in the plans for an attack on norway presented on 29 february 1940 to hitler by general von falkenhorst, arendal was one of the norwegian towns and cities to be captured in the initial invasion wave. like the port town of egersund, which was also to be seized, arendal had a land station for one of the two undersea telegraph cables between norway and the united kingdom. the germans set out to cut the cable to the united kingdom, as well as securing the telegraph cables to denmark and cuxhaven in germany. arendal was also important as a telegraph junction for the southern parts of norway, with german personnel tasked to listen in on norwegian communications. isolating norway from the outside world was an important part of the german effort at pacifying the norwegian population and discouraging resistance to the occupation.