Operation Platinum Fox
Encyclopedia
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
. It was part of a larger operation, called Operation Silver Fox
(Silberfuchs).
on 22 June 1941, German units of Alpine Corps Norwegen were sent east from Norway
to occupy Petsamo, in Operation Reindeer
(Renntier). There they joined Finnish forces poised on the border of Soviet territory. These divisions of Norwegen were, for the most part, elite mountain troops
specially trained to operate above the Arctic Circle
. As part of Barbarossa, the Finnish-German forces were to launch Operation Silver Fox
(Silberfuchs), aimed at attacking Murmansk from two directions. The first assault from Finnish Petsamo was codenamed Platinfuchs. The second attack aimed first to attack Kandalaksha
from Salla
and then threaten Murmansk from the south. This operation was codenamed Operation Arctic Fox
(Polarfuchs).
, consisting of the German 2nd Mountain Division
and German 3rd Mountain Division
and the Finnish Ivalo Border Guard Battalion crossed the border and proceeded on Murmansk. The initial advance was slow. The German offensive met with lots of problems from the first day of the offensive on, as the rough terrain with bad roads made any advance difficult. The German units also lacked proper maps and had to advance mostly through unknown terrain.
The two divisions advanced in two directions. In the south the 2nd Mountain Division was able to penetrate the Soviet lines at the Titovka Valley
in one day after fierce fighting and secured a bridge over the river. In the north the 3rd Mountain Division also made good progress in the first hours to secure the neck of the Rybachy Peninsula.
Nevertheless the offensive soon met with heavy Soviet resistance, especially from units of the Soviet Northern Fleet. After a heavy Soviet counterattack, the Germans resumed their offensive to the east to the Litsa River
. With the element of surprise lost, the Germans were only able to establish a small bridgehead over the river. After a heavy Soviet counterattack on 7 July, Dietl requested more reinforcements, but he received only a motorized machine-gun battalion from Norway.
On 10 July a new plan had to be made, after a copy of the offensive plan fell into Russian hands. The 2nd Mountain Division had to expand the bridgehead, while the 3rd Mountain Division had to advance on the south and establish another bridgehead. The renewed attack was again initially successful, but after the Soviets landed with two battalions on the other side of the Litsa Bay, Dietl had to stop the offensive. Things now become more and more worse for the Germans, as the thinly stretched forces had to hold a 57 km long frontline along the Litsa River to the Rybachy Peninsula. With the absence of roads, the supply situation also detorieted and the offensive stalled. Dietl asked for more reinforcements and Hitler, after initially being reluctant, agreed to transfer the 6th Mountain Division to Dietl's command. After more arguing, in August the 388th and 9th SS Regiments were also assigned to the operation.
Dietl now made plans to renew the offensive, with the fresh SS regiments leading the assault, in September before the onset of the winter would make it difficult to fight. But a combination of British and Soviet surface ships and aircraft, which constantly attacked German shipping to the northern ports, hampered the arrival of reinforcements and supply and would delay the arrival of the 6th Mountain Division to October. Nevertheless on 8 September Dietl started with the renewed offensive without the 6th Mountain Division. The initial assault failed badly and the SS regiments, untrained for arctic warfare, took heavy casualties. The Germans made some progress, but a Soviet counterattack stopped the offensive immediately. Constant attacks by Soviet submarines and British surface ships (consisting of a force of two aircraft carriers, two cruisers and six destroyers) also sunk numerous German ships and worsened the supply situation even more. For this reason von Falkenhorst prohibited German shipping from sailing east of the North Cape
on 13 September. Hitler again pressured to continue the offensive, but Dietl made it clear, that with the dire supply situation and without further reinforcements no further advance was possible. More Soviet reinforcments arrived in the area and on 21 September the German offensive was broken off. On mid-October the 2nd Mountain Division withdrew to Petsamo and the 6th Mountain Division replaced the 3rd Mountain Division along the Litsa line.
hampered German efforts to adequately supply his forces and the general unwillingness of the German High Command to reinforce something which they consider as a secondary theater paved the way for the only successful Soviet resiestance in the early stages of Operation Barbarossa
. The failure of Platinfuchs had a major impact on the course of the war in the east. Over the course of the War, the Soviet Union
received over a quarter of its Lend-Lease
supplies through the port of Murmansk, contributing to its continued resistance.
