GERMANS CONSOLIDATING IN SOUTH

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 189, 7 May 1940, Page 7

GERMANS CONSOLIDATING IN SOUTH

LONDON, May 5

The 3000 Germans garrisoned at Narvik are facing a desperate situation, as the steady and remorseless Allied advance cuts off all their communications. Heavy fighting is reported to be in progress amid a snowstorm. It is understood that 1000 Germans are holding bridges and tunnels on the iron ore railway from Narvik to Sweden. Swedish sources report preliminary air activity at Narvik, suggesting that the Germans will make a strong bid by air to relieve the pressure on the land forces. A War Office communique, issued earlier today, stated: “There is nothing of importance to report from Narvik, where operations are continuing. There has been slight enemy air activity in this area.” The Germans in southern and central Norway are actively consolidating their positions, though it appears that isolated Norwegian detachments, using guerrilla tactics, are still resisting in the mountainous regions. A German High Command communique says that German troops are marching north from Stenkjaar and that others are mopping up in the Andalsnes area. The Norwegian news agency says: “The Norwegian High Command has taken up new quarters. The army’s will to continue the war is unbroken.”

The Norwegian news agency states that the Germans now hold Storen, 35 miles south of Trondheim, after an attack 15 miles to the east on Saturday in which they lost 200 men. The Norwegian troops also suffered heavy losses. Stockholm reports that the Germans this afternoon re-occupied Roros, from where they were driven out last week. A Swedish correspondent, telephoning from Roros this morning, said that he saw a German warplane drop six bombs as people were going to church. “German bombers are coming again,” he said, “and I must cut this call.”

Norwegians are endeavouring to break through the German cordon to join the Allies in northern Norway. The official German news agency states that Allied detachments which failed to reembark are withdrawing hurriedly across the mountain roads from Namsos. It declares that at the Hegre fortress 15 Norwegian officers and 160 men surrendered after a three weeks’ siege.

In a bombardment of Roros which was announced in a Norwegian communique earlier today two houses were hit by bombs, but there was no loss of life. Machine-gun fire made the people flee to the suburbs. The story of the occupation of Roros was telephoned by the United Press correspondent. His call was the last before the Germans took control of the telephone exchange, and five German soldiers were standing outside the telephone box as he was speaking. The Norwegian commander had withdrawn all troops from the town, but though there were no Norwegian soldiers there five bombs were dropped in the main street.** There are no airraid shelters in the town. The correspondent says that a little earlier Norwegians had helped a German soldier who fell from his motor-cycle. He was picked up. put on a stretcher, and taken to hospital.

A correspondent of the Associated Press of‘Great Britain in the Stenkjaar region says: “Thousands of starving refugees who were returned to the Namsos area after the Allied evacuation hungrily gorged themselves on food supplies abandoned by the Allies and carried off huge quantities of it.” The same correspondent says that Colonel Obgetz, commander of the Norwegian forces in the Trondheim area (who, according to a report yesterday, has made a peace proposal to the Germans), showed him letters received on the morning of May 1 from General de Wiart and the French commander, General Audet, in which they expressed regret at the Allies’ withdrawal and offered him abandoned war material. General de Wiart added: “Our own hope is that we may return to help you to bring the campaign to a successful conclusion.” Colonel Obgetz said that the letters were received as the last Allied transports were leaving Andalsnes. The correspondent adds that British warships fired parting salvoes at abandoned equipment, destroying a large quantity of it. (Received May 6, 7.5 p.m.) STOCKHOLM, May 6. The Swedish radio says that a German plane, dropped four bombs at Kirkenes. No damage was done and there were uo casualties. This has been the first German plane to have penetrated so far northward.