Extract from the AO (Foreign Organization) yearbook, on the assistance of the AO branch in Norway to German agencies in 1939-40, including the German occupation of Norway

YEARBOOK OF THE FOREIGN ORGANIZATION [Jahrbuch der AO] 1942.
"The Work of the Norway branch of the AO of the NSDAP
in the War"
* * * Therefore soon after the outbreak of war in September 1939, the enlargement and extension of the German legation in Oslo, Of the consulates in Bergen, Drontheim, Stavanger, Kristiansand, Haugesund, Narvik and Kirkenes, as the official representative of German interests in all spheres, proved to be of primary importance. This enlargement of the Reich agencies resulted in the local organization of the NSDAP in Norway having to increase its field of activity, too, in the same proportion, in order to support the work of the Reich agencies, in particular with Party members and, other Germans who had a thorough knowledge of the country and the language.
The choice and appointment of these supplementary collaborators was carried out by the local leader of the organization in close collaboration with the representatives of the Reich. Therefore, from the first moment of the outbreak of war a great number of Party members were taken away from their jobs and employed in the service of the nation and Fatherland. Without any hesitation and without considering their personal interests, their families, their careers or their property, they joined the ranks and devoted themselves body and soul to the new and often dangerous tasks.
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And the successful results of their work which was done with all secrecy were revealed when, on the 9th April 1940, German troops landed in Norway and forestalled the planned flank attack of the Allies. .
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* * * The Altmark incident in February 1940, and the way
the Norwegian Government and press dealt with it, suddenly showed what a dangerous zone the entire northern part of Europe had already entered as a result of the unscrupulous policy of the Allies. This incident, which, without doubt, was merely a ballon d'essai by the British to find out what the Norwegian reaction to this aggression would be, was the signal for the leaders of the local organization to go ahead with the conscious work of collecting and organizing all the Germans in Norway with still greater determination and very quietly to plan and make preparations for the eventuality of dangerous events in the seemingly neutral North as well.
* * * Already on the 7th April 1940, after the British and
French ambassadors had handed in to the Norwegian Government notes concerning the mining of important Norwegian territorial waters, the leaders of the local organization, without any noise or excitement, took all preventive measures in order to be able to cope with any eventuality. According to the task-plan which had been prepared since the outbreak of the war, the leadership of the local organization gave orders on the 7th April for phase one of the state of employment, and every Party member and other Germans took up the post allotted to him according to this plan. * * *
At 9.30 a.m. a guard of honour took* up a position in front of the German Embassy and then largish infantry columns came marching smartly into the Drammensveien of Fornebo.
It was up to the local organization to support the fighting troops at first by putting at their disposal Party members who knew the country and the language, to advise and help the military administrative offices in the execution of their tasks of supply, organization and administration.
Late in the afternoon the leader of the Nasjonal Samling, Vid-kun Quisling, declared by wireless that he was taking over the government with his men. Liaison personnel, people to find out the state of public opinion, etc. had to be provided.
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* * * The post and telegraph censorship came forward
with a demand for people with a knowledge of all sorts of languages. From fifty to a hundred reliable men and women were required for these purposes alone and most of them were actually produced in a very short time. The general feeling and attitude of the population required continuous checking, as did the wireless and the press. .