JUDICIOUS RETICENCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 April 1940, Page 5

JUDICIOUS RETICENCE

WITHHOLDING INFORMATION FROM’ ENEMY SPEEDY AND EFFECTIVE BRITISH ACTION. EMPLOYMENT OF MOBILE FORCES. (British Official Wireless.) ißeceived This Day, 11.40 a.m.) RUGBY. April 22. Apart from laconic official communique news reaching England from Norway comes almost entirely through Sweden and is based on reports, inevitably sketchy, carried across the frontier. These are treated with appropriate reserve by the newspapers, which, recognising the necessity for withholding information which may be of value to the enemy, commend the brevity of the Allied communiques. Military experts in London express keen satisfaction at the speed with which the extremely successful operation of effecting a junction of British and Norwegian forces in East Norway was conducted. The Germans appear to have been definitely puzled regarding the whereabouts of the British troops. The mountainous nature of the country over which the Norwegian campaign will be waged will involve the employment of small mobile forces. There will, it is anticipated, be no room for big attacks. Consequently, junior officers, N.C.O’s, and private soldiers will have full scope to show individual initiative. It is now dear that the next, few weeks will test the possibility of the Germans maintaining a force upon land by air alone. In the northern part of the country the British found the morale of officers and men of the Norwegian Army very high. Hitherto equipment has been lacking, but more arms are now being supplied. GERMAN REPORTS (Received This Day, 10.25 a.m.) BERLIN, April 22. The High Command reports: “Enemy naval units yesterday again bombarded Narvik, but no troops were landed. German forces in the Trondheim area have reached important points. No serious fighting has occurred. Contact has been established with land forces operating in the Oslo, Kristiansand and Stavanger areas. A British destroyer was hit by a bomb, two of the Allies’ merchantmen and two submarines were destroyed. Eight Allied planes were brought down in Norway and on the Western Front. Three German planes are missing. Gjoevik and Lillerhammer have been captured.” The Official News Agency says German planes bombed and set on fire Namsos and Andalsnes. The British positions at Namsos were bombed for six hours. CONSIDERABLE SUCCESS ACHIEVED BY BRITISH TROOPS. WAR OFFICE COMMUNIQUE. < (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, April 22. A War Office communique issued this evening states: “In our operations in support of the Norwegians, our troops, landing at many places, have achieved considerable success in face of great difficulties. They have gained touch with Norwegian forces, to whom they are giving all the support in their power . SPLENDID EQUIPMENT SUPPLIED TO THE TROOPS IN NORWAY. ON ADVICE OF EXPERTS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, April 22. The Minister of Supply (Dr E. L. Burgin) stated that the equipment of British troops in Norway had been specially designed after consultation with such experts as Mr F. S. Smythe, the famous climber and Mr Edward Shackleton, son of the fYflar explorer, as well as Canadian experts, in order to meet the conditions of ice and snow likely to be encountered during the operations in Norway. Dr. Burgin said that equipment included special socks, footless stockings, special sledges, ski-ing boots, speciallylined overcoats and snow shoes, Arctic tents, wood-burning stoves, fur caps and sleeping bags. All this equipment was obtained from British and Canadian manufacturers. “I don’t think any force has been so splendidly equipped in so short a time,” said Dr. Burgin.