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Post by lordroel on Apr 21, 2019 7:29:19 GMT
Day 234 of World War II, April 21st 1940Battle for Norway
U.S. Military Attaché Captain Robert E. Losey, air assistant to military attaché with the United States Embassy in Finland and a meteorologist, assists the American legation to escape to safety in Sweden. On 21 April 1940, after evacuating one party, he returns to help another. Passing through Dombås, a key road juncture which recently had been the scene of bitter fighting, Losey is caught in a Luftwaffe raid. Losey gets safely to a railway tunnel, but stands near the entrance to observe the bombing. A bomb falls nearby, and a sliver pierces his heart, killing him. He becomes the first American military casualty of World War II. Norway Army Operations
The Germans of the 196th Infantry Division continue moving north from Oslo. The British 148th Infantry Brigade attempts to block them at Lake Mjøsa, south of Lillehammer. The Luftwaffe attacks the Allied positions with 8 Heinkel He 111 bombers, aided by heavy artillery. The British arrive too late to help, and both the British and Norwegians are sent reeling back to Lillehammer at midnight over snowy mountain roads. At Bagn, on the other main road north, the Germans remove the Norwegians attempting to block the road and continue toward Trondheim. The German tanks are proving highly effective in Norway. The Norwegians and British have no effective anti-tank weaponry. Lt. Robert Wynter says: "Our anti-tank rifle is completely ineffective - simply bounces off!" This is a common problem early in the war. Near Steinkjer, there is fierce fighting around Krogs Farm at Sandvollan. Reportedly, during the battle which lasts a couple of days in Inderøy and Steinkjer, twelve British soldiers perish. These may have been - likely were - the first British soldiers to die in action against the Germans, not the ones at the separate battle further south. Norway Naval Operations
A German destroyer leads a troop transport up through the ice of Trondheimfjord. The transport lands mountain troops at Verdal and Kirknessvag, in front of General de Wiart’s 146th Brigade poised to attack Trondheim. The Germans, once landed, quickly advance from Verdal to the north on the strategic British/Norwegian positions at Steinkjer. They are aided by a Luftwaffe attack which levels the town and leaves 1,800 civilians homeless in the winter. The northern British pincer of Operation Sickle is now blocked. This also would take the pressure off of the Germans besieging Hegra Fortress, which would no longer serve any strategic purpose for the Allies as a link-up point. The Germans now are content to simply bombard Hegra fortress and wait for the inevitable Norwegian surrender there. Map of Norway from April to May
 Air War over Europe
At night, the RAF bombs Aalborg airfield in the north of Denmark and Stavanger-Sola in southern Norway. One bomber is lost, and the bombers destroy six aircraft on the field at Stavanger. The Luftwaffe bombs Namsos and Andalsnes. Battle of the Atlantic
U-26 (Heinz Scheringer) torpedoes and sinks 5,159 ton British freighter Cedarbank northwest of Ålesund, Norway. The Cedarbanks was carrying key supplies for the 148th Brigade. There are 30 survivors and 15 perish. The Luftwaffe drops mines off the British coast. The RAF sends 36 aircraft to drop their own mines. Convoy HG 27 departs from Gibraltar. British Expeditionary Force
The 23rd Infantry Division moves to France. British Homefront
A UK court holds that fathers expecting children may delay their military service to mitigate "potential nervous strain" on the expectant mothers.
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Post by lordroel on Apr 22, 2019 10:50:34 GMT
Day 235 of World War II, April 22nd 1940
Battle for Norway
The Supreme Allied War Council meets in Paris and degenerates into a political scuffle between Prime Minister Paul Reynaud and former Prime Minister Daladier. The leaders are out of touch with events on the ground and engage in wishful thinking about advancing on Oslo to route the Germans.
Norway Army Operations: The German 196th Division advancing north from Oslo captures Lillehammer and advances further up the Gudbrandsdal. The British 148th Brigade sent down to block them is forced to retreat again. They try to dig in at Faaberg, North of Lillehammer, but the German mountain troops prove that training is important when they scale the 2,165 foot Balbergkamp to sidestep the British down on the road. The British, outflanked, then retreat another 20 miles and set up a blocking position at Tretten Gorge, a narrow choke point in the Gudbrandsdal defile.
