The forces for the attack on Narvik, in the far north of Norway, had been transported on a force of ten destroyers. The destroyer Hunter was immobilized by German shellfire and rammed by the next ship in line, causing it to immediately sink. The attack also sunk or disabled 14 merchant ships of various types. So, this effort received priority over the holding actions now taken by Polish forces in the Ankenes region. Auchinleck saw that advancing across the tough terrain offered little hope for a quick success. In addition, the British aircraft carriers Ark Royal and Glorious were also able to supply planes to the fight. The Norwegians blew a key bridge and were able to hold out at Bjornfell, the border post to Sweden, until April 16 when they were driven across the border and interned. The British had accomplished this relatively rapid advance because their overall supply situation in the north had improved. A typical story in the attempted resupply was that of the 2nd battalion of the 112th Mountain Artillery Regiment, which was ordered on April 11 to embark with four 75mm howitzers and 60 men for Narvik. Warburton-Lee to enter the fjord undetected. The quick elimination of Dietl’s force would have dramatically changed the strategic situation in the north of Norway, as the Allied forces could have concentrated on stopping the German mountain troops advancing from the south. Keep on Engaging the Enemy . Battles of Narvik, 1940. Finally, the destroyer Hotspur received seven direct hits, which resulted in its eventual beaching as well. Ultimately, it was the pace of events in the more central theater of France that would dictate the outcome of events in Norway. Narvik, the most northerly of those ports, had been attacked by a small army group carried on ten destroyers. Battle of Narvik. Winston Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty, had given the naval commander, Lord Cork, instructions that led him to favor a risky, direct landing in Narvik in an attempt to overwhelm the disorganized German defenders as early as April 14. In mutual relations, however, it is difficult to look for a more meaningful cooperation, like the fights for Narvik – one of the most important … The second battle of Narvik (13 April 1940) was a British naval victory during the German invasion of Norway of 1940. On 9 April the Germans had attacked Norway’s six main ports. Operation Alphabet. In addition to some illegal reinforcements, medical personnel and non-military equipment were transferred through Sweden. He determined that his best course of action was to use his advantages at sea and engage in a series of amphibious landings to bypass German pockets of resistance, such as the blocking positions on the road along the northern edge of the Ofotenfjord between Bjerkvik and Narvik. Related topics. The destroyers were an improvisation in any case because Germany had no real amphibious capability. After a two-day journey, the planes finally arrived over the Ofotenfjord under low cloud cover. Typical of the tactical lapses that undermined Allied efforts in the Narvik area, this lack of initiative was a critical factor in the ability of the German forces to hold out as long as they did given the overextended nature of most of their positions. On April 10, 1940, British destroyers entered the harbor and surrounding area near the Norwegian port of Narvik and engaged German destroyers in a running battle for control of the area. The two companies were not in physical contact with one another, and yet the Allied forces failed to take advantage of this and their control of the sea to bypass the German defenses. Location: Narvik, , Norway. The 1,750 men of the 3rd Mountain Division and the 2,700 naval personnel of the Narvik invasion force were essentially on their own. After a brief fight on the beachhead, they advanced swiftly into Narvik itself, which had largely been abandoned by the Germans, who retreated deftly up … Operation Alphabet. First Battle of Narvik. There were also running naval battles with elements of the British fleet, resulting in the sinking of the British destroyer Glowworm on April 8 and the premature dispatch of the covering force to intercept heavier Royal Navy forces trying to head off the small fleet. Your email address will not be published. "H.M.S. The destruction of the Glowworm on the 8th had alerted the British naval commanders about the presence of the German naval forces in the Narvik area, and British military assets were being assembled to deal with the threat they posed. During the battles for Narvik, the Polish formation lost 97 soldiers, 189 were wounded and 28 went missing. XHTML: You can use these tags:
. The 8th Company was concentrated on the area immediately opposite Narvik, while the 9th Company guarded the critical passage of the rail line at the very tip of the fjord. Media in category "Battle of Narvik" The following 78 files are in this category, out of 78 total. By the time he assumed command, Auchinleck essentially only had a division and a half of French forces and a brigade of Polish forces along with the complement of Norwegian troops, who were becoming increasingly suspicious of British intentions after all of the withdrawals in the south. It was in this spirit that Mackesy started his attacks along the northern side of Ofotenfjord in coordination with Norwegian forces in the area. All of these factors made sure that the remaining German combat ships were still in the Ofotenfjord on April 13 when the battleship Warspite led a force of ten destroyers up the fjord. Geographically speaking, this landing did not pose a major threat to Narvik itself but provided a logistical base for future operations. Location of Narvik. By the time the destroyers reached the entrance to Ofotenfjord, which led to Narvik harbor, they were essentially on their own. GERMANY - NAVAL Ships