BRITAIN CONFIDENT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 April 1940, Page 5

BRITAIN CONFIDENT

RECOGNITION OF GERMAN BLUNDERS HEAVY BLOW TO CAMPAIGN IN NORWAY. REPORTED PROTEST BY NAZI NAVAL STAFF. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.10 a.m.) RUGBY. April 14. The only major development in the situation in Scandinavia reported is the laying of the new immense Baltic minefield and the announcement of this hemming in of Germany's northern coast has strengthened the feeling of calm confidence with which the Scandinavian position is regarded in London. Universal satisfaction is felt at the news of the British naval exploit at Narvik yesterday, and the public are particularly impressed by the fact that the Admiralty, in place of its wellknown reticence in normal messages, describes the attack as ''extremely successful.” and signalled congratulations to all concerned in "this vigorous, daring and skilfully-conducted action, which may well tend to clarify the situation on this part of the Norwegian coast.” Press comment generally suggests that the last remark seems to be an under-statement of what expert commentators regard as a heavy blow to the German campaign in Norway. Further information regarding the Narvik exploit in connection with which the Admiralty communique stated that the operations were proceeding. is awaited and meanwhile the fact that the Germans are still in possession of Bergen and Trondheim arouses no special anxiety. In authoritative quarters it is recognised that the importance of evicting the Germans from these forts, in which they are isolated, is of secondary importance compared with the task of destroying the German fleet, with which such satisfactory progress has been reported. The complete severance of the sea communications of these Nazi forces with Germany now seems to be assured. In naval quarters here, respect for German naval strategists has been greatly lowered by last week’s striking demonstrations of their failure to understand the basic principles on which success in sea warfare is based. The "Sunday Times” naval correspondent says prime errors were obvious within twenty-four hours. The invasion was undertaken across waters of which the German navy not only did not have command, but also did not have even temporary command, and secondly the invading forces. both naval and military, were divided up into small raiding parties, aimed, as a Norwegian communique makes clear, at no fewer than eight different points, distributed over as much as a thousand miles. It is charitably assumed by students of naval warfare here that Hitler was driven into action by the need to supply his public with new sensations and that the German Naval Staff cannot have failed to warn him of the dangers of the enterprises. Those events are regarded as lending colour to reports, hitherto treated with reserve, that Grand Admiral von Raeder has fallen into disfavour for the vehemence with which he advanced his arguments against the project. X EVENTS IN NORWAV NAZI FAIRY TALE VERSION. "OUR HEAVY NAVAL FORCES UNHARMED.” By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received This Day. 11.0 a.m.) LONDON, April 14. The German version of the British victory at Narvik, given by the High Command, refers to a heavy attack yesterday by a British squadron consisting of two battleships, aircraft carriers, cruisers and a large number of destroyers. "Nevertheless,” it is stated, “the German destroyers attacked the superior force. The Cossack was set ablaze by naval air forces and ran aground. The Eskimo and others also were seriously damaged or destroyed. The losses on both sides arc not yet completely ascertained.” The communique proceeds to refer to the successful landing of German troops in Norwegian harbours. It says the Renown was damaged last Tuesday in the course of an attack by heavy British naval forces. "Our own heavy naval forces are unharmed.”