The Germans seized the town without armed resistance, capturing the small Norwegian army and navy force there and achieving their main objective of cutting the undersea telegraph cable between Norway and the United Kingdom.

The landing at Egersund was an important factor in making Norwegian forces in the county of Rogaland pull back from the coast and confront the invading Germans further inland.

By cementing their control of the Rogaland coastline, the Germans were free to use Stavanger Airport, Sola, as an important base for Luftwaffe operations in Norway.

Although the civilian population of Egersund initially reacted calmly to the German invasion, panic broke out the following day and led to a mass exodus from the town, after unfounded rumours began to circulate about an incoming British bomber raid.

[2] When General von Falkenhorst delivered the initial plans for the invasions of Norway and Denmark to Hitler, on 29 February 1940, Egersund had been selected as one of the Norwegian targets for the first day.

Egersund was considered important to secure because of the town having the Norwegian land station for an undersea telegraph cable from Norway to Peterhead, Scotland.

[3][4][Note 1] Capturing Egersund would also allow the German invasion forces to cut the important road and railway links that led through the town.

[6] The Norwegian Armed Forces were aware of the strategic importance of the Rogaland region, where Egersund is located, and in 1939 decided to change the war plans for the local 8th Infantry Regiment.

[11] The force employed by the Germans against Egersund consisted of four M class minesweepers, carrying the 150 soldiers of the bicycle squadron of Reconnaissance Unit 169, under the command of Rittmeister Friedrich Eickhorn.

After their capture, the crew of Skarv managed to destroy maps and important documents, as well as making a telephone call to the regional naval headquarters in Kristiansand.

This contact had however not been sufficient to ensure that the spotting of the invasion force by an army observation post shortly before the landing took place was relayed to Skarv.

[21] Shortly after reporting to his superiors in Stavanger that "a large invasion force" had landed in Egersund, Captain Dehli and his army unit were surprised in their quarters and observation posts and captured without offering resistance.

[21] The German forces attacking Kristiansand had encountered unexpectedly heavy resistance, but the southern port city was secured before the Gruppe 6 minesweepers arrived in the afternoon of 9 April 1940.

[26] Following his capture of Egersund, Rittmeister Eckhorn initially placed the telegraph cable to Scotland under armed guard, before later severing the communications link in accordance with his orders.

[12] Before the Germans managed to establish control over the areas surrounding the town centre of Egersund, the mobilization depot at Årstaddalen was evacuated by the Norwegians.

[32][33] Similar incidents of popular panic based on rumours occurred in other Norwegian town and cities on 10 April, most prominently in the capital Oslo.