TWO BATTLES DEVELOP IN NORWAY; GERMANS REPORT ALLIES TRAPPED (4/24/40)

Microfiche-New York Times archives, Cabrillo College Library | 4/24/40 | Otto D. Tolischus, P.J. Philip

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents World War II Plus 70 Years: Seminar and Discussion Forum
First session: September 1, 2009. Last date to add: September 2, 2015.
Reading assignment: New York Times articles delivered daily to students on the 70th anniversary of original publication date. (Previously posted articles can be found by searching on keyword “realtime” Or view Homer’s posting history .)
To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by freepmail. Those on the Realtime +/- 70 Years ping list are automatically enrolled. Course description, prerequisites and tuition information is available at the bottom of Homer’s profile.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Selections from West Point Atlas for the Second World War
Norway, 1940 – Operations in Southern and Central Norway, April-May 1940
Evolution of Plan Yellow, October 1939-January 1940
The Far East and the Pacific, 1941 – The Imperial Powers, 1 September 1939

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Nazis Flanking Foe – 2-4
The International Situation – 4
Allies Plan Moves – 5-6
Allies Warn Oslo of Approaching Air-Raid, Then Bomb Nazi Plane Base for 2 ½ Hours – 6
Nazis Attack Port to Impede Landing – 7-8
Japanese Consul Pledges Open Door – 8
Fierce Sea Fights Rage off Sweden - 9

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1940/apr40/f24apr40.htm

British bombard Narvik

Wednesday, April 24, 1940 www.onwar.com

In Norway... German forces in the Osterdal reach Rendal. In the north Narvik is bombarded in an attempt to bring about the surrender of the German garrison. If this looks likely a landing is to be made. The British battleship Warspite, a heavy cruiser and three light cruisers are used but despite this concentration of force the commanding general decides that the naval guns will not have sufficiently disrupted the German positions because of their unsuitable, flat trajectory of fire. The naval commander is Admiral of the Fleet Lord Cork. This officer has been brought back to active service at Churchill’s request. He is senior in the service to even the commander of the Home Fleet. His seniority poses problems in his relations with the military commanders who are at times reluctant to insist on measures which their military knowledge makes them believe essential.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/24.htm

April 24th, 1940

UNITED KINGDOM:

Corvette HMS Bluebell launched.
Destroyer HMS Cleveland launched. (Dave Shirlaw)

FRANCE: The Premier, Paul Reynaud, urges Mussolini not to enter the war.

NORWEGIAN CAMPAIGN: After four days of continuous AA duty off Åndalsnes, cruiser HMS Curacoa is badly damaged by bombs. Carrier HMS Glorious flies off Gladiator biplanes for shore operations. Two sections of nine Gladiators each accompanied by a two seat Skua (with navigator) leave Glorious. This is the first time that the Gladiator pilots have flown from the deck of a carrier (the aircraft were flown on by FAA pilots), but they all got into the air and by 7pm all the Gladiators are safely down on the frozen lake.
Oslo: Hitler appoints Josef Terboven, a tough young Nazi Gauleiter (Essen), to be Reich Commissar for Norway.

General von Falkenhorst decides that most of Pellengahr’s division can now be diverted from Trondheim and sent to Åndalsnes to complete the destruction of Morgan’s forces. The relief of Trondheim would be the responsibility of Colonel Hermann Fischer, who was pushing up the Østerdal valley with three infantry battalions, two artillery battalions, an engineer battalion and some tanks and motorised units.

Although weather was still poor, the arrival off Trondheim and Åndalsnes of the
Home Fleet carriers HMS Ark Royal and HMS Glorious promises a new phase in the
Campaign - one where some level of air support, particularly fighters, will be
available to the Allied forces in Northern Norway. Unfortunately for these
efforts, Admiral Wells elected to keep the carriers well off shore, meaning the
Skuas would have a long flight both to and from the combat areas.

At 0300 and continuing until 2115, Glorious’ two Sea Gladiator squadrons begin flying two-hour standing patrols over the task force. The ship puts one section in the air overhead and keeps two more sections on deck in reserve.

Throughout the day the air department on HMS Glorious prepared the RAF Gladiators for takeoff. Finally, at 1600 with the task force in position 65.00 N, 5.24 E, under overcast skies with frequent snow squalls, wind from the NE at force 3 with 25’ seas, conditions are barely acceptable to attempt the transfer. Thus, at 1615, HMS Ark Royal dispatched one section three Skuas from each of the two fighter squadrons on board (800 and 801) to patrol over the fleet debarkation site at Åndalsnes. At 1636, Glorious followed with two sections of 803 Squadron (three Skuas each) to conduct fighter patrols over the Romsdalen Valley to directly cover the landing of the RAF Squadron.

Glorious then began preparing the first of two ranges of nine 263 Squadron Gladiators, each with one Skua of 803 Squadron to lead them in. The first range departed at 1715 and the second at 1830. In the event, the operation is a complete success, with all 18 Gladiators arriving safely on the Lake airfield. While patrolling the Romsdalen area, 803 Squadron’s Blue (Lieutenant W. P. Lucy, RN) and Red (Lieutenant A. B. Fraser-Harris, RN) sections find themselves engaging several German He-111”>He-111s of KG 4 between 1755 and 1810, ultimately downing two and damaging another. By the time the Skuas returned to the fleet, however, they were desperately short of fuel and two of Ark’s contingent, 6M:L3050 (Midshipman(A) C. Treen, RN (P) and Naval Airman A. E. T. Goble, RN (AG)) and 7K:L2877 (Lt. C. P. Campbell-Horsfall, RN (P) and Petty Officer Airman A. E. Suggett, RN (AG)) ran dry and were forced to make water landings. Fortunately, all four aircrew are rescued by screening vessels.

The day’s aerial activity saw the two carriers with 27 Skuas for fighter patrols and 17 Sea Gladiators and 5 Rocs for Fleet defence.

Meanwhile, near Narvik, things take a turn for the worse on HMS Furious when a second turbine sheds some blades, leaving her with only two good engines. After consultations, the Commander in Chief, Home Fleet, Admiral Sir Charles M. Forbes, RN decides that she is to refuel and then return home for repairs.

CANADA: Minesweepers HMCS Cowichan, Malpeque and Ungava laid down North Vancouver, British Columbia. (Dave Shirlaw)

U.S.A.: Destroyer USS Meredith launched. (Dave Shirlaw)

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/

Day 237 April 24, 1940

RAF arrives in Norway! 18 Gladiator biplanes (263 Squadron) from HMS Glorious land on Lake Lesjaskogsvatnet, midway between Åndalsnes and Dombås. Notably, they have no anti-aircraft support. http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/commonwealth_donaldson2.htm

General Bernard Paget’s 15th Brigade lands at Åndalsnes, having sailed from France on April 15, and moves South down the Gudbrandsdal valley towards Lillehammer to reinforce Norwegian troops holding the German advance. They pass Morgan’s defeated 148th Brigade falling back to Åndalsnes.

Norwegian 6th Brigade under General Carl Gustav Fleischer attacks Dietl’s perimeter North of Narvik. They are held by the Germans at Lapphaug Pass but those marching over Fjordbotneidet mountain find Gratangsbotn undefended. Germans falling back from Lapphaug surprise the resting Norwegians (killing 34, wounding 64 and 130 prisoners) and retake Gratangsbotn (for 9 dead or missing, 16 wounded).

Hitler appoints Josef Antonius Heinrich Terboven as Reichskommissar or Gauleiter of Norway. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_101III-Moebius-029-12,_Norwegen,_Besuch_Himmler,_Terboven_und_Quisling.jpg