The 196th Division is advancing on Trondheim from the south, while the German 359th Infantry Division pushes south from Trondheim to meet them.
The German 181st Infantry Division and 3rd Mountain Division troops at Steinkjer are putting pressure on General de Wiart's 146th Territorial Brigade. There is fierce fighting at Vist between The Lincolnshire Regiment and King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Regiment, defending at Krogs farm, and the German 138th Mountain Regiment. In the evening, the British begin a fighting withdrawal back to the main base at Namsos. The Luftwaffe is completely crushing his base at Namsos and the British supply lines to de Wiart's troops to the south.
The German 69th Infantry troops at Bergen begin pushing east.
Norway Naval Operations
Aircraft carrier HMS Glorious departs from Scapa Flow ferrying 18 Gloster Gladiators of No. 263 Squadron for use in Norway. The Gladiators are not converted for carrier takeoffs and landings.
Norway Air Operations
The Luftwaffe bombs the British base at Namsos again. The RAF also is in operation over Norway, but they are bombers from England.
Air War over Europe
The Luftwaffe bombs Scapa Flow and lays mines along the British coast.
French reconnaissance aircraft fly over Prague on 22-23 April.
Battle of the Atlantic
Two Lockheed Hudsons spot U-43 on the surface in the North Sea and drop bombs. The U-boat receives a few nicks and carries on.
Convoy OA 134 departs from Southend, Convoy OG 27F forms at Gibraltar, and Convoy HX 37 departs from Halifax.
British corvette HMS Clarkia (Lt. Commander Frederick J. G. Jones) is commissioned.
North Africa
The newly arrived New Zealand Division conducts training exercises near El Saff.
Denmark
The Germans order the Danish army disbanded and confiscate its weapons.
British Military
Three vice chiefs of staff are appointed: John Dill as Vice Chief of the General Staff; Tom Phillips, Vice Chief of the Naval Staff; and Vice-Chief of the Air Staff Sir Richard Edmund Charles Peirse. Air Marshal William Sholto Douglas is named Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, and General Percival becomes Assistant Chief of the Imperial General Staff at the War Office.
US Navy
Rear Admiral Joseph Taussig, commandant of the Fifth Naval District at Norfolk, Virginia, testifies before a joint House-Senate committee on Pacific fortifications. He predicts that war with Japan is inevitable. The US Navy officially reprimands him and repudiates his testimony.
German occupied Poland
Germans and Poles are forbidden from entering the Jewish Ghetto of Lodz
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Post by lordroel on Apr 23, 2019 15:33:02 GMT
Day 236 of World War II, April 23rd 1940Battle for Norway
The Allied Supreme War Council continues meeting in Paris. They focus on capturing Trondheim, when British troops are retreating on two separate Norwegian fronts. The British are being cagey about Operation Hammer, the direct attack on Trondheim, which they know is a dead letter but the French still think has a chance to succeed. Norway Army Operations
In the evening, the British 15th Brigade arrives at Molde and Andalsnes. Its mission is to support the 148th Brigade, which is under heavy pressure to the south. At Tretten Gorge on the road north from Lillehammer, the German 196th Infantry Division continues attacking the British 148th Infantry Brigade, inflicting heavy casualties. German artillery is active all morning. The British are trying desperately to hold the river road, but the German panzers are decisive. Three of them break through the British line at 13:00. Mountain troops have scaled the 2165-foot cliff to bypass the British river road defenses. They circle around at at 18:00 begin attacking the British line from the rear. Map of the Battle at Tretten