sunk off Narvik:Naval engagement:"Alster". Narvik, the most northerly of those ports, had been attacked by a … Dietl would not have been able to salvage the heavy weaponry he found in the area in time and certainly would not have had time to dig the fortifications that would hold up Allied forces in the next month. And they won. Battle of Narvik. It seemed now that it was only a matter of time before the Germans would have to surrender. In addition to maintaining their established defenses, the German troops were able to assemble scratch forces of ski troops and harass Allied soldiers based at Haakvik. Events in northern Norway had been overshadowed by events in France. Dec 15, 2017 - Explore Norman Wilson's board "Narvik" on Pinterest. Battles of Narvik - Operation Alphabet. ”The Battles of Narvik were the greatest battles in history on Norwegian soil, and are a glorious part of the Norwegian Army's history. Timely Arrival at Narvik. This series of engagements showcased the many dynamics of small-scale modern naval combat, including combined arms and anti-submarine warfare, as well as the tactical use of terrain and different weather conditions to seize the advantage. This stalemate to the north of Narvik persisted until the middle of May. The link also allowed Dietl to evacuate his wounded from the battle area. So we’re interested in presenting the military history part in a dignified manner – for example major general Carl Gustav Fleischer never got the place in history he deserved. Denmark sued for peace very quickly having very limited defence forces to prevent the German occupation. The landing in Öyjord threatened Narvik itself as it lies just a few hundred yards across Rombaksfjord from the Narvik peninsula. World War II was the real dawn of aircraft carriers. This attack also cut off the German forces defending the road between Bogen and Bjerkvik and forced them into a hasty retreat, pursued by Polish units and Norwegian ski troops. Battle of Narvik. The only fortifications were a couple of blockhouses armed with machine guns, and these were obviously no match for the guns on the destroyers. The naval personnel were in even worse shape. Instead of accepting the surrender of Dietl, Norwegian General Otto Ruge visited his headquarters in Björnfjell on June 7 to negotiate the surrender of the Norwegian forces in the area. From the sea, warships and submarines with torpedoes, artillery and bombs ravaged. Five of the British destroyers pursued them, while others entered Narvik harbour and attacked another German destroyer, which caught fire under the combined attack and blew up later. This product is not licensed, endorsed, and/or affiliated with any branch of Federal, State, and/or sovereign government, or any military branch or service thereof, throughout the world. By May 28, German Panzers were on the Channel coast, and the evacuation at Dunkirk was underway. These had been used to shuttle forces across Ofotenfjord in late April and now Auchinleck proposed to use them to speed up the advance on Narvik itself. The invasion involved the majority of the Kriegsmarine, the Nazi navy, who launched naval groups to blockade and occupy Norwegian ports. 93 likes. Eidsvold quickly sank, taking all but eight of its crew with it into the frigid waters of the fjord. It is intriguing to think what might have happened if the British and Norwegians had managed to hold on in extreme northern Norway. Armchair Admirals: the Battles of Narvik. "Georg Thiele" was a German destroyer who participated in the battle of Narvik in 1940. By April, both the Germans and the British were hastily preparing forces to land in Norway. In the event of resistance, this operation could quickly turn into a massacre, but the Germans were willing to take the risk because of the importance of Narvik to their war effort. The Battles of Narvik were fought from 9 April to 8 June 1940 as a naval battle in the Ofotfjord and as a land battle in the mountains surrounding the north Norwegian city of Narvik as part of the Norwegian Campaign of the Second World War. This issue was largely to become academic as German forces probing northward ran into forces of the Norwegian 6th Division under Maj. Gen. Carl Gustav Fleischer, about 20 miles north of Narvik in the village of Lapphaug, and were held there by two Norwegian battalions. The Germans were not to hold it for long. You need to play a total of 20 battles to post in this section. The infantry wars in the mountains around Narvik were characterized by blizzards, cold and lack of equipment and supplies. Narvik is the ice-free far northern port from which Swedish iron ore was exported -- I believe year-round -- but principally when the … The last two British destroyers, although damaged, were able to withdraw to the open sea because the German destroyers, still not completely replenished, did not have the fuel to pursue them. In the annals of military history magazines, this is one of those moments. There are moments in military history that forever alter the flow of human events. The lack of pre-existing Norwegian fortifications, which had been so lucky for the invasion force in the original attack, now turned against the Germans. The Swordfish dived to 300 feet to release its bombs The first hit the bows of the submarine. The Battles of Narvik were fought from 9 April to 8 June 1940 as a naval battle in the Ofotfjord and as a land battle in the mountains surrounding the north Norwegian city of Narvik as part of the Norwegian Campaign of the Second World War. During the early stages of the Norwegian Campaign, Erich Giese fought in both naval Battles of Narvik in mid-April 1940 and was sunk by British destroyers during the Second Battle of Narvik. A shipwreck after fightings in Narvik.jpg. Due to these factors, early on the morning of April 6, elements of the German 3rd Mountain Division