Evening star., 1940-05-16
Weakening Garrison
Bo|stered by Plane al
And Sea Expeditions
Cleanup. and Repair /.
Work on Quoys and
Rail Lines Rushed
BY JAMES ALDRIDGE.

SOMEWHERE NEAR NARVIK,
Norway, May 16 (NA.NA., by Wire
less via Stockholm This is the
first direct report from the Narvik
area for many days. It can be le-
vealed that the Germans hope to
hold Narvik for a long time.
At the end Of last week fresh Ger
man troops arrived at this north
ern Norway port. Most of them ar
rived by transport plane, but it is
possible that some arrived by a ship
that sneaked up the coast from the
inland waterway at Trondheim, car
rying some troops, but mostly sup
plies. Certainly they have got fresh
supplies in Narvik and not by plane.
The supplies arrived in time to
relieve dangerously weakening
German garrison which had been
suffering from maladies caused by
undernourishment and confinement.
Ore Quay Still Workable.
Narvik itself has been well plas-
tered by bombs and shells and little
remains of the actual town, though
essential services are still operating.
Shows that have melted in the last
couple Of weeks have made the place
a muddle and the bomb craters are
like swimming pools. AL roads and
railroad tracks are in bad way, as
water from the SHOWS melting on the
high rock mountain behind Narvik
Is running in little rivers down to
sea.
Most Of the docks remain more
or less unchanged. The iron ore
quay. which is the most important
section of Narvik, is mostly un-
touched and workable. Neither of
the belligerents bombed it much
because both probably hope to use
1t some day soon. The Germans
hope to use it soonest, for they have
put Norwegians to work cleaning
up around it and filling in the
bomb craters.
German engineers have been re-
pairing the Haakvikdal power plant
3 miles to the south, which supplies
power for the ore. quay, and also
the reserve Diesel plant of 1000
horsepower which the ore company
owns. The Diesel oil store for the
reserve plant was soon used up,
however, by German planes.
May Try to Move Ore.
The other power plant at Ny
guards, which supplies the rail and
quay transport systems, is also able
to function. It is run by water
power. like that at Haakvikdal.
The Germans also are evidently
attempting to salvage the sunken
ore ships in Narvik Harbor, which
were victims of the raid by British
destroyers led by Capt. Warburton-
Lee. If the Germans can get a
few of these ships up and floating
and get them to the Luossavara and
Kerunavadra repair yards. they
would have valuable aides, and this
is evidently what they are hoping
to do.
There are about 100000 tons of
iron ore in and around Narvik wait
ing to be taken out. If the Nazis
can get a couple of ships repaired
1t would be worth their while to
try daring dash along the sea-
coast as far as Trondheim, where
the ore could be shipped by rail to
Oslo.
Other evidences of Germanys
'long-term" policy in Narvik and
hopes to hold it are to be seen
everywhere. Cleanup squads are
trying to clear the debris of smashed
houses, etc., and repair gangs are
going over all the railways. The
tracks near the iron quay, which
were damaged by shelling from Brit
ish ships, have now been repaired.
Germanys hope to reopen this Mar
vik route, as well as the Lulea
(SwedenO route for iron ore, is mani
tested by squads repairing the vital
rail link to Sweden's border.
Swedish Stores Eyed.
Germany has her eyes on the
half million or more tons of iron
ore ready and waiting in Sweden
to be transshipped anywhere. Ger
many gets 100000 tons of Kiruna
ore from Lulea each year in the warm
months and can get that now, but,
combined with the Narvik passage
for ore, the total would almost sat-
asfy her needs this year.
In the present condition Of repair,
the railway from the Swedish bor-
der to Narvik could transship about
10000 tons daily and the iron quay
could handle all that could be
brought in. Only a few tunnels.
which Norwegian mountain guerril-
las blocked up, need clearing away
and the railway will be usable, un-
less the British do more bombing.
The main fighting around here
seems to be done by the Norwegians,
with parties of British and French
troops occasionally storming the
German positions at Bjerkvik. north
Of Narvik, and all along the valley.
But there has been no decisive
fighting. The forces the Germans
now have in Narvik are small, but
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