Q&A · 22:48-25:49

Were tanks landed at Namsos before Narvik?

Namsos is suggested as an earlier Norwegian tank landing, with uncertainty over the vehicles and chronology.

Question

Were the Narvik landings the first amphibious operation to put tanks ashore?

Short answer

Namsos is suggested as an earlier case, but the recollection leaves the vehicle types and their arrival before Narvik uncertain.

Notes

The suggested earlier case is Namsos, where Adrian Carton de Wiart is recalled as having obtained some armoured vehicles. Those vehicles are tentatively identified as Matilda I tanks. Both their type and whether they arrived before the tanks at Narvik remain uncertain in this recollection. Their usefulness in the operation is also described as limited.