SUPPLEMENT to the LONDON GAZETTE, 10 JULY, 1947 Ready to Land and Occupy the Town in the Guns
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SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 10 JULY, 1947 ready to land and occupy the town in the guns. At this point three light tanks from event of such surrender. Other troops were motor landing craft and about 120 infantry at short notice to follow the Irish Guards. The from assault landing craft (followed by bombardment, however, did not achieve the infantry from ships' boats) were able to result hoped for by the naval commander. Sub- land with little loss and so to work their sequent reports indicated that the defences were way round the head of the Fjord to deal with not seriously impaired, though some casualties the remaining machine-guns, on the beaches, were inflicted upon the enemy. which had not been affected by the naval bom- 9. My hopes of prosecuting the land opera- bardment. Distant machine guns were still in tions more vigorously were raised by the arrival action when the second battalion landed on on the 28th April of General Bethouart with a the East shore about 2 hours later. Demi-Brigade of Chasseurs Alpins. Two The operation was entirely successful. With- battalions of these were directed to advance, in out the use of tanks and armoured landing craft co-operation with Norwegian forces, from the it might very easily have ended in a costly Gratangen area to Bjerkvik at the head of failure. It was fortunate indeed that low clouds Herjangen Fjord. One battalion co-operated prevented hostile air attack during the landing. with the South Wales Borderers on the Ankenes Touch was made with the force operating peninsula where the latter had been landed from Gratangen. The Oijord peninsula was without opposition although counter-attacked seized. The stage was now set for the capture later. of Narvik. Even those first class troops, the Chasseurs 12. Meanwhile the situation in the South was Alpins, trained as they are, to snow conditions, causing me some concern. Continued German found themselves very seriously hampered, in- advances in that area were having most serious, deed almost immobilized, by the soft deep results upon our Norwegian Allies and, indeed snow. Their small proportion of ski troops in seemed likely to result hi the withdrawal of all each battalion and a lack of snow, shoes for the Norwegian support from the Allied forces. I remainder proved serious handicaps. They considered that the time had come to stop these suffered severely from frost bite and snow blind- enemy advances and I welcomed Lord Cork's ness. The troops in the front line were sub- suggestion on gth May that troops should be jected to continual low-flying air attacks against despatched with that object. I had been in, which, owing to the state of the 'ground, they constant touch with Colonel Gubbdns and two could not adequately protect themselves either companies of Scissors Force at Mosjoen and by digging or by dispersion. (Later when I with one company of that Force, under Major was enabled to allocate a small number of light May, at Mo. After the abandonment of Mosjoen anti-aircraft guns to the French troops, the I decided that energetic measures must be taken effect was excellent.) Nevertheless they made and accordingly sent the ist Bn. the Scots some progress and took no little toll of the Guards (less one company already at Bodo), enemy. with field and anti-aircraft guns, to Mo. Mo was doubly important as being the terminus of 10. On 29th April I was ordered to send the most northerly road into Sweden and as troops to Bodo. I accordingly despatched one covering the Norwegian aerodrome a few miles company of the ist Bn. the Scots Guards. A to the North. Should this aerodrome fall into few days later developments at and South of the hands of the enemy it would afford him Mosjoen were 'brought prominently to any notice just that extra stepping stone he needed to bring by the serious effects they were having upon further a.ir forces into action in the Narvik our Norwegian Allies, and I soon found myself area. concerned with two fronts—the Narvik area This detachment arrived at Mo at 0400 hours in the East and Mosjoen and Mo in the South. r For the reasons indicated in paragraph 12 i2th Maj without loss. Colonel Gubbins with below, the Southern front caused me increas- his two companies from Mosjoen had mean- ingly greater concern. while wifJidrawn to Bodo. At the same time I instituted arrangements 11. The arrival of a Demi-Brigade of the for reinforcing the detachment at Mo with Head- Foreign Legion and of a Polish Brigade, coupled quarters 24th (Guards) Brigade and ist Bn. with .gradually improving weather conditions The Irish Guards. Before these arrangements and an accession of much needed equipment were completed and put into effect (they were (notably anti-aircraft artillery, a very limited subsequently modified) I handed over command number of landing craft and a French company to my successor. of light tanks) facilitated the undertaking of more active operations on the Narvik front. 13. It will be apparent from the preceding On 8th May I instructed General Bethouart to paragraphs that the period of my command was clear up the Gratangen-Bjerkvik area and to perforce chiefly one of reconnaissance and plan- establish artillery on the Oijord peninsula. He ning and of carrying out such initial offensive was then to explore the possibility of moving operations as the climatic conditions and the through the mountains against the strong Ger- gradual building up of my force to a reason- man concentration in the Hundalen area East able fighting organisation permitted. At the of Narvik. At the same time I instructed the same time the task of setting the administrative 24th (Guards) Brigade (with one battalion of organisation on a sound basis fitted to deal Chasseurs Alpins under command) to hold the with projected operations and with future Northern end of the Ankenes peninsula firmly expansion made tremendous calls upon the and to advance on Beisfjord as soon as weather initiative and powers of improvisation of my conditions should permit. At oioo hours I3th- staff, all under Arctic conditions of great, May, accordingly, General Bethouart landed though decreasing, severity. Subsidiary bases the Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion at were established at Skaanland on Sundet Fjord Bjerkvik. The landing was preceded by a naval and in Ballangen south of the Ofot Fjord. bombardment. An enemy machine-gun on the 14. I wish to place pn record my deep left flank was knocked out by a destroyer's appreciation of the co-operation and assistance.