IN NORWAY

Hokitika Guardian, 22 May 1940, Page 5

IN NORWAY

CR UISER LOST ' STRIKES A ROCK. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright). LONDON, May 21. Tlio Admiralty makes the following 'announcement: His Majesty's cruiser “Effingham,” has become a total Loss off the Norwegian coast. The “Effingham” belongs to. the ..lD,ooorton “Hawkins” Class, designed to counter German light cruisers with a wide range, and to enable them to hunt raiders. ■■ ' > Their armament includes 9.2 inch, 7.5 inch and 6 inch guns. The “Ef-i tingham” was built at Portsmouth, and launched in 1919. She. is 605 feet, long, with a beam of 65 . feet, aj draught of. 20. - feet. She has four screws, usee oil fuel lias very big funnels, a long forecastle, and very toll mainmast. She has bad long service in the East Indies. The “Effingham” struck an uncharted rock. There were no casuals ties. •; 'The Germans reported earlier that a cruiser was stranded off Norway. ?■ POLISH CAPTURE. * J ' ' STOCKHOLM, May 21. The radio here reports that a unit; of the Polish forces has gained an important success at Narvik. They have captured the south side of the Narvik Fiord. GERMAN ADVANCE. STOCKHOLM, May 21. f Refugees coming from Central Nor- ) way says that the Germans have occupied Mo, at the head of the fiord below Redo, which is south of Narvik. j CEASELESS FIGHTING. j STOCKHOLM, May 21. j V A Norwegian communique says: There- was fighting on the Ofoten t ■front, northward of the entrance of Oloten Fiord on Sunday. There the German troops have taken up new fortified positions. .. *• The Norwegians have been engaged” m ceaseless fighting. AIR ACTIVITY IN NORWAY. ; (Per British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, May 20. : . Aircraft of the R.A.F.Miave not ,1 only been very active and highly-suc-eessfnl during the past few days, in operations pver Germany "and /the Western Front, but as announced, the German-occupied aerodrome, in Nor-7 way at Vaernes, close to Trondheim, was attacked on Sunday night. . It is now disclosed that the aerodrome was bombed and set on fire by Hudsons of the coastal command. ] A large number of enemy aircraft had been seen there early on Sunday, by three reconnoitring Blenheims of the coastal command. In the face of heavy ' anti-aircraft fire the Blenheims took photographs, and rounded off the job by raking the lines of aircraft with machine-guns, from 200 feet. On the way back,, they saw a Heinkel 59 seaplane in a fiord. Two of them dived upon it and machine-gunned it until it- caught fire. ■ . ' That night, a strong force of Hud-, sons raided the aerodrome. Flying in line astern, they roared down over the airfield, and dropped long “sticks” of bombs, from one side of it to another. The bombs burst in lines, digi ging scores of craters in the landing ground, while incendiary bombs fired the aerodrome buildings and hangars. Seven fires were started, cne being closed to the Nazi airmen’s sleep-