3 – 1: Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf. The fifth road wheel was attached to the idler wheel at the rear of the running gear. The road wheels were attached to a torsion bar suspension. These illustrations were produced by Ardhya Anargha, funded by our Patreon Campaign. Translation for 'cold war' in the free English-Norwegian dictionary and many other Norwegian translations. The Bergepanser entered service around the same time as the NM-116 and left service with its tank-killing brother in the early 1990s. Variants of this gun were also used on the B-25H Mitchell Bomber, and the T33 Flame Thrower Tank prototype. The NM-116 was a successful conversion, but by the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s, the tank was becoming obsolete. It moved up and down via two large hydraulic rams mounted above it. A camouflage-colored version of the field jacket was introduced in the peace army in 1988. www.kystfort.com (1) (2) The total peace strength was 118,500 men and comprised 71,S36 rifles, 228 field and 36 heavy guns. This was likely done to improve the compatibility with new track types. Royal Norwegian Air Force 4. Many armored vehicles were also left behind, mostly consisting of various types of the Panzerkampfwagen III medium tanks (both long-barrelled 50 mm and short-barreled 75 mm gun-armed models) and a few Sturmgeschütz III assault guns. It was operated by a 5 man crew, consisting of the commander, gunner, loader, driver and assistant driver/radio operator. Here he describes how effective the camouflage was: “Our vehicles were almost invisible to the naked eye, and also to thermal sights [thanks to the peat and moss]. Exact details are currently unavailable, but there are some features that can be discussed. As later model Panzer IIIs, the majority of the tanks were equipped with an add-on armor kit known as ‘Vorpanzer’. The Engineer Battalion secures the Army's mobility. Cold War era. In June 1905 the Storting unilaterally dissolved the 91-year-old union with Sweden. There was room in this cab for two trainees and one instructor. ‘Yellow 1’ was transferred to Finland in 2013. Parola Tank Museum, Finland Thor Christoffersen, another ex-tanker, inherited command of Dag Rune Nilsen’s NM-116. CV90's from the Norwegian Army in Afghanistan, Norway along with other Scandinavian countries, supported the US War on Terror. What remained in Norway was briefly reorganized into the Panzerabteilung Norwegen. www.axishistory.com Clemens Niesner, Norge – Hærens Styrker, Vehicles of the Modern Norwegian Land Forces, Tankograd Publishing. No problems whatsoever.”. In total – thanks to the NM upgrade programs – the M24 gave the Hæren approximately 47 years of service, making it one of Norway’s longest-serving armored vehicles. The crane had a maximum lift capacity of 7 tonnes (7.7 tons), as long as the boom was not raised over 25 degrees upwards. Through this program, the Norwegians received 300 fighter aircraft, 8,000 vehicles of various types, 800 field guns, and 100,000 tonnes (110,200 tons) of ammunition. During the lift and winching operations, the blade acted much like outriggers on a conventional crane and lifted the front end of the vehicle off the ground to stop it shifting on its tracks. At some point, the NM-130 also received the same sprocket upgrade as the NM-116. The last use of the standard Chaffee came in 2002, when it featured in a rather risqué Norwegian mineral water commercial. A hole was cut into the hull of the tanks, to which a concrete tunnel was connected, which allowed direct access to the fort, provided a protected entranceway for the crew, and allowed a direct means of ammunition resupply. Unknown to one of the Canadians, the whole time he was there, there was a very anxious gunner with a .50 caliber MG pointing at him. Available at modellnorge.no(Flash player required). The additional numbers available on mobilization amount to 282,000 men. In the early 18th century the Swedes invaded Norway yet again, and this time the Norwegian army held its own, setting the stage for nearly a century of peace – the longest yet in modern Norwegian history – during which a distinct Norwegian identity began to take root. With the new upgrades came a new role. A hydraulically driven winch was mounted at the base of the crane boom. Any remaining vehicles were likely scrapped. It was a small tank, at 16 foot 4 inches (5.45 m) long, 9 foot 4 inches (2.84 m) wide, and 5 foot 3 inches (2.61 m) tall. Only around 25 of the Panzers IIIs were in operable condition. It occurred between September 2010 and January 2011, and involved land, air and sea warfare. All of these variants were equipped with a coaxial and bow-mounted 7.92 mm MG 34 machine gun. In my own experience of NM-116 crews, we would regularly amend the tanks for comfort and for practical