Operation Gauntlet

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During the Second World War , Operation Gauntlet (German: Panzerhandschuh ) was an integrated company of Canadian troops with logistical support from the British Army and free Norwegian troops on Svalbard on August 18, 1941.

The company's order was to destroy the coal mines along with the mining equipment and storage facilities. The coal mines on the Norwegian part of Svalbard were operated by a Norwegian company and on Russian territory by the Soviet state. Both governments agreed to destroy them and evacuate the staff.

Historical background

After the occupation of Norway by Germany in June 1940 with the Weser Exercise company , the attack on the Soviet Union with the Barbarossa company took place in June 1941 .

The British Prime Minister Winston Churchill immediately declared an alliance with the USSR. The Soviet Union demanded a British naval presence in the Arctic Ocean. Vice-Admiral Philip Vian then visited Murmansk to assess the situation . For logistical reasons, the British presence was limited to submarines at this time. Due to political pressure, the Force K in Scapa Flow for operations in the Arctic was formed under the command of Philip Vian.

First use

At the end of July 1941, Force K undertook a reconnaissance mission to Spitzbergen to determine whether there were German troops on the archipelago. Information could be obtained from Norwegian and Soviet miners. The Norwegian officer Lieutenant R. Tamber remained in Longyearbyen and acted as military representative. The Force K returned to the UK with 70 volunteers for the Free Norwegian Forces and a loaded cargo ship . All of this happened without attracting the attention of the Germans.

Lieutenant Tamber made communications with the mainland and requested that cargo ships be sent to transport the coal. This was finally done by three ships from Longyearbyen.

Force K's march back took place via Bear Island . The weather station was destroyed and Norwegian personnel evacuated on August 1, 1941. This company made the Wehrmacht aware of the Allied activities and the Force K was monitored by German reconnaissance aircraft.

Vian returned to London to present the options to the Chief of Staff. In his opinion, a military occupation was possible, but the location was not suitable as a naval base because of the seasonal ice. Winston Churchill ordered an operational plan to be drawn up immediately. The plan approved by him, the Soviet ambassador, and King Haakon called for Force K to be ordered back to Spitsbergen to destroy the mining facilities there, as well as to bring the Russians back to Russia, the Norwegians and all available ships back to England.

Allied forces

Originally two battalions had been assigned to the landing group, but these were reduced after confirmation that the Wehrmacht had not yet occupied the area. The force consisted mainly of units of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade under Brigadier Arthur E. Potts, with the 3rd Field Company Royal Canadian Engineers and a sub-unit of Norwegian soldiers. This combat group was supported by the British Army with the Kent Fortress Royal Engineers. This unit was to carry out the demolition of the buildings on Spitsbergen. The total strength was 645 soldiers, including 527 Canadians.

The passenger ship Empress of Australia acted as a troop transport. The Force K Royal Navy was accompanied by the two cruisers Nigeria (flagship) and Aurora and the three destroyers Icarus , Anthony and Antelope under the command of Commander Philip Vian.

commitment

The troops landed on August 25, 1941, encountered no resistance, as expected, and were enthusiastically welcomed by the islanders. When the destruction in Barentsburg ended, around 2,000 Soviet miners and their movable property and equipment were embarked on the Empress of Canada for Arkhangelsk in Russia, where a group of nearly 200 soldiers from the Free France Armed Forces awaited repatriation to England. This group was accompanied by the Nigeria . The Free French had escaped from German prison camps and were to be taken on board for the crossing to Great Britain.

In the meantime, part of the K Force had blown up Longyearbyen and destroyed the mining facilities, other equipment that could not be taken along as well as 450,000 tons of coal, 275,000 gallons of fuel, oil, gasoline and fats. 1,000 tons of steam coal was left behind to supply Allied ships. Two radio stations that had been carrying out normal radio operations up to this point and falsely reported fog were also blown up in order to prevent observation by German aircraft.

On September 1, the ships returned from Arkhangelsk and embarked around 800 Norwegians and 15 sled dogs for the evacuation.

German convoy

The Allied forces drove to England on September 3, 1941 with three angry freighters, an icebreaker , a whaler and a tug . Alarmed by the presence of a German convoy, the destroyers escorted the convoy, while the two cruisers intercepted the German ships at Hammerfjord on September 7 and sank the German artillery training ship Bremse, which was used as an escort ship. During the battle, the Nigeria was badly damaged at the bow, allegedly by ramming the brake . Later investigations suggest a mine hit.

The ships that brought the evacuees to Russia had traveled 7,000 nautical miles for return journeys after returning to the United Kingdom.

Operation Fritham

This subordinate Norwegian company from April 30, 1942 with 82 soldiers on the transport ships Selis and Isbjørn had the order to secure the coal mines on Spitsbergen. The ships were sunk in an attack by Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor . 12 soldiers fell together with the unit leader Lieutenant Colonel Einar Sverdrup, who was the CEO of Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani before the war . 15 soldiers were wounded. The survivors reached Barentsburg and were supplied with anti-aircraft guns by parachute drop and later by sea, and continued the mission.

See also

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