Garden is a battalion with high standards in physical fitness, dependability, loyalty, independence, discipline, morale, sense of order, ability to lead themselves in uniform, and the ability to balance their complicated guard duty with relationship to the civilian environment. H, built by Motorenwerke Augsburg Nuremberg (MAN) in 1941 and would have been equipped with the short 5 cm KwK 39 L/42 gun. on Stridsvogn M24 (M24 Chaffee in Norwegian Service), on Stridsvogn & Stormkanon KW-III (Panzer & StuG III in Norwegian Service). modellnorge.no Norway was left battered and bruised by a 5-year long German occupation (April 1940 – May 1945) that only ended with the capitulation of German forces at the end of the Second World War in Europe. This allowed Norway to build up its fleet of more modern M24 Chaffees, and save them for active duty in a combat scenario, should the need have arisen. The 2-7 tonnes lift capacity was more than enough to hoist the NM-116’s Detroit Diesel engine which weighed just 600 kgs (1323 lbs). A running gear consisting of 6-road wheels per side supported the tank’s weight. Norway was one of these countries that was rebuilding after a lengthy Nazi Occupation of the country. Amongst other things, 16 Panzer Is and the three remaining Panzer III Ausf. The terrain we operated in was brutal all year around and absolutely not ideal for tanks. This was likely done to improve the compatibility with new track types. This was a defensive weapon only. Cold War Rearmed² - Royal Norwegian Army Expansion. The crew that assisted Sergeant Stoli, for instance, carried a welder. In the case of Norway, this meant the delivery of the M24 Chaffee light tank, starting in 1946. *These tanks are known by these names due to the fact that they had large yellow numbers painted on the sides of their turrets. Thor Christofferson, Former NM-116 Commander, retired. For this, four Chaffees were separated from the NM-116 project. (Army and Joint special forces command), HMKG school center (His Majesty The King's guard)), AFA-Office (Administrative parental department), FKL (Logistics support center) In the collection of pictures below, note that one of the tanks has the cartoon character ‘Snoopy’ painted on it. CIS TG (Communications and informations systems task group). The fifth road wheel was attached to the idler wheel at the rear of the running gear. Just like the NM-116, the NM-130 was an ingenious use of what was – at the time of its development – an almost thirty-year-old piece of Second World War hardware. Thanks to these, we know the specific history of 4 Panzer IIIs, as they survive today in Norway. Norwegian special forces were involved in combat operations during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2002, and Norwegian Army troops during Operation Harekate Yolo in 2007. The original concentric recoil system (this was a hollow tube around the barrel, a space-saving alternative to traditional recoil cylinders) from the 75 mm gun was retained. For this, four Chaffees were separated from the 116 projects. Clemens Niesner, Norge – Hærens Styrker, Vehicles of the Modern Norwegian Land Forces, Tankograd Publishing. These were made by the Swedish company Hagglunds. One detail to mention is that the Norwegian crews kept an MG42 7.62 mm machine gun mounted on the Commander’s cupola. hestvik.no The one featured in most of the photos used in this article was located – until recently – at the Rena Army Camp, eastern Norway. At some point, however, its turret was replaced with an Ausf. By 1951, the entire KW-III force had been replaced by the plentiful Chaffees. Numerous other upgrades were incorporated into the NM-116. Despite the crane having a meager capacity of 2-7 tonnes, it was necessary that the cable be stronger so it could tow or retrieve the NM-116. The battalion also provides maintenance services. Cold War museum. The biggest exercises since Cold War days will last for a week, amid growing tensions between Russia and NATO. In June 1905 the Storting unilaterally dissolved the 91-year-old union with Sweden. To develop the ARV, four extra M24s were set aside. G and Ausf. Left, a Norwegian Army operated M48 Patton armed with the 90 mm M41 gun. The Cold War saw a large build-up of air stations and military bases, especially in Northern Norway. Mortyman 18:23, 27 June 2010 (UTC) The NM-130 was the result of the same sort of dilemma; how do you provide a new tank with a new support vehicle without breaking the bank? Jim Mesko, M24 Chaffee in Action, Squadron/Signal Publications The NM-116 was an ‘ambush predator’, and would use its small size and good maneuverability to outflank the enemy, engage, and then withdraw along pre-arranged lanes of engagement. When the roadwheel reacted to terrain, the idler was pushed out or pulled in, keeping constant track tension. Norway’s use of the Panzer III and StuG III is a prime example of ‘make do and mend’. 