Word: gratangen
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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...impeded the encircling and climbing movements of Allied troops sent to dislodge and cut off 1,000 more Germans entrenched on Rombak heights, southeast of the town. An Allied column for this purpose was landed at Fagenes, in Beisfjord to the south. Norwegians plodded eastward through the mountains from Gratangen, to head off German retreat through Björnfjell near the Swedish border, and preserve the ore railroad. The arrival at the border of 460 fugitive German "seamen" in civilian clothes, who said they were refugees from nine merchant ships sunk during the naval actions, betokened the plight of their...
What happened to 1,500 men of General Dietl's original landing force became known last week. Retreating Norwegian troops tempted them to pursuit up the road to Tromsö, then cut off their retreat at the town of Gratangen, which was set afire. The Nazis took shelter in farmhouses, Norse sharpshooters picking them off when they stuck their heads out. It was such a trap as the Finns sprang repeatedly on whole divisions of Russians, and it worked as perfectly. Hungry, half-frozen, before week's end 850 survivors at Gratangen surrendered...
...German forces ashore, numbering some 2,500, returned to the town, retained their hold on the iron-ore railroad as far as the Swedish border. Reinforced with mountain artillery flown in, they even began spreading up & down the coast. Northward they encountered British land forces 15 miles away, at Gratangen. These troops were from the main Allied landing point at Harstad, on an island at the head of Vest Fjord. Meantime, this week British warships returned to Narvik and, after due warning, started blasting the Germans out of it once more...
...Norwegian spokesman, who said his information came from a courier who reached the Swedish border from the Narvik zone, said the Norwegians set fire to the hotel and all other large buildings in Gratangen, leaving the town ablaze...
...said the capture of all the 1500 Germans isolated at Gratangen was anticipated, because the Norwegians have occupied all the strategic heights and control every avenue of escape...