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Second World War campaign fought in Norway / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Norwegian campaign (8 April – 24 June 1940) describes the successful defense of Norway by the Norwegian Armed Forces and Allied forces against that of Nazi Germany as part of Operation Weserübung.
Norwegian campaign | |||||||
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Part of Operation Weserübung | |||||||
The Battle of Kristiansand saw Norway's toughest fight in World War II; Nearly 60,000 Norwegian soldiers participated in the battle, along with British, French and Polish troops. The defense of Kristiansand was the first time that the Third Reich war machine had been repulsed in a major military operation. | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Germany |
Norway United Kingdom France Poland | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Nikolaus von Falkenhorst |
Kristian Laake Earl of Cork | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
150,000 9 divisions 1 Fallschirmjäger battalion |
Norway: 100,000 8 divisions Allies: 20,000 Total: 120,000 | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
German: 142,279 (28,317 killed on land 3,875 lost at sea 41,604 wounded 68,983 captured) Material losses: 1 heavy cruiser 3 light cruisers 13 destroyers 6 U-boats 2 torpedo boats 15 light naval units 21 transports/merchant ships 90–240 aircraft |
Allied: 4,369 (1,869 casualties 2,500 lost at sea) 2 cruisers 3 destroyers 3 submarine 30 aircraft Norwegian: 30,273 (13,129 killed on land 682 lost at sea 18,452 wounded) 3 submarines 1 destroyer 70 merchant ships & transports sunk (combined Norwegian/Allied total) | ||||||
Civilian (Norwegian) casualties: 16,535 killed |
Planned as Operation Wilfred and Plan R 4, as the German attack was feared to be imminent HMS Renown set out from Scapa Flow for the Vestfjorden with twelve destroyers on 4 April. British and German naval forces met at the first Battle of Narvik on 9 and 10 April, and the first British forces landed at Åndalsnes on the 13th. The main strategic reason for Germany to invade Norway was to seize the port of Narvik and guarantee the iron ore needed for critical production of steel.[1]
The campaign was fought until June 24 1940 and saw the collapse and capture of the German invasion force. Norway became a symbol of hope to the Allied forces of Europe, proving that the Wehrmacht could be defeated. The phrase Look to Norway, coined after a speech from U.S President Franklin D. Roosevelt became popular among Britons during the Battle of Britain, giving hope that German invasion there would also be defeated.
A British, French and Polish expeditionary force of 28,000 soldiers, many days in, landed in the west. It had moderate success. A rapid strategic retreat took place after Germany's overwhelmingly quick invasion of France in May. The Norwegian government then relocated to the town of Hamar as fighting around Oslo intensified. The campaign ended with the expulsion of German forces from the entirey of Norway, however the air war would continue until Norwegian victory in late 1942.