norway during ww11

Oslo, Norway 68 contributions 17 helpful votes Interesting historical movie and lecture by a guide who lived through the war vYou need to either book a tour ahead or make sure you arrive as the bomb shelter opens since there was only a 30-minute window of opening hours (12:30 to … In total the Royal Norwegian Navy fielded some 17–18 warships and five to six aircraft in western Norway following the German capture of Bergen. Britain and France had signed military assistance treaties with Poland and two days after the German Invasion of Poland (on 1 September 1939), both declared war against Nazi Germany. The poor communication between the Norwegian armed forces and the civilian authorities caused much confusion in the early days of the German invasion. Particularly heavy fighting took place in places like Tretten, Fåvang, Vinstra, Kvam, Sjoa and Otta. The first such violations were the sinkings in Norwegian territorial waters of several British ships by German U-boats. The formal capitulation agreement for forces fighting in mainland Norway was signed at the Britannia Hotel in Trondheim at 17:00 on 10 June 1940. At the end of the war, the Norwegian forces in Finnmark totalled 3,000. North Dakota’s gift to Norway became an inspiration for citizens during World War II“Did You Know That” columnist Curt Eriksmoen explains why the state gave a bust of Abraham Lincoln to the country — and why it became the site of silent anti-Nazi protests in the 1940s.News story posted on 2021-02-06T13:03:00.0000000Z [84], In northern Norway the Norwegian 6th division, commanded by General Carl Gustav Fleischer, faced the German invasion forces at Narvik. According to Norwegian neutrality regulations, government ships operated by the warring countries were not allowed to enter a number of strategically important Norwegian ports. Norway was one of several western European nations occupied by Nazi Germany during the conflict between 1939 through 1945. [15] The first comprehensive German plan for the occupation of Norway, Studie Nord, ordered by Hitler on 14 December 1939, was completed by 10 January 1940. 46 Squadron RAF with Hawker Hurricanes. [107][118] Some 50 captured Norwegian naval ships were over time pressed into service by the Kriegsmarine. The 4th Division was the only military district outside of northern Norway to be mobilized completely and in an orderly fashion. A total of 1,005 people participated in the survey between February 3 and February 7. However, the German situation was hopeless, having run out of fuel and ammunition, and by the time the remaining British ships arrived, the German crews had abandoned and scuttled their ships. Lieutenant Colonel Ragnvald Roscher Nielsen signed for the Norwegian forces, Colonel Erich Buschenhagen for the German side. In contrast, the commander of the ground forces, Major-General Pierse Mackesy, was ordered not to land his forces in any area strongly held by the Germans and to avoid damaging populated areas. [43], On 11 April, the day after the German-Norwegian negotiations had broken down, 19 German bombers attacked Elverum. As the ships entered the Drøbak Sound, the commander at Oscarsborg, Colonel Birger Eriksen, gave the order to open fire. [71] On the night between 1 May and 2 May, Steffens left for Tromsø with three naval aircraft, effectively ending the campaign in the region. [34][44][45][46], One of the final acts of the Norwegian authorities before dispersement was the promotion on 10 April of Otto Ruge to the rank of major general and appointment to Commanding General of the Norwegian Army, responsible for overseeing the resistance to the German invasion. Four British destroyers continued to chase the German ships up through the Rombaksfjord, Eskimo was soon damaged by the waiting opposition. Her friendship with the US president and his wife opened doors for the Crown Princess, who worked assiduously to promote Norwegian interests while living in the USA. By April 1940, the Germans had occupied all of the main Norwegian west coast ports–from Narvik in the north to Kristiansand in the south and around the tip of the peninsula to Oslo, the capital. [16] The western Norwegian port had been subjected to heavy German bombing between 23 and 26 April, and had been burning until 27 April. With Renown and her escorts earlier diverted to investigate the Glowworm incident, no British ships stood in their way, and they entered the area unopposed. Commissioned in 1941, the ship spent a large part of the war stationed along the Norwegian coast to … On 10 April, the Fleet Air Arm made a long-range attack from their base at RNAS Hatston (also called HMS Sparrowhawk) in the Orkney Islands against German warships in Bergen harbour. Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers proved particularly effective in demoralizing Norwegian troops opposing the advance. Regardless, the airfield was not heavily defended and the German soldiers who did arrive captured it promptly. The main objective at Arendal was the undersea telegraph cable to the United Kingdom. Other Norwegian troops were pushing the Germans back towards the Swedish border near Bjørnfjell. In Norway, the German plan called for the capture of six primary targets by amphibious landings: Oslo, Kristiansand, Egersund, Bergen, Trondheim and Narvik. King Christian, having consulted with Prime Minister Thorvald Stauning, Foreign Minister P. Munch and the commanders of the army and the navy, decided to capitulate, believing that further resistance would only result in a useless loss of Danish lives. [49], After the appointment of Ruge as Commanding General on 10 April, the Norwegian strategy was to fight delaying actions against the Germans advancing northwards from Oslo to link up with the invasion forces at Trondheim. On the whole, the campaign was successful with great benefits for the victor. The Baker’s Secret takes place in Le Verger, a French town on the Normandy coast, on the eve of D-Day. This information was passed on to Oslo where the Norwegian Parliament ignored the sinking due to being distracted by the British mining operations off the Norwegian coast.[27]. This movement caused the Germans concern. At 10:45, the remaining eight destroyers of the minelaying force were ordered to join them as well. [26][109], In neutral Sweden there was also a Norwegian build-up of forces in the last two years of the war through the so-called "police troops" established with the support of Swedish authorities. The last year of the war saw an increase in sabotage actions by the exile government-aligned Norwegian resistance organization Milorg, although the organization's main goal was to retain intact guerilla forces to aid an Allied invasion of Norway. [122], The Allies achieved a partial success at Narvik. At the end of the war some 2,700 personnel served in the RNoAF. Pol III quickly sent an alarm to the coastal batteries on Rauøy (Rauøy island) and opened fire on the torpedo boat Albatros with her single gun shortly before colliding with it. [114] Two German battleships and two cruisers were damaged during the campaign. [42] The Norwegian authorities were only informed of the decision on 1 June. [123], The German occupation of Norway was to prove a thorn in the side of the Allies during the next few years. The ground personnel of the Fighter Wing soon ran out of ammunition for their anti-aircraft machine guns as well; in the general confusion and focus on readying the fighters for action, no one had the presence of mind or the time to issue small-arms ammunition for the personal weapons of the ground personnel. He believed that the Norwegian ports would be of crucial importance for Germany in a war with the United Kingdom. When Altmark began the return journey to Germany she carried 299 prisoners taken from the Allied ships sunk by Admiral Graf Spee. When they arrived at the harbour itself they found five German destroyers and opened fire, starting the First Battle of Narvik. For the Kriegsmarine the campaign led to heavy losses, leaving the Kriegsmarine with a surface force of one heavy cruiser, two light cruisers and four destroyers operational. At that time the mobilization had been limited to two field battalions in Østfold, further delaying the larger-scale call-up of troops. In the following months aircraft from all the belligerents violated Norwegian neutrality. [12] This policy caused a rise in anti-German sentiment throughout Scandinavia, since it was commonly believed that the Germans were allied with the Soviets. The Allied campaign continued until 10 June 1940 and did not succeed, but it resulted in the successful escape of King Haakon VII and his heir apparent Crown Prince Olav to Great Britain. On the morning of 8 April, the Polish submarine ORP Orzeł confronted and sank the clandestine German troop transport ship Rio de Janeiro off the southern Norwegian port of Lillesand. "The King's No", as it became known, encouraged resistance to the occupation and the Norwegian collaborators. For the next five years the government-in-exile led and coordinated Norwegian war efforts from its base in London. (see) More on pages 2 & 3. [102] The 62-day campaign made Norway the country to withstand a German invasion for the longest period of time, aside from the Soviet Union. On 10 April, the final negotiations between the Norwegians and Germans failed after the Norwegian delegates, led by Haakon VII, refused to accept the German demand for recognition of Quisling's new government. Accompanied by several smaller vessels, the Blücher was transporting German troops to the capital. It was to be presented as an armed protection of Norway's neutrality. [26][51][54], With the calling off of the Allied plans for recapturing Trondheim, British forces which had been landed at Åndalsnes moved into eastern Norway. Kronologisk oversikt", Denmark and Norway 1940: Hitler's Boldest Operation, "Alta bataljon: 2 Alta bataljons deltagelse i felttoget på Narvikfronten 1940", Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany, Campaign in Norway at www.BritishMilitaryHistory.co.uk, United States Department of State Foreign relations of the United States diplomatic papers, 1940. [62] General Steffens' plans were made redundant when General Ruge on 16 April ordered most of the division's forces to be redeployed to Valdres and Hallingdal, in order to reinforce the main front in eastern Norway. 