GALLIPOLI AGAIN

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20241, 8 May 1940, Page 7

GALLIPOLI AGAIN

SHOCKING STORY CENSURE BY ADMIRAL INEPTITUDE ALLEGED LABOURITE’S APPEAL ALL HELP POSSIBLE (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. May 8, 11.45 a.m.) LONDON, May 7. During the debate in the House of Commons on the campaign in Norway, Admiral Sir Roger Keyes (Con. North Portsmouth), said it was a “shocking story of ineptitude” and should never have happened. He declared that the naval staff astoundingly would not realise that the attack at Namsos was doomed if the German ships controlled the Trondheim Fiord. “I importuned the Cabinet to let me take all the responsibility and organise and lead the attack,” he said. "The Gallipoli tragedy had been followed step by step.” Admiral Keyes added that Trondheim could easily have been captured if a few ships had entered the Trondheim Fiord immediately the army was ready to co-operate. Risk of Ships Undesirable “Naval officials told me that there was no difficulty in entering the fiord, but it was unnecessary as the army was making progress and the Mediterranean situation made the risking of ships undesirable,” Admiral Keyes added. “If our. sea power had been used vigorously and courageously the Germans would have been in a most dangerous position and would eventually have been defeated. “Committees cannot win a war. Those responsible must be fully empowered to act without delays and conferences.” Colonel J. C. Wedgwood (Lab., New-castle-Under-Lyme), said one lesson from the Norwegian experience was that the fleet could save us from starvation, but not invasion. Apparently the Government was not prepared to combat invasion which was easier now than in 1914. “We need all the help we can get,” he declared. “The sooner we get Russian and American aid the better. I hope we will get a Government which takes the war seriously. We must use a lightning stroke, the essence of which is doing something illegal and unexpected.”