Osvald Group
Encyclopedia
The Osvald Group was a Norwegian
sabotage
organisation during the Second World War
, and led by Asbjørn Sunde
, who used Osvald as one of his cover names. The organisation was originally a branch of the Wollweber League, a subsidiary to the Soviet secret police
organization NKVD
which dissolved when Ernst Wollweber
was arrested in 1940. The Osvald Group was the most active sabotage organization in Norway from 1941 to 1944.
, but had lost contact with Moscow
, and had no funding. Sunde kept his organization alive and prepared caches of explosives around the country. They initiated their sabotage activities shortly after Operation Barbarossa
, the German
attack on the Soviet Union
on 22 June 1941, and continued until the Osvald Group was demobilised in 1944, by orders from Moscow. Their first railway sabotage mission was undertaken on 20 July 1941, the explosion of a Wehrmacht
train at Nyland Station
in Oslo. This was the start of a series of actions. The Osvald group's active resistance policy was in opposition to the Communist Party of Norway
(NKP), Milorg
and other organizations that preferred a more passive resistance. The group cooperated with the group 2A and 2A's police group, as well as with Milorg, SOE
and XU
.
From the winter of 1942 NKP formed military groups, and Sunde had meetings with their leader Peder Furubotn
. Sunde established a sabotage training center in Rukkedalen and recruited a network of saboteurs in the Torpo
-Gol
and Nesbyen
area, down the Hallingdal
and further to Oslo
and Bergen
. In September 1942 Sunde agreed to supply guards at the communist party's central camp in Hemsedal
, in exchange for practical and financial support. Sunde became NKP's military leader, and the organisation became more efficient. In 1944 there was a break between the group and NKP's leader Peder Furubotn, when Furubotn demanded that the group should subordinate itself to his leadership.
The Osvald Group was closed down in 1944, following orders from Moscow. During its operative period from July 1941 to July 1944 the group was responsible for more than 100 known actions, dominating sabotage activity in Norway during this period.
and Moscow, the Osvald Group received no recognition from the Norwegian Government after the war, and their members were never decorated.
A memorial was set up in Oslo 30 May 1995, in memory of saboteurs from the Osvald Group that perished during the Second World War.
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...
sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
organisation during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and led by Asbjørn Sunde
Asbjørn Sunde
Asbjørn Edvin Sunde was a Norwegian sailor, communist, a saboteur against the Nazi occupation of Norway during the Second World War, and a convicted spy for the Soviet Union. During the war, from 1941 to 1944, Sunde's group - the Osvald Group - carried out approximately 200 acts of sabotage and...
, who used Osvald as one of his cover names. The organisation was originally a branch of the Wollweber League, a subsidiary to the Soviet secret police
Secret police
Secret police are a police agency which operates in secrecy and beyond the law to protect the political power of an individual dictator or an authoritarian political regime....
organization NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
which dissolved when Ernst Wollweber
Ernst Wollweber
Ernst Friedrich Wollweber was Minister of State Security of the German Democratic Republic from 1953 to 1957.-Biography:...
was arrested in 1940. The Osvald Group was the most active sabotage organization in Norway from 1941 to 1944.
Activities
After the arrest of Ernst Wollweber and the revelation of the Wollweber League, Asbjørn Sunde still had an intact organisation in OsloOslo
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...
, but had lost contact with Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, and had no funding. Sunde kept his organization alive and prepared caches of explosives around the country. They initiated their sabotage activities shortly after Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
, 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...
attack on the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
on 22 June 1941, and continued until the Osvald Group was demobilised in 1944, by orders from Moscow. Their first railway sabotage mission was undertaken on 20 July 1941, the explosion of a Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
train at Nyland Station
Nyland Station
Nyland is a railway station on Hovedbanen in Oslo, Norway. Located in the Grorud borough, it is served by the Oslo Commuter Rail line 400 operated by Norges Statsbaner running from Lillestrøm via Oslo S to Asker. The station was built in 1944, but moved 400 meters east to the current position in...
in Oslo. This was the start of a series of actions. The Osvald group's active resistance policy was in opposition to the Communist Party of Norway
Communist Party of Norway
The Communist Party of Norway is a political party in Norway without parliamentary representation. It was formed in 1923, following a split in the Norwegian Labour Party. The party played an important role in the resistance to German occupation during the Second World War, and experienced a brief...
(NKP), Milorg
Milorg
Milorg was the main Norwegian resistance movement in World War II....
and other organizations that preferred a more passive resistance. The group cooperated with the group 2A and 2A's police group, as well as with Milorg, SOE
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 XU
XU
XU was a clandestine intelligence organisation working on behalf of Allied powers in occupied Norway during World War II...
.
From the winter of 1942 NKP formed military groups, and Sunde had meetings with their leader Peder Furubotn
Peder Furubotn
Peder Furubotn was a Norwegian cabinetmaker, politician for the Communist Party and resistance member during World War II.-Early and personal life:...
. Sunde established a sabotage training center in Rukkedalen and recruited a network of saboteurs in the Torpo
Torpo
Torpo is a small village in Ål municipality, in Buskerud County, Norway. Torpo is located in Hallingdal between the municipal centers of Ål and Gol. The village has 405 inhabitants per 1 January 2009. Previously Torpo was a stopover on the Bergen Railway. The station, which is in Art Nouveau style,...
-Gol
Gol, Norway
is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hallingdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Gol. Gol was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
and Nesbyen
Nesbyen
Nesbyen is a town in Nes municipality in the county of Buskerud, Norway. Nes is the administrative center of Nes municipality. Nes is located in the traditional district of Hallingdal....
area, down the Hallingdal
Hallingdal
Hallingdal is a valley and traditional district in Buskerud county in Norway. It consists of the municipalities of Flå, Nes, Gol, Hemsedal, Ål and Hol.-History:Ancient routes went to Vestlandet through Valdres and Hallingdal and down Røldal to Odda...
and further to Oslo
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...
and Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
. In September 1942 Sunde agreed to supply guards at the communist party's central camp in Hemsedal
Hemsedal
Hemsedal is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hallingdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Trøym. In 1897, Hemsedal was separated from the municipality of Gol to become a municipality of its own.Hemsedal is the...
, in exchange for practical and financial support. Sunde became NKP's military leader, and the organisation became more efficient. In 1944 there was a break between the group and NKP's leader Peder Furubotn, when Furubotn demanded that the group should subordinate itself to his leadership.
The Osvald Group was closed down in 1944, following orders from Moscow. During its operative period from July 1941 to July 1944 the group was responsible for more than 100 known actions, dominating sabotage activity in Norway during this period.
Post-war
Due to the political climate at the time and the group's close relations to the NKVDNKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
and Moscow, the Osvald Group received no recognition from the Norwegian Government after the war, and their members were never decorated.
A memorial was set up in Oslo 30 May 1995, in memory of saboteurs from the Osvald Group that perished during the Second World War.