Hans Reidar Holtermann
Encyclopedia
Hans Reidar Holtermann was a Norwegian
military officer. Holtermann is best known as the commander of Hegra Fortress
during the Battle of Hegra Fortress
in the Norwegian Campaign
of 1940.
During the inter-war years
Holtermann attended military college in both Norway
and France
.
After the war he continued his military service, among other missions commanding the Independent Norwegian Brigade Group in Germany
in 1949–1950.
and a grandnephew of architect Peter Høier Holtermann
.
with the rank of premierløytnant (First Lieutenant
) and from Military College in 1919.
Thereafter he graduated from the Royal Frederick University
in 1923 with a degree
in economics
.
After leaving university Holtermann went to France. There he attended the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr
in France
for three years from 1924 to 1926.
of the Norwegian Army's
Field artillery
, achieving the rank of kaptein
in 1930. In 1937 he became a major
and second in command of Artillery Regiment no. 3 in Trondheim
. He held this position until the German invasion of Norway
on 9 April 1940.
defending Trondheim major Holtermann was ordered to take part in the mobilisation of Artillery Regiment no. 3 at Værnes. As the Germans advanced on this important army camp it became impossible to complete the mobilisation there and Holtermann sought out a new and more secure location to organize the troops. The choice fell on Ingstadkleiva Fort near the village of Hegra
in Stjørdal
– a fort placed in reserve in 1926, but still largely intact and defensible. The mountain border fort was soon to become internationally known as Hegra Fortress
.
reached his area of operation. From its strategic location Hegra Fortress could have played an important role as a junction for the allied
offensive. Holtermann also proposed plans to attempt to bombard the German airfields near Trondheim. However, since the artillery pieces at the fortress were intended to fire eastwards towards Sweden
, not westwards towards Trondheim, the guns at Holtermann's disposal could not reach the German held air strips. Attempts were made by the besieged garrison to acquire the tools needed to reconfigure the fixed artillery pieces, but without success. For twenty-five days Holtermann and his small force held out under continuous artillery and Luftwaffe
bombardment in what became known as the Battle of Hegra Fortress
. In the end the fortress' significance consisted mostly of serving as a moral booster for the Norwegian population in a time of mostly bad news. At 0515hrs on 5 May 1940, after resisting a steadily tightening siege for nearly a month, Holtermann met the commander of the local German forces and surrendered his troops as the last commander in the south of Norway.
. At Berkåk the Norwegians were set at work to repair road damage caused during fighting several weeks earlier. The time the defenders of Hegra spent as POW
s varied somewhat, with the first being released as soon as 17 May 1940. Another group was let go on 22 May and the final few, including Holtermann, set free on 2 June.
of his homeland but quickly became active in the fledgling Norwegian resistance movement
. While officially spending the years 1940–1942 working as an office manager for Orkla Metall
at Orkanger
Holtermann continued resisting the Germans by being secretly active in the resistance movement. In 1942 his illegal activities were finally uncovered by the Germans and he was forced to flee across the border into neutral Sweden.
where, in 1943, he assumed the rank of Oberst
(Colonel) and took command of the Norwegian Army in exile's main unit – the Norwegian Brigade in Scotland
. In 1944 Holtermann was transferred to lead District Command Trøndelag and returned to Sweden where he took part in Norwegian preparations for the coming liberation of Norway. After the German surrender in Norway on 8 May 1945 Oberst Holtermann led District Command Trøndelag over the border from Sweden on 10 May, together with two reinforced battalions of 2,570 Norwegian police troops
, and took part in the disarmament and internment of the German occupation forces.
in terms of training, methods and materiel. Holtermann then moved on to command the army in North Norway
(1949–1950). From 1 November 1950 to 30 April 1952 Holtermann, now with the rank of generalmajor
(Major General), took part in the occupation of Germany
as the penultimate commander of the Independent Norwegian Brigade Group in Germany
. After returning home once more Holtermann spent his last years in the active army as Army Staff Commander and Commander of Allied Land Forces in Southern Norway before leaving the army in 1956. Instead of entering retirement Holtermann worked on as the leader of the Norwegian Civil Defence
forces between 1956 and 1962.
(awarded in 1942) and the title of Knight, First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav (awarded in 1956). When Generalmajor Holtermann died in 1966 after just four years of retirement he was given a state funeral
on 1 December 1966.
