Paris, June 13, "Bast of the Else, the French High Command two days ago withdrew to the advance defences of Paris," states a military spokesman here.
French forces are now engaged north of Paris, in the neighbourhood of Senlis. German troops from the Solssons region, advanced through plateaux, south of the Aisne, where there has been bitter fighting near a Ferte Milan, and Ferto-en-Tardennols.
The French line was then with drawn to the Marne region, around Chateau Thierry. Thus the active fighting front now extends from the Lower Seine, near Rouen, across the lower Oise to Meaux, 30 miles cast-north-east of Paris, and thence along the Marne towards Rheims.
Thrust Towards Rheims "On the high Tardennois plateau, vetweon the Aisne and Morne, the Germans are thrusting eastwards towards Rheims with four or five divisions, we of which are armoured, Fighting' is going on in the hills in the Rheims area. This thrust was part of the pincer movement, aimed Rheims itself, but the Germans engaged on the other arm of the pincer were being held up by the French line on Retourse. Lively fighting occurred in this sector in the post few days. Similarly, the Germans failed to dent the French line further east through Attigny and Atgonne, the spokesman concludes, 'The radio last night gave the ce munique as follows: " "The battle continues with the same violence on anc 2, the enemy accentuated the, whole, "front." Belween the' sea his efforts on the Seine, from Rouen fo Vernon, in order to extend bridseheads which he has succeeded establishing south of the river. He is seeking to push towards Evroux and Pacy-sur-Cure, but is being vigorously held by our troops.
"Elsewhere, he has launched reconnaissance' detachments on the north bank of the Seine, in the direc R.AF. Drops Bombs London, June 13.
Air Ministry communique records the continuation of repeated bombing attacks by the Royal Air Force on enemy columns in loops of the Seine, east of Rouen, and in fan adjacent wooded area. Low-flying machine-gun attacks were also made, Two enemy Aghters were shot do "Four of our aircraft are missing, the communique continues. "During tone 10-minute action, bombs were Gropped at the rate Of over 100 a minute.
"Attacking in sections at heights varying from 800 to 6,000 feet, bombers released salvoes which wrecked convoys, scattered mechanized columns, blocked road junctions, and set woods ablaze.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.