Allied bombing of the German rear, in an effort to cover the withdrawal of the BEF, was expected to continue throughout the night last night, The Air Ministry announced that British planes had been bombing railway lines just behind the German front for the past 48 hours.
Heavy British bombers, the ànnouncement said, also ' attacked German military objectives at Dusseldorf, Duisberg, Dortmund, Hamburg, Bremen and Cologne, Royal Air Force, the announcement added, destroyed or badly damaged 105 German planes yesterday.
Mr, Duff Cooper, announcing that the BEF, had been ordered to retreat, praised the performance of British troops in France and Belgium during the German offensive, He emphasized that the BEF. was not a defeated army, He said the German army had never driven the BEF, back in battle, "Every time our troops have been ordered to counter-attack, they have done so with success," "he added,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.