 The British can't hold out and withdraw from Tretten Gorge at 19:00, bombed and strafed on the narrow river road in the Gudbrandsal. Casualties are immense: the British have lost 705 killed, wounded and captured. Only 309 remain fighting. At one point, they take refuge in a railway tunnel and a British officer comments: "700 of us and a bloody train - we're almost suffocating. "We've been stuck here all day with Germans bombing us. One direct hit on the tunnel and we're done for. Train has to keep up steam - choking." Northeast of Trondheim, the British 146th Infantry Brigade is falling back from Steinkjer under fierce Germans pressure toward its base at Namsos. So far, General de Wiart's troops have lost 19 dead, 42 wounded and 96 missing. At Hegra Fortress, the Germans continue standing back and lobbing occasional mortar shells at the fort, with Luftwaffe attacks from the nearby airport. Today a few shells destroy one of the fortress' two 7.5 cm positional guns, one of the fortress' command towers and the water line. The defenders are losing effective ways to strike back. The Germans are spreading out from Stavanger. At Ogna southeast of Stavanger, the Germans capture the vital bridge, trapping hundreds of troops. The Germans in the area accept the surrender of 1,700 Norwegian troops of the Norwegian 8th Infantry Regiment. The Polish Podhale Brigade (Chasseurs du Nord) begins moving to Norway. Air War over Europe
The Luftwaffe raided the British Home Fleet at Scapa Flow during the night, causing little damage. The Luftwaffe attacks the British positions at Andalsnes. The RAF raided Fornebu and Kjeller airports at Oslo, and also Aalborg in northern Denmark for the third night. The Luftwaffe sent a sweep of Bf 109s over Luxembourg which was met by Hurricanes. No losses on either side. Battle of the Atlantic
British ship Lolworth hits a mine and sinks in the North Sea. Kriegsmarine minesweeper M-1302 hits a mine and sinks. Royal Navy submarine Tetrarch sinks Kriegsmarine vessel UJ-B. The RAF sends 26 planes on a minelaying operation during the night. Convoy SL 29 departs from Freetown. British minesweeping trawler HMS Mangrove (A.E. Johnson) is commissioned. British Expeditionary Force
The British 46th Infantry Division moves to France. US/Canadian Relations
President Roosevelt meets with Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King in Warm Springs, Georgia. British Government
Chancellor of the Exchequer John Simon announces a new war budget (classified, of course) which means higher taxes: - Income tax raised to 7s 6d per £; - higher duties imposed on tobacco and matches, beer and spirits; - higher postal fees; - higher telegraph and telephone rates; - new purchase tax on the way. The objective is to raise an additional £2bn for the war, an unheard-of figure. Sir Stafford Cripps returns to London after his visits to the USSR, India and China. Australia Coal miners have been on strike since early March, and Prime Minister Menzies reminds them that there's a war on. He states that he may resort to force to reopen the mines.
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Post by lordroel on Apr 24, 2019 14:03:54 GMT
Day 237 of World War II, April 24th 1940
Battle for Norway
The Nazis, bypassing Quisling, on 24 April 1940 appoint Josef Antonius Heinrich Terboven as Reichskommissar or Gauleiter of Norway. Naturally, his authority ends at the range of German guns.
U.S. Naval Attaché Lt. Commander Ole E. Hagen, taking up where the deceased Robert E. Losey left off, escorts a party of American citizens evacuated from Oslo to the interior of Norway. Then, they cross into neutral Sweden and safety in Stockholm.
Norway Army Operations
German troops in eastern Norway advance past Lillehammer in the Osterdal and reach Rendal.
The British 15th Infantry Brigade (General Bernard Paget) lands at Andalsnes moves quickly to take up a blocking position at Kvam. The troops have been cooped up in the ships since the 15th.
The German 196th Infantry Division has crushed the British 148th Infantry Brigade, which, down to about 300 men, retires past the Paget's troops at Kvam to Otta. Otta is another key road junction in the chain of defiles that bisect Norway. The Germans are hot on the heels of the 148th Infantry Brigade and run into the fresh 15th Infantry Brigade.
At Hegra Fortress, the incessant German bombardment continues. Today, the Germans knock out the second and last of the 7.5 cm guns in the fortress, making it even less of a threat to the Germans. After this point, the Germans use an assortment of unusual or captured weaponry to gradually wear down this non-threatening nuisance.
