Showing posts with label Andalsnes. Show all posts

Friday, May 27, 2016

April 26, 1940: Norwegian Gold

Friday 26 April 1940

26 April 1940 worldwartwo.filminspector.com Voss

Fire in Voss, Norway after the bombing of 23 and 24 April 1940. Much of the wooden center of town burns. The Germans occupy Voss on 26 April 1940.

Norway: The gold reserves of the Norges Bank (Bank of Norway) had been in Oslo at the beginning of the war, then taken to Lillehammer. There it had to stay until the end of the Battle of Dombås. Once the Fallschirmjäger company there led by Oblt. Herbert Schmidt surrendered on 19 April, the path was clear to get it out of the country. The gold, contained in 820 large boxes and 725 smaller crates, was sent by train via Dombås to the British base at Åndalsnes during the afternoon of the 19th, arriving at the port late in the evening.

While the whole shipment weighs 49 tons, it is to be shipped beginning on 26 April 1940 in smaller chunks to minimize the risk of loss. The first chunk, 8 tons, is loaded onto the cruiser HMS Galatea on the night of 25/26 April and shipped to England. With it goes Norwegian Director of Shipping Oyvind Lorentzen, who is to arrange for the Norwegian merchant fleet to be placed at the Allies' disposal.

The British War Cabinet, unlike the Supreme Allied War Council, is facing reality. It contemplates evacuating Namsos and Åndalsnes. General de Wiart agrees and declines the offer of additional troops: “in case of evacuation, this would complicate matters.” Everyone starts thinking about evacuation, and it becomes the common wisdom that all that is left to do is arrange an orderly evacuation.

Norway Army Operations: The British 15th Infantry Brigade begins the day defending its positions of the 25th at Kvam in the Gudbrandsdal. It has been a rare night when the Allies didn't have to retreat. Hopes soar on the Allied side. Norwegian CinC General Ruge issues a heroic Order of the Day:

"now the time of retreat has come to an end…, Stand fast … and the victory will be ours !"

The Germans of the 196th Infantry Division under General Pellengahr attack again in the morning, supported by their remaining armored vehicles, artillery, and heavy machine guns. The British hold the line through the day but sustain steady losses.

At dusk, General Paget orders a retreat in the direction of Dombås to preserve his fighting force. Kvam itself is a wreck, with fires everywhere, and three civilians perish along with 50 British soldiers and four Norwegian soldiers. German casualties are similar, but they are left in possession of the field of battle. The British set up a new, temporary line 3 km back, at Kjorem.

The German 3rd Mountain Division troops at Narvik have been largely cut off from their supplies throughout the campaign. Today, some rations, medical supplies, and a few specialized personnel arrive by train via Sweden.

The Germans enter Voss after the Luftwaffe devastated it.

Norway Air Operations: The Luftwaffe bombs the British base at Åndalsnes on the personal orders of Hitler, who is furious with reports of the British 15th Infantry Brigade getting through there. He wants the Luftwaffe to "raze: the town. The handful of Gloster Gladiators which have flown to Stetnesmoen get into the air one more time to shoot down one of the attacking Heinkel He 111s, but they are running out of fuel and ammunition. Burning their craft, the airmen board ships at Åndalsnes.

The Luftwaffe attacks on the port are effective. They destroy the wooden pier and piles of British equipment and ammunition.

The Luftwaffe sinks Norwegian torpedo boat Garm.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-13 (Max-Martin Schulte) torpedoes and sinks 1,281-ton Danish freighter Lily north of Scotland at 01:17. All 24 crew perish.

Royal Navy warships off Norway sink German vessel Schiff 37, which is disguised as a Dutch ship.

Convoy OB 137 departs from Liverpool. Convoy OG 27 forms at Gibraltar. Convoy HG 28F departs from Gibraltar. Convoy HX 38 departs from Halifax.

Anglo/Swiss Relations: The British and Swiss conclude a trade agreement. The Germans have been extremely respectful of Swiss neutrality so far, just as in World War I.

