*
The Battle at Dombaas on the 14th april 1940 is a quite well known episode
during the Norwegian Campaign, and it was one of the first time that Reichsmarschall
Görings paratrooper forces (Fallschirmjäger) were used in Battle.
Fallschirmjäger
were used for the first time in Norway during the attacks on Sola and Fornebu
Airfields. It was only at Sola the Fsch.jg were engaged in a short fire
fight with the norwegians. Both operations were considered a success, and
the paratroopers were eager to come in combat, believing the war could
end without their participation.
| The German command decided
that a unit consisting of paratroopers was to be assigned to the important
task of a) sabotaging the railway at Dombaas, and b) block the main road
(”Riksvei 50”) between Oslo-Trondheim.This would actually cut Norway in
two.
The unit which was selected was 1.Kompanie from 1. Fallschirmjägerregiment,
and the total strength was 4 officers and 181 nco´s & privates.
All were quite young, mostly between 17 – 22 years of age. |
Fallschirmjaegers at
Bjoernfjell,
note that some of them
are
wearing usual luftwaffe
helmets
model 35 or 40. |
Company commander:
Olt Schmidt (KIA 16/6-44 at Pontiry, France)
Commander 1st platoon:
Lt Becker
Commander 2nd platoon:
Lt Mössinger (was also second commander)
Commander 3rd platoon:
Fw Bobrowski
Commander 4th platoon:
Fw Uhlig
Signals/radio platoon:
Olt Gerhold
This unit started on the 12th of april, and left their camp, Heimatstandort
Stendal by Magdeburg. With a stop overnight at Schleswig, they arrived
at Fornebu / Oslo on the 13th april. The company used 11 Junkers Ju 52´s,
and were equipped with 18 Mg 34´s (LMG´s), 4 Mg 34´s
on tripods (SMG´s), communication equipment, and containers for the
weapons and ammunition.
On the evening the 14/4-40 the paratrooper force was air-borne, and started
their flight to Dombaas.
One of the Ju 52´s
was shot down by ground fire at Lillehammer, and had to perform an emergency
landing. This aircraft carried some men from the signals platoon. All survived
the landing, but were immediately attacked by Norwegian infantry. After
a short and intense fire fight, the germans surrendered. The pilot and
the jump master was killed, and 13 men were taken as POW's. These were
later liberated by Gen. Pellengahrs forces the 24/4-40.
*
Fallschirmjaeger enjoying
a
quick meal near Dombaas
*
The rest of the force reached the vicinity of Dombaas, and parachuted out.
The aircraft carrying a squad from Mössingers unit decided to jump
out in a area where, unfortunately for the germans, a Norwegian company
had dug in. The Ju 52 was hit by machine gun and rifle fire, and the pilot
got killed. Most men got severe wounds before embarking, and some were
shot while still in the air. The aircraft crashed, and the weapons container
got stuck, so the surviving paratroopers only had pistols for defense against
the Norwegians. They surrendered early on the 15th april.
Lt Mössinger teamed up with Olt Schmidt at night-time the 14/4, and
it was not easy to gather the different platoons and squads in the unfamiliar
Norwegian nature since they had jumped out over a rather huge area. Within
the first 24 hours, about 120 men were lost, either dead or taken as POW´s.
During a sudden encounter
with norwegian infantry, at Li, Olt Schmidt got a severe wound from a 6,5
m.m Krag-Jörgensen bullet, and he was partly paralyzed. He did however
not give up his command, but in fact Lt Mössinger commanded the remaining
paratroopers after this.
The Fallschirmjäger force, which had taken positions about 5 km south
of Dombaas, were under constant attack by the Norwegians during the evening
on the 15th of april. The Norwegians suffered great casualties, and did
not manage to overrun the well dug-in paratroopers. Small norwegian combat
patrols continued to harass the germans during the night, mostly unsuccessfully.
On the 17th april the Germans took new positions, at a farm called Lindsö,
and they dug foxholes which still can be seen. They also had 55 Norwegian
POW´s, some civilians too.
Now the Germans eagerly
expected reinforcements, but it never came. The Norwegians brought in mortars
and light artillery, and the norwegian commanding officer made it clear
that he intended to fight the Germans down, even if it meant killing Norwegian
POW´s too. The siege was complete, and it was intense fighting with
casualties on both sides.
On the 19th april the German force surrendered. Only 34 were not wounded.
Most wounded paratroopers
were transported to Aalesund and were treated medically. They were to be
sent to England, but were liberated by German advancing forces. The rest
of the company were later liberated at Averöya by men from Luftwaffe
Feld-Regiment ”General Göring”
Olt Schmidt recieved the Knights Cross on the 30/5-40. Most of the paratroopers
volunteered to fight in Narvik, and did so – also with great casualties.
*
Olt Schmidt
*
Lt Mössinger survived
the war, and is today a retired architect. He got his 8th wound while fighting
in Berlin 20/4-45, now being a Hauptmann.
Olt Schmidt, who was
killed by french partisans in ´44, wrote a book called ”Die Fallschirmjäger
von Dombaas” in 1941. |