3 at Heistadmoen Army Camp in Kongsberg capitulated. They stayed with her Swedish family until 12 August, when they travelled to the USA at the invitation of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. [14] Meeting Quisling was central in igniting Hitler's interest in conquering the country. The sinking of the Blücher delayed the German troops’ advance on Oslo, giving the Royal Family, the Government and the Storting representatives the time needed to escape to safety. The German forces used in the campaign were some 100,000 troops in seven divisions and one Fallschirmjäger battalion, as well as panzer and artillery units. In the peace that followed the Finnish Warin 1809, all of Finland had been ceded to Russia and Sweden red… In fact, the German ships, Gruppe 2, were only performing delaying circling manoeuvres in order to approach their destination of Trondheim at the designated time. Already in low-priority planning for considerable time, Operation Weserübung[note 1] found a new sense of urgency after the Altmark incident. [89], As part of the Allied counter-offensive in northern Norway, French forces made an amphibious landing at Bjerkvik on 13 May. It was originally thought by the German High Command that having Norway remain neutral was in its interest. The remaining Norwegian naval vessels were sunk in action, scuttled by their own crews, or captured by the Germans. The British were not deterred. The resistance to the German occupation began in the autumn of 1940, steadily gaining strength and becoming better organized. A Norwegian naval escort was provided as Altmark proceeded southwards, hugging the Norwegian coastline. By 12 April, they were in range of Narvik and an aerial attack on Narvik from Furious was attempted, but the results were disappointing. [47] Following the appointment of Ruge the Norwegian attitude became clear, with orders to stop the German advance being issued. Meanwhile, the Germans launched the remainder of their invasion force. A prime minister, naval strength and even the ability to mount an invasion of Britain were among the casualties. [1][21][48][90] Shortly after the 28 May Allied recapture of Narvik, the city was bombed and heavily damaged by the Luftwaffe. [94], In the evening of 27 May Bodø was bombed and strafed by the Luftwaffe. The Allied campaign ended with the occupation of the whole of Norway by Germany, but exiled Norwegian forces escaped and fought on from overseas. Found floating around the sinking U-boat were documents detailing the dispositions, codes and operational orders of all U-boats in the Norwegian operational area, providing the Allies with an efficient and valuable tool when planning troop and supply convoys to the campaign in northern Norway. Kong Haakon går om bord på den britiske krysseren "Devonshire", etter beslutningen om å forlate Norge. During these three days, low cloud prevented the Luftwaffe interfering. [16], The Altmark incident occurred in the late hours of 16 February 1940 when the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Cossack entered Norwegian territorial waters, intercepting and boarding the German auxiliary ship Altmark in the Jøssingfjord. In a coordinated operation, German troops disembarked at the docks of Langelinie in the Danish capital, Copenhagen, and began occupying the city. His first task was to secure the Oslofjord area, then to use the 196th and 163rd Infantry Divisions to establish contact with the forces at Trondheim. As Cossack entered the fjord at 22:20 local time, the Norwegian vessels did not intervene when the British boarded Altmark in the late hours of 16 February. Like the campaign in the south, the Narvik expedition faced numerous obstacles. On 2 May, four of these companies were formed into "Scissorsforce", under Gubbins, and dispatched to forestall the Germans at Bodø, Mo i Rana and Mosjøen. This distance delayed the arrival of the main German invasion force for Oslo by over 24 hours, though the Norwegian capital would still be captured less than 12 hours after the loss of Blücher by troops flown into Fornebu Airport near the city. The attack sank the disabled German light cruiser Königsberg; On 10 April, Furious and the battleship HMS Warspite joined the Home Fleet, and another air attack was made against Trondheim hoping to sink Admiral Hipper. The origins of the rumours have never been uncovered. By 20 April three British half-battalions had moved as far south as