purposes. These was often dropped to the Norwegian resistance groups and British saboteurs hiding in the mountains during the war. It is unclear how many of the four NM-130s survive. It is not uncommon for recovery vehicles to be based on the same chassis as the vehicle they are designed to support. They were mounted on the left and right fenders in single banks of four. H, built by Motorenwerke Augsburg Nuremberg (MAN) in 1941 and would have been equipped with the short 5 cm KwK 39 L/42 gun. Eager to defend themselves from the increasingly threatening Soviet Union, they activated equipment that was obsolete years before the Second World came to an end. ww2talk.com In the late-90s, early-2000s, the Norwegians began removing the Chaffees from their ranges and storage. After the Kalmar War broke out in 1611, the Danish king tried to revive the volunteer leidang, with dire results. As we always recommend use modfolders to seperate the custom content from the official game content to prevent problems. Chaffee., entered service in 1944, largely replacing the M3 and M5 Stuarts. This is because the idler was of the compensating type, meaning it was attached to the closest roadwheel by an actuating arm. 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 Combat Service and Support battalion is the Army's transportation and supply unit. The moss and peat would last for at least 3 weeks, but the shrubbery would be replaced every other day. After some initial troubles due to the 1947 Paris Peace Treaty – which blocked Finland from purchasing equipment from or of German origin – a deal was agreed. There was also a Command element with 2 M113s, as well as a Logistics element with some M621/Scania lorries and MB240 jeeps. The NM-116 in the later years of its service during the mid-1980s. Both the Stridsvogn and the Stormkanon stayed on in service at Bardufoss as training vehicles for future Norwegian tankers. Its original intended purpose was to serve as a potential rapid response force for the invasion of Sweden. The Chaffee’s Twin Cadillac 220 hp petrol engine was replaced by a Detroit Diesel 6V-53T two-stroke diesel engine that was liquid-cooled and equipped with a turbocharger. This was a powerful anti-tank gun, with a maximum penetration of 176 mm (6.9 in) firing an APCR shell. [5], Structure of the Norwegian Armed Forces 2012, In 2009 the Army introduced the new command and control lines. The StuG was manned by a crew of 4, consisting of a Commander, Gunner, Loader, and Driver. This ARV was designated the NM-130 Bergepanser. The Commander sat in a position roughly halfway down the length of the hull, on the right side, under a large circular hatch with an incorporated periscope. It served with the infamous SS Division “Das Reich” between 1942 and 1943 in France and on the Eastern Front. on Stridsvogn M24 (M24 Chaffee in Norwegian Service), on Stridsvogn & Stormkanon KW-III (Panzer & StuG III in Norwegian Service). Of the Hæren’s 125 M24s, 72 would go on to be used in the NM-116 upgrade program. This led to the NM-116 receiving the nickname ‘Pansernager’, literally meaning ‘Armor Nibbler’ due to the weapon’s lack of killing power. This work has resulted in a strong academic community and support for a new Cold War museum in Bodø. FSAN (Defence medical center), Armor battalion, Intelligence battalion, Medical battalion and Artillery battalion, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, http://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/artikkel.php?artid=503300, "Scandinavian governments support Bush’s war against terrorism", http://www.wsws.org/articles/2001/oct2001/scan-o04.shtml, http://www.mil.no/start/article.jhtml?articleID=147513, "Norwegian soldier killed in Afghanistan", http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article794757.ece, http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article2466146.ece, http://www.mil.no/multimedia/archive/00136/0560_H_rbrosjyren_N_136081a.pdf, http://www.mil.no/haren/start/org/start/;jsessionid=XSEGJKECM4GQ1QFIZYGSFEQ?_requestid=27674, http://www.regjeringen.no/nb/dep/fd/dok/regpubl/prop/2011-2012/prop-73-s-20112012/7.html, https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Norwegian_Army?oldid=4687666. Norwegian Chaffees also have a royal connection. The base of the crane was then fixed to the top of this. 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 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. With the new upgrade came a new role for the tank, now designated the NM-116. It could also fire Armor Piercing (AP), High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) and Smoke shells. Subsequent training consisted of 80 days in the second, third and seventh years of service. Gs survive. Livonian People's Army - Cold War. Thanks to the birth of NATO, however, Norway began to receive more military aid, and the number of M24 Chaffees available to the Army vastly increased. Another, which is simply the remains of a rusting hulk, can be found at Rogaland Krigshistorisk Museum. The tanks served here until 1953, when the Army found a rather unique role for them to fill…. Those parts of the 25th that would stay in Norway would form a new unit called the “Panzer Division Norway ”. 