WW2 in Norway

The Sinking of Blücher

The battleship "Blücher" was meant to be the proud symbol of the German Navy's mighty naval power. Launched on June 8, 1937, and ready for missions two years later. On its maiden voyage up the Oslofjord, Blücher served as the flagship for the fleet tasked with landing infantry for the occupation of Oslo. The staff in charge of the operation was on board, along with infantry units—a total of 800 men in addition to its own crew. 

While navigating through the Drøbak Sound on the night of April 9, 1940, the ship was severely damaged and sunk in the northern part of the sound after being hit by artillery and torpedoes from Oscarsborg Fortress under the command of Colonel Birger Kristian Eriksen. 576 crew members and around 400 soldiers perished. 

Source: Jarslett, Yngve; Store Norske Leksikon 

The torpedo mounted outside Halsnøy Historic Center is of the same type that was fired from Oscarsborg. Inside the center, you will find a model of Blücher and many other famous vessels from World War II. 

The Radio Cave in Høylandsbygd

Driving further along the main road through Høylandsbygd towards the southeast, you will find a sign pointing to the Radio Cave. It is located about 300 meters up the slope from the main road. Parking is available by the main road or further up. The Radio Cave was the hiding place for an illegal radio that brought news from the British and the Norwegian government in exile in London to the people. Possession of a radio was forbidden by the German occupiers. Being caught with a radio risked arrest, torture, and eventually a death sentence. 

The local teacher, A.L Aanderaa, was among the foremost resistance members in the region. When two German Gestapo officers were shot by resistance members at Sunde (see Local Dramas), he was arrested the same day and sent to the Gestapo in Bergen. He was released when the Germans found no evidence against him. More information about A.L. Aanderaa can be found inside the center. 

In addition to the story of the Radio Cave, Halsnøy Historic Center has a large collection of old radio sets from the pre-war period. We also have a radio transmitter, similar to the type used by daring agents in the resistance to send information to London about German ship movements and troop transports. 

North Sea Traffic

The large traffic of small, often fishing boats across the North Sea from Bømlo and other coastal areas to Shetland was a lifeline for the resistance movement. People who wanted to fight against the Germans were smuggled over, while agents, weapons, ammunition, and equipment came in the opposite direction. The “Shetland Bus” was formally organized under British Naval Intelligence, the Special Operations Executive (SOE). 

The most famous of them was “Shetlands-Larsen” from Bergen, who became the most highly decorated naval officer of World War II. He received the War Cross with Sword twice, the highest medal a Norwegian can receive. Inside the center, you will find more information about Leif Larsen (1906–1990) and several interesting exhibits and photos about North Sea traffic. You can also see a model of the “M/S Arholm” and a large-scale replica of the superstructure of such a boat, which was so common at the time. 

"I got him, Larsen" are said to be the last words of one of many young Norwegian boys who lost their lives in this dangerous traffic. Norwegian informers and German aircraft were constant threats. But when we received three MTB boats from the USA at the end of 1943, the loss of life on the “Shetland Bus” stopped. 

The Royal Family and the Resistance

When Germany invaded Norway in 1940, King Haakon VII refused to accept Quisling as prime minister. The escape from Norway under German bomber planes and gunfire has been the subject of several feature films. In exile in London, the King became a vital symbol of national unity, and his speeches to the people through the BBC strengthened their will to fight. Crown Prince Olav served as an important link between the Norwegian government in London and the Allies, becoming a powerful symbol of Norwegian resistance. Crown Princess Märtha and the children safely reached the USA, where she garnered sympathy for Norway’s cause, including through her friendship with President Roosevelt. The royal family’s conduct during the war provided morale and legitimacy to the resistance against the Germans. They inspired continuity, hope, and defiance for the Norwegian people and were remarkably well-loved, both during and after the war. 

Inside the center, you’ll find several symbols expressing respect and gratitude for the role the royal family played during these challenging years, including an installation we associate with the bridge of the royal yacht. We also have a beautiful model of the Royal Yacht, M/S “Norge.” 

Everyday Life in Norway During the War

When the Germans invaded Norway on April 9, 1940, daily life changed abruptly for most people. Life became quieter, grayer, and more dangerous. Windows had to be blacked out after dark. Food was rationed—butter, coffee, meat, and other items became luxury goods. People learned to be resourceful: they bartered for goods, grew vegetables in their gardens, and used substitutes like potato coffee and turnip cakes. Many knitted or repurposed old clothes. 