At Narvik, the Norwegian 6th Brigade (General Carl Gustav Fleischer) attacks south towards Narvik at Gratangsbotn. The German mountain troops under General Dietl hold the attack at Lapphaug Pass. The crafty Germans circle back through an undefended pass near Gratangsbotn on Fjordbotneidet mountain and ambush the Norwegians, who have relaxed for the night. The Germans kill 34, wound 64, take 130 prisoners and set up a new position at Gratangsbotn, for casualties of their own of 9 dead and 16 wounded. The Germans at Narvik are elite troops, with high morale and well-led.
Norway Naval Operations
British battleship Warspite, which had been devastating during the Second Battle of Narvik, returns there with cruisers HMS Effingham, Enterprise and Aurora, and destroyer Zulu (they are screened by British destroyers HMS Encounter, Escort, Faulknor, Foxhound, Havock, Hero, Hostile and Polish destroyers Blyskawica and Grom). The battleship force, under the command of Admiral of the Fleet Lord Cork, once again boldly sails up the Ofotfjord and bombards Narvik again for three hours and point-blank range. HMS Effingham sinks captured British cargo ship Riverton at the dock.
However, the accompanying cruiser Vindictive, which is loaded with troops for a landing, does not land its troops after the commanding British army General cancels the landing. Here is where it gets controversial: despite the devastating firepower assembled, it is said that the flat trajectory of the ships' fire does not sufficiently eliminate the enemy according to the standard story.
Many thus later blame Cork for the failed invasion at Narvik, because he is an easy target who has been brought back off the retired list and has seniority over everybody else, so nobody dares to question him. However, the British are facing determined German troops who do not easily succumb. Both Cork - no pansy - and General Orrey in command of the ground troops actually go ashore, but they find that the snow makes the landing too difficult against mountain troops dug in all over the fjord. It is impossible to square the legend - that the fleet approached too close to town to destroy the defenders - with the reality that it was the ground commander who called off the invasion due to the weather conditions.
Three French destroyers in the Skagerrak battle German patrol boats and also fend off Luftwaffe attacks.
Air War over Europe
The RAF raids five Luftwaffe airfields which are supporting German ground operations in Norway: Aalborg, Kristiansand, Oslo, Stavanger, and Westerland on island of Sylt. During the raid, the RAF sinks two German patrol boats north of Sylt. Luftwaffe fighters challenge the British bombers over Stavanger.
The RAF conducts armed reconnaissance over Trondheim Fjord.
HMS Glorious sends its cargo of 18 No. 263 Squadron Gloster Gladiators to frozen Lake Lesjaskogsvatnet, between Andalsnes and Dombås. The operation once again shows poor planning, as the lake base has no anti-aircraft support.
The Luftwaffe bombs Åndalsnes during the day. They badly damage the British anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Curacoa with a bomb which crashes through the deck in front of the bridge, explodes, and kills 45 men and wounds 36. The ship has to withdraw to Chatham.
Royal Navy aircraft carrier Ark Royal sends its Fleet Air Arm aircraft into battle against German fighters over Trondheim.
The Luftwaffe bombs Scapa Flow during the night. After dropping some bombs on land and machine-gunning a road, the RAF and anti-aircraft drives them off.
Battle of the Atlantic
U-23 spots British cruiser HMS York while it is steaming back to Scapa Flow after having deposited Paget's troops at Åndalsnes. Despite two attempts, the U-boat fails to hit the fast cruiser.
British freighters Stokesley and Rydal Forces hit mines in the English Channel and sink.
Convoy OA 135G departs from Southend, Convoy OB 134 departs from Liverpool, and Convoy OB 135 departs from Liverpool.
German armed auxiliary cruiser Orion sinks British freighter Haxby east of Bermuda.
China
At Macao, the Japanese force the police to retreat into the Portuguese colony.
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Post by lordroel on Apr 25, 2019 14:18:50 GMT
Day 238 of World War II, April 25th 1940
Battle for Norway
Norway Army Operations
In the Gudbrandsdal leading north from Lillehammer, the British 15th Brigade and attached Norwegian units delay the advancing 196th Infantry Division Wehrmacht troops. General Paget's 3000 troops first advance to Kvam, 55 km south of the key intersection of Dombås. The advancing German 196th Division under General Pellengahr has 8,500 motorized infantry, along supporting tanks, artillery and Luftwaffe support. The Neubaufahrzeug heavy tanks go into action and one is put out of action by the British 25 mm anti-tank guns, which also destroy a light tank and an armoured car. For the time being, the line at Kvam holds.
