Denmark of 9 April 1940 ISOT to 1 February 1864.

[575]

The teaser was this at AHcom: for those with access

To the others my summing up of the Danish position:

To round out my post #9 on page one -
last Danish Reconnaisance flight took off from Vaerløse Airfield 9 April 1940 at 0445 AM. Crossing Sjælland, Fyn and Jylland they spotted numerous German Aircraft already in the air over Sjælland of all types (as their radio didn't work they didn't know Germany had invaded at 0415 AM Danish Time and thus couldn't be recalled by Army Command at 0445 AM) and proceeded, by utilizing cloudcover to avoid detection at 800m to 16-1800m altitude, to the land border with Jutland where nothing untowards was observed. Possibly because the Airmen had the eyes searching for German Aircraft and not ground movement though they did belong to the Army Air Corps and their mission was to reconnoiter the Border. (possibly the writer didn't want to reveal that part of his observations) The flight landed at Vaerløse following the German attack (at around 0545 AM?) and was then ordered to take-off for one of the emergency Airfields in Central Sjælland. (9. April, 1941 - letters by Danish soldiers)

Paul E. Ancher: De danske militære flyverstyrkers udvikling 1910-1940, bind I (Danish Military Airforces development 1910-1940, Vol. I) mention that Army Air Corps had been alerted 8 April 1 PM by the Commanding General. At 0815 PM the Army Air Corps was ordered to ready 3 machines for take-off by dawn at 30 min warning 9 April to repeat the Reconnaisance of the Border as early as daylight permit. A Fokker C-V (R-52) of 5. Sqd. took off at 0445AM and executed the orders without getting in contact with German aircraft and returned to Vaerløse Airfield some time post 0630 AM being then ordered off to an emergency field.
At the time of the German landing at Copenhagen the Army ordered a weather reconnaisance to take off from Vaerløse Airfield at approximately 0545 AM, another Fokker C-V (R49) of 5. Sqd which was shot down during the German attack upon the Airfield.
The Navy Air Service in cooperation with Army Command would launch a Reconnaisance Flight south of Lolland and Falster at dawn 9 April from Slipshavn, Fyn and the two Observation Aircraft based at Frederikshavn, North Jutland, was to launch both for a Reconnaisance flight of the Jutland West Coast – all Heinkel He8 Floatplanes.

A Royal Danish Air Force periodical "Tinbox" 3/76 have these accounts too but also the reconnaisance flights during the 8 April 1940 when a Fokker C-V of 5. Sqd. was ordered on a clandestine Reconnaisance flight of the Borders (this was regularly done but this one was special and also mentioned by Paul E. Ancher in his work) and into the Baltic south of the island of Falster to look for a German Navy Transport Group and then go west to the German island of Sylt in the Wadden Sea, along the Land Border to observe the German Motorized/Armoured Column there. Flight took off at 1PM flying along the East Coast of Sjælland down to the southern island of Falster, turning west towards island of Lolland over Nysted (small town) and then into a fog. Due to the fog the next sighting of any coast was the German island of Fehmern south of Lolland where 6 greypainted Merchantmen several small Navy units and several Submarines were spotted which the Flight deemed to be a German Transport Group. The Flight hurried back to Lolland and continued the flight over Fyn and Jylland along the Land Border though not spotting the German Motorized column.

The Navy according to the General Report of events had observed 8 April from 06 PM to 0930 PM that the old Pre-Dreadnought/Panzerschiff Schleswig-Holstein, 1 Torpedoboat, 2 Minesweepers, 19 Armed Trawlers, 3 Tugs, 2 Depotships, 3 Steamboats had navigated the Minebarrage of the Great Baelt east of Langeland and gone up the Baelt. This force were somewhere to the south of Sjælland.

