French officers said it was another attempt by the Germans to encircle the Dutch, Belgian, British and French troops isolated north of the gap before they could effect their junction with Allied armies of the central front which are_now firmly' entrenched along the Somme and 'Aisne rivers, Although the Germans could claim' minor successes against the Allied northern army, five major German attacks had been thrown back in two days and all strategic points held, The Allied army of the north, it was said, is receiving ample food and munition supplies by sea and is in excellent condition to continue the battle, The Allied commanders were particularly heartened last night by the Tact that the Germans had made! practically no gains in the past 48 hours and that German losses during, the same period had been enormous, Enot Nazi Casualties One report reaching Paris from a Balkan source said that 70,000 German wounded had arrived in Austria from the northern front, Austrian schools have been hastily converted into hospitals to care for the German wounded, the report said, French reports said that German material losses also have been enormous, Tu each of the past four days, it was said, the Germans lost between seventy and eighty first line planes, The Royal Air Force alone) claims to have shot down an aver~ age of forty German planes dally in the post four days, The French average was said to have been practically as high, In addition, the Belgian, Polish, 'Czech and Dutch air forees have' been in action against the Germans. The Czechs alone claim to have shot down eleven German planes in two days, At this. phase of the operations, a French analyst concluded last night, Herr Hitler is using 110 divisions between the North Sea and the Swiss frontier, Only five German armies are in action in the Battle of Flanders and in Holland, [Nazi Weaknesses Discerné
Germany's total army stret set at 200 divisions, The. value half' these divisions, however, considered mediocre because th troops are over-age or poorly trained, French officials said all" German, division have the same weaknesses, an insufficient number of trained oticers and non-commissioned cers, and shortage of skied artillery units, During the years when Germany was forbidden to have a big stand~ ing army, her artillery forces suffered the' most, it was said, During army expansion in Germany it was necessary 10 maintain a ratio of thirty to one in expanding the peacetime artillery force to a war Aline footing, French quarters said, 'As a result,' it was said, German artillery forces are believed to have insufficient training although some progress was made by the Germans in the quiet months of the war preceding the German invasion of the Low Countries and France, Turning of Tide in Sigh "It is true that the situation has Jost none of its gravity," an oficial French analysis of conditions said last night, "The Germans are now attacking " simultaneously on the flank and front of our army in the north while at the same time throwing more tanks into the mad rush to the English Channel ports, This is a consequence of the fact that a Kop still exists between Bapaume and Peronne in an otherwise continuous Allied front, "But our examination of the situa tion has fully permitted a feeling of confidence since yesterday, An exact estimate of enemy strength which broke through the xap in the Allied lines has now been made, and above all their present distribu. tion is known, "The Allied High Command says absolutely nothing about its operations or its intentions but that' does not mean that the necessary initia tives have not been taken and are not actually in the process of execution."—United Press, HLMLS, Wessex Lost By Nazi Air Attacks London, May 27.
The destroyer Wessex. was lost as result of damage {rom enemy air attacks, the Admiralty announces.
Cosualties are six ratings Killed, 15 wounded. The Wessex with other naval units was engaged in operation. off the French coast—Reuter, RAP. Fight Off Channel Raiders London, May 27.
Between 5.30 and 9.0 o'clock yesterday morning Royal Air Force /squadrons shot down at least twenty Jenemy bombers and fighters and put twenty more out of action, the Air Ministry states. 'There were only five British' casualties. A continuous air Dattle was fought over the French coast between Calais and Dunkirk. Pilots reported that the air was "filled with alreratt."
The Air Ministry announces that throughout last night heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force continued their attacks on enemy communica-ions. Aerodromes occupied by the Jenemy, Boulogne and Belgium were also attacked," and "we sustained no losses in these operations."
The Air Ministry further announces that heavy bombers of the RAF. carried out further extensive opera-ions against the enemy throughout Saturday night, Targets successfully attacked In. the Rhineland included railway junctions, sidings and marshalling yards, Many important objective on the enemy's lines of com= munications also. were bombed. Dumps were exploded and supply de-pols set on fire, Two British bombers were lost in these operations.
'Medium bombers operating from southern Britain and' France again made successful attacks by day and night on enemy armoured vehicles, ammunition dumps. and artillery. Four of these aircraft are missing.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.