04-1940

Diary for Monday, April 15, 1940: Norway Siege of Hegra: Norwegian detachment holds antiquated Hegra Fortress, east of Trondheim, against strong German ground and air forces for 3 weeks (ends […]

Diary for Sunday, April 14, 1940: Norway British North Western Expeditionary Force begins landing at Harstad (near Narvik) and Namsos (north of Trondheim). General von Falkenhorst, commander of German Forces

Diary for Saturday, April 13, 1940: Sea War SECOND BATTLE OF NARVIK. Battleship HMS Warspite and nine destroyers attack eight German destroyers – which are all sunk or disabled (and

Diary for Friday, April 12, 1940: Air War 90 RAF bombers, despatched to Stavanger area to attack German battlecruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst, fail to make contact. Politics Danish Government of

Diary for Thursday, April 11, 1940: Sea War The British S class submarine Spearfish cripples pocket-battleship Lützow, south of Oslo (night April 10-11). Norway General Ruge appointed CinC Norwegian Army,

Diary for Wednesday, April 10, 1940: Sea War FIRST BATTLE OF NARVIK. 5 British destroyers engage 10 German destroyers and shore batteries in Ofot Fjord, west of Narvik. Destroyers Hardy,

Diary for Tuesday, April 9, 1940: Norway GERMAN INVASION OF NORWAY (Weserübung Nord = Operation Weser Crossing North) with 6 regiments, 1 parachute battalion, 888 aircraft (345 bomber, dive-bomber and

Diary for Monday, April 8, 1940: Sea War British destroyers lay mines in Norwegian territorial waters, southwest of Narvik (Operation Wilfred). HMS Glowworm becomes detached and encounters German naval force

Diary for Sunday, April 7, 1940: Sea War Atlantic: British Home Fleet leaves Scapa Flow for Norwegian Sea.

Diary for Saturday, April 6, 1940: Air War RAF Bomber Command ends its leaflet (‘Operation Nickel’) raids on Germany: 65 Million leaflets and propaganda ‘newspapers’ dropped since September 3, 1939.

Diary for Thursday, April 5, 1940: Sea War First captured German merchant ship – the Uhenfels (renamed Empire Ability) – brought up river Thames. Politics Anglo-French note to Norway: warning

Diary for Thursday, April 4, 1940: Home Fronts Britain: Chamberlain tells Conservative Party meeting in London that, by not taking maximum advantage of Germany’s military superiority over Britain in September

Diary for Wednesday, April 3, 1940: Sea War First German Norway invasion ships sail. Air War Sunderland flying boat disperses formation of 6 Ju 88s attacking convoy in North Sea

Diary for Tuesday, April 2, 1940: Air War German aircraft raid Scapa Flow; on return flight they attack lighthouses, at Duncansby Head and Stroma Island.

Diary for Monday, April 1, 1940: China Sino-Japanese War: Japanese-sponsored ‘Central Government of China’ established at Nanking, under Wang Ching-wei, a former colleague of Chiang Kai-shek. The Government is not