This is where ITTL meets OTL - the weather reconnaisance flight was ordered following the German landing at Copenhagen Port. The R-52 of the morning flight would not have been dodging German aircraft and not seen any activity south of the land border. The clandestine flight 8 April would still have found the German Transport Group and the General Command would like to know what had become of it.
From the sources it seems the Army Commander wanted to know what was going on in his neighbourhood; Government orders or not though Government didn't interfere with the flights. Navy Command cooperated to execute this.
Thus around 07 AM 9 April Army Command at the latest would know that either the Germans had decided not to invade or that something else was going on; the returned Reconnaisance flights would report lack of German troops and Navy Ships as well as Luftwaffe Aircraft in the vicinity of Denmarks.
The Command would most likely continue the Reconnaisance missions to establish what was going on and reports would come in from the Ferry port at Elsinore and the Land Border to build a picture of the situation.
Contact to the 1864 Army:
Flensburg/Flensborg just South of the 1940 Border were the HQ of 2. Generalcommand with a local Commander and his small Troop, 5 Field Hospitals and the main Depot of 2. Division. Essentially the City was the Supply Hub of the Danish 1864 Army in Schleswig-Holstein.
There was both a Railline and a Telegraphline to the Army in Schleswig-Holstein at Dannevirke from Flensburg thus communications with General de Meza in the field would be no problem.

***

And then onto the TL:

Jan Wellem set up on 3 January 2023 a thread of this subject which received some attention and to which I contributed.
View thread:
Intrigued by subject which have crossed my mind some times I asked Jan Wellem of permission to draw up a TL on his subject which he agreed to and have been supplying cooperation to for which I thank him.


First a little on the state of Denmarks during German occupation 9 April 1940 – 5 May 1945:
Denmark was able to export agricultural produce to feed 8,5 mill. Germans, building Navy units in a tempo like prior to occupation: 3 Minelayers, 3 Minesweepers, 2 Mineboats, 1 Submarine; and began building 2 Destroyers (and 3 Torpedoboats though these with materiel delivered by Germany) and then another 2, 1 Frigate/Inspectionship, 10 non-magnetic Minesweepers, building a large part of the Atlantic Wall on the Jutland West Coast concrete works – in addition to feeding its own population, and Norway during the last year of war.

During WWI when Denmark hadn't been prepared the Navy had been able to stay fully manned and increase coal consumption 4-fold but had access to German coal in return of Danish agricultural produce – which were also shipped out to Britain.


On we go:
9 April 1940 around 0001 AM Denmark is ISOT to February 1, 1864 just as Prussian and Austrian troops begin crossing the Eider River/Kiel Canal into the Duchy of Slesvig to execute the decision of the German Confederation to incorporate Slesvig and Holsten because of the Danish inability to govern the Duchies as stipulated i.e. making for the equal representation of the Duchies along the Kingdom in Government.
2 Prussian Corps and 1 Austrian with a follow up German Confederation Corps which by Bismarck was kept out of harms way as he wanted it a Prussian-Austrian Show. No need for owing the GC anything.
Prussian 1. Corps of 6. and 13. Divisions with double the normal Artillery of a Corps as the two Divisions were drawn from two Corps uniting the total Support Troops of 94 Guns of which 22 were rifled.
Prussian Guards Corps of one reinforced Guards Division with 16 Rifled Guns.
Austrian Corps of 4 Brigades and a Cavalry Brigade with 64 Rifled and 8 Smootbore Guns.
Led by Field-Marshal Wrangel 80 years old, possibly senile – at least Prussian Chief of General Staff v. Molkte thought so.
Prussian Naval assets two steam powered Corvettes of 28 and 17 guns, eighteen steam powered Gunboats as well as a number of other steamships.
The Austrian Navy would dispatch a Squadron for the North Sea but it would take three months for that to arrive.

Denmark of 1940
Denmark of 1940 border didn't include the southern part of the Duchy of Slesvig which following 1864 had been incorporated into Prussia; this makes for the Danish Army of 1864 being in place in southern Slesvig along the Slie River. The 1864 Army numbering 3 Infantry and 1 weak Cavalry Divisions in total 38,000.

The 1940 border is just to the North of Flensburg in the above map going west south of Töndern and then north of the island of Sylt.

The pink area down to the deep blue line is South Sleswig where the Danish 1864 Army operated.

