imported>Jay1279: wikify; copy edit

2025-06-09T00:21:21Z

wikify; copy edit

New page

{{Short description|1940 battle of World War II}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Battle of Midtskogen
| image = Map over Midtskogen.jpg
| caption = Overview of battle
| partof = [[Norwegian Campaign]] of the [[World War II|Second World War]]
| date = 10 April 1940
| place = [[Elverum Municipality|Elverum]], Østerdalen, [[Norway]]
| result = Norwegian victory
* Haakon VII and his government evade capture and consolidate power
| combatant1 = {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Norway}}
| combatant2 = {{flagcountry|Nazi Germany}}
| commander1 = {{flagicon image|Flag of Norway, state with proportions.svg}} [[Olaf Helset]]<br>{{flagicon image|Flag of Norway, state with proportions.svg}} [[Oliver Møystad]]
| commander2 = {{flagicon image|War Ensign of Germany (1938–1945).svg}} [[Eberhard Spiller]]{{KIA}}
| strength1 = {{flagicon image|Flag of Norway, state with proportions.svg}} 1st Royal Guards Company
{{flagicon image|Flag of Norway, state with proportions.svg}} Infantry regiment 5 '''Total:''' 90 soldiers, 2 Colt M/29 machine guns|{{flagicon|Norway}}Elverum rifle club
| strength2 = {{flagicon image|War Ensign of Germany (1938–1945).svg}} 100+ paratroopers
| casualties1 = 1 deadly wounded
1 wounded
| casualties2 = 5 killed<br>unknown number wounded
| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Norwegian Campaign}}
| coordinates = {{coord|60|52|36|N|11|28|05|E|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
}}

The '''Battle of Midtskogen''' was a minor battle fought on the night of 9–10 April 1940 during the [[Second World War]] between a [[Nazi Germany|German]] raiding party and an improvised [[Norway|Norwegian]] force. The site of the battle was Midtskogen Farm, approximately {{convert|5|km|mi|abbr=on}} west of the town of [[Elverum (town)|Elverum]] at the mouth of the [[Østerdalen|Østerdalen valley]] in southern Norway. The invading German troops aimed to capture [[List of Norwegian monarchs|King]] [[Haakon VII of Norway|Haakon VII]] and [[Nygaardsvold's Cabinet|his cabinet]], thereby forcing Norway into submission. After a short battle, the German force withdrew, having lost its commander in the fighting.<ref>[http://www.mil.no/haren/start/article.jhtml?articleID=98819 ''Minnestund på Midtskogen'' (Hærstaben)] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051227061637/http://www.mil.no/haren/start/article.jhtml?articleID=98819 |date=27 December 2005 }}</ref>

== Background ==
On 9 April 1940 Nazi Germany launched ''[[Operation Weserübung]]'', the codename for the assault and subsequent occupation of Denmark and Norway.

Invading several major Norwegian cities by sea, the Germans planned to capture King [[Haakon VII of Norway|Haakon VII]] and the [[Nygaardsvold's Cabinet|Norwegian Cabinet]], which they believed would then lead to an immediate surrender of all Norwegian forces.

While the invasion was successful in most areas, the German fleet sailing towards Oslo was temporarily forced to withdraw after the heavy cruiser [[Battle of Drøbak Sound|''Blücher'' had been sunk]] by fire from Oscarborg fortress at Drøbak. That gave the Norwegian royal family and members of government time to flee to [[Hamar]] and later Elverum.

A small party of German ''[[Fallschirmjäger (World War II)|Fallschirmjäger]]'', under the command of [[military attaché]] ''[[Hauptmann]]'' Eberhard Spiller, were sent after them in commandeered Norwegian civilian vehicles.

==Opposing forces==
The Norwegian defenders were a mixed group of hastily-mustered volunteers and professional soldiers. About 20-30 [[Hans Majestet Kongens Garde|Royal Guardsmen]], from the 1st Guard Company were backed up by volunteers from the [[Terningmoen]] military camp and a large group of members from local rifle clubs.<ref>[http://www.kongehuset.no/c27090/artikkel/vis.html?tid=27547 ''H.M. Kongens Garde'' (Kongehuset)]</ref> The Norwegians were mainly armed with [[Krag–Jørgensen]] bolt-action rifles, as well as two [[M1917 Browning machine gun|Colt M/29]] machine guns.

The German party consisted of approximately 100-120 paratroopers travelling in a convoy of four buses, a captured army truck and Spiller's private car. Though somewhat numerically inferior, the Germans were vastly superior in terms of both training and firepower, possessing numerous modern submachine guns, light machine guns, and hand grenades.{{cn|date=January 2022}}

== Initial plan of defence ==
The Norwegian battle plan was to have one blockade at Sagstuen, about {{convert|1.5|km}} west of Terningmoen and another at Midtskogen another few kilometers further west. They planned to stop the German convoy at Midtskogen, forcing the Germans to continue on foot through the deep snow, before retreating to Sagstuen where they would hold off the attackers.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2017081448112|title=Midtskogen 9.april 1940: utgitt til minnehøytidelighetene Midtskogen-Elverum 9. april 1978 : [i anledning av] Hærjubileet 1978|last=Hæren: Østopplands infanteriregiment, 5|date=1978|publisher=Østoppland forsvarsdistrikt, Østoppland infanteriregiment nr. 5|location=Elverum}}</ref>

The two machine guns were to focus their fire on the blockade while the rifle companies would engage the Germans from the flanks.

