SEA BATTLE IN SCANDINAVIAN WATERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 April 1940, Page 6

SEA BATTLE IN SCANDINAVIAN WATERS

Described in Sweden as Greatest of all Time HUGE NAVAL AND AIR FORCES ENGAGED FORTS IN OSLO FIORD STILL HOLDING OUT (By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright? LONDON, April IF According to the Danish newspaper “Politiken,” Allied ships penetrated the Kattegat and a new naval engagement was ratting al dawn today near the north-east coast of Jutland. Tlie Koine radio says that the British Navy is about to force a wedge between Denmark and Norway. Stockholm radio reports that the greatest sea battle of all time has been raging since last night over a line of 1000 miles with 150 Allied and 100 German war vessels and 800 Allied and 1000 German planes. The battle became fiercer at dawn and heavy gunfire shook the Swedish coast and towns at the east end of the Skagerrak from 2 a.m. Searchlights continually swept the skies, and observers at Marstrand saw 10 German warships of which one sank, three others are believed to have sunk, one is ablaze, one escaped northward, another, severely damaged, fled to Swedish waters • and was escorted to port by a Swedish warship, and two arrived al Marstrand with troops. Numerous dead are floating in the water along the coast. Observers at Lysekil saw a vessel of unknown nationality sink with the loss of all hands. The fort of Bolaeren at the east side of the entranee to Oslo Fiord is reported to be still holding out and inflicting heavy damage to German transports. By the middle of this morning the Swedish coast was quiet, the battle having moved westward at 10.10 a.m.. and German warships and transports and an. unknown number of British warships were reported to have been engaged in this area and the transports were dispersed. Planes were also part ieipating. 4