Figure 1.--This Oslo scene is the result of an attack on a Norwgian Hirden office (November 1944). Quisling's organization was called the Hirden, meaning 'birds'. By this time in the War the Hirden knew that they had picked the wrong side. The caption read, "Attentat mot Hirdatabens Kontorer: Den 6/11-44 ble det gjort attentat mot hirdstabens kontorer i Tollbugt. lo i Oslo. Ved sprengning ble konterene ödelagt og bygningen sterkt skadet. Bildet viser den ene husveggen etter eksplosjonen. En tysker går vakt med gevaeret parat." We do not have a good translation, but it mans something like, "Assassinate Hirdatabens Offices: The 6 / 11-44 was made assassinate hirdstabens offices in Tollbugt. laughed in Oslo. By blasting the accounting clean destroyed and the building badly damaged. The picture shows one wall of the house after the explosion. A German goes guard with rifles at the ready." The photograph looks to have been taken surepticiously by a Resistance photographer. Source: Norwgian official photo No. S.2990." The captio may be wrong about the soldier. To us he look more like a Hirden militia man than a German soldier.

The Norwegian Resistance to the Germans was active from the moment the Germans landed in the country. The Norwegiam Resistance was aided by the British and staged some important raids and kept the Allies informed of German military movements. Allied strategy came to be different than in most other countries. The objective was not to liberate Norway, but to convince the Germans to wastefully deploy more forces in Norway. As a result, the Norwegians and British did not always view operations in the same light. The Norwgians faced difficulties. The Germans were very good at supressung resistance. The greatest advantage the Germans had as oposed to operations in other countries was the very large German military garrison in the country with relatively little to do, except hunt down the Resistance. The Norwegian ratio of germans to occupied population was the highest of any occupied country. The German focus changed a little after the invasion of the Soviet Union (June 1941) and a new Murmansk Front was opened. This was, however, an area far removed from southern Norway where most Norwegian lived. The Norwegian Resistance also had some advantages. The country had a long North Sea coat which made it very difficult for the Germans to patrol. Much of the country, especially the area north of Trodheim was only lightly populated. This provided the Resistance a lrge area where they could hide and stage operations. There was also a long border with neutral Sweden, a country sympathetic to the Norwegians. and like the North sea coast, the length of the Swedish border made it difficult to patrol. Of course crossing the Swedish border than making it across the North Sea. It was from the British and the North Sea, however, that explosives, weapons, and operatives had to come. The Swedish border was more of an escape route. The geographic layout and the nearby location of Britain gave the Resistance advantages that the Resiatance movement in most other countries did not have. General Otto Ruge helped organize the Norwegian secret army (Milorg). The Resistance movement was stronly unified. There was no importnt Communist faction, unlike Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Poland, and Yugosalvia. The Norwegians proved a highly patriotic group. The pro-NAZI group led by Vidkun Quisling was unable to garmer any signigicnt support. The major issue which arose within the Norwegian Resistance was over tactics. Milorg wanted to focus on intellignce gathering and other operations such as helping Norwegians escape to Sweden. These opertions did not result in German repisals on civilans which would mean executing hostages and other atrocities. Britain’s Special Operations Executive (SOE) wanted intelligence, but also wanted Milorg to conduct sabotage and raids on German facilities. Aggreemnt on tactics was not reached untill 1942 and involved compromise on both sides. The major action of the Norwegian resistance was the attack on the Rjukan heavy water plant, par of the German attomic bomb plot (1943).

Early Efforts

The Norwegian Resistance to the Germans was active from the moment the Germans landed in the country. Norway did not have a large army, and civilians from an early point aided first the Norwegian armt=y and then the British and French forces which landed to assist the Norwegians. hus thevNorwegians begn to orgnize from an early point.

