Night Falls on Norway
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CW Browning
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About Night Falls on Norway
In the spring of 1940, all of Europe knows the war is about to explode. The only question is where.
When MI6 sends Evelyn Ainsworth back to Oslo, no one expects any complications, least of all Evelyn herself. With her identity locked down and her section classified, both her location and her mission are secure.
Or so they thought.
After months of inactivity and scattered warnings across Europe, Hitler finally moves, but not in the direction everyone expects. With tensions between England and Norway rising, the Führer seizes the opportunity to send an invasion force north – straight into Norway.
Trapped in Oslo and facing an advancing German army, Evelyn embarks on a desperate flight to escape the infamous SS. But a deadly foe is right behind her and, as time runs out, she must rely on others to get her out alive...
...or fall victim to the horrors of a war that has well and truly begun.
Author’s Note:
When reading and watching dramatizations of the events that took place in World War Two, the focus is almost always universally centered around Europe, Southeast Asia and the United States. While there are some exceptions to this, the number of stories that involve the European theatre of war far outnumber those that address other areas. In my opinion, one of those neglected areas is Norway.
In planning where to go next in the Shadows of War series, I decided to try to highlight both the importance of this small nation in the war, and also the struggles the Norwegian people faced leading into their occupation. Their story is, I believe, one worth telling. While this book doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of the experiences of the Norwegian people during that dark time, my hope is that it brings awareness to their struggle. Norway was a small nation, often overlooked in history and world politics, but as the war progressed they soon proved that they were a mighty one where it counted the most: in their people.
Table of Contents
Night Falls on Norway
Author’s Note:
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Epilogue
Author’s Notes
About the Author
Note from Author:
“We will not submit voluntarily. The struggle is already underway.”
~ Norwegian Foreign Affairs Minister Halvdan Koht, April 9, 1940
Prologue
Berlin, Germany
Obersturmbannführer Hans Voss turned from the window as the door opened and a man strode in. He clicked his heels smartly and raised his hand in salute.
“Heil Hitler!”
“Heil Hitler,” the man replied, waving him to a seat as he strode towards a large, heavy wooden desk, stripping off his leather gloves. “My apologies for keeping you waiting. It’s good to see you, Obersturmbannführer Voss. How was Prague?”
“As we expected, Standartenführer Dreschler,” Voss replied, crossing to an armchair placed at an angle before the desk. “The traitors are all detained, with the exception of one. I expect to have him in custody within twenty-four hours.”
“That is fantastic news, Obersturmbannführer.” Dreschler tossed his gloves into his hat, placed it on the desk, and seated himself. He leaned back and regarded Voss for a moment. “I would say that you didn’t have to come straight from the station to give me the news, but that’s not why you’re here, is it?”
Hans Voss smiled faintly and shook his head. “No, Standartenführer.”
Dreschler nodded and leaned forward to unlock a drawer in his desk.
“I assumed as much. Anticipated it, in fact.” He pulled out a sheet of paper and laid it on the desk, closing and re-locking the drawer. “You want to know about Operation Nightshade.”
“Yes, Standartenführer. It’s been over a month since I proposed it. I’d like to know where we stand.”
Dreschler sat back in his chair again, studying him.
“Your proposal goes directly against the wishes of the high command. You know that.”
“Yes, Standartenführer.”
“I won’t deny that when I read it I was pleased to see that you’re not afraid to voice your opinion,” Dreschler admitted. “The Abwehr is incompetent, and their methods are naive. We all know this. True intelligence can only be gained by getting your hands dirty. They try to work from a distance.”
“I’m sure they will have many successes in the war, but the female British agent will not be one of them,” Hans said. “She is too smart for them. And too dangerous. She’s already shown that she won’t hesitate to attack men larger and stronger herself.”
“And in so doing, she made an enemy of you.”
“And of every honorable SD soldier. She must not be allowed to continue. The Abwehr will not be able to contain her.”
“And you will?”
The smile that crossed his face was chilling.
“I welcome the chance.”
Dreschler nodded and pressed his lips together thoughtfully.
“I don’t doubt you. And, if you are able to hunt this agent down and bring her in, you will have done your duty to Germany, and to Himmler and the SS.” He regarded him for a moment in silence. “You will also have interfered with the work of the Abwehr after being expressly forbidden to do so. You will have defied a direct order. You realize, of course, that that carries severe penalties? And that what you propose will cause an uproar from Admiral Canaris if you fail?”
“I won’t fail, Standartenführer.”
“You had your chance in November, and failed. Why should I believe you now? What’s changed?”
“I’ve had ample time to consider how best to proceed,” Voss said slowly. “In November, we were unaware of a few things that have since come to our attention. While that is hardly an excuse for Sturmbannführer Renner’s misjudgment, it does give us an edge that we didn’t have then.”
“Yes, I read your proposal. I saw the new intelligence. But that doesn’t explain why you think you can succeed this time.”
“It’s very simple, Standartenführer. I’ll succeed because I
