Norway and Swedish iron ore

[phylo_roadking]

All, in ALL the histories I've ever read of the invasion of Norway, in greater detail or lesser - they ALL to a man mention the German use of Swedish iron ore transported across Norway by rail to Narvik in the winter, then down the coast to the Skaggerak and into the Souterhn Baltic to Germany...as being one of the main reasons why the Allies palnned various operations of greater or smaller size in Norway - to halt this.

However, very recently I've started coming across references to British ships sailing from Narvik loaded with Swedish iron ore before the invasion, when Norway was still neutral. AND in enough numbers - 3-4 a week - for the Germans to establish an intelligence asset there to monitor these departures and report to Berlin, who had a U-Boat kept on-station in the vicinity. Many of these British ore carriers were torpedoed once they left neutral waters.

Now, I'm sure these sinkings are mentioned in any account of the U-Boat War - not my thing - and British shipping losses...but there's NEVER any mention of this traffic in any of the invasion histories! It wasn't as big as the GERMAN trade - on the eve of the Germans arriving at Narvik, of the 25 ships in the harbour at Narvik, TEN were German freighters - but tis VERY suprising that its not mentioned at all...

After all, this would change the complexion of events everso slightly...

...from A/ the British and French wanting to stop a vital German resource being transported via a neutral country....

...to them wanting to do this AND B/ to safeguard their OWN supplies of this valuable resource!

This changes of course just a little how we should perhaps look at the issue of the Allies planning to break Norway's neutrality! Its objectionable but understandable - as the case is normally - stated...but becomes a very different matter when viewed in light of Case B above!

So can anyone tell me how MUCH high-grade Swedish iron ore Britain imported this way, and how Britain replaced its lack after April/May 1940?

[Björn]

Hello!
Yes, British ships did sail to Norway before the Germans came. In fact, during the big destroyer battle, the British by accident did sink one of their own freighters, who was in arreat at the harbour.

B.

[Carl Schwamberger]

So can anyone tell me how MUCH high-grade Swedish iron ore Britain imported this way, and how Britain replaced its lack after April/May 1940?

Not sure what the proportion was.

Replaced mostly from North America. It was probablly more effcient to send refined steel or finish products rather than ore from America to Britian. The British foundrys made a larger use of scrap steel.

[sid guttridge]

Hi Phylo,

Britain conducted very wide ranging economic warfare in the neutrals from the start. For example, in 1939 it bought all future Turkish chrome production until 1943, and bought up as many of the Danube barge fleets taking oil to Germany as possible and removed the tugs and barges to Turkey. So an attempt to pre-empt German purchases of Swedish iron ore is consistent with this.

The Germans were having trouble with their torpedos in Norwegian waters at this time, which might explain why no great number of sunken British ore carriers is recorded.

Cheers,

Sid.