British Homefront: With the recent news of higher taxes and other higher government fees, the public begins quietly re-allocating its resources. Prices of UK antiques are up dramatically since September, and the current joke is that foreign collectors "hope to buy up Britain cheap before Hitler gets it." Likewise, UK silver, art, rare books and gems are in great demand; fearful of wartime taxation and inflation, the rich are buying small, portable, concealable wealth rather than keeping their wealth in cash assets which can be taxed or seized.

Nuestro Pueblo artist Charles Owens draws a full-page map on the war in Norway which appears in the LA Times, 26 April 1940.

April 1940

April 1, 1940: Weserubung is a Go
April 2, 1940: British Subs On Alert
April 3, 1940: Churchill Consolidates Power
April 4, 1940: Missed the Bus
April 5, 1940: Mig-1 First Flight
April 6, 1940: Troops Sailing to Norway
April 7, 1940: Fleets At Sea
April 8, 1940: HMS Glowworm and Admiral Hipper
April 9, 1940: Invasion of Norway
April 10, 1940: First Battle of Narvik
April 11, 1940: Britain Takes the Faroes
April 12, 1940: Germans Consolidate in Norway
April 13, 1940: 2d Battle of Narvik
April 14, 1940: Battle of Dombås
April 15, 1940: British in Norway
April 16, 1940: Germans Cut Norway in Half
April 17, 1940: Trondheim the Target
April 18, 1940: Norway Declares War
April 19, 1940: Dombås Battle Ends
April 20, 1940: Germans Advancing in Norway
April 21, 1940: First US Military Casualty
April 22, 1940: First British Military Contact with Germans
April 23, 1940: British Retreating in Norway
April 24, 1940: British Bombard Narvik
April 25, 1940: Norwegian Air Battles
April 26, 1940: Norwegian Gold
April 27, 1940: Allies to Evacuate Norway
April 28, 1940: Prepared Piano
April 29, 1940: British at Bodo
April 30, 1940: Clacton-on-Sea Heinkel

2019

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

April 20, 1940: Germans Advancing in Norway

Saturday 20 April 1940

20 April 1940 worldwartwo.filminspector.com Wehrmacht Copenhagen

Wehrmacht troops in Copenhagen, marching to celebrate Hitler's birthday, 20 April 1940.

Norway Army Operations: The British War Cabinet on 20 April 1940 cancels Operation Hammer - the bombardment and direct invasion of Trondheim - once and for all. The better way to secure the port, they reason, is the Operation Sickle pincer attack from Namsos in the north and Åndalsnes in the south. The British forces at Åndalsnes, though, are also supporting the Norwegians down at Lillehammer, while the British and French troops to the north at Namsos also are the closest Allied forces to Narvik. Thus, the Allied effort is being dispersed in different directions.

London does not tell General de Wiart of the cancellation of Operation Hammer. He disposes of his forces to support the expected landing, which now will not come. His 146th Brigade occupies advanced positions on Trondheimfjord which are only useful and supportable if the expected landings were to occur.

German forces approach Lillehammer and Rena. At 02:50, Brigadier Morgan moves his 148th Brigade south to Lillehammer by train. The Norwegians are trying to block the Germans advancing up either side of Lake Mjøsa and are giving ground.

The German 196th Infantry Division captures Elverum, the former refuge of the Norwegian government, and pushes north toward Trondheim.

The German forces at Narvik under General Dietl are reinforced by a battalion of 334th Infantry Regiment brought in by Junkers Ju 52 transport planes. Otherwise, they are completely cut off from all re-supply and reinforcement, with the exception of any cargo ships that can make it past the British blockade.

Norway Air Operations: The Luftwaffe launches attacks on Namsos, heavily damaging the harbor installations and largely ruining the port for the British. They sink British trawler HMS Rutlandshire. The Luftwaffe is beginning to demonstrate aerial dominance over Norway. This dominance is aided by the lack of adequate British anti-aircraft guns and air cover. Piles of supplies and equipment are destroyed on the single stone wharf, which also is obliterated.

