TROOPS’ GRIM ORDEAL

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 191, 9 May 1940, Page 9

TROOPS’ GRIM ORDEAL

Account Of Detachment’s Difficulties FOUR DAYS—FOUR BATTLES (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, May 7. Tlie great courage and tenacity of the British troops in Norway aud the paralysing effect of the air superiority which the Germans possessed are two of Ute most striking features revealed in stories told by returned British soldiers. The incredible difficulties under which the troops were fighting and the extent of the enemy’s local superiority in armament are well illustrated iu an account by a captain who said that his force went soutli after the lauding in the direction of Lillehammer. They dug trenches all night and next morning the Germans were about 5<X)O yards away. “A battle started at 8 a.m.,” he said, "and they shelled us, bombed us, and machine-gunned us. n ’he battle raged till 6 p.m. That night we withdrew 44 miles and took up new positions in trenches dug for us by another company. Our overnight withdrawal was carried out along the bed of a frozen river on which the ice was thawing. Next day we had a terrible pasting from the air for 40 minutes. It was incredible that there were so few casualties to our men. The Germans were firing all over the place.” Troop Train Crashes.

“During the next day we had a terrific pasting from, shells and again from bombs, and at night we again withdrew. Eventually we reached Dombas and entrained for Andalsnes. “We got about 12 miles by train, travelling very slowly, but the line had been damaged by bombers nearby. The engine crashed into a huge crater. Many were killed and injured in the crash. There was nothing for it but to form up and march, hurrying five miles to get to the tunnel at Verma. ‘■We had nearly reached it when we sighted Germans near b.v. lint we blocked the road with the help of Royal Marines and delayed the Germans long enough for us to get to the tunnel. There we were forced to stay all day and bombers attacked the tunnel but scored no hits. From there we went by train to Andalsnes. “In four days we fought four battles and travelled nearly 200 miles. Every move we made seemed to be known to the Germans.” DENIAL OF PANIC Officer’s Narrative Of The Trondheim Withdrawal

Speaking in a broadcast from Daventry last night a British Army officer who had just returned from Norway denied that there had been any panic among the British troops that had been withdrawn. It was not true that the campaign collapsed in disorder, he said.

a place of a few houses and one concrete wharf sufficiently large to berth one cruiser at a time and with one crane. The roads were only wide enough for two ears to pass. The weather was line while the British troops were there. “Had it not been for enemy aeroplanes it would have l>een ideal weather for us.” he said, "but as it was. it was ideal for them. From morning to night aircraft were overhead bombing at frequent intervals. We moved and worked at night. Many times they damaged the railway line and blew craters in the roads.” The engineers repaired the line and it was working when the Allies’ troops left. Troops went up the line to fight immensely superior forces equipped with tanks and with an overwhelmingly superiority in the air.

“The story that there was any panic is untrue,” said the speaker. "Our men marched down to the ships and kept their ranks like good soldiers.” The rearguard were British. A lieutenant and four men with a machine-gun held up the German advance and “got away with it” J