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Operation Silver Fox
Operation Silver Fox (; ) or Murmansk operation () from 29 June to 17 November 1941, was a joint Nazi Germany, German–Finland, Finnish military operation during the Continuation War on the Eastern Front (World War II), Eastern Front of World War II against the Soviet Union. The objective of the offensive was to cut off and capture the key Soviet Union, Soviet Port of Murmansk through attacks from Finnish and Norway, Norwegian territory. The operation had three stages. In Operation Rentier, Operation Reindeer (''Rentier'') German forces advanced from Norway to secure the area around Pechengsky District, Petsamo and its nickel mines. Operation Platinum Fox (; ) was an attack from the north by Mountain Corps Norway, as XXXVI Mountain Corps (Germany), XXXVI Mountain Corps and units from the Finnish III Corps (Continuation War), Finnish III Corps attacked from the south in Operation Arctic Fox (''Polarfuchs''; ) to cut off and capture Murmansk by a pincer movement. The German–Finni ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Continuation War
The Continuation War, also known as the Second Soviet–Finnish War, was a conflict fought by Finland and Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union during World War II. It began with a Finnish declaration of war on 25 June 1941 and ended on 19 September 1944 with the Moscow Armistice. The Soviet Union and Finland had previously fought the Winter War from 1939 to 1940, which ended with the Soviet failure to conquer Finland and the Moscow Peace Treaty. Numerous reasons have been proposed for the Finnish decision to invade, with regaining territory lost during the Winter War regarded as the most common. Other justifications for the conflict include Finnish President Risto Ryti's vision of a Greater Finland and Commander-in-Chief Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim's desire to annex East Karelia. The following paragraph contains a bundle of cites for the Finnish participation in the siege of Leningrad, which is a commonly debated complex issue in the article (see talk).--> On 22 June 1941 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Valerian Frolov
Valerian Aleksandrovich Frolov (; June 7 ( O.S. May 26), 1895 – 1961) was a Soviet Colonel General (1943). Frolov participated in the First World War and the Russian Civil War. From June 1937 he was commander of the 16th Infantry Division. From October 1937 to September 1938 he participated in the Spanish Civil War. Since January 1939 he was commander of the 1st Rifle Corps of the Leningrad Military Forces. In October 1939 he became commander of the ''Murmansk Army Group'' which was transformed into the 14th Army, at the head of which he participated in the Soviet-Finnish war. The army operated in the Arctic. At the start of the Second World War in June 1941, he remained the commander of the 14th Army, and from September 1941 to February 1944, of the Karelian Front. After the war from 1945 to 1956 commanded the troops of Belomorsky Military District and Arkhangelsk Military District. From 1956 he was placed in reserve. Awards Valerian Frolov was awarded three Orders of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Panzer-Abteilung 40
Panzer-Abteilung 40 was the name of a tank battalion of the German Army (Wehrmacht), German army during World War II. The battalion fought during the invasion of Norway (Operation Weserübung) and afterwards during Operation Silver Fox, the German-Finnish offensive to capture the Soviet port of Murmansk. The unit remained in Finland until it was sent to Oslo and disbanded. Operation Weserübung ''Panzer-Abteilung zur besonderen Verwendung 40'' (''Panzer-Abteilung z.b.V. 40''), translating as "panzer unit for special purpose utilization", was formed on March 8, 1940 for the German invasion of Norway and of Denmark. The unit consisted mostly of Panzer I and Panzer II light tanks. It took part in the German invasion of Denmark (1940), invasion of Denmark on 9 April and then was transported to Norway in April 1940. The unit consisted of an HQ section and three companies, one taken from 3rd Panzer Division (Wehrmacht), 3rd, 4th Panzer Division (Wehrmacht), 4th and 5th Panzer Division ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Finnish 3rd Division (Continuation War)
