Actions in Nordland

Actions in Nordland
Part of the Norwegian Campaign of World War II
German Gebirgsjäger (mountain troops) occupy Fauske near Bodø as the Allies evacuate the region
Date 8 May – 1 June 1940 Location Nordland county, northern Norway Result German victory
Belligerents
Germany	United Kingdom  Norway
Commanders and leaders
Valentin Feurstein	William Fraser Colin Gubbins
Strength
4,000	2,500
Casualties and losses
	500[1]

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 to reinforce retreating Norwegian units. A more powerful force (mainly British, but with some 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 The Allies had already decided to evacuate Norway at this point, and the force at Bodø was withdrawn without incident, with the last units departing by 1 June 1940.