Manawatu Evening Standard. FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 1940. THE GREAT SEA BATTLE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 114, 12 April 1940, Page 6

Manawatu Evening Standard. FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 1940. THE GREAT SEA BATTLE.

In tlie House of Commons, yesterday, Mr Winston Churchill gave the Empire the first authentic news covering the operations around the Norwegian coast and in the North Sea since last Sunday evening. It is a story of the greatest heroism, in which in the early stages the German ships which were engaged were favoured by fortune. Mr Churchill made it clear that the 'Nazis had been preparing for the conquest of Denmark and Norway for some time past. Merchant ships had been transformed into transports, and other vessels had been kept in Germany’s Baltic ports and at the mouth of the Elbe. Actually, German warships were at sea on Sunday undoubtedly waiting for the hour set by Hitler for the invasion of Scandinavia, and some of these were engaged by British ships. The Sclnirnhorst and another came within range of the Renown’s guns and only escaped destruction by good fortune, but the larger Nazi warship suffered severe damage. Another British ship, the destroyer Glowworm, by strange fate, lost a seaman overboard during bad weather while proceeding with an escort of destroyers to Narvik to lay the mines. While engaged alone in his rescue German destroyers came up and in an unequal fight the Glowworm was sunk. These were the destroyers which captured Narvik on Tuesday as part of the Nazi plan. All the evidence proves conclusively that Hitler s invasion was carefully planned, that it seemingly reached the point of fruition by a strange coincidence exactly when the British and French decided to lay their mines along the Norwegian coast to close the corridor the Nazis had used in violation of neutral rights. The First Lord of the Admiralty has told something of what the Navy has been doing these many week past. It is a story of silent but proud achievement, the climax of winch has been reached since the beginning the week. In spite of German denials the greatest sea battle of all time is being fought in the Skagerrak and the Kattegat, and Germany lias suffered terribly in the loss of transports, men, and munitions of war. Ships belonging to her Navy have gone down iu the fight to liberate a peaceloving people from brutal aggression. On land the Norwegians themselves are putting up a brave resistance to the German invaders, and until the situation is clarified there can be no definite news of their progress. Mr Churchill’s story takes the publice to a point where it inevitably had to be left for the mean-

time, but there are reports from Sweden which indicate that the battle still rages and ships are being driven from the Fiord of Oslo. Hundreds of aeroplanes are taking their share in the great conflict, and though British ships have been injured to some extent Germany has had at least one cruiser at Bergen sunk by a bomb. In Berlin, according to an Amsterdam message, the crowds which hailed the triumph of Denmark’s occupation are uneasy as the Skagerrak battle progresses. They must fear the results of their Fuehrer’s action, which has extended the Nazis’ battle line and given the opportunity for a smashing blow at his naval forces. It has been rightly criticised as a grave strategical error. It must bo remembered that Hitler’s bold stroke gave him an immediate tactical advantage, which cannot be surmounted in a few days, but the grim determination of the British and Allied Fleets, their quick retaliation, and the smashing blows they are inflicting are sufficient reason for the grave and silent crowds in Berlin.