Norway's strategic importance extended beyond its territory to the country's large merchant fleet. Germany's invasion pushed those ships into Allied service instead of leaving them neutral or available to Germany. Their hulls strengthened the flow of supplies across the Atlantic and later supported Arctic convoys to the Soviet Union. Control of merchant shipping could matter as much as control of a harbor or coastline. Norway's strategic choice had direct consequences for coalition logistics.
Notable Point · 34:26-35:15
Why Norway's merchant fleet mattered to Allied logistics
Norwegian merchant ships became an Allied strategic asset, carrying supplies across the Atlantic and later toward the Soviet Union.