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...
military officer. Holtermann is best known as the commander of Hegra Fortress
Hegra fortress
Hegra Fortress is a small mountain fortress in the village of Hegra in the municipality of Stjørdal in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. Originally known as Ingstadkleiven Fort , it was built between 1907–1910 as a border fort as a defence against the perceived threat of a Swedish...
during the Battle of Hegra Fortress
Battle of Hegra Fortress
The Battle of Hegra Fortress was a twenty-five day engagement in the 1940 Norwegian Campaign which saw a small force of Norwegian volunteers fighting superior German forces...
in the Norwegian Campaign
Norwegian Campaign
The Norwegian Campaign was a military campaign that was fought in Norway during the Second World War between the Allies and Germany, after the latter's invasion of the country. In April 1940, the United Kingdom and France came to Norway's aid with an expeditionary force...
of 1940.
During the inter-war years
Interwar period
Interwar period can refer to any period between two wars. The Interbellum is understood to be the period between the end of the Great War or First World War and the beginning of the Second World War in Europe....
Holtermann attended military college in both 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...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
After the war he continued his military service, among other missions commanding the Independent Norwegian Brigade Group in Germany
Independent Norwegian Brigade Group in Germany
The Independent Norwegian Brigade Group in Germany was a Norwegian expeditionary force stationed first in the Hanover area and from 1948 to 1953 in the Schleswig Holstein area of Germany as part of the British occupying force after World War II.-Background:...
in 1949–1950.
Early life
Holtermann was the son of the district physician Sven Ruud Holtermann (1854–1916). He served in Sokndal, and Hans Reidar Holtermann grew up there. He was a nephew of architect Ove Bjelke HoltermannOve Bjelke Holtermann
Ove Bjelke Holtermann was a Norwegian architect.He was a son of vicar Eiler Hagerup Holtermann , and a nephew of architect Peter Høier Holtermann and an uncle of major general Hans Reidar Holtermann....
and a grandnephew of architect Peter Høier Holtermann
Peter Høier Holtermann
Peter Høier Holtermann was a Norwegian architect.-Biography:He was born in Austrått, in Ørland municipality, Sør-Trøndelag County, Norway...
.
Studies
Holtermann started his military career at Officer's School, and in 1917 graduated from the Norwegian Military AcademyNorwegian Military Academy
The Norwegian Army Academy was established in 1750. It is the oldest university-level educational institution in Norway, and one of the oldest active military academies in the world. Krigsskolen primarily educates officers for the Norwegian Army. There are separate academies for the Royal...
with the rank of premierløytnant (First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
) and from Military College in 1919.
Thereafter he graduated from the Royal Frederick University
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
in 1923 with a degree
Cand.oecon.
Candidatus oeconomices or Candidata oeconomices , often abbreviated cand.oecon. is an academic degree in economics at Danish and Norwegian universities. It is roughly equivalent to a Master of Economics, but it consists of 4+2 years, and was based on a four year cand.mag.. The degree was replaced...
in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
.
After leaving university Holtermann went to France. There he attended the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr
École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr
The École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr is the foremost French military academy. Its official name is . It is often referred to as Saint-Cyr . Its motto is "Ils s'instruisent pour vaincre": literally "They study to vanquish" or "Training for victory"...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
for three years from 1924 to 1926.
Military career
After completing his general staff training Holtermann served as Chief of staff for the Inspector GeneralInspector General
An Inspector General is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is Inspectors General.-Bangladesh:...
of the Norwegian Army's
Norwegian Army
Norway achieved full independence in 1905, and in the first century of its short life has contributed to two major conflicts, the Cold War and the War on Terror. The Norwegian Army currently operates in the north of Norway and in Afghanistan as well as in Eastern Europe. The Army is the oldest of...
Field artillery
Field artillery
Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, long range, short range and extremely long range target engagement....
, achieving the rank of kaptein
Norwegian military ranks
The green part represents soldiers and the equivalent of non-commissioned officers. The blue part represents officers. Norway does not have a NCO-system and thus Sergeant and Quartermaster are grouped with the officers under the common designation befal...
in 1930. In 1937 he became a major
Norwegian military ranks
The green part represents soldiers and the equivalent of non-commissioned officers. The blue part represents officers. Norway does not have a NCO-system and thus Sergeant and Quartermaster are grouped with the officers under the common designation befal...
and second in command of Artillery Regiment no. 3 in Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
. He held this position until the German invasion of Norway
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
on 9 April 1940.