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Danish Army of 1940
The Army of 1940 Denmark have two Commands; one in the East of Denmark and one in the West divided by the Great Baelt. Eastern Command reside in Copenhagen the Capital of the Country while Western Command reside in Viborg in the northern part of Central Jutland peninsula – where a Thing of old were.
Each Command have one Infantry Division subordinated for a total of 7 Infantry Regiments – one on Bicycles, 2 Cavalry Regiments – both partly motorized, 3 Artillery Regiments totalling 11 Battalions, 1 Anti-Tank Engineers Regiment and 3 AA-battalions one of which defends Copenhagen.
Infantry Regiments and Battalions as well as the Anti-Tank Engineers Regiment had rangefinders as organic equipment for their 20mm Cannon and 37mm Guns.
The Army also controlled the Armed Borderguards – Gendarmerie.

The Army had a mobilizable strength of some 60,000 troops which was what had been called up during the Great War to guard the Nation.
At the signing of the Ribbentrop – Molotov Pact some 30,000 reserves had been called up bringing Army strength to 36,000. By January 1940 all had been dismissed though with Uniform and kit and a new class of Conscripts called up making the Army number some 13,000.
To arm the Army it had
116,000 8mm Krag-Jørgensen Rifles and Carbines,
1,400 Submachine Guns,
4,725 Madsen 8mm Machineguns (most with a tripod),
258 Madsen 20mm Autocannon,
72 Bofors/Riflesyndicate 37mm AT-Infantry Guns,
132 81mm Stokes-Brandt Mortars,
128 75mm Krupp Field Guns – 15 other 75mm Field Guns,
37 Heavy Field Guns (25 155mm Howitzers, 12 105mm Guns),
36 75mm AA-Guns,
750,000 Artillery shells,
10,000 Aircraft Bombs (12½ kg/31pdr, 50 kg/125pdr, 250 kg/625pdr)
100,000 Hand- and Riflegrenades,
a stockpile of 60 mill. rounds of 8mm Rifle ammunition,
3,000 Bicycles, 1,000 Cars/Trucks, 500 Motorcycles (Harley-Davidson, Nimbus),
130,000 Uniforms, 130,000 Greatcoats, 135,000 pairs of Boots, 100,000 woolen blankets and all the other shit that makes an Army move and fight.

Artillery:
3 Artillery Regiments totalling 11 Battalions of 3 Batteries of 4 Guns/Howitzers – 3 Heavy Battalions and 5 Light Battalions Motorized, 3 Light Battalions Horsedrawn.
The Heavy Battalions had a Battery of 4 x 10,5cm Guns and 2 Batteries of 4 x 155mm Howitzers.
The Light Batteries would carry 168 rounds per Gun in the Horsedrawn 220 rounds per Gun in the Motorized units.
Heavy Batteries would carry 60 rounds per Gun or 30 rounds per Howitzer.
The Regimental Gun Company would carry 448 rounds per 37mm Gun.
The Regimental Support Company would carry 150 round for each of its 3 81,4mm Stokes-Brandt Mortars.
Motorcycle carried 20mm Cannon would carry 330 rounds per Cannon; Infantry units 450 rounds.
Anti-Aircraft Batteries had 3 75mm Vickers Guns each carrying 120 rounds per Gun and 3 Truckmounted 20mm Cannon.
All these units was issued Rangefinders. The Artillery was also trained in firing by fieldphone from forward observers.

Armoured vehicles which were split between the two Cavalry Regiments consisted of 3 Landsverk Lynx Modern Armoured Cars, 2 Landsverk 180 not so Modern (this type was also used by the Dutch during the battle for the Hague Airfields of 10 May 1940 where they seem to have performed well), 3 Landsverk/Homegrown not Modern and 2 Carden-Lloyd Tankettes.
7 of the Armoured Cars were armed with 20mm Cannon in addition to Machineguns which were fitted to all.

[575]

Danish Navy of 1940
The Navy had 1 Artilleryship on station at Aarhus – largest city of Jutland, the second being at Navy Base of Copenhagen mobilizing.
6 Torpedoboats. 14 old Torpedoboats acting as Patrolvessels or Minesweepers.
5 Modern Submarines – 2 of which at port in Copenhagen, one at one hour notice. 6 Old Submarines of which 2 are undergoing repairs, 2 at Copenhagen base though with cadre crews last 2 in reserve. 1 Submarine Depotship.
4 Minelayers and 2 building. 1 old small Cruiser. 17 smaller vessels.
2 Icebreakers had been demobilized 8 April.
All units had had provisions and munitions supplied by 24 August 1939 due to the crisis and are essentially ready for action; however the Navy Commander Vice-Admiral Rechnitzer had issued unclear orders which often confused Commanders as to their possible means of action.

