Nazis May Quit Narvik

Northern Advocate, 10 May 1940, Page 6

Nazis May Quit Narvik

Unimportant Strategically Berlin Says ■

But Air Transport Streaming North

(Received 2 p.ni. i LONDON, May 0. GERMAN SOURCES ARE HINTING AT THEIR WITHDRAWAL FROM NARVIK AND CONSOLIDATION OF THE DEFENCE LINE AT MOSJON, SOME DISTANCE SOUTH.

They point out Ilia! Narvik is unimportant strategically. ; ntl that the Germans could blow up the railway to Sweden and die docks, necessitating years for repairs.

Nevertheless air transport continues'to stream north, landing forces by parachute north and north-east from Narvik for the purpose of taking the Norwegian forces in the rear.

A Norwegian patrol wiped out a German party placing dynamite in a tunnel of the railway to Sweden.

Saved King’ From Capture German bombers continue to strafe Norwegian and Allied lines. Small British air units arc also operating. It is believed that British troops saved King Haakon from capture in Gudbrandsdal after the Norwegians had exhausted their ammunition. The British arrived in the nick of time and delayed the Germans long enough for King Haakon to embark in a war ship. Profesor Koht, interviewed in Paris, said the Norwegians had lost over four divisions killed, taken prisoner, or interned in Norway. The remnants of the fifth division are fighting their way northward. The sixth division is fighting around Narvik.

King Haakon is on Norwegian soil, “where he will remain and where he will fight.’’ More Allied Trbops Landed A Paris message states that further landings have been made in Norway and contact established at all, points with the Germans at Narvik, who arc falling back gradually. Appalling weather and frequent snowstorms continue to slow down operations. A Berlin communique says that German fighters attacked Allied naval forces at Narvik, sinking a 7,000 ton transport with a medium calibre bomb. The Air Force frequently participated in ground fighting and destroyed an Allied submarine in the Skagerrak. Poles Fighting. The Swedish radio station today reported that a snowstorm was raging at Narvik, making operations difficult. The Polish troops were fighting. The Norwegian High Command says guerilla fighting continues in the Roros sector, where the Germans have suffered heavily. The German forces at Narvik are reported to be in danger of starvation, owing to the insufficiency of the supplies dropped by parachute. Small German detachments are advancing slowly north or Namsos, according to a Norwegian communique. There has been action by patrols. Norwegians Holding Out Three hundred Norwegian troops are reported to be still holding out in the Gaul Valley, between Roros and Storen. The German High Command reports: “German aeroplanes hit two cruisers with bombs off Narvik and bombed Allied positions and matching troops. One British aeroplane was shot down east of Narvik.” A message from Paris says the Norwegian Foreign Minister (Professor Koht) has arrived there to confer with the Prime Minister (M. Reynaud). Defence More Important Than Food Swedish reports state that Sweden has mined her territorial waters in the entire archipelago outside Stockholm. The Swedish Government- announces that it proposes to spend another £7,000,000 on the Navy. The Swedish Defence Minister refused a request that farm hands with the Colours should be released. He said that in the present serious situation, defence was more important than food.