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Guard duty record from Oskarsborg

All military facilities must keep guard duty records. These normally include routine notes about guard changes, the raising and lowering of flags, ammunition inventories and inspections. This record for 9 April 1940 bears witness to a guard duty that was anything but routine: ink has been spilt over the page, and splinters of glass are embedded in the paper. What happened?

The sinking of the Blücher

At dawn on the morning of 9 April 1940, the Oslofjord was the scene of one of the most dramatic moments of the invasion of Norway. A German convoy was on its way towards the Drøbak Sound. From Oscarsborg Fortress, Norwegian forces opened fire on the German cruiser Blücher, causing a lot of damage, and a couple of hours later the ship sank.

Wondering where Oscarsborg is? Follow the line!

We now know that the sinking of the Blücher bought time for the Norwegian king, the government and the Storting (the Norwegian parliament) – they got a head start on the Germans and were able to escape from Norway.

Chosen by Arild, History student 

On loan from the National Archives of Norway

Museum24:Portal - 2025.01.29
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