These operations are being conducted ceaselessly by day and night with calmness and determination in the dace of fierce opposition, particularly from the air, and are being screened by planes of the Royal Air Force, which are constantly engaged with German machines.
Over 70 German aircraft are claim-td to have been destroyed, and many others damaged, on this front on Wednesday. One squadron of Defiants is said to have destroyed in two sorties 35 of the enemy without loss o themselves.
"The German High Command has claimed to have inflicted very large losses upon naval units and transports which they protect" the announcement continues. "As usual, these bear no relation to the facts.
Operations of this nature cannot be ^arried out without losses. The destroyers Grafton, Grenade and Wakeful, and a certain small auxiliary craft have been lost. One small transport, the Abukir, has been sunk.
"The spirit and conduct of all concerned are beyond all praise. Operations are proceeding."—Reuter, Pope To Make Speech Vatican City, May 31.
"The Pope is expected to make a speech when he receives Cardinals Sunday.—Reuter. with the British Expeditionary Force.
Finding itself unable to carry out the latter task in face of strong German mechanized forces, it concentrat. ed on the defence of Calais, "Despite repeated attacks by the enemy and continuous air and ártillery bombardment," the announgemani said, "the garrison held out for several days.
"Nose to Nose"
Fourteen days of fighting in which French and German tanks repeatedly engaged each other in single combat nose to nose, were described to Reuter's correspondent who visited French tanks somewhere in France, The battle had developed into classic trench warfare, the correspondent found offer: d men resting by their tanks in concealed positions, The general in command told him: "After 14 days of fighting, we have turned back a Panzer division, and despite repeated German mass attacks, our one division of infantry has held up two German divisions, which have lost heavily, Since we arrived, we have not lost a yard of ground, Referring to tank engagements, the general said: "It is a new kind of warfare, like a naval or battle, Our tanks engage the mans nose to nose, manceuvring for a flank attack and firing shells at point blank range of a few hundred yards, It is all over in a few minutes. Even tanks cannot last under such close-range fire."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.