Both Services had their organic Air units:
The Army Airtroops in two Squadrons 28 Fighter aircraft all to be fitted with bombs – with 3 in reserve, in two Squadrons 34 Light Reconnaisance/Bomber aircraft,
28 Trainer aircraft – 2 is 2-engine ones – 14 may be fitted with Machineguns, 2 Autogyro's and 7 Observation Balloons.
The Army Airtroops is building 12 Fokker G1 heavy fighter/bomber/reconnaisance aircraft but have no engines for these on hand.

The Naval Airservice operate a Squadron of 11 Fighter Aircraft to be fitted with bombs – 2 in reserve, a second Squadron of 2 Torpedobombers, 13 Light Bombers/Reconnaisance – 3 in reserve,
1 Dornier Wal Flyingboat, 8 Trainers – 1 in reserve.
The Naval Airservice is building 12 Fairey P4/34 Light Bomber/Divebomber/Torpedobomber/Reconnaisance Aircraft to replace older ones. RR Merlin II engines for the aircraft is at hand. (Fairey P4/34 a prototype that eventually evolved into the Fairey Fulmar Navy Fighter/Light Bomber/Reconnaisance).

[575]

A little on events preceding 9 April 1940:
Since the outbreak of War 1 September 1939 and actually since 24 August 1939 everybody in Denmark had been aware that War was coming.
Even before this Danish Government drawing upon the experiences of the Great War had been hoarding essential supplies to have society carry on during the upcoming crisis.
Fearing Nazi aggression due to the German minority in Denmarks Sønderjylland/North Schleswig the Danish Government had had the Gold Hoard evacuated by way of Sweden and Norway to the USA for safekeeping.
Private cars had been ordered off the streets 4 September 1939 to conserve petrol though some – mostly Doctors - were able to get a driving permit for doing their job only; rationing had been established for certain goods and penalties announced for hoarding!
To conserve coal for heathing apartment blocks heathing was limited and hot water reserved for Saturday! (with no anti-perspirant no wonder everybody was smoking) Renowned Copenhagen Theme Park Tivoli had closed down for the season in early September 1939.
Even Sweden had officially rationing of fuel to cover civil trucks use.
Some Public institutions like the Museums had their lower windows covered by sandbags to reduce the effect of splinters should bombs be dropped on Copenhagen and the most valuable artificts and works of art secured in the cellars.

[575]

Politic's 1939-40
There had been plenty warnings of aggression against Scandinavia not least due to the Allied powers wanting to supply Finland against the Sovietunion and deprive Germany of Swedish Ironore shipped out of the ice-free port of Narvik in North Norway; which First Sea Lord W. Churchill had deemed would best be carried out by mining Norwegians waters and landing Allied troops at Narvik.
Of course the Germans also did their musings on Scandinavia not least fuelled by Norwegian Nazi-Leader Vikund Quisling who tried to entice Hitler to occupy Norway and defend it against the British schemes.

However the German Army didn't want any interference with the upcoming campaign in the West against France and the Low Contries and Hitler could only wring out so many forces – 9 Infantry Divisions, 1 Motorized Infantry Brigade, 1 Armoured Battalion 1 Fallschirmjäger Battalion - as to build an offensive on a shoestring.
Part of this offensive was the movement of equipment, supplies and troops on Merchantmen to Norway in advance of the actual landing of troops there by Warships and seizing of Norwegian ports essential to win the Battle.
These Merchantmen would in numbers pass through the Danish Straits; a traffic observed by the Danish Navy as well as foreign Diplomats sightseeing in the countryside along the coastlines.

The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of 24 August 1939 had unhinged the Danish Communist Party which was very eager to excuse the deamonic pact as the Great New Way – it had already lost a lot of members actually bleeding members and were working to prevent a fracturing.

