Although Sweden, in theory, remained neutral in World War II The point is that the German war industry depended on iron ore mined in Sweden. During the summer, there were no problems shipping the ore at the Swedish port of Lulea, but in winter the waters of the Gulf of Bothnia froze and much of the ore had to be shipped via Narvik (Norway). Furthermore, Narvik was linked by rail to Sweden, but not to the rest of the Norwegian rail system. Therefore, Narvik served as a gateway to the Swedish iron mines and the Allies understood that they had to control that strategic point.
During the Norwegian Campaign (1940) Three battles were fought between Allied forces and Germany at Narvik. Hitler permission requested Swedish Prime Minister Per Albin Hansson , so that three trains with 30 or 40 wagons each crossed the Swedish territory to Narvik. In theory, those wagons were only going to transport doctors, medicine and food. So convinced was Per Albin Hansson, or so afraid was he of Hitler, that he even contacted Johan Nygaardsvold , the Norwegian prime minister in exile, to assure him that those trains never would transport German troops. The reality, now brought to light by Espen Eidum in Blodsport , it was very different… those trains carried German troops – some soldiers were disguised as doctors -, weapons and ammunition to Narvik to return loaded with wounded soldiers and Norwegian prisoners who would end up in concentration camps.
Those three trains they became a transit arrangement that would dissolve on August 15, 1943, having carried over two million passengers between Norwegians and German military.
Idea:@JMNoticias Sources:Blodsporet – Espen Eidum, VG, Daily Mail