Sniping by French denied by Allies
Headquarters praises their aid to invasion forces – mine strike begun in north
SHAEF, England (AP) – (June 26)
Investigation has shown that there have been no authenticated instances of French civilian snipers’ firing on Allied troops, a special Supreme Headquarters announced said today.
On the contrary, French resistance to the Germans has been of great assistance to the Allies, it added. The statement said:
It is announced by Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force, today that investigations have been made of allegations of French civilian snipers firing on Allied troops. No authenticated use of French snipers has been found.
On the other hand, Supreme Headquarters emphasized that French resistance to the Germans has been a great contribution in support of Allied operations.
Miners strike in north
London, England – (June 26)
France’s army without uniforms was reported today to have been joined in resistance by miners of northern France, who are staging a sit-down strike. This is the first instance of its kind reported from France since the invasion began.
Authoritative French sources here, which announced the strike, also disclosed that 3,000 German troops had been employed in a vain attempt to surround maquisards who have regrouped in the Ardennes. A German attack at Saint-Gervais has been repulsed with heavy losses and a German offensive has been foiled in the Chartreuse district.
French forces have taken control of some districts in Provence, where the Germans are attacking and carrying out reprisals. Twenty Frenchmen have been shot in four days at Annecy. One hundred and forty have been killed at Lambesc. The arrests of hostages are increasing in Lorraine, but railway sabotage continues.
Recent sabotage efforts have included the blowing up of transformers serving German factories in the Lower Seine region and the wrecking of a petroleum refinery in the southwest that was supplying oil fir transformers and railway engines. The Germans have been unable to restore the long-distance telephone lines from Paris that were cut on June 6.