The Luftwaffe attacks British naval units and transports off Norway without success, losing three of their number.

The Luftwaffe is starting to support the advancing Wehrmacht ground forces heading north toward Trondheim. Among other places, they attack Dombås, the scene of the recent German paratrooper landings and fighting. Aside from the important rail line, it also is a key road junction at the intersection of long mountain defiles. There are British soldiers there, brought down by the rail line that runs through the town. One of the British, Lt. Rob Winter, notes: "Luftwaffe been strafing us all day, and bombing the little town of Dombas. We left our flak guns in the UK."

During the night, the RAF bombs airfields at Kristiansand and Stavanger in Norway, and Aalborg in Denmark, all without loss. The RAF also sends 23 aircraft to lay mines off the German coast during the night.

European Air Operations: RAF 263 Squadron flies 18 Gloster Gladiators (Squadron Leader John Donaldson) to Scapa Flow, where, they are landed on aircraft carrier HMS Glorious for transport to Norway. The Gladiators are not designed for landings and takeoffs on aircraft carriers, nor are their pilots, so Fleet Air Arm pilots carefully fly them onto the carrier.

The RAF shoots down two Bf 109s and two Heinkel He 111s over the western front.

The Luftwaffe night fighters get their first victory when they shoot down a Fairey Battle of the RAF Advanced Striking Force while it is on a reconnaissance mission.

Battle of the Atlantic: British freighters Mersey and Hawnby sink after hitting mines.

Two US freighters in Norwegian ports, Flying Fish and Charles McCormick, have been moved from Bergen to more secure locations to prevent any "incidents."

Convoy OA 133GF departs from Southend, Convoy OB 33 departs from Liverpool.

U-120 (Oberleutnant zur See Ernst Bauer) is commissioned.

Denmark: The government demobilizes the military.

RAF: The Royal Air Force begins training of aircrew from the commonwealth nations pursuant to the Empire Air Training Scheme. This is later known as the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.

Air Marshal Keith Park takes over command of Fighter Command No. 11 Group.

German Military: Partially in celebration of his birthday and partly to honor the success of the current campaign in Scandinavia, Hitler orders the creation of a special Waffen SS regiment to be composed of Danish and Norwegian volunteers. It will be called the "Viking" Division.

US Navy: Captain George J. McMillin becomes the new Commandant of the US Naval Station at Guam.

Science: The first public demonstration of an electron microscope is held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by RCA.

German/Romanian Relations: The two countries conclude a trade agreement.

German Homefront: It is Hitler's 51st birthday, and the big day, as usual, is marked with celebrations and speeches.

Wehrmacht troops lined up to celebrate Hitler's birthday in Viborg, Denmark, April 20, 1940.

April 1940

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

April 18, 1940: Norway Declares War

Thursday 18 April 1940

18 April 1940 worldwartwo.filminspector.com U-37

U-37 docked at Wilhelmshaven on 18 April 1940.

Denmark: The war in Denmark is long over by 18 April 1940, and the Germans won without real opposition - but they are still unhappy. The government remains in power, and since their entire legal ruse is just to "protect" the country, there is no justification to depose the government. The Germans would like the pretext to replace the entire government with their own military regime, but this might alienate neutrals, so they continue things as is while biting their tongues.

Norway: The Norwegian government, which acts according to its own rhythms, declares war on Germany. Since the invasion occurred on 9 April, over a week ago, this reflects a somewhat casual attitude to the entire decision. Some Norwegian troops in the field also at times exhibit a rather carefree "whatever happens, happens" attitude which is making the Wehrmacht's job easier. Sometimes the Norwegian civilian volunteers appear to have more spirit than some of the professional soldiers. An air of fatalism cripples the defense.

There are break, milk and meat shortages in Oslo.

