My column this month will consider only that portion of Norway south of Mo [5B:1620).

Southern Norwegian Drainage System

The current depiction of lakes and rivers on Map 10A has two rather major errors.

First, the largest of the Norwegian lakes (Lake Mjosa - the one next to Hamar [10A:36051) is misplaced. This lake is actually entirely within the valley of the Lagen (the chain of forest hexes north of Hamar/ Lillehammer) with the city of Lillehammer on its northern shore. Thus the northern portion of the lake should run through hexsides 10A:3606/ 3605/ 3506/ 3505. Second, the river shown flowing into the Stor Fjord west of Andaisnes [10A:2507] does not exist. The upper course of this river roughly matches the course of the Otta, but that river is a tributary of the Lagen system which flows into the Skaggerrak. I recommend the river to be deleted from the maps.

Close study of the southern Norwegian rivers shows that the main river system is the Glama/ Lagen. The Glama is the river which enters the Skaggerrak at Frederikstad [10A:4309], but the river currently shown on the game maps is the Glama only up to hex 10A:3906, thereafter the river shown is the Lagen. Both the Lagen and Glama are rather good size rivers far up stream and both should probably be shown.

The Glama would run south and east of the chain of hexes 10A:3906, 3905, 3804, 3705, 3604, 3504, 3404, 3304, 3204, 3104, 3003, 2903, 2902, 2901, and 3000 to its primary source in Lake Femund. The Lagen would run west of the chain of hexes 10A:3405, 3305, and 3205. (Actually, the Lagen should probably extend even farther upstream, to hex 10A:2906, but due to the mountain spurs shown on the current maps this would make hexes 10A:3005, 3106, and 3105 into superstrong defense positions.)

Additional Norwegian Lakes

A number of rather large Norwegian lakes seem to have been left off the maps. Limingen (5B:2124/ 2224), Tunnsjo (5B:2224/ 2325), Ulen (5B:2525/ 2625), Snasavatn (5B:2227/ 2328/ 2228/ 2329), Norsjo (10A.4112/ 4111), and Nisser (10A:4013/ 4113). Two other Norwegian lakes are large enough to warrant inclusion, but both happen to fall across terrain features which make it difficult to show them: both Storsjoen (10A:3403/ 3402/ 3303) and Selbusjoen (5B:2631/ 2630) fall along mountain hexsides. (Both lakes lie within mountain valleys; thus showing a lake hexside rather than a mountain hexside would be distorting.) One other large Norwegian lake, Rossvatn (513:1821/ 1721/ 1722), is sometimes advocated for inclusion, but this last lake was quite small until several years after the war when a dam on the stream below it greatly increased the lake's size.

Lake Crossings

In sharp contrast to Finland and Sweden, crossings of the Norwegian lakes are almost nonexistent, with only the single ferry at Gjovik (10A:3606/ 3605) being evident.

Tverrfjelliett/Kjollen Mountain Range

The two-to-three hex wide swath of forest hexes to the South of Andalsnes represents three major river valleys: the Romsdale in hexes 10A:2507, 2606, 2706, and 2707; the upper Lagen valley in 10A:3005, 2906, 2806, and 2706; and the valley of the Otta in 10A:3006, 2907, 2807, and 2808. Since all three of these valleys are separated from each other by mountain ranges (with numerous peaks rising to the 6500 foot level) it would seem a more accurate depiction of this area could be had by adding mountain hexsides at 10A:2707/ 2807/ 2806/ 2907/ 2906/ 3006.

Jostedallsbreen

The chain of three contiguous glacier hexes in Southern Norway (10A:2709, 2810, and 2811) represents the Jostedalsbreen and seems to cover more area than would be warranted by the size of the glacier complex. In particular, hex 10A:2709 should probably be mountain vice glacier since the glacier chain ends fourteen miles south of the fjord shown in the northern portion of the hex.

