RAILWAY HELD

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 125, 26 April 1940, Page 8

RAILWAY HELD

ALLIED ACHIEVEMENT. ADVANCE IN NORWAY. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) LONDON, April 23. The Norwegian Command confirms that tlie Allies control the railway between Andalsnes (in Roinsdals Fiord) and Lillchammer (in Central Norway). Mountain ■artillery lias been transported to Lillchammer. The Norwegian News Agency reports fighting ii> the. valley between Lake Xijoaa and Laerdalsoeren. British warships at Namsos shot down four German ’planes. The Germans claim to have taken prisoner a number of Canadians participating in the furious fighting northward of Lillehammer, but it is authoritatively stated in London that Canadian units are not serving in Norway, although the British Expeditionary Force may include individual Canadians. The Times's Stockholm correspondent says a big combined movement of Norwegian and Allied troops lias begun on the Narvik front. French alpine units and the British forces arc reported to be participating in clean-ing-up operations from Harstad down the Gratangen Valley, aiming to encircle the 1500 Germans, who arc building fortified, lines and living off the land. Another Allied force is moving towards Elvergaard. This town is the only possible landing ground in the Narvik sector. NAZIS BOMB CIVILIANS. Air fighting dominates the reports of the Allied and enemy activities in Norway, but the Gerinans are apparently attempting to widen the land operations. According to Swedish reports the invaders are marching northward to Rena (north of Elverum) l while eastward small Norwegian .forces are retiring to the Swedish border. German ’planes are systematically bombing villages before the advance of mobile columns. Rena suffered particularly and the inhabitants fled to the forest. The invaders also raided other villages between Elverum and Tryst 1. The Allied troops are making a powerful drive on the Hamar front, and have arrived at Moelv. between Hamar and Lillchammer, which the Allies arc reported to have occupied. The opposing forces arc fiercely engaged on* the Trondheim front, and the distance between positions at .some points is only 200 yards. The Stockholm paper Allehaiula says that two naval engagements occurred irv the Skagerrak this morning. Air forces participated.