| Show 1 Commandos Raid French S Coast 1 Two Two Hour Hour Foray Tests Strength 1 Of German Forts Forts' I Cover Landing Parties S 4 Blast Two Enemy Trawlers I In Sortie Against Boulogne Area By DREW l MIDDLETON LONDON April 22 UP British UP-British British commandos knifed through the nazi coastal coast J defenses near heavily fortified Boulogne Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday Wed Wed- morning and drove German troops back before them in a brilliant scouting raid which str struck ck once more at the foundations foundations foun- foun j of the enemy's defense defens system in western Europe British combined operations j headquarters announced that the J raiding force withdrew after two hours in which f fOr r the third time since February 27 they shook t German confidence that the western western west- west em ern door to the continent had been nailed shut so that Adolf Hitler's army could hurl its force against Russia without fear of a possible second front The attack was delivered soon after Field Marshal General Gerd von took command of all aU German troops in northern France and on the heels of reports that nazi coastal garrisons from North cape to the bay of Biscay had been reinforced heavily Time to Test est Defenses Observers said the official announcement announcement an an- nt that the raiders were ashore for for- two hours indicated that they had time for a valuable 1 survey of the fortifications the Germans have e n strengthening J. In the first combined operations raid since the tM attack on St. St NaZaire Nazaire Na- Na t r zaire the commandos ranged throughout the French coastal re region region region re- re gion testing the German defenses and collecting military Information information information I tion the announcement said A naval force accompanying the commandos was said to have damaged damaged damaged dam dam- aged a German trawler which attempted attempted attempted at at- tempted to intercept the striking force A second trawler was re reported reported reported re- re ported to h have ve been set et afire Combined operations headquarters said h c casualties were very light Cannonade Tells of Raid The thunder of a heavy distant i 1 cannonade which rumbled through t the thick mist over the strait of 1 Dover before daybreak was the 1 first intimation of the new blow against the German forces guarding guardIng guarding guard- guard j ing their captured coasts Lookouts along the Kent coast j of England said the firing seemed to come from the direction of Boulogne Boulogne Boulogne Bou Bou- logne but nothing could be seen The last commando raid at St St. Nazaire was was made March 28 The combined headquarters com com- follows In the early hours of April 22 i iThe a small reconnaissance r raid id was Continued on Page Pace Two Column Five Fin FRANCE RAIDED BY COMMANDOS Continued from Page Past One carried out on the French coast near Boulogne German troops holding this part of the coast were driven back before the advance of our troops A British patrol penetrated the coastal defenses and withdrew after two hours Casualties were very lightA lightA light A naval force accompanying this reconnaissance engaged armed enemy trawlers One German trawler was severely damaged and another was left on fire No British ships were damaged in this engagement and naval casualties casualties casualties cas cas- were slight Nazis Bolster Defenses Earlier Wednesday the ministry of economic warfare said the Germans Germans Germans Ger Ger- mans fearful of commando forays had earmarked more than half the French cement production for use usein usein usein in new defense systems along the held German-held French coast The ministry said Frances France's annual cement cement ce ce- ment production is about tons In their hazardous raid of March 28 the commandos later disclosed to have been placed under the direction of Lord Louis ten cousin of King George combined combined combined com com- land sea and air forces in inan inan inan an attempt to knock out the important important important im im- nazi U-boat U base at St St. Nazaire The first scale big-scale commando raid on the coast of France was made just one month earlier when parachutists and sea-borne sea infantry slashed into German guarded territory in a destructive raid on a German radio detector post which had been spotting R RAF A F flights over the continent That time the striking force landed on the coast at I 12 miles north of Le Havre battered battered battered bat bat- its way through nazi-manned nazi coastal defenses and joined parachutists parachutists parachutists para para- who had dropped a half mile or more Inland |
