German Paratroops in Scandinavia

The German conquest of Denmark and Norway in spring 1940 presents an interesting study of joint strategy between ground, air, and sea forces. In this campaign, the Germans placed great emphasis on mobility, speed, and surprise. The Fallschirmjäger of 1940 was a well-trained, highly-motivated force, and their participation in Operation “Weserübung” – the codename for the Wehrmacht assault on Denmark and Norway – is this subject of this book. Among the topics discussed are German paratroop operations (some of the first combat jumps of the war) against the main Danish and Norwegian bridges and aerodromes, the jump on Dombås, behind enemy lines, and also their tenacious resistance on the snow-covered grounds of Narvik.