Norwegian Campaign

The Norwegian Campaign was a World War II military campaign conducted by the Wehrmacht in Norway. It began on April 9, 1940, when the German XXI Corps, commanded by General Nikolaus von Falkenhorst, landed on the shores of the Drøbak Narrows, near Oslo. Simultaneously, German airborne troops landed at Oslo airport Fornebu, Kristiansand airport Kjevik, and Sola Air Station.

Germany's main reason for launching this invasion of Norway and Denmark was to secure its northern flank, preventing the Allies from using these Scandinavian countries as a springboard for an attack on Germany. The other reason for initiating the Norwegian Campaign was the fact that German industry depended on Swedish iron ore, which was shipped mainly from the Norwegian port of Narvik. Norway was also important to Germany because Norwegian air bases allowed German reconnaissance aircraft to operate far over the North Atlantic, while German U-boats and surface ships operating out of Norwegian naval bases were able to break the British blockade line across the North Sea and attack convoys heading to Great Britain. 

The Royal family, the Cabinet Nygaardsvold and the Parliament were evacuated and went to England, along with the national treasury. As a result, Norway officially never surrendered to the Germans, leaving the Quisling government illegitimate and permitting Norway to participate as an Ally in the war, rather than as a conquered nation. The German military operation which started the invasion of Norway and Denmark was code named Operation Weserübung, or Unternehmen Weserübung in German.

In order to help Norway, a Franco-British expeditionary force landed in northern Norway. The German 214th Infantry Division along with two regiments from the elite 3rd Mountain Division (3. Gebirg-Division) fought against Allied troops northward from Oslo. British, French, and Norwegian troops units could only managed to temporarily stop the Germans, but they were finally defeated by the superior Wehrmacht units and surrendered. It was the first military engagement between British Army and Wehrmacht in World War II. The Norwegian Campaign ended on June 10, 1940, with the complete occupation of Norway by Germany.

Below, German troops in Norway in mid April 1940