Egersund was to be seized by "Gruppe 6", the smallest of the six German invasion flotillas. "Gruppe 6", which had been assembled at Cuxhaven, set sail for Norway at 05:45 on 8 April. Before they had set off towards Norway, the troops in the Egersund force had been told that the German forces would be "received as friends" by the Norwegian people. On the way north, "Gruppe 6" accompanied the minesweepers and minelayers of the two "Gruppen" detailed to capture Denmark. Off the coast of Denmark, "Gruppe 6" proceeded alone in the direction of Norway in heavy wind and poor visibility. By the early hours of 9 April, the ships of "Gruppe 6" lost contact with each other, with and managing to stay together in the fog and push on in the direction of Egersund.