The 3rd Division () was a unit of the Finnish Army during the Continuation War. It initially fought in the northern Finland, participating in the Finno-German Operation Arctic Fox. In 1944, it was transferred to the Karelian Isthmus to defend against the Soviet Vyborg–Petrozavodsk offensive. Following the Moscow Armistice in 1944, the division was moved to Oulu and participated in the Lapland War. History The 3rd Division was the main component of the Finnish III Corps. During the war, the division fought mostly in the Ukhta and Kestenga area, where it participated in Operation Arctic Fox, the Finno-German drive towards the Murmansk railway. During this operation, the division was split into two groups, Group J () and Group F (). Observing the speed of advance of the III Corps, the Germans reinforced Group J with a regiment-sized element of SS-troops. The division's advance was eventually halted after the Soviet 88th Rifle Division entered the area. In 1944 the division ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Panzer-Abteilung 211
Panzer-Abteilung 211 was a tank battalion of the German army during World War II. The battalion fought during Operation Silver Fox which was a combined German and Finnish offensive attempting to capture the Soviet port of Murmansk. The unit was disbanded after this operation due to their outdated equipment. Formation After the fall of France in June 1940 the Germans captured a large amount of French vehicles. Among those were 297 (varying according to sources) Somua S35 which was considered by many to be the premier medium tank at the beginning of the war. In addition to the SOMUA S35s there were around 550 Hotchkiss H35 and H38 tanks captured as well. The Germans used these captured vehicles to equip several smaller units which were then combined into Panzer-Abteilung 211 on 22 March 1941. Operation Silver Fox The Soviet port of Murmansk was a high-value target for German command in 1941. On 27 June 1941 they began Operation Silver Fox to capture the key port, Panzer-Abteilung ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Finnish 6th Division (Continuation War)
The 6th Division () was a unit of the Finnish Army during the Continuation War. Subordinated to the German XXXVI Corps, the division took part in the German-led Operation Arctic Fox in 1941. In 1943, the division was moved to Eastern Karelia, from where it was moved to the Karelian Isthmus following the start of the 1944 Soviet Vyborg–Petrozavodsk offensive. Following the Moscow armistice, the division also took part in the Lapland War against the German forces remaining in Finnish Lapland. History Originally a part of the Finnish V Corps, the 6th Division was attached to the German XXXVI Corps in Northern Finland in 1941. As part of Operation Arctic Fox, the division attacked alongside the SS Division Nord and German 169th Infantry Division against Salla with the goal of reaching Kandalaksha on the White Sea coast. The town of Salla was captured, but the division suffered 405 casualties in the process. Following the capture of Salla, the division continued towards rive ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Finnish III Corps (Continuation War)
The III Corps () was a corps of the Finnish Army during the Continuation War, where Finland fought alongside Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union. Formed from the peacetime V Corps and subordinated to the German Army of Norway (Wehrmacht), Army High Command Norway, III Corps fought initially in northern Finland on the flank of the German XXXVI Corps, participating in the Finno-German Operation Arctic Fox. In February 1944, it was moved to the Karelian Isthmus just prior to the launch of the Soviet Vyborg–Petrozavodsk offensive. Following the Moscow Armistice, III Corps took overall command of the Finnish forces participating in the Lapland War, the removal of German forces from northern Finland. Mobilization and pre-war plans While the exact details of the Finno-Nazi Germany, German planning preceding the Continuation War remain unclear, it is known that on 25 May 1941 Finnish officers participated in negotiations with the Germans in Salzburg regarding plans for a future w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
SS Division Nord
The 6th SS Mountain Division Nord () was a World War II mountain infantry division of the Waffen-SS, the military wing of the German Nazi Party, primarily consisting of ethnic Germans along with some Norwegian and Swiss volunteers. It was the only Waffen-SS division to operate in the Arctic Circle. It was founded in early 1941 as the SS Battle Group Nord (German: ''SS-Kampfgruppe Nord'') in southern Norway before being upgraded and renamed the SS Division Nord in preparation for Operation Barbarossa. Its original personnel came from Allgemeine-SS paramilitary units and had low combat effectiveness. In the second half of 1941 the division was effectively destroyed by the Red Army during Operation Arctic Fox, when it advanced into Soviet territory alongside the Finnish Army and the Wehrmacht. After taking massive losses in its first operation the Nord Division was entirely rebuilt starting from late 1941. The SS Division Nord remained in Finland and northern Russia, where most ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
