Would love to hear more about Norway during World War II. It was Liberated by the Soviets and British forces in different part and was one of the last German outposts in the war. There is very little info about this topic and it would be very interesting to here more stories about this.
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Hi Welcome to the forum. Norway is an interesting case indeed, while no huge land battles took place it was wildly important. Notably keeping open the Murmansk route to Russia and the sinking of the Tirpitz in Tromso. (I toured those places including Svalbard 12 years ago.
What I understood was that the French SAS who liberated part of the Netherlands was tagged to liberated Norway as well as after the “crazed fanatics” fighting in Berlin to the last gave the impression that Norway would do the same. Sounds preposterous now but on the other hand my grandma who was forced to work in Germany told me a German woman who got bother here sons killed in the Army was ecstatic that they had gone to heaven.
Luckily the Germans in Norway gave up.
Well welcome again and hope you enjoy it let me/us know should there be any queries
Chew/Marc
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Strategically Norway was an important goal for the allies due to its abundant natural resources that Hitlers war machine required.
Throughout the war Norway was discussed many times and several raids did take place there throughout the war. Hitler was worried enough that over 300,000 German troops were stationed there throughout the war and he refused to remove any of them even when his officers pleaded with him for more troops that is how important it was to Hitler.
Norway was also one of the very few countries that could make heavy water for atomic weaponry as well and that facility was targeted by the allies numerous times through bombings and raids which ultimately succeeded in ending Hitlers attempts at an atomic weapon.
During the Dday landings Norway was considered as a diversionary target to bleed off German troops from Europe to Norway but was ultimately scrapped.
What made Norway so enticing as a target also deterred the allies from making a serious attempt at landing at Norway and that is its geography. The defenders held all the cards due to impassible Fjords to high and steep hillsides. The few suitable areas for landings were either heavily defended or deemed too dangerous due to heavy seas and unpredictable weather. Basically Norway was the perfect fortress which lead the allies to rethink Norway on many occasions.
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