Åndalsnes landings facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Åndalsnes landings
Part of the Norwegian Campaign of World War II
The crew of a Hudson of No 224 Squadron, N7264/QX-Q, inspecting damage to their aircraft sustained during an operation to support troops landing at Andalsnes in Norway, April 1940.
Date 19 April – early May 1940 Location Åndalsnes, Romsdal, Norway Result German victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom  Norway	Germany
Commanders and leaders
Bernard Paget Harold Morgan
Strength
British 148th Infantry Brigade ~1,500 Men	Unknown (Had heavy and light artillery Support), 3 Pz I or II, 1 Pz IV
Casualties and losses
~1,190 Casualties	Light

The Åndalsnes landings were a military operation by the British in 1940. This happened during the Norwegian Campaign of World War II. After Germany invaded Norway in April 1940, British soldiers landed at Åndalsnes. This town is in Romsdal, Norway.

The goal was to help Norwegian Army units. These units were trying to defend the city of Trondheim. British forces also landed at Namsos, north of Åndalsnes. This was meant to be a two-sided attack. However, the British landings were not successful. The Allies faced a big defeat at Åndalsnes.

Why the Åndalsnes Landings Happened

Before the British operation even started, there were many problems. The commanders for both the landings were changed several times. The soldiers sent were not ready for the fight. They were much less prepared than the German forces.

The 148th Infantry Brigade was led by Brigadier Harold Morgan. This group was part of the 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division. This division was made of part-time soldiers. They were mostly new to fighting and had little training for this kind of operation.

They also had few modern weapons. The brigade was smaller than it should have been. It had only two infantry battalions instead of three. This meant it had just over 1,000 officers and men.

To stop the British from moving inland, German paratroopers were used. These Fallschirmjäger jumped near Dombås. This was a village and railroad junction. They landed there on April 14.

The Battle at Åndalsnes

The attack from the south started on April 19. Brigadier Morgan faced serious issues right away. He was not sure who he should report to. He decided to follow his orders to help the Norwegians.

He split his two battalions to support the Norwegian troops. His units were then moved to Lillehammer. This was to face a German attack coming from Oslo.

The German attack from Oslo was very bad for the British. They were not ready and did not have enough men or equipment. They faced heavy attacks with mortars. This forced the Norwegian commander to order a retreat. Many soldiers from the 148th Brigade were captured. This happened because they did not have enough transport.

The soldiers who escaped regrouped at Faaberg. This was north of Lillehammer, on April 22. The Germans attacked them again. The Germans used artillery and surrounded many British positions. The 148th Brigade had to pull back about 16 kilometers (10 miles) further north to Tretten.

The last German attack happened on the evening of April 22. The Germans had four tanks. The British could not damage these tanks. The Germans pushed them back to Heidal. Finally, the Germans stopped their attack there.

The 148th Brigade was left with only 300 men and 9 officers. Brigadier Morgan and his headquarters were captured at Lillehammer.

Major-General Bernard Paget took command of the remaining forces. He tried to get air support, but it was too late. In early May, with many soldiers lost and no control of the sky, the British forces at Åndalsnes were pulled out.

What Went Wrong?

Some experts have looked back at this operation and found problems. One criticism was about the Royal Navy. Some believed they thought any German ships trying to leave Norway were heading for the Atlantic Ocean.

Another criticism was about the decision to split the British forces. Two brigades, the 146th and 148th, were separated. This was seen as a big mistake. The soldiers had already been told about an attack on Narvik. Splitting "two thirds of the force" was called "nonsense." It is also said that the generals and admirals should have argued against this decision more strongly.

Images for kids

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  The crew of a Hudson of No 224 Squadron, N7264/QX-Q, inspecting damage to their aircraft sustained during an operation to support troops landing at Andalsnes in Norway, April 1940.

See also

• List of British military equipment of World War II
• List of Norwegian military equipment of World War II
• List of German military equipment of World War II