SHARP COUNTERATTACKS

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 187, 4 May 1940, Page 11

SHARP COUNTERATTACKS

Norwegian Advance In Oster Valley LONDON, May 2. Taking advantage of the draining off of Germans for the final push at Donibas and Storen, the Norwegians are vigorously counterattacking in the Oster Valley from Roros almost to Elverum. Norwegians at Roros who are fighting along the Oster Valley railway and the road to the south-west encountered determined German .rearguard resistance at Os, where German planes swooped to battle with cannon and machine-gun fire. Other Norwegian forces struck at the German lines at Lille Elvdalen and at Aamot. The Norwegians are reported to be confident also of breaking the communications at .Storen. The Germans admit that isolated nests of resistance remain throughout southern Norway. The terrain favours guerrilla tactics, and therefore mopping-up operations will be lengthy. The Stockholm correspondent of ’’The Times” says that the explanation of the German retreat from Roros appears to be that the German communications were cut at Rena, 20 miles north-west of Elverum. The latest report states that the Norwegians have achieved the capture of this town. British bombers are reported to have been active for the first time at Narvik, raiding the German positions on the beach. German fighters and bombers are also operating. Swedish sources stated that German planes continuously bombed and ma-chine-gunned the districts of Namsos and Grong between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.