Mobilising A.R.3
As the German Gruppe 2 broke through the Norwegian coastal fortsCoastal artillery
Coastal artillery is the branch of armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications....
defending Trondheim major Holtermann was ordered to take part in the mobilisation of Artillery Regiment no. 3 at Værnes. As the Germans advanced on this important army camp it became impossible to complete the mobilisation there and Holtermann sought out a new and more secure location to organize the troops. The choice fell on Ingstadkleiva Fort near the village of Hegra
Hegra
Hegra is a village and former municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. The former municipality encompassed most of the eastern part of the present-day municipality of Stjørdal....
in Stjørdal
Stjørdal
is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Stjørdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Stjørdal, also called Stjørdalshalsen...
– a fort placed in reserve in 1926, but still largely intact and defensible. The mountain border fort was soon to become internationally known as Hegra Fortress
Hegra fortress
Hegra Fortress is a small mountain fortress in the village of Hegra in the municipality of Stjørdal in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. Originally known as Ingstadkleiven Fort , it was built between 1907–1910 as a border fort as a defence against the perceived threat of a Swedish...
.
Hegra Fortress
At Hegra Holtermann organised an improvised force of 250 soldiers and one female volunteer auxiliary with the intention to resist the invaders until effective support could arrive from elsewhere. As the tide of war developed unfavorably for the Norwegian forces in the south of Norway major Holtermann made it his main mission to hold the fort until the expected allied thrust from the northNamsos campaign
In April and early May, 1940 Namsos and its surrounding area were the scene of heavy fighting between Anglo-French, Polish and Norwegian naval and military forces on the one hand, and German military, naval and air forces on the other...
reached his area of operation. From its strategic location Hegra Fortress could have played an important role as a junction for the allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
offensive. Holtermann also proposed plans to attempt to bombard the German airfields near Trondheim. However, since the artillery pieces at the fortress were intended to fire eastwards towards Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, not westwards towards Trondheim, the guns at Holtermann's disposal could not reach the German held air strips. Attempts were made by the besieged garrison to acquire the tools needed to reconfigure the fixed artillery pieces, but without success. For twenty-five days Holtermann and his small force held out under continuous artillery and Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
bombardment in what became known as the Battle of Hegra Fortress
Battle of Hegra Fortress
The Battle of Hegra Fortress was a twenty-five day engagement in the 1940 Norwegian Campaign which saw a small force of Norwegian volunteers fighting superior German forces...
. In the end the fortress' significance consisted mostly of serving as a moral booster for the Norwegian population in a time of mostly bad news. At 0515hrs on 5 May 1940, after resisting a steadily tightening siege for nearly a month, Holtermann met the commander of the local German forces and surrendered his troops as the last commander in the south of Norway.
PoW
After the surrender at Hegra Holtermann and his soldiers marched into captivity at BerkåkBerkåk
Berkåk is a village and administrative centre of the municipality of Rennebu in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located along the Orkla River and the European route E6 highway. The village lies about north of Ulsberg and southeast of Stamnan. The Berkåk Station on the Dovrebanen railway is...
. At Berkåk the Norwegians were set at work to repair road damage caused during fighting several weeks earlier. The time the defenders of Hegra spent as POW
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
s varied somewhat, with the first being released as soon as 17 May 1940. Another group was let go on 22 May and the final few, including Holtermann, set free on 2 June.
Office manager and resistance fighter
Following his release in June 1940 Holtermann did not resign and accept the German occupationOccupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...
of his homeland but quickly became active in the fledgling Norwegian resistance movement
Norwegian resistance movement
The Norwegian resistance to the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany began after Operation Weserübung in 1940 and ended in 1945. It took several forms:...
. While officially spending the years 1940–1942 working as an office manager for Orkla Metall
Orkla Group
Orkla Group is a Norwegian industrial conglomerate operating in the Nordic region, Eastern Europe, Asia and the US. The company's main divisions are branded consumer goods, aluminium solutions, materials, associates and financial investments.-Operations:...
at Orkanger
Orkanger
Orkanger is village and former municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the present-day municipality of Orkdal at the end of the Orkdalsfjorden, and arm of the Trondheimsfjord. Orkanger is the administrative and commercial centre of the municipality of Orkdal...
Holtermann continued resisting the Germans by being secretly active in the resistance movement. In 1942 his illegal activities were finally uncovered by the Germans and he was forced to flee across the border into neutral Sweden.
Continued service abroad
From Sweden Holtermann made his way to the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
where, in 1943, he assumed the rank of Oberst
Norwegian military ranks
The green part represents soldiers and the equivalent of non-commissioned officers. The blue part represents officers. Norway does not have a NCO-system and thus Sergeant and Quartermaster are grouped with the officers under the common designation befal...