Under the direct command of AOK Lappland
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...
military offensive launched 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...
. Platinfuchs took place on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
and had the objective of capturing the Barents Sea
Barents Sea
The Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Norway and Russia. Known in the Middle Ages as the Murman Sea, the sea takes its current name from the Dutch navigator Willem Barents...
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...
. It 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).
Background
At the launch of Operation BarbarossaOperation 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...
on 22 June 1941, German units of Alpine Corps Norwegen were sent east from Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
to occupy Petsamo, in Operation Reindeer
Operation Renntier
Operation Renntier was a German operation during World War II intended to secure the nickel-mines around Petsamo, in Finland, against Soviet attack in the event of a renewed war between Finland and the Soviet Union....
(Renntier). There they joined Finnish forces poised on the border of Soviet territory. These divisions of Norwegen were, for the most part, elite mountain troops
Gebirgsjäger
Gebirgsjäger, in English Mountain Riflemen, is the German designation for mountain infantry. The word Jäger is the traditional German term for rifleman...
specially trained to operate above the Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
. As part of Barbarossa, the Finnish-German forces were to launch 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), aimed at attacking Murmansk from two directions. The first assault from Finnish Petsamo was codenamed Platinfuchs. The second attack aimed first to attack 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...
from 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....
and then threaten Murmansk from the south. This operation was codenamed Operation Arctic Fox
Operation Arctic Fox
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 which aimed in capturing the vital port of...
(Polarfuchs).
Platinum Fox
On 29 June 1941 the Platinfuchs phase of Silberfuchs was launched. The Norwegen Corps under the command of Generalleutnant Eduard DietlEduard Dietl
Eduard Dietl was a German general of World War II. He was born in Bad Aibling, Bavaria. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
, consisting of the German 2nd Mountain Division
German 2nd Mountain Division
The German 2nd Mountain Division was raised in 1938 from the former Austrian 6th Mountain Division and German mountain troops. It fought as part of Army Group South during the Invasion of Poland , then took part in the invasion of Norway in 1940, and attempted to relieve the beleaguered 3rd...
and German 3rd Mountain Division
German 3rd Mountain Division
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:...
and the Finnish Ivalo Border Guard Battalion crossed the border and proceeded on Murmansk. The initial advance was slow. The German offensive met with lots of problems from the first day of the offensive on, as the rough terrain with bad roads made any advance difficult. The German units also lacked proper maps and had to advance mostly through unknown terrain.
The two divisions advanced in two directions. In the south the 2nd Mountain Division was able to penetrate the Soviet lines at the Titovka Valley
Titovka River
Titovka River is a river in the north of the Kola Peninsula in Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It is 83 km in length. The Titovka River originates in the Koškajavr and flows into the Motovsky Gulf of Barents Sea. Its biggest tributary is the Valasjoki....
in one day after fierce fighting and secured a bridge over the river. In the north the 3rd Mountain Division also made good progress in the first hours to secure the neck of the Rybachy Peninsula.
Nevertheless the offensive soon met with heavy Soviet resistance, especially from units of the Soviet Northern Fleet. After a heavy Soviet counterattack, the Germans resumed their offensive to the east to the Litsa River
Zapadnaya Litsa River
Zapadnaya Litsa River is a river in the north of the Kola Peninsula in Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It is 107 km in length. The area of its basin is 1,190 km². The Zapadnaya Litsa River originates on the Kuchintundra and flows into the Barents Sea...
. With the element of surprise lost, the Germans were only able to establish a small bridgehead over the river. After a heavy Soviet counterattack on 7 July, Dietl requested more reinforcements, but he received only a motorized machine-gun battalion from Norway.