For most, everyday life had to go on despite the hardships. People got married, had children, and held confirmations in a shadowy world where much was uncertain. Anything resembling celebration or fun was banned. Neighbors helped each other, finding light in small, quiet acts of defiance—a paperclip on the lapel, a red hat, or sharing the latest rumors from London. There were many ways to resist the occupiers. But phones were tapped, and the fear of informants always loomed in the background. The word "quisling" became synonymous with traitor in every language! Yet an active resistance movement, marked by many dramatic events, has forever entered our history. 

Inside the Center, you’ll find displayed various items from both war and daily life—ration cards, weapons, German helmets, and much more. In a section dedicated to memories from the war years, you can see the Nazi flag, which has become an eternal symbol of the horrific Nazi atrocities, especially against Jews and other minorities. Come in, look, experience, and reflect! 

Hitler’s “Most Wanted”

Moritz Rabinowitz (1887–1942) was a Norwegian-Jewish businessman, social commentator, and anti-Nazi activist. He fled Tsarist Russia due to Jewish persecution and eventually settled in Norway. There, he became a successful businessman based in Haugesund. In the 1930s, he was a prolific writer in both Norwegian and international press, where, as a Jew and a democrat, he issued early and clear warnings against Nazi Germany. 

Due to his unwavering and public stance against Hitler and Nazism, he was at the top of the Gestapo’s “Most Wanted” list when the Germans invaded Norway in April 1940. From the very first day of the invasion, they hunted for him. He managed to stay in hiding for a while, including in Åkrafjorden, and later reached Toftekalven, where the brave owners hid him on their farm. 

But on December 4, 1940, he was arrested. He and his entire family were deported to Germany, where they perished in a concentration camp. Today, Moritz Rabinowitz stands as a powerful symbol of the fight for freedom of expression and against anti-Semitism in Norwegian society. 
Inside the Center, you can explore more of the Rabinowitz tragedy, including interviews with brothers Haldor and Erling Njøs, who grew up in Toftekalven alongside their sister Brita. Both they and their parents had close encounters with the Gestapo that December day in 1940 when the Germans, through a cunning maneuver, managed to capture Moritz Rabinowitz. 

Local Drama

Sunnhordland, with its idyllic islands, bays, and straits, was far from a peaceful outpost during the war. At Osterneset near Sandvikvåg, a strategically placed fort with artillery positions and bunkers controlled shipping through Langenuen. Anyone encountering German patrols on land or sea had to show approved ID papers. In May 1943, events turned dramatic when members of the resistance shot and killed two German Gestapo officers at Sunde. The feared German Reich Commissioner Joseph Terboven arrived at the scene, and many feared a repeat of the Telavåg tragedy. Fortunately, that didn’t happen, but several key resistance members were arrested and brutally tortured at the Gestapo headquarters in Bergen. 

On January 15, 1945, several Allied aircraft were on a mission over Sunnhordland. One was shot down and sank in Skåneviksfjorden. The pilot went down with the plane and was never found, while the navigator was rescued by people from Skånevik. On February 21, 1945, the night route ship M/S Austri was bombed by Allied aircraft in Stordafjorden, where seafarers from Høylandsbygd on the cargo ship Åkrafjord helped rescue survivors. 

Throughout the war, trusted individuals were involved in smuggling resistance fighters and escaped prisoners of war to the coast to get them across to England. Many experienced the Gestapo knocking on doors in villages, searching for fugitives or Norwegian resistance members. 

Peace Arrives, May 8, 1945

Rumors of German capitulation and peace had been heard for a few days, but no one dared to believe it until it was announced on the radio. Flags that had been packed away for five long, painful years were brought out and raised high. People in the community gathered around the radio at Berhaug. There were only smiles and laughter to be seen and heard. After five years of unrest and longing, the community could finally breathe a sigh of relief, as did the entire country. 

But peace did not come without tears. Families who had lost loved ones in uniform or to torpedoes felt grief and melancholy. There was uncertainty about brothers, sons, or daughters who were at sea—were they still alive? Norway was a maritime superpower, with over 30,000 Norwegian seafarers serving on ships in convoys across the Atlantic and elsewhere. Many lives were lost in this service. 

In Finnmark, large parts of the region had been burned down, and the population forced to flee. In several places across the country, mobs took over, shaving the heads of girls who had been involved with German soldiers—an act that became a dark stain on our national conscience. 

But for most, May 8, 1945, was above all a day of hope and renewed courage in everyday life.