![]() Control of the Norwegian coast would also serve to tighten a blockade against Germany. German industry was heavily dependent on the import of iron ore from the northern Swedish mining district, and much of this ore during the winter months was shipped through the northern Norwegian port of Narvik. So they began considering a blockade strategy in an attempt to weaken Germany indirectly. The British government was reluctant to engage in another land conflict on the continent that they believed would be a repeat of World War I. Starting in the spring of 1939, the British Admiralty began to view Scandinavia as a potential theatre of war in a future conflict with Germany. Main article: Swedish iron ore during World War II The invasion fleet's nominal landing time - Weserzeit ("Weser Hour") - was set to 05:15 AM German time, equivalent to 04:15 Norwegian time. Significant differences in geography, location and climate between the two countries made the actual invasions very dissimilar. In the early morning of ApWesertag ("Weser Day") - Germany invaded Denmark and Norway, ostensibly as a preventive maneuver against a planned (and openly discussed) Franco- British occupation of both these countries upon arrival envoys of the invading Germans informed both countries' governments that the Wehrmacht had come to "protect the countries' neutrality" against Franco-British aggression. (The term means Weser Exercise or Operation Weser, the Weser being a German river.) ![]() Operation Weserübung was the German codename for Nazi Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during World War II and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign.
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