenger-carrying aeroplanes from Germany, have descended upon many aerodromes in Holland and Belgium, where, aided by the Fifth Column, they are attempting to gain possession.

British and French, advancing rapidly from the Franco-Belgium frontier, have joined the Belgians on a line near the Belgo-Dutch frontier.

May 15: The Dutch army has obeyed the order of its Commander in Chief to cease fighting, “to save civilians and pre vent further bloodshed”.

The surrender of the Dutch caused no surprise. They fought bravely but, in spite of many warnings, it actually was ill-equipped to meet the German thrust.

The Germans attacked with mechanised columns; the Dutch had little mechanisa tion. The Germans were preceded by clouds of bombing and fighting aero planes—the Dutch had only 30 planes al together. In addition, Holland w r as honey combed by the Fifth Column. Resident Germans, co-operating with Dutch Nazis and German parachutists, seized a large part of Rotterdam. They were driven off the aerodrome by Dutch troops, but they clung to the waterfront and the vital river bridges.

Holland’s greatest error, however, had been her refusal to co-operate with Britain and France in military staff talks, so that this emergency was not provided for. Britain and France could only rush troops up to the Belgo-Dutch frontier, and send strong air forces to the assist ance of the Dutch armies.

May 16: France claims that, although the German armoured columns have broken through the French front, near Sedan ,the French are successfully counter-attacking. It was reported, how ever, that German armoured columns are far ahead of the main forces and attack ing the French in the rear. The RAF has ceaselessly attacked the German columns and bases and, although far outnumbered, has been bringing down four German machines for every one British lost.

May 17: The Germans, pushing for ward mechanised columns in overwhelm ing strength, through the Sedan gap, have reached the Aisne River, 30 miles south-west of Sedan. The front to the northwards through Belgium, held by French, British and Belgian armies, is unbroken, but bending.

The French War Office continues to issue re-assuring communiques, but it is now clear that a situation of extreme gravity has developed southwards of Sedan. The French assume that they have only to close this narrow salient to trap large forces of Germans, but it is not working out that way. If the Ger mans are not quickly driven out of this salient, the Allied armies to the north wards m Belgium, must retire towards the Channel.

May 19: The German thrust south wards from the break in the French line at Sedan continues, and the Germans are hourly enlarging the area which they now occupy behind the French lines.

As a result of this, the Allied front in Belgium has fallen back, and a new line is forming westwards of Brussels. Brus sels and Antwerp are abandoned to the enemy. The Germans dominate the mouth of the Scheldt River. The Gov ernment of Belgium has moved to Ostend.

May 19: German mechanised columns on the Aisne, instead of continuing southwards on Paris, have wheeled sharply westwards and are thrusting towards Arras, Amiens and the Channel ports.

May 19: There are indications of Gov ernmental confusion and alarm in

France. While French communiques con tinue re-assuring, the Germans are hourly increasing their advantages. The French cannot cope with the new form of warfare which has developed. The Premier, M. Reynaud, announced that he had called to his side as Vice-Premier, Marshall Petain, 84, famous as a com mander in the last war.

Marshal Gamelin, Commander-in- Chief, said that the battle now in pro gress would decide the future of the world, and continued: “Any soldier who cannot advance should allow himself to be killed, rather than abandon that part of our national soil entrusted to him. The order is conquer or die!”

The outstanding features of this colos sal battle are the use of German mecn anised columns, and the magnificent courage and achievements of British Royal Air Force. These young airmen are fighting ceaselessly and, although vastly outnumbered, they continue to assert their complete ascendency in the air, in both skill and courage.

May 20: The Germans, continuing their drive with extraordinary force and ten acity, are advancing rapidly westwards.

They are approaching Peronne, Amiens and Landrecies and Cambrai.

General Weygand, 72, recently in charge in the near East, has been ap pointed Allied Commander-in-Chief, re placing Marshal Gamelin. He has taken complete charge and already is attempt ing to re-organise the position.

The British army is on a strong line westwards of Brussels, and British rein forcements are continually disembarking at French ports.

Meanwhile, Italian newspapers are try ing to whip the Italians into a storm of hate against the Allies, and build up a war spirit in Italy, so that Italy may enter the war beside Germany.

There are three strong influences in Italy opposing Mussolini’s drive towards war. They are the Vatican, the Royal Family, and the middle classes. Of these, the strongest is the Pope. His sympathies are with the Allies, and he had said that if Italy goes to war for Germany, he will leave Rome. Most Italians are good Catholics. It is significant that the offi cial newspaper of the Vatican, the “Romano Observatore”, because it was the only daily newspaper publishing uncol oured and apparently truthful war re ports, run up quickly from a circulation of 80,000 to nearly 2,000,000. It is be lived that the King is against interven tion, but the Crown Price Humbert, who is Commander-in-Chief of the Italian armies, has allied himself with Mussolini in eagerness for war.

May 21: The German mechanised armies, thrusting westwards from the Aisne, have crushed the French Ninth Army and captured Abbeville (near the mouth of the River Somme, on the Eng lish Channel), Arras, Amiens and Rethel.

