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German invasion of Norway

Norwegian Campaign
Part of the Second World War
Operation Weserübung.jpg
German forces advancing near Bagn in Valdres ·
Norwegian artillery in action near Narvik · King Haakon VII of Norway and his son Crown Prince Olav during a German air raid on Molde ·
German Gebirgsjäger troops near Narvik · German bombing of the Norwegian coastal fortress Oscarsborg
Date 9 April – 10 June 1940 (62 days)
Location Norway
Result

German victory

Belligerents
Nazi Germany Germany  Norway
 United Kingdom
 France
Flag of Poland (1928-1980).svg Polish Armed Forces in the West
Commanders and leaders
Nazi Germany Nikolaus von Falkenhorst Norway Kristian Laake
(9–10 April)
Norway Otto Ruge
(from 10 April)
United Kingdom Lord Cork
Strength
c. 100,000
7 divisions
1 Fallschirmjäger battalion
Total:
c. 93,000
Norway:
6 divisions
c. 55,000 combatants involved in the fighting
Allies:
c. 38,000
Casualties and losses
Official German figures:
5,296
(1,317 killed on land,
2,375 lost at sea,
1,604 wounded)
Material losses:
1 heavy cruiser
2 light cruisers
10 destroyers
6 U-boats
2 torpedo boats
15 light naval units
21 transports/merchant ships
90-240 aircraft
Total:
c. 6,602
British:
On land:
1,869 killed, wounded and missing
At sea:
c. 2,500 lost
1 aircraft carrier
2 cruisers
7 destroyers
1 submarine
112 aircraft
French and Polish:
533 killed, wounded and missing
2 destroyers
2 submarines
Norwegian:
c. 1,700 total, of whom 860 were killed
107 naval ships sunk or captured
c. 70 merchant ships and transports sunk (combined Norwegian/Allied total)
Civilian (Norwegian) casualties:
c. 400 killed

German victory

The Norwegian Campaign (9 April to 10 June 1940) was fought in Norway between the Allies and Germany in World War II after the latter's invasion of the country. In April, the United Kingdom and France came to Norway's aid with an expeditionary force. Despite moderate success in the northern parts of Norway, Germany's invasion of France in May eventually compelled the Allies to withdraw and the Norwegian government to seek exile in London. The campaign ended with the occupation of Norway by Germany, and the continued fighting by exiled Norwegian forces from abroad. The 62 days of fighting made Norway the nation that withstood a German invasion for the second longest period of time, after the Soviet Union.

Britain and France had signed military assistance treaties with Poland, and two days after Germany invaded Poland (on 1 September 1939), they declared war on Nazi Germany. Neither country mounted significant offensive operations, however, and for several months no major engagements occurred in what became known as the Phoney War or "Twilight War". Winston Churchill in particular wished to move the war into a more active phase, in contrast to Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain.

During this time, both sides wished to open secondary fronts. For the Allies, in particular the French, this was based on a desire to avoid repeating the trench warfare of the First World War, which had occurred along the Franco-German border.


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Wikipedia

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