Hitler’s Pre-Emptive War: The Battle for Norway, 1940 by Henrik Lunde (popular e readers .TXT) 📗

Weserübung Süd, under General Kaupisch, was subordinate to von Falkenhorst until April 12 when it was placed under OKH.

2 The Battle Fleet operated under the orders of Group West in the North Sea but directly under OKM for operations in the Atlantic.

3 The submarine command was subordinate to OKM but parts were under the operational control of the Fleet Commander during fleet operations.

4 Boehm was subordinate to von Falkenhorst within Norway but he was subordinate to OKM for naval operations.

5 General Dietl (3rd Mountain Division) operated directly under OKW in the period April 18 to May 5.

6 General von Falkenhorst did not command the air forces in Norway. General Milch’s 5th Air Fleet absorbed Air Corps X as well as the territorial air commands within Norway. Geissler was not subordinate to Falkenhorst. Theoretically, all requests had to go through the chain of command but after the establishment of regional air commands, many requests were handled laterally between army and air force commands.

Norwegian Command Structure1

1 This is the command structure in North Norway that became effective after the reorganization in late May. Before hostilities, the army and navy commanders (General Laake and Admiral Diesen) reported directly to the Ministry of Defense and General Fleischer, like the other division commanders, reported to the army commander. After hostilities commenced, Fleischer became commander-in-chief in North Norway and reported directly to the Ministry of Defense.

2 While commander-in-chief of the armed forces, General Ruge continued to also occupy the position as commander of the army. The two headquarters operated as one.

3 Admiral Diesen had placed himself and his forces under General Ruge’s command during the campaign in Central Norway. The May reorganization made this arrangement official.

4 As a result of the reorganization, 6th District Command became the army’s support organization, responsible for supporting all army organizations. It was directed to separate out a staff, which would concentrate its efforts on supporting General Fleischer’s forces.

OPERATIONAL CODE NAMES

Alphabet

Allied evacuation of Narvik in May/June 1940.

Avonmouth

Planned Allied expedition to Narvik and the Swedish iron ore districts.

Biene

German operation to clear out Norwegian naval units along the Nordland coast and open a coastal supply route for General Feurstein’s forces..

Büffel

German relief operation through the mountains between Bodø and Narvik.

Catherine

Plan for British fleet in the Baltic to sever German’s supply of Swedish iron ore.

Juno

German naval operation against shipping off North Norway.

Hammer

Planned Allied attack on Trondheim.

Maurice

Allied operation against Trondheim from Namsos. Force involved was called

Mauriceforce

.

Naumburg

German plan to land forces in West Finnmark and Bardufoss for relief to Narvik.

Plymouth

Allied plan for operations against the Germans in southern Sweden.

R4

Allied plan to occupy Narvik, Trondheim, Bergen, and Stavanger in conjunction with Operation

Wilfred

when German intention to land in Norway was evident.

Royal Marine

Allied plan to drop mines in the Rhine River and its channels simultaneous with Operation

Wilfred

.

Rupert

Allied operations to recapture Narvik. Units involved were labeled Rupertforce.

Scissorforce

British Independent Companies operating in Nordland Province.

Sickle

Operation against Trondheim from Åndalsnes. Force was labeled

Sickleforce

.

Stratford

Allied plan in February 1940 to occupy Trondheim, Bergen, and Stavanger

Weserübung

German operations against Denmark and Norway.

Weserübung Sud

= Denmark and

Weserübung Nord

= Norway.

Wildente

German amphibious and air assault operation against Hemnesberget.

Wilfred

Allied mining operations in Norwegian territorial waters.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

The Norwegian language contains three letters–æ, ø, and å–that appear at the end of its alphabet. To avoid confusion, they are given here in the English language alphabetical order.

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*Deutsch, Harold C. The Conspiracy against Hitler in the Twilight War. Minneapolis: