Status Updates From Hitler's Preemptive War: Th...

As in the case of the Norwegians, who were distracted by the crisis of British mine-laying & saw all German preparations for a DUTCH invasion, the British government didn't properly piece together the various items of information arriving at the Foreign office & the three armed services.

Whatever the legal pros and cons of the Altmark incident (16.02.40) , they mattered little to Hitler. As Churchill & his supporters may have hoped, it was the event that energised him into action, convinced that the British government would no longer respect Norwegian neutrality (.. no matter if they defended it strongly or not. My precious bodily ores!)

"Bases in Norway would not enhance Germany's strategic position. The fact that Germany was negotiating with the USSR for the lease of a base near Polarnoje might have influenced the Seekriegsleitung's conclusion. The lease took effect in november 1939 and German submarines used it frequently."

Random: how many, which routes, why, until when? That bay borders the Artic sea, you have to go around Scandinavia!

Operations in Scandinavia & assistance to Finland would probably have resulted in war with the USSR while Sweden & Norway might have become Germany's reluctant allies.

A steep prospect for control over Sweden's iron ore mines via a winter wilderness beyond the capabilities of even British & French mountain troops, no matter how hard Churchill pushed the plan until the end of the Winter War.