INTRODUCTION
Spoiler
HISTORY
Spoiler
Lieutenant Gjersvik has an agreement with Captain Hauge. He therefore leaves his soldiers and crosses the bridge below Vesberget, at 06:00. and on the road close to Flå church stands Captain Hauge waiting for Him. Gjersvik reporter by: The soldiers in 1 squad are now in place. “That’s good, When the Germans come, we’ll blow up the bridge over to you. Take care of the Railway line and hold out as long as possible. If they try to come along the river bank on this side, you’ll have to take them under fire. I’m going now back to my command post at Viksberget, Good luck!”
Then the two officers go their separate ways: Hauge towards Viksberget, Gjersvik over the bridge to the railway station. It was probably around 6 o’clock and all of a sudden it broke loose far down in the valley in the direction of Gulsvik, thundering and rumbling continuously for close to an hour. The Germans have launched a heavy bombardment against the abandoned Norwegian positions. The artillery fires volley after volley and bombers swing over the Gulsvik tunnels and release their cargo…
At 06:30, Gjersvik is back on Vesberget, where the soldier who was reported missing at the Gulsvik tunnel during the night has now recovered: He had followed with the main force, so troop 1 is again under command. The teams will be spread out in a semicircle in a small area northeast of Flå railway station, with a view over the railway line in the direction of Gulsvik and towards the flat fields on the national road side. The soldiers find firing positions behind the knolls and covering positions, in case the Germans deploy the artillery. But here there are no tølmer sticks or sandbags to hide behind, you have to crouch behind rocks and bushes. Then it is for the soldiers to wait again.
At 09:00 on Friday 26 April, a lone German soldier comes cycling on the road near Rud. He rides a ladies’ bicycle he has taken at Gulsvik and rolls hesitantly forward towards the farm. From the advanced team of 2 squads, fire is immediately given. The German, who is the first man in a reconnaissance patrol, suddenly turns around. but his patrol is just behind him and it soon gets a machine gun into position and returns fire.
After around an hour and a half of heated exchange of fire, larger German forces advance at Hellerud. It is the large German department of 1,000 men who have left Gulsvik singing. The advanced team from 2 platoon has to retreat hastily under protective fire from the machine guns on Viksberget, and all the soldiers reach the platoon unharmed. At 10 o’clock the Germans open fire on the Viksberget with all their automatic weapons and with grenade launchers, and the battle is now in full swing.
The rifle squad, which is forced up the slope west of Viksberget, is disbanding. Lieutenant Lillemoen, who the night before had been knocked unconscious by a bomb attack, is still dazed after that stress. Together with his second-in-command, Sergeant Elsås, he fights as best he can against the Germans. But Lillemoen is an administrative officer, not a field officer, and it is difficult for him to keep the teams together. The troop moves up the valley that leads from Trøstheim up the mountain. The lieutenant lets the sergeant take the main force with him, while he himself tries to keep up with one of the teams. In the end, he is left alone with a machine gun. When dusk comes, he follows the troop 5 kilometers up the valley. Then the 3rd platoon is reduced to 20 men, including the commander.
As night falls, they look for a seat where they can take in. However, several of the seats are occupied by evacuated women and children, frightened people who have little food. The soldiers continue to struggle through the snow to Trøstheimsetrene, where they spend the night. They had to take four of the soldiers with them on a sled they had found. The people have been so exhausted that they have been standing upright in the snow and sleeping. Several of them have strong cramps in their legs and are in pain. After adding half a meatloaf and a piece of bread per man, they all fall into a heavy sleep, on the night of Saturday 27 April.
THE MAP
GAMEPLAY & LAYOUT
As for gameplay, I thought this could be based on the lower tiers, maybe free 1.0 to 6-7.0 in br. here you can have different layouts, the battles can take place on both sides of the river, and they can take place on separate sides, this should be possible as both sides are relatively large, and if the map were set in the time zone 1940, then a large part of the settlement and forest and undergrowth are gone
COORDINATES OF THE LOCATION
CONCLUSION
PICTURES OF THE LOCATION (1900-1940)
Spoiler
Flå with Viksberget in the middle of the picture, Vesberget in the foreground
VIK Hotel to the right
Center of FLÅ with the curch in the background
Flå, Shuttle station, Hotel, church,
settlement, Flå, farm, Hallingdalselva
settlement, Flå, village, Hallingdalselva, Landscape, farming
SOURCES
Spoiler
Primary source
Book: Tyske tanks var sør i dalen
Print: J.W.Eide Forlag Bergen , Norway
Bindage: Ed.B.Giertsens Bokbinderi, Bergen
1.4.75
ISBN 82-514-0114-3
Additional historical pictures of nessecary
DigitaltMuseum
- Yes
- No