169th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)
The 169th Infantry Division () was a German infantry division during World War II. History The division was formed in 1939. It took part in Operation Fall Gelb and stayed in France until being transferred to Finnish Lapland in 1941. The division was part of the German XXXVI Corps which also included SS Division Nord and the Finnish 6th Division. On 1 July the corps began its attack which was aimed at Kandalaksha on the White Sea coast. The division crossed the Finnish-Soviet Border just north of Salla. During the heavy fighting against the Soviet 122nd Division the SS Division Nord broke and fled. On 8 July the 169th occupied Salla. With the help of the Finnish 6th Division the Soviets were pushed back beyond the pre-Winter War borders. In September the division had advanced to the River Verman (''Vermanjoki''), here the offensive finally stalled. During autumn 1941 AOK Norwegen decided to shifts its attack to the area held by the Finnish 3rd Division. The 169th Divis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
XXXVI Mountain Corps (Wehrmacht)
__NOTOC__The XXXVI Corps was a German military formation in World War II. It was formed in October 1939 and took part in the invasion of France. In August 1940 the corps was moved to southern Norway and from there to northern Finland. It took part in Operation Barbarossa in mid-1941. It was part of the German AOK Norwegen (Army Norway) and was moved to northern Finland during June 1941. The XXXVI Corps took part in Operation Polarfuchs aiming to advance through Salla to Kandalaksha, and from there to Murmansk Murmansk () is a port city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast in the far Far North (Russia), northwest part of Russia. It is the world's largest city north of the Arctic Circle and sits on both slopes and banks of a modest fjord, Ko .... In November 1941 the corps was renamed the XXXVI Gebirgskorps (Mountain Corps).Tessin, p. 53 In late 1944 the corps had to fight its former allies during their withdrawal from Finland. The corps was forced to retreat fro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
3rd Mountain Division (Wehrmacht)
The 3rd Mountain Division () was a formation of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. It was created from the Austrian Army's 5th and 7th Divisions following the Anschluss in 1938. History The division took part in the Invasion of Poland 1939 as part of Army Group South, but was transferred to garrison the West Wall before the end of the campaign. In 1940 it joined the invasion of Norway, most famously sending its 139th Mountain Regiment under General Eduard Dietl to seize the ice-free Arctic port of Narvik. The Allies briefly managed to take the town back, but abandoned it to the Germans after the invasion of France. In 1941 the division moved into Lapland to participate in Operation Silberfuchs, the attack on the Soviet Arctic as part of Operation Barbarossa, but failed to capture Murmansk. The division was withdrawn to Germany for rehabilitation at the end of the year, but left its 139th Mountain Infantry Regiment behind to operate independently. After rehabilitation ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2nd Mountain Division (Wehrmacht)
The 2nd Mountain Division () was a ''Gebirgsjäger'' division of the German Army which served in World War II, mainly in the northernmost sector of the Eastern Front, near the Arctic. Formed in 1938, the division was disbanded at the end of the war in 1945. Operational history Following the ''Anschluss'', the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in March 1938, the 2nd Mountain Division was formed on 1 April 1938, with personnel of the 6th Division of the Austrian Army. Based at Innsbruck, part of Wehrkreis XVIII, most of its men were from the Salzburg and Tyrol region of Austria. Commanded by ''Generalleutnant'' (Lieutenant General) Valentin Feurstein, it fought as part of Army Group South during the Invasion of Poland and then took part in Operation Weserübung, the Norwegian Campaign in 1940. It carried out a cross country march to rescue the 3rd Mountain Division, which was under siege from British forces during the Battles of Narvik. The division moved into Lapland ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
