The Scandinavian Campaign of 1940 (wank!)

Why? The German assault was lead by paratroopers. That´s very light infantry with no tanks, next to no artillery and few SMGs. Furthermore the only tanks send to Norway were Pz.II tin cans.

German air superiority? How? In you TL the Norwegians mobilize much more quickly and that greatly decreases the chance of the Germans capturing and holding the key airfields in southern Norway. Without the airfields the invasion is DOA!

By the way, my book from 1960 says if all six Inf.Div are mobilized the size of the Army will be 110,000 men, not 300,000.

Tin can counts when the only AT weapons available to the enemy is dynamite, you know.

German Bf 110 and bombers can reach southern Norway from northern Denmark, and even if the invasion goes much less well in this scenario, I think the Germans are bound to capture at least one airfield anyway.

Yes, the line army will be around 100 000 men, and local defence units, landstorm, depots, reservers etc will be a further 200 000.
 
In this ATL you might get the Danes to NOT demobilize as soon or complete as OTL. You just might have the fortress of Copenhagen Roads and Masnedø manned by more than cooks and caretakers! Would make for some hours gained on Sjaelland.
More important you would have the Danish navy better manned and some army units in Jutland at better strenghts, especially the battalion in North Jutland might play a role in mounting a counter attack at Aalborg Airfield once the Fallschirmjäger has landed (just a depleted coy) Then you get to upset the airborne reinforcement of the landings in Norway and great losses of JU-52's.... drooooooool.:D:D:D
 

Markus

Banned
Tin can counts when the only AT weapons available to the enemy is dynamite, you know.

German Bf 110 and bombers can reach southern Norway from northern Denmark, and even if the invasion goes much less well in this scenario, I think the Germans are bound to capture at least one airfield anyway.

Yes, the line army will be around 100 000 men, and local defence units, landstorm, depots, reservers etc will be a further 200 000.

A Pz.II is virtually useless against dug in infantry. The 20mm peashooter lacks the required punch. If the Norwegians know how to dig in and target the german infantry, the tanks will have little effect.
Flying from northern Denmark provides hardly the kind of air support that´s needed. Especially because Me110 are no macht for single engine fighters.

With just one airfield in german hands central Norway is safely under allied control, while southern Norway is not. This single airfiled makes one(!) fine target. First it will be shelled by the norwegian atillery as long as possible and than it will be the No.1 target for the warplanes the Allies deploy to Norway.

IMO if the Norwegians mobilize as soon and as quick as in your scenario the invasion will fail fairly soon. The Norwegians can stopp or at least delay the Germans in so mayn locations that the Allies can build up faster.
 
With just one airfield in german hands central Norway is safely under allied control, while southern Norway is not. This single airfiled makes one(!) fine target. First it will be shelled by the norwegian atillery as long as possible and than it will be the No.1 target for the warplanes the Allies deploy to Norway.

What target?
If the Brits are as persistent and thorough as in their attacks on Aalborg Airfield (major German staging point for airborne supplies to Norway) the Germans will have few problems keeping the base operational.
 
How about allowing the Norwegian to lay some mines on their mine harbors and be a lot more prepared on the coastal defences? Perhaps they can sink some troop transports that way.
 
A minor detail - BUT many Norwegian army rifle bolts for mobilization were kept at police stations since the 1930'ties to prevent a communist coup!
 
Major headache? Id rather say they in the best case would be runing around screaming insults towards the Navy :D

Worst case would be completley shock and utter lack of action :(

Tough your ATL is very correct regarding the laws of neutrality, the scenario is highly in conflict with the norwegian stance at the time. Strickt neutrality versus Germany, yes. But highly friendly towards Britain.:)

You need a new government (and parliament probably) to do this, Im afraid.

You need to hope for the opinion to change on basis of the Altmark afaire, then have the current government resigning. Based on the shift in the opinion and accordingly the parliament (stretching now :() let the new government be based on a mobilization.

Problem is that OTL parlament was highly unlikely to do just this. Pacifism was paramount in a large majority. :(

Sadly the most likely outcome from your ATL Altmark, would be serious further restrictions to Navy operations :(

How about the City of Flint affair?
October 24. 1939: A US steamer City of Flint arrives in Murmansk having a German prize crew.
Soviet authorities intern the German prize crew and hold the ship back at port.
Following German protest the prize crew was freed and left Murmansk October 28. with the City of Flint.
November 4: City of Flint being in Haugesund, Norway is handed over to its US crew. The German prize crew is interned. Following German protest Norway replies that its action is in accordance with the Haag convention.
November 13: The German government assures the US that the City of Flint will not be impeded by German forces on its return journey to the US.

It does show the Norwegian bias and a possible resolve to not heed German protest (though my knowledge of the affair is sketchy)
 
Could be good.
Even once Germany lands troops (as I assume they will from the title ;) ) fighting in Norway will not be pleasent...
 

Oddball

Monthly Donor
How about the City of Flint affair?

Another bit:
March 28, 1940: U-21 that hit a rock off the Norwegian shore at Mandal on the 27 is interned by the Norwegians.

IMHO different, as in both cases the Germans practicaly forced the Norwegians to act. :)

The Flint were twice rejected entry to Norway, but came anyway with GB naval assets waiting in international waters. The German prize crew refused to leave the harbour :D

The sub ran ashore, so what else could be done? Ignore it? :D
 
IMHO different, as in both cases the Germans practicaly forced the Norwegians to act. :)

The Flint were twice rejected entry to Norway, but came anyway with GB naval assets waiting in international waters. The German prize crew refused to leave the harbour :D

As already mentioned my knowledge of this incident is sketcy.
BTW agree on this one - that having a British cruiser and some more destroyers waiting in international waters might not make the Norwegians so bold during the Altmark affair - hotheadede commander or not.
OTOH a firm Norwegian stance might just provide the Danish politicians with a will to call up a few thousand more reserves and the subsequent fighting going on perhaps all of April 9. might make Aalborg Airfield inoperational for a day or two. Just enough to let your grandfathers kill off the airlanded German elements and prepare a hot landing for the next wave and make the Germans lose precious Ju-52's...:D

The sub ran ashore, so what else could be done? Ignore it? :D

Course not - but it was interned wasn't it...:D
 
I will need to re-do some stuff and post about the German order of battle, then outline the events during the invasion morning.
 
A worse case scenario for the KM would be the Home Fleet sailing on the 7th to intercept. By the 9th there could be nothing German left afloat.
 
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