Oslogjengen
Encyclopedia
Oslogjengen was a sabotage group operating in Oslo
from May 1944 to May 1945, during the last year of the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
. The group had its basis in both the British Special Operations Executive
and the Norwegian Milorg
, was coordinated by Gunnar Sønsteby
, and had around ten members. It was the dominant sabotage group in Oslo between May and September 1944, when they performed a series of successful sabotage operations.
( (PM)) from "Minister of Justice" Sverre Riisnæs
, proposing to send 75,000 young Norwegians to the German-Soviet war front
, had been revealed and published by the underground press. The resistance movement decided to oppose these plans by all available means.
fighters and 150 airplane motors. A locomotive for the Thamshavn
railway, which had previously been damaged and sent to Oslo for repair, was damaged again in an operation against Skabo Jernbanevognfabrikk
in September 1944. Other operations were directed against Raufoss Ammunisjonsfabrikk and Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk, oil storage facilities, and a large supply of stored ball bearings.
when he returned from exile on 13 May 1945, and also as guards for King Haakon
when he arrived in June 1945.
and Edvard Tallaksen
, were shot by the Germans in November 1944, and Roy Nielsen
was also killed by the Germans. Other group members were Birger Rasmussen, Andreas Aubert, William Houlder, Per Mørland and Henrik Hop, and occasionally Max Manus
. The group was eventually reinforced with the two Linge agents
Arthur Pevik and Viggo Axelssen.
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
from May 1944 to May 1945, during the last year of the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
Occupation 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...
. The group had its basis in both the British Special Operations Executive
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
and the Norwegian Milorg
Milorg
Milorg was the main Norwegian resistance movement in World War II....
, was coordinated by Gunnar Sønsteby
Gunnar Sønsteby
Gunnar Fridtjof Thurmann Sønsteby DSO was a member of the Norwegian resistance movement during the German occupation of Norway in World War II...
, and had around ten members. It was the dominant sabotage group in Oslo between May and September 1944, when they performed a series of successful sabotage operations.
Background
In May 1944 the Nazi regime announced the call up of all men born in 1921, 1922 and 1923 to "national labour duty". Earlier in 1944 a secret memorandumMemorandum
A memorandum is from the Latin verbal phrase memorandum est, the gerundive form of the verb memoro, "to mention, call to mind, recount, relate", which means "It must be remembered ..."...
( (PM)) from "Minister of Justice" Sverre Riisnæs
Sverre Riisnæs
Sverre Parelius Riisnæs was a Norwegian jurist and public prosecutor who was born 6 November 1897 in Vik, Sogn county and died 21 June 1988 in Oslo...
, proposing to send 75,000 young Norwegians to the German-Soviet war front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
, had been revealed and published by the underground press. The resistance movement decided to oppose these plans by all available means.
Sabotage operations against the labour duty
The first sabotages were directed against Arbeidstjenesten, the registration of young people for labour duty: Destruction of a machinery for sorting registration cards, 18 May 1944 and 17 June 1944, and a the demolition of the registration office at Akersgaten 55 in Oslo. Over the summer, thousands of young people left their homes, hiding in the forests, to avoid the call-up. When the Nazi authorities discovered this, they tried to prevent their food supplies by denying them ration cards. As a counter-action Oslogjengen performed a hold-up against a truck with ration cards in August 1944, securing the truck-load of cards.Other operations
To paralyse the German production of explosives, an operation against two sulphur acid factories (Norsk Svovelsyrefabrikk and Lysaker kemiske Fabrik A/S) was performed in June 1944. In August 1944 an operation against a bus garage resulted in the destruction of 25 MesserschmittMesserschmitt
Messerschmitt AG was a famous German aircraft manufacturing corporation named for its chief designer, Willy Messerschmitt, and known primarily for its World War II fighter aircraft, notably the Bf 109 and Me 262...
fighters and 150 airplane motors. A locomotive for the Thamshavn
Thamshavn
Thamshavn is a small port village in the municipality of Orkdal in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is the site of the port for Orkanger and the ferrosilicon plant Elkem Thamshavn...
railway, which had previously been damaged and sent to Oslo for repair, was damaged again in an operation against Skabo Jernbanevognfabrikk
Skabo Jernbanevognfabrikk
Skabo Jernbanevognfabrikk was a mechanical workshop focusing on design and construction of railcars. It was established by Hans Skabo in Drammen, Norway in 1864; it became the first rail car factory in the country when it took delivery of the cars for Kongsvingerbanen...
in September 1944. Other operations were directed against Raufoss Ammunisjonsfabrikk and Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk, oil storage facilities, and a large supply of stored ball bearings.
Towards the end of the war
In May 1945 Oslogjengen performed an operation to secure the files in the Ministry of Justice and Police from destruction. After the war, members of the group served as guards for Crown Prince OlavOlav V of Norway
Olav V was the king of Norway from 1957 until his death. A member of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, Olav was born in the United Kingdom as the son of King Haakon VII of Norway and Queen Maud of Norway...
when he returned from exile on 13 May 1945, and also as guards for King Haakon
Haakon VII of Norway
Haakon VII , known as Prince Carl of Denmark until 1905, was the first king of Norway after the 1905 dissolution of the personal union with Sweden. He was a member of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg...
when he arrived in June 1945.
Members
Oslogjengen had about ten members, coordinated by Gunnar Sønsteby. Two of the group members, Gregers GramGregers Gram
Gregers Winther Wulfsberg Gram MC MM was a Norwegian resistance fighter and saboteur. A corporal and later second lieutenant in the Norwegian Independent Company 1 during the Second World War, he was killed in 1944....
and Edvard Tallaksen
Edvard Tallaksen
Johan Edvard Tallaksen was a Norwegian resistance member during World War II, as an ensign in the Oslo Gang and Norwegian Independent Company 1.-Early life:...
, were shot by the Germans in November 1944, and Roy Nielsen
Roy Nielsen
Roy Nielsen was a Norwegian resistance member during World War II, a member of Milorg and involved in propaganda and sabotage. Among his sabotage operations was the destruction of 25 Messerschmitt fighter aircraft and 150 engines stored in a bus garage in Oslo, on 14 August 1944, together with Max...
was also killed by the Germans. Other group members were Birger Rasmussen, Andreas Aubert, William Houlder, Per Mørland and Henrik Hop, and occasionally Max Manus
Max Manus
Maximo Guillermo "Max" Manus DSO, MC & Bar was a Norwegian resistance fighter during World War II.Manus was born in Bergen to a Norwegian father and a Danish mother...
. The group was eventually reinforced with the two Linge agents
Norwegian Independent Company 1
Norwegian Independent Company 1 was a British SOE group formed in March 1941 originally for the purpose of performing commando raids during the Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany. It was organized under the leadership of Captain Martin Linge...
Arthur Pevik and Viggo Axelssen.