NORWEGIAN OPERATIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 May 1940, Page 7

NORWEGIAN OPERATIONS

CAUSE OF ALLIES’ FAILURE

AERIAL BASE NEEDED

[BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.]

RUGBY. May 4. Clearer views of the military operations carried out by the Allies in Norway and the tactical conceptions •which inspired them are now possible. The latter were based oi\ certain assumptions which, it can now be' seen, did not allow enough either for the ingenuity, thoroughness, and disregard of conventional restraints of the Nazis or for the failure of the Norwegian authorities to realise the- dangei which threatened their country. With the knowledge that the Germans were practising amphibious operations, the Allies prepared small forces ■ which would have been sufficient to forestall the Nazi invasion had the called-for assistance come .in time. The forces, which were provided for the purpose of establishing a protecting ring round ports such, fra Stavanger, Trondheim, and Narvik, behind which reinforcements and supplies could have been landed and through which larger forces could have passed when necessary to the assistance of the Norwegian array, were on a. scale sufficient to carry through an unopposed landing but were insufficient to do much more than had been planned for them. The rapidity with which the Germans established themselves in the key ports by attacks treacherously executed and treacherously aided by elements suborned within the Norwegian defence organisation, presented the advance parties of the North-western Expeditionary Force with problems quite different from those for which they had been prepared. The troops were derived from formations gathered earlier to help Finland, but much of the equipment for the. Finnish Expeditionary Force had been dispersed and among this unfortunately, as it proved in the event -—was a considerable part of the provision of anti-aircraft guns, because 'the- advance parties after landing successfully were subjected to very severe attacks from the air. Anti-aircraft guns in whatever quantities would probably have been inadequate to the task of beating off these attacks, and the supreme lesson which emerges from the experience of the Allied troops round Trondheim is that with the support of fighter aeroplanes operating from an air base in Norway, the force sent would have been adequate not only for its original tasks, but for whatever additional demands the early German successes made necessary. The Allied troops had most valuable support from Royal Air Force long-range fighters and from the Fleet Air Arm—support generously acknowledged by the military authorities. One fighter squadron based nearby would have made all the difference between success and failure. The lack of the right kind of support from the air, which it was not possible to provide in time, made inevitable the withdrawal of troops from round Trondheim, which was carried out skilfully this week. ■ The importance of Narvik in the I scheme of the expedition is due in part to the fact that it could provide a centre from which the Allies could operate, less menaced by intensive aerial bombardment such as was to be expected and was met with further south. LANDINGS NEAR TRONDHEIM. The successful landings north and south of Trondheim found early justification in drawing off the enemy and in bringing needed moral support to the Norwegian forces. The Namsos force, under the command of Brigadier G. C. Phillips, included men from the 49th Division, and their landing was unopposed, and they pressed on towards Trondheim.

While British troops were pressing forward on the northern coast of the Hord, the enemy made use of the mobility afforded them by the preserce of German ships in the neighbourhood, and delivered a flank attack. For a time the British were in a very bad position, but they extiicated themselves and reformed, even though some of the advance troops had been cut off.

The landing at Andalsnes, some 2GO miles further south, was carried out under slightly more difficult conditions, but Brigadier H. de Rimer Morgan, who was in command, carried through the operation in spite of enemy bombing. It is now known that Brigadier Morgan was immediately faced with a difficult problem. He received an urgent call from the. Norwegians for help a considerably long way down the Gudbrands Valley, and without waiting for reinforcements he responded, and in a very short time had pressed forward to Lillehamer. His action is fully endorsed, since it was an essential object of the expedition to bring aid to the Norwegian forces in their resistance to the Nazis. General Paget followed with a French contingent, and the German advance was held up. Several enemy tanks were destroyed, but events at the base which was being formed at Andalsnes made it too difficult to maintain supplies, and evacuation was ordered. Persistent bombings were aided by the shortening nights, and the landing of further troops and supplies became too hazardous to warrant further attempts. Namsos, too, came in for severe air attacks and some supplies and munitions were blown up.