2nd Lieutenant Dag Rune Nilsen, Former NM-116 Commander, retired Two 208-liter (55 gallons) fuel tanks also gave it a greater range of 300 kilometers (186 miles) compared to the 160 kilometers (100 miles) of the original powerplant. The base of the crane was then fixed to the top of this. The position consisted of a padded seat and a control desk. A new hole was cut into the side of the buried tanks to connect them to the new structures to allow the use of the old ammunition tunnels. These were initially bought from Nazi Germany, but they remained in service post-war. At least 4 StuG III Ausf. the.shadock.free.fr (Surviving StuGs) In 2008 the army faced criticism from within for only being able to defend only one district in Oslo in the event of a national invasion.[1]. From 1946 until the early 1950s, Norway received a total of 125 M24s. The NM-116 is a good example of an under-equipped and underfunded nation finding a solution to a critical dilemma: how do you equip a military with effective weapons while dealing with a tight budget? By 1949, it would appear, the vehicles seem to have been painted in the same basic olive green used on the Chaffees. Norwegian Army 2. modellnorge.no The only full-time operator of the NM-116 was the Panserverneskadron, Brigade Nord (PvEsk/N, Eng: “Tank Squadron, Northern Brigade”). On the NM-116 driving off the landing ship,* one can see a large tent, rolled up and attached to the front. Stridsvogn M24 (M24 Chaffee in Norwegian Service), Jim Mesko, M24 Chaffee in Action, Squadron/Signal Publications, Clemens Niesner, Norge – Hærens Styrker, Vehicles of the Modern Norwegian Land Forces, Tankograd Publishing, Stridsvogn & Stormkanon KW-III (Panzer & StuG III in Norwegian Service), Dick Taylor & Mike Hayton, Panzer III: Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf. The original Chaffee sprocket had 13 teeth while the newer one had 12. ‘Yellow 1’ was transferred to Finland in 2013. To support the new NM-116, it was also decided that a new Armored Recovery Vehicle (ARV), or ‘Bergepanser’, be developed. In 1953, the garrison of Bardufoss Airfield began to dig their 7.5 cm gun-armed Stridsvogns into static defensive positions connected to Fort Bjørnåsen, ‘Yellow 3’, ‘2’, and ‘1’ amongst them. A small dozer blade was also installed on the lower glacis. The Combat Service and Support battalion is the Army's transportation and supply unit. The new sprocket wheel had smaller and fewer teeth. From 1987 to 1988, I served at a combat unit in the northern parts of Norway (Setermoen, Troms). Norwegian police troops and units from this brigade took control over Finnmark in 1944 after the German retreat from the Red Army. Norwegian contributions to international crisis management have been generated from a system that is first and foremost geared towards the rapid activation of mobilization units armed and trained for territorial defence. The NM-130’s crew consisted of three personnel; Commander, Crane Operator and Driver. Eight smoke-grenade launchers or Røykleggingsanlegg (Smoke Laying Device) were added to the left and right side of the turret in two banks of four tubes. The roof-mounted Browning M2HB .50 Cal machine gun was retained for ‘air defense’, however, an additional position for it was installed in front of the Commander’s cupola. Unfortunately, much like the NM-116, details of the Bergepanser’s time in service are scarce. There were at least two Ausf. A Norwegian pilot with the rank of lieutenant. The Parliament in 1994 and 1995 approved a series of major organizational changes, for the Army in particular. After the Kalmar War broke out in 1611, the Danish king, Fredrik II in the Kingdom of Denmark tried to revive the volunteer leidang, with dire results. Norway’s Armed Forces were kept mobilized throughout the First World War, ensuring Norwegian Neutrality. Another addition was an infantry or ‘Grunt’ phone, installed on the right rear fender of the NM-116. The best of these were themselves repaired and rearmed as best as possible. Where it is now is unknown. The turrets remained in place until the end of the Cold War (early-1990s), after which they started to be removed. The Second World War was rough for Norway. This 90 mm (3.5 in) gun was similar to that installed on France’s own Panhard AML 90, which was equipped with the D/921. This unit had been originally created for the invasion of Norway and was originally equipped with Panzer I, Panzer II, and Neubaufahrzeug tanks. A Stridsvogn M24 of Stridsvogneskadron Sola. These was often dropped to the Norwegian resistance groups and British saboteurs hiding in the mountains during the war. The Norwegians took what was – at the time – an almost 30-year-old piece of World War 2 technology and turned it into an effective tank killer for the late-20th century. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Was the period of conflict, tension and competition between the United States and the Soviet Union and their allies from the mid-1940s until the early 1990s. It is also in our interests to hit back against such attacks. The heat exchanger for the transmission and differential were installed in the engine compartment, while the exchanger for the additional gearbox was incorporated into an existing radiator. There was room in this cab for two trainees and one instructor. Both the Stridsvogn and the Stormkanon stayed on in service at Bardufoss as training vehicles for future Norwegian tankers. (Further information on this escapes the Author at the time of writing.) It was decided that each airport would need its own unit consisting of armored vehicles and platoons of troops. No. 74352 had an interesting history. *A