Copenhagen, Mar, 26, 'BRITISH naval forces this week began clapping a tight blockade across German shipping lanes from the North Sea into the Baltic to interrupt iron ore shipments from Sweden, it was reported here last night.
British ships were blockading the Kattegat between Skagen, Denmark, and Sweden, the reports said, Four German freighters travelling to Narvik, Norway, turned about in the Kattegat and were believed to have returned to their home ports, it was reliably reported yesterday, It was also reported that German ships travelling north along the west coast of Jutland were ordered home, while iron ore ships returning to Germany from Narvik were hugging the Norwegian coast to avoid British naval forces. The size of British naval squadrons in the North Sea was uncertain, but it was believed they comprised a number of light, fast destroyers and two heavier destroyers, in addition to the submarines which sank two German freighters.
The 3,030-ton German freighter Ostpreussen was grounded off Danish coast yesterday on her captain's orders because water in the ship's hold had become three meters deep asa result of a leak. sprung earlier when the ship grounded near the Rubjeerg Knude light house, The ship was steering a criss-cross course, it was reported, in an attempt to evade British warships reported to be cruising in that region.
The consequences of the latest British naval activity were very import: fant for Germany, observers said, but was believed it would not hamper Imports of iron ore from Sweden to Norway, unless" the British Navy should widen the scope of the re~ ported blockade by a violation of Norwegian territorial waters, as Jeged_on Sunday by the Norwegian jovernment.
ich a British policy, observers said, would obviously not only affect Germany but also Norway.
Narvik, at present, comprises the only port from which German ships have been able to Jead iron ore, since the Swedish iron ore port of Laileaa, hag, been ice-bound throughout the winter, Normally, the port becomes Joo-free about May 15.
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