BALTIC MINEFIELD

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 April 1940, Page 5

BALTIC MINEFIELD

GERMAN COMMUNICATIONS CUT SEA ACCESS TO NORWAY BLOCKED. INVADING FORCES CUT OFF. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. LONDON, April 14. Described as practically crippling German trade in the Baltic, the laying of a new minefield, which is a continuation of that laid last week and continues through the Baltic to the southern tip of Lithuanian walers, is announced by the British Admiralty. This new minefield will blanket the whole of the German Baltic coast. It sweeps through the two belts separating Denmark and Sweden, and for 240 miles across the Baltic up to Lithuanian territorial waters. The Admiralty announcement gives notices that mines have been laid in the Baltic Sea and its its approaches as follows: A, 57 degrees 00 minutes north. 10 degrees 2G minutes east; B. 57.00 north. 12.24 east; C. 55.30 north, 13.20 east D. 55.30 north, 21.061 east. The whole of the waters of the Baltic and approaches situated south of the lines joining A to B and C to D are dangerous, added the Admiralty announcement, but no mines will be laid in Swedish territorial waters. The passage of German ships from the Baltic or the North Sea to Norway will be impossible. The invading forces in Norway will be cut off from Germany except for the limited contact by air. German warships which have established themselves on the west coast of Norway, and those at large in the North Sea. stand the most slender chance of getting back to their bases. The 20-milc-wide channel for neutral ships runs roughly east and west, right up to Swedish territorial waters, but north and south of the channel are the danger zones which cut off sea communications between Germany and her forces in Norway, and between both Denmark and southern Norway and the outside world. Commenting upon the laying of the minefield, an Italian newspaper says that the important thing for the Allies is to cut communications between the German Baltic ports and the German troops in Norway. If the attempt succeeds it will have an important result, but the paper does not think it would be decisive, because, it says bluntly, Germany could seek other roads through southern Sweden. AUDACIOUS FEAT GERMANY HEMMED IN. BALTIC IRON ORE ROUTE CLOSED. (Received This Day. 10.15 a.m.) LONDON. April 14. The laying of the new minefield along the north coast of Germany and the Kattegat, completed in the early hours of this morning, is regarded as a singularly audacious feat 'The belt in