Capture of Arendal
| Capture of Arendal | |||||||||
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| Part of the German invasion of Norway during the Second World War |
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Germany
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 Norway
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Thore Holthe | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
| 234th Bicycle Squadron of the 163rd Infantry Division | |||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
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1 torpedo boat 1 seaplane 19 sailors |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| None | None | ||||||||
The Capture of Arendal occurred on 9 April 1940 and saw the German torpedo boat Greif land a force of bicycle troops and seize an invasion beachhead at the Norwegian port town of Arendal. The main aim of the landing, part of the German invasion of Norway, was to sever the undersea telegraph cable between Arendal and the United Kingdom.
The German force landed unopposed, with the Norwegian torpedo boat based in the town choosing to evacuate rather than take up the fight against the surprising arrival of the Germans. The Norwegian naval commander cited concern for civilian casualties and a glum view of his chances as reasons for not resisting.
While the initial German occupation of Arendal took place without serious incident, panic broke out the following day and led to many civilians abandoning the town, following unfounded rumours of an incoming British bomber raid.
Five days after the German occupation of Arendal, the town saw the establishment of the first organized resistance group in Norway. The Arendal Group operated from 14 April 1940 until crushed by the Gestapo four months later.
After the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, Norway declared her neutrality in the conflict. During the following months Norwegian neutrality was repeatedly ignored and violated by both the Axis and the Allies. On the part of the Germans, the violations included U-boat attacks on both Allied and neutral shipping within Norwegian territorial waters. The Norwegian Armed Forces were ill-equipped, poorly trained, only partially mobilized, and unable to efficiently defend Norwegian territory against neutrality violations.
On 16 February 1940, the British Royal Navy breached Norwegian neutrality in an operation to rescue 299 captive British sailors from the German auxiliary Altmark in the Norwegian Jøssingfjorden. Norwegian naval vessels observed the British operation, but did not intervene. Angered by the Altmark Incident, Adolf Hitler the next day ordered the invasion of Norway. Among Hitler's stated reasons for invading Norway was a need to pre-empt a potential British landing in Norway, a desire to secure the iron ore and other natural resources originating in or being supplied through Norway, and to secure Germany's northern flank while giving the Kriegsmarine easier access to the Atlantic Ocean. Hitler's concern about potential British landings in Norway was encouraged by Norwegian fascist leader Vidkun Quisling, who claimed that an alliance between the United Kingdom and Norway's Labour Party government was in the making. General Nikolaus von Falkenhorst was given overall command of the invasion of Norway.
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