on 14 april, five days after the german invasion of norway and the bloodless conquest of their town, a number of arendal's citizens founded the arendal group. the arendal group is generally regarded as the first organized resistance group in occupied norway during the second world war. the group, mostly men employed in the shipping industry, initially functioned to provide supplies to the norwegian forces fighting at vinje in telemark. after the fighting at vinje ended on 5 may, the group continued their activities with intelligence work until discovered by the gestapo on 14 august 1940. close to 100 people were arrested in connection with the arendal group.