Why Narvik's Norwegian naval defense mattered

The first naval clash at Narvik was the Norwegian defense by Eidsvold and Norge, before the better-known Royal Navy destroyer action. Their officers were willing to fight, but unclear orders, separated dispositions, and decades of weak maintenance put them at a severe disadvantage. Eidsvold guarded the fjord while Norge stayed near Narvik to maintain a telephone link with higher command. They could not support each other when the German destroyers arrived, so institutional neglect shaped the outcome as much as individual courage.