Dirdal was the scene of fierce fighting between Norwegian and German soldiers during Nazi Germany's assault on Norway (Operation Weserübung) in April 1940.
The imports stopped after the German invasion of Denmark, forcing L&T to start manufacturing dairy equipment indigenously, a move that was successful.
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Gratangen was the site of the Battle of Gratangen, one of the first battles between the German 3rd Mountain Division under Eduard Dietl and the Norwegian 6th Division under General Carl Gustav Fleischer after the German invasion of Norway on 9 April 1940.
Following the German invasion of Denmark in April 1940, Thalbitzer escaped to England; he left Denmark on 26 December 1940 and travelled via Istanbul, Cyprus, Suez and Cape Town.
As Norway was invaded by Germany, Idland joined the Norwegian military forces at Sviland on 9 and 10 April 1940, and participated in the battles at Dirdal.
Operation Alphabet was an evacuation, authorized on May 24, 1940, of Allied (British, French and Polish) troops from the harbour of Narvik in northern Norway marking the success of Nazi Germany's Operation Weserübung of April 9 and the end of the Allied campaign in Norway during World War II.
After the War he was arrested and prosecuted during the High Command Trial for his role in the invasion of Norway (Operation Weserübung) but he was acquitted, after which he was released from captivity.
On 9 April 1940, when the Germans invaded Norway, the tank and the three armoured cars were stored in the depot of Dragoon Regiment 1 at Gardermoen.