JUNCTION OF ENEMY FORCES DENIED

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 185, 2 May 1940, Page 9

JUNCTION OF ENEMY FORCES DENIED

Received May 1, 11.30 p.m. LONDON, May 1. German claims to have established contact between the forces from Trondheim and both the Gudbrans and Oster Valleys and to have occupied Dombas are contradicted by other reports of the situation in central Norway. These support a British War Office statement that the British forces in the Gudbrans Valley withdrew to a point covering Dombas. A communique issued by the War Office shortly before midnight last,night stated: “The British, fighting with indomitable courage in the Dombas area, resisted any further enemy advances. Northward of Stenkjaar the British again proved their superiority in patrol work and inflicted heavy casualties. Fresh landings were made along the coast of Norway.” A Paris message says that the British have taken up new position at Brennhaugh, 12 miles southward of Dombas. German claims of possession of the line between Dombas and Storen are again denied. Fighting is proceeding at Opdal and Jerkin. In the Oster Valley, a Swedish report declares, the Germans have with drawn from Roros. APPROACHING CRUCIAL POINT. (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) LONDON, April 30. Events in Norway are rapidly approaching a crucial point which will vitally affect not only the future course of the campaign in the strategically important Trondheim areas, but also major operations in other Norwegian territories. The tide of battle is at present favouring the Germans in central Norway. A War Office communique states: “In the Gudbrans Valley on Sunday the enemy attacked strongly, supported by tanks and low-flying aircraft. We repulsed all attacks. The enemy suffered heavy losses, including three medium tanks. During the night our troops made a short withdrawal to a position covering Dombas. Enemy air attacks at Andalsnes and Molde continued all day long. The situation at Namsos and Narvik is unchanged.” The German High Command claims important successes in today’s fighting, including the occupation of Dombas and Opdal. resulting in “German control of the main railway between Oslo and Trondheim.” This confirms by implication Swedish reports that German forces have occupied the key town of Storen. According to a special German night communique, the forces occupying Opdal came from Trondheim, while troops moving up the Gudbrans Valley from Otta entered Dombas at midday. The High Command earlier claimed that forces from north and south via Tonset had made contact on the railway south-east of Storen. It also stated that a Norwegian infantry force comprising 2500 men surrendered north-west of Lillehammer. Hitler’s Order of the Day proudly proclaims: “The inexorable advance of German troops has established land connexions at Oslo and Trondheim. Thus the intention of the Western Powers to bring Germany to her knees by a belated occupation of Norway has been finally crushed.”

German Press dispatches from Nor- I way paid a tribute to the courage and toughness of British resistance in the ! Gtidbrands Valley. Here wave after ! wave of bombers are reported to have preceded and accompanied the German advance. Meanwhile, in the absence of independent confirmation of the German claims, Swedish sources report that the Allies are strongly reinforcing their troops along the Dombas-Storen railway, also to tin: south of Uoinbas. These reinforcements tire reported to have moved up from fresh landing points between Trondheim and Bergen. Fighting broke . ut at Jerkin this morning as a result of Allied resistance against a German mechanized detachment, which came down from the mountains, aftei pushing across the snowbound road from the Oster Valley. A second German detachment, which tried to get across from the Oster Valley, is reported to be held up about 15 miles short of the railway The areas to the north of Trondheim yield brighter reports. The Norwegian headquarters assert'that the Germans, without waiting for reinforcements from the south, violently attacked the French and Norwegian lines on both sides of Lake Snaasen, but the Allies repelled the onslaughts, which were supported by planes and heavy artillery. The Norwegians are reported to hold good positions to the east of Lake Shaasen and are also well dug in at Tan gen. No German Progress. The Germans are not able to make any progress on the Stenkjaar front, and it is reported that the Allies are holding a Line just above Stenkjaar to the Swedish frontier. Any German al tempt to outflank the Allies on the Stenkjaar front would meet with resistance. The Norwegian military attache in Stockholm declared that the Allies' lines to the north of Trondheim have been greatly strengthened, and another source points out that the Hegre fortress, the guns of which dominate railways to the east and north from Trondheim, is receiving steady supplies of munitions and food. Swedish reports state that German bombers swept over Namsos seven times in 14 hours and concentrated their attacks on the landing places. Anti-aircraft batteries and tighter planes took some toll. The Germans in Norway are making much use of mechanized troops, lull the snow is beginning to melt, and tlhere is a dlinger of flooded streams. Moves at Narvik. (Received May 1, 7.5 p.m.) LONDON, May 1. 'The Stockholm “Aftonbladet's” correfcifxmdent on the Swedish frontier declares that the Allied plan is completed for an encirclement of the German iwsitions -at Narvik. The Germans are reported Io have withdrawn from the heights near the town and to lie now entrenched on the shore. British warsbijxs are reported to have silenced ail the heavier German guns. The German New Agency claims that the Germans are strongly resisting every British attempt to capture Narvik. Outside the main areas of the conflict, the Germans, according to reports. have reached Gudvangen. on one arm of Sogne Fiord.