Marching Orders: The Untold Story of How the American Breaking of the Japanese Secret Codes Led to the Defeat of Nazi Germany and Japan

by Bruce Lee

This means the German invasion of Denmark and Norway on April 9, 1940, comes as a complete surprise to the British. There had been many indications of an invasion, including the visual sighting of the German heavy cruiser Bluecher and other naval units moving toward Norway by Capt. Henry Denham, CMG. His report is ignored by the British Navy. It appears that every report slips past the various intelligence groups and interdepartmental meetings at every level.2 Again, the Germans achieve total surprise when they attack Belgium and Holland. They sweep around the northern flank of the Maginot Line on May 10 by driving through the Ardennes, which had long been believed to be impassable by an invasion force.