Sea War: British destroyers lay mines in Norwegian territorial waters, southwest of Narvik (Operation Wilfred). HMS Glowworm becomes detached and encounters German naval force (heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper and 4 destroyers) heading for Trondheim. Glowworm rammed by Admiral Hipper and sinks.

Picture: German cruiser Admiral Hipper sinks British destroyer HMS Glowworm.

Diplomacy: Norway protests against British minelaying operations.

Air War: First operational sorties by German Fw 200 Condor four-engine maritime-recce bombers over North Sea.

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 1940

Norway: (MAIN EVENT) GERMAN INVASION OF NORWAY (Weseruebung Nord = Operation Weser Crossing North) with 6 regiments, 1 parachute battalion, 888 aircraft (345 bomber, dive-bomber and fighters, 543 transport and reconnaissance planes), 2 battlecruisers, 1 pocket-battleship, 7 cruisers, 14 destroyers, 30 U-boats. Germans land at Oslo, Kristiansand, Stavanger, Bergen, Trondheim and Narvik. Norwegian coastal batteries sink cruiser Bluecher in Oslo Fjord (1,600 killed). Airborne troops seize Fornebu Airport (Oslo) and Stavanger-Sola airfield. German destroyers sink Norwegian armoured ships Eidsvold and Norge at Narvik and land troops. Norwegian garrison betrayed by its commander, Colonnel Sundlo. King Haakon escapes German trap at Oslo. Vidkun Quisling proclaims himself head of Norwegian Government and says 'I shall be called the big traitor'.

Norwegian Armed Forces

Map from the German invasion of Norway and Allied counter-landings.

Denmark: GERMAN INVASION OF DENMARK (Operation Weseruebung Sued = Weser Crossing South) with 2 divisions, 1 brigade group and 1 battalion of airborne troops, 60 aircraft, 2 old battleships, light warships and auxiliaries. Germans land at Copenhagen, Aalborg Airfield, Esbjerg and other towns and seize Jutland-Funen Bridge. Danish troops offer some resistance in South Jutland and Royal Guard makes brief stand at Amalienborg Palace, Copenhagen. Me110s strafe Vaerlose Airfield, HQ of Danish Air Force and destroying many planes (one Danish fighter destroyed in combat). He 111s drop leaflets over Copenhagen. No resistance from Danish Navy.

Danish Armed Forces

Sea War: British Home Fleet approaches Bergen, but is forced to withdraw by German land-based bombers (47 Ju 88s and 41 He 111s). Battleship Rodney and 3 cruisers damaged, destroyer Gurkha sunk and 4 Ju 88s shot down. Battlecruisers exchange fire south west of Narvik: Renown and Gneisenau both slightly damaged. 19 British submarine commence intensive operations in Norwegian Sea, Skagerrak, Kattegat and North Sea. Sub Truant cripples cruiser Karlsruhe in Skagerrak. German torpedo boat sinks the hulk later.

Diplomacy: German Memoranda to Denmark and Norway: both countries to be given German 'protection' for the duration of the war. Britain promises all possible military aid to Norway.

Home Front Britain: Death of Mrs Patrick Campbell, actress; aged 75.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 1940

Sea War: FIRST BATTLE OF NARVIK. 5 British destroyers engage 10 German destroyers and shore batteries in Ofot Fjord, west of Narvik. Destroyers Hardy, Hunter (British), Wilhelm Heidkamp and Anton Schmitt (German) lost. Captain Warburton-Lee (OC British destroyers) and Commodore Bonte (OC German destroyers) killed. Eight German merchant ships and ammunition carrier Rauenfels, also sunk.
British sub Thistle sunk by German sub U-4 off Stavanger.

Picture from the First battle of Narvik. In the foreground German destroyers Hans Luedemann and Hermann Kuehne as they were engaging British destroyers at the port entrance. In the background burning and sunken transport ships.

Air War: 15 Blackburn Skua dive-bombers of British Fleet Air Arm sink cruiser Koenigsberg at Bergen, first major warship to be sunk by dive-bombing.
German aircraft (4 lost) raid Scapa Flow.

Neutrals, Iceland: Icelandic Parliament (the Althing) severs constitutional links with Denmark and declares that Icelandic government will conduct its own affairs.

THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 1940

Norway: General Ruge appointed CinC Norwegian Army, in place of Maj-Gen. Laake.

Air War: 6 Wellington bombers (1 lost) attack Stavanger-Sola airfield (first British day-light raid on continental target).

Sea War: British submarine Spearfish cripples pocket-battleship Luetzow, south of Oslo (night April 10-11).

FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 1940

Air War: 90 RAF bombers, despatched to Stavanger area to attack German battlecruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst, fail to make contact.

Diplomacy: Danish Government of Faeroe Islands agrees to accept British protection (troops land April 13).

SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 1940

Sea War: SECOND BATTLE OF NARVIK. Battleship HMS Warspite and nine destroyers attack eight German destroyers - which are all sunk or disabled (and then scuttled by their crews, which escape ashore). Three British destroyers damaged. HMS Warspite's Swordfish spotter plane bombs U-64. Admiral Whitworth decides to occupy Narvik, but quickly reverses his decision.

Air War: 15 Hampden bombers drop parachute mines off Danish coast (night April 13-14), first British aerial mining.

SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 1940

Norway: British North Western Expeditionary Force begins landing at Harstad (near Narvik) and Namsos (north of Trondheim).
General von Falkenhorst, commander of German Forces in Norway, threatens draconian measures against civilian resistors.

Picture: the population of Oslo was curiously watching the German troops.

Air War: RAF bombs Stavanger-Sola airfield and seaplanes in Hafrs Fjord.
Norwegian Fokker biplanes bomb Ju52 seaplane transports on lake Harting.