Hardanger Glacier

Hex 10A:3412 probably represents the Harclanger Jokulen, a circular glacier which covers just under 50 square miles (at least it's the only glacier of any consequence in this area). However, this glacier is actually located at the eastern tip of the Eidfjord (the fjord which just touches hex 10A:3312) with the Bergen rail line circling it to the east and north. The area to the west of the glacier and south of the Eidfjord is extremely rugged with several peaks exceeding 5500 feet in elevation. Both 10A:3313 and 3412 should probably be mountain hexes.

Norwegian Rail Lines

The current maps show the Oslo/ Lillehammer and Hamar/ Elverum rail lines meeting in two junctions, with Hamar on a spur off the main line. This is incorrect as both lines met in Hamar. The depiction of Frederikstad on a spur is also incorrect as the main line went through the town. The line from 10A:3908 to 3807 did not exist and should be deleted from the maps. Finally, the main line west from Oslo is only partially shown; thus the rail lines in hexes 10A:4008 and 4009 should be connected. Osteroya. The large fjord shown just north of Bergen [10A:3116/ 11A:1301] is larger than it should be. This was in reality a very narrow fjord which completely encircled the large island of Osteroya. As the entrance to the fjord was less than half a mile wide, and Osteroya itself was essentially clear terrain and connected to Bergen and the northern shore by several ferries, the impression given by the fjord is erroneous. Even excising the island of Osteroya, however, does not yield as large a fjord as shown. A more accurate depiction of the fjord would be to show sea hexsides at 10A:3116/ 3015, 3015/ 3115, and 3015/ 3014.

Akrafjord

The southern of the two fjords shown in the center of hex 10A:3416 is the Akrafjord which in reality reaches to within four miles of the glacier complex shown in 10A:3414. Thus there probably should be sea hexsides at 10A:3517/ 3416/ 3516/ 3415. (also 11A:1702/ 1601/ 1701/ 1600).

Vindafjord

Hex 10A:3617 (11A:1802) is ambiguous, as it has two pieces of land separated by impassable terrain. Close study of maps of this area shows that the major water barrier here is not the Vindafjord, but rather the Sandsfjord just to the east. Thus redrawing the Vindafjord to fall entirely within hexes 10A:3517 and 3518 allows the Sandsfjord to be shown directly at hexsides 10A:3617/ 3517/ 3616 (also 11A:1802/ 1702/ 1801.)

Lysefjord

One rather large fjord in southern Norway got left off the maps entirely. This is the Lysefjord and should run through hexsides 10A:3718/ 3817/ 3717 (11A:1903/ 2002/ 1902).

Additional Norwegian Islands

Add the islands of Huttaroy (10A:3217/ 11A:1402, clear terrain) and Otroy (10A:2308, clear terrain).

Sea Crossings

The following sea hexsides should be crossable by ground units:

