Battle of Gratangen
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Gratangen occurred during the first Norwegian counter-attack in the Narvik Campaign
. The Norwegian 6th Division gathered forces to push the Germans out of the Gratangen
area and back towards Narvik
. The first attack failed disastrously when the Germans counter-attacked unprepared Norwegian forces, routing a battalion
and blunting the first Norwegian advance.
under Eduard Dietl
and the Norwegian 6th Division
under General Carl Gustav Fleischer
after the German
invasion of Norway
on 9 April 1940.
After initial German success in surprising and routing a battalion from Trøndelag
, the tide turned as the Norwegians got used to the concept of war.
Shortly after seeing their comrades from I/IR12 suffer heavy casualties under the German assault, the men from Finnmark
of the soon to be highly respected Alta Battalion
under Lieutenant-Colonel Arne Dagfin Dahl
counter-attacked and drove the Germans back from Gratangen.
s from the Kriegsmarine
, the German Task Force under command of General der Infanterie Eduard Dietl
had occupied Narvik and the important military depots at Elvegårdsmoen in the early hours of 9 April 1940. Sinking the outdated Norwegian coastal defence ship
s Norge
and Eidsvold
with great loss of life and bluffing the Norwegian land forces into surrender.
The Allies counter attacked by sea and, in the two sea battles of Narvik, the Royal Navy
eliminated the ten German destroyers.
This to some extent was to Dietl's benefit as the approximately 2,900 ship-less sailors were kitted out with captured Norwegian equipment from Elvegårdsmoen and employed as ground troops in support of Dietl's Gebirgsjäger
.
In the meantime, the Norwegians mobilised their forces under the leadership of General Carl Gustav Fleischer
.
The Norwegian plan for a counter attack on the German bridgehead around Narvik was based on pushing towards Elvegårdsmoen and Bjerkvik through Salangsdalen over Lapphaugen with II/IR15 (Second Battalion/Fifteenth Infantry Regiment) in a frontal attack with artillery support on the German forward positions on Lapphaugen believed to be held in company strength, while I/IR12 (First Battalion/Twelfth Infantry Regiment) advanced on the German main positions in Gratangsbotn by a surprise march over difficult terrain over Fjordbotneidet. The Alta Battalion (Independent Infantry Bn) was in divisional reserve but positioned to support I/IR12.
The Germans, however, decided to abandon their positions on Lapphaugen and Gratangsbotn. In the foul weather, this went unnoticed by the II/IR15. Consequently this battalion did not push on with the advance.
In wind and heavy snowfall, the I/IR12 crossed the Fjordbotneidet and arrived at Gratangsbotn to find the area cleared of Germans. The soldiers were exhausted after the forced march and went to rest in the farmhouses and barns in Gratangsbotn. For reasons not fully explained, probably a misunderstanding by the battalion's commanding officer, the battalion failed to post a sufficient perimeter security; this was indeed critical as Gratangsbotn geographically is located at the bottom of a kettle with dominating high ground all around.
The Germans did not miss this opportunity and immediately counter attacked with a 165-strong force, using Norwegian civilians as a human shield
s. Though inferior in numbers, the German attack suppressed the surprised Norwegians with superior fire power from mortars and heavy machine guns. Thirty-four Norwegian soldiers were killed, 64 wounded and 130 taken prisoners. Officer losses were heavy: three out of five company commanders were killed in action, one wounded, the fifth was ill with snow-blindness and did not take active part in the battle. The Germans suffered only six soldiers killed, 16 wounded and three missing.
The surviving Norwegians retreated from Gratangsbotn. The depleted battalion was later reorganised as a reduced battalion with two rifle companies and one support company and participated actively in the rest of the campaign.
The Germans therefore abandoned Gratangen soon after the battle.
For the Norwegians on the Narvik front, the battle of Gratangen proved their first serious lesson in the art of war. Before the battle, the inexperienced Norwegian soldiers often had hesitated to fire on the enemy. After Gratangen, the bitterness caused by the German ruthlessness—particularly the use of civilians as human shields—ensured that any such reservations were gone.
