KEEN FIGHTING IN SOUTH

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 89, 15 April 1940, Page 8

KEEN FIGHTING IN SOUTH

Clashes Near Oslo

• (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyrights (Received April 15, 12.15 p.m.)

LONDON, April 14. / The Germans claim to have occupied the railway from Narvik to Sweden. . , „ \ Keen fighting continues in southern Norway. The Germans apparently landed considerable forces at the south-east tip of Norway and captured the town of Halden, the fortress at Fredrikshald, and the town of Sarpsborg, and claim to have seized the railway running north, but the invaders apparently have lost the fortress of Raver, at the mouth of Oslo Fiord, because the Norwegian flag has replaced the Swastika flag. Violent clashes continue north-east of Oslo, where the Norwegians retain Eidsyold and have checked the Germans ten miles north of Kongsvinger;, The Norwegians in this area declare that the Germans have not crossed the deep ravine of the Glommen River. The defenders are attempting to advance southward for the purpose of making contact with the , Nor- • wegians on the Rakkestad front, where the Germans are attacking violently but without success. • Westward of Oslo the Norwegians appear to hold the -banks of the Hallingdalen River between Lake Tyri and Drammen Fiord. ' / The invaders claim to have advanced 25 miles north from Kristiansand and 30 miles south from Trondheim, where it is declared that they have landed further heavy artillery. The commander of Oslo issued a proclamation prescribing summary execution for obeying mobilisation orders from the former Government or for hindering the German advance. ' STOCKHOLM, April 13. I Sir Cecil Dormer says that he

The first Norwegian army communique, dated nQon on Friday, says that the Germans occupy Oslo, Kristiansand, Stavanger, Bergen, and Trondheim, but that the rest of southern Norway is in Norwegian hands, also the whole of northern Norway except Narvik. . • While the Norwegians are holding the Germans north of Oslo, reports "' reaching -Sweden indicate that iresh German detachments surprised the Norwegians at Haiden, near Frederiksnald, whence a stream of refugees is heading for Sweden but are unable to reach the frontier because bridges have been blown up. Sixty-five civil- - lans were injured when German planes machine-gunned Frederikstad on Friday and fires are still raging. Elverum has been practically destroyed. Fifty, persons were killed arid 100 w.ounded in an air raid on Friday. Eidsvold ' has also been practically destroyed by : bombs. . The Stockholm radio quotes a Norwegian communique,, stating that all telephone and telegraph lines to Germany have been cut and also that, Oslo's electricity has beencut off owing to the opening of a dam. - The Germans ordered-a special train to -take Major Quisling's puppet Government to the front to fight against the Norwegians. The Norwegian leader General Erlcsen stated that no German troops have penetrated the eastern and north- * crn banks of the Vormen and Glommen Rivers, to which the Germans have ti-cught up fifteen field guns and a consicV-rable ■, number of mechanised units, but movements of troops are most difficult owing to the destruction ■ of all bridges. The Norwegians have blocked all the roads and railways from Oslo to , Sweden. - V A party of Norwegian volunteers returning from Finland stopped a train - en route to Sweden and arrested 19 Germans who were on it. The position in south-western and western. Norway seems to be virtuallyx . unchanged. The German troops have / not moved from Sjordalshalsen, to . . which they marched from Trondheim.