|
|
The invasions of Denmark and Norway marked the end of the Phoney War period, and the invasion of Norway in particular was an impressive example of succesful combined warfare, with the Germans risking most of their navy, supported by Luftwaffe aircraft and paratroops and by the German army
We get a sizable chronology of the war, which covers the main events on land, sea and especially in the air. This is followed by a detailed examination of the forces available to both sides, with a background history of the development of the German naval air arm and the British Fleet Air Arm as well as descriptions of the aircraft available. In the air at least the main difference between the two sides was the quality of aircraft available – while the Germans committed their most modern types, including 40 Bf 109s and large numberes of bombers and transports, at first the British relied on the Fleet Air Arm for fighters. During the 1920s and 1930s the Fleet Air Arm had been split between Naval and RAF control, with the Navy providing the aircraft carriers and the RAF the aircraft and their crews. However the RAF wasn’t really interested in naval air power, and the naval aircraft available in 1940 included the ineffective Skua fighter/ divebomber, which was badly outclassed by most German aircraft it would encounter.
The most significant difference between the sides emerges at the planning stage. On the German side a theatre commander was appointed, there were clear lines of communication between the services, and detailed plans put in place for moving large numbers of troops and equipment to Norway and supporting them. In contrast the three British services operated almost independently, with limited staff support, and very poor planning. Even the one relative success, at Narvik, was marred by a failure to decide who was in charge of the operation – the Army or the Navy.
One surprise is that the Germans lost more aircraft than the British – 242 compared to 160. However much of that must be down to the larger number of German aircraft involved, as that meant there were more to be lost in accidents and other operational incidents. The seizure of Denmark at the very start of the campaign meant that the Germans could fly all of their aircraft directly to Norwegian bases, while the British had to ferry fighters across the North Sea on aircraft carriers, or rely on obsolete carrier fighters.
Although there is a focus on the aviation side of the story, this is closer to being a general history of the Norwegian campaign than it is to being a history of the air campaign, and it’s a good general history.
Chapters
Introduction
Chronology
Attacker’s Capabilities
Defender’s Capabilities
Campaign Objectives
The Campaign
Analysis
Bibliography
Author: James S. Corum
Edition: Paperback
Pages: 96
Publisher: Osprey
Year: 2021