Why Narvik had three battles

This interpretation counts the German fight through the Norwegian naval defences on 9 April as the first battle for Narvik. The British destroyer attack on 10 April is therefore the second, and the larger Royal Navy operation on 13 April becomes the third. Between those actions, the cruiser Königsberg was sunk by air attack while the Norwegian government left Oslo and fighting spread across the country. This differs from the common convention that labels only the two British actions as the First and Second Battles of Narvik. The numbering restores the Norwegian Navy's resistance to the campaign narrative. It also shows how national perspective can change the apparent boundaries of a battle.