"Beute panzers" in Weserübung?

[Erik E]

Hallo!

I found this photo on a web-page of a local museum

http://www.museumsnett.no/arquebus/sider/aktivitet.htm

The text says that it participated on the attack agaist Norway!?

In the oob of Pz.Abt.z.B.v.40, no such tanks are mentioned. And where would a Hotckiss be captured prior to 9-4/40?

EE

[Harri]

The text says that it participated on the attack agaist Norway!?

I think that is not possible. In Finland these "Beutepanzern" were in Pz.Abt.211 (not in 40). Battalion had these oldies as late as in 1944 and 1945.

In the oob of Pz.Abt.z.B.v.40, no such tanks are mentioned. And where would a Hotckiss be captured prior to 9-4/40?

That's what I wonder too... But Pz.Abt.40 had also experimental equipment like heavy tanks. It is not quite impossible but not very likely. What about French units, did they use Hotchkisses in Norway?

[Christoph Awender]

Hello Harri!

In my oppinion this cannot be and the description is wrong. Anyway french troops used Hotchkiss tanks in Narvik.

Here some Fotos from my site:

Destroyed by mine on 28.Mai 1940





Stuck and abandoned at attack on 13.Mai 1940



Christoph

[Harri]

In my oppinion this cannot be and the description is wrong. Anyway french troops used Hotchkiss tanks in Narvik.

Hello, Christoph!

Interesting photos. If French troops used Hotchkiss tanks in Norway it is probably that Germans maybe used captured ones there too? That would be one explanation...

[Alex F.]

What were the French doing in Norway? That's a new one on me.


Alex

[Erik E]

In my oppinion this cannot be and the description is wrong

I totally agree with you Christoph!

The french armoured forces arrived in Narvik about 12/5-40, but the German invasion was 9/4.
If it was captured in Narvik, it could not have participated in the attack agaist Norway, but the battle FOR Norway.......

And for Alex:
If you didn`t know, you have missed one of the first major battles in ww2.
About 40-50 ships were sunk, several cities destroyed. The French foregin legion were ther, a French armoured brigade + mountain troops.
Even a Polish Brigade were here! Several British Brigades, 3 German divisions + a Fallschirmjäger brigade.
You can read some facts here:

http://www.nuav.net/1940.html

If you wan`t more details, you can visit the timeline at Christoph`s site

EE

[Aufklarung]

On 09 April 1940 the Germans invaded Norway. On 16 April, 30,000 British and French (I think they were Marines) Troops landed at Namsos and Andalsnes and conducted offensive operations against the Germans. The focus was on Narvik until 07 Junewhen due to the fall of France, the Allies withdrew.

IMHO This is probably where it came from. The German occupation forces had plenty of time to get vehicles like this working and incorporate them into their defenses.

[Erik E]

Here is a link to a very detailed oob of the entire campaign....

http://www.freeport-tech.com/WWII/500_e ... navia.html

EE

[Alex F.]

Thanks guys! You learn something new every day. I knew that Germany invaded Norway, but not that the Poles and French tried to help the Norwegians..

Alex

[Christian Ankerstjerne]

Hallo!

I found this photo on a web-page of a local museum

http://www.museumsnett.no/arquebus/sider/aktivitet.htm

The text says that it participated on the attack agaist Norway!?

In the oob of Pz.Abt.z.B.v.40, no such tanks are mentioned. And where would a Hotckiss be captured prior to 9-4/40?

EE

I believe the Pz.Abt.z.B.v. 40 used Neubaufahrzeuge...

Christian

[Erik E]

They also had Pzkpfw I &II. The reason I mentioned this unit, is that it was the only armoured unit which participated in the Weserübung (in Norway) So if the oob`s doesn`t contain some Hotchkiss`es, I guess the museum is wrong or have written a misleading text to their image......

EE