The British are still working out a strategy. The focus remains Trondheim, and the bombardment and direct assault on Trondheim - Operation Hammer is put under the command of Brigadier Berney-Ficklin. However, in another of the calamities that afflict the campaign, his plane crashes en route to Scapa Flow. Ultimately, Operation Hammer is canceled as too risky. The pincer attack from Andalsnes in the south and Namsos in the north - Operation Sickle - now becomes the heart of the strategy.

Hitler remains on tenterhooks about the entire operation. At one point, he frantically demands that the German troops at Narvik under General Dietl be evacuated in their entirety by air. There are too few planes, and the idea is a non-starter, but it shows the stress the relatively successful campaign is imposing on the Fuhrer.

Norway Air Operations: The Germans are apprised of the British landings at Namsos and launch a Luftwaffe raid on their positions.

18 April 1940 worldwartwo.filminspector.com Mercury Namsos air raid

Allied troops pick through the ruins of Namsos after a German air raid, April 1940.

Norway Army Operations: The German 196th Infantry Division advances north toward Lillehammer and Hamar along the mountain defile that leads north. They are still far from having any strategic impact in terms of British operations to the north. The troops moving north from Oslo are delayed at the village of Bagn in the district of Valdres, approximately midway between Oslo and Bergen. The Germans are advancing by foot, bicycle and captured bus. The Norwegians ambush them from the hills after planting barricades along the mountain roads. As recalled by Norwegian volunteer Eiliv Hauge (22) from Oslo:

"We poured down bullets- the Germans tried to hide under their buses.... The Germans raised a white flag, but the men around me didn't stop firing, so neither did I. We continued until they lay still."

The British troops at Andalsnes, now under the command of General Paget, are joined by a landing at Moldes, with the British establishing another base there. This is the southern pincer directed at Trondheim. The British 148th Brigade (Brigadier Morgan) had been transferred between ships back in England and in the shuffle lost much of their equipment. General Morgan has written orders to advance 150 miles northeast to Trondheim but also has received oral instructions from Chief of the Imperial Staff General Ironside to support the Norwegian troops currently to the Southeast defending the Gudbrandsdal and Østerdal valleys leading up from Oslo. He does not have enough troops to do both adequately.

The Germans appear to recognize their danger at Trondheim and reinforce the garrison there. The German 181st Infantry Division arrives in numerous transport planes, a conventional transport ship and two submarines operating as transport ships.

At Dombås, the Fallschirmjäger force under Oblt. Schmidt is surrounded to the north by a battalion of I/IR 11 and to the south by I/IR 5. There are several other Norwegian units helping out, and fenrik (Second Lieutenant) L. K. Løkken of the Raufoss Anti-aircraft Command has brought a 40 mm anti-aircraft gun. The 40 mm gun is positioned at Dovre Train station and used as artillery. The Norwegians attack from the south at dawn, raking the stone barn with heavy fire. The Germans are trapped in the barn with ammunition running low.

The situation looks dire, but unexpectedly a Junker Ju 52 flies over and drops ammunition, warm clothing, provisions, medical supplies and the radio frequency for communicating with headquarters. These are their first supplies of the operation. Later, a Norwegian officer approaches demanding surrender, which Schmidt rejects. The Norwegians then resume fire with the 40 mm gun. The barn becomes untenable, and at the end of the day, the Germans retreat to the farmhouse where the POWs are being held.

At Hegra Fortress, the Germans make another infantry assault, which fails. They continue raking the fortress with a very heavy machine gun and mortar fire. The weather turns sour, and a German attack is foiled by a blizzard. In the snow, the Germans sometimes fire at each other in confusion. In the evening, two Norwegian doctors ask for and receive permission to evacuate the wounded from the fortress. All operations are temporarily suspended. One of the doctors is held as a hostage to make sure the operation goes as promised. They evacuated nine Norwegian wounded and a German POW, Gefreiter Bayerle, who the Norwegians released as a sign of good faith. The Norwegian wounded do not become POWs per agreement.

