Denmark

A brief history of the nation's air forces
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World War 2
The Danish air service stood no chance against the superiuor Luftwaffe when Germany invaded Denmark on April 9th 1940. Most of the Aviation Troop's aircraft were destroyed on the ground at Vaerlose in a suprise ground-strafing attack by Me-100s. Demonstrations by bomber and fighter units, combined with the mass fly-by of the transport aircraft bound for the airborne invasion of Norway, made the Danes aware that further resistance was useless. Denmark fell on the first day of the invasion.
Many Danish pilots escaped to England to fly with British squadrons during the war and more Danes were trained with the RAF and with Norwegian units in Canada. By 1942, It was announced that Danish aircrews had mapped some 170,000 sq miles (446,000 km2) of Greenland and aided in the construction of vital bases there. Greenland became a crucial link in the air supply route across the Atlantic and enabled single seat fighters to be flown from the USA, instead of being carried by transport, with a great savings in time and vital shipping space.

Danish pilots who escaped to Sweden received training with the Royal Swedish Airforce. in April 145, they were ready to give support for the Danish Brigade which had trained there also, but the German occupation forces surrendered without fighting and this squadron was not needed.

During the war, 26 Danish flyers died in action.

thanks to and copyright of Russell Huff