German Corpses Piled High in Menin Area French Evacuate Valenciennes Paris, May 27. YALAIS was still in French hands at 9 o'clock this morning, it} was announced here this afternoon.
"In the midst of fierce fighting the Allies are opposing the German advance in the Menin area: where, despite tremendous losses, the Germans are hurling wave upon' wave of strongly armed effectives," this morning's official General Staff communique announced.
The French evacuated Valenciennes last night and took up positions behind the River Escaut, the communique added.
There was nothing to report from the remainder of the front, it concluded.
Hurling wave upon wave of troops regardless of losses sustained, the Germans ate repeating in Flanders their tactics against Verdun in the Great War, military circles here said today. The German troops are being thrown in compact masses through heavy artillery barrages to face the withering fire of automatic arms, and reveal either inhuman courage or extraordin~ ary passivity, French officers in Upper Argonne saw thousands of German corpses piled up yesterday and watched German troops being literally decimated by machine-guns. They were filled with disgust at the total contempt being revealed by the German High Command for the lives of the German soldiers.
The High Command are evidently determined to submerge enemy positions by sheer weight of numbers.
"The. main German attack was launched against a. sector held. by Belgian, troops along the Lys River in the direction of Menin, a town on the Franco-Belgian frontier directly north of Lille, and Gourtre., Until this morning the Germans, despite the gigantic effort unleashed, registered only very small territorial ing. afler" fighting which raged throughout yesterday and last night.
'This morning, the fight started again with unabated' violence.
Another major German effort was launched today against the Valencienthes area where French troops yester lay repulsed all German attacks and inflicted heavy tosses on the enemy. 'Owing to their unfavourable position, hhcwever, the French soldiers withdrew Quietly "during. the night "without Being' hampered by the enemy and established" themselves in new:
Tie withdrawal was ordered by the French High Command as the troops around Valenciennes were too far in front of the main body of the French armies and risked being cut off.
Along. the French coast. the Germans, after occupying Boulogne whose old fortress held on until yesterday: afternoon, are. directing their offend "against Calas.
The fall of the latter port was announced in a German radio broadcast [yesterday but it was categorically denied in ofeial French quariers this Throughout the remainder of the {front, from the Somme to the Rhine, there was nothing of importance to report, although in the Somme area French troops continued to wipe out German detachments with a view to seizing as many bridges as possible—
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