Category: The Norwegian Campaign

PEARSON, Robert. Gold Run: The Rescue of Norway’s Gold Bullion from the Nazis, April 1940. xii, 265p., bibliog., illus., index. Oxford: Casemate, 2015. ISBN: 9781612002866.

A full account of how the Norwegian gold reserves were spirited out of the country after the German invasion, first to the UK and then on to Canada thanks to the bravery of Norwegian civil servants and patriots.

Another of the author’s speedy reviews of a campaign.

Pieced together from official reports and from eyewitness accounts, this is the story of German "treachery and corruption which has no parallel."

A lightly dramatised account trying to highlight the role of individuals.

BROWN, David. Naval Operations of the Campaign in Norway: April-June 1940. [xviii], x, 188, [16]p., illus., index. London: Frank Cass, 2000. ISBN: 0714651192.

Battle Summary No. 17 was first produced in 1942 by the Historical Section at the Admiralty. It was revised in 1951 to include German information and this is a facsimile of that edition published for the first time.

CARTON de WIART, Adrian. Happy Odyssey: The Memoirs of Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart, VC, KBE, CB, CMG, DSO. 287p., illus., index. London: Cape, 1950.

A fascinating life spanning both world wars. In WW2 he served in Poland, Norway, Yugoslavia and China. Has a good section on the Norwegian campaign.

DILDY, Douglas C. Denmark and Norway 1940: Hitler’s Boldest Operation. 96p., bibliog., illus., index. London: Osprey, 2007. ISBN: 1846031176.

A good basic introduction to the campaigns with excellent artwork. Republished in 2009 by Osprey as Book 3 of Osprey’s Battles of World War II.

AUSTIN, John, with CARTER, Nick. The Man Who Hit the Scharnhorst: The Ordeal of Leading Seaman Nick Carter. 189p., illus. London: Seeley Service, 1973. ISBN: 0854220119.

Carter fired the torpedo from Acasta which hit the Scharnhorst, while the destroyer was making a vain attempt to protect Glorious as she left Norway. Acasta was sunk and he was the sole survivor. Carter later served on Manchester and Howe.

FORRESTER-BROWN, Glennys E. A Diver's Escapades: The Early Life and Wartime Experiences of Joe Forrester - A Lad from the Potteries Who Served in the Royal Navy During World War II. 126p., illus. Bognor Regis: Woodfield, 2012. ISBN: 184683127X.

A biography by his daughter but based on contemporary notes. He joined the Royal Navy in 1926, at the age of 17, and was with Emerald in Ceylon in 1939. He was sunk in Curlew in Norwegian waters in 1940. Later, as a gunner on Prince of Wales, he was involved in the Bismarck action and was sunk with her in the Japanese air attack. He escaped hidden on a native ship and made it to Ceylon. Here he was involved in salvage work as a diver on the salvage vessel Salviking for the next two years. He was aboard when she was torpedoed and sunk near the Maldives. Once again, he was fortunate to survive.

GREENE, Jack. & MASSIGNANI, Alessandro. Hitler Strikes North: the Nazi Invasion of Norway & Denmark, 9 April 1940. xiv, 335p., illus. Barnsley: Frontline, 2013. ISBN: 1848326610.

An account of Operation Weserubing, Germany's combined air, sea and land assault on Denmark and Norway offering a novel perspective.

PEARCE, M. J. & PORTER, R. Fight for the Fjords: The Battle for Norway 1940 (Britannia Naval Histories of World War II). 378p., illus. Plymouth: University of Plymouth, 2012. ISBN: 9781841023052.

A reprint of Battle Summary No. 17 along with a German report prepared for the RN in 1948 with a good introduction by the editors.

WINSER, John de S. Coasters Go to War: Military Sailings to the Continent, 1939-1945. 144p., illus., index. Preston: Ships in Focus, 2009. ISBN: 9781901703566.

The book details the convoys, cargoes and challenges faced by almost 500 coasters of ten nationalities which supplied the Army in France and Norway in 1939-40 and again in Northern Europe from D-Day onwards.

DIX, Anthony. The Norway Campaign and the Rise of Churchill, 1940. xix, 244p., bibliog., illus., index. Barnsley: Pen & Sword, 2014. ISBN: 1783400609.

 “A wholly unnecessary book with absolutely nothing to recommend it” is the verdict of one reviewer on this poor attempt at a history of the campaign and its political background.

MANN, Chris & JÖRGENSEN, Christer. Hitler’s Arctic War: The German Campaigns in Norway, Finland and the USSR 1940-1945. 224p., bibliog., illus., index. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military, 2016. ISBN; 147388456X.

A well-illustrated general history which includes coverage both of the Norwegian campaign and the Arctic convoys, as well as the land campaigns in Finland and Russia.

MORETZ, Joseph. Towards a Wider War: British Strategic Decision-making and Military Effectiveness in Scandinavia, 1939-40. 593p., bibliog., illus., index. Solihull: Helion, 2017. ISBN: 9781911096368.

