The major portion of the Norwegian Army (and all of the Norwegian air power) is in the south. Although it is dispersed throughout the area, it initially possesses interior lines of communications.

By turn 2, it is possible for this army to have three combat/motorized battalions, one combat/motorized company, four mountain infantry battalions, five regular infantry battalions, three artillery battalions, one mountain artillery battery, five brigade and five regimental headquarters units, and the Guards infantry battalion. Assembled in one place, this is no small force. However, the Norwegians should not concentrate but rather deploy and operate in the role of delay and deny. The Guards infantry is very good at this because it may always retreat before combat (unless totally surrounded).

The overall mission of the Norwegian Army is to rally and support the Allied landings, block the roads and rail lines, retake captured mobilization centers, attack enemy airbases, and, in general, cause as much hell for the Germans as possible. Make the Germans defend every port and airfield. This ties down German units to a static defense, taking them away from the action, and, more importantly, costs the German player time. At Trondheim, for example, the Allies can arrive at a position where the Norwegian Army has already reduced the Germans, held on to the port, or withdrawn a respectable force into the nearby area.

The German invasion will almost inevitably split the Norwegian Army into several separate groupings: one south of Trondheim, one immediately north of Trondheim, and one in the Narvik area. Norwegian forces south of Trondheim will be facing near-overwhelming German ground and air superiority. In the extreme south, the Oslo area, the open terrain and numerous ports give the Norwegians small chance of defense. Once this area is gone, Norwegian units in the Stavanger and Bergen areas will be strategically isolated and hunted down they must attempt to buy time by striking at targets of opportunity rather than trying to hold any position.

The crucial part of the south is the twin mountain valley system extending from Hamar to Trondheim and Elverum to Trondheim. These valleys should be the main area of operations for the southern Norwegian forces, with the goal of keeping the Germans in the Trondheim area cut off from the southern ports as long as possible.

To do this, the Norwegian units will have to be formed into four groups: one for each of the southern ends of the valleys, one to prevent or slow the Germans in Trondheim from pushing south, and one blocking the Germans in Andalsnes. Care must be taken to prevent German mountain units from moving through the mountains and thus outflanking the defenders in the valleys.

Delay is the major concern for the Norwegians north of Trondheim as well. The German player is unlikely to try to send many reinforcements to Trondheim after the first turn, due to the likelihood of their being lost in transit. Accordingly, the Germans in Trondheim may not be strong enough to accomplish all the tasks of holding the port, airfield, and mobilization center; pushing south to link up to the southern ports and thus receive reinforcements; and pushing north up the coast so that an overland relief force can be sent to Narvik.

The Norwegians must apportion their goals in accordance with the German strength, but the narrow corridor of forest between the mountains and the sea must be held for as long as possible to allow the Allies to establish a strong base at Namsos. After this, Norwegian operations in this area will depend upon the Allied plans.

The Narvik area holds the most promise for the Norwegians. Since the capture of mobilization centers by the Germans has no effect on the first turn reinforcements, the Norwegian Army is at its best in this area. By the start of turn 2, there are four regular infantry battalions, an artillery battalion, a mountain artillery battery, a mountain infantry battalion, and two brigade headquarters present. This is a total of 15 attack factors and 17 defense factors, a force very useful in conjunction with the Allied operations against Narvik.

Headquarters and Mobilization Centers:

Read the rules carefully and try some stacking formations with the Norwegian HQs. It is possible to create single hex groups that can deny significant odds to the very powerful German formations. Thus, the headquarters should not be lost trying to stem the German advance but rather should be sent to an Allied controlled port. Later on, with more troops available to absorb, they will be very useful.

The mobilization centers are the only source of reinforcements for the Norwegian Army. They can provide desperately needed fresh troops, so try to keep these centers free. If they have been lost, try to take them back. The potential threat of these centers to the Germans is quite high, and the Germans can not ignore freed mobilization centers one slip can cost them an airfield or a port.

This concludes the Allied half of the discussion. If you are the kind of player who likes frustrating his opponent, who likes sharp analysis, the Allied side is for you. All things considered, being the Allies is like kicking sand in the bully's face on the beach.

More Narvik: Rules and Tactics

The Allies
The Norwegian Army
The Germans