[575]

8 April 1940
Some ships had been seen at the Island of Fehmarn south of the Danish isle of Lolland by a clandestine Reconnaisance flight 8 April 1940 when a Fokker C-V of 5. Sqd. when Pilot 1. Lieutenant V. Holm and Observer Lieutenant Svensson was ordered in ”R-46” on a clandestine Reconnaisance flight of the Borders and into the Baltic south of the island of Falster to look for a German Navy Transport Group and then go west to the German island of Sylt in the Wadden Sea, along the Land Border to observe the German Motorized/Armoured Column reported there.
Flight took off at 1PM flying along the East Coast of Sjælland down to the southern island of Falster, turning west towards island of Lolland over Nysted (small town) and then into a fog. Due to the fog the next sighting of any coast was the German island of Fehmern south of Lolland where 6 greypainted Merchantmen several small Navy units and several Submarines were spotted which the Flight deemed to be a German Transport Group.
The Flight hurried back to Lolland and continued the flight over Fyn and Jylland along the Land Border though not spotting the German Motorized column.

As a result of the flight the Army Commander wanted to know what was going on in his neighbourhood; Government orders or not though Government didn't interfere with the flights.
Navy Command cooperated to execute this and would launch a Reconnaisance Flight south of Lolland and Falster at dawn 9 April by its Heinkel He8 ”80” floatplane at Slipshavn, Fyn and the two Heinkel He8 ”79”, ”84” based at Frederikshavn, North Jutland, was to launch both for Reconnaisance flights of the Jutland West Coast.

Later in the day several German Merchantmen went north up the Straits and during 06 PM to 0930 PM the old Pre-Dreadnought/Panzerschiff Schleswig-Holstein, 1 Torpedoboat, 2 Minesweepers, 19 Armed Trawlers, 3 Tugs, 2 Depotships, 3 Steamboats had navigated the Minebarrage of the Great Baelt east of Langeland and gone up the Baelt. This force were somewhere to the south of Sjælland.
Around 2330 PM 8 April 1940 a couple of German boats collided with one sinking; Danish ships rescued the survivors and had them get aboard other German ships passing the Barrage.
There had been some communicating of the Danish and German commanders at the spot but 0001 AM things seem to have calmed down.

The Danish Navy had established Mine barrages east of Langeland, at the northern end of the Lillebælt/Small Baelt and at Grønsund to the east of Sjælland – these were all guarded by Patrolvessels or Cutters but due to the sea ice none were activated.

Around 0001AM 9 April 1940 something like Aurora Borealis was noticed in the sky by the ships on station in Danish waters. Following this any German vessel which had been in the vicinity had apparently moved off without the Danish lookouts – being transfixed by the Aurora Borealis – noticing it.
No more incidents were observed or reported to Navy Command this night.

[575]

Værløse Airfield 0415 AM 9 April 1940:
2 Lieutenant H.P. Sørensen Pilot of 5. Sqd. Fokker C-V ”R-52” and Observer Lieutenant P.E. Pausen left quarters following a cup of coffee and went to the dispersal. Their aircraft had been readied engine running.
Around them the entire airfield bustled with activity – Pilots and Observers arriving, Groundcrew loading Machineguns in AA-mounts around the Airfield, Aircraft everywhere loaded with Machinegun rounds and bombs under wings. Trucks with bombs, ammunition and various stores and equipment.
Their aircraft had no bombs though two Machineguns; they were on a reconnaisance order.
Sørensen and Paulsen entered their Fokker; Sørensen checking instruments and Paulsen loading his Machinegun.
Then they got the go and took off – 0445 AM.

It was a foggy cold morning with lots of skies. Sørensen took them southeast to Ringsted in the middle of Sjælland then headed west towards Korsør the port on the east coast of the island.
In five minutes they passed over land once again – Fyn. Still clouds and fog. They could barely make out the ships guarding the Langeland barrage to the south but having crossed the sound they could see the Navy floatplane, Heinkel He8 no. 80, coming from the Slipshavn airstation just a little to the north. The crews waved at each other and then the Heinkel turned southeast while they continued west.
They crossed over the south of Fyn then across the Lillebælt to the northern tip of island Als and in along the Aaberaa Fiord to Jutland.
Having crossed Jutland some 20 km's to the north of the border they came to the Wadden Sea; continued over the Listerdyb which separate Danish Rømø from German Sylt but when they turned round west of the islands and then closed in on Sylt they saw a Dannebrog (Danish flag) on Sylt – radio not working Paulsen yanked Sørensens shoulder for him to look and Sørensen just wondered.
Then they made it inland flying just north of the border and along it.

