EUROPE FROZEN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 January 1940, Page 7

EUROPE FROZEN

NO BREAK IN BITTER WEATHER

WAR OPERATIONS PARALYSED IN FINLAND.

SNOW ON THE PORTUGUESE COAST.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright LONDON. January 18.

Europe’s bitter winter continues. Soldiers on the Western Front and Parisians shivered in the coldest weather since the outbreak of the war.

Ninety degrees of frost in south Finland again paralysed the major actions. Fierce winds are sweeping Italy. Snow covers Rome and Mount Vesuvius, and a 48-hour snowstorm isolated the village of Torrebruna, in the Abruzzi hills, burying it 30ft deep, cuttting off the lighting and causing the roofs of many homes to collapse. Gales in Trieste injured pedestrians and tore ships from their moorings. Snow brought to a standstill the trams in Milan. The most curious feature was pinkish, salty snow in northern Italy, rendering well-water undrinkable.

Oporto (Portugal) had a fall of snow for the first time in 40 years. Spain is suffering 20 degrees of frost, and 1 flfoot snowdrifts in Oviedo have blocked the roads and railways. Rains flooded mines in Puerto Llano.

There were 90 degrees of frost in Norway. Gales are piling up icefloes and wedging the ships tight in Denmark’s harbours. Fishermen on the coast,>of Fehmarnbelt saw the stern of a three-masted schooner slowly rising in the air. The vessel sank in a few minutes, presumably drawn down by the ice, and leaving no trace.

Ice obscuring coast lights is blamed for the sinking of the small Danish steamer Olga, which struck submerged rocks on the Norwegian coast. The crew of 17 escaped in the boats.

Berlin continues to shiver. Thousands of Polish war prisoners have been put on to heave coal.

ON THE WEST FRONT ACTIVITIES IN SPITE OF COLD. LONDON, January 18. Headquarters of the British Expeditionary Force state that despite the cold Allies have resumed full patrol and reconnaissance activity. No planes operated except a lone German which reconnoitred over eastern France and the Saar. An artillery action was caused when the Germans suddenly began shelling the French front lines. The French took up the challenge and threw back an equal measure of shells, whereupon the Germans lengthened their range. A resultant counter-battery action lasted for four hours. AIRMEN ON GUARD ALL LEAVE SHIPS ESCORTED. RUGBY. January 18. Pilots of the Royal Air Force have assumed a new responsibility since leave for the British Expeditionary Force began. They escort across the Channel all leave ships bringing troops home or taking them back to the front. Troopships from Australia and Canada are met by coastal command aircraft while still hundreds of miles from these shores, and are escorted during the remainder of their voyages. Ships sail in weather which would "ground" aircraft on any peace-time schedule, but in the wintry weather the leave ships and troopships have never lacked an air escort.