MOAN IN GRATANGSBOTN
Between the 23rd and the 24th of April 1940, the Trønder
battalion, with 643 solders, and the Alta battalion with 766 soldiers, as well
as horses, walked from Tennevoll, over Fjordbotneidet to Torvtak and “Hill 400”
towards Gratangsbotn. They were headed for battle with the German forces. The Trønder
battalion took cover on the farms in Moan on the night of the 24th
of April. It was snowing and the snow was deep on the ground. The soldiers went
to sleep, but were surprised by an attack at
5 am the 25th of April by approximately 3-400 German soldiers. The
battle in Gratangsbotn resulted in Norway’s biggest loss of soldiers in a
single battle on Norwegian territory during the Second World War. Norwegian
casualties: 34 killed, 61 injured and 174 were captured or missing. The Germans
reported seven killed and 14 injured. Remaining soldiers from the Trønder battalion
retreated over Fjordbotneidet to Tennevoll.
Many of the locals hid in root cellars during the battle. No civilians were injured or killed.