were loaded onto 10 destroyers and slipped out of Bremen harbor for the 1,200-mile sea voyage to Narvik. A list of naval battles of World War 2. Dietl’s perimeter had now shrunk to an area immediately north and south of the railway line from Narvik to Sweden, with the British threatening amphibious landings on either side of the Narvik peninsula at any time. HMS Hardy (H87) was the flotilla leader of the 2 nd Destroyer Flotilla of ‘H’ named ships. Narvik lies near the entrance to Rombaks Fiord, into which three enemy destroyers were seen to retire under the cover of smoke screens. Only the Norwegian forces seemed able to make any headway across the difficult landscape. He is currently working on a book on capitalism and nationalism entitled Evangelical Capitalism. Petty Officer Rice observed a submarine at anchor 50 yards from the jetty at Bjerkvik. Pictures included where possible. Author Tom Haymes is on the faculty at Houston Community College and has published numerous articles on military history and international affairs. In addition, the resolute advance of German mountain troops from the south across seemingly impassible terrain had overwhelmed British and Norwegian blocking positions time and again and was within 100 miles of Narvik. Inside the harbor a second monitor, the Norge, engaged the two German destroyers that were attempting to make it to the pier to disembark soldiers already assembled on deck. The first attack on May 12 bypassed the German blocking positions in Bogen and landed instead at Bjerkvik, Elvegaard, and Öyjord. In short order, the British turned the German flagship, Wilhelm Heidkamp, into a flaming wreck. In an eerie foreshadowing of the upcoming campaign on the Eastern Front, the outnumbered and under-supplied German force was defending a shrinking perimeter as their only lifeline, the Luftwaffe, desperately attempted to keep the forces supplied. They were pushed from the north by the Norwegians, from the west by the French and from the southwest by the Poles. Even before the first troops marched into Narvik, the decision had been made to abandon the Allied expedition. Some of his forces managed to escape across a railroad bridge into the hills, but essentially the fight for the town itself was over before it began. Until the capture of Norwegian airfields, there was no way to provide the force with air cover once it passed outside the range of German land-based fighters and bombers. The Germans, despite harassment from the British fleet, were able to bottle up British forces and French Foreign Legionnaires fighting along the coastal road near the village of Bjerkvik. The Allies, now primarily French, Polish, and Norwegian since most of the British troops had been sent south to contest the German advance, still had most of their forces concentrated on the north shore. In mutual relations, however, it is difficult to look for a more meaningful cooperation, like the fights for Narvik – one of the most important … Other equipment had been badly packed and was damaged or made unusable during the transit from England. Efforts by the Luftwaffe to reinforce and supply Dietl’s cut off forces were haphazard at best. British and Polish forces spent the better part of May hammering directly at the German defenders south of the fjord. 1940 . Battles of Narvik - Operation Alphabet. The British had control of the fjord and also had the services of a large number of Norwegian fishing boats called puffers. Aside from its strategic location flanking the sea lanes of the North Sea, it was also an important transshipment point for iron ore from Sweden to Germany. In the north, Norwegian forces, joined by the British advancing up the coastal road from Skanland and eventually French mountain troops, spent the next several weeks slowly pushing the Germans south across the arctic landscape. With these victories, Dietl’s force was faced with defending an extended front in a daunting Arctic landscape with mountains rising as high as 9,000 feet in some places. The Narvik campaign marked the first and last time that the Germans attempted a major amphibious operation in World War II. The Battles of Narvik were fought from 9 April to 8 June 1940 as a naval battle in the Ofotfjord and as a land battle in the mountains surrounding the north Norwegian city of Narvik as part of the Norwegian Campaign of the Second World War. Prior to fighting the British, the Germans first brushed aside Norwegian naval defenses. Along the railway to the east, German forces ran into a blocking force which had retreated from Narvik with approximately 250 men. The weight of the planes cracked the melting ice, and none were able to take off again. The Battles of Narvik are a perfect example of the many practical applications of destroyers in naval combat. Z13 Erich Koellner was a Type 1934A-class destroyer built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine in the late 1930s. [text_ad]. Britain sought to interrupt the flow of iron ore by mining the sea lanes, but both sides realized that, strategically speaking, invasion offered the best prospect for achieving their aims. On 9 April the Germans had attacked Norway’s six main ports. The documentary explores both the land and sea battles between the Nazis and the Allies in their struggle to secure Narvik. Their destruction also left Dietl’s forces in a precarious position. Taken captive in Battles of Narvik. Sundlo was in the process of moving from one post to the other in the town when he ran into General Eduard Dietl, commander of the 3rd Mountain Division, at the head of a company of German soldiers. Guns and their ammunition sometimes became separated by hundreds of miles of rocky coastline. They were pushed from the north by the Norwegians, from the west by the French and from the southwest by the Poles. 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