Apparently nothing can stop these mechanised columns. The French armies, severely disorganised, have taken up a line along the rivers Aisne and Somme.

The Germans have ceased their thrust at Paris and now are engaged in a circling movement, westward and north-westward, along the coast, towards Bologne and Calais, threatening to cut off from France the Allied armies (estimated at 750,000 men) left in Belgium. A colossal military disaster threatens the Allies.

May 21: All Germany is singing a song of triumph and hate. Goering, in news paper interviews, praised Hitler as “a very brave soldier, an outstanding states man, an extraordinary strategist and the greatest living war leader”. Goering con tinued: “Hitler’s decisions are impulsive, not the result of long staff discussions.

He has broken all well-established milit ary principles, just as he designed the Polish campaign and the bold stroke in Norway. Germany’s west front thrust was also Hitler’s own idea. Not since Frederick the Great have we been ruled by so great a genius.”

May 22: Despite strong counter-attacks at Arras and Cambrai, the Germans are holding all their gains and are thrusting along the French coast towards Boulogne.

May 22: The French Premier (M, Reynaud) frankly acknowledged that the German break-through at Sedan was due to military errors by the French High Command. The line of the Meuse, west wards of the Maginot Line, had not been held in sufficient strength. The High Command believed that it was impossible for Germany to attack in this mountain ous region with large forces of tanks and mechanised troops. Owing to a tragic oversight, the bridges over the Meuse had not been destroyed and enemy divisions poured across into France in an endless stream.

The map now shows an amazing Ger man salient, like a bent finger, over 100 miles long, and nowhere more than 30

miles wide. Commentators confidently ex pect a great Allied counter-attack, to cut off this salient.

May 22: The Germans have severed all communications between France and the Allied armies in Belgium.

May 22: Fighting is proceeding in out skirts of Boulogne. The general situation is extremely grave.

It is now clear that the Germans have completely surprised the Allies in a new technique in attack. Instead of the old method of intense artillery preparation and an infantry advance, the Germans throw forward a screen of dive-bombers followed immediately by masses of heavy tanks, which spread out fan-wise as soon as they have made a breach in the enemy line. The tanks are followed by light mechanised units, motor cyclists and masses of infantry. We now have a war of open movement, instead of a war of trenches. The Allied armies have neither aeroplanes nor tanks big enough or in sufficient numbers to develop effec tive counter-attacks.

May 23: Under the new and sweeping powers of the Emergency Powers Act, the British Government may override all laws and take any measures necessary for the defence of the country. Large numbers of persons who might have pro vided the enemy with a “Fifth Column” in Britain, and members of the British Fascist Party, including Sir Oswald Mosely, have been imprisoned.

May 24: German forces have occupied Boulogne, and a fast German column is approaching Calais, Other German armies, working south along the coast of Belgium, are attacking the Belgian army, on the Scheldt River. British and French forces are lighting valiantly, but, unless there is a successful counter-attack on a great scale, they must fall back towards the coast.

May 24; Fascist leaders and newspapers in Italy are screaming for war, and every thing indicates that Italy is on the verge of war. Yet nothing is done. The position is puzzling. Restraining influences are strong representations made direct to Mussolini by President Roosevelt, and an indication from Moscow that, if Italy interferes with the Balkan nations, Russia will move.

Associated Press of America announces authoritatively that Mussolini will make a statement of Italy’s position on June 11 and enter the war on June 12.

May 26: Fifteen French generals and many police chiefs have been dismissed.

Marshal Gamelin has entirely disappeared —he is not even employed in the war staff.

May 27: The battle continues most violently. The Germans have moved southwards, along the Belgian coast, on the Scheldt River, and northwards along the French coast, near Calais.

The only bright spot in a situation of desperate gravity are the amazing per formances of the Royal Air Force. These young Britishers, with superb spirit, are fighting ceaselessly, day and x night, at tacking enemy concentrations all over Belgium, and France, and strong points and transport far into Germany, Tales of their heroism are countless. They carry on until they drop with exhaustion, sleep a little, and carry on again. They defeat the German airmen four times out of five.

May 28: King Leopold, Commander-in- Chief of the Belgians, without giving the Allies any warning, and acting on his own authority, ordered the Belgian army of 300,000 men to lay down its arms, and the Belgians capitulated to the Germans

at dawn to-day. The Belgians held the part of the front nearest the Channel, and the British and French armies in Belgium (estimated at about 350,000 men) now are in extreme danger of being sur rounded by the enemy thrusting north wards from Calais and southwards from the Scheldt.

May 29: There is a mounting clamour from all United States people, that the nation shall forthwith throw off the semblance of neutrality and give the ut most possible aid to the Allies. “Five hundred planes now might alter the course of the war and save civilisation.”

May 29: The British and French forces in Flanders are now withdrawing to the only port still open to them, Dunkirk.

