The 163rd Infantry Division was raised in November 1939. In April 1940 it was employed in the
invasion of Norway, landing at
Oslo,
Kristiansand,
Arendal, and
Stavanger. It was troops from this division that were present on the heavy cruiser
Blücher when it was sunk in the
Battle of Drøbak Sound in the early hours of the invasion of Norway. Thereafter it remained on occupation duty in Norway until June 1941, when it was subordinated to the Finnish army to support operations along the
River Svir during
Operation Barbarossa. In the early stages of Operation Barbarossa and the
Continuation War the 163rd Division was to be transferred from Norway to Finland, and Sweden decided to allow safe transit of the division by railway through Swedish territory. The decision was in conflict with the
Swedish neutrality-policy causing a political crisis (the "
Midsummer Crisis" of 1941), and it raised many challenging questions about
Sweden's neutrality during World War II. Today this remains a highly debated subject in Sweden and in the Nordic countries. The division was transferred 25 June to 12 July. In Swedish literature the division is better known as "Division Engelbrecht", after its commander at the time. The transport took the route Charlottenberg-Laxå-Hallsberg-Krylbo-Ånge-Vännäs-Boden-Haparanda. In February 1942 it joined the
German XXXVI Mountain Corps near
Kandalaksha, and remained there until the Germans withdrew from Finland back into Norway in autumn 1944. In early 1945 it was transferred back to Germany, standing in reserve for a time at Berlin, then destroyed by the Soviets in
Pomerania in March. == Organization ==