Allied Stategy

Allied strategy came to be different than in most other countries. The objective became not to liberate Norway by ailitary invasion, but to convince the Germans to wastefully deploy more forces in Norway. The Allies used disinformation to convince OKW was a target for an invasion of Europe via Norway. Hitler in particulr took the bait. The Germans thus increased the number of men it committed to Norway beyond all reasonable proportions. The hige German garrison could have been used by the Wehrmacht in its efforts to resist the Allied cross-Channel invasion. Partly as a result, the Norwegians and British did not always view operations in the same light.

Difficulties and Advantages

The Norwgians faced difficulties. The Germans were very good at supressung resistance. The greatest advantage the Germans had as oposed to operations in other countries was the very large German military garrison in the country with relatively little to do, except hunt down the Resistance. The Norwegian ratio of germans to occupied population was the highest of any occupied country. The German focus changed a little after the invasion of the Soviet Union (June 1941) and a new Murmansk Front was opened. This was, however, an area far removed from southern Norway where most Norwegian lived. The Norwegian Resistance also had some advantages. The country had a long North Sea coat which made it very difficult for the Germans to patrol. Much of the country, especially the area north of Trodheim was only lightly populated. This provided the Resistance a large area where they could hide and stage operations. There was also a long border with neutral Sweden, a country sympathetic to the Norwegians. and like the North sea coast, the length of the Swedish border made it difficult to patrol. Of course crossing the Swedish border than making it across the North Sea. It was from the British and the North Sea, however, that explosives, weapons, and operatives had to come. The Swedish border was more of an escape route. The geographic layout and the nearby location of Britain gave the Resistance advantages that the Resiatance movement in most other countries did not have.

Milorg

General Otto Ruge helped organize the Norwegian secret army (Milorg). The Resistance movement was stronly unifoed. There was no importnt Communist faction, unlike Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Poland, and Yugosalvia. The Norwegians proved a highly patriotic group. The pro-NAZI group led by Vidkun Quisling was unable to garmer any signinificant support. Milorg's strength in 1944 was about 32,000 people. WE are not sure to whay extent Allied stategy was to enduce the Germans to send more troops to Norway. They can not have been too happy about this.

British SOE Assistance

The Norwegiam Resistance was aided by the British. But there were major disagreements over tactics. This continued for some time and was only resolved in late 1942 when the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) was convinced by the Norwegins to reconsider its focus. The two sides each made nade compromises. Intellignce remained important. But the Norwegians began to stage attacks on factories the Germans were using. Gnerally the Germans reacted fiercly when Germans were killed. Attacks on factories, as long as no Germans were killed, and on Norwegian collaborators did not result in the same level of retaliation. SOE was able to supply Milorg. SOE parachute drops were relatively easy. There were countless potential drop zones as much of Norway was so lightly populated. The German occupation forces could not begin to cover them. Nor could the Luftwaff prevent SOE aircraft from making the runs.

Tactics

The major issue which arose within the Norwegian Resistance was over tactics. Milorg wanted to focus on intellignce gathering and other operations such as helping Norwegians escape to Sweden. These opertions did not result in German repisals on civilans which would mean executing hostages and other atrocities. Britain’s SOE wanted intelligence, but also wanted Milorg to conduct sabotage and raids on German facilities. Aggreemnt on tactics was not reached untill 1942 and involved compromise on both sides.

Actions

The Norwegian Resistance and staged some important raids and kept the Allies informed of German military movements. They assisted many individuals and their families escape to Sweden. They also helpd many of Norway's small Jewish population escape the German roundup. The major action of the Norwegian resistance was the attack on the Rjukan heavy water plant, par of the German attomic bomb plot (1943). The most notable action was efforts on stopping the Germans efforts to produce heavy water in Norway. Heavy water was important in the German atomic bomb program. The Resistance played a role in the destruction of the heavy water factory at Rjukan (March 1943) and the sinking of the ferry boat transporting heavy water barrels not destroyed (February 1944). The actual attacks on the heavy water factory at Rjukan was carried out by British-based Norwegian commandoes and allid aircraft, but the intelligence used came from Milorg.

Sources

Created: 5:02 AM 1/18/2017
Last updated: 5:03 AM 1/18/2017