Germany invaded Norway on 9 April 1940, and British and French forces launched a hastily-planned and badly-executed operation to intervene. Because the bulk of Britain's Regular Army had already deployed to France, most of the troops available for the Norwegian Campaign were part-time soldiers of the Territorial Army (TA). After a failed attempt to seize Trondheim, the main Allied objective became the port of Narvik. A base was established on the island of Harstad just outside Narvikfjord, and an airstrip at Skånland on the opposite coast, with an anti-aircraft (AA) allocation of light (LAA) and heavy (HAA) guns of the Royal Artillery (RA). 6th Anti-Aircraft Brigade HQ was assembled in March under the command of Brigadier F.N.C. Rossiter and sent to coordinate the AA defence of these bases.