Battles of Narvik
The Battles of Narvik were fought from 9 April-8 June 1940 as a naval battle in the Ofotfjord and as a land battle in the mountains surrounding the north Norwegian city of Narvik as part of the Norwegian Campaign of the Second World War....
. The Norwegian 6th Division gathered forces to push the Germans out of the Gratangen
Gratangen
Gratangen is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. It is part of the Hålogaland traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Årstein. The municipality encompasses the land on both sides of the Gratangen fjord. European route E6 runs through the...
area and back towards Narvik
Narvik
is the third largest city and municipality in Nordland county, Norway by population. Narvik is located on the shores of the Narvik Fjord . The municipality is part of the Ofoten traditional region of North Norway, inside the arctic circle...
. The first attack failed disastrously when the Germans counter-attacked unprepared Norwegian forces, routing a battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
and blunting the first Norwegian advance.
Background
Gratangen was the site of some of the first battles between the German 3rd Mountain DivisionGerman 3rd Mountain Division
The 3rd Mountain Division was a formation of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. It was created from the Austrian Army's 5th and 7th Divisions following the Anschluss in 1938.-History:...
under Eduard Dietl
Eduard Dietl
Eduard Dietl was a German general of World War II. He was born in Bad Aibling, Bavaria. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
and the Norwegian 6th Division
Norwegian 6th Division
-History:The pinnacle of this division's service was during World War II, during the German invasion of Norway. It was commanded by General Carl Gustav Fleischer, who was one of the King of Norway's favourite military officers. His division was one of the few Norwegian military commands that was...
under General Carl Gustav Fleischer
Carl Gustav Fleischer
Carl Gustav Fleischer KCB was a Norwegian general and the first land commander to win a major victory against the Germans in the Second World War...
after the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
invasion of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
on 9 April 1940.
After initial German success in surprising and routing a battalion from Trøndelag
Trøndelag
Trøndelag is the name of a geographical region in the central part of Norway, consisting of the two counties Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag. The region is, together with Møre og Romsdal, part of a larger...
, the tide turned as the Norwegians got used to the concept of war.
Shortly after seeing their comrades from I/IR12 suffer heavy casualties under the German assault, the men from Finnmark
Finnmark
or Finnmárku is a county in the extreme northeast of Norway. By land it borders Troms county to the west, Finland to the south and Russia to the east, and by water, the Norwegian Sea to the northwest, and the Barents Sea to the north and northeast.The county was formerly known as Finmarkens...
of the soon to be highly respected Alta Battalion
Alta Battalion
The Alta Battalion was an independent battalion within the Norwegian 6th Division based in the village of Alta in western Finnmark and commanded by Lt...
under Lieutenant-Colonel Arne Dagfin Dahl
Arne Dagfin Dahl
Arne Dagfin Dahl CBE was a Norwegian military officer most renowned as the commander of the Alta Battalion during the fighting at Narvik in Northern Norway in 1940.-First World War:...
counter-attacked and drove the Germans back from Gratangen.
German invasion and Norwegian counter-attacks
Transported by 10 destroyerDestroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s from the Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
, the German Task Force under command of General der Infanterie Eduard Dietl
Eduard Dietl
Eduard Dietl was a German general of World War II. He was born in Bad Aibling, Bavaria. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
had occupied Narvik and the important military depots at Elvegårdsmoen in the early hours of 9 April 1940. Sinking the outdated Norwegian coastal defence ship
Coastal defence ship
Coastal defence ships were warships built for the purpose of coastal defence, mostly during the period from 1860 to 1920. They were small, often cruiser-sized warships that sacrificed speed and range for armour and armament...
s Norge
HNoMS Norge
HNoMS Norge was a coastal defence ship of the Eidsvold class in the Royal Norwegian Navy. Built by Armstrong Whitworth at Newcastle on Tyne in 1899, she was obsolete when torpedoed and sunk by German destroyers in Narvik harbour on 9 April 1940.-Description:Built as part of the general rearmament...
and Eidsvold
HNoMS Eidsvold
HNoMS Eidsvold, or Panserskipet Eidsvold in Norwegian, was a coastal defence ship and the lead ship of her class, serving in the Royal Norwegian Navy...
with great loss of life and bluffing the Norwegian land forces into surrender.