(Colonel) and took command of the Norwegian Army in exile's main unit – the Norwegian Brigade in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. In 1944 Holtermann was transferred to lead District Command Trøndelag and returned to Sweden where he took part in Norwegian preparations for the coming liberation of Norway. After the German surrender in Norway on 8 May 1945 Oberst Holtermann led District Command Trøndelag over the border from Sweden on 10 May, together with two reinforced battalions of 2,570 Norwegian police troops
Norwegian police troops in Sweden during World War II
The Norwegian police troops in Sweden during World War II consisted of around 13,000 troops, recruited from Norwegian refugees and trained at a number of secret camps in Sweden.-Background:...
, and took part in the disarmament and internment of the German occupation forces.
Post-war
After the war Holtermann spent the first five years in Norway. He first commanded the army artillery in 1946–1948, leading the rebuilding of that Combat ArmCombat Arms
Combat Arms is a multiplayer game, free-to-play modern first-person shooter developed by the South Korea-based developer Doobic Studios, and published by Nexon. The game uses the Lithtech game engine to produce its graphics.- Gameplay :...
in terms of training, methods and materiel. Holtermann then moved on to command the army in North Norway
Nord-Norge
North Norway or Nord-Noreg , North Sámi: Davvi-Norga) is the geographical region of northern Norway, consisting of the three counties Nordland, Troms and Finnmark, in total about 35% of the Norwegian mainland. Some of the largest towns in North Norway are Mo i Rana, Bodø, Narvik, Harstad, Tromsø...
(1949–1950). From 1 November 1950 to 30 April 1952 Holtermann, now with the rank of generalmajor
Norwegian military ranks
The green part represents soldiers and the equivalent of non-commissioned officers. The blue part represents officers. Norway does not have a NCO-system and thus Sergeant and Quartermaster are grouped with the officers under the common designation befal...
(Major General), took part in the occupation of Germany
Allied Occupation Zones in Germany
The Allied powers who defeated Nazi Germany in World War II divided the country west of the Oder-Neisse line into four occupation zones for administrative purposes during 1945–49. In the closing weeks of fighting in Europe, US forces had pushed beyond the previously agreed boundaries for the...
as the penultimate commander of the Independent Norwegian Brigade Group in Germany
Independent Norwegian Brigade Group in Germany
The Independent Norwegian Brigade Group in Germany was a Norwegian expeditionary force stationed first in the Hanover area and from 1948 to 1953 in the Schleswig Holstein area of Germany as part of the British occupying force after World War II.-Background:...
. After returning home once more Holtermann spent his last years in the active army as Army Staff Commander and Commander of Allied Land Forces in Southern Norway before leaving the army in 1956. Instead of entering retirement Holtermann worked on as the leader of the Norwegian Civil Defence
Norwegian Civil Defence
Norwegian Civil Defence is the civil defence organization of Norway.The Norwegian Civil Defence sorts under the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning which again reports to the Norwegian Ministry of Justice and the Police....
forces between 1956 and 1962.
Honours
In the post-war years Holtermann received numerous medals and orders from both Norway and abroad, the most prestigious being the War Cross with swordWar Cross with sword
The War Cross with Sword is the highest ranking Norwegian gallantry decoration. It is awarded for extraordinary brave actions or extraordinary leadership during combat. A recipient deemed worthy of additional citations will receive up to an additional two swords on the medal ribbon in addition to...
(awarded in 1942) and the title of Knight, First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav (awarded in 1956). When Generalmajor Holtermann died in 1966 after just four years of retirement he was given a state funeral
State funeral
A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honor heads of state or other important people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements of military tradition...
on 1 December 1966.
War Cross citation
In the citation to the award of the War Cross with sword to Hans Reidar Holtermann the Norwegian Army High Command wrote:- The defence of Hegra Fort in Stjørdalen by the Lieutenant Colonel is one of the actions from the Campaign of 1940 that has become best known and attracted the greatest amount of interest. I have myself had the opportunity in Norway to read the Lieutenant Colonel's concise, level headed and objective report, and through it gained a strong impression of that his efforts must be seen as a military accomplishment of the greatest order. His gathering of forces at Værnes in the confused conditions of the first day of war and his reactivation of the snow-covered Hegra Fort – which had been placed in reserve – testifies strongly of his clarity of mind and forceful energy. And the continued defence – which was only given up when the other forces in Southern Norway had been forced to cease fighting and after the fort had run completely out of food – shows the Lieutenant Colonel as a strong and forceful leader with the distinctive command abilities that are always such a deciding factor with regard to the defence of surrounded fortresses.