Battle of Hegra Fortress
The Battle of Hegra Fortress was a 25-day engagement in the 1940 Norwegian campaign which saw a small force of Norwegian volunteers fighting numerically superior German forces from a fortified position. After initial fighting around the Meråker Line railway line, the Norwegians pulled back into Hegra Fortress and held off further German attacks before surrendering on 5 May as one of the last Norwegian units active in southern Norway.
Battle of Hegra Fortress | |||||||
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Part of the Norwegian campaign | |||||||
Norwegian 7.5 cm gun position | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Norway | Germany | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Hans Reidar Holtermann |
15–20 April: Weiss 20 April – 5 May: Kurt Woytasch | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
A volunteer company of soldiers having served in Artillery Regiment no. 3 |
138. Gebirgsjägerregiment (15–27 April) 181. Infantry Division (27 April–5 May) | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
Positional artillery: 4×10.5 cm guns 2×7.5 cm guns (under Captain Evjen, with 25 men) Field artillery: 4×8.4 cm guns (under 2nd Lieutenant Reitan, with 10 men) Total force: 250 volunteer soldiers (most of whom had had a short national service with Artillery Regiment no. 3 (AR 3) before the war) 1 female volunteer nurse |
1 battalion 1 reinforced infantry company 1 artillery unit (with numerous mortars, cannons and howitzers) | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
6 killed 14 wounded 200+ captured |
150–200 killed or wounded 1 captured 1 aircraft destroyed 1 aircraft damaged | ||||||
Civilian casualties: One Norwegian civilian killed 2 Finnish civilian refugees wounded |
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