detailed article on M24s at the Sola airstrip can be found in the Jan. 2017 issue of the Norwegian Museum Magazine. Both StuGs were armed with the 7.5 cm StuK 40 L/48 (an anti-tank gun derived from the PaK 40). The squadron commander did not like the Snoopy icon and wanted us to remove it. The Engineer Battalion secures the Army's mobility. Hope you'll enjoy it anyway. Værnes, located roughly in central Norway, allowed transit to the North and South of the country. All of these shells were fin-stabilized, so they would all have the ‘-FS’ suffix. The 2nd Mountain Company operated in Finnmark from late 1944 under nominal Russian command. These illustrations were produced by Ardhya Anargha, funded by our Patreon Campaign. Collection. The crane had a relatively low lift capacity as it was not designed to lift the entire vehicle, but just its components. Only 3 vehicles were manned at all times. The Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (also known as the CFE Treaty, signed in 1990, effective as of 1992) also played a big part in the retirement of the NM-116, as it mandated comprehensive limits of conventional military equipment in European states. Illustration of one of the 10 Stormkanon KW-IIIs (StuG IIIs) operated by Norway, this example being a StuG III Ausf. This has led to some confusion as 76149 is actually one of the StuGs, an Ausführung G. Thanks to the Fahrgestell numbers, this information is known to us, but quite how these things ended up in Norway by the war’s end is currently a mystery. This, however, was not their intended role. In 1945, Norway began to receive aid under the US-led ‘MAP’. What was more impressive, is that the Canadian Recon Patrol left our position without noticing the other 9 armored vehicles (6 NM-116 + 3 NM-142) sat alongside us! This fort was located in the grounds of the airfield, and was a system of former Luftwaffe bunkers built during WW2. On one exercise, a Canadian Recon Patrol Unit stopped in front of my vehicle and made a brief sweep of the area. Retreating German forces left a large quantity of equipment in their wake. The Norwegian military wanted more punch but understood that the small chassis of the M24 probably wouldn’t stand up to the punishment of the recoil force produced by a large 90 mm (3.5 in) – or larger – gun. When it was not in operation, it is unknown where he would have sat. In Norwegian service, these were called Stridsvogn KW-III and Stormkanon KW-III, respectively. The Panzers that were adopted into the Norwegian Army were of varying quality, some of them had even been sabotaged by the Allies. The initial NM-116 ‘Panserjager’ as it appeared in 1975 during the prototype phase. The 75 mm gun would be no match for the thick armor of Soviet tanks such as the T-54/55 or T-62. In the upgrade program, the tanks were equipped with new split rubber block tracks made by the German company, Diehl. The NM-116 was a successful conversion, but by the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s, the tank was becoming obsolete. Before the unit officers was introduced around 1930, in Norway, a system similar to what you have in almost all other countries with two separate career paths: The most important task of Hans Majestet Kongens Garde is to protect the King and the royal family in peace, crisis and war. The remaining 36 vehicles were mostly used as donors for spare parts. The M24s gave the Norwegian Army (Hæren) excellent service for many years, but come the late-1960s, the M24 was obsolete, and the upgrade program began. Crew comfort was not ignored in the program, with a new internal heating system being installed to keep them warm in the cold Norwegian climate. At some point, the single-baffle square muzzle brake of the 90mm gun, installed on the prototypes, was exchanged for a tubular ‘T’ shaped muzzle brake, similar to those used on US tanks such as the M48 Patton. For winter, they were covered in a rough white-wash haphazardly lashed on by hand. Available at modellnorge.no (Flash player required). The NM-116 was a successful conversion, but by the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s, the tank was becoming obsolete. With the end of the Cold War, Norway began to modernize its military. The Hulladingsgranat round had a velocity of 750 m/s (2460 fps), and a maximum effective range of around 1,500 meters (1,640 yards). Ms produced and was deployed by Panzer-Grenadier Division “Grossdeutschland” on the Eastern Front in 1943. 3 – 1: Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf. The number 76149 is also recorded in relation to one of the Pz.Kpfw III, Fgst.Nr 73651. In total, 41 rounds of 90 mm ammunition were carried. Hello all, I am wondering if any Western navy had ever contemplated an anti-nuclear submarine role for its conventional submarines. In 1946, Norway began to operate a fleet of M24 Chaffee light tanks given to it under a United States-led Military Aid Program (MAP). This was complimented by a new coaxial Browning .50 cal (12.7 mm) machine gun, and a laser range-finder placed over the barrel. This resulted in the United States prolonging their Military Aid Programs. Left, a Norwegian Army operated M48 Patton armed with the 90 mm M41 gun. Times Daily' answers for TODAY! The blade was operated by the driver. Gs, that