Fåberg, near the town of Lillehammer. [107] The forces soon saw extensive combat in the convoy-battles of the North Atlantic and in the air-war over Europe. [77][78] French troops arrived at Namsos late on 19 April. [42][58] On 30 April the Germans advancing from Oslo and Trondheim linked up. This plan was quickly changed though, as it was felt that a direct assault on Trondheim would be far too risky and therefore only the northern and southern forces would be used. [69] On 30 April a message from General Otto Ruge was communicated, telling of the evacuation of all allied troops and also of the King and Army command, from southern Norway. [95][96], Gubbins's force was evacuated from Bodø from 30 May to 2 June. On 3 July Haakon VII turned down the request, and on 8 July gave a speech on BBC Radio proclaiming his answer. [5] Narvik became of greater significance to the British when it became apparent that Operation Catherine, a plan to gain control of the Baltic Sea, would not be realized. Thus, the Allied movements could be presented as an attempt to prevent the Germans from capturing northern Norway. On 27 January, Hitler ordered that a new plan, named Weserübung, be developed. [3], This presented an opportunity to the Allies; offering them the potential to utilize the invasion to also send troop support to occupy ore fields in Sweden and ports in Norway. [34] Likewise, when German panzers were employed the Norwegians had no regular countermeasures. The Norwegian government's concern for the country's supply lines played an important role in persuading them to accept the agreement.[4]. The first direct contact between the two sides occurred the next morning without either side's intention. Convened at Elverum in Eastern Norway, the Storting gave the King and the Government full authority to rule the country for the duration of the war. For Gruppe 6 at Egersund and the paratroops at Stavanger, there was no significant opposition and they quickly captured their objectives. Heavy seas had caused Whitworth to sail more north than normal and had separated him from his destroyers when he encountered Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. The Government supported the King’s decision and maintained its oppositional stance. In addition to Milorg, many independent, mostly communist, resistance groups operated in occupied Norway, attacking German targets without coordinating with the exiled Norwegian authorities. *Worldwide casualty estimates vary widely in several sources. Germany occupied Norway until the end of the war. On 21 and 22 April Steinkjer was bombed by the Luftwaffe, leaving four-fifths of the town in ruins and more than 2,000 people homeless. Renown arrived at the Vestfjord late that night and maintained position near the entrance while the minelaying destroyers proceeded to their task. [83] Mauriceforce, their convoys delayed by thick fog, were evacuated from Namsos on 2 May, though two of their rescue ships, the French destroyer Bison and the British destroyer Afridi were sunk by Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers. The members of the cabinet failed to understand that the partial mobilization they had ordered would, according to the regulations in place, be carried out in secret and without public declaration. [26][50][51][52][53], The basis for the Norwegian strategy started collapsing already on 13 and 14 April, when the 3,000 troops of the 1st Division in Østfold evacuated across the Swedish border without orders, and were interned by the neutral Swedes. The profound patriotism of the Norwegian people soared to only greater heights in the rubble of war, and a heroic Resistance Movement began almost immediately. Also the Norwegian people were blonde with blue eyes and seen as a pure aryan race. [87], On 15 April, the Allies scored a significant victory when the Royal Navy destroyers Brazen and Fearless, which were escorting the troop-carrying Convoy NP1, forced the German U-boat U-49 to surface and scuttle in the Vågsfjorden. On learning of this, Oslo itself was declared an open city and soon fully surrendered. [48] It was called Operation Hammer, and would land Allied troops at Namsos to the north (Mauriceforce), Åndalsnes to the south (Sickleforce), and around Trondheim itself (Hammerforce). Marie McSwigan wrote a kid's book about children in World War II Norway during the war. Despite the Gestapo infiltrating and destroying many of the early organizations, the resistance movement survived and grew. NORWAY DURING WW2 Invasion of Norway Norway was important to Germany for 2 reasons 1. Quisling proposed a pan-German cooperation between Nazi-Germany and Norway. This activity did not go unnoticed, and soon reports had reached Oslo, leading to a midnight session of the Norwegian cabinet. The request was soon answered by Admiral Hipper, which quickly crippled Glowworm. The term "police" served as a cover up for what in reality was pure military training of a force mustering around 13,000 well trained and equipped troops by VE-day. All activities in support of the Royal Family were forbidden. [29] With the Germans in control of the largest cities, ports and airfields, as well as most of the arms depots and communication networks, repulsing them outright would be impossible. 