German cargo ships slipping into Norwegian ports before inv

Just read this from 2 Eggs on my Plate, Oluf Reed Olsen.



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Most Norwegians didn't know until after the Nazi invasion that our Government & population had been sown with German agents and Norwegian traitors; or that, for weeks, merchant ships had been entering the ports of Norway, their holds crowded with German soldiers.

This is based on a post-war myth; as the German soldiers had come from "nowhere", they must have been brought in covertly by merchant ships.

In reality, the soldiers that took part in Weserübung were transported largely on warships on the 7th and 8th of April, and relatively few merchant ships were used to transport troops - the best known was probably Rio de Janeiro, that was torpedoed outside Arendal on April 8th. The reason being the slow speed of the merchants.

The Germans had sent supplies and fuel ahead with merchant ships though, but there is no evidence that German soldiers waited in Norwegian ports for days or weeks before emerging.

The part about secret agents and traitors has also been shown to be partly myth. Although the actions of some commanders, like Sundlo in Narvik and the surrender of 3rd Infantry at Kongsberg, have been questioned, there is again little evidence that the Germans had organised agents or saboteurs in place on a large scale.

I totally agere with Kaii. I refer Black Hornet to Geirr Haar's books - The German Invasion of Norway and the Battle for Norway. Both books are from Seaforth Publishing UK.

Whilst researching Redd Gullet I came across only one potential spy and he was most likely arrested in the Romsdalhorn area, but that was some days after the invasion. I did not find any evidence to suggest that Germans had been hid in ports prior to the invasion. Interestingly, whilst the Germans certainly had their spies in key locations in Norway so did the British. All in all it's fascinating history.

Bob

Some German soldiers stormed into Copenhagen from sivilian cargoships. I guess that is the basis for the myth in Norway.