GERMANS FAR FROM ACHIEVING AIMS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 May 1940, Page 5

GERMANS FAR FROM ACHIEVING AIMS

/ in Battles South of Trondheim STOUT RESISTANCE BY BRITISH IN DOMBAS AREA NORWEGIANS REPORT ENEMY RETREAT IN OSTER VALLEY The latest official news about the fighting’Jn Norway was given yesterday afternoon in a British War Office communique, Daventry reports. In the Dombas area, our troops, after a stout resistance in the face of a strong enemy attack, withdiew to prepared positions. In the Namsos area the situation at the front remains unchanged. In the far north, at Narvik, the areas occupied by Allied forces have been extendect and operations are continuing satisfactorily. Reports from Sweden state that in spite of all German boasts, Allied troops still control a large section of the railway to Trondheim north of Dombas to Ulsberg. If that is true it means that the German detachment which went oyer the mountains north and east in an effort to reach the line and attack Dombas in the rear are cut off. Norwegian reports speak of the arrival of British artillery in the vicinity of Dombas and state that the Allied forces hold strong positions along the line northward from Dombas. The Norwegian Telegraph Agency announces that the German forces in the Oster Valley are on the retreat and have abandoned Roros and withdrawn from Telneset, 25 miles south of Roros. This indicated a retreat of 50 miles. Germans taken prisoner in this advance state that the German retreat was caused by a shortage of supplies. There is also another possible explanation and that is that the Germans who a few days ago reached just beyond Roros and despatched two forces over the mountains did not have the strength to maintain their positions. It is now possible to form some idea of the position in Norway. The German plan obviously is to ensure control of the whole country south of Trondheim and the Allies upset the enemy plans by landing south of Trondheim. The Allies then advanced very rapidly along the main lines of communication between Oslo and Trondheim and since then have continually hindered the German advance. The German troops at Trondheim are virtually, surrounded and the German High Command’s task is to establish effective communication between Trondheim and Oslo. German forces have been withdrawing in the Oster Valley, which is still in Norwegian hands. The Germans also tried a flanking movement to take Dombas in the rear. It is quite possible that one of the detachments did get through to meet a German column from Trondheim, but it is still very much in doubt that much of the line has been captured. The position at Dombas is in the balance, but it is clear that the Germans have been seriously delayed and are still far from having established any effective route for* the transport of men and material betvzeen Oslo and Trondheim. In other parts of the country the position is satisfactory for the Allies.