Norway 1940 by Harry Plevy

Author:Harry Plevy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fonthill Media Limited
Published: 2017-12-13T05:00:00+00:00

The Luftwaffe was by now systematically bombing every farmhouse, hamlet, and village along the valley and railroad leading to Dombaas in order to deny any shelter to the retiring British troops. This resulted, it was claimed, in the soldiers losing former goodwill and help of the demoralised local population, since wherever they tried to shelter, destruction by bombing resulted: destroying the farms, habitations, and livelihoods of the inhabitants.47 This concern probably lies behind the apparent reluctance of the Norwegian troops to blow up bridges, tunnels, and other infrastructures in order to delay the enemy advance. Perhaps they were rapidly coming to the conclusion that the British were not going to bring salvation from the German invaders. Maj. Armitage, with the Green Howards at Dombaas, was to write of the civilian population that he ‘was struck by the look of hopelessness on their faces. These people seemed to be absolutely stunned by what was happening.’48

Following the difficult, but successful, fighting withdrawal of the KOYLI battalion and the company of the York and Lancashires, the exhausted troops spent the next day, 27 April, resting in woods outside Dombaas. Meanwhile, Pellengahr’s German troops began to deploy at daybreak, moving cautiously some three miles up the Gudbrandsdal until they reached Paget’s second defensive line at Kjorem about 8.15 a.m. on 27 April.49 Paget’s men needed to hold on as long as possible there and at the next possible defensive position at Otta, further up the Gudbrandsdal nearer to Dombaas, in order to allow 1,200 cut-off Norwegian troops under Col. Dahl an escape route. The Green Howards were accordingly ordered to prepare an immediate defensive position at Otta. They were to be kept very busy for the next two days preparing these positions. From Maj. Armitage’s account:

Trondheim, Oslo and Aandalsnes can all be reached by road and rail from Dombass [sic.] so it is a military target of some importance. Moved two miles out of town and began to dig in.50

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