From the military point of view, the withdrawal from round Trondheim is regarded by good judges as by no means all to the disadvantage of the Allies, though it is not disputed that politically it cannot but occasion some temporary loss of prestige. Freed from what has .turned into an unprofitable commitment in the south, the Command of the NorthWestern Expeditionary Force is in a better position to push forward vigorously in co-operation with the Norwegian Command with a scheme of operations more securely based. It may .confidently be assumed that the Allied military authorities in Norway are fully aware of the intention of the British and French Governments not to abate the effort they promised to make in support of Her-r Hitler’s latest victims. Although reliable information concerning the present position in south Norway is necessarily scanty, officials of the Norwegian Government are re : ported as having stated that the

, . - ' - . to ’ withdrawal of the -Allied troops will have no influence on the Will of the Norwegian Government to continue to fight for freedom, The Norwegian News Agency in Stockholm said that the Norwegians had every intention of understanding the difficulty with which the Allied troops were faced during the first period of the war in Norway, and that the Allied decision had 'in no way weakened the Norwegian determination to resist the German invasion. When denying reports that King Haakon, and his Government had left Norway, the agency declared that the Norwegian forces in the south had inflicted heavy losses pn the Germans during the last few days. As regards the reported capitulation of the Norwegian commander-in-chief in the Trondelag area, this agency pointed out that .this did not mean that all Norwegian resistance had been given up, and that these negotiations concerned only his own command. The Norwegian garrison in the valley north of Trondheim was still putting up a strong resistance and the fort of Hegre, whose tiny garrison of about 100 men has been holding out against the German attackers since the beginning of the invasion and whose fortitude and skill have already earned the widest admiration, was continuing to resist. In Narvik, it appears that the Germans are surrounded by the British and Norwegian forces. It has been estimated that there are some 13,000 Norwegians fighting in north Norway. NARVIK SURROUNDED ENEMY ATTACKS FAIL. LONDON, May 4. The French Ministry of War announced that the Allied forces at Narvik had surrounded 3000 to 4000 Germans. whose position was desperate. Norwegian troops were still operating at Trondheim after the British withdrawal. It is also reported from Paris that the Allied troops from central Norway are going to Narvik. The German High Command announces increased Allied pressure on Narvik. It states that the Allies are slowly approaching the German positions under cover of fire 1 from the warships, but attacks against the German outposts were repulsed.

The British War Office communique, announcing the withdrawal from Namsos, adds: “Allied troops advancing in the Narvik area were counter-attacked on May 1 and May 2 by the enemy. Both attacks were repulsed. Many dead were left in front of our positions, and some prisoners were taken by the Allied troops. Swedish and Norwegian dispatches say that the (Allies have completely encircled the German forces in the Narvik area. The town is reported to have been heavily shelled from land and sea. The Swedish radio says that the German garrison repelled a thrust from the north and German aeroplanes operating from a hidden landing field shot down three of five British aeroplanes attacking the town. Other sources report that German troops and supplies are reaching Norway by air and sea in increasing numbers.

NOTHING TO REPORT

RUGBY. May 5.

A War Office communique states: “There is nothing of importance to report from Narvik, where operations are continuing. There has been slight enemy air activity in this area.”

3000 GERMANS AT BAY

(Reed. May 6, 1 p.m.). LONDON, May 5.

Three thousand Germans garrisoning Narvik are facing a desperate situation, as the steady, remorseless . Allied advance cuts off all communications. Heavy fighting is reported 'to be in progress, amid a. snowstorm, i It is understood that 1000 Germans are holding the bridges and tunnels on the iron-ore railway from Narvik to Sweden. Swedish sources reptort preliminary air activity at Narvik, suggesting that the Germans will make a strong bid by air to relieve the pressure on the land forces. NORWEGIAN COMPLAINT LONDON. May 4. - Military circles in London state that the Allies could have remained in central Norway indefinitely if one air base had been available. The lack of an effective counter to the German Air Force was undoubtedly a major cause of the Allied setback. The number of Allied troops engaged in central Norway was considerably smaller than was imagined. The evacuation of Namsos was scarcely completed when the Norwegian regional commander (Colonel (Obgetz) issued an order of the day: “As the British and French have withdrawn their troops from Namsos we stand alone against the entire German war machine. Already outflanked and encircled, we are-without aid from outside. With only enough ammunition for one day, without aeroplanes and other necessary war materials, any further fighting would only lead to destruction without serving any military purpose. I am therefore notifying the German High Command to contact us for the purpose -of establishing peace in the Trondelag district as has been done in the southern part of the country. “It is my heavy duty, as acting-commander at Trondelag, to give this notice to soldiers under my command.” Colonel Obgetz appended a note: “It was an incomprehensible action of the British and French, without notifying me, to lay open my flanks and rear, cutting me off from any possible retreat toward Mosjoen.” A War Office statement, however, states that the Norwegian Command-er-imChief lias been conveyed to an undisclosed destination in Norway, and any Norwegian order of the day announcing negotiations for an armistice has obviously been made without . his authority.

