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The Sinking of the Blücher: The Battle of Drøbak Narrows, April 1940

Read by:
Ulf Bjorklund
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Unabridged Audiobook

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Book
Narrator
1
Release Date
June 27, 2023
Duration
12 hours 6 minutes
Summary
A lesser-known event during World War II, the sinking of the Blücher is key part of naval history that marked the beginning of the Norwegian Campaign. The Sinking of the Blücher is a comprehensive investigation into why the German cruiser, named for Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher (Prussian victor of the Battle of Waterloo), was approaching Oslo on the night of 9th April 1940, why and how she was sunk, and the ramifications and significance of the event. The book also explores the influence of the British government and military on the reasons behind Operation Weserübung, the German invasion of Norway. This book is a methodical, unbiased compilation of primary sources and archival material. It details the sequence of events leading to the sinking of the Blücher, the flagship of the force that was to seize Oslo, from setting sail for Norway, to evading British submarines in the Skagerrak, and finally sinking to the bottom of the Drøbak Narrows after being struck by Oscarsborg fortress gunfire and torpedoes. The text, which connects intricate accounts of the attacks, paints a picture of the sinking and explains the politics behind the military operations, and the result of the sinking which enabled King Haakon and his government to escape to Britain, join the Allies and continue the resistance from there. Simultaneously, the primary source material individualizes the sailors and military personnel involved.
Reviews
Profile Avatar Crompton B. Mar 2024

First of all, a narrator able to handle English, German, and Norwegian something special and highly skilled and easy to listen to. The book provides wonderful background and context for the occupation of Norway in April 1940 with the story including the sinking of the heavy cruiser Blucher as the focus. The research is exhaustive and comprehensive, almost to a fault, but the comedy of errors plays out in incredible detail...Another example of the Third Reich's squandering of Kriegsmarine surface assets with Hitler growing increasingly critical of his navy's performance eventually consigning it to a secondary role to the U-boat offensive. Well worth the time.

The Sinking of the Blücher: The Battle of Drøbak Narrows, April 1940

The Sinking of the Blücher: The Battle of Drøbak Narrows, April 1940

Author: Tor Jørgen Melien
Read by: Ulf Bjorklund
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