If further demonstration were needed of the power of air superiority, the taking of Norway made it quite clear. Both in sea and land operations, the one who obtains control of the sky over the battle areas, will be the winner. In a very small way this was demonstrated in the invasion of Denmark. The German Ambassador in Copenhagen had woken the Danish Foreign Minister at 5 a.m. on 9th April 1940, with an ultimatum to accept the 'protection of the Reich' immediately. At almost the same time, the German troopship carrying just one battalion, all that was thought necessary, arrived off Copenhagen and made its way to the pier in the center of the city. There was no challenge of any sort, and the guns of the harbour fort were silent. The troops quickly took over the Citadel the Army HQ, and the Palace where the Foreign Minister had already gone to get the decision of the King and his advisers. All except the Army commander agreed that resistance was not possible, but the talking took time and the German general, Himer, became impatient. He telephoned the operation HQ in Hamburg and asked for some Luftwaffe bombers to zoom over Copenhagen. The Government quickly acceded to the Nazis and, for 4 years, remained passive until it became obvious that they had to do something to regain their honour and self respect, in the light of all the things that, by then, they knew of the real nature of the Nazi conquest.
The story in Norway was quite other. Within 30 minutes of his awakening the Norwegian Foreign Minister had obtained the Government's answer - 'We will not submit voluntarily: the struggle is already under way.' Then the King and his government had moved north into the mountains. During the night the various task forces making up the invasion had reached their destinations and, in most cases, met resistance. Hitler, as we have seen, made all the plans for the operation. They were daring and imaginative, but called for precise co-ordination of the ships with their air support, and only minimal opposition. And this is what they got, in most cases, until after the successful landings. From early April, ships had been leaving Germany full of troops and supplies, for four different destinations in Norway, two of which would be supported on arrival with paratroop landings. It was certain that not everything would go according to plan, especially when the Germans did not know that the Allies were much more ready than they knew.
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