Colonel Birger Eriksen

Handmade 60 mm tin soldier of Colonel Birger Eriksen - who was a Norwegian coastal artillery officer and commander at Oscarsborg Fortress during World War II. He is best known for his decisive action on April 9, 1940, when he ordered fire on the German warship “Blücher”. The tin soldier depicts Birger Eriksen at the moment he orders fire from Oscarsborg Fortress. During the German intrusion shortly after 4:00 AM on the night of April 9, he personally took position in the main battery at Oscarsborg to ensure that the fire from the slow-firing cannons in the battery was as effective as possible. The German warships attempted to pass the fortress in an effort to carry out a coup-like occupation of Oslo. Eriksen decided that fire should be directed at the unknown intruder and is said to have remarked: “Either I will be court-martialed, or I will become a war hero. Fire!”. At 4:21 AM, two shots were fired from the main battery at the first vessel that appeared in the mist. This vessel was the new German cruiser “Blücher”. Eriksen, with an untrained crew of privates, managed to inflict serious damage on the cruiser. After being hit by a large number of shots from the Kopås Battery and the Husvik Battery, the cruiser was struck by two torpedoes from the fortress’s torpedo battery. The burning wreck of “Blücher” sank near Askholmene at 6:20 AM. This action delayed the German advance towards Oslo and gave the Norwegian king, government, and parliament time to evacuate and organize the resistance.