The Sinking of the Bluecher - The Battle of Drobak Narrows - April 1940

I must admit that my views on the German invasion of Norway in 1940 (Operation Weserubung) were primarily formed many years ago after reading Donald MacIntyre's 'Narvik' (Pan, 1962, ISBN 0 330 02708 5). Basically, sneaky German attack, overwhelmed and outclassed home defences, and, ultimately, futile British/French intervention, all somewhat allayed by the destruction of the German destroyer force in the sea battles off Narvik. The sinking of the brand new heavy cruiser Blucher in Oslofjord at the beginning of the invasion was a curious aside. This 2023 book by Geirr Haarr and Tor Jorgen Melien goes into considerable depth in setting the scene of the invasion and then concentrates on the naval battles that ensued as the German Naval Force V moved up Oslofjord towards the Norwegian capital. The authors also expend considerable time on describing and analysing the technical and operational aspects of the Kriegsmarine (especially with respect to Blucher) and of the Norwegian forts and batteries defending Oslofjord. I suspect much of the latter would be new to the average British reader. Considerable time is spent describing the political situation prior to the invasion. Much of this was new to me but, in its very detail, a rather confused picture emerges with both the Germans and British fearful that the Norwegians would opt to join the 'wrong' side. The old chestnut that the German invasion was primarily concerned with preserving the flow of Swedish iron ore to the Germany is dealt with and quickly cast aside. The role played by the odious and, eventually, rather pitiful Vidkun Quisling is discussed, almost as an aside. The descriptions of the naval battles in Oslofjord are well-written, pacy and often read like chapters from an action novel! The successes of the small Norwegian naval forces are here well-documented (for the first time in English?) as is the success of British submarines in attacking the German's naval supply chain in the Skagerrak and Kattegat. These stories deserve to be more widely known and appreciated. The excellent readability of the text is, perhaps, somewhat surprising (a testimony to the skill of the authors) given that it is clearly a well-informed academic work soundly based on primary references in German and Norwegian archives. That many of these sources will be out of reach of most readers is unfortunate but understandable. The main text is supported by numerous footnotes, extensive lists of references and sources and useful appendices and indices. The standard of the illustrations is exemplary as are the numerous clear and informative maps. Given that my views on this book a clearly very positive, it does seem a little churlish to add one minor criticism. There are a large number of personalities involved in this story, especially in explaining the events leading up to the invasion. people appear, disappear and then reappear at various times, and I found it difficult to keep up at times. A dramatis personae as an appendix would have been very useful! One final point, the authors avoid the often pointless 'what if' speculations that often attend works such as this. The book is all the better for it. One nagging thought sticks with me - the fate of the German soldiers sealed within warships being sunk and badly damaged. No training, no leadership, no life-saving equipment... such is war, I suppose. In summary, a thoroughly well-written, well-research and ultimately very enjoyable book.