Did you know.... Operation Claymore

sunb!

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On the 4th of March 1941, 350 British and 52 Norwegian soldiers executed Operation Claymore - a raid that resulted in an unused German forcepool in Norway.

The allied force occupied the small villages of Brettesnes, Henningsvær, Kabelvåg, Stamsund and Svolvær situated on the Lofoten Islands (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lofoten) above the artic circle for some 6 hours. The local population thought this was the beginning of the liberation of Norway and was indeed disappointed when the allied force left the islands - though somewhat 300 locals went to England as voulenteers for the further freedom fight.

During the operation several vessels were distroyed as well as fishoil factories, warehouses, fueltanks and the most modern German factory trawler "Hamburg" was sunk. The wreckage of the 9000 ton vessel can still be seen in the harbour of Svolvær on bright days.

212 captured Germans whose brought to England resulted in a "Führer befehl" from Hitler of the total destruction of Svolvær. Agressive SS soldies arrive shortly after the allied left and several houses were burned but later stopped by unknown orders.

From this date and until the German defeat in 1945 - bunkers, trenches and positions were constantly built in the area and Svolvær is the city in Norway with the most German positions on 2 square kilometers!

Operation Claymore can be seen as the first total victory for the allied in Europe even though the Germans were kicked out of the city of Narvik one year earlier, they weren't defeated. British news used this victory for what it was worth and had great importance for the morale in England and in occupied Europe as a whole.

What did this result in? Well, Hitler did order 80.000 to 100.000 soldiers to the region (and Norway in general) from 1941 until 1945 - soldiers that otherwise could have been used in Normandie and on the Eastern Front.

402 allied soldiers locked up one entire kampf gruppe for 4 years by a 6 hour raid - now that is what we can call fear factor and well performed operation!
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Just as a curiosity - these fortifications were my playground as a kid :horsie:
 
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