To the east, in the Osterdal, the Germans also advance.
At Hegra Fortress, the German shelling and Luftwaffe attacks continue. The Luftwaffe utilizes a seaplane carrying a 1,800 kg (4,000 lb) bomb. The bomb destroys the area surrounding the fortress and sends shrapnel flying literally for kilometers.
Norway Air Operations
The Luftwaffe attacks the new RAF Gloster Gladiator base at Lake Lesjaskog outside Andalsnes throughout the day. In between, they give some support to the British at Kvam.
In the morning, a lone Heinkel He 111 of Stab/LG1 drops its bombs and destroys four Gladiators and injures three pilots, including Squadron Leader John William Donaldson (concussion). At 13:05, another bombing attacks destroys four more Gladiators. Two of the Gladiators get airborne and bring down a Heinkel at 14:00 south of Vinstra, near Dombås. They then damage another Heinkel from 6/LG1, wounding two of the crew. The last five useable Gladiators are then withdrawn north to a temporary landing ground at Stetnesmoen, near Åndalsnes. The pilots then shoot down a Heinkel of II/LG1 which had been attacking British shipping near Andalsnes. Another of the Gladiators is destroyed during the evening.
The Luftwaffe attacks and sinks three British armed trawlers at the base at Andalsnes: HMS Bradman, Hammond and Larwood.
The RAF sends 18 planes to bomb Oslo and Stavanger.
Battle of the Atlantic
British vessel Margam Abbey hits a mine and sinks in the Thames estuary.
RAF bomber command attempts a minelaying operation with 28 aircraft that does not get to its target location. The Luftwaffe night fighter force downs one of the bombers.
Convoy OA 136 departs from Southend, Convoy OB 136 departs from Liverpool.
Finnish/Swedish Relations
Sweden proposes a joint defense of the Aland Islands with Finland. The dominant powers in the Baltic, the Germans and Soviets, immediately raise objections.
US Navy
The aircraft carrier USS Wasp (CV 7, Captain John W. Reeves, Jr.) is commissioned.
US Government
President Roosevelt issues a proclamation recognizing the state of war between Germany and Norway. He also issues proclamations barring Norwegian submarines from US territorial waters and extending the Neutrality Act to cover the situation.
Canada
Canadian troops serving in the BEF hold a ceremony honoring the battle of Vimy Ridge, where they fought the Germans 23 years earlier.
Australia
The nation honors Anzac Day on its 25th anniversary, with Australian troops currently in Egypt.
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Post by stevep on Apr 25, 2019 16:12:52 GMT
Day 238 of World War II, April 25th 1940The Luftwaffe attacks and sinks three British armed trawlers at the base at Andalsnes: HMS Bradman, Hammond and Larwood.
I must admit the names gave me a bit of a grin. Although I don't know if the Aussies are happy with the Don only rating a trawler.  |
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Post by lordroel on Apr 25, 2019 16:43:20 GMT
Day 238 of World War II, April 25th 1940The Luftwaffe attacks and sinks three British armed trawlers at the base at Andalsnes: HMS Bradman, Hammond and Larwood. I must admit the names gave me a bit of a grin. Although I don't know if the Aussies are happy with the Don only rating a trawler. Well it seems they where only armed with one 4" gun, not smart for the Royal Navy to send them out without at least a escort which could provide adequate AA cover. |
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Post by stevep on Apr 25, 2019 23:28:46 GMT
I must admit the names gave me a bit of a grin. Although I don't know if the Aussies are happy with the Don only rating a trawler. Well it seems they where only armed with one 4" gun, not smart for the Royal Navy to send them out without at least a escort which could provide adequate AA cover.