The Germans, using enormous forces, are pressing in from every direction. Aided by the Royal Air Force, the Allies are fighting heroically. Only a miracle now can save these finely-equipped and un broken armies.

May 29: Narvik, the iron ore port in Norway, which has been in German occu pation since earlv Anril. was to-day cap tured by an Allied force.

May 30: A new type of British fighter, the Defiant, has come into operation in the R.A.A.F., with extraordinary results. 52 German machines were shot down yesterday, and 17 were badly damaged, with the loss of only 10 British machines.

May 31: Evacuation of British and French troops from Dunkirk is proceed ing in fairly orderly fashion, despite at tacks by every kind of force which the Germans can bring against them.

Weather is good, and Britain and France have sent to the work of transportation every kind of craft which will float. Ger many is using countless aircraft, trying to stop transportation.

June 2: The evacuation of the Allied troops nearly completed. The French have been fighting magnificent rear-guard actions. The Allies, by letting the sea into large reclaimed areas, north and south of Dunkirk, helped in keeping the enemy back. Only men and the equip ment they carry is being got away. Huge quantities of the most valuable war material are being systematically destroyed, before abandonment.

June 3: German bombers to-day drop ped over 1,000 bombs on Paris. Much non military damage was done, and over 250 people killed and 600 wounded.

June 3: The Nazis aie causing trouble in the republics of South America. Very large number of Germans and Italians are organised, and are demanding money of the “beaten subjects” of Scandinavia, Holland and Belgium, and are even try ing to control Danish and Norwegian merchant ships.

June 3: Britain’s Prime Minister (Mr.

Churchill) said evacuation of 335,000 British and French troops from Flanders was completed. Only a few rear-guard units remain. He said that a week ago he feared that he would have had to an nounce the greatest military disaster in history—he did not believe that more than 20,000 or 30,000 men could escape.

Nevertheless, the Allies had suffered a colossal military disaster. They had lost all their equipment in Flanders and the enemy held all the Channel ports, right down to Boulogne, whence he could launch an attack upon Britain.

The Allies know that the enemy will lose not one moment in launching an at tack against France. It is expected that nis drive will be made direct at Paris. II the French line breaks, it is likely that Italy will immediately attack France in the back—from the direction of the Mediterranean.

June 3: All British factories now are working three shifts a day. seven days a week, turning out war equipment. So as to resist attacks from the air or sea, half a million volunteers, mostly middle-aged men, have been enrolled, armed and organised, to act as local defence guards.

June 4; About 5,000,000 people in Hol land, Belgium and Northern France abandoned everything and ran when the German hordes approached. About 20,000 refugees have reached England, and be tween 1,000,000 and 1,500,000 have crossed into France. The fate of the rest is un known. Tens of thousands were killed on the roads, where the Germans machine gunned them mercilessly and ran over them, even as they screamed and pleaded, with tanks and mechanised units.

June 5: At dawn to-day, the enemy be gan an attack, in overwhelming force, on the French front, from the sea to the Maginot Line, at Montmedy. The greatest battle in history has commenced.

June 8: The Battle of Northern France now has continued for four days. The German attack increases hourly in in tensity—it is calculated that the Germans are using at least 2,000,000 men. They are employing thousands of tanks. It seems incredible that the French armies, out numbered and with vastly less equipment, can stand up to the strain much longer.

So far, they have held the line—the Ger mans have got through in only two or three places, and the penetration is not as yet important.

It is clear that the French have com pletely altered their technique of de fence. Instead of thin lines of trenches, their lines are organised in great depth, with strong posts (whence artillery de stroys the tanks at pointblank range) and traps (which also destroy the tanks).

Aeroplanes, armed with cannon, also have been found effective against tanks. The French open up their ranks, let some tanks through, and then close up again and attack the oncoming infantry.

Meanwhile, the strong posts, far behind, mop up the tanks. It is calculated that since the battle commenced the French have destroyed nearly 1,000 tanks. But, still, the Germans come on in overwhelm ing masses.

June 8: Italy now is completely on a war footing. Italians have been called home from adjoining countries. Women and children have been evacuated from Italian cities. Black-out restrictions have been imposed. Italian ships everywhere have been ordered to remain in port.

June 8: After hesitation, argument and legalistic wrangling, the United States Government has found a way to ship aeroplanes and munitions direct to the Allies without breaking the laws. It is an nounced that aeroplanes are now on their way, and that 1,000 modern machines, and large numbers of 75 m.m. guns (which the French are using with deadly effect on tanks) will be quickly despatched.

June 10: Remaining Norwegian forces surrender. King and Government go to England. Allied forces abandon Narvik.

June 10: Mussolini announces that Italy will be at war against Britain and France, as from midnight.

June 10: President Roosevelt announces that United States, being completely sym pathetic with Allies, is going immediately to their aid with all material resources, and will “prepare for all emergencies”.

June 11: Enemy has penetrated Chan nel end of French line. His armoured columns are on Lower Seine, approaching Paris. French armies are generally re treating in good order. Paris is being evacuated.