Evening star., 1940-05-02
German Hold Firm
In Central Sector,
Army Reports
Ry the Associated Press,

Ry the Associated Press.
BERLIN, May 2.-German forces
were reported authoritatively today
to have solid hold on all of South
and Central Norway after British
forces "in headlong flight" had
rushed to the sea to abandon the
Andalsnes sector on the Norwegian
Atlantic Coast.
British Prime Minister Cham
berlain disclosed to the House of
Commons today that Britain had
given up her foothold at Andals-
mes, halting her attempt to take
German-held Trondheim from
the south. He said all the British
at Andalsnes had been with
draWn.)
The British force south of Trond-
helm landed at Andalsnes more than
two weeks ago, and advanced to
Dombas, 56 miles east, where it was
defeated.
DNB, official German news agency
said the only opposition now con-
fronting the Germans was from
isolated, unimportant nests of re-
sistance."
Fought War Through Tunnel.
1t also reported a dramatic battle
which apparently was fought before
German columns won possession of
the railroad linking Oslo and Bergen
another western port.
At Myrdal. about midway between
the Norwegian capital and the At
lantic coast port. it said, the Ger
mans had to fight their way through
3-mile-long tunnel against stub
born enemy resistance because there
was no way Of side-stepping it.
In the northwest, it said, a group
OF German soldiers finding bridges
blown up and no other way around
managed to make the crossing with
the help of ropes.
The high command said German
vanguards had driven to about Is
miles southeast Of Andalsnes, British
base 100 miles south Of Trondheim,
capturing 800 Norwegian troops In
the operation, as well as enormous
quantities of British supplies" at
Dombas, railway junction in the In
terror southeast Of Andalsnes and
southwest OF Trondheim.
DNB, official German news
agency. In a report from the from,
later said that fights around An.
dalsnes no longer offer a difficul,
military problem" and a thrust or
that base now appears to be one
Of the main German objectives.
The agency, which earlier hao
said the British left Dombas ir
'headlong flight" asserted the Ger.
man troops now are breaking the
last vestiges of enemy resistance in
the region.
Norwegians Captured.
'The opponents effort to halt
the advance of the German troops
definitely has failed" DNB said. It
asserted that desperate" resistance
was being encountered in isolated
spots.
DNB reported that enemy
troops which last night were about
80 miles northwest of Dombas, near
kleven, were overwhelmed and 300
NorWegians, among the forces cov-
ering the British withdrawal, taken
prisoners.
The high command reported hits
on two British aircraft carriers and
a destroyer when a strong British
fleet unit approached the Norwegian
west coast yesterday. The COM
munique said one aircraft carrier
was hit fully" the other heavily
damaged and the destroyer also
heavily hit.
In the war on the allied sea pow
er the high command announced
the sinking of one British merchant
ship, severe damaging of six others
and a hit on the after deck of a
cruiser.
In the air war, it said German
warplanes continued successfully
on schedule disturbing and destruc-
tive air attacks against enemy land
ing places" and the shooting down
of six British planes.
The high command said the
troops which advanced east from
Bergen and those from Oslo had
joined on the Bergen-Oslo rail line,
giving the Germans control of COM
(See BERLIN pooo A-l0