The Norwegians holed up in Hegra Fortress are mounting a successful defense of their position, but it is strategically of minor importance. The guns are in fixed emplacements that point away from the only target of any strategic value, the airport being used by the Luftwaffe. The Norwegians under Major Holtermann attempt to re-direct the guns toward the airport, but this proves impossible. The only other value the fortress has is as a point of juncture for other Allied forces, but the Allied forces are nowhere nearby.

Norway Naval Operations: U-26 acts as a transport and arrives at Trondheim carrying needed ammunition, weapons and other equipment.

Battle of the Atlantic: British cruiser HMS Suffolk, attacked by Ju 88 bombers after bombarding Stavanger, barely makes it back to Scapa Flow without sinking.

HMS Sterlet (Lt. Commander Gerard H. S. Haward) is declared overdue and presumed lost in the Skagerrak south of Larvik, Norway. Theories as to her fate range from hitting a mine to being sunk by Kriegsmarine anti-submarine trawlers UJ-125, UJ-126, and UJ-128. All hands are lost.

British submarine HMS Seawolf sinks German ship Hamm.

U-99 (Korvettenkapitän Otto Kretschmer) is commissioned. It is a Type VII B U-boat.

Convoy OB 132, Convoy HG 27F departs from Gibraltar, Convoy OG 26 forms off Gibraltar, and Convoy HX 36 departs from Halifax.

British Military: General Dill takes over as Chief of the Imperial Staff.

Switzerland: The Swiss government makes preparations for a possible surprise attack and mobilizes more men.

A group of ten men stands next to a 1940 Mercury gasoline mileage test car, April 18, 1940. The group is in front of the O'Shea-Rogers Motor Company, 1345 M Street. Nebraska State Historical Society.

April 1940

April 17, 1940: Trondheim the Target

Wednesday 17 April 1940

17 April 1940 worldwartwo.filminspector.com LA Times news clipping Denmark

Los Angeles Times, 17 April 1940.

Norway: The Wehrmacht is making deliberate moves to occupy Norway on 17 April 1940, but their hold remains precarious. The British War Cabinet is slowly formulating a strategy that centers on Trondheim. They authorize a direct landing after the naval bombardment of shore batteries in Operation Hammer. Operation Sickle is the land attack following the bombardment. The direct land attacks at Trondheim will be accompanied by attacks from the north (Namsos) and south (Andalsnes). General Hotblack is put in command, but in the evening suffers a stroke.

Norway Army Operations: At Oslo, the Germans have broken out and captured the fort of Kongsvinger. This creates a route to Sweden in the east. The Norwegian defenders are under-armed and many are killed. The Germans now have advanced across the country East/West at both Oslo and at Trondheim.

The 3rd Mountain Division troops under General Dietl at Narvik are in increasing jeopardy, with the British landing troops both to the north and south. They receive an order: "hold out as long as possible."

At Dombås Oblt. Schmidt begins the day on the move. He and his men have captured three heavy machine guns from the Norwegian companies that attacked him on the 16th. The 60-odd men move in a column, armed to the teeth. At the front are soldiers with hand grenades, followed by captured trucks carrying the wounded and POWs. Schmidt himself is badly wounded but remains in command.

The Dombås column runs into a Norwegian roadblock at Landheim bridge. The 25 Norwegians, though, are no match for the desperate Fallschirmjäger troops and quickly withdraw to Dovre Church. The Germans block the road at Einbugga road bridge, between Toftemo and Dovre to the south.

The Fallschirmjäger force winds up at the North and South Lindse Farm just south of Dombås. They are in control of the barn, which is made of stone and quite formidable. The farmstead is on a hillside and overlooks both the main road (700 m (770 yds) away) and the vital rail line (250 m (270 yds) away). Oblt. Schmidt, badly wounded, remains in command and is carried to the barn on a door by Norwegian POWs. The Germans have taken 15 military personnel and 40 civilians as prisoners, which they keep at South Lindse.

The men, while obviously desperate and under attack, do not unduly harass the Ulateig family that owns the farm. Egils Ulateig, the grandfather of the farm, disregards a command not to enter the barn, the heart of the defense, stepping over a barricade to feed the cows, sheep, and goats. The Germans smile and let him go, saying "Du bist ein gute mensch."