Nothing special no German troops though as they approached Flensborg Fiord they realized something at work.
The Fiord was teeming with sailing ships – not something unusual but in such numbers!
Also there seemed to be a lot going on to the south of the border but the two couldn't make it out and stayed north of the border continueing out the fiord and then up the island of Als and heading northeast for Værløse.

[stevep]

   This is going to be interesting. How much Denmark can support its equipment, both military and civil will be one of the big issues in the medium term but everybody, both UT and DT Danes and the rest of the DT world are going to be scratching heads as to what happened and how things go from there.

  The big issue is how would 1940 Denmark view the 1864 Danish territory to its south?  Much of it is predominantly German in language and a fair number of probably have at least some desire to see separation from Denmark but others will feel loyalty to and identity with 1864 Denmark.  They will also have the issue of how attractive or not 1940 Denmark will be to them with its social and political values? 

  This latter point will be important in terms of relations with other nations as its going to be a shock to most of the world, let alone what the DTers will lean about their 'future' such as the rise of Prussia in the forthcoming years and how assorted powers will respond to that.

  Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

[575]

Feb 9, 2023 13:52:48 GMT stevep said:

   This is going to be interesting. How much Denmark can support its equipment, both military and civil will be one of the big issues in the medium term but everybody, both UT and DT Danes and the rest of the DT world are going to be scratching heads as to what happened and how things go from there.

  The big issue is how would 1940 Denmark view the 1864 Danish territory to its south?  Much of it is predominantly German in language and a fair number of probably have at least some desire to see separation from Denmark but others will feel loyalty to and identity with 1864 Denmark.  They will also have the issue of how attractive or not 1940 Denmark will be to them with its social and political values? 

  This latter point will be important in terms of relations with other nations as its going to be a shock to most of the world, let alone what the DTers will lean about their 'future' such as the rise of Prussia in the forthcoming years and how assorted powers will respond to that.

  Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

UT Denmark will need to establish trade with friendly nations in the medium to long run to get coal and oil - it will want to trade agricultural produce initially but possibly Aircraft and Arms may be wanted on the menu!

1940 Denmark was able to manufacture mostly all needed but lacked iron/steel and other metals, rubber and the above mentioned.

1940 Denmark wiev of South Schleswig will be as part of Germany but a Germany not in existence. There is a larger number of Danish speakers there than today but there were too few in 1920 to secure the area for Denmark (Flensburg! which I allotted Denmark 1920 in A Window..)

Conservatives and Liberals will want to incorporate at least what became zone II during the referendum 1920

so it will become a matter of political strife in 1940 Denmark.

Political attractions of 1940 Denmark: one man one vote - guaranteed minimal wages and two weeks paid holiday a Year! Care for poor - free education at University. Free speech, print and assembly.

The Prussians will probably be the most shocked regarding political values (the recent Thread about Prussian votes according to economy of constituency) though others, no small number of German Princely rulers, of the history of Prussia. That may make for some interesting German politics.

Other nations will be curious too.

I'm only at the opening days but have a few ideas.

[575]

A Gendarme's tale 6AM 9 April 1940/ 1 February 1864
The report of Sørensen and Paulsen was filed and then wondered at as the report of a Border Gendarme hit Army HQ: a Danish Soldier of 2. General Command South Jutland – Slesvig and Holstein had approached the Gendarme at Padborg border crossing to know ”where the hell the supply train from Aapenraade was fooling around.”
The Gendarme had apparently been taken for a Dragoon because of his light blue uniform and the Soldier looked like somebody from 1914 or sometime like 1864; the Greatcoat hadn't change much in the timeframe and the Cap looked right too but also oldfashioned. It was the language that gave the man away and then that he came from Flensborg as he said not Flensburg – the German spelling.
The Gendarme also well knew there being no 2. General Command South Jutland – Slesvig and Holstein since 1864.
The Gendarme had told the Soldier he didn't know and then the Soldier had informed that the Rittmeister wanted him to go look for the train and the peasan'ts wagons assembling at Harreslev just south of Padborg.
Talking a little more to the Soldier the Gendarme understood that the Army was at Dannevirke waiting for the Germans to cross the Slie River and head north.

