Topic summary
Norwegian campaign
Germany
Norway
United Kingdom
France
Poland
Nikolaus von FalkenhorstKristian Laake(9–10 April)
Otto Ruge(From 10 April)
William BoyleSylvestre Gérard Audet(From 15 April)
7 divisions
1 Fallschirmjäger battalion
55,000
6 divisions
Allies:
38,000
Total:
90,000
5,296
(1,317 killed on land
2,375 lost at sea
1,604 wounded)
Material losses:
1 heavy cruiser
2 light cruisers
10 destroyers
6 U-boats
2 torpedo boats
15 light naval units
21 transports/merchant ships
90–240 aircraft
6,602
British:
On land:
1,869 killed, wounded, injured & missing
At sea:
2,500 lost
1 aircraft carrier
1 heavy cruiser
1 light cruiser
7 destroyers
1 submarine
112 aircraft
French and Polish:
533 killed, wounded & missing
2 destroyers
2 submarines
Norwegian:
1,700 total, of whom 860 were killed
107 naval ships sunk or captured
70 merchant ships & transports sunk (combined Norwegian/Allied total)
535 killed
The Norwegian campaign (8 April – 10 June 1940) involved the attempt by Allied forces to defend northern Norway coupled with the Norwegian military's resistance to the country's invasion by Nazi Germany in World War II.
Planned as Operation Wilfred and Plan R 4, while the German attack was feared but had not yet happened, the battlecruiser HMS Renown set out from Scapa Flow for Vestfjorden with twelve destroyers on 4 April. The Royal Navy and the Kriegsmarine met at the first and second naval battles of Narvik on 10 and 13 April, and British forces conducted the Åndalsnes landings on 13 April. The main strategic reason for Germany to invade Norway was to seize the port of Narvik and guarantee the delivery of iron ore needed for German steel production.
The campaign was fought until 10 June 1940 and saw the escape of King Haakon VII and Crown Prince Olav to the United Kingdom. A British, French and Polish expeditionary force of 38,000 troops landed in the north. It had moderate success but made a rapid strategic retreat after the Battle of France began in May. The Norwegian government then went into exile in London. The campaign ended with the occupation of the entirety of Norway by Germany but elements of the Norwegian military escaped and fought on overseas.