At Hegra fortress, the German bombardment begins at 07:00, both from howitzers sited at Avelsgaard and from Luftwaffe raids. At 09:00, an infantry assault goes in from the northeast. There are machine gun nests a mere 150 m (160 yards) from the fortress walls on the north. The Norwegians are in trenches behind barbed wire, and there the attack falters and falls back. Luftwaffe bombers resume their assault for the remainder of the day, knocking out power and the phone lines.

At Stavanger-Sola, the Luftwaffe has airlifted in units of the 355th Infantry Regiment. They begin spreading out to the south and east.

Norway Naval Operations: Late in the day, British 148th Infantry Brigade troops land at Andalsnes. This is part of Operation Sickle, which is the land invasion of Trondheim after the naval bombardment. Trondheim is 130 miles away, a long trek in the Norwegian winter. They have no skis (assuming the men, largely from London, even know how to ski, which is doubtful) and few vehicles.

British cruiser HMS Suffolk and its accompanying naval force join in the attacks on Stavanger-Sola airfield, blasting away at it for 80 minutes. It also bombards the nearby seaplane base, causing heavy damage. The Germans also shoot down the Suffolk's Walrus seaplane. The bombardment destroys four German aircraft but otherwise accomplishes little.

Norway Air Operations: The RAF sends bombers to attack Trondheim-Vaernes airfield. It also sends a dozen bombers to attack Stavanger-Sola during the day. Overnight, the RAF sends 20 aircraft to attack Stavanger, Trondheim, Bergen, and Oslo.

Junkers Ju 88 bombers seek out the HMS Suffolks after it bombards the Stavanger airfield. They bomb it for 7 hours and make two hits. The Ju 88s inflict heavy damage and the Suffolk barely makes it back to Scapa Flow the next morning.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-13 (Max-Martin Schulte) torpedoes and sinks 4,935-ton British freighter Swainby 25 miles north of Muckle Flugga, Shetlands at 17:33. All 38 onboard survive.

The Admiralty announces that it has laid a protective minefield across the Firth of Clyde. It sends 33 aircraft to lay mines off the Danish coast during the night.

The Luftwaffe lays mines along the British coast.

Convoy OA 131 departs from Southend, Convoy OB 131 departs from Liverpool, Convoy SL 28F departs from Freetown.

The British commission minesweeping trawler HMS Birch (Lt. Commander Frederick G. Tidswell).

US/Japanese Relations: Following statements by Japanese Foreign Minister Arita Hachiro on April 15, 1940, about the effects of a European war in the Pacific region, US Secretary of State Cordell Hull states:

“Any change in the status of the Netherlands Indies would directly affect the interests of many countries. The Netherlands Indies are very important in the international relationships of the whole Pacific Ocean. . . . They produce considerable portions of the world's supplies of important essential commodities such as rubber, tin, quinine, copra, et cetera. Many countries, including the United States, depend substantially upon them for some of these commodities. Intervention in the domestic affairs of the Netherlands Indies or any alteration of their status quo by other than peaceful processes would be prejudicial to the cause of stability, peace, and security not only in the region of the Netherlands Indies but in the entire Pacific area.”

Soviet/Romanian Relations: The USSR alleges 15 instances of Romanian violation of its sovereignty.

Italy: Italy declares the port of Bari in the Adriatic closed to non-authorized personnel.

A Dornier Do-17 dropping bombs at Namsos, April 1940.

World War Two Daily

Pages

Friday, May 27, 2016

April 26, 1940: Norwegian Gold

Friday 26 April 1940

April 1940

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

April 20, 1940: Germans Advancing in Norway

Saturday 20 April 1940

April 1940

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

April 18, 1940: Norway Declares War

Thursday 18 April 1940

April 1940

April 17, 1940: Trondheim the Target

Wednesday 17 April 1940

April 1940