The Gendarme offered the Soldier some coffee and then wished him luck in his endeavour though as the two exited the Border post the Gendarme stopped grabbed the Soldier by the elbow and pointed into the air:
”look up there – can't You hear it?”
The Soldier looked up and then at the Gendarme in amazement:
”what is that?”
”A Danish Army aeroplane!”
Both looked up the Soldier in amazement the Gendarme with at smile on his lip – the sound of the engine was very clear in the cold air as the aircraft made it past them almost above their heads. The men waved at the aircraft and the rear person waved back.
”I never seen such before – do You have many of those?” the Soldier asked.
”Quite a number and they can drop bombs to the ground.”
”Prussia and Austria don't have any such – we will defeat them?” the Soldier looked at the Gendarme.
”I think so” the Gendarme said and saw the Soldier off.

Having thought a little of the incident the Gendarmed then called his superior Officer and related the incident which the Officer then sent up the chain of command to Colonel Harz, 2. Infantry Regiment Haderslev who forwarded it to Jutland Division and Army Command at Copenhagen.

(Should have been a Fokker C-V in camo but couldn't find such an image - this will have to do)

[lordroel]

Feb 8, 2023 18:14:47 GMT 575 said:

Danish Army of 1940
The Army of 1940 Denmark have two Commands; one in the East of Denmark and one in the West divided by the Great Baelt. Eastern Command reside in Copenhagen the Capital of the Country while Western Command reside in Viborg in the northern part of Central Jutland peninsula – where a Thing of old were.
Each Command have one Infantry Division subordinated for a total of 7 Infantry Regiments – one on Bicycles, 2 Cavalry Regiments – both partly motorized, 3 Artillery Regiments totalling 11 Battalions, 1 Anti-Tank Engineers Regiment and 3 AA-battalions one of which defends Copenhagen.
Infantry Regiments and Battalions as well as the Anti-Tank Engineers Regiment had rangefinders as organic equipment for their 20mm Cannon and 37mm Guns.
The Army also controlled the Armed Borderguards – Gendarmerie.

The Army had a mobilizable strength of some 60,000 troops which was what had been called up during the Great War to guard the Nation.
At the signing of the Ribbentrop – Molotov Pact some 30,000 reserves had been called up bringing Army strength to 36,000. By January 1940 all had been dismissed though with Uniform and kit and a new class of Conscripts called up making the Army number some 13,000.
To arm the Army it had
116,000 8mm Krag-Jørgensen Rifles and Carbines,
1,400 Submachine Guns,
4,725 Madsen 8mm Machineguns (most with a tripod),
258 Madsen 20mm Autocannon,
72 Bofors/Riflesyndicate 37mm AT-Infantry Guns,
132 81mm Stokes-Brandt Mortars,
128 75mm Krupp Field Guns – 15 other 75mm Field Guns,
37 Heavy Field Guns (25 155mm Howitzers, 12 105mm Guns),
36 75mm AA-Guns,
750,000 Artillery shells,
10,000 Aircraft Bombs (12½ kg/31pdr, 50 kg/125pdr, 250 kg/625pdr)
100,000 Hand- and Riflegrenades,
a stockpile of 60 mill. rounds of 8mm Rifle ammunition,
3,000 Bicycles, 1,000 Cars/Trucks, 500 Motorcycles (Harley-Davidson, Nimbus),
130,000 Uniforms, 130,000 Greatcoats, 135,000 pairs of Boots, 100,000 woolen blankets and all the other shit that makes an Army move and fight.

Artillery:
3 Artillery Regiments totalling 11 Battalions of 3 Batteries of 4 Guns/Howitzers – 3 Heavy Battalions and 5 Light Battalions Motorized, 3 Light Battalions Horsedrawn.
The Heavy Battalions had a Battery of 4 x 10,5cm Guns and 2 Batteries of 4 x 155mm Howitzers.
The Light Batteries would carry 168 rounds per Gun in the Horsedrawn 220 rounds per Gun in the Motorized units.
Heavy Batteries would carry 60 rounds per Gun or 30 rounds per Howitzer.
The Regimental Gun Company would carry 448 rounds per 37mm Gun.
The Regimental Support Company would carry 150 round for each of its 3 81,4mm Stokes-Brandt Mortars.
Motorcycle carried 20mm Cannon would carry 330 rounds per Cannon; Infantry units 450 rounds.
Anti-Aircraft Batteries had 3 75mm Vickers Guns each carrying 120 rounds per Gun and 3 Truckmounted 20mm Cannon.
All these units was issued Rangefinders. The Artillery was also trained in firing by fieldphone from forward observers.

