Operation Alphabet facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Operation Alphabet
British troops returning to the UK at Greenock in June 1940.
Date June 4 - 8, 1940 (2 days) Location Narvik, Norway Result Allied evacuation complete, Norwegian defeat & surrender
Belligerents
United Kingdom  France  Poland  Norway	Germany
Commanders and leaders
William Boyle Carl Gustav Fleischer	Eduard Dietl

Operation Alphabet was a big plan during World War II. It was about taking Allied soldiers (from Britain, France, and Poland) away from a port called Narvik in northern Norway. This happened in June 1940. It marked the end of the Allies' fight in Norway and showed that Germany had successfully taken over parts of Norway.

What Was Operation Alphabet?

Operation Alphabet was an important military plan. It happened between June 4 and June 8, 1940. The goal was to safely remove Allied troops from Narvik. This port city in Norway was important because of its iron ore. The evacuation meant that the Allied campaign in Norway during World War II was over. It also showed that Operation Weserübung, which was Germany's invasion of Norway on April 9, had succeeded.

Why Did the Allies Leave?

The Allies decided to leave Norway because of new events in Europe. In the spring of 1940, the German army, called the Wehrmacht, attacked Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and France. These attacks made the supply of iron ore from Scandinavia less important to Germany. The Allies needed their soldiers to fight closer to home. So, they decided to pull their troops out of Norway.

A Heroic Rescue in Narvik

After the soldiers were evacuated, something special happened for the people of Narvik. A British naval officer named Sub-Lieutenant Patrick Dalzel-Job helped the town's civilians. He went against his orders and organized local fishing boats. He used these boats to get the people out of Narvik. He did this just before a German bombing attack.

Much of the town was destroyed in the bombing. But because of Dalzel-Job's quick thinking, only four people died. The Royal Navy wanted to punish him for not following orders. However, King Haakon VII of Norway gave him a special award. This made it impossible for the Royal Navy to discipline him. Later, many people believed that Dalzel-Job was the inspiration for the famous fictional character James Bond.

What Happened Next?

The Allied troops leaving Norway had big effects on other countries. Sweden and Finland became weaker against Nazi Germany. In June, Sweden made an agreement. This allowed German troops (who were not armed) to travel through Sweden by train. This was a rare moment when Sweden did not stay completely neutral during the war.

In August, Finland also made a secret agreement. This allowed Finland to get weapons through Germany. It also let Germany move armed troops by truck through northern Finland. At this time, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union were still working together. They had an agreement called the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. This meant they had a lot of control over what happened in Northern Europe.

See also

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

Sources

• Hauge, Andreas (1995) Kampene i Norge 1940 (Sandefjord: Krigshistorisk Forlag) ISBN: 82-993369-0-2 Norwegian
• Kristiansen, Trond (2006) Fjordkrigen – Sjømilitær motstand mot den tyske invasjonsflåten i 1940 (Harstad: Forlaget Kristiansen) ISBN: 82-997054-2-8 Norwegian