Type Location Reason

Narrow Strait 10A:4108/4008 Drobak ferry
Narrow Strait 10A:4008/4109 Drammen ferries
Narrow Strait 1 OA: 4109/4110 Drammen ferries
Narrow Strait 10A:4210/4211 Langesund ferry
Narrow Strait 10A:3818/3817 Hogsfjord ferry
Narrow Strait 10A:3717/3616 Josenfjord ferry
Narrow Strait 10A:3616/3517 Sandsfjord ferry
Narrow Strait 10A:3518/3519 Karmoy ferries
Narrow Strait 10A:3418/3519 Karmoy ferries
Narrow Strait 10A:3417/3318 Bomlo ferries
Narrow Strait 10A:3417/3317 Stord ferries
Narrow Strait 10A:3317/3318 one mile wide
Narrow Strait 10A:3317/3316 Tysnes/Stord ferry
Narrow Strait 10A:3317/3217 Huttaroy ferry
Narrow Strait 10A:3117/3217 Huttaroy ferry
Narrow Strait 10A:3116/3117 Store ferry
Narrow Strait 10A:3116/3016 Hosnoy/Askoy ferries
Narrow Strait 10A:3117/3016 two miles wide
Narrow Strait 10A:3016/3015 Alversund ferry
Narrow Strait 10A:3116/3015 Osteroya ferries
Narrow Strait 10A:3313/3213 Hardangerfjord ferry
Narrow Strait 10A:3110/3010 Kaupanger ferry
Narrow Strait 10A:2911/2912 Balholm ferry
Narrow Strait 10A:2714/2715 two mile strait
Narrow Strait 10A:2411/2410 Gurskoy ferry
Causeway 10A:2410/2409 Ulstein bridge
Causeway 10A:2409/2408 Alesund bridge
Narrow Strait 10A:2409/2510 Vartdalsfjord ferry
Narrow Strait 10A:2409/2509 Storfjord ferry
Narrow Strait 10A:2309/2308 Otroy ferry
Narrow Strait 10A:2307/2308 Otroy ferry
Narrow Strait 10A:2507/2406 Langfjord ferry
Narrow Strait 10A:2307/2306 Averoy ferry
Narrow Strait 10A:2406/2306 Kvernesfjord ferry
Narrow Strait 10A:2406/2405 Bergsoyfjord ferry
Narrow Strait 10A:2405/2306 Kristiansund ferry
Narrow Strait 10A:2405/2404 Halsafjord ferry
Narrow Strait 10A:2403/2304 Frtvagoy ferry
Narrow Strait 10A:2304/2305 Tustna ferry
Narrow Strait 10A:2303/2202 Hitra ferry
Narrow Strait 10A:2202/2103 Froya ferry
Narrow Strait 5B:2429/2430 Beitstadfjord ferry
Narrow Strait 5B:2332/2231 Affjord ferry
Narrow Strait 5B:2129/2128 Otteroy ferries
Narrow Strait 5B:2028/1929 Rorvik ferry
Narrow Strait 5B:2026/1926 Oksningen ferry
Narrow Strait 5B:1824/1825 Velfjord ferry
Narrow Strait 5B:1622/1623 Alsten ferry
Narrow Strait 5B:1622/1523 Donna ferry
Narrow Strait 5B:1622/1522 Nesna ferry

Supply Problems

The addition of the ferry crossings resolves most of the supply problems in Norway, but one troubling area remains. This is the Norwegian province of Sogn Og Fjordne (the two peninsulas west of the three contiguous glacier hexes on map 10A). The current map depiction effectively turns this area into an island; changing hex 10A:2709 to mountain and adding the ferry crossings resolves the access problem and allows units operating in the northern of the two peninsulas to be supplied via Alesund, but units in the southern peninsula can still operate only out of supply.

In most games this will not matter, as the area will rarely, if ever, be the scene of active operations. But think for a moment what use an Allied player bent on cutting off the flow of iron ore from Narvik can put this area to. This is the closest portion of Norway to Allied air units operating out of the Shetland islands. The area also has three clear terrain hexes suitable for amphibious invasion and building airfields (10A:2715, 2714, and 2613). Couple this with the fact that it is going to take several turns for the German player to even begin to get troops into the area in response to an invasion and you can begin to see the problem.

Now, if the road infrastructure in the area such that it actually would several turns to move troops overland, this would be a perfectly valid tactic for the Allied player to take; but there happened to be a very good hard surfaced highway running right through this area during WWII. I recommend adding this highway to the maps as a road which would run through hexes 10A:3005, 3006, 2907, 2807 2808, 2709, 2710, 2711, 2711, and 2713.

Unplayable Coastal Hexes

The following coastal hexes are recommended for change to full sea hex status (and thus unplayable by ground units):

Location Reason
5B:1524 Exaggerates island"s size
5B:11624 Exaggerates island's size
5B:1725 Exaggerates island's size
5B:11928 Exaggerates island's size
5B:2232 (also 10A:2200) Miniscule
10A:2302 Artificial one-hex bastion
10A:3017 (also 11A:1202) Exaggerates island's size
10A:3618 11A:1803) Artificial one-hex bastion.