864:
report, and through it gained a strong impression of that his efforts must be seen as a military accomplishment of the greatest order. His gathering of forces at Værnes in the confused conditions of the first day of war and his reactivation of the snow-covered Hegra Fort – which had been placed in reserve – testifies strongly of his clarity of mind and forceful energy. And the continued defence – which was only given up when the other forces in
Southern Norway had been forced to cease fighting and after the fort had run completely out of food – shows the Lieutenant Colonel as a strong and forceful leader with the distinctive command abilities that are always such a deciding factor with regard to the defence of surrounded fortresses.
752:
732:
126:
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106:
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783:. In 1944 Holtermann was transferred to lead District Command Trøndelag and returned to Sweden where he took part in Norwegian preparations for the coming liberation of Norway. After the German surrender in Norway on 8 May 1945 Oberst Holtermann led District Command Trøndelag over the border from Sweden on 10 May, together with two reinforced battalions of 2,570
675:. In the end the fortress' significance consisted mostly of serving as a morale booster for the Norwegian population in a time of mostly bad news. At 05:15 on 5 May 1940, after resisting a steadily tightening siege for nearly a month, Holtermann met the commander of the local German forces and surrendered his troops as the last commander in the south of Norway.
646:
At Hegra
Holtermann organised an improvised force of 250 soldiers and one female volunteer auxiliary with the intention to resist the invaders until effective support could arrive from elsewhere. As the tide of war developed unfavorably for the Norwegian forces in the south of Norway major Holtermann
863:
The defence of Hegra Fort in Stjørdalen by the
Lieutenant Colonel is one of the actions from the Campaign of 1940 that has become best known and attracted the greatest amount of interest. I have myself had the opportunity in Norway to read the Lieutenant Colonel's concise, level headed and objective
815:. After returning home once more Holtermann spent his last years in the active army as Army Staff Commander and Commander of Allied Land Forces in Southern Norway before leaving the army in 1956. After ending his military service, Holtermann worked on as the leader of the
667:. Attempts were made by the besieged garrison to acquire the tools needed to reconfigure the fixed artillery pieces, but without success. For twenty-five days Holtermann and his small force held out under continuous artillery and
449:
Holtermann was the son of the district physician Sven Ruud
Holtermann (1854–1916) and his wife, née Lehmann. Dr. Holtermann served in Sokndal, and Hans Reidar Holtermann grew up there. He was a nephew of architect
622:. As the Germans advanced on this important army camp it became impossible to complete the mobilisation there and Holtermann sought out a new and more secure location to organize the troops. The choice fell on
715:
Holtermann continued resisting the
Germans by being secretly active in the resistance movement. In 1942 his illegal activities were finally uncovered by the Germans and he was forced to escape across
1444:
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784:
1434:
1429:
691:
varied somewhat, with the first being released as soon as 17 May 1940. Another group was let go on 22 May and the final few, including
Holtermann, set free on 2 June.
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812:
438:
520:
1464:
1414:
1409:
687:. At BerkĂĄk the Norwegians were set at work to repair road damage caused during fighting several weeks earlier. The time the defenders of Hegra spent as
795:
After the war
Holtermann spent the first five years in Norway. He first commanded the army artillery in 1946–1948, leading the rebuilding of that
634:– a fort placed in reserve in 1926, but still largely intact and defensible. The mountain border fort was soon to become internationally known as
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1474:
1419:
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31:
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reached his area of operation. From its strategic location Hegra
Fortress could have played an important role as a junction for the
835:. In the post-war years Holtermann received numerous medals and orders from both Norway and abroad, the most prestigious being the
1424:
840:
254:
1363:
776:
1015:
185:
1034:
859:
In the citation to the award of the War Cross with sword to Hans Reidar
Holtermann the Norwegian Army High Command wrote:
704:
1404:
932:
760:
561:
492:
484:
1216:
618:
defending
Trondheim major Holtermann was ordered to take part in the mobilisation of Artillery Regiment no. 3 at
542:
533:. He also saw service with French military units. From 1926, he served as a junior officer at the General Staff.
455:
373:
1271:
843:(awarded in 1956). When Generalmajor Holtermann died in 1966 after just four years of retirement he was given a
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36:
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near Trondheim. However, since the artillery pieces at the fortress were intended to fire eastwards towards
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368:
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736:
663:, not westwards towards Trondheim, the guns at Holtermann's disposal could not reach the German held
243:
483:
in 1914, Holtermann started his military career at Officer's School, and graduated in 1917 from the
1203:
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927:
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294:
957:
1371:
1326:
1070:
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799:
in terms of training, methods and materiel. Holtermann then moved on to command the army in
740:
488:
469:, Sweden. He remarried on 3 October 1947, when he married Maren Louise ("Vivi") Hertzberg.