Armoured vehicles which were split between the two Cavalry Regiments consisted of 3 Landsverk Lynx Modern Armoured Cars, 2 Landsverk 180 not so Modern (this type was also used by the Dutch during the battle for the Hague Airfields of 10 May 1940 where they seem to have performed well), 3 Landsverk/Homegrown not Modern and 2 Carden-Lloyd Tankettes.
7 of the Armoured Cars were armed with 20mm Cannon in addition to Machineguns which were fitted to all.

Do not forget these.

Danish soldiers with a 20 mm Madsen cannon

[575]

Certainly not - they are part of forward defences in South Jutland like the AT-Engineers Regiment at Töndern. As any other Artillery piece the 20mm Cannon crew also had Artillery rangefinders to pinpoint targets. Highly with the Motorcycles in this case the Nimbus Danish make. Other motorcycles would be Harley-Davidson though not for moving 20mm Cannon.

[lordroel]

Had to post this, the Prussians are going to get a beating.

[575]

Feb 10, 2023 10:18:23 GMT lordroel said:

Had to post this, the Prussians are going to get a beating.

The still of the Artillerymen is the Vickers 75mm AA-gun.

The Handgrenades and Mortars were all new. There had been Handbombs during WWI but haven't seen pics of those.

The major gamechangers are the Artillery and Aircraft. Unfortunately the winter weather may play tricks in Denmark and Slesvig to lessen impact - that will be covered. Though when those are available for real without interference they will be a nasty experience.

[575]

Springeren

Lillebælt Minebarrage 0500 AM 9 April 1940/ 1 February 1864:
In Lillebælt at the north of the barrage the old Torpedoboat Springeren was ordered to go down the channel of the barrage and search out the German Navy Boats hailed down there yesterday.
Having come through the channel the Springeren headed south as no German boats were in sight down to a place near the Pøls Reef where the day before three large German ships and 3-4 Trawlers had been spotted.
Nothing to be seen there too.

Going further south avoiding the reef and shallow waters the Springeren came upon a Danish sailing ship and hailed it; it was carrying munitions and supply for 2. General Command at Flensburg of Jutland and Slesvig-Holsten.
The Commander of Springeren was flappergasted at the information – there was no Danish Commands south of the border since 1864 to which the Captain of the sailing ship said ”but it is 1864; 1 February!”
”If so why are You carrying that much ammunition? Won't the Army be wanting it soon?”
”Well the General Command ordered the ammunition loaded so it won't fall into German hands should the Army have to retreat out of Slesvig.”
”Hmm, well sounds a precaution well made – where are the Navy?”
”Down south at Slie (Schleswig Fiord) and further on watching the coast for advance of the Germans.”
”With the logical being Eckernförde Fiord the mainroad passing close to shore..”
”You said so Lieutenant (Royal Danish Navy eq. RN Midshipman, USN Ensign) – not me.”

The Lieutenant of Springeren ordered his ship south thinking about the History teachings at Navy Academy – 1849 1. Schleswig War the Eckernförde Affair where a Danish Ship of the Line and a Frigate had been sunk and captured by the then Insurgents.
What had been the dispositions of 1864? The most modern Armoured Scooner Esbern Snare commanded by Lieutenant Kraft and Steam Corvet Thor commanded by Lieutenant Hedemann observing the coast for enemy movement to the North.
If he went that far he'd know the Skipper of the ammunition ship was talking true – he ordered the radiooperator to inform Kommandør (RN/USN Captain) Evers at the Lillebaelt Barrage ”Have sighted no German ships to the south of the Barrage nor at Pøl's Reef and will continue southeast to continue searching. Present position south of Broager Land (Als).”
Shortly following a message from Kommandør Evers, Frigate Ingolf: ”Acknowledged – stay clear of German territorial waters. Evers.”
The Lieutenant thought to himself – like hell I will. This is too intrigueing.

The Lillebaelt and environs: