TIMELINE NORWAY, 1940: How Hitler lost the edge at sea

16 February 1940

Naval forces from HMS Cossack free British prisoners held aboard German supply ship Altmark in Norwegian waters.

8 April

Polish submarine Orzeł sinks clandestine German troop transport Rio de Janeiro. HMS Glowworm sunk by German cruiser Admiral Hipper.

9 April

Operation Weserübung. German forces invade Norway and Denmark, overrunning Denmark in hours and seizing the Norwegian capital, Oslo, and five major ports.

10 April

First naval battle of Narvik. Two German destroyers and seven supply ships sunk, along with two British destroyers. Fleet Air Arm air strike sinks German cruiser Königsberg at Bergen.

11 April

British submarine Spearfish torpedoes German pocket battleship Lützow.

13 April

The second naval battle of Narvik. The remaining eight German destroyers and U- 64 are sunk.

14–19 April

British and Allied troops land at Namsos and Åndalsnes, near Trondheim, in central Norway, and at Harstad, near Narvik.

3 May

The withdrawal of Allied troops from central Norway is completed.

13 May

An Allied ground attack on Narvik begins with an amphibious landing at Bjerkvik.

28 May

French and Norwegian troops recapture Narvik.

8 June

As German forces sweep through France, Allied troops are evacuated from Narvik. Aircraft carrier HMS Glorious is sunk by Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. Scharnhorst is torpedoed.

10 June 1940

Norway surrenders to German forces. The Nazis will control Norway until May 1945.

10 June – 31 October 1940

The Royal Air Force triumphs over the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain.