The German navy was so badly damaged during the invasion of Norway that it was unable to play any role in the attack on France and the subsequent evacuation of Dunkirk. The sacrifices by the Norwegians made it possible for England to hold out in 1940-1 and stop Hitler from conquering the world.
A Norwegian friend once mentioned to me that as the government retreated from Oslo they had no armed guards and the Germans were in hot pursuit. They did have a local gun and hunting club who formed partisan-like bands to harass and slow down the German advance long enough for the government to escape. So old men, young recruits, and armed civilians stymied a powerful modern force. When happy hour rolls around this afternoon, have a drink in their honor.
If I may, I visited Norway last July/August, as I wanted to see Spitsbergen, Narvik and other places…heartily recommend it if you can afford it. The people are great. I wanted to move there…alas, obligations back home.
I had the privilege of visiting Oslo some years back while in command of my last ship. Wonderful people. The Norwegian Admiral there too me on a tour of the fortresses and gave me a complete narration. Really impressive!! As an aside we were there at the solstice----can remember wandering around in the daylight wondering why I was tired, then looked at my watch to realize it was 0300!
Interestingly enough, two Investigative Commissions ran Eriksen through a post war wringer after he was accused of surrendering without putting up sufficient fight. Pretty amusing in the light of Kabul.
Yeah. Post war is the key here. Interestingly enough, Norway was desperately trying to remain neutral--or at least unattacked by Germany. As a result, Germany was running convoys of strategic good from Sweden through Norway's territorial waters. The British were mining those waters. Some really interesting actions during that period: Cossack versus Altmark ("The Navy's here") , Glowworn versus Hipper etc.
Seconded! Have both but honestly the only reason I got the AR was that all the right people/groups were telling me I couldn’t & shouldn’t have one so - as a result - I got one. An ergonomic nightmare I must say especially when compared to the beefy wood stocks of an M-1 Garand/K98/SMLE/M39; take one of those any day over the Mattel toy-like polymer construct of an AR. Heavier & better rounds too.
Yes, all of us elderly vets like those old firearms, for various reasons. However, when I pick up a vintage firearm today, I have to admit they were never that heavy when I was younger.
Yes, indeed it does. I only weighed 135# when I qualified with the M1 and M1911, and I could handle them comfortably from any firing position. 55 years later, I just don't have the strength or the stamina. I'm not really in love with the M4 or the M9, but at least I can carry and handle them comfortably.
At a couple of my deer stands where I cannot take a shot further than 100 yards, I will now and then take a standard issue 1943 production K98 with my hand loaded 170gr Hornady SST. It is really the only iron sited rifle I own that consistently comes up to my shoulder almost perfectly armed.
The K98 is my all time fave; have an all matching 1936 model from the Mauser home factory in Oberndorf; never saw frontline action - the bolt is still factory tight. Was a World War II Vet bring back. Can nail quarters with it @ 50yrds & I’m using Turkish surplus ammo!!!
As an "old guy" realize the US Army and AF are coveting those "old guys" to fill the ranks of the non-recruited. As my old man USA colonel once told me "the poor guy on the other end of well-placed shot has no idea he has been nailed by a geriatric".
Along with the bravery, there's a lot of myth making and guilt among the Western European nations that fell to the Germans early in the war, reflected in fairly recent movies. Most countries fell to the Germans quickly and had a significant collaborationist stance until the tide of the war turned.
Never discount Norskies. We are Vikings, after all!
The German navy was so badly damaged during the invasion of Norway that it was unable to play any role in the attack on France and the subsequent evacuation of Dunkirk. The sacrifices by the Norwegians made it possible for England to hold out in 1940-1 and stop Hitler from conquering the world.
To be fair...most of that damage was done by the RN...it wasn't the RNoN wiping the German Destroyer fleet out at Narvik...
Rule Britannia!
For those who haven't seen it, this Scottish documentarian posted his YouTube video a few weeks back. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAWwW_wdXAg
https://www.kbismarck.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=429
A Norwegian friend once mentioned to me that as the government retreated from Oslo they had no armed guards and the Germans were in hot pursuit. They did have a local gun and hunting club who formed partisan-like bands to harass and slow down the German advance long enough for the government to escape. So old men, young recruits, and armed civilians stymied a powerful modern force. When happy hour rolls around this afternoon, have a drink in their honor.
A great argument against gun control.
I don't call it "gun control" anymore, but rather "citizen disarmament."
Our elites call it disarming the peasants.
Disarming their future victims.
