Norway: A Man-Made Disaster, April–June 1940

Abstract

When reviewing the historical record concerning the German invasion of Norway, and the British response to it, the overwhelming impression gained is one of Allied confusion. Operation ‘Wilfred,’ the mining of the ‘Inner Leads’ near Narvik to cut off the flow of Swedish iron ore to Germany, had been given the final green light on 3 April, 1940.1 However, the Germans were preparing a much grander scheme, Operation ‘Weser’, a full-scale invasion of Norway by sea and air, with their landings set for 9 April.2 The British moved first. On 5 April, the battlecruiser Renown (flagship of Rear Admiral Whitworth) and the destroyers Hyperion, Hero, Glowworm, and Greyhound set sail to cover the three separate groups that were actually to lay the mines off Narvik (comprising one mine laying vessel, six destroyer-minelayers, and eight destroyers in close escort).3 The day before, RAF reconnaissance aircraft had spotted the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau at Wilhelmshaven, so the Royal Navy was well aware that the Germans might intervene, and were making preparations accordingly. The men for Operation ‘R4’ were embarked on their ships in the Clyde and at Rosyth. The Home Fleet set sail on 7 April, with Rodney, Valiant, Repulse, Sheffield, Penelope, the French light cruiser Emil Bertin, and 10 destroyers.