Aircraft remained in crates and pilots lacked preparation even though German transports operated beyond effective fighter escort. A postwar Norwegian air-force assessment argued that even modest readiness could have turned those vulnerable transport flights into a costly defeat. The episode therefore shifts attention from Germany's apparent operational boldness to the narrow conditions that allowed the airborne component to succeed. The invasion was an exceptionally fragile gamble whose success depended heavily on failures by the Norwegian government.
Notable Point · 17:33-18:29
Norwegian readiness and the fragility of the German invasion
A postwar Norwegian assessment suggests modest air readiness could have inflicted severe losses on German transports beyond fighter cover.