Show BRITISH NAZI WARSHIPS I II I BATTLE ON NORSE COAST j. j London Predicts Destruction Of Major Maior a Part of Enemy's t i Sea Strength in in Engagement n a emen iI I BERLIN April 9 AP The AP-The The German high command announced shortly before midnight that that the German air force ha ou out heavy losses to British and French fleet units west of Bergen I LONDON LONDON April 9 INS INS Back Back In act action on after being tricked by a German naval ruse use units of the British fleet Tuesday night I with of the nazi off I Ithe were engaged in a fierce battle batUc ships navy the lire vv western estern coast of Nor Norway ay Official quarters confirmed that a presumably heavy naval engagement was vas in progress but declined details Until the battle batHe has ended All AH information in London indic indicated ted that it was pr progressing gr favorably rab y to the British GERMANS LAND BY RUSE 1 I By means of the ruse it was wa's learned Germany was able toland to land forces in Denmark Denmar and Norway without interference by the British fleet Information in of neutral naval circles indicated that the German fleet suddenly steamed out into the North sea The British naturally gave ch chase se with the result that Scandinavian Scandinavian Scandinavian Scan Scan- waters were left and the Germans were i able to land their occupational forces without British resistance I Since that time it was said British naval units have succeeded suc sue j f in contacting German units units' at various points points' despite heavy weather and rolling se seas seas s OPTIMISM PREVAILS IN BRITAIN BRITAINA A spirit of optimism over outcome of the encounter was evident evi evident evi- evi vi- vi dent in i informed British circles So far as could be determined the British British were cre not worried over the landing of German detachments detachments-at at isolated Norwegian points where they would have difficulty in maintaining lines of communication Some circles went wen t so far as to predict destruction of a 8 major portion of the German fleet as a result of Tuesdays Tuesday's en engagement engagement en- en 1 but spokesmen admitted that the war is full of un- un fc I F Chamberlain Says Full Assistance Now En Route to Scandinavia LONDON April 9 UP Prime UP-Prime Prime Minister l Neville Chamberlain Chamberlain Cham Cham- announced Tuesday that Great Britain and France Franc were rushing full aid to Norway against a lightning German German German Ger- Ger Ger Ger- I man invasion invasion of Scandinavia and that powerful allied naval units are arc now at sea l This fresh and rash and cruel act of aggression will re redound redound re- re to Germanys Germany's s disadvantage and Land contribute to her ultimate ultimate ulti- ulti mate defeat the prime minister told a cheering house of commons As he spoke a new northern war front was opened up a 1 by jy a blitzkrieg nazi offensive that hat resulted in 1 L- Peaceful German occupation of Denmark l i 2 German occupation occupation despite despite Norwegian resistance I Continued on Page T Three tree Column One C BRITISH AND GERMAN CERMAN WARSHIPS I F BATTLE OFF NORWEGIAN COAST w t Continued From Page One a that reportedly sank the n nazi zi battle cruiser of of Gneisenau-of of vital al I points on the Norwegian ol coast reported in dispatches from the north to include Oslo Bergen Narvik and Sta Sta- ranger anger German marines marines disguised as sailors occupied the northern ports and German troops quickly surrounded Oslo i NORWEGIAN GOVERNMENT QUITS OSLO L 3 3 Removal of the Norwegian which government government which announced ant an an- t pounced it was at war with Germany Germany to to Hamar north of Oslo and an order by the German commander in Oslo for all aU e evacuating residents to return to their homes 4 An emergency meeting of the Swedish parliament at Stockholm to hear a government declaration that Sweden I would attempt to maintain her neutrality and would fight U 5 an enemy any aggressor Dispatches received here said that the German occupation tion lion tion of the Norwegian south coast controlling the rak entrance nce from the North sea to the Baltic sea had been completed In addition the nazis struck with amazing speed at t important ports on the northern and western coast of Norway facing the North sea and the British Isles German marines disguised as s seamen sprang into action at t such ports as Narvik Bergen and Stavanger according to dispatches from Stockholm and hurled burled hand grenades at port sport officials who resisted them GERMAN COUP SURPRISES BRITISH If t They took control quickly and o obviously to the surprise of the British since at the same hour the dispatches arrived here Chamberlain was telling the house of commons that it seemed unlikely the Germans could have seized such distant distant distant dis dis- dis- dis tant ports without elaborate advance preparations The reported German landings at northern Norwegian ports ports-if if they proved to be true true indicated indicated action similar in military history to the famed wooden horse ruse which the Greeks employed to capture Troy in ancient times Nazis had been trading regularly with the northern Norway Norway Nor Nor- way ports especially Narvik where they picked up iron ore ore for shipments to Germany To all outward appearances the German ore ships were ordinary merchant vessels But Butt Buti t i when when the hour struck orders from Berlin were reported in Stockholm dispatches to have transformed them into fighting units which already were in position to strike SEACOAST TOWNS REPORTED B BOMBED Chamberlains Chamberlain's review of the developments in a brief speech in the house of commons failed to give any definite hint as to the plans of the allies for a counterstroke against the Germans except that the navy was at sea in force but buthe buthe he be mentioned press reports that Oslo and d on em the south Norwegian coast had been bombed by the nazis Chamberlain denied dented G German e r m man a n charges that the allies had in intended intended intended in- in tended to occupy Scandinavian territory territory territory ter ter- and said such statements were pure invention with no foundation in fact Describing Germanys Germany's occupation occupation tion ion of Denmark and part of Norway Norway Nor- Nor way way yay the prime minister declared This fresh and rash and cruel act of aggression will redound to Germanys Germany's disadvantage and contribute contribute contribute con con- tribute to her ultimate Tate defeat I Chamberlain disclosed that Germany Germany Germany Ger Ger- many had demanded the surrender of Norway and had been refused despite threats that the nation would be crushed The British government has learned that the German minister at Oslo made a formal demand for surrender by Norway to Germ Germany ny and said that in event of refusal all resistance would be crushed he said |