Hendaye, Dec. 30.
of the Republicans' "Little headquarters today claimed the complete capture Maginot Line" along the Segre, River near Balaguer where General Francisco Franco's best mer-canary forces smashed four lines of steel and concrete publican fortifications.
The Nationalists announced the bridgehead across the Segre at Balaguer had been captured and the entire system of sunken Repüblican forts along the river had been occupied. The bridgehead was said to have fallen after a surprise attack on the centre of the 90-mile Catalan front where there was only sporadic action during the first six days offensive, of Gen. Franco's "end the war"
Meanwhile the Nationalists sought to straighten out their line of advance by driving eastward from Balaguer toward Cervera. Nationalist troops were driving the Republicdfis "into the Mediterranean Sea," Gen. Franco's headquarters said. Gen. Franco's Navarrese and Galician divisions meanwhile were reported to have driven close to Artes de Segre, strategic Republi¢an communications on the northern front. On the southern front combined Spanish Nationalist and Italian units battered Republican defences in the Borjas Blancas sector.
Military observers believed Gen. Franco was planning to converge his three armies near Cervera, biting off a section of Catalonian territory by flanking operations, and later pointed the spearhead of the offensive toward Barcelona and the Mediterranean ccast.—United Press.
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