In other Norwegian ports, the German landings were smoother than in Oslo.

Rear Admiral Erich Bey commanded the 2nd Battle Group to easily capture Trondheim, Norway's third largest city, and the commander of the Norwegian 5th Division, which was responsible for guarding the area, obeyed Quisling's orders and surrendered the harbor without any resistance, and even sent two Norwegian frigates to guide the German fleet into the harbor.

In Narvik, the sky is overcast with clouds and the weather conditions are very bad. Vice Admiral Wilhelm Marshall commanded the capital ships of the 1st Battle Group to patrol outside Frost Narrow Bay to prevent an attack by the British fleet. The commander of the destroyer's fleet, Brigadier General Frederich Bonth, directed a troop carrier consisting of 10 destroyers to transport a regiment of infantry from the 3rd Mountain Division to the port of Narvik.

Ostfjord was the only way to attack the port of Narvik, and the German fleet sailed into Ostfjord just after dawn. Two Norwegian frigates drove on the opposite side, and after the Germans sent liaison officers to persuade them to surrender, these two Norwegian frigates obediently avoided to the side without firing a single shot, as if they were playing the role of welcoming them in the middle of the road. Commodore Bonter ignored the two Norwegian frigates and directed the fleet to continue its advance.

Fifteen minutes later, the German fleet was intercepted by the Norwegian shore defense ship "Edsward", and Commodore Bonter sent a liaison officer to the Norwegian warship to persuade him to surrender. When it tried to resist, the German destroyer struck first, and two torpedoes flew towards the panzer, and the Norwegian gunboat then exploded and sank.

The sound of the explosion alarmed another shore defense gunboat, the Nog, in the harbor of Narvik, and when they saw the German fleet breaking into the harbor, the Norwegians immediately opened fire on the attack. 2 German destroyers were damaged, but were then sunk by torpedoes fired by German destroyers. After the sinking of 2 shore defense armored ships, two Norwegian submarines in the port of Narvik dived underwater and escaped from the harbor. After that, the German fleet occupied Narvik without any resistance from the shore defense forces.

In Bergen, Norway's second largest port, Vice Admiral Gunther Luchins led the 3rd Battle Group into Wagan Bay, the Norwegian coastal batteries opened fire on the approaching German ships, and the German light cruiser "Königsberg" and an auxiliary ship were damaged. But the soldiers of the other German ships landed along the way, and the Norwegian defenders of the harbor ceased their resistance by noon.

At the same time that the Germans began their attack on Norway, the convoy carrying the first British and French advance troops to the Nordic Army was already on its way to Norway. When the news of the German fleet's occupation of Narvik and five other ports reached Britain, the British cabinet was shocked and immediately ordered the convoy to return to sea, and ordered the Royal Navy to attack the German fleet, which was operating on the Norwegian coast, while receiving members of the Norwegian royal family and government to retreat to Britain.

Before the start of the Norwegian campaign, the British battlecruisers "Prestige" and "Birmingham", eight destroyers, were laying mines off the coast of Norway. Immediately after receiving the reconnaissance plane's report on the appearance of the German fleet in the Skagerrak Strait, Sir Charles Forbes, commander of the British Home Fleet, immediately left the naval base in Scapa Bay and headed for Norwegian waters on the evening of 18 March, with the main force of the Home Fleet, consisting of the battleships Nelson, Rodney, Barham, and Warrior, the aircraft carriers Fury, Hundred-Eyed Giant, four cruisers, and 10 destroyers.

At the same time, the fast cruiser flotilla consisting of the battlecruisers "Collingwood", the battlecruiser "Anson", the aircraft carrier "Glorious", two cruisers and fifteen destroyers also left the Roseth naval base and headed for Norwegian waters.

The exchange of fire between the German Navy and the British Navy actually began on the morning of March 18.

The British destroyer USS Firefly, which was laying mines off the coast of Norway, met at the entrance to Frost Narrow Bay under the command of Vice Admiral Wilhelm Marshall. The British destroyer was separated from the fleet of the "Prestige" because one of the sailors had slipped overboard at night and stayed behind to search for the sailors who had fallen into the sea.

The unfortunate British destroyer had the misfortune of encountering the German fleet and, after more than an hour of escape, was stopped by the German warship and sunk. But the telegram sent back by the destroyer was already able to establish that the German fleet was heading for the northern port of Narvik.

Unlike the snowy waters of Narvik, the eastern part of the Shetland Islands was sunny and sunny, and a large British fleet was hurrying northeast.

In the conference room of the flagship "Nelson", Admiral Charles Forbes, commander-in-chief of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet, was calling his captains for an emergency meeting. Today's British fleet itself is not very strong, the battleship "Queen Elizabeth" is being modernized, and the "Hood" is also cruising in the North Sea by German aircraft damaged and has to return to the shipyard for repairs.

"We need to attack the German fleet that is attacking Norway, but the main task is to enter the Norwegian ports to receive members of the Norwegian royal family and government to England. If members of their royal family and government were captured by the Germans, then the country would have to choose to surrender, as Denmark did. "To this end, the Rodney led two cruisers and four destroyers to attack the German fleet in Bergen, and the main force of the home fleet occupied the Norwegian port between Trondheim and Molde, where, according to the latest reports, members of the Norwegian royal family were retreating by train to the port of Ondalsnes." ”

"What if Bergen had already fallen into the hands of the Germans? The Norwegians had a large airfield and two military airfields there, and the Germans were likely to take advantage of them. Commodore Brown, the captain of the USS Rodney, expressed his fears that he would be at risk of being bombed by planes.

"If it's already falling, cancel this attack immediately!" Admiral Forbes said, "We can't afford to suffer heavy losses, and working hard to ensure the security of the homeland is the most important thing." ”

"Will the fast fleet join us?" Commodore Collins, chief of staff of the fleet, asked.

"No, order General Tovey to rendezvous with 'Prestige' and launch an attack on the German fleet in Narvik, the main strategic importance of Norway lies in the export of iron ore from the port of Narvik." Forbes said, "We want to do everything possible to make it impossible for the Germans to use it." ”

The battlecruisers Collingwood and Anson, commanded by Admiral John Tovey, commander of the Rapid Fleet, belonged to the Admiral-class battlecruisers built by Britain during World War I to counter the German Mackensen-class battlecruisers. A total of five ships of this class were started, but none of them were launched before the end of the war, and after the war, due to the exhaustion of British finances, the construction of the latter two ships was finally cancelled, and only three warships of the same type were completed.

After the war, the three Admirals class remained the largest warships of the Royal Navy, and the Hood served as the flagship of the Royal Home Fleet for a long time, and became a symbol of the Royal Navy.

"The battle will start tomorrow, it's time to make those Germans suffer a little and teach them a lesson!" Admiral Charles Forbes concluded, "For the honor of the Royal Navy, I hope you will fight bravely!" ”R1152