The Last Roadblock

On 24 May, faced with the deteriorating situation in France, the Allies decided to evacuate Norway. However, before the evacuation, the Anglo-French commanders wanted to retake Narvik. For that operation, the main attack would come from the north and be conducted by Lt.-Col. Magrin-Vernerrey's 13th Demi-Brigade of the …

1940-05-28

240

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On 24 May, faced with the deteriorating situation in France, the Allies decided to evacuate Norway. However, before the evacuation, the Anglo-French commanders wanted to retake Narvik. For that operation, the main attack would come from the north and be conducted by Lt.-Col. Magrin-Vernerrey's 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion. The unit was landed on Orneset Beach shortly before midnight on 28 May, achieving total surprise, overwhelming initial German resistance. The Franco-Norwegian second wave, however, landed under enemy gunfire. This delayed until 0430 the deployment of the detachment ordered to take Hill 457. The Legionnaires were to cover the attack by their allies. A company of Gebirgsjager launched a violent counterattack against the 2nd Company of the 13th Demi Brigade.

Orneset, Norway

The Actions in Nordland were part of the 1940 Norwegian Campaign of World War II. They were a subsidiary part of the Allied attempt to recapture Narvik. When the Germans achieved victory in the Campaigns in Central Norway, they began advancing north through Nordland to relieve the German forces isolated in Narvik. To prevent the Germans either relieving Narvik or capturing airfields within easy range, some small British and French units were deployed to the southern part of Nordland county early in May. A more powerful force (mainly British, but with some local Norwegian units) was detached from the expeditionary force besieging Narvik to northern and central Nordland in the middle of May. This force's arrival was disrupted by German air attacks on the ships carrying its units. German mountain troops forced the Allies back to within a few miles of their base at Bodø. The Allies had already decided to evacuate Norway at this point, and the force at Bodø was withdrawn without incident, with the last units departing by 1 June 1940.

Norwegian / French

German

Scenario Type = Standard