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Trondheim
Battle of Trondheim
Part of World War II (The War That Came Early)
Date Summer 1939
Location Trondheim, Norway
Result German victory
Belligerents
Britain United Kingdom
Franceflag France
Norway Norway
Worldwar Germany Germany

Trondheim (formerly Nidaros) is the third largest city in Norway and its main north-eastern port. It was the capital of Norway during the 11th and 12th centuries, before being supplanted by Oslo in 1217. It was one of the first cities occupied by Germany during World War II.

Trondheim in The War That Came Early[]

British and French troops landed in Trondheim in mid-1939, just ahead of the invading Germans. However, their efforts to establish a defensive line there were seriously compromised because of their lack of armour, having only a few Bren-gun carriers, even though the Germans only had some Panzer II's and captured Czech LT vz 35s that they had scrapped from other fronts at their disposal. The air was also dominated by the German Messerschmitts that flew from occupied Denmark and Oslo against whom the British Blackburn B-24 Skuas (the only planes the Allies could carry aboard ships, since there was too much distance to their nearest territory in the British Isles) or the Norwegian Fokkers, Capronis, and Gladiators had little to do.

The Allied resistance was finally broken when the Kriegsmarine (despite heavy losses) and the Luftwaffe managed to cut the supply line between Trondheim and Britain. The remaining British, French and Norwegian forces retreated north in direction to Namsos.

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