The Marxists prefer to call it “gun safety”.
Makes sense. The Marxists will be very safe when everyone else is disarmed. Castro’s first act was to seize all private firearms.
That part of the war is a blank to me but not now. Thanks for posting. Now I have to read up on the war in Norway.
You may enjoy "The Heavy Water War" as well (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3280150/)
If I may, I visited Norway last July/August, as I wanted to see Spitsbergen, Narvik and other places…heartily recommend it if you can afford it. The people are great. I wanted to move there…alas, obligations back home.
I had the privilege of visiting Oslo some years back while in command of my last ship. Wonderful people. The Norwegian Admiral there too me on a tour of the fortresses and gave me a complete narration. Really impressive!! As an aside we were there at the solstice----can remember wandering around in the daylight wondering why I was tired, then looked at my watch to realize it was 0300!
Interestingly enough, two Investigative Commissions ran Eriksen through a post war wringer after he was accused of surrendering without putting up sufficient fight. Pretty amusing in the light of Kabul.
It’s always easy for those not under fire to critcize those who were and who had to make a decision without perfect hindsight.
Yeah. Post war is the key here. Interestingly enough, Norway was desperately trying to remain neutral--or at least unattacked by Germany. As a result, Germany was running convoys of strategic good from Sweden through Norway's territorial waters. The British were mining those waters. Some really interesting actions during that period: Cossack versus Altmark ("The Navy's here") , Glowworn versus Hipper etc.
Sailing past the wreck made an impression on me as a young conning officer on our DD headed to Oslo. Indeed it was a great port to visit.
Sal?
Who are you calling an armoured Cruiser? The Lutzow? At the time of the battle, the Germans called her a heavy cruiser. laid down in 1929.
one of the most inspirational battles in history.
The full movie is on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrtZEYgcaIk. I've added it to my watchlist.
Thanks for this "rerun", Sal! One of my favorites.
As an old guy with old hardware (yes I can speak of M1903's and M1's with some familiarity) I find such history ... motivating. Off for a hike!
I wouldn't hesitate to grab my Garand long before my AR.
Seconded! Have both but honestly the only reason I got the AR was that all the right people/groups were telling me I couldn’t & shouldn’t have one so - as a result - I got one. An ergonomic nightmare I must say especially when compared to the beefy wood stocks of an M-1 Garand/K98/SMLE/M39; take one of those any day over the Mattel toy-like polymer construct of an AR. Heavier & better rounds too.
Yes, all of us elderly vets like those old firearms, for various reasons. However, when I pick up a vintage firearm today, I have to admit they were never that heavy when I was younger.
Weight helps though with the heavier recoil.
Yes, indeed it does. I only weighed 135# when I qualified with the M1 and M1911, and I could handle them comfortably from any firing position. 55 years later, I just don't have the strength or the stamina. I'm not really in love with the M4 or the M9, but at least I can carry and handle them comfortably.
At a couple of my deer stands where I cannot take a shot further than 100 yards, I will now and then take a standard issue 1943 production K98 with my hand loaded 170gr Hornady SST. It is really the only iron sited rifle I own that consistently comes up to my shoulder almost perfectly armed.
The K98 is my all time fave; have an all matching 1936 model from the Mauser home factory in Oberndorf; never saw frontline action - the bolt is still factory tight. Was a World War II Vet bring back. Can nail quarters with it @ 50yrds & I’m using Turkish surplus ammo!!!
I really like my 1903A3---which of course is mainly a Mauser.With better sights.
As an "old guy" realize the US Army and AF are coveting those "old guys" to fill the ranks of the non-recruited. As my old man USA colonel once told me "the poor guy on the other end of well-placed shot has no idea he has been nailed by a geriatric".
Addendum; Another reason you might see A3's in WWII photos is that they were on the TO&E as rifle grenade launchers for most of the war.
Old age and treachery....
Along with the bravery, there's a lot of myth making and guilt among the Western European nations that fell to the Germans early in the war, reflected in fairly recent movies. Most countries fell to the Germans quickly and had a significant collaborationist stance until the tide of the war turned.
We don't talk about the Quislings.
Or the SS Viking Division, I suspect. But that's OK.
We need to remember those like De Gaulle who continued the fight as well as those like Petain, Darlan, and Laval who collaborated with the enemy.
"Old age and treachery will always beat youth and exuberance." David Mamet
That's often the case.
" A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow and just because a weapon is obsolete doesn't mean it's not effective.
Wegians War!
We Whiteheads are very proud of our torpedoes.