Bjørn West
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| Battle of Bjørn West | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Second World War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Norway (Milorg) |
 Germany | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Harald Risnes Fredrik Kayser |
Johannes de Boer | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 6 dead | 35[1]–117[2] dead | ||||||
Bjørn West was one out of many Milorg bases in German-occupied Norway, located in the Matrefjella mountains near Matre in Masfjorden Municipality, Norway.
The base was under the direct command of the Norwegian High Command in London. The purpose of the base was to set up a force that could operate behind German lines in case of an allied invasion of Norway. If it came under attack, the force was supposed to either withdraw to the mountains along Sognefjorden, or be evacuated by the navy. The force received its supplies by the sea as well as from the air. By the spring of 1945, the force counted 255 men, headed by Captain Harald Risnes and Fredrik Kayser.[3]
The Germans learned of the base in early 1945. Wanting a peaceful end of the war in Norway, Lt. Gen Johannes de Boer attempted to contact the Norwegian resistance movement. This appears to have been a solo effort, as Franz Böhme, commander-in-chief in German-occupied Norway, ordered German troops to be prepared for battle.[4] As de Boer tried to negotiate with the Norwegians, fighting broke out in Matrefjella between German forces and the force at Bjørn West.