NAZI AIM IN BALKANS

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23003, 24 April 1940, Page 9

NAZI AIM IN BALKANS

Munitions Found In Belgrade JUGOSLAV FEARS OF ESPIONAGE (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT.) (Received April 23, 8 p.m.) LONDON, April 23. “The Times’* says German attention is directed on the Balkans in the identical manner in which it Wttß or Scandinavia before the invasion of Norway. The Belgrade correspondent of “The Times” says five cases of rifle ammunition were found in the German pavilion at the Belgrade Fair. Germans have been seeking to buy big quantities of top-boots. Three carloads of Germans Were arrested for following King Feter. Seventy thousand German troops and 350 aeroplanes are concentrated in the Klagenfurt area. German propaganda in Slovenia declares that Croatia’s struggle for freedom is within sight of achievement. Another report from Belgrade says that the Army Commandant stated that spies were making trouble in the army, BRITISH FORCES IN NORWAY VIEWS OF MILITARY EXPERTS (BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.) (Received April 23.12.50 p.m.) RUGBY, April 22. Military experts in London express keen Satisfaction at the speed with which the extremely successful operation of effecting the junction of the British and Norwegian forces in the east of Norway was Conducted. The Germans appear to have been definitely puzzled .-regarding the Whereabouts of the British troops, „ Broadcasts suggest that in Germany they have been completely guzzled as to the whereabouts of the British during these early stages of the Norwegian campaign. The fact that ©ne recent German broadcast roundly declared that there were no British troops in or near Narvik, Which, according to a later broadcast, was of ho strategic, importance whatever, suggests that in Germany the authorities were without information as to what was going on. The mountainous nature of the Country over which the NorWfegi&n campaign will be waged Will involve the employment of small, mobile forces. There will, it is anticipated, be no room for big attacks, consequently the junior officers, non-com-missioned officers, ana private soldiers will have full scope to shOW individual initiative... The artillery employed will probably be confined to light mountain guns. ft is now clear that the. next few weeks Will test the possibility of the Germans maintaining their forces Upon land by air alone in the northern part of the country. The British forces who had made contact found the morale of the officers and men of the Norwegian Army very. high. Hitherto equipment has been lacking, but more arms are now being supplied. The Minister for Supply (Mr E. L. Burgin) said to-day that the equipment of the British troops in Norway had been specially designed after the consultation with such experts as Mr F. S, smythe, the famous and Mf BdwaTd Shaekieten, a son of the Polar explorer, as well as Canadian experts, in order to meet the conditions of ice and Snow likely to be encountered during the operations in Norwav. Mr Burgin said that the equipment included special seeks,. footless Stockings, special sledges, Ski-in| boots, specially-lined overcoats ana snOW shoes, Arctic tents, W.ood-buirh-ing stoves, fUr caps and sleeping bags. All this equipment was obtained from British and Canadian manufacturers,. “I don’t think that any force has been so splendidly equipped in so short a time,” said Mr Burgin, Tribute to Staff work ‘‘Whatever the outcome of the campaign in Norway may be. it seems Certain that this initial stage has been characterised by remarkably good staff work ahd organisation,” states “The Times.” “It has also furnished triumphant proof of the value of sea. power. The result of the clash, m which the Germans may well nave hoped to damage our fleet Severely, has been, in fact, to cripple their own so that at the moment our relative preponderance greater than a fortnight ago, and we find ourselves in a position to make other use of a proportion of our naval forces if the international situation should appear to demand it,” , The announcement that of France’s four new battleships, two, Richelieu and Jean Bart, will shortly be ready for service, and the Construction of two sister Ships, Clcmenceau and Gascoyne, is well advanced, has been received with much satisfaction in London, “This is a remarkable performance in view of the fact that these 35,000= ton battleships are by far the biggest ever built in France,” states the “Bally Telegraph.” “The diemenceau was laid dawn m January, 1939, and the Gascoyne, though no official date has been given, i§ believed to have been begun within the last few weeks. With a speed of ever 38 knots and a main armament of eight i5-inch gUhs, these four ships Compare well With their four Italian contemporaries. _ The . five . British battleships of the King George V class, now completed, are equally fast, but they have a main armament of lo 14-mch guns.”