INDOMITABLE COURAGE BRITISH TROOPS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 130, 2 May 1940, Page 10

INDOMITABLE COURAGE

BRITISH TROOPS

GERMANS RESISTED. HEAVY LOSSES INFLICTED(United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) LOiN.uOiN, May 1. A War Office communique states: "The British, fighting ivith indomitable courage in the Dombas area, have resisted any further enemy advances. Northward of Stenkjaer ( betw . e ?, n Trondheim and Namsos) the British have again proved their superiority in patrol work and have inflicted heavv casualties. "Fresh landings have been made along the coast of Norway. BOASTS FBOM BEBLIN. Hitler's order of the day proudly proclaims: "The inexorable advance or the German troops has established land connections between Oslo and 'Lrondlieim. Thus the intention of tlio Western Bowers to bring Germany teller knees by the belated occupation ot Norway is finally crushed." Cerman Press despatches from Norway pav a tribute to the courage and toughness of the British resistance in Gudbrandsdal Valley, in which wave after wave of bombers arc reported to have preceded and accompanied the German advance. Aleanwhile, in the absence of independent confirmation of the Oennan. claims, Swedish sources report that the Allies are' strongly reinforcing their troops along the Dombas-Storen railway and also southward ot Dombas. These reinforcements are reported to have moved up from fresh landing points between Trondheun and Bergen. Fighting broke out at Jerkin (north of Dombas) during the morning, .resulting from Allied resistance against a German mechanised detachment which came down from the mountains after pushing across the snowbound road from Osterdal Valley. The Liberal Leader (Sir Archibald Sinclair), in a speech, deplored the defeatist attitude of some British people, and asked the reason for apparentlv inspired articles suggesting evacuation. He expressed the opinion that the evacuation of Southern and Central Norway was only justifiable if the military situation was beyond repair. . , . , , ' "The country is entitled to know •whether the troops sent were highlytrained regulars with experienced officers and adequate equipment, and if they were why was the Bntisri counter-stroke so slow in coming, he said.