(4/10) Battlefield II The Battle of Scandinavia Ep4 World War II

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Videos Running Time: 01:32:00 in 10 Parts

Battlefield: "The Battle of Scandinavia"


This episode of Battlefield chronicles the Russo-Finish War(1939-1940) and the German invasion of Norway(1940).

Almost immediately after invading Poland, Stalin began placing territorial demands on the Finish government. The Soviet Union demanded a 25 miles of land North of Leningrad and demanded a 30 year lease of the Hanko Peninsula area for a new Soviet naval base. Soviet leaders considered these as more than reasonable. The Finish government rejected the terms and began mobilizing. After an alleged shelling of a border town the Soviet Union invaded Finland on November 30th, 1939. The USSR forces consisted of 23 divisions amounting to 450,000 men. The Finish defense consisted of 8 divisions amounting to 180,000 men. The main finish defense line (Mannerheim Line) was located 25 miles North of Leningrad.

The Finns relied on hit and run tactics in freezing conditions. The Finnish assault troops could outmaneuver the Soviets with ski troops. Much food and ammunition was captured to maintain the Finnish forces. Fortunately, the Finns used the same rifle ammo as the USSR. A crude but highly effective gasoline bomb, developed in the Spanish Civil War, was deployed and destroyed up to 2,000 Soviet tanks. Later known as the Molotov Cocktail this simple weapon was used throughout World War II. Sniper warfare became a serious tactic during the Russo-Finnish War. The Finns used the "Kylmä-Kalle" (Cold Charlie) counter-sniper tactic. This tactic was highly effective in locating the Soviet sniper and shelling the position with artillery or killing the sniper with Lahti L-39 "Norsupyssy" ("Elephant rifle") anti-tank rifles. Corporal Simo Häyhä is credited with 542 kills during the Russo-Finish War. Simo Häyhä is probably the most successful sniper in history.

In one of the most amazing feats in World War II a group of 300 Finnish soldiers blocked the advance of the Soviet 44th Division(23,000 men). The Finnish 9th Division (6,000 men) surrounded and then destroyed the entire 44th Division in detail. After this and many other Soviet disasters USSR General Kliment Voroshilov was replaced by General Semyon Timoshenko

Both sides became exhausted by the war. The Moscow Peace Treaty was signed on March 12th 1940. Finland ceded several important areas to the USSR but, remained free from Soviet control.

The German invasion of Norway on April 9th 1940 Operation Weserübung (Operation Weser-Exercise) became a confusing debacle for Allied forces. Norways main importance lay with its shipping routes from Sweden to German. Swedish iron-ore was a valuable commodity for the Germany war machine.

The German Armys XXI Infantry Korps (von Falkenhorst) consisted of: 163rd, 69th, 169th, 181st and 214th infantry divisions. Two regiments of the 3rd Mountain Division (Dietl) were also committed. Fallschirmjäger units would eventually join the fight near Narvik

The Norwegian cities of Bergen, Stavanger, Egersund, Kristiansand S, Arendal, Horten, Trondheim and Narvik were all attacked and captured within 24 hours. Norways Defense Minister Vidkun Quisling announced the secession of hostilities against the Germans immediately and launched a coup d etat. Most Norwegian forces fought. King King Haakon VII escaped to the North.

The Battle of Narvik was fought between April 9th and June 8th, 1940. The first major engagement during the Battle of Narvik was a mostly destroyer to destroyer action, between the Royal Navy and Kriegsmarine. The Kriegsmarine lost 2 destroyers and 7 merchantmen. The Royal navy lost 2 destroyers. During the second naval engagement the Kriegsmarine lost 8 destroyers and 1 U-boat sunk, with the Royal Navy suffering 3 destroyers damaged. The Royal Navys aircraft carrier HMS Glorious was sunk by the pocket battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau soon afterwards.

British forces under General Mackesy landed near Narvik on April 12th 1940. Mackesy refused to subject the Norwegian citizens to naval gunfire and a direct assault on Narvik. The Allies assembled 25,000 men around Narvik. British, Poles, Norwegians, and French opposed German force of 5,000 men. Narvik was re-captured by this force on May 28th, 1940. However, Narvik was captured by the Germans on June 10th 1940. With the invasion of France, Allied troops were needed elsewhere and withdrew. Norwegian troops laid down their arms and Norway was doomed.

Enjoy this excellent episode of Battlefields.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• World
• War
• II
• Finland
• Finn
• Finns
• Leningrad
• Norway
• Norwegian
• Royal
• Navy
• Kriegsmarine
• German
• Army
• Scandinavia
• Narvik
• U-boat

[baldurus1]

@goofy932 It's funny when people cry about Finland accepting materials from Germany, and at the same time they don't realize who their allies were. England and the United States were allies with Stalin, the biggest mass-murderer in history. Kinda like the pot calling the kettle black.

[alanheath]

@MrWattu The fact that you live in Finland does not mean that you know more than me. I could claim that as a native English speaker I know more than you - but I won't because that would be silly. Scandinavia is a regional name which clearly for the people who made this film includes Finland - as it would do for most people. I am sure it was until the Russians took Finland from Sweden. Perhaps the term Nordic countries would cause less upset for the likes of you.

[Himmler620]

@Garegin The only evidence suggesting the Holocaust happened were testimonials from future recipients of reparations. No one pleaded guilty to holocaust, no one was charged with holocaust. If 6 million Jews were supposedly executed their would have been evidence, their isn't so it never happened The red cross whom monitored such camps confirmed the holocaust was a lie. On the other hand they got kicked out of allied camps after reporting mass starvations of millions of POWs!!!

[Garegin]

@baldurus1 not to mention that the holocaust began to be uncovered after the war's end. to the average person nazi germany was just a repressive dictatorship. kinda like it was with stalin's regime.

[arkhibas]

Finns were alone, and will be so. i guess sweden will send some more resources than before (because they care about finland for some unknown and unexplained reason), but none of the other countries will help. Never did. Ever will :) i'm just happy to die alongside some1 who really cares, a Finn next to me. or perhaps he doesn't- but atleast i can say him "Peanuts" before the end :D

[FENVYNVYR]

actually more like the McQuorquindale calling the McQuorquindale smokey....(cauldron of the THUNDERPEOPLE)

[poomarkku]

@JDSFLA Denmark is not part of the Scandinavian peninsula while Finland & Sweden are part of the Fenno-Scandic Shield geological formation. Parts of Finland were ruled by Sweden for longer than southern Sweden has been part of Sweden; it had been part of Denmark. Swedish is spoken in parts of Finland & is one of the two official languages. The Finnish legal system is Scandinavian at its base. The Finnish language is Finno-Ugric,but has like Swedish & English an Indo-European verb system.

[grahwo]

@baldurus1

Well.. not really.. the british and french was about to set out and join the finns in the war against the soviets just as the finns surrendered. But incidently they would have to invade Norway.. But that would have failed miserably seeing how the expeditionary forces just sat at the beaches in Narvik and bombed civilians.

[grahwo]

Why do they show destroyed panthers and rolling T34s? =)

[omegavalerius]

@JDSFLA

How about you look at the rest of the parts to figure out why. And culturally Finland belongs to Scandinavia although we should replace Scandinavia with Fennoscandia imho.

[Knottx]

@JDSFLA I think he is talking about the fact that Norway and Denmark actually was in the war. Unwillingly tho as both were neutral but Germany attacked them anyway. I suggest you read up on Norwegian heavy water sabotage and a little about D-Day too, you will find out Norway helped out a little during the invasion of normandy. So yea, Norway was helping as much as it could during the war.