Despatches in this volume include that on the first and second battles of Narvik in 1940; the despatch on operations in central Norway 1940, by Lieutenant General H.R.S. Massy, Commander-in-Chief, North West Expeditionary Force; Despatch on operations in Northern Norway between April and June 1940; the despatch on carrier-borne aircraft attacks on Kirkenes (Norway) and Petsamo (Finland) in 1941, by Admiral Sir John C. Tovey; the despatch on the raid on military and economic objectives in the Lofoten Islands (Norway) in March 1941, by Admiral Sir John C. Tovey, Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet; and the despatch on the raid on military and economic objectives in the vicinity of Vaagso Island (Norway) in December 1941, by Admiral Sir John C. Tovey. This unique collection of original documents will prove to be an invaluable resource for historians, students and all those interested in what was one of the most significant periods in British military history.
The Germans invaded Norway on 9 April 1940, pre-empting Allied plans to prevent Germany access to the iron ore mines at G?llivare in the north of the country. Consequently, by the time that Lieutenant General H.R.S. Massy was appointed Commander-in-Chief, North West Expeditionary Force on 19 April, German forces were already well established in Norway. However, as the Germans had not penetrated far into the north in great strength, there was still a chance of stopping them before they had achieved complete control of the country.
Trondheim was seen as the gateway to the north and had been seized by the Germans. Massy was instructed to take it. In his despatch submitted to the War Office, Massy declared that as a first step his intention was to stop the German advance from Oslo, before then planning a deliberate combined operation for the capture of Trondheim itself.
He informed the Chiefs of Staff that any possibility of landing further troops or of maintaining the troops that had already been landed depended entirely on achieving air superiority. With control of the air, Massy believed that his forces could indeed hold back the Germans. Without it he was certain that further operations would be impossible and that the British forces would be compelled to withdraw from southern and central Norway. He would, of course, be proven correct.
Название: The Battle for Norway 1940-1942
Автор: John Grehan and Martin Mace
Издательство: Pen and Sword
Серия: Despatches from the Front
Год издания: 2015
ISBN: 9781783462322
Страниц: 192
Язык: english
Формат: pdf (conv)
Размер: 15.1 MB
Скачать бесплатно / free download
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