How many died on the Telemark ferry?
“Hydro” sinks to bottom of the Tinnsjø lake The weakest link was the journey by train ferry over the Tinnsjø lake. An explosion in the bow sank the “Hydro” on 20 February 1944, and ended the last chapter in the story of heavy water in Norway. The sinking of the “Hydro” cost four Germans and 14 Norwegians their lives.
Was the sinking of the Hydro ferry necessary?
Historians credit the sinking of the Hydro for effectively ending the Nazis’ nuclear weapons program. “After the war, those involved in the German nuclear program said that the loss of the heavy water was absolutely decisive,” naval historian Professor Eric Grove told the Telegraph on Saturday.
Did Germany ever invade Norway?
On April 9, 1940, German warships enter major Norwegian ports, from Narvik to Oslo, deploying thousands of German troops and occupying Norway. At the same time, German forces occupy Copenhagen, among other Danish cities.
Did Germany invade Norway?
With the outbreak of hostilities in 1939, Norway again declared itself neutral. On April 9, 1940, German troops invaded the country and quickly occupied Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, and Narvik. Half of the fleet, however, was lost during the war. …
Did Germany invade Denmark?
On April 9, 1940, Germany invaded Denmark, but it did not treat this country as badly as it had other invaded countries. Because its army and navy were so small, Denmark did not fight the invasion; German leaders were pleased, and they decided to let the government of Denmark continue to function normally.
Did Germany invade Scandinavia?
When Germany invaded both Denmark and Norway on 9 April 1940, the 100,000 Swedish soldiers who had been deployed along the Finnish border in northern Sweden were in the process of being demobilized, owing to the end of the Winter War there.
Did Germany invade Norway during WWII?
German troops invaded Norway on 9 April 1940, planning to capture the King and the Government in order to force the country to surrender.
What happened to Norway’s royal family during ww2?
While the Danish royal family was taken prisoner by the Nazis, the Norwegian royal family managed to escape and carry on the war from exile for the next five years. As early as 1939, both the Allies and Nazi Germany began to make invasion plans of Norway.
Why did Germany not attack Turkey?
One reason the Germans didn’t try to go through Turkey could be Hitler’s interest in Ataturk. Hitler actually wanted his generals to attack and capture Turkey but his generals changed his mind. They could capture Istanbul but that’s it…if German army entered Anatolia, they would be annihilated in a matter of weeks.
Why did Germany invade Norway and not Sweden?
But Sweden’s response to Germany’s invasion of Norway in 1940 was less neighbourly, says historian Henrik Berggren. In the spring of 1940, Hitler sent 10,000 troops to invade Norway, mainly to secure an ice-free harbour into the North Atlantic and to gain better control of the iron ore supply from Sweden.
Why did Switzerland not join ww2?
During World War I and World War II, Switzerland maintained armed neutrality, and was not invaded by its neighbors, in part because of its topography, much of which is mountainous.