ORDERLY RETREAT

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21646, 6 May 1940, Page 7

ORDERLY RETREAT

Allied Forces Leave

Namsos

Move Not Surprising

United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright

LONDON. May 3.

A British War Office communique states that in accordance with the plan for the withdrawal of Allied troops from the neighbourhood of Trondheim, thev were embarked at Namsos last night. The re-embark-ation was a complete success, and was carried out without loss.

The news that the Allied forces had left Namsos was no surprise in London, where it had been expected since Mr Chamberlain’s statement. The announcement made no reference to Norwegian troops in that area, but the British commander, Major-General Paget, proposed that he should take all Norwegian troops which the Norwegian High Command thought could be used successfully elsewhere. It is not known how many have gone.

The German claims to have captured “inestimable” quantities of war materials are obviously very much exaggerated. It is generally known that the supply of artillery and tanks to support the troops was limited owing to the difficulties of landing in improvised ports. There is no ground for fear that the Allies had to abandon equipment. Lack of interference from the air with the withdrawal from Andalsnes may be due to the bombing of German air bases by the Royal Air Force, but it is believed that the Germans are again using the Trondheim aerodrome. Alleged Order of the Day The Anglo-French evacuation of Namsos was scarcely completed when the Norwegian regional commander, Colonel Obgetz. issued an order of the clay: "As the British and French have withdrawn their troops from Namsos we stand alone against the entire German war machine.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 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 actingcommander 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 Mosjon.”

Norwegian resistance after the evacuation has been bitter and gallant. The Allied embarkation was accompanied by a terrible German air bombardment which killed six demolished the quay and razed the town.

Will Fight On

A War Office statement says that the Norwegian Commander-in-Chief has been conveyed to an undisclosed destination in Norway and any Norwegian order of the day announcing negotiations for an armistice have obviously been made without his authority.

The Norwegian legation at Stockholm has announced that King Haakon and his family and the Norwegian Government were still' in Norway and had no intention of leaving. Norway, it was stated, would fight on.

A message from Stockholm states that 17,000 Norwegian soldiers surrendered and 1000 Allied troops were killed and wounded during the bombing at the embarkation at Namsos. The British had disembarked 27,000 men, 12 tanks and 40 guns at Andalsnes and Namsos, while the Germans landed 110,000 men, 350 tanks and 400 guns.