accounts for 6 StuGs. A camouflage-colored version of the field jacket was introduced in the peace army in 1988. The D/925 was capable of firing three ammunition types: High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT, Nor: Hulladingsgranat M62), High-Explosive (HE, Nor: Sprenggranat MF1) and Smoke (Nor: Røykgranat MF1). Here, Dag Rune Nilsen describes how the vehicles were employed: “The NM-116 wasn’t regarded as much of a tank and there were many jokes about it. Special forces 2. The crane had a relatively low lift capacity as it was not designed to lift an entire vehicle, rather just its components. They were mounted on the left and right fenders in single banks of four. Its gun simply did not have the penetrative power to combat modern armored fighting vehicles. A few vehicles went to Museums around Norway, but Museums around the world also began buying them and restoring them for display. Not many unmodified Norwegian Chaffees remain, however, there are a few. In the early years of the Cold War, the Norwegian Military (Forsvaret, Eng: “The Defence”) was happy with the M24 Chaffee, as it fitted its needs. hestvik.no The M24s gave the Hæren excellent service for many years, but come the late-1960s, the M24 was obsolete, and an upgrade program began. Most of the time our task was to delay an approaching enemy, fire a few rounds and then pull back to reposition. However, during the invasion, it lost several tanks during the fighting against the Norwegian and British forces, including multiple Panzer Is and one of the Neubaufahrzeugs. The battalion also conducts ferry-operations and provides the Army's NRBC defense capability. The M24s gave the Norwegian Army (Hæren) excellent service for many years, until the late-1960s. As the Norwegian citizenry had not been armed or trained in the use of arms for nearly three centuries they were not able to fight. 0 comments. When needed, the ‘sheds’ were raised via hydraulics. [3] About 590 Norwegians are serving in the ISAF force. The General Inspector now commands three subordinate major commands and 5 smaller support units:[6][7]. It was a very maneuverable vehicle, powered by a Twin Cadillac 44T24 8-cylinder petrol engine producing 220 hp. After the Second World War, as part of the United States-led Military Aid Program (MAP), Norway received around 130 M24 Chaffee light tanks to help rebuild its military. The Chief of Defence (a four-star general or admiral) heads the armed forces, and is the principal military adviser to the Minister of Defence. A, B, C & D It soon became clear that the Norwegian Ministry of Defense was looking to sell this pile of – what was then considered – scrap. The vehicle left Norway in the late 1940s and was located in Sweden until the 1980s. A few of the vehicles were also equipped with Schürzen add-on armor on the turret and hull sides. The initial 1946 delivery consisted of just 9 vehicles. By the late-1960s, the Chaffee was getting a little bit long in the tooth. At least two NM-130s were part of this Brigade. The Chaffee rolled on 5 roadwheels attached to a torsion bar suspension. The Norwegian army found the 5 cm gun of the Strvs to be lacking in tank-killing power, so each unit was equipped with at least one StKn KW-III or a towed 7.5 cm PaK 40 anti-tank gun. It would cost the commander a case of beer though! A new intercom system for the crew was also installed. Dick Taylor & Mike Hayton, Panzer III: Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf. The ‘Military Aid Program’ benefited the war-ravaged countries of the Second World War by providing them the means to rebuild their military and defenses. The Panzer III’s turret and superstructure were removed from the hull and were replaced with an armored casemate. With the mysterious origin of the StuG, it is unclear as to what condition the vehicles were in upon adoption. In the early years of the Cold War, the Norwegian Military (Forsvaret, Eng: “The Defence”) was happy with the M24 Chaffee, as it fitted its needs. These tanks arrived after the Invasion of Norway and didn’t partake in any fighting. This type of tent was not included in the original plans and if you never served in my unit, one would not know of the use. These cookies do not store any personal information. To avoid breakages while earthmoving, the front-wheel stations of the vehicle were reinforced. The tank was operated by a 5-man crew consisting of a Commander, Gunner, and Loader in the turret, with the Driver and Radio Operator/Bow Machine Gunner in the hull. Although the ar… The Battle Squadron operates the national. The moss and peat would last for at least 3 weeks, but the shrubbery would be replaced every other day. 141), Haynes Publishing/The Tank Museum It was decided that the vehicle needed a new, more powerful gun, as well as many other new internal and external components. An additional gearbox was installed to control the speed transferred to the differential housed at the front of the tank. Pz.Abt. Norway received its first Chaffees after the Second World War, when US troops stationed in the country left the Norwegians 17 M24s when they withdrew. (a) Brigade North was the Norwegian Army’s main standing regular formation and in the event of war would be deployed immediately to the Finnmark border area.