An excellent piece of research which casts a beady eye on British policy, strategy, military readiness and effectiveness. Makes sharp and frank judgements. At the same time it is very badly edited and riddled with errors and inconsistent usages as well as pedantic language which make it very hard to follow in places.

A very detailed account of air operations during the phoney war and Norwegian Campaign. A detailed diary of all actions and losses.

HOBBS, D. A. The Dawn of Carrier Strike and the World of Lieutenant W. P. Lucy DSO RN. 400p., bibliog., illus., index. Barnsley: Seaforth, 2020. ISBN: 9781473879928.

Focused on the development of the FAA in the inter-war years despite a lack of resources. This excellent account is enlivened with descriptions of the growing career of Lucy at this time, including detailed accounts of his wartime missions, mainly in Norway, where he was killed in action.

HEALISS, Ronald. Arctic Rescue: A Memoir of the Tragic Sinking of HMS Glorious. 147p. Leeds: Sapere, 2020. ISBN: 9781800550070.

A reprint of the 1955 work Adventure Glorious in which one of the survivors, a marine, tells the story of the carrier Glorious’ part in the Norwegian Campaign, of her sinking, and his survival. The reprint adds a two page biography of the author.

CULL, Brian & GALEA, Frederick. 806 Naval Air Squadron: The FAA’s Top-Scoring Fighter Squadron of the Second World War. 216p., bibliog., illus., index. Stroud: Fonthill Media, 2019. ISBN: 9781781557501.

Formed in early 1940 and equipped with Skuas and Rocs it saw service in Norway and at Dunkirk. Re-equipped with Fulmars the squadron then served in the Mediterranean on Illustrious with great success.

GOODEY, David & OSBORNE, Richard. Destroyer at War: The Fighting Life and Loss of HMS Havock from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean 1939-1942. Barnsley: Frontline, 2017. ISBN: 1526709007.

An excellent account of the war service of this hard worked destroyer with a dozen battle honours. She saw relentless and unremitting service and action from the Spanish Civil War until her sinking off Tunisia in 1942.

MACE, Martin & GREHAN, John. The Battle for Norway 1940-1942.  xii, 174p., illus., index. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military, 2015. ISBN: 1783462329.

Reprints six despatches from the London Gazette with a brief introduction, namely 37584, Operations in Central Norway in 1940; 38005, First and Second Battles of Narvik; 38011, Operations in Northern Norway; 38300, Carrier-borne aircraft attack on Kirkenes and Petsamo; 38331, Raid on the Lofoten Islands; 38342, Raid on Vaagso Island.

MACE, Martin & GREHAN, John. The Battle for Norway 1940-1942.  xii, 174p., illus., index. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military, 2015. ISBN: 1783462329.

Reprints six despatches from the London Gazette with a brief introduction, namely 37584, Operations in Central Norway in 1940; 38005, First and Second Battles of Narvik; 38011, Operations in Northern Norway; 38300, Carrier-borne aircraft attack on Kirkenes and Petsamo; 38331, Raid on the Lofoten Islands; 38342, Raid on Vaagso Island.

MACE, Martin & GREHAN, John. The Battle for Norway 1940-1942.  xii, 174p., illus., index. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Maritime, 2015. ISBN: 1783462329.

Reprints six despatches from the London Gazette with a brief introduction, namely 37584, Operations in Central Norway in 1940; 38005, First and Second Battles of Narvik; 38011, Operations in Northern Norway; 38300, Carrier-borne aircraft attack on Kirkenes and Petsamo; 38331, Raid on the Lofoten Islands; 38342, Raid on Vaagso Island.

CARRUTHERS, Bob. Hitler’s Forgotten Armies: Combat in Norway and Finland. 382p., illus., index. Slough: Archive Media Publishing, 2012. ISBN: 9781781580998.

An official study of German operations in Norway and Finland, seeking lessons from their experience of an amphibious attack and of Arctic warfare. Based in large part on captured German military and naval records it covers firstly the campaign in Denmark and Norway in 1940 and secondly the campaign in Finland against the Russians in 1941-45. Originally published by the US Department of the Army in 1960 and entitled The German Northern Theater of Operations 1940-1945, with Earl F. Ziemke as author, q.v.

BUCHNER, Alex. Narvik: The Struggle of Battle Group Dietl in the Spring of 1940. 240p., bibliog., illus., index. Oxford: Casemate, 2021. ISBN: 9781612009179.

Originally published in Germany in 1977 and now published for the first time in English, this is a German account of the invasion of Norway which focuses on the efforts of Group “1” led by Eduard Dietl. Landed at Narvik in early April by ten destroyers soon sunk by the Royal Navy, his men were outnumbered by Allied troops but he defended the town using ammunition, food and sailors from the sunken ships. He withdrew to the mountains but retook Narvik once the Allies withdrew.

JOWETT, Philip. Narvik and the Norwegian Campaign 1940: Rare Photographs from Wartime Archives. (Images of War). 240p., bibliog., illus., index. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military, 2022. ISBN: 9781526796547.

Some 300 images and a concise text cover the war at sea, on land and in the air.

