Post by 575 on Apr 17, 2024 16:00:07 GMT
March 1941
Sweden and Finland announced that the two countries had entered a bi-lateral agreement as a defensive military pact which was to secure the territories of both nations from any territorial ambitions of outside powers – a clear hint at the Soviet Union.
There had been quite a lot of activity in Scandinavia during Winter 1940-41; the three Kings of Sweden, Denmark and Norway had held meetings in each of the three Kingdoms and the Swedish King had paid a visit to the Finn President who had been on an official visit to Stockholm.
The Swedish Bofors and Landsverk Factories was busy as Norway wanted Landsverk Tanks, Denmark Landsverk Armoured Cars and all wanted Bofors Guns.
There was some rumours of Danish and Norwegian Naval officers visiting Finland possibly regarding shipbuilding programmes or regarding experiences of naval warfare gained during Neutrality Watch in the North Sea and Northeastern Atlantic among these Submarines and Mine countermeasures.
The various Intelligence Services knew well that the Scandinavian Military Staffs had a communications network running that had been around in rudimentary form prior to the War but seemed to have formalized during the War in the West.
OKW had been contacted by the Finn's regarding this and was receiving information too though usually rather late in the process.
MI6 knew from its Danish and Norwegian contacts that the network existed on the highest Staff level in all four countries and had also been able to exchange some experiences on German Submarine activity and Mine-warfare. The Danes had acquired quite some experience in handling the various types of German mines that had washed ashore mainly in Jutland but also the Norwegians in Southern Norway had some experience too.
It was also known that there was a kind of cooperation with the Dutch; Denmark, Sweden and Finland were all building Fokker G-1 Recce/Light-Dive Bombers resulting in some exchange of ideas and experiences.
The Soviets had also found that stuff was going on and with their extensive Embassy Staff in Sweden had gotten wind of the Swedish-Finn negotiations; it seemed to be the sudden turnaround in the relationship of the Soviet Union vis-a-vis the Finns during Winter when the political rhetoric of expansion of Otto Kuusinens Soviet Karelian Republic suddenly became quite low voiced.
There had been German advances towards the Scandinavians too; Germany still wanted to trade industrial output, agricultural produce, fish and iron/metal ore as well as cellulose from Scandinavia offering mainly coal and electronics in return.
Thus Scandinavia had become a busy field of several Intelligence agencies.
To the horror of the OKW Hitler when told of the Swedish-Finn bi-lateral agreement ordered the 7 Flieger Division and 22 Airlanding Divisions to East Prussia to carry out an airlift to Finland! Even Göring was gobsmacked.
Hitler was certain based on some reports from Radio Intelligence Units in the East that the Soviets were shifting units around for a new Finland war and wanted to secure Scandinavia for Germany.
Some information had been leaked to the Scandinavians with the Danish Navy and Norwegian Army being partially alerted; the Norwegians had formed a new Tank Company to reinforce the Lapland Brigade that was carrying out manouevres as was the Swedish Norrland Division on their side of the border.
The Finn's had asked the other Scandinavians of receiving civilians once again if conditions require such and had been asked of how many.
OKW was assured that the Scandinavians wouldn't just fold and with such an operation being a one-way mission without possibility of extraction once engaged because of lack of aircraft range and only old ships of the Kriegsmarine in the Baltic to support which even Reader was against. Hitler was up against all three Services.
OKW also informed Hitler that the Airborne Force was to be instrumental in the next offensive on the Western Front and deploying it into Scandinavia would waste the potential totally – Goering for once was on the side of OKW and his own Airstaff.
Even in the present situation of defeat OKW was still hoping to hold off the WAllied crossing the Rhine. Squandering elite troops on such an impossible scheme was just lunacy.
The development in Scandinavia prompted a renewed WAllied feeler to the Soviet Union. This time the answer was not long in coming. Molotov would meet the WAllied delegates in Turkey.
Sweden and Finland announced that the two countries had entered a bi-lateral agreement as a defensive military pact which was to secure the territories of both nations from any territorial ambitions of outside powers – a clear hint at the Soviet Union.
There had been quite a lot of activity in Scandinavia during Winter 1940-41; the three Kings of Sweden, Denmark and Norway had held meetings in each of the three Kingdoms and the Swedish King had paid a visit to the Finn President who had been on an official visit to Stockholm.
The Swedish Bofors and Landsverk Factories was busy as Norway wanted Landsverk Tanks, Denmark Landsverk Armoured Cars and all wanted Bofors Guns.
There was some rumours of Danish and Norwegian Naval officers visiting Finland possibly regarding shipbuilding programmes or regarding experiences of naval warfare gained during Neutrality Watch in the North Sea and Northeastern Atlantic among these Submarines and Mine countermeasures.
The various Intelligence Services knew well that the Scandinavian Military Staffs had a communications network running that had been around in rudimentary form prior to the War but seemed to have formalized during the War in the West.
OKW had been contacted by the Finn's regarding this and was receiving information too though usually rather late in the process.
MI6 knew from its Danish and Norwegian contacts that the network existed on the highest Staff level in all four countries and had also been able to exchange some experiences on German Submarine activity and Mine-warfare. The Danes had acquired quite some experience in handling the various types of German mines that had washed ashore mainly in Jutland but also the Norwegians in Southern Norway had some experience too.
It was also known that there was a kind of cooperation with the Dutch; Denmark, Sweden and Finland were all building Fokker G-1 Recce/Light-Dive Bombers resulting in some exchange of ideas and experiences.
The Soviets had also found that stuff was going on and with their extensive Embassy Staff in Sweden had gotten wind of the Swedish-Finn negotiations; it seemed to be the sudden turnaround in the relationship of the Soviet Union vis-a-vis the Finns during Winter when the political rhetoric of expansion of Otto Kuusinens Soviet Karelian Republic suddenly became quite low voiced.
There had been German advances towards the Scandinavians too; Germany still wanted to trade industrial output, agricultural produce, fish and iron/metal ore as well as cellulose from Scandinavia offering mainly coal and electronics in return.
Thus Scandinavia had become a busy field of several Intelligence agencies.
To the horror of the OKW Hitler when told of the Swedish-Finn bi-lateral agreement ordered the 7 Flieger Division and 22 Airlanding Divisions to East Prussia to carry out an airlift to Finland! Even Göring was gobsmacked.
Hitler was certain based on some reports from Radio Intelligence Units in the East that the Soviets were shifting units around for a new Finland war and wanted to secure Scandinavia for Germany.
Some information had been leaked to the Scandinavians with the Danish Navy and Norwegian Army being partially alerted; the Norwegians had formed a new Tank Company to reinforce the Lapland Brigade that was carrying out manouevres as was the Swedish Norrland Division on their side of the border.
The Finn's had asked the other Scandinavians of receiving civilians once again if conditions require such and had been asked of how many.
OKW was assured that the Scandinavians wouldn't just fold and with such an operation being a one-way mission without possibility of extraction once engaged because of lack of aircraft range and only old ships of the Kriegsmarine in the Baltic to support which even Reader was against. Hitler was up against all three Services.
OKW also informed Hitler that the Airborne Force was to be instrumental in the next offensive on the Western Front and deploying it into Scandinavia would waste the potential totally – Goering for once was on the side of OKW and his own Airstaff.
Even in the present situation of defeat OKW was still hoping to hold off the WAllied crossing the Rhine. Squandering elite troops on such an impossible scheme was just lunacy.
The development in Scandinavia prompted a renewed WAllied feeler to the Soviet Union. This time the answer was not long in coming. Molotov would meet the WAllied delegates in Turkey.
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