Evening star., 1940-05-09
Allied Hold on haryik
Regarded Valuable
10 Offset DebacIe

Gould Be Used as Base to
Combat Nuzi Roids
Against British Isles
By MAI. GEORGE FIELDING
ELIOT.
The Narvik campaign is still in
progress. Since mid-April. when the
British fleet wiped out the German
destroyers in Narvik Harbor, a small
German garrison has been holding
out in this region without the naval
support which proved so useful to
the garrison of Trondheim, and
with air support which the factor of
distance tended greatly to circum-
scribe. It is 621 miles from Oslo,
the main German air base in Nor
way, to Narvik, and this Is extreme
radius for bombers and not too easy
for transports s@
The German air situation Is made
easier by the undisturbed possession
of Trondheim, only 406 miles from
Narvik, but the capacity OF the
Trondheim airports is not great.
Knowing the Germans, one can
imagine how assiduously and eff
ciently they have set to work to
increase the air base capacity at
Trondheim; they have made 1t the
basis of all their strategy, that not
only speed, but what Mahan calls
"the unremitting energy which
wastes no time" is the chief ingred-
lent of victory In modern war.
AS Narvik is 784 miles from the
nearest British base, the Shetland
Islands, the advantage thus OBJ
tanned by the Germans will be con-
siderable, unless it has been possible,
weather and terrain considered, for
the allies to establish bases OF their
own in the Lofoten Islands or other
locations close to the theater OF
operations. There has been time
enough. certainly; about three
weeks.
Nazi Relief Of Narvik Doubted.
Meanwhile the Germans are re-
ported as advancing northward from
Namsos with orders to proceed over
land to the relief of Narvik. This
last is improbable. About 100 miles
from Narvik, north-south road COM
munication ends at the port OF
Bodo. From there on, there is moth
ing but a mountainous glacier
capped country, deeply indented by
fjords, devoid of even goat-tracks as
q means of passage. Certainly,
given any energy on the part OF the
attackers, the fate of Narvik would
be decided by the time even expert
ski-troops could hope to get through.
The attempt may, Of course, be
made. The Germans have a right
to regard themselves as miracle
workers. The relief of Narvik by
such means would set final crown
to their operations in Norway, would
deprive the allies of their last re-
manning chance of even a small
Offset to the debacle farther south.
But it is much more likely that
Bodo itself is the objective of this
new German move northward. Bodo,
as pointed out in previous article,
Is a better port than Namsos or
it has dock where ships
Of medium tonnage can come along
side, a good harbor and some other
resources. The approaches from sea-
ward are easier, with the exception
Of strong tidal currents, than In
most other Norwegian Atlantic ports.
Bodo is so situated as to command
the mouth of the great Vestfjord.
the chief approach to Narvik. Ger
man submarines based here could
assuredly cause great concern as to
communications to any allied COM
at Narvik; German airplanes
at Bodo, once base facilities were
established for them, could gravely
interfere with an allied besieging
force at Narvik.
Terrain Aids Defenders.
Thus it may be assumed that any
German advance to the northward
of Namsos has Bodo as its primary
objective. But it was reported weeks
ago that the allies were landing at
Bodo, as it Is indeed open to them
to do at any time until the Germans
reach the place. The road from
Trondheim to Bodo has two points
where it is interrupted by waterways,
requiring ferry transport-these are
at Elsfjord, about 20 kilameters north
of Mosjoen Geported reached by the
Germans) and at Saltdal, at the
head of the Saltfjord-a deeply
penetrating inlet, at the mouth OF
which Bodo itself is located. Surely
it is not too much to expect that
some effort will be made to prevent
the Germans from occupying Bodo
and using it as base to haraSs the
allied besiegers of Narvik. OF course
energetic action, even the taking OF
certain risks, is needful, bu. the
lessons the Germans have taught
us all in these matters are plainly
to be read.
As to the operations against Mar
vik itself, these are apparently being
considerably impeded by the wealth
er. In this area the strength OF the
allied forces is not known; they will
have the assistance of the only
Norwegian troops who have not
been handicapped by the loss OF
their military center; that of the
northern command, the 9Th Di-
vision, at Harstad alone escaped the
early German attacks. The terrain
is very difficult and gives great ad-
vantages to the defenders, who are
being supplied to some extent by
air. but it does not seem impossible
that here, at least, some energetic
steps could be taken to halt the
flow of supplies and reinforcements
by this means.
Narvik is of Importance to the
allies at the moment because its
fall would give them a victory
something they badly need, even
though not very great one. But
ite r,ossession nv the allies. or loss