On 10 July a new plan had to be made, after a copy of the offensive plan fell into Russian hands. The 2nd Mountain Division had to expand the bridgehead, while the 3rd Mountain Division had to advance on the south and establish another bridgehead. The renewed attack was again initially successful, but after the Soviets landed with two battalions on the other side of the Litsa Bay, Dietl had to stop the offensive. Things now become more and more worse for the Germans, as the thinly stretched forces had to hold a 57 km long frontline along the Litsa River to the Rybachy Peninsula. With the absence of roads, the supply situation also detorieted and the offensive stalled. Dietl asked for more reinforcements and Hitler, after initially being reluctant, agreed to transfer the 6th Mountain Division to Dietl's command. After more arguing, in August the 388th and 9th SS Regiments were also assigned to the operation.
Dietl now made plans to renew the offensive, with the fresh SS regiments leading the assault, in September before the onset of the winter would make it difficult to fight. But a combination of British and Soviet surface ships and aircraft, which constantly attacked German shipping to the northern ports, hampered the arrival of reinforcements and supply and would delay the arrival of the 6th Mountain Division to October. Nevertheless on 8 September Dietl started with the renewed offensive without the 6th Mountain Division. The initial assault failed badly and the SS regiments, untrained for arctic warfare, took heavy casualties. The Germans made some progress, but a Soviet counterattack stopped the offensive immediately. Constant attacks by Soviet submarines and British surface ships (consisting of a force of two aircraft carriers, two cruisers and six destroyers) also sunk numerous German ships and worsened the supply situation even more. For this reason von Falkenhorst prohibited German shipping from sailing east of the North Cape
North Cape, Norway
North Cape is a cape on the island of Magerøya in Northern Norway, in the municipality of Nordkapp. Its 307 m high, steep cliff is often referred to as the northernmost point of Europe, located at , 2102.3 km from the North Pole. However, the neighbouring point Knivskjellodden is actually...
on 13 September. Hitler again pressured to continue the offensive, but Dietl made it clear, that with the dire supply situation and without further reinforcements no further advance was possible. More Soviet reinforcments arrived in the area and on 21 September the German offensive was broken off. On mid-October the 2nd Mountain Division withdrew to Petsamo and the 6th Mountain Division replaced the 3rd Mountain Division along the Litsa line.
Conclusion
Operation Platinum Fox was a German failure. Although Dietl was able to make some ground, his insufficent forces were soon stopped by the Soviets. The presence of British-Soviet naval forces at the Barents SeaBarents Sea
The Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Norway and Russia. Known in the Middle Ages as the Murman Sea, the sea takes its current name from the Dutch navigator Willem Barents...
hampered German efforts to adequately supply his forces and the general unwillingness of the German High Command to reinforce something which they consider as a secondary theater paved the way for the only successful Soviet resiestance in the early stages of 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...
. The failure of Platinfuchs had a major impact on the course of the war in the east. Over the course of the War, the Soviet Union
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....
received over a quarter of its Lend-Lease
Lend-Lease
Lend-Lease was the program under which the United States of America supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, China, Free France, and other Allied nations with materiel between 1941 and 1945. It was signed into law on March 11, 1941, a year and a half after the outbreak of war in Europe in...
supplies through the port of Murmansk, contributing to its continued resistance.
German
- German 2nd Mountain DivisionGerman 2nd Mountain DivisionThe German 2nd Mountain Division was raised in 1938 from the former Austrian 6th Mountain Division and German mountain troops. It fought as part of Army Group South during the Invasion of Poland , then took part in the invasion of Norway in 1940, and attempted to relieve the beleaguered 3rd...
- German 3rd Mountain DivisionGerman 3rd Mountain DivisionThe 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:...
Under the direct command of AOK Lappland
- Finnish Separate Detachment (Petsamo) (Erillinen Osasto (Petsamo))
- 14th Finnish Infantry Regiment (Jalkaväkirykmentti 14 (JR 14))
- -III Battalion (-III Pataljoona)
Soviet
- 14th Rifle Division14th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)The 14th Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Red Army from 1922 to 1944.It was formed in Moscow 1 Jