Operation Arctic Fox
Encyclopedia
Operation Arctic Fox was the codename given to a campaign by German
and Finnish
forces during World War II
against Soviet
Northern Front
defences at Salla
, Finland in July 1941. The Operation was part of a larger Operation called Operation Silver Fox
(Silberfuchs) which aimed in capturing the vital port of Murmansk
. The operation was conducted parallel to Operation Platinum Fox
(Platinfuchs) in the far north of Lappland
. The principal goal of Operation Arctic Fox was to capture the town of Salla and then to advance in direction of Kandalaksha
, to block the route to Murmansk.
(Silberfuchs), which aimed at capturing the Soviet port at Murmansk
.
This was part of the overall attack on the Soviet Union, Operation Barbarossa
, and was, for the Finns, part of the initial phase of their Continuation War
(Jatkosota).
In the preceding Operations Blue Fox 1 and Blue Fox 2 (Blaufuchs I and Blaufuchs II) the German units were transferred into the Arctic. The 169th Division was shipped directly from Stettin to Oulu
and then on to Rovaniemi
by train. The SS-Infantry Kampfgruppe Nord was created as a mixed unit of the 6th and 7th Motorized SS Infantry Regiments, two artillery battalions
and one reconnaissance battalion. This unit was mostly untrained and more a police unit and therefore unsuited for harsh arctic warfare. The unit was later renamed to 6th SS Mountain Division Nord and led by General Demelhuber
. While the unit was transferred, a transport ship caught fire killing some 110 troops. Attached to the German and Finnish force were 2 small Panzer units: The Panzer-Abteilung 211 which consisted of captured French tanks and Panzer-Abteilung 40 which consisted mainly of Panzer I
's and Panzer II
's.
The goal of the operation was to take Salla and then to proceed along the railway eastwards, to capture Kandalaksha
and to cut the Murmansk line. For this the Finnish 6th Division had to capture Allakurtti and Kayrala from Kuusamo
from the south of Salla. From the north the 169th Division had to attack frontal against the Soviet defenses at the Tennio River. The 6th SS Mountain Division had to advance along the Salla - Kandalaksha road. Further south, the Finnish III Corps
with the Finnish 3rd Division
supported the attack. The Finnish III Corp's units were placed under German High Command for the operation. The ultimate goal for the Finnish forces was to cut the Murmansk supply-lines at Loukhi
and Kem. For this the Finnish 3rd Division was splitted into two forces, Group J and Group F. Group J was ordered to advance from Kuusamo and take Kestenga, while Group F was to attack from Suomussalmi
and capture Ukhta.
On 9 July the 169th Division reached the town of Kayrala, but was thrown back by strong Russian counterattacks. All 3 Soviet Division's now formed a formidable defense line around the lakes, as well as the towns of Allakurtti and Kayrala. The German advance stalled, facing difficulties with arctic forrest fighting. On 16 July von Falkenhorst
, commander of Army Norway, arrived and pressured Feige to renew the offensive. On 27 and 29 July, the corps made two separate attacks against the Soviets which led to nothing.
While the German advance stalled, the Finnish 3rd Division in the south was making good progress. The Division's first opponent was the Soviet 54th Division. Group F advanced very fast 64 km (twice as many as the Germans in the whole July) through rough terrain to the Vyonitsa River, where it destroyed several encircled Soviet units from 10 to 19 July. Group J advanced to the canal between the Lake Pya and Lake Top. On 30 July they moved across the river and defeated the Soviet forces in the region. On 7 August the Finns captured Kestenga (Kiestinki) after fierce fighting. The Soviets transferred additional troops (the 88th Rifle Division as well as the independent Grivnik brigade
) into the region. Group J's advance east of Kestenga stalled, as well as Group F's drive on Ukhta. The German command now decided to support Group F's thrust on Ukhta and transferred the SS Division Nord south to support Group F of the Finnish 3rd Division. On 14 October it was decided to halt the Ukhta-offensive and instead support Group J's advance east of Kestenga. On 30 October the offensive began and after two days a Soviet regiment was encircled. Instead of continuing the offensive, the Finns cleaned the perimeter which lasted until 13 November. Until that the Finnish 3rd Division had killed 3,000 Russians and captured 2,600. Three days later, the Finns decided not continue the offensive, because of an overstretched frontline.
As addition, a Finnish jaeger (jääkäri) battalion was inserted into the largely unoccupied 240 km (149.1 mi) area between the Murmansk and Kandalaksha directions of advance and was able to cut the sole railway connecting Kandalaksha with forward Soviet positions at the Nyam station. This meant that, for two weeks, the Soviet 122nd Rifle Division did not receive any supplies and had to live off its field dumps.
