Dietl went to Norways Mtn Arny school in 1938?

Just read an article about this, 2 of his French opponents also went to the same school. Anyone have data on this?

Hello!
Dietl, then a major, attended the school in 1931. In 1927, the french captains Molle and Bethouart attended as well. The latter is identical to the general from Narvik.

B

Thanks. The article got it part right then. Dietl was lucky, when he landed at Narvik, the Norwegian in charge, ( sorry forgot his name), was a Quisling follower & surrendered without a fight. Then when he was outnumbered 24.000 to 6000 & seemingly about to lose, Belgium fell & the French situation demanded the Brits & French split, leaving him again lucky. Also the Swedish allowed some trainloads of blankets/food/clothes etc so he could keep fighting,( which was sneaky & against Geneva Convention), lucky again. Then there is the matter of the female spy in the British headquarters that tipped the battle plans to the Germans. Still wonder about that story. If true, that's 4 times lucky.

The British blockaded the port, but I read that U-boats still got in, & although they couldn't carry large amounts of supplies, it was the "type" of stuff they brought that was important/critical to Dietl's troops. He raided the local Norwegian amry depot for stuff too. Which was shall we say, fortunate. & forced surrendered troops to carry supplies for his men, another Geneva rule break.

Plus 2700 men from the sunk Destroyers augmented his force that wouldn't have had they stayed afloat or departed for safer southern ports. Much of the supllies of these destroyers was salvaged also. Again, he was lucky.

Hi Black Hornet,

have you got a link for that article about the mountain training school ? I did not know the Norwegians had such an establishment that allowed foreign officers to train. I mean , it is common now with Nato and all that, but for that date it kind of surprised me.

Black Hornet wrote:The British blockaded the port, but I read that U-boats still got in, & although they couldn't carry large amounts of supplies, it was the "type" of stuff they brought that was important/critical to Dietl's troops. He raided the local Norwegian amry depot for stuff too. Which was shall we say, fortunate. & forced surrendered troops to carry supplies for his men, another Geneva rule break.

.

I know Dietl got some few reinforcements airdropped (2 light mountain guns and a company of Fallshirmjager), I am not sure about U boats...?

Hello!
The correct name of the school was "Skyte,- og vinterskolen for infanteriet". ("Shooting and winter school") Not "mountain".

B

It was a recent magazine article. I'll go to Barnes & Noble tonite & write it down. Thanks for name correction Bjorn.

Dietl got 1000 men para dropped, & 2600 men from sunk German destroyers. They raided the local Norwegian supply depot. Trains from Sweden brought specialists, tents blankets, clothes etc.



Another 290 German specialists travelled via Sweden posing as health care workers. During the last 3-4 weeks the Germans were also reinforced by about 1,000 men air dropped over Bjørnefjell
http://www.military-quotes.com/forum/norwegian-tribute-polish-destroyer-orp-t43316.html

Those Ju 52's must've landed on fumes. Range was 790 miles with droptanks & 4000 pound load. Trondheim to Narvik is 400 miles, 800 roundtrip. But they did it.

Operation Hartmut - the U-boot-waffe's support of the occupation of Norway.


Boats which were initially unavailable for action at the beginning of the operation took part in ferrying supplies or patrolling later on.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operationsbefehl_Hartmut


All I could find thus far.

Thanks for all the replies and links.