Sounds like they were basically aimed at trying to protect small coastal convoys from surfacing U boats as not really good for anything else. Definitely shouldn't have been sent into range of enemy a/c.  |
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Post by lordroel on Apr 26, 2019 12:12:45 GMT
Well it seems they where only armed with one 4" gun, not smart for the Royal Navy to send them out without at least a escort which could provide adequate AA cover. Sounds like they were basically aimed at trying to protect small coastal convoys from surfacing U boats as not really good for anything else. Definitely shouldn't have been sent into range of enemy a/c. Looking at the Battle for Norway so far, a lot of things should have not happen ore should have happened completely different. |
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Post by lordroel on Apr 26, 2019 12:21:39 GMT
Day 239 of World War II, April 26th 1940
Battle for 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 this day 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 armoured 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 of reports of the British 15th Infantry Brigade having come 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 pilots board ships at Åndalsnes.
The Luftwaffe attacks on the port are to good purpose. 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.
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Post by eurowatch on Apr 26, 2019 13:54:49 GMT
Sounds like they were basically aimed at trying to protect small coastal convoys from surfacing U boats as not really good for anything else. Definitely shouldn't have been sent into range of enemy a/c. Looking at the Battle for Norway so far, a lot of things should have not happen ore should have happened completely different. Of course. It is completly impossible that the Germans are led by competent Commanders and are mostly steamrolling the Allies instead of brave British and Norwegians making heroic last stands against ebul Germans who throw themselves at the enemy lines regardless of casulties. And Hitler letting his generals do their job instead of trying to micromanage everything is completly fantasy. |
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Post by stevep on Apr 26, 2019 14:00:08 GMT
Looking at the Battle for Norway so far, a lot of things should have not happen ore should have happened completely different. Of course. It is completly impossible that the Germans are led by competent Commanders and are mostly steamrolling the Allies instead of brave British and Norwegians making heroic last stands against ebul Germans who throw themselves at the enemy lines regardless of casulties. And Hitler letting his generals do their job instead of trying to micromanage everything is completly fantasy.
Odd. I put in a couple of question marks because I didn't understand your point and it came up with the above emote?
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Post by stevep on Apr 26, 2019 14:02:40 GMT
Sounds like they were basically aimed at trying to protect small coastal convoys from surfacing U boats as not really good for anything else. Definitely shouldn't have been sent into range of enemy a/c. Looking at the Battle for Norway so far, a lot of things should have not happen ore should have happened completely different.
There's always things that could have been done differently. Unfortunately Britain was still blundering into getting really mentally prepared and organised for war, especially of this sort and the French seem to have had similar problems. Once the Germans have secured Denmark and the region in the south around Oslo it would have been difficult to secure an allied victory, especially given what we know is coming in the low countries.
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Post by eurowatch on Apr 26, 2019 14:29:31 GMT
Of course. It is completly impossible that the Germans are led by competent Commanders and are mostly steamrolling the Allies instead of brave British and Norwegians making heroic last stands against ebul Germans who throw themselves at the enemy lines regardless of casulties. And Hitler letting his generals do their job instead of trying to micromanage everything is completly fantasy.
Odd. I put in a couple of question marks because I didn't understand your point and it came up with the above emote?
It was a joke about how People often tend to think WW2 went instead of how it actually went. Like how Saving Private Ryan has become the standard Impression of how People view D-Day. |
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Post by lordroel on Apr 27, 2019 10:13:55 GMT
Day 240 of World War II, April 27th 1940
YouTube clip (Norway is Burning)
Battle for Norway
German Foreign Minister Joachim Ribbentrop makes an address about recent diplomatic events. He justifies Operation Weserubung due to a conspiracy of Germany's enemies in Norway, which includes not only the Allied powers but Norway itself. The conspiracy, he claims, is proved by documents in his possession showing that the British intended to invade Norway. Tellingly, he does not even mention Denmark.
With lightning speed for diplomatic relations, British Air Minister Sir Samuel responds to Ribbentrop's speech the same day:
“I need only to say that it is a despicable to say that we have ever plotted against any neutral country and it is sickening hypocrisy when this charge is made by the murderer of Czechoslovakia and Poland.”
The truth lies somewhere in between. The British have not "plotted against" Norway, for sure, because they strenuously sought the country's approval prior to landing an expeditionary force. However, the British and French also very much intended at various points to occupy at least parts of Norway - and Sweden. Those reasons were decidedly inimical to the military interests of their adversary, Germany.