During the successful advance of the Finnish forces in the south, XXXVI Corps also prepared for a new attack. At the beginning of August 1941, the Finnish 6th Division headed the renewed drive of the XXXVI Corps. The 169th Division followed. In the face of the new German thrust, the Soviets retreated to the Tuutsa River, lost Allakurtti and later withdrew to the Voyta River, where the old 1939 Soviet border fortifications were situated. On 6 September XXXVI Corps made a frontal assault against the Soviet lines, but made only slow progress. The Soviets now formed a strong defense line from Lake Verkhneye Verman to Tolvand - the so-called VL or Verman Line. The Soviets also received massive reinforcements, while XXXVI Corps was exhausted after months of constant warfare. The German casualties were heavy and the attack was finally called off at the end of September. With the Finns stopping their offensive in the south on 17 November too, this marked the end of Operation Arctic Fox.
ordered to not proceed with the offensive, possibly after consultation with Mannerheim not to get too deeply involved in Germany's war.
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
forces during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
against Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
Northern Front
Northern Front
Northern Front may refer to one of the following.* Russian Northern Front , a unit of the Imperial Russian army during the World War I.* Polish Northern Front , a unit of the Polish Army during the Polish-Bolshevik War...
defences at Salla
Salla
Salla is a municipality of Finland, located in Lapland. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water. The population density is....
, Finland in July 1941. The Operation was part of a larger Operation called Operation Silver Fox
Operation Silver Fox
Operation Silver Fox was a joint German–Finnish military operation plan during World War II, though it was mainly operated and engaged by Germans. Its main goal was the capture of the key Soviet port at Murmansk through attacks from Finnish and Norwegian territory.The operation had to be three...
(Silberfuchs) which aimed in capturing the vital port of Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
. The operation was conducted parallel to Operation Platinum Fox
Operation Platinum Fox
Operation Platinfuchs was a German and Finnish military offensive launched during World War II. Platinfuchs took place on the Eastern Front and had the objective of capturing the Barents Sea port of Murmansk...
(Platinfuchs) in the far north of Lappland
Lappland
Lappland can refer to:*Lapland, geographic region in Northern Fennoscandia* Lappland, Sweden* Lapland, FinlandUnlike the English word "Lapland", the Swedish word is not used to indicate the area specifically inhabited by the Sami people. An old Swedish word for the Sami area under Swedish control...
. The principal goal of Operation Arctic Fox was to capture the town of Salla and then to advance in direction of Kandalaksha
Kandalaksha
Kandalaksha is a town in Kandalakshsky District of Murmansk Oblast, Russia, located at the head of Kandalaksha Gulf on the White Sea, beyond the Arctic Circle. Population: 40,564 ; -History:The settlement has existed since the 11th century...
, to block the route to Murmansk.
Background
Salla was one of the areas occupied during the Soviet invasion of Finland in 1939. The German XXXVI Corps, consisting of both German and Finnish troops, carried out Operation Arctic Fox as part of the larger Operation Silver FoxOperation Silver Fox
Operation Silver Fox was a joint German–Finnish military operation plan during World War II, though it was mainly operated and engaged by Germans. Its main goal was the capture of the key Soviet port at Murmansk through attacks from Finnish and Norwegian territory.The operation had to be three...
(Silberfuchs), which aimed at capturing the Soviet port at Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
.
This was part of the overall attack on the Soviet Union, Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
, and was, for the Finns, part of the initial phase of their Continuation War
Continuation War
The Continuation War was the second of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II.At the time of the war, the Finnish side used the name to make clear its perceived relationship to the preceding Winter War...
(Jatkosota).
Preparation and Plan
Oulu
Oulu is a city and municipality of inhabitants in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the most populous city in Northern Finland and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is one of the northernmost larger cities in the world....
and then on to Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi is a city and municipality of Finland. It is the administrative capital and commercial centre of Finland's northernmost province, Lapland. It is situated close to the Arctic Circle and is between the hills of Ounasvaara and Korkalovaara, at the confluence of the Kemijoki River and its...
by train. The SS-Infantry Kampfgruppe Nord was created as a mixed unit of the 6th and 7th Motorized SS Infantry Regiments, two artillery battalions
and one reconnaissance battalion. This unit was mostly untrained and more a police unit and therefore unsuited for harsh arctic warfare. The unit was later renamed to 6th SS Mountain Division Nord and led by General Demelhuber
Karl-Maria Demelhuber
Karl-Maria Demelhuber was an Obergruppenführer in the Waffen-SS and a Heer officer who served in both World War I and II. During World War II, Demelhuber commanded the SS-Standarte Germania, 6. SS-Gebirgs-Division Nord, XII. SS-Armeekorps and XVI. SS-Armeekorps...