HAARR, Geirr H. & MELIEN, Tor Jørgen. The Sinking of the Blücher: The Battle of Drøbak Narrows April 1940. 272p., bibliog., illus., index. Barnsley: Greenhill, 2023. ISBN: 9781784388751.

A strong detailed account of the events leading to the sinking of the Blücher, the flagship of the German force attacking Norway. Explores the importance of and consequences of the sinking.

JACOBSEN, Alf R. Death at Dawn: Captain Warburton-Lee VC and the Battle of Narvik, April 1940. 240p., bibliog., illus., index. Cheltenham: History Press, 2016. ISBN: ‎ 978-0750965378

The gripping tale of the first Battle of Narvik told through the story of Warburton-Lee, who was awarded a posthumous VC for his bravery.
 

COPE, Ron. Doomed Destroyer. 560p., illus., index. London: Clink Street, 2018. ISBN: 9781912262069.
The well researched story of the crew of the destroyer Hunter. Sunk in the first Battle of Narvik, some 48 of her 159 man crew survived and were taken prisoner. Much of the book then recounts their plotting and attempts at escape over the next five years.
 

COPE, Ron. Doomed Destroyer. xviii, 540p., bibliog., illus. London: Clink Street Publishing, 2018. ISBN: 9781912262069.
The well researched story of the crew of the destroyer Hunter. Sunk in the first Battle of Narvik, some 48 of her 159 man crew survived and were taken prisoner. Much of the book then recounts their plotting and attempts at escape over the next five years.
 

Although unusual in making very good use of French and Norwegian sources, this is a disappointing work with little understanding of naval affairs. For example, it includes a picture of a destroyer, captioned "cruiser Warspite."

Looks at several of the war's aspects in Norway, the removal of the gold reserves by British cruisers being one of them.

Mainly concerned with the land campaign, this nevertheless gives a good account of the war at sea.

Only the last 10 pages are concerned with the author's career in WWII and the date of publication led to heavy censorship, particularly of his role in the Norwegian Campaign.

The mayor of Narvik tells his story of the Norwegian Campaign and of some of the naval actions.

A popular study based on secondary sources. Reprinted by White Lion in 1977 (ISBN: 0727402404).

A special issue of the Documents series, due to wartime conditions. Contains various documents on the Altmark incident as well as on the German invasion of Norway.

The official British account and the first of the official histories. Reprinted by the IWM with source annotations in 1996.

A detailed examination of the First and Second Battles of Narvik. Another of the very good small accounts in this series.

Evans of the Broke went to the Antarctic with Scott, fought famously in World War I in the Dover Straits and served in Africa, China and Australia between the wars. He had a brief but notable involvement in the Norwegian campaign.

The second volume of this excellent history takes the story to the end of the Allied evacuation.

A very detailed account by a Norwegian of Operation Weserubung and the response to it from the Allies. Particularly strong on the neglected Norwegian response.

The president of the Norwegian parliament recounts his personal story of the fall of Norway, including an account of the fate of the Norwegian navy.

An Air Commodore gives a solid general account with the title describing his stance.

One of the survivors, a marine, tells the story of the carrier Glorious's part in the Norwegian Campaign, of her sinking, and his survival.

A good if patchy account to mark the fiftieth anniversary. Written by a soldier it makes no attempt to give an analysis of naval matters, but still is of interest.

The author was Norwegian Foreign Minister before the invasion. This gives his view of the origins and course of the war in Norway. Of marginal naval interest.

Two thousand men of Sickleforce landed at Molde but only 163 re-embarked when Norway was evacuated. A participant gives a good account of their battle with some relevant naval material.

The author arrived in Norway via the UK in the trooper Ville d’Alger. He was there until the evacuation in June and this is his record of events.

Most of the book describes the escape of the government to the UK. Brief concluding chapters describe the exile and return.

Updates his earlier work, below, expressing the official view of German aggression.

A hurriedly prepared and outraged account authorised by the government-in-exile.

A squadron of RAF Gladiators was transported in and out of Norway on two occasions in April and May 1940. Based on rough landing strips it fought valiantly in the air, only to have most of its survivors lost with Glorious.

Ostensibly about the two battles of Narvik, this is the definitive account so far published of the whole naval part of the Norwegian Campaign, from the first mine laying to the end of the evacuation.

An excellent critical account of the Norwegian campaign. US title: A Study of Warfare in Three Dimensions: The Norwegian Campaign of 1940.

Principally concerned with the Desert War, but contains a short account of his relationship with the Earl of Cork & Orrery during the latter part of the Norwegian campaign.

Although his naval career was virtually over by 1939, this distinguished sailor returned to serve as an envoy to King Haakon before being appointed Regional Commissioner for London’s Civil Defence.

A new and well written account which focuses on Churchill's tendency to micromanage affairs.

A justification of the Allied failure to defeat the German invasion of Norway and a general view of the background to events. As this was written before the Allied evacuation, Norway is seen as a trap for the Germans, a trap which will suck in an increasing numbers of German troops to meet their fate.