==Battle==
The blockade at Midtskogen consisted of stopped civilian cars, some forced off the road, with others wedged between and behind them. Due to the unusually heavy traffic that night, the blockade became over a hundred meters long.

At around 02:00 on 10 April the German vehicles crashed into the Norwegian roadblock. Because of the length of the blockade, the Germans were stopped further west than the Norwegians had originally planned.<ref>{{Citation|title=Midtskogen 1940 - HMKG mot tyske fallskjermjegere|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIFky74PTMs |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/kIFky74PTMs| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|language=en|access-date=2019-08-10}}{{cbignore}}</ref> While the Norwegian flanking units were being redeployed, they came under heavy fire from the Germans. During the ensuing firefight the nearby barn at Midtskogen Farm was hit by German [[Battlefield illumination|illumination rounds]] and started to burn, revealing the Norwegian defenders stationed at the farm.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ostlendingen.no/krig-og-konflikter/elverum/kongens-nei/midtskogen-landevegens-svar-pa-oscarsborg/f/5-69-296532?ns_campaign=article&ns_mchannel=recommend_button&ns_source=facebook&ns_linkname=facebook&ns_fee=0|title=(+) Midtskogen – landevegens svar på Oscarsborg|date=2016-09-10|website=www.ostlendingen.no|language=no|access-date=2019-08-10}}</ref>

Unfortunately for the Norwegians, their two machine guns were unable to engage the Germans, due to the distance between their deployment and the firefight. It was not until the Germans started moving ahead of the blockade that they could open fire; however, due to cold temperatures, the machine guns initially refused to work. After frantic efforts the Norwegians managed to get one of the machine guns working, enabling them to give [[Suppressive fire|covering fire]] to the retreating Norwegian forces.

The firefight continued until 03:00, ending with both forces pulling back.<ref>{{Citation|title=Løytnant Ekornes: Kampen på Midtskogen 9 april 1940 (19400409).|date=1943-04-09|url=https://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-nb_dra_1994-13270P|publisher=NRK (the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation)|access-date=2019-08-10}}</ref> The Norwegians regrouped at Sagstuen, where they were reinforced by units from the [[Norwegian Military Academy]]. The Germans, with their commander Spiller badly wounded, realized their raid had failed and retreated to [[Oslo]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://annomuseum.no/avslaget|title=Kampene på Midtskogen 10. april 1940|website=annomuseum.no|access-date=2019-08-10}}</ref>

==Aftermath==
[[File:Memorial stone at Midtskogen.jpg|thumb|right|Memorial stone to commemorate the battle. "Here Norwegian forces stopped the enemy′s attempt at capturing the King, Crown Prince, [[Storting]] and Government".]]

The casualties on both sides were relatively light. The Germans suffered five men killed in action and an unknown number of wounded.<ref>{{cite book|title=Tyske fallskjermjegere i Norge 1940|author=Oscar Gonzales (Translated by Ola Jostein Jørgesen)|isbn=9788292938348|publisher=Ares Forlag|year=2016|page=72}}</ref> One of the German fatalities was their military attaché ''Hauptmann'' [[Eberhard Spiller]]. Norwegian losses were three men wounded in action, with at least one being severely wounded.<ref>{{Citation|title=Trefningen på Midtskogen natt til 10. april 1940. General Helset orienterer. Innledning av N.N.|date=1955-03-10|url=https://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-nb_dra_1993-16883P|publisher=NRK (the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation)|access-date=2019-08-10}}</ref>

The retreat of the German forces gave the Norwegian Cabinet and royal family time to finish the [[Elverum Authorization]], which allowed the Cabinet to temporarily assert absolute authority given that the [[Storting]] (the Norwegian Parliament) was no longer able to convene in ordinary session. It also gave them the opportunity to escape further from the invading forces.

On 11 April the nearby town of Elverum was subjected to heavy bombing from German airplanes.

While the action may have been small, it proved a major boost to Norwegian morale and resolve, which had been very low due to the early German successes in the [[Norwegian Campaign]].

== In popular culture ==
The battle is featured in the 2016 Norwegian film ''[[The King's Choice]]''.

== See also ==

* [[List of Norwegian military equipment of World War II]]
* [[List of German military equipment of World War II]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Other sources==
*{{lang|no|Andreas Hauge: Kampen på Midtskogen 1940}}, article published 1995 {{in lang|no}}
*Hauge, Andreas (1995 ''Kampene i Norge 1940'' (Sandefjord: Krigshistorisk Forlag) {{ISBN|82-993369-0-2}} {{in lang|no}}
*NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation): Kampene ved Midtskogen natten til 10 April 1940. Intervju med noen av dem som var med. [https://www.nb.no/nbsok/nb/fd6204d7151e55fd0eba47dfe56f6ae8?index=6 (Radio interview)]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Midtskogen, Battle of}}
[[Category:Battles and operations of World War II involving Norway]]
[[Category:Battles of World War II involving Germany]]
[[Category:Norwegian campaign]]
[[Category:1940 in Norway]]
[[Category:Military history of Norway during World War II]]
[[Category:Elverum]]
[[Category:History of Hedmark]]
[[Category:April 1940 in Europe]]

Battle of Midtskogen - Revision history

imported>Jay1279: wikify; copy edit