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. What effect these vehicles could have had on Soviet Tanks is debatable. The brigade is the Norwegian Army's only major combat formation. A small dozer blade was also installed on the lower glacis. This resulted in the United States prolonging their Military Aid Programs. I got the impression that they were very happy with the vehicle and [they were] proud to operate it. Upon arriving in Finland, the tanks were disassembled and all useful parts were stored for later use. This was complimented by a new coaxial Browning .50 cal (12.7 mm) machine gun, and a laser range-finder placed over the barrel. M, it was later brought to Ausf. The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) was established by a royal decree on 1 November 1944, thereby merging the Army and Navy air forces. The soldiers had to participate in military drills, while providing supplementary labor to the local community when not in active service. Armed with a short 7.5 cm KwK 37 L/24 gun, it was intended to act as an infantry support vehicle firing mostly High-Explosive (HE) shells. F/8s came from Pz.Jg.Abt 14, and taking into account the two known Ausf. Ds were left in Finland for the newly formed Panzer-kompanie 40 to use. Illustration of one of the 10 Stormkanon KW-IIIs (StuG IIIs) operated by Norway, this example being a StuG III Ausf. This fort was located in the grounds of the airfield, and was a system of former Luftwaffe bunkers built during WW2. As for the two StuG III Gs, Fgst.Nr 76149 has been cosmetically restored and currently resides in storage at the Forsvarsmuseet, Trandum. Provision was also made for the installation of passive-night vision/infrared sights for the commander, gunner and driver positions. These illustrations were produced by Ardhya Anargha, funded by our Patreon campaign. The Strvs that were dug into the bunker complex at Fort Bjørnåsen were simply forgotten once they were buried. Originally built as an Ausf. Both StuGs were armed with the 7.5 cm StuK 40 L/48 (an anti-tank gun derived from the PaK 40). 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. H variety. With the end of the Cold War, Norway began to modernize its military. The men were called out at 21, and for the first 12 years belonged to the line ; then for 12 years to the landvarn. Although the army still did not represent the whole nation, as city residents w… G/H hull and an Ausf. A, B, C & D The crane (No: kran) chosen for the Bergepanser was the BK710MIL made by Moelven-Brug A/S – now known as CHSnor. To avoid breakages while earthmoving, the front-wheel stations of the vehicle were reinforced. It was armed with the 75 mm Lightweight Tank Gun M6. The Ausf. However, during my years at (PVEsk/N), these plans were amended locally. This restructuring focused on moving from a fairly static invasion army to a flexible rapid reaction army. Main article: Barents Sea Incident During the spring and summer of 2010, the Russian Northern Fleet, with its flagship Admiral Kuznetsovin lead, held several naval exercises as strategic bombers continued flying along the Norwegian territorial waters. The upgraded Chaffee went from being a light tank, to a tank destroyer, hence ‘Panserjager’. At first, the company was given just one of the Hæren’s M24s to experiment with. Cold War era. Below, Dag outlines some personal history with the tank…, “The NM-116 was the first tank I commanded in the cavalry. It would appear that throughout its service, the NM-116 went through a number of ‘incremental improvements’. www.primeportal.net. Dick Taylor & Mike Hayton, Panzer III: Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf. As a consequence, Norwegian contributions to international military operations have a high degree of sustainability, as they have a substantial number of reserve units on which to draw. Fgst.Nr 73651, a Panzer III Ausf. Another addition was an infantry or ‘Grunt’ phone, installed on the right rear fender of the NM-116. WZ-141 Super Light Model Anti-Tank Fighting Vehicle, 5 (driver, commander, gunner, loader, co-driver/radio operator), Twin Cadillac 44T24 8-cylinder 4 cycle petrol/gasoline 148 hp engine, 75 mm M6 gun in mount M64 in turret, 48 rounds, 5 (commander, gunner, loader, driver, radio operator/bow machine-gunner), Maybach HL 120 TR V-12 265hp gasoline/petrol engine, 4.95m x 2.97m x 2.16m (22ft 6in x 9ft 9in x 7ft 1in), Maybach