The British War Cabinet discusses a potential evacuation from Norway. Reports from the field are increasingly dire. General Hugh Massy, Deputy Chief of the Imperial Staff, reports to the Military Coordination Committee (MCC), led by First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill (in PM Chamberlain's absence), that an evacuation is advisable. The MCC "agreed that the evacuation was to take place." In the chain of events leading to formal approval of the evacuation, this is the key link.
King Haakon is quoted in today's "The War Illustrated": "I will stay as long as there is 1 inch of Norwegian soil." General Ruge continues his optimistic line in his order of the day: "The time for retreating is past! Stand fast- and victory shall be ours!"
German-controlled Oslo radio announces that there now exists a state of war between Germany and Norway. Apparently, the mission is no longer to just protect Norway from the British. This causes some amusement in Norwegian circles, but also some trepidation at what else the Germans might be capable of doing.
Norway Army Operations
At Åndalsnes, port commander Brigadier Boggs reports that the situation is hopeless without air cover or anti-aircraft batteries. There is great disagreement about this within the British military, and General Paget, Boggs' superior, violently disagrees because his troops are fighting well.
Paget's 15th Brigade troops at Kjorem in the Gudbrandsdal hold out throughout the day, then make an orderly withdrawal 17 km north to a fortified line at Otta.
To the east, near the Swedish border, the other main Wehrmacht thrust north in the Østerdal valley, Oberst Fischer’s Kampfgruppe composed of the 196th Division, makes good progress. They are now at Alvdal, within 60 miles of the key road/rail junction of Dombås. Capture of Dombås would effectively encircle the 15th Brigade, and there are few troops to bar the way.
The French 27th Demi-Brigade de Chasseurs Alpins takes up positions at Harstad near Narvik.
Norway Naval Operations
The British transfer the light cruiser HMS Calcutta from Namsos to Åndalsnes to replace the damaged HMS Curacoa, which has been escorted back to England. This helps the air defense of Åndalsnes at the expense of Namsos. Admiral Forbes, Commander-in-chief of the Home Fleet on board HMS Rodney, recommends using the RAF and land batteries for air protection due to risk and logistical problems. His recommendation is disregarded as the higher commands begin to accept the idea of evacuation.
Norwegian Air Operations
It is a time for decisions as to how much effort to give Norway. Squadron Leader Ian Cross flies to Åndalsnes in a Sunderland flying boat and reports to the Air Ministry that Hawker Hurricanes could operate from Setnesmoen near Åndalsnes and recommends their immediate deployment. The Air Ministry, with knowledge of the MCC decision to evacuate, rejects the suggestion.
The three remaining Gloster Gladiators at Andalsnes have been destroyed and there is no local air cover.
The Luftwaffe bombs a Royal Navy supply convoy as it approaches Åndalsnes. The attack forces the convoy, which is carrying anti-aircraft batteries, to turn away.
German Military
Hitler, "beaming with confidence" while contemplating events in Norway, tentatively sets the date for Fall Gelb, the invasion of France and the Low Countries, for May 7th.
Battle of the Atlantic
The Luftwaffe sinks British freighter Galena in the English Channel.
Convoy OA 137 departs from Southend.
Destroyer USS Walke (Lt. Commander Carl H. Sanders, Jr.) is commissioned.
U-102 (Kapitänleutnant Harro von Klot-Heydenfeldt) is commissioned.
British Military
The government lowers the age for military registration from 27 to 26.
Latin America
The Inter-American Neutrality Committee meets in Rio de Janeiro.
New Zealand
More troops embark for Egypt.
Soviet occupied Poland
In 29 days, Vasily Blokhin has shot over 7,000 Polish officers interned at the Ostashkov prisoner of war camp as part of the Katyn Forest Massacre. Today, he is given a medal for it, the Order of the Red Banner for his "skill and organization in the effective carrying out of special tasks."
German occupied Poland
SS-Reichsfuhrer Heinrich Himmler orders construction of Auschwitz at the Silesian town of Oswiecim in Poland. The Nazis have changed the name of the location to "Auschwitz."
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