[General Pain]

Originally Posted by RN7

I’d still say that a fair part of the Norwegian power grid is operational or repairable in the south at least, after all by its nature Hydropower stations are generally well dispersed and located away from major population centres. Also if your entire power grid is hydro based there would be a lot of industry devoted to maintaining it, and plenty of parts available. A lot of the smaller southern cities and town in Norway seem to have survived, and with a relatively functional and renewable electricity supply the Norwegians would have a bit of a head start on the rest. Also the Norwegian oil industry and shipping industry is huge considering the relative small size of Norway. A lot of infrastructure must have survived and I think it is possible that Norway has some operational oil platforms in the North Sea. Sweden may also be relevant here, as it survived in better shape than most other countries and there must be a lot of industry still functioning.







I’d say Norwegian oil platforms were of secondary importance to the Soviets in the early part of the war given their location, and their location may also have been a factor in their survival. Remember this area is part of the GIUK Gap, which had the most intensive NATO ASW and anti-ship resources in existence. In the earlier part of the war I would say two USN Carrier Battle Groups were roaming these waters, in addition to other US naval and air defence assets stretching across the Atlantic from North America to Norway and Britain. There were also considerable British, German, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch and Canadian naval and air forces in the area which were pretty much tailored to hunt Soviet naval and bomber penetrations into this region. It probably was a slaughterhouse for Soviet naval and air forces in the earlier stages of the war. However this is not to say that oil platforms were not targeted or damaged in the general melee, but it is possible that many survived in functional or repairable condition. We know the British have reactivated a few oil platforms in the North Sea and we know that some British Marines are still in Norway, and I would say British forces are actively cooperating with the Norwegians in reopening as many as they can.

This may help

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._the_North_Sea