[History] Danish Collaboration and Resistance During the Second World War

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Author: [user]Atterdag[/user]
Original Thread: Danish Collaboration and Resistance During the Second World War

Danish Collaboration and Resistance During the Second World War

Danish collaboration and resistance during the Second World War


Norway has a grave where it can feed the tiger, but Denmark is so awfully near
( Sir Winston Churchill, February 1940)

Today many people see the Danish participation in WWII and resistance as pathetic, German oriented and non-existing.
I’d like to clear some things out about the Danish collaboration and paticipatin in WWII.

This is my first article so easy on the hardware


Danish soldiers holding a position in Southern Jutland


Occupation of Denmark never was an important thing to Germany. As Germany was forced to hand back Southern Jutland to Denmark after WWI (lost in 1864), you could get the idea of a German lust to conquer back the lost. The German minority in the region was just not big enough to justify a war, and more important, the German government was not willingly to start a war over Southern Jutland. The main causes of the assault were the need for a stepping stone to reach Norway and the vital Swedish iron ore shipped from Narvik.

German parachute troops ready to set out for Ċlborg airfield


Operation Weserübung-Süd was the codename for assaulting neutral Denmark (Weserübung-Nord being the codename for the invasion of Norway).
It was executed on the 9 April 1940 when German troops crossed the border, and airborne units took control of strategically important locations. 11 Danish soldiers were killed during fighting in Southern Jutland. Some German armoured cars and tanks were destroyed.
At the capital German soldiers had debarked and taken the citadel. When they reached Amalienborg (the kings castle) fighting broke loose between them and the Royal Danish Life Guard.
The Germans were repulsed, but now the Luftwaffe had started to circle above the capital.
With German bombers controlling the skies above Copenhagen, the Danish Government decided to surrender and the king and government stayed in Denmark. The quick Danish surrender, and sooner willingly collaboration, almost excluded Denmark from the Allies.

In 1940 the Danish army totalled around 14.500 men and out of these 8000 were raw recruits.
Although there was limited fighting, it’s clear that all Danish units did their part and fought back willingly. One Danish regiment from the 11. Battalion did not accept the governments’ decision, and fled to Sweden, where it remained until the end of the war.

The fact that Denmark surrendered almost immediately and further collaborated with the Nazis is from a fighter’s perspective embarrassing. Several Danish naval vessels were (under German pressure) given to the occupation force. Furthermore the fact that the Danish people where seen as members of the Herrenrasse or Aryan race and as Hitler wanted a ‘perfect protectorate’ saved the Danish Jews. First in 1943 when the Danish collaboration government resigned, and the resistance started did the Germans seek the 7.500 Jews. By then many had a plan of escape and the other Danish citizens where ready to help. 7000 of the Jews escaped to Sweden. 481 of them were however caught and sent to KZ camps. 52 of them died. The rest survived. In Norway, where opposition was much fiercer, and where the government and king fled to England the Jews where persecuted and 40% of the Norwegian Jews where murdered.

As I stated before the collaboration ended on August 29. 1943. The Germans tried to take control of the Danish fleet, but the entire Danish naval force was destroyed by the crews (the air force had been destroyed in 1940).
Resistance know escalated. Attacks on German factories and railroads became common until May the 5. 1945 when the German troops surrendered.

Danish resistance man on 5. May 1945 the day of liberation


In the last years of the war the Danish resistance had been so organised that if an Allied soldier got contact to the resistance he was almost sure to return to England through Sweden. 100 Allied pilots were rescued by the Danish resistance.

In Axis and Allied Service

Almost as soon as the occupation had begun the Germans started recruting Danes for the German army.

Recruting poster for the German army


The people volunteering did so because of hate towards Communismn, lust for adventure or just because they sympathised with the Nazis.
Around 8000 Danish men volunteered. Half of them was killed on the Eastern front, trying to hold open a corridor to the surrounded German division Demjansk. Those who returned faced long sentences in Danish prisons.
Danish volunteers also helped defend Berlin in May 1945.

Danish pilot in English service. His Spitfire is named Skagen, the northernst point of Denmark.


Around 2000 Danes escaped to Britain and went into Allied service. They served as pilots, infantry, agents and in the Special Services.
4000 sailors from the Danish Merchant Navy choosed to serve the Allies. 1300 died doing this.
The most famous of the Danish Allied volunteers is Anders Lassen. Of the 182 Victoria Crosses given during WWII only one was given to a foreinger, Anders Lassen.
At the beginning of the German occupation he was stranded outside Denmark and in 1941 he joined the English SBS (Special Boat Services) of the first SAS Regiment.
He served in France, North Africa, Italy and Greece and rose to the rank of major in SBS. During a raid on German positions in Italy on the 9. of April 1945 he was killed carrying out his mission. As he lay mortaly wounded he refushed to be evacuated before his men had retreated.
He was given the Victoria Cross after his death.
Before and after his death he was awarded with:The War Medal, King Christian X Memorial Medal, The Greek Warcross, The 1939-45 Star, The Italy Star,The Africa Star, The Defence Medal and Military Cross with two Bars . Making him one of the 10 highest ranked WWII soldiers.

Anders Lassen


Sources:

www.milhist.dk
www.wikipedia.org