The Allies counter attacked by sea and, in the two sea battles of Narvik, the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
eliminated the ten German destroyers.
This to some extent was to Dietl's benefit as the approximately 2,900 ship-less sailors were kitted out with captured Norwegian equipment from Elvegårdsmoen and employed as ground troops in support of Dietl's Gebirgsjäger
Gebirgsjäger
Gebirgsjäger, in English Mountain Riflemen, is the German designation for mountain infantry. The word Jäger is the traditional German term for rifleman...
.
In the meantime, the Norwegians mobilised their forces under the leadership of General Carl Gustav Fleischer
Carl Gustav Fleischer
Carl Gustav Fleischer KCB was a Norwegian general and the first land commander to win a major victory against the Germans in the Second World War...
.
The Norwegian plan for a counter attack on the German bridgehead around Narvik was based on pushing towards Elvegårdsmoen and Bjerkvik through Salangsdalen over Lapphaugen with II/IR15 (Second Battalion/Fifteenth Infantry Regiment) in a frontal attack with artillery support on the German forward positions on Lapphaugen believed to be held in company strength, while I/IR12 (First Battalion/Twelfth Infantry Regiment) advanced on the German main positions in Gratangsbotn by a surprise march over difficult terrain over Fjordbotneidet. The Alta Battalion (Independent Infantry Bn) was in divisional reserve but positioned to support I/IR12.
The battle
On 24 April, the II/IR15 started its attack on Lapphaugen but due to extreme weather conditions and German resistance the attack was repulsed.The Germans, however, decided to abandon their positions on Lapphaugen and Gratangsbotn. In the foul weather, this went unnoticed by the II/IR15. Consequently this battalion did not push on with the advance.
In wind and heavy snowfall, the I/IR12 crossed the Fjordbotneidet and arrived at Gratangsbotn to find the area cleared of Germans. The soldiers were exhausted after the forced march and went to rest in the farmhouses and barns in Gratangsbotn. For reasons not fully explained, probably a misunderstanding by the battalion's commanding officer, the battalion failed to post a sufficient perimeter security; this was indeed critical as Gratangsbotn geographically is located at the bottom of a kettle with dominating high ground all around.
The Germans did not miss this opportunity and immediately counter attacked with a 165-strong force, using Norwegian civilians as a human shield
Human shield
Human shield is a military and political term describing the deliberate placement of civilians in or around combat targets to deter an enemy from attacking those targets. It may also refer to the use of civilians to literally shield combatants during attacks, by forcing the civilians to march in...
s. Though inferior in numbers, the German attack suppressed the surprised Norwegians with superior fire power from mortars and heavy machine guns. Thirty-four Norwegian soldiers were killed, 64 wounded and 130 taken prisoners. Officer losses were heavy: three out of five company commanders were killed in action, one wounded, the fifth was ill with snow-blindness and did not take active part in the battle. The Germans suffered only six soldiers killed, 16 wounded and three missing.
The surviving Norwegians retreated from Gratangsbotn. The depleted battalion was later reorganised as a reduced battalion with two rifle companies and one support company and participated actively in the rest of the campaign.
Aftermath
Despite soundly defeating I/IR12, the Germans understood that their position in Gratangsbotn was untenable. The fresh Alta Battalion pressed on from the north and II/IR15 resumed its advance over Lapphaugen.The Germans therefore abandoned Gratangen soon after the battle.
For the Norwegians on the Narvik front, the battle of Gratangen proved their first serious lesson in the art of war. Before the battle, the inexperienced Norwegian soldiers often had hesitated to fire on the enemy. After Gratangen, the bitterness caused by the German ruthlessness—particularly the use of civilians as human shields—ensured that any such reservations were gone.