KING HAAKON. LONDON, May 4. King Haakon has gone aboard a Bri fish warship to northern Norway. - He declined to take refuge in Lon don.

NORWEGIAN MINISTERS. RUGBY, May 5. < Dr. Koht and the Norwegian Defence Minister. M. Ljungberg, have arrived in London, with the British Minister in Oslo, Lord Dormer,’and Lady Dormer, as well as the wife of the French Minister to Norway. The Norwegian Ministers have come to consult the British Government.

| ESTIMATE OF LOSSES ■ , ROME, May 5. It is reported from Stockholm that 117,000 Norwegian, soldiers have surrendered and that 1000 Allied troops were killed and wounded during the bombing of the embarking troops at Namsos. The British; had disembarked 27,000 men, 12 tanks and 40. guns at Andalsnes and Namsos, and the Germans landed 110,000 men, 350 tanks, and 400 guns.

GERMAN ADVANCE.

(Recd. May 6, 9.55 a.m.).'

LONDON, May 5.

The Norwegian News Agency' states that the Germans now hold Storen, south of Trondheim, after an attack 15 miles eastward on Saturday, in which they lost 200 men. The Norwegian troops also suffered heavy losses.

STOCKHOLM, May 5

The Germans this afternoon reoccupied Roros, south-east from fjtoren. The Germans were driven out from Roros last week. A Swedish correspondent, telephoning from Roros this morning, said he saw a German warplane drop six bombs, as people were going to church. “German bombers are coming again. I must cut the call.”

GERMAN “MOPPING-UP”

(Recd. May 6, 12.45 p.m.). LONDON, .May 5

A German High Command communique says: German troops marching from Stenkjaer northwards, are mopping up the Andalsnes area. The communique enlarges on the previous fantastic claims of. British losses, and says that German destroyers have sunk twenty-three Allied submarines, and 2,300,000 tons of Allied shipping since the outbreak. HEGRE FORTRESS SURRENDERS. (Received May 6, 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, May 6. The Germans in southern and central Norway are actively consolidating their positions, although it appears that isolated Norwegian detachments, using guerilla tactics, are still resisting in the mountainous regions.

The Official German News Agency says that the Hegre fortress, with 15 officers and 160 men, has surrendered, after a three weeks’ siege.

The German occupation of Roros is also announced to-night. The British United Press correspondent in Roros says that the Norwegians evacuated it before the arrival of the Germans. The Norwegians are endeavouring to break through the German cordon, to join the Allies in northern Norway.

The Official German Agency states that the Allied detachments who failed to re-embark are withdrawing hurriedly across the mountain roads from Namsos.

ABANDONED STORES.

(Received May 6, 12.45 p.m.)

LONDON, May 5.

The Associated Press of America Stenkjaer region correspondent says: “Thousands of starving refugees returned to the Namsos area, after the Allied' evacuation, hungrily gorged the Allies’ abandoned food supplies, and carried off huge quantities.” The correspondent says that Col. Obgetz showed him letters . received on the morning of May 1 from General Dewiart and the French commander, General Audet, wherein they expressed regret at the Allies’ withdrawal, and offered him the abandoned war material. General Dewiart added: “Our own hope is that we may return to help you to bring the campaign to a successful conclusion.” Col. Obgetz said the letters were received as the last Allied transports were leaving Andalsnes. The correspondent adds that British warships-fired parting salvoes at tile abandoned equipment, destroying a large quantity. FANTASTIC CLAIMS. LONDON, May 4. .The German High Command claims that German aeroplanes attacked a British flagship west of Namsos, and that a heavy bomb hit the vessel between the fore gun-turrets. Half a minute later, a column of flame rose to 1,500 feet, followed by dense smoke, after which only floating debris was visible.

The German radio now claims that in addition to this’ ship, a heavy cruiser was set on fire by a bomb and a destroyer was sunk while escorting troops from Namsos. It adds that a battle-cruiser and a destroyer were seriously damaged and a battleship was set on fire and a troopship was sunk during raids' on Narvik. The British Admiralty describes the reports as typically fantastic. RUGBY, May 5.

An Admiralty communique states: “The German' claim to have sunk a British battleship and a cruiser of the York class, in operations off Namsos, is untrue.”

SWEDEN’S NEUTRALITY

MOSCOW, May 4.

The Soviet radio states that following an exchange of views between Moscow 1 and Berlin it was agreed that both the Russian and German Governments were “interested in the preservation of Sweden’s neutrality.”

The Swedish radio reports the discovery of a big sabotage plot in Stockholm. Large quantities of high explosives and bombs were confiscated. The leaders arrested include several foreigners.