FIRST GREAT BATTLE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 April 1940, Page 5

FIRST GREAT BATTLE

WON BY THE ALLIED POWERS French Prime Minister’s Declaration in Senate GERMANY’S HEAVY NAVAL LOSSES CANADIAN TROOPS FIGHTING IN NORWAY The French Prime Minister, M. Reynaud, speaking in the Senate, declared that the first great battle between the Allies and Germany had ended in a victory for the Allies, Daventry reports. The most important results of that victory he summed up as follows: The crippling of the German Fleet, the cutting of the iron ore route from Sweden, Germany now fighting on a new front, in which she was using up her stocks of petrol and had dispersed artillery and men. Referring to the naval losses in the Norwegian campaign during the past few days, M. Reynaud said 30 per cent of Germany’s capital ships had been damaged or sunk, 20 per cent of her cruisers sunk, 25 per cent of her destroyers sunk, 15 per cent of her destroyers damaged, and several U-boats sunk. These were not Germany’s total naval losses, but only those of the last eight days. Narvik is now held by British marines, according to a broadcast by the Norwegian High Command. Most of the retreating Germans were surrounded by the Norwegians. . It is confirmed that Canadian troops are fighting with British and French forces in Norway. The R.A.F. has carried out further raids on Stavanger Aerodrome. The raid continued for about an hour and muchdamage was done by high explosive and incendiary bombs. The light from a big fire could be seen some distance away and German aircraft could be seen blazing at the southern end of the airfield. All our planes returned to their bases. Sixty thousand tons of German merchant shipping have been lost as a result of the invasion of Norway. Eleven ships have been sunk or scuttled and four others captured by the British Navy. The German shipping losses since the war began amount to 400,000 tons, about one-tenth of Germany’s total merchant tonnage at the beginning of the war.