GERMANS PUZZLED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 84, Issue 95, 24 April 1940, Page 5

GERMANS PUZZLED

BY ALLIED STRATEGY. [ British Official Wireless ] RUGBY, April 22. i Military experts in London express I keen satisfaction at the speed with I which the extremely successful operai lion of effecting the junction of the : British and Norwegian forces in East I Norway was conducted. The Germans : • appear to have been definitely puzzled I regarding the whereabouts of the ‘' British troops. Broadcasts suggest in Germany that they have been completely puzzled as to the whereabouts of •he British during these early stages of the Norwegian campaign. Tbe fact that one recent i German broadcast roundly declared that there were no British troops in or near Narvik, which, according to a later broadcast, was of no strategic importance whatever, suggests that in Germany the authorities were without information as to what was going ■ on. i The mountainous nature of the country over which the Norwegian campaign will be waged will involve the employment of small mobile forces. There will, it is anticipated, be no room for big attacks, consequently junior officers, n.c.o.’s, and private soldiers will have full scope to show their individual initiative. The artillery employed will probably be confined to light mountain guns. It is now clear that the next fewweeks will test the possibility of the i Germans maintaining the force upon I land by air alone in the northern part of the country. British forces who had made contact found the morale of the officers and men of the Norwegian Army very high. Hitherto equipment had been lacking, but more arms are now being supplied.