. While the unit was transferred, a transport ship caught fire killing some 110 troops. Attached to the German and Finnish force were 2 small Panzer units: The Panzer-Abteilung 211 which consisted of captured French tanks and Panzer-Abteilung 40 which consisted mainly of Panzer I
Panzer I
The Panzer I was a light tank produced in Germany in the 1930s. The name is short for the German ' , abbreviated . The tank's official German ordnance inventory designation was SdKfz 101 .Design of the Panzer I began in 1932 and mass production in 1934...
's and Panzer II
Panzer II
The Panzer II was the common name for a family of German tanks used in World War II. The official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen II...
's.
The goal of the operation was to take Salla and then to proceed along the railway eastwards, to capture Kandalaksha
Kandalaksha
Kandalaksha is a town in Kandalakshsky District of Murmansk Oblast, Russia, located at the head of Kandalaksha Gulf on the White Sea, beyond the Arctic Circle. Population: 40,564 ; -History:The settlement has existed since the 11th century...
and to cut the Murmansk line. For this the Finnish 6th Division had to capture Allakurtti and Kayrala from Kuusamo
Kuusamo
Kuusamo is a town and municipality in Finland. It is located in the Oulu province and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is ....
from the south of Salla. From the north the 169th Division had to attack frontal against the Soviet defenses at the Tennio River. The 6th SS Mountain Division had to advance along the Salla - Kandalaksha road. Further south, the Finnish III Corps
Finnish III Corps (Continuation War)
The III Corps was a unit of the Finnish Army during the Continuation War.The III Corps was responsible for the area stretching from the German XXXVI Corps in Lapland to the 14th Division near Rukajärvi....
with the Finnish 3rd Division
Finnish 3rd Division (Continuation War)
The 3rd Division was a unit of the Finnish Army during the Continuation War.-History:The 3rd division was the main component of the Finnish III Corps. During the war, the division fought mostly in the Uhtua and Kiestinki area, when it participated in Operation Arctic Fox...
supported the attack. The Finnish III Corp's units were placed under German High Command for the operation. The ultimate goal for the Finnish forces was to cut the Murmansk supply-lines at Loukhi
Loukhi
Loukhi is an urban locality and the administrative center of Loukhsky District of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located on the shore of Lake Panovo, north of Petrozavodsk. Population:...
and Kem. For this the Finnish 3rd Division was splitted into two forces, Group J and Group F. Group J was ordered to advance from Kuusamo and take Kestenga, while Group F was to attack from Suomussalmi
Suomussalmi
Suomussalmi is a municipality in Finland and is located in the Kainuu region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . The municipality is unilingually Finnish...
and capture Ukhta.
Arctic Fox
The offensive commenced on 1 July 1941 with the Finnish 6th Division crossing the frontiers on midnight. Several hours later the 6th SS Mountain Division Nord started its frontal assault against the Soviet line, but was not able to make any gains. In the next days the SS Division tried repeatedly to break through the Soviet lines, but all attempts failed. It was not until the 169th Division supported the attack, that the Germans broke through the Soviet defenses on 6 July and captured Salla. A heavy Soviet counterattack drove them back out of the town, but on 8 July a general Soviet retreat of the 122nd Rifle Division allowed the Germans to capture the town again. The Soviets had to left most of their artillery behind and in the heavy fighting some 50 Soviet tanks were destroyed. Afterwards, the SS Division Nord pursued the 122nd Rifle Division toward Lampela, while the 169th Division turned toward Apa and the Lake Kuola.On 9 July the 169th Division reached the town of Kayrala, but was thrown back by strong Russian counterattacks. All 3 Soviet Division's now formed a formidable defense line around the lakes, as well as the towns of Allakurtti and Kayrala. The German advance stalled, facing difficulties with arctic forrest fighting. On 16 July von Falkenhorst
Nikolaus von Falkenhorst
Nikolaus von Falkenhorst was a German General who planned Operation Weserübung, the invasion of Denmark and Norway in 1940...
, commander of Army Norway, arrived and pressured Feige to renew the offensive. On 27 and 29 July, the corps made two separate attacks against the Soviets which led to nothing.
While the German advance stalled, the Finnish 3rd Division in the south was making good progress. The Division's first opponent was the Soviet 54th Division. Group F advanced very fast 64 km (twice as many as the Germans in the whole July) through rough terrain to the Vyonitsa River, where it destroyed several encircled Soviet units from 10 to 19 July. Group J advanced to the canal between the Lake Pya and Lake Top. On 30 July they moved across the river and defeated the Soviet forces in the region. On 7 August the Finns captured Kestenga (Kiestinki) after fierce fighting. The Soviets transferred additional troops (the 88th Rifle Division as well as the independent Grivnik brigade
Grivnik brigade
The Grivnik Brigade was an independent Soviet brigade during World War II. This brigade fought alongside the Soviet 88th Rifle Division against the Finnish J-Group of the Finnish III Corps and the German SS North during Operation Barbarossa...
