Hitler's gamble
A few months into World War Two, in April 1940, Adolf Hitler made a huge strategic gamble. He and his strategists knew that Norwegian coastal waters were vital for the transport of Swedish iron ore via Narvik to German blast furnaces. And, more generally, recognised that German control of Norwegian waters would make breaking the Allied blockade of Germany a little easier.
Germany had also seen the signs that the British would not necessarily be bound by Norway's neutrality, and could hinder the process if they were so minded. The British position was made fairly clear when Royal Navy seamen boarded the German naval auxiliary Altmark, in Norwegian waters, to free the prisoners on board, and the Allies had indeed for some time been making plans for aggressive action to plug the gap in their blockade.
'Germany's navy was greatly inferior to the Royal Navy in all categories ...'
Hitler's plans in the face of this situation were decisive. The idea was that the whole strength of the German navy was to land powerful forces all the way along the Norwegian coast, from Oslo to Narvik, to protect the coastal waterways along which the iron ore was transported.
This was risky in the extreme. Germany's navy was greatly inferior to the Royal Navy in all categories, and even if the troops succeeded in getting ashore, helped by the element of surprise, it was quite possible for them to be cut off subsequently.
Only one thing might prevent disaster - German air power, in the shape of Fiegerkorps X. This unit contained about 400 bombers, whose crews had been specially trained in maritime operations, and it was hoped that these could keep the British at bay.
Published: 2004-06-07
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