"Books on Narvik and Norway" Topic

Hi there. I've had a search through the forum but didn't come up with much so I'll ask the question – I was wondering if you could recommend books on the WW2 Narvik and Norway campaigns (in English)? I'm particularly interested in the naval aspects, although tie-in with land campaign would be useful.

Thanks WW

Two books by Geirr Haarr on the subject are supposed to be good. I have not read them but a friend of mine liked them. Here's alink to the first volume:

link

Both of the Geirr Haarr books are excellent (The German Invasion of Norway and The Battle For Norway). The research is excellent and the detailed coverage of the Norwegian forces (as well as the political background on how Norway was ill-prepared) are outstanding. These are probably your best bet for the Naval side of things.

Henrik O. Lunde's Hitler's Pre-Emptive War: The Battle for Norway, 1940 is also worth a read. Not as detailed on the Norwegians, but covers things from a different angle than Haarr; I'd get all three.

These are all recent books and have the most up to date scholarship on the campaign. The British Official history is useful, but dated. Another book that is of interest is Norway, 1940: The Forgotten Fiasco by Joseph Kynoch. Mr. Kynoch served in a TA battalion sent to central Norway early one--and was one of the few who got away (Sickleforce was effectively destroyed in under two weeks, with about 90% of the force being killed, captured, or interned in Sweden).

It's a fascinating campaign.

regards,
HesseDarmstadt62

The Peter Dickens Narvik book from the "Sea Battles in Close Up" series was very good on the 2 Narvik naval battles, but has long been out of print. He went to particular trouble to give both sides of the story, and avoids second guessing. I believe the author served in the RN during WWII. Here's a used copy:

link

MH

I have Harry Plevy's book "Destroyer Actions September 1939 – June 1940", which covers exactly what the title says. This has many personal views of the Narvik battles but the author gives the political and strategic backgrounds to events during that first year of the war.

It is a little while since I last refered to it so cannot remember what details of the Norway campaign were covered and in what depth.

You can get the British Official History at Hyperwar:

link

Thanks very much for the recommendations. I had a look at the Geirr Haarr books on Amazon and the reviews look very promising indeed, so they're already in the basket. And thanks for the other recommendations – the link to the official history is very welcome!

regards WW

Ziemke's U.S. Army history of the German Northern Theater of Operations has good overviews of the naval war around Norway. On 18Apr40, Suffolk limped back into a British port with her quarterdeck awash, after trying to operate SSW of Norway, within the Luftwaffe's easy range.

Moulton's book about Norway being the first invasion in 3 dimensions is good.

I live here in Lørenskog on the east side of Oslo and have now been out on Oscarsborg Fortress island 3 times. It is a beautiful island park, and the big Krupp guns are still there, sighted down the Oslo Fjord.

By the way, an excellent new Axis & Allies like, card-driven boardgame, KampenOmNorge.no, has just come out, and its naval component could easily be used to set up miniatures games.

I have been tasked by Paper Wars to do its review of KoN.

In my last game – against the designers, no less – I nailed RODNEY! in my first naval battle. Later, I had Ark Royal in my sights, but she escaped and her aircraft sank Scharnhorst in return. Addicted, I sailed the Kriegsmarine on, against overwhelming Royal Navy odds … and lost most of it.

There *is* what looks to be an excellent new book out about Narvik by the popular history writer over here, Alf Reidar Jacobsen, titled Angrep ved Daggry (Attack at Dawn).

Hmm. I, too, spent far too much time in school going bleary-eyed over Earl F Ziemke. I also happen to live in Norway, if only in Buskerud. Go Birkebeiners!

There is an Ares wargames club meeting most every Wednesday night in the little meeting house inside Sarpsborggata 7 in Oslo, Philip. They're mostly boardgamers, but if you'd like to do Denmark Straits (Bismarck vs. Hood & PoW) or Nordkapp (Scharnhorst) at 1:4800 … using my (fast, simple) Naval Action rules … let me know.

I also have a lot of the Axis & Allies Naval Miniatures, but ….

By the way, I have a free cardstock model ship plan for the WW2 Sleipner class jager(er?) on my CoatneyHistory.com webpage and one for a Moewe class Kriegsmarine torpedoboot on my LCoat.tripod.com webpage. I design them for 1:700 on the floor wargaming, but Sarpsborggata isn't big enough for that scale.