History of Greenland during World War II
Encyclopedia
The History of Greenland during World War II reflected the fate of the Danish
motherland. After the Invasion of Denmark
in 9 April 1940, its colony Greenland
was left on its own. Britain
and Canada
had plans to occupy the island, but the United States
, even though still neutral, disagreed. The Governors of Greenland, Eske Brun
and Aksel Svane, via the 1925 law concerning the ruling of Greenland, declared Greenland a self-ruling territory, believing this to be in the best interests of the colony as Denmark was occupied by the Germans and in consideration of the Monroe Doctrine
.
Nazi Germany
had occupied Denmark in 1940 and although the Danish government was still in power it was heavily influenced by the German occupation force. After failed attempts by the new Greenland government to secure support from the United Kingdom, they turned to the USA. On 9 April 1941 the Danish ambassador Henrik Kauffmann
, against the instructions of his government, signed an agreement with the US government, allowing the presence of American troops and making Greenland a de facto US protectorate
. The cryolite
mine in Ivittuut
was an asset and made it possible for Greenland to manage fairly well during the war. The United States supplied the island and sent patrol boats to survey the east coast of Greenland although this was limited by the ice and bad weather. Eske Brun, reluctant to ask America for large scale help, set about creating a "Greenland Army" known as the North-East Greenland Sledge Patrol, consisting of fifteen men. Their task was to patrol the coast line to discover a possible German landing. The sledge patrol was at the same time an effort to show the Allies the willingness of the Danes to fight against the Axis.
Several times the Germans tried to establish clandestine weather station
s on the eastern coast of the island as this would provide them with invaluable meteorological information both to assist their U-boat
campaign and to predict the weather situation in the European theatre. A few skirmishes took place between the Sledge Patrol and the Germans during the war, resulting in a final German withdrawal from Greenland. In the spring of 1943 and the summer and autumn of 1944 base construction was reported; all these attempts were thwarted by American military action. At the very first discovery in 1943 a German officer was taken prisoner by the Sledge Patrol and taken to the Americans after a long journey over the ice. The last German weather station, Edelweiss II, was overwhelmed by US Army forces and all the German technicians manning the site were taken prisoner on 4 October 1944. The American troops landed from the icebreaker USCGC Eastwind
, which later transferred the prisoners to USCGC Storis
. The German transport ship Externsteine, which was resupplying the station, was seized by the Eastwind, renamed Eastbreeze and commisioned in the United States Coast Guard
.
The Allies used weather data gathered from Greenland to plan the Invasion of Normandy.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
motherland. After the Invasion of Denmark
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
in 9 April 1940, its colony Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
was left on its own. Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
had plans to occupy the island, but the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, even though still neutral, disagreed. The Governors of Greenland, Eske Brun
Eske Brun
Eske Brun was a high civil servant in Greenland and in relation to Greenland from 1932 till 1964.Brun was born in Aalborg in the northern part of Jutland, Denmark. His father died when he was 15 and the family moved to Ordrup north of Copenhagen...
and Aksel Svane, via the 1925 law concerning the ruling of Greenland, declared Greenland a self-ruling territory, believing this to be in the best interests of the colony as Denmark was occupied by the Germans and in consideration of the Monroe Doctrine
Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine is a policy of the United States introduced on December 2, 1823. It stated that further efforts by European nations to colonize land or interfere with states in North or South America would be viewed as acts of aggression requiring U.S. intervention...
.
Nazi Germany
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...
had occupied Denmark in 1940 and although the Danish government was still in power it was heavily influenced by the German occupation force. After failed attempts by the new Greenland government to secure support from the United Kingdom, they turned to the USA. On 9 April 1941 the Danish ambassador Henrik Kauffmann
Henrik Kauffmann
Henrik Kauffmann was the Danish ambassador to the United States during World War II. On April 9, 1941, the anniversary of the German occupation of Denmark, he signed on his own initiative "in the Name of the King" an "Agreement relating to the Defense of Greenland" authorizing the United States...
, against the instructions of his government, signed an agreement with the US government, allowing the presence of American troops and making Greenland a de facto US protectorate
Protectorate
In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity...
. The cryolite
Cryolite
Cryolite is an uncommon mineral identified with the once large deposit at Ivigtût on the west coast of Greenland, depleted by 1987....
mine in Ivittuut
Ivittuut
Ivittuut, was a municipality , located on the coast of Arsuk fjord in southern Greenland. With an area of just 100 km² , it was the smallest municipality of Greenland, bordering on the former Narsaq municipality in the north, east, and south, and on the west by the Labrador Sea...
was an asset and made it possible for Greenland to manage fairly well during the war. The United States supplied the island and sent patrol boats to survey the east coast of Greenland although this was limited by the ice and bad weather. Eske Brun, reluctant to ask America for large scale help, set about creating a "Greenland Army" known as the North-East Greenland Sledge Patrol, consisting of fifteen men. Their task was to patrol the coast line to discover a possible German landing. The sledge patrol was at the same time an effort to show the Allies the willingness of the Danes to fight against the Axis.
Several times the Germans tried to establish clandestine weather station
Weather station
A weather station is a facility, either on land or sea, with instruments and equipment for observing atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasts and to study the weather and climate. The measurements taken include temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, wind speed, wind...
s on the eastern coast of the island as this would provide them with invaluable meteorological information both to assist their U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
campaign and to predict the weather situation in the European theatre. A few skirmishes took place between the Sledge Patrol and the Germans during the war, resulting in a final German withdrawal from Greenland. In the spring of 1943 and the summer and autumn of 1944 base construction was reported; all these attempts were thwarted by American military action. At the very first discovery in 1943 a German officer was taken prisoner by the Sledge Patrol and taken to the Americans after a long journey over the ice. The last German weather station, Edelweiss II, was overwhelmed by US Army forces and all the German technicians manning the site were taken prisoner on 4 October 1944. The American troops landed from the icebreaker USCGC Eastwind
USCGC Eastwind (WAGB-279)
USCGC Eastwind was a United States Coast Guard Wind-class icebreaker.She was laid down in 1942 and launched in 1944. Eastwind ferried 200 US army troops which captured the last German weather station in Greenland, Edelweiss II, on 4 October 1944. She also seized the German trawler Externsteine,...
, which later transferred the prisoners to USCGC Storis
USCGC Storis (WMEC-38)
For the computer software company, see STORIS Management Systems.The USCG medium endurance cutter Storis was the oldest vessel in commission with the United States Coast Guard fleet at 64 years and 5 months. She was the first American vessel to circumnavigate North America.-World War II:The keel...
. The German transport ship Externsteine, which was resupplying the station, was seized by the Eastwind, renamed Eastbreeze and commisioned in the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
.
The Allies used weather data gathered from Greenland to plan the Invasion of Normandy.
See also
- The Sledge Patrol - By David HowarthDavid Armine HowarthDavid Howarth was a British historian and author. After graduating from the University of Cambridge, he was a radio war correspondent for the BBC at the start of World War II. Howarth joined the Navy after the fall of France...
- History of Greenland from the point of view of the US Coast Guard
- Northeast Greenland Sledge Patrol