World War II Arctic Island Territories: Svalbard/Spitzbergen
Figure 1.---The Germans invaded Norway (April 1940) and then deployed units on Svalbard to operate a weather station on the island (1941). The coal mines continue to operate. The invasion of the Soviet Union (June 1941) made weather information more imporant to the Germans. The Norwegian Government in Exile decided to evacuate the Island's civilian population (September 1941). Thi press photograph shows some of the Svalbard civilians. The press caption read, "Guests from Spitzbergen: A British Tommy makes friends with a group of Boy Scouts from Spitzbergen wjho were brought back to England by the forces of British, Canadians, and Norwegians who made a daring raid on the Arctic islands to keep their fuel resources from falling into the hands of Germnany." The photograph was dated September 16, 1941.
The Svalbard Archipelago is located in the Arctic Ocean, but in Word War II terms is more associted with the Atlantic campaign. Norway obtained possession of Svalbard, an Arctic Archipelago at far nothern lattitudes after World War I. The largest amd main island of the archipelago is Spitzbergen. It is located at lattitudes well above the most northerly location in Alaska. Its remoteness and harsh climate left it beyond the normal European competition for territory. Mineral deposits on Svalbard attracted increasing interest by the turn-of-the 20th century. It was the Versailles Treaty after World War I that created the basis for settling national claims (1919). The Spitsbergen Treaty followed (1920). Svalbard was awarded to the Kingdom of Norway, but citizens of signatory nations were granted residence, property, commercial, and research rights. Norwegian and then German soldiers were stationed on Svalbard during World War II. There was only limited military action. The principal value of Svalbard was as a source of meterological data that would affect military operations in Europe. Weather fronts sweep east and south from the North Atlantic and Arctic affecting European weather. The Allies had a better fix on this as they had weather stations in North America, Greenland and Iceland. Thus weather reports from Svalbard were of great value, especiallt to the Germans who had limited advanced warning on developing weather fronts. The Germans invaded Norway (April 1940) and then deployed units to operate a weather station on the island (1941). Svalbard also continued producing coal. The Norwegian Government in Exile decided to evacuate the Island's civilian population (September 1941). The German invasion of the Soviet Union (June 1941) increased the importance of obtaining weather information and thus the military value of Svalbard. The British began running the Arctic convoys to Murmamsk to help supply the Red Army. These Arctic convoys passed between Svalbard and northern Norway and the Germans were determined to stop them. The Allies deployed a small force on the ships Isbj�rn and Selis to estanlish a base at Isfjorden. The Luftwaffe sank the ships in Grönfjorden. The survivors regrouped to Barentsburg. The Germans battleships Tirpitz and Scharnhorst which had been deployed to Norway to stop the Arctic convoys shelled Barentsburg, Grumant, and Longyearbyen (1943). A German U-boat destroyed Svea and most houses in Van Mijenfjorden.
Location
The Svalbard Archipelago is located in the Arctic Ocean, but in Word War II terms is more associted with the Atlantic campaign. It is located east of Greenland betweem Norway and the North Pole. Norway is 2,000 miles south . The North Pole is close, 1,100 miles north. The largest amd main island of the archipelago is Spitzbergen. It is located at lattitudes well above the most northerly location in Alaska. The northerly latitudes, rugged mountains, sweeping tundra, ice caps and glaciers made the islands a forbodeing place for both the Allies and Germans.
Possession
Norway obtained possession of Svalbard, an Arctic Archipelago at far nothern lattitudes after World War I. Its remoteness and harsh climate left it beyond the normal European competition for territory. Mineral deposits on Svalbard attracted increasing interest by the turn-of-the 20th century. It was the Versailles Treaty after World War I that created the basis for settling national claims (1919). The Spitsbergen Treaty followed (1920). Svalbard was awarded to the Kingdom of Norway, but citizens of signatory nations were granted residence, property, commercial, and research rights. As a result the population of Svalbard consisted of Norwegians and Russian workers.
Value
Scalbrd had two values in World War II. Ine was the coal being moned there. The second and principal value of Svalbard was as a source of meterological data that would affect military operations in Europe. Weather fronts sweep east and south from the North Atlantic and Arctic affecting European weather. The Allies had a better fix on this as they had weather stations in North America, Greenland and Iceland. Thus weather reports from Svalbard were of great value, especially to the Germans who had limited advanced warning on developing weather fronts. Weather condutiions since time immemorial have affected military operations. It is only in the 20th century, however, that it has been oissivle to forecast the weather. Early in the War, the Germans began losing both ships and planes on missions to collect meteorological information, As a result the began building land-based weather stations in Arctic Ocean locations. They imclided both manned and automatic stations. Many were built on Svalbard which wa s ever occupied by the Germans. The fughting on
basically access to meterlogical data. Reports from Svaklbard was important for operations in the Soviet Union, but even more importabt to U-boat operations. It was vital for the Germnans to ibtain meterlogical data from as far north as possible. Weather trends over Svalbard affects weather patterns in the North Atlantic. Reports from Svalbard help to understand what Admiral Dönitz\s Wolf Packs are about to experience. Reprts from northern weakther stations helped to plan Hitler's Ardennes Offensive (December 1944). It was vital to strike when ba weather grounded Allied air power. The Germans during the War oerated seceral weather weather stations on Greenland and Saalbard. In these rugged, isolated locations it was dufficult for the Allies to find them and track them down.
Svalbard was the scene of the most northerly battleground durng World War II. Both Norwegian and then German soldiers were stationed on Svalbard during World War II. There was, however, only limited military action. The Germans invaded Norway (April 1940) and then deployed units to operate a weather station on the island (1941). Reports from this station served as the basis for important German decesions during the War. Svalbard continued producing coal which worked well because the Germans and Soviets wwre allies for nealy 2 yeats at the onset of World War II. The Norwegian Government in Exile decided to evacuate the Island's civilian population (September 1941).
Reports from this station served as the basis for important German decesions during the War. The German invasion of the Soviet Union (June 1941) had increased the German need for weather information and thus the military value of Svalbard. The British anticipating a German invasion to seize the importanb coal mines, landed a raiding party on Spitzbergen (September 1941). Rather than encountring determined NAZI soldiers they found a hardy group of Norwefgians and Russians happy to see them. The British proceeded to blow up the mines and fired the piles of alreay mined coal. They also destroyed the coal-loading machinery, set afire the oil supplies, and destroyed the cattle and other food stocks to make sure that the Germans could not eaily get the mines operational. The British then evacuated the entire civilian population. This included the Soviet miners who were the bulk of the population and brougt out 0.5 million tons of coal for their Arctic Fleet. ["Spitsbergen party"] The British began running Arctic convoys to Murmamsk to help supply the Red Army. These Arctic convoys passed between Svalbard and northern Norway and the Germans were determined to stop them. The Allies deployed a small force on the ships Isbjörn and Selis to establish a base at Isfjorden. The Luftwaffe sank the ships in Gr⊘nfjorden. The survivors regrouped to Barentsburg. The Germans battleships Tirpitz and Scharnhorst which had been deployed to Norway to stop the Arctic convoys shelled Barentsburg, Grumant, and Longyearbyen (1943). A German U-boat destroyed Svea and most houses in Van Mijenfjorden. The Germans raided the islamd (September 1943) and restablish weather stations (September 1943). And isolated German weather station was the last German unit to surrender (September 4, 1945).