263 Squadron RAF fighter squadron set up base on the frozen lake Lesjaskogsvatnet on 24 April to challenge German air supremacy, but many of the squadron's aircraft were destroyed by German bombing on 25 April. In the Ofotfjord leading to Narvik, the ten German destroyers of Gruppe 1 made their approach. Seven torpedo boats were also sunk or scuttled, while the remaining ten were captured by the Germans. [16][120][121][122] Nortraship gave the Norwegian government-in-exile economic independence and a basis for continued resistance from abroad. Quisling's coup and his list of new ministers was announced at 19:32. While the British supported this operation, the French vetoed it for three months since they also depended on the Rhine and feared German air raids on their aircraft and munitions factories. The damaged cruiser was sunk by a salvo of antiquated, 40-year-old torpedoes launched from land-based torpedo tubes. Cork eventually conceded to Mackesy's viewpoint. The wide-sweeping Nazification of Norway began in earnest. Haakon VII (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈhòːkɔn]) (born Prince Carl of Denmark; 3 August 1872 – 21 September 1957) was the King of Norway from November 1905 until his death in September 1957.. At the time Altmark was escorted by the Norwegian torpedo boat Skarv. Most of the Kriegsmarine's major units were also deployed to the campaign. On interrogation the survivors disclosed that they were assigned to protect Bergen from the Allies. Life was hard in occupied Norway during WWII, but the occupation had one surprising result: deaths from heart attacks dropped precipitously, because Norwegians ate less fat, … It soon became clear that Norway would be unable to withstand the German forces, even with Allied support. One of the first problems faced by the Allies was that the command was not unified, or even truly organized. [16][58][82] For the remaining weeks of the Norwegian Campaign Tromsø was the de facto capital of Norway, as the headquarters of the King and cabinet. * Germany invades Norway & Denmark * Operation Weserübung - World War II The front page has a nice banner headline: "AIR BATTLE ON OVER OSLO; Capital Surrendered Without a Fight; FLEETS CLASH OFF NORWEGIAN COAST" with subhead and related photo. [17], The Altmark incident led to the Germans speeding up their planning for an invasion of Norway. He decided it would be best to leave the country, together with Crown Prince Olav and the Government. The German destroyers from the North and West converged on the British Fleet at 06:00, while the British were preparing for the final attack. At the same time the Germans moved to secure the areas surrounding Kristiansand. The Allies had one more card to play. [1][113] Two torpedo boats and 15 light naval units were also lost during the campaign. Simultaneously, an ultimatum was presented by the German ambassador to King Christian X. [74], A British vanguard force arrived at Åndalsnes on 12 April. [56] In a series of battles with Norwegian and British forces over the next weeks the Germans pushed northwards from Oslo, their main effort through the Gudbrandsdal valley. [55] The main British units deployed to eastern Norway in April 1940 were the Territorials of the 148th Infantry Brigade and the regular 15th Infantry Brigade. With several more ships severely damaged, the German surface fleet had only three cruisers and four destroyers operational in the aftermath of the Norwegian Campaign. Germany's World War II battleship the Tirpitz, was among the largest in Hitler’s navy. Hostile and Havock meanwhile had raced ahead, but turned about and came back to aid the retreat of Hotspur. A reinforced company from the Scotland-based Norwegian Army participated in the liberation of Finnmark during the winter of 1944–45. Photo: Per Bratland, Nina Bratlands arkiv, King Haakon and Crown Prince Olav with General Otto Ruge, commander-in-chief of the Norwegian Army (Photo: Scanpix). By 08:43 Denmark had capitulated. The only member of the cabinet with in-depth knowledge of the mobilization system, defence minister Birger Ljungberg, failed to explain the procedure to his colleagues. This decision was approved by the Admiralty in a telegram that night. The Norwegian government rejected the … The discovery of the ship's location led the Royal Navy to send one light cruiser and five destroyers patrolling nearby to the area. The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact had placed Finland within the Soviet sphere of interest, and the Germans therefore claimed neutrality in the conflict.

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