HL120TRM V-12 watercooled gasoline, 300 bhp (221 kW), 5.45 x 2.84 x 2.61 meters (16’4″ x 9’4″ x 5’3″), 2 – 7 tonne (2.2 – 7.7 ton) capacity crane, 5.45 (without gun) x 2.84 x 2.61 meters (16’4″(without gun)x 9’4″ x 5’3″). The crane consists of a large boom with an integral, external control position. The Army was established in all parts of the country, with a significant stronghold in Troms based on the threat picture of that time: the fear of an invasion from the East. The same eight smoke-grenade launchers, or Røyklegginganlegg (Smoke Laying Device), that were added to the turret of the NM-116 were also installed on the NM-130. The Army participated in wars during the 17th, 18th and 19th century as well, both in Norway and abroad. With the outbreak of the Napoleonic wars, Denmark-Norway and Sweden tried to remain outside the fray; but Denmark’s King Fredrik IV’s decision to align with Napoleon meant that hostilities had to reach Norway sooner or later. I have added the Cold War to engadgments. Initially, the garrison forces were equipped with recycled Panzer IIIs and StuG IIIs left behind by the surrendering German forces. The General Inspector now commands three subordinate major commands and 5 smaller support units:[6][7]. As said above, most of the remaining M24s went into service with the Heimevernet. (Further information on this escapes the Author at the time of writing.) On September 3 a flotilla consisting of the aircraft carrier A… 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). In 1949, Norway and the West became an even more united front. The Chaffee’s Twin Cadillac 220hp petrol engine was replaced by a Detroit Diesel 6V-53T two-stroke diesel engine that was liquid-cooled and equipped with a turbocharger. The greatest accomplishment of WW2 by Norwegian forces was the victory in the battle of Narvik, especially the mountain war forcing the German forces all the way from the ocean to the Swedish border. While the Telemark Battalion currently is fully professional, the 2012 White Paper proposes including some conscripts. Where it is now is unknown. I believe NM-130 crews did the same.”. It would cost the commander a case of beer though! It was armed with the 75 mm Lightweight Tank Gun M6. 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. the.shadock.free.fr (Surviving StuGs) A new intercom system for the crew was also installed. Since the 2000s, the military has transformed from a focus on defence from an invasion to a mobile force for international missions. The field artillery had Ehrhardt 7.5 cm Model 1901. 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. By the late 1950s, however, there was a severe spare parts shortage. This new variant of the M24 would be used in an anti-tank role, leading it to be unofficially called the ‘Panserjager’ (armor hunter/armor chaser). 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. The Norwegian infantry was armed with the Norwegian-designed Krag-Jørgensen rifle of 6.5 mm (pictured). This method of whitewashing lasted into the 1980s. It was decided that the vehicle would operate as a tank destroyer with the capability to act as a light reconnaissance tank. It was part of one of the first batches of Ausf. For this, the cable was threaded through fairleads (a device that guides a line, rope or cable) placed behind the drum. 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. These tanks arrived after the Invasion of Norway and didn’t partake in any fighting. When it was not in operation, it is unknown where he would have sat. On the back right corner of the engine deck, there was a stowage point for extra pulleys and clevises for winching and hoisting. As such, the NM-130 Bergepanser (Armored Recovery Vehicle, ARV) was conceived. N standard and fitted with the short 7.5cm KwK 37. 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. For this, four Chaffees were separated from the NM-116 project. In April, the North Atlantic Treaty was signed, and NATO was born with Norway a founding member. The NM-130 were capable of assisting us in all the situations we encountered. The 90 mm M48s were upgraded between 1982 and 1985 to 105 mm gun-armed M48A5 standard, so there would’ve been a surplus of 90 mm parts. The crane had a relatively low lift capacity as it was not designed to lift the entire vehicle, but just its components. There are also personnel in the special services where other uniforms are required. 