Evening star., 1940-04-30
Menace Believed
Nearly Removed
From Trondheim
By the Associated Press.

Norway was officially announced to-
day.
Shortly before that German ad-
vance troops farther north had ef-
fected land link between Oslo and
the German-held port of Trond-
helm. meeting on the railway south
OF Storen and apparently locking
the southern gate to Trondheim.
There were no further details con-
corning the capture of Dombas,
which is 80 miles south of Storen
on the same railway and forms the
junction point for lines from Trond-
helm and from Andalsnes.
Allied forces, landed at Andalsnes
and rushed eastward to Dombas,
have been defending Dombas in
heavy fighting for several days.
FOndest Hopes Surpassed.
The swift developments exceeded
the fondest expectations of Ger
man military leaders, authorized
sources said.
Adolf Hitler signed special order
OF the day. to be published tomor-
row, praising the German Armies in
Norway for their 20-day feat in saw
ing Trondheim from an attempted
allied pincers. directed at isolating
the port by movements from An
dalsnes on the south and Namsos
on the north.
Inspired commentators said that
''the hour of military decision in
Central Norway struck when the
German soldiers of the north and
south dramatically shook hands
southwest of Storen and the forces
farther south began "the pursuit"
of the British-Norwegian forces
about Dombas
The high command. in a special
communique, said:
Following closely the retreating
enemy, German troops advancing in
the Gudbrandsdal reached at noon
today the important railway and
highway junction, Dombas
I'm the advance from the north
to the south along the Trondheim-
Dombas railroad line, Opdal was oc-
cupied. Therefore, the main rail
connection from Oslo to Trondheim
Is in German hands"
A brief communique said Ger
man column coming up from Tynset
had met a German column from
the north on the railway southwest
of Storen. This indicated the rail-
way junction of Storen had been
taken from the north, and the
British driven out 1t also indicated
that at least short section of this
railway, from Storen south to
point near Ullsberg, was in German
hands. The northbound column
which effected the junction today
presumably was the force which cut
across steep mountain trails from
Tynset, heading for the railway
near Ullsberg.
On the rail line east and south
from Storen, other German troops
are working north and west.
Victory in Norway Seen.
Seen through German eyes, to-
days action means the struggle for
the possession of Norway, at least
that part south of Trondheim, is
practically won. From this view
point, it is only a question of time
before the allied troops between
Dombas and Andalsnes are mopped
up.
Farther south, the Germans are
rapidly closing the gap between
Voss, on the Bergen-Oslo line, to the
Norwegian capital.
DNB, the official news agency,
said that now a connection has been
established between the contingents
which started from Oslo and those
from Trondheim, concentric at
tack on allied troops will be made
in the near future.
If today's Oslo-Trondheim land
connection can be maintained. it
means that the German Army is in
a strong position to hold Trondheim
against attacks both from the south
and from the north, where allied
troops are fed from the landing
point of Namsos
Continued German reports of
engagements with Norwegian guer-
rilla bands indicated that the Nazi
grip on the railroad to Dombas was
none too secure. Whether it could
be used for the large-scale transport
of supplies is questioned by informed
sources.
The high commands regular
daily communique, issued earlier
today, said:
German troops advancing on all
roads in the direction Of Trondheim
and Dombas on April % everywhere
defeated the enemy and forced the
enemy to retreat.
Pursuit of the enemy from Ot-
ia, where large supplies and stores
Of all kinds were taken, was in full
swing toward Donnbas.
movements and fights in the di-
rection of Bergen also were rapidly
progressing. Norwegian Regiment
No. 4, in the strength of $500 men
and a commander which was far
behind the front, was pursued into
the mountains, where it put down
Its arms northwest of Lillehammer
260 Prisoners Taken.
German troops, starting in pur-
suit from Voss, east of Bergen. took
260 prisoners and captured five
guns. Enemy landings, concentra-
tions and movements in and around
the region of Namos and Andalsnes
sustained most serious losses through
attacks of our air force.
Military barracks and store
houses and oil tanks were set afire.
Six ships were sunk and a number
Of others severely damaged.
zone British airplane was shot
down April 28 northwest of Kris
tiansand. In addition, two or three
enemy submarines fell victim to the
German U-boat hunt in the Ska
gerrak and the Kattegat.
mo special developments on the
west 'front.'"