This life-sized bronze sculpture depicts General Ruge in uniform standing informally with his right hand raised as if addressing a group. He has an object...perhaps a clipboard in his left hand which he holds at hip level. The work is set on a flat circular rock which is only about 2 feet tall. An inscription on the rock (missing a few letters) reads:
"GENERALLØYTNANT OTTO RUG
DA DET GJALDT 1940"
which Google translates as:
"Lieutenant OTTO RUG
When it mattered 1940"
A plaque on the back of the plinth reads:
"NORGE I KRIG
1940 - 1945
OTTO RUGE OVERTOK SOOM
KOMMANDERENDE GENERAL
11. april 1940. hans mot
OG FASTE BESLUTNING OM
A FORSVARE LANDET, OG
HANS DYKTIGHET UNDER
DE VANSKELIGSTE FORHOLD.
BLE EN INSPIRASJON FOR
HELE NORGE I DEN VIDERE
KAMP FOR FRIHET"
which Google translates as:
"1940 - 1945
Otto Ruge took over as
commanding general
11. april 1940. His courage
AND REGULAR BOARD
A DEFEND THE COUNTRY, AND
His skill UNDER
THE TOUGHEST CONDITIONS.
WAS AN INSPIRATION FOR
OVER NORWAY IN THE FUTURE
FIGHT FOR FREEDOM"
Wikipedia (
visit link) informs us:
"Otto Ruge (9 January 1882 - 15 August 1961) was a Norwegian general. He was Commander-in-chief of the Royal Norwegian Armed Forces after Nazi Germany's assault on Norway in April 1940...
World War II
In 1940, Colonel Ruge was promoted to Major General and assumed command after the former C-in-C, Generalmajor Kristian Laake, who was supposed to go into retirement a few days after the German attack on Norway, displayed a defeatist attitude and consequently was relieved of command. General Ruge persuaded the government to fight the German invaders. He was convinced that fighting would be vital to the country and the nation's self-respect, but pragmatic enough to realize that a need for Allied help was crucial to succeed. Ruge had a hard task on his hands; he received command over an only partly mobilised army. Norway had already lost all major cities to the Germans, moreover the Germans had established air superiority. The loss of one of the few infantry regiments available, the Norwegian third infantry regiment, its commander surrendering without a shot being fired, falsely believing that he was surrounded, made the situation even worse.
Ruge's main strategy was to slowly retreat northward and to establish a defence line south of Trondheim while waiting for the Allies to reconquer that city. However, the Allies launched their pincers toward Trondheim too late, and too far away from their destination. As a result of this several of the pincer forces became entangled in combat before the attack against the city could be launched."