1019:
847:
on 1 December 1966. In 1991 a statue of Holtermann was unveiled at Hegra Fortress by King
803:(1949–1950). From 1 November 1950 to 30 April 1952 Holtermann, now with the rank of
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648:
553:
423:
221:
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768:
707:. While officially spending the years 1940–1942 working as an office manager for
635:
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408:
168:
153:
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30:
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844:
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437:
After the war he continued his military service, among other missions commanding the
787:, and took part in the disarmament and internment of the German occupation forces.
683:
After the surrender at Hegra Holtermann and his soldiers marched into captivity at
210:
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708:
631:
509:
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1038:
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1211:
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Following his release in June 1940 Holtermann did not resign and accept the
668:
664:
569:
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684:
655:
offensive. Holtermann also proposed plans to attempt to bombard the German
619:
519:
After leaving university, Holtermann went to France. There he attended the
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73:
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Foreningen Hegra Festnings Venner / Stjørdal Tourist Information Office
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for three years from 1924 to 1926, gaining the French certificate of
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After completing his general staff training Holtermann served as
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military officer. Holtermann is best known as the commander of
593:
Enkelte synspunkter vedrørende nyordning av vårt sivilforsvar
1319:
Kampen om Hegra – festningen tyskerne ikke greide ĂĄ ta
1310:
Beleiringen av Hegra Festning 10. april – 5. mai 1940
841:
Knight, First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav
703:
of his homeland but quickly became active in the fledgling
255:
Knight, First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav
1312:(in Norwegian). Trondheim: F. Bruns bokforhandels forlag.
1008:
579:
Holtermann wrote several books on military topics, with
568:
and second in command of Artillery Regiment no. 3 in
647:
made it his main mission to hold the fort until the
614:As the German Gruppe 2 broke through the Norwegian
581:
Momenter for utarbeidelse av artilleriets ildplaner
380:
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21:
1344:(in Norwegian). Trondheim: Foreningen Hegra 1940.
1179:(in Norwegian). Oslo: A. M. Hanche. p. 264.
495:in 1919. In the years 1919-1923 he served as an
465:-born Elisabeth Jønsson (b. 25 January 1899) in
1470:Recipients of the War Cross with Sword (Norway)
591:in 1938, and finally the Civil Defence-related
560:in 1930. He also saw service as a scout in the
813:Independent Norwegian Brigade Group in Germany
779:'s main unit – the Norwegian Brigade in
439:Independent Norwegian Brigade Group in Germany
1455:World War II prisoners of war held by Germany
426:Holtermann attended military college in both
8:
1445:École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr alumni
1239:
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1235:
1354:: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
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928:"Holtermann 08, Evne og Vilje til Handling"
767:From Sweden Holtermann made his way to the
1435:Norwegian prisoners of war in World War II
1089:
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29:
18:
839:(awarded in 1942) and the title of first
265:Norwegian Military Journal's Silver Medal
1430:Norwegian Army personnel of World War II
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743:in Scotland. Haakon VII is inspecting a
671:bombardment in what became known as the
461:On 29 November 1926, Holtermann married
353:
322:
274:Norwegian Athletic Society Medal in Gold
1370:(in Norwegian). Arendal: Agdin Forlag.
1220:(in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget
1132:(in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget
879:
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771:where, in 1943, he assumed the rank of
222:
179:Inspector General of the Army Artillery
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1013:The Statutes of the Order of St. Olav
695:Office manager and resistance fighter
649:expected allied thrust from the north
521:École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr
295:Knight 1st Class - Order of the Sword
7:
827:By 1930, Holtermann had been made a
811:as the penultimate commander of the
1276:Veteranforeining for Voss og Omland
1099:Veteranforeining for Voss og Omland
926:Møller, Anders (24 November 2005).
1037:. 11 February 2009. Archived from
807:(Major General), took part in the
775:(Colonel) and took command of the
572:. He held this position until the
487:with the rank of premierløytnant (
193:Allied Land Forces Southern Norway
14:
1465:Knights of the Order of the Sword
1415:Norwegian Military College alumni
1410:Norwegian Military Academy alumni
1480:20th-century non-fiction writers
1364:Zeiner-Gundersen, Herman Fredrik
501:at the Norwegian General Staff.
386:Office manager (1940–1942)
288:
277:
268:
259:
248:
237:
124:
104:
1475:Knights of the Legion of Honour
1420:Norwegian expatriates in France
1177:Norges militære embedsmenn 1929
1122:Henriksen, Petter, ed. (2007).
1059:Henriksen, Petter, ed. (2007).
454:and a grandnephew of architect
345:
318:
182:Commander in Chief North Norway
1368:Norsk artilleri gjennom 300 ĂĄr
819:forces between 1956 and 1962.
589:Lærebok i Norges krigshistorie
186:Norwegian Army Command Germany
1:
1460:Norwegian non-fiction writers
705:Norwegian resistance movement
173:Norwegian Brigade in Scotland
1440:Norwegian resistance members
1035:"Norwegian Military Journal"
399:, died 25 November 1966 in
1496:
1023:(in English and Norwegian)
933:Norwegian Military Academy
602:
562:Norwegian Army Air Service
506:Royal Frederick University
485:Norwegian Military Academy
176:District Command Trøndelag
1450:University of Oslo alumni
1261:Zeiner-Gundersen 1986: 43
1217:Norsk biografisk leksikon
574:German invasion of Norway
395:(born 20 October 1895 in
49:
28:
1340:Soldat 31358-38 (1985).
1095:"Tidsperiode Holtermann"
735:Holtermann (right) with
727:Continued service abroad
673:Battle of Hegra Fortress
605:Battle of Hegra Fortress
556:, achieving the rank of
413:Battle of Hegra Fortress
218:Battle of Hegra Fortress
1425:Norwegian Army generals
1308:Arnstad, Johan (1965).
817:Norwegian Civil Defence
785:Norwegian police troops
777:Norwegian Army in exile
445:Early and personal life
352:–
197:Norwegian Civil Defence
152:(Major General) of the
16:Norwegian major general
1342:Rapport fra Hegra Fort
1323:Gyldendal Norsk Forlag
1321:(in Norwegian). Oslo:
1317:Brox, Karl H. (1988).
1069:(in Norwegian). Oslo:
938:Norwegian Armed Forces
764:
748:
564:. In 1937 he became a
504:He graduated from the
456:Peter Høier Holtermann
393:Hans Reidar Holtermann
374:Peter Høier Holtermann
335:Maren Louise Hertzberg
23:Hans Reidar Holtermann
1129:Store norske leksikon
1066:Store norske leksikon
1009:http://www.StOlav.com
809:occupation of Germany
754:
734:
452:Ove Bjelke Holtermann
369:Ove Bjelke Holtermann
138:Years of service
1169:Barth, Bjarne Keyser
837:War Cross with sword
626:near the village of
477:Having achieved the
441:in 1949–1950.
244:War Cross with sword
190:Army Staff Commander
48:"Majoren" (English:
1405:People from Sokndal
1208:"Reidar Holtermann"
1173:"Holtermann, H. R."
1061:"Reidar Holtermann"
530:Brevet d'Ă©tat-major
1018:2008-07-06 at the
855:War Cross citation
849:Harald V of Norway
765:
749:
624:Ingstadkleiva Fort
599:Norwegian Campaign
417:Norwegian Campaign
1071:Kunnskapsforlaget
741:Crown Prince Olav
701:German occupation
576:on 9 April 1940.
547:Inspector General
390:
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311:Elisabeth Jønsson
35:Holtermann as an
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996:Arnstad 1965: 13
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936:(in Norwegian).
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885:"Hegra Festning"
881:
833:Legion of Honour
761:Constitution Day
759:during the 1945
610:Mobilising A.R.3
551:Norwegian Army's
493:Military College
489:First Lieutenant
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1295:Soldat 1985: 46
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1041:on 28 July 2009
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729:
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585:Kamp om vasdrag
554:Field artillery
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537:Military career
508:in 1923 with a
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1204:Kraglund, Ivar
1182:
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1136:29 November
962:Webstaff.no
491:) and from
463:Helsingborg
422:During the
411:during the
45:Nickname(s)
1389:Categories
1282:2009-06-06
1272:"Oversikt"
1105:2009-06-06
1045:2009-06-06
968:2009-06-05
943:2009-06-05
895:2009-06-05
797:Combat Arm
717:the border
665:air strips
100:Allegiance
63:1895-10-20
1350:cite book
869:Footnotes
829:Chevalier
757:Trondheim
669:Luftwaffe
657:airfields
595:in 1958.
587:in 1936;
583:in 1930;
570:Trondheim
514:economics
467:Stockholm
419:of 1940.
405:Norwegian
384:Economist
365:Relations
301:Spouse(s)
50:the Major
1366:(1986).
1016:Archived
791:Post-war
781:Scotland
745:Sten gun
713:Orkanger
632:Stjørdal
545:for the
498:aspirant
403:) was a
160:Commands
118:Service/
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1214:(ed.).
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558:kaptein
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70:Sokndal
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120:branch
112:Norway
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628:Hegra
566:major
401:Bærum
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90:Bærum
1372:ISBN
1356:link
1327:ISBN
1226:2014
1138:2009
1078:2009
739:and
689:POWs
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354:1966
350:1947
323:1926
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