No. 263 Squadron RAF operated with 18
Gloster Gladiator biplane fighters from a landing strip on the frozen Lesjaskogsvatnet in late April 1940 as part of the
Norwegian campaign. The British air force chose Lesjaskogsvatnet because of the relatively short distance to the front line in the Gudbrandsdalen Valley as well as proximity to the British base at
Åndalsnes. The British also planned to bring in large amounts of explosives from
Scotland to blow up the railway tunnels at
Dombås (this would block railway connections to Åndalsnes and Trondheim), but the German forces advanced too fast. The ice was covered by at least of snow and a few hundred locals cleared a long and wide runway. Snow clearing began on 20 April and the same day Norwegian Fokker C.V surveillance planes landed with skis. The workers on the ice were attacked by German fighter planes, and most snow clearing was then done during night. Some 100 ground crew arrived on 23 April. The runway was used on 24 and 18 April planes completed about 40 flights and attacked 37 enemy planes. That same night was extremely cold and engines did not start. Early morning 25 April the makeshift airfield was attacked by
Heinkel He 111s and
Junkers Ju 88s. Two British plane that were unharmed but unable to fly were burned by the crew. At the end only five planes survived and were moved to Setnesmoen camp at
Veblungsnes on 26 April. ==Media gallery==