) into the region. Group J's advance east of Kestenga stalled, as well as Group F's drive on Ukhta. The German command now decided to support Group F's thrust on Ukhta and transferred the SS Division Nord south to support Group F of the Finnish 3rd Division. On 14 October it was decided to halt the Ukhta-offensive and instead support Group J's advance east of Kestenga. On 30 October the offensive began and after two days a Soviet regiment was encircled. Instead of continuing the offensive, the Finns cleaned the perimeter which lasted until 13 November. Until that the Finnish 3rd Division had killed 3,000 Russians and captured 2,600. Three days later, the Finns decided not continue the offensive, because of an overstretched frontline.
As addition, a Finnish jaeger (jääkäri) battalion was inserted into the largely unoccupied 240 km (149.1 mi) area between the Murmansk and Kandalaksha directions of advance and was able to cut the sole railway connecting Kandalaksha with forward Soviet positions at the Nyam station. This meant that, for two weeks, the Soviet 122nd Rifle Division did not receive any supplies and had to live off its field dumps.
During the successful advance of the Finnish forces in the south, XXXVI Corps also prepared for a new attack. At the beginning of August 1941, the Finnish 6th Division headed the renewed drive of the XXXVI Corps. The 169th Division followed. In the face of the new German thrust, the Soviets retreated to the Tuutsa River, lost Allakurtti and later withdrew to the Voyta River, where the old 1939 Soviet border fortifications were situated. On 6 September XXXVI Corps made a frontal assault against the Soviet lines, but made only slow progress. The Soviets now formed a strong defense line from Lake Verkhneye Verman to Tolvand - the so-called VL or Verman Line. The Soviets also received massive reinforcements, while XXXVI Corps was exhausted after months of constant warfare. The German casualties were heavy and the attack was finally called off at the end of September. With the Finns stopping their offensive in the south on 17 November too, this marked the end of Operation Arctic Fox.
Conclusion
During Operation Arctic Fox the Germans and Finns were able to make some ground and took Salla as well as Kestenga, but overall the operation failed in terms of its strategic goals, as neither Murmansk nor the railway at Kandalaksha was captured. The XXXVI Corps was unsuited, ill-trained and unprepared for arctic warfare and therefore made only small progress while suffering heavy casualties. The Finnish units, especially the 6th Division of the III Finnish Corps, made good progress and inflicted heavy casualties on the Soviet forces, but due the limited resources and an overstretched frontline the Finnish commander Hjalmar SiilasvuoHjalmar Siilasvuo
Hjalmar Fridolf Siilasvuo was a Finnish general who led troops in the Winter War, Continuation War and Lapland War...
ordered to not proceed with the offensive, possibly after consultation with Mannerheim not to get too deeply involved in Germany's war.
German XXXVI Corps
- 169th Infantry Division
- SS-Division Nord (mot)
- Finnish 6th DivisionFinnish 6th Division (Continuation War)The 6th Division was a unit of the Finnish Army during the Continuation War.-History:The 6th Division was attached to the German XXXVI Corps in Northern Finland in 1941. As part of Operation Arctic Fox the division attacked with the SS Division Nord and German 169th Infantry Division against Salla...
- Two Finnish jaegerJäger (military)Jäger is a term that was adopted in the Enlightenment era in German-speaking states and others influenced by German military practice to describe a kind of light infantry, and it has continued in that use since then....
(jääkäri) battalions - Panzer-Abteilung 211
Finnish III Corps (under German Command)
- Finnish 3rd DivisionFinnish 3rd Division (Continuation War)The 3rd Division was a unit of the Finnish Army during the Continuation War.-History:The 3rd division was the main component of the Finnish III Corps. During the war, the division fought mostly in the Uhtua and Kiestinki area, when it participated in Operation Arctic Fox...
- Panzer-Abteilung 40
14th Army
- 122nd Division (Soviet Union) (occupying border defences)
- 104th Division (Soviet Union) (located in Kandalaksha)
- 1st Tank Division (Soviet Union) (located in Kandalaksha)
- 88th Division (Soviet Union)
- Grivnik brigadeGrivnik brigadeThe Grivnik Brigade was an independent Soviet brigade during World War II. This brigade fought alongside the Soviet 88th Rifle Division against the Finnish J-Group of the Finnish III Corps and the German SS North during Operation Barbarossa...