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. Cold War. The hulls of the tanks went through much of the same changes as the NM-116 (new engine, transmission, shock absorbers, etc.). It is possible that this piece of equipment was also recycled when the M48 fleet was upgraded. Due to a lack of available M24s, the garrison forces were equipped mostly with these aging vehicles. The Panzer III’s turret and superstructure were removed from the hull and were replaced with an armored casemate. The point is that all tank crews will regularly amend the tanks for comfort and for practical purposes.”, An article by Mark Nash, assisted by Steffen Hjønnevåg, Dag Rune Nilsen, & Thor Christofferson. The initial 1946 delivery consisted of just 9 vehicles. The battalion also provides maintenance services. These were sent directly to Trandum leir, a Norwegian Army Camp (now closed) near Ullensaker. To augment the ambush tactics used with the NM-116, the vehicles would be covered in ‘live’ camouflage. The engine gave the tank more power as it produced 260 hp, but slowed the tank down to a top speed of 47 km/h (29 mph). Armament consisted of the 75 mm Lightweight Tank Gun M6 which had a concentric recoil system (this was a hollow tube around the barrel, a space-saving alternative to traditional recoil cylinders). Clemens Niesner, Norge – Hærens Styrker, Vehicles of the Modern Norwegian Land Forces, Tankograd Publishing The vehicle left Norway in the late 1940s and was located in Sweden until the 1980s. Cold War Rearmed² - Royal Norwegian Army Expansion. J, was put into storage at the Oslo Defence Museum in 1964. The Norwegian Army is the land warfare service branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces.The Army is the oldest of the Norwegian service branches, established as a modern military organization under the command of the King of Norway in 1628. Armor on the vehicle was 16 to 80 mm (.62 to 3.15 in) thick. If the crane was raised to 25 degrees of elevation or over, the maximum load was reduced to 2 tonnes (2.2 tons). A vast majority of them were handed over as the Germans surrendered. A common field addition was the installation of stowage boxes to the tanks hull and fenders. An NM-130 Bergepanser in ‘Splinter’ camouflage with the Crane in its travel position. By 1920 the army of Norway was a national militia. The purpose of the bunker and the static tanks was to cover the airfield from as many angles as possible, should an enemy attempt to storm it. The bulk of the Norwegian Army during the years in exile in Britain consisted of a brigade in Dumfries as well as smaller units stationed in Iceland, Jan Mayen, Svalbard and South Georgia. The conversion work to turn the vehicles into ARVs was undertaken by Kvaerner Eureka AS. 40 itself saw no further action and was disbanded on June 10th, 1943. A small number of tanks were also among the equipment left behind, a mix of various types of Panzer III and StuG IIIs. Early on, it operated mainly captured French Somua S35 and Hotchkiss H35 tanks but later received Panzer III and IV tanks as well as a few StuG III assault guns. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The cable ends in a simple clevis rather than a hook. But Norwegian defence forces, special forces, navy, army, airforce and iteligence operatives were all involved in the Cold War, keeping an active eye on the Soviet Union and activities . The Parliament in 1994 and 1995 approved a series of major organizational changes, for the Army in particular. The Panzer III had very good mobility for its time. An example of this is a bunker system was located in Harstad, in the far north of Norway. It was completely open to the elements and was without armor protection. In event of war, each division would mobilize 2 or 3 regiments of infantry (of 3 battalions), 3 or 4 squadrons of cavalry, a battalion of field artillery (of 3 batteries), a battalion of heavy artillery, a sapper company, a telegraph company, a medical company and a company of train. There is a possibility that it stayed on in service a little longer to serve Norway’s fleet of M48s and Leopard 1s, but concrete evidence of this cannot be found. The coaxial Browning M1919 .30 Cal (7.62 mm) machine gun was replaced by a Browning AN/M3 .50 Cal (12.7 mm) machine gun. www.net-maquettes.com Norwegian Army Field Ration. This phone would allow infantry outside of the tank to communicate with the vehicle commander and give him fire directions or other important messages. The transmission and drive wheels were located at the front of the vehicle. At least one NM-130 can still be found at the Rogaland Krigshistorisk Museum, also in Norway. Fahrgestell Numbers – meaning chassis numbers – help us track the unique history of German vehicles. Collection. Around this time, I was retrained to serve in the Leopard 1A5NO as a reservist. It is unknown how many of the 10 StuGs remained operable, and what their origins were. The upgrade program centered around a new main armament, consisting of a French D/925 Low-Pressure 90 mm gun. The transmission and drive wheels were located at the front of the vehicle. In this quote, Dag describes what equipment NM-116 crews would carry, and how it was stowed on their