 On 7 May 1940 the German occupiers of Trondheim confiscated "Nordnorge" and replaced her Norwegian crew with "Kriegsmarine" personnel from the destroyers and .Late in the evening of 9 May the ship sailed northwards from Nyhavna under Norwegian flag, carrying a 300-strong force consisting of a company of mostly Austrian "Gebirgsjäger" troops from the 138 Mountain Regiment of the 2nd Mountain Division, reinforced with a heavy mortar platoon and two mountain guns.The troops and their equipment had been loaded at Muruvik near Hell.