Evening star., 1940-04-19
Germans Are Reported Repu|sed
By British North Of Trondheim;
Netherlands Under Martial Law
English Establish
Contact With
Morse Forces.
~ the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
LONDON, April 19.-Allied ma
neuvers, including the first re-
ported engagement of British
and German land forces in Nor
way, pointed today toward a
head-on clash of Europe's bel
ligerents on the Scandinavian
battle-ground.
A British news agency, Reuters,
reported from Stockholm that the
first encounter occurred at Namsos,
on the Atlantic Coast 100 miles
north of the key city of Trondheim.
Dispatches reaching the Swedish
capital said the German forces had
been repulsed. Swedish frontier re-
ports said that Namsos was the
point picked by the British for their
latest troop landings while Nor
wegian forces concentrated at
steinkjer, 80 miles nearer Trond-
helm.
Nazis Rushed From Trondheim.
Apparently the Germans had been
rushed north from the German
controlled, strategic Trondheim re-
gion to meet the British landing
parties. Perhaps they sidestepped
or trapped the Norwegian concen-
tration at Steinkjer, south of Nam
SOS.
A Reuters dispatch from Oster-
sund, Sweden, quoted a reliable
Norwegian source at Nordi, 16 miles
west of the Swedish frontier, as say
Ing that Norwegian forces have es-
tablished a line from Namsos east
ward to the frontier to stem the
advance of German soldiers.
The Germans were believed to
have been landed by parachute.
The same source reported that
both Namsos and Bodo were in Nor
wegian hands, and said that Nor
wegian and British troops were CO.
operating actively from Narvik, the
hotly contested iron ore port, south
ward to Trondheim.
More Troops Debarking.
The British War Ofnce's second
iaconic communique since the spread
Of the war to Norway April Q told
yesterday Of continuing debarkation
OF British troops on Norway's shores
and of their contact with Nor
wegian forces and added that "op-
erations are continuing"
A Norwegian communique, about
the same time, said that contact
had been made with allied forces
'by both sea and land" and that the
first allied liaison officers had
reached Norwegian Army headquar-
ters.
The communique, relayed from
the Norwegian government some
where in the north, said in part:
THE government has received
reports from the command of the
Norwegian Army in the north and
north of Trondheim indicating that
mobilization has been completed
and that the commanders Of the
Norwegian troops are of the opinion
they can stand up to the German
forces"
Nazis Fortify Positions.
Meanwhile German forces were
reported feverishly fortifying their
positions for an allied offensive
against Trondheim, the military key
to Central and Southern Norway
These reports, together with ad-
vices that Norwegian ski patrols are
deploying to harass the thin line
the Germans have thrown across
Norway to the Swedish border on the
Trondheim- -Storlien Railway, give
the blueprint for battle.
The struggle for control Of the
Norwegian skies is continuing, but
still undecided between NaN air.
men and those of the British Royal
Air Force and the air arm of the
fleet.
The British press, however, ex-
pressed confidence that powerful
naval forces f1anking Norway could
turn victory for the allied land
forces.
The newspapers held that the
Germans had been cut of from
effective help from the German
fleet, which was described as Grip
Piled in the first week of the Nor
wegian campaign. Aerial transport
Of German troops was minimized.
Quicker Action Demanded.
Nevertheless, the London News
Chronicle demanded quicker action
In Norway and limited that the
fighting forces were not being given
froa roiy, hU aco,,oa iv,,y,ortapf v,,or,
bers of the government"
I'VE cannot afford to take it easy"
the newspaper argued. Norway
must not be another Dardanelles.
This referred to the ill-fated allied
campaign against the Turkish-de-
Tended gateway to the Black Sea in
the World War to achieve supply
contact with the Russian imperial
forces fighting Germany.
Authoritative diplomatic quarters
declared that the British govern
ment was not treating the Nor
vegian front as q "sideshow" and
that the Germans would encounter
= the full might of the allied forces.
Arthur Salter, parliamentary sec
setary OF the Ministry Of Shipping,
declared in speech last night
that the British merchant marine
Is as strong as ever despite Ger
many's torpedo, magnetic mine and
bombing attacks.
In the past seven months, he said,
'sthe enemy has destroyed less than
; per cent Of our ships" Nearly all
(see LONDON. page A-l0
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