tanks: “There were detailed plans [of] what each unit should have equipment-wise, and where the equipment was to be packed on the vehicles. As such, in 1946, Norway received 17 M24 Chaffees from the United States. The Army is the oldest of the service branches, established as a modern military organization in 1628. The crane is capable of full 360-degree rotation. The Army has been subject to great changes over the past few years: After a strong rebuilding after the war, it has been downsized after the end of the Cold War, with the biggest changes taking place in the middle of the 1990s, when a number of garrisons and units were discontinued. For this, the entire turret was replaced by a large, hexagonal protective cab. It is also possible that these vehicles were damaged during fighting, sent back to Germany for capital repair and refurbishment and then allocated to quieter sectors. By the 1960s, however, it was apparent that the 75 mm gun-armed Chaffee was in need of an upgrade if it was to combat the threat represented by the USSR. Norwegian special forces were involved in combat operations during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2002, and Norwegian Army troops during Operation Harekate Yolo in 2007. Being assigned to airport garrison forces, their primary role was to engage troops and aircraft attempting to land. cold war translation in English-Norwegian dictionary. The reason being that this unit could be described as a “field unit” and spent lots of time on exercise, far more than any other NM-116 unit previously. Many were also equipped with Schürzen armor and/or Zimmerit anti-magnetic mine paste. To support the new NM-116, it was also decided that a new Armored Recovery Vehicle (ARV), or ‘Bergepanser’, be developed. Nevertheless, the tank served the Norwegian Army well for 18 years, finally being retired in 1993. This cab featured four large windows, the front two fitted with wiper blades. hestvik.no By 1951, the entire KW-III force had been replaced by the plentiful Chaffees. The initial 1946 delivery was sent directly to Trandum leir, a Norwegian Army Camp (now closed) near Ullensaker. This unit had been originally created for the invasion of Norway and was originally equipped with Panzer I, Panzer II, and Neubaufahrzeug tanks. Available at modellnorge.no (Flash player required). The gun had a muzzle velocity of 619 m/s (2,031 ft/s) and had a maximum penetration of 109 mm. By midday on 9 April 1940, the German armed forces had occupied nearly all the airfields and seaplane bases south of Narvik, and most of Norway’s semi-modem fighters (Gloster Gladiators) had been destroyed in the defense of Oslo on the opening day of the German invasion. Hangar 96. [4], According to Aftenposten, the Norwegian Army base at Meymaneh was amongst the least secure bases in Afghanistan at one point. Moreover, the contributions that Norway has been able to make to international operations have tended to consist of lightly armoured mechanized infantry, well-suited for more traditional peacekeeping tasks (UNIFIL in southern Lebanon to which Norway contributed a sizable unit for over twenty years) but not sufficiently robust for missions which might entail enforcement tasks. It is then believed that its remaining equipment and personnel were passed on to the 25th Panzer Division (Wehrmacht) which was, at the time, based in Oslo. The military base was built in 1956 with help from NATO after the second world war for military use by the norwegian Airforce. Much of the fleet was scrapped with the rest ‘sentenced to death’ as targets on various ranges. This squadron operated both the NM-116 and the M113 APC-based NM-142 (TOW) Rakettpanserjager, and was the only squadron that was permanently operational. It had a strong winch, a solid crane and other tools including a welding machine. When the Norwegian Army was asked what they needed to defend their position, they asked for 120 troops and long-range weapons. It could penetrate 320 mm (12.6 in) of vertical armor, or 120 mm (4.7 in) of armor sloped at 65-Degrees from vertical. Amongst other things, 16 Panzer Is and the three remaining Panzer III Ausf. The first Panzer IIIs to see deployment in Norway were from the Panzer-Abteilung z.b.V. Brigade South and 12th Brigade were also mechanised, but were formed from reservists. Also, while the NM-116 kept just two of the original four shock absorbers, the NM-130 kept three, with two at the front, and one at the rear. It was also light at just 20.25 tons (18.37 tonnes). In 1994, Norway became the first export customer of the Swedish CV90 Infantry Fighting Vehicle. This allowed the vehicle to tow vehicles behind it. F/8. The participation in the allied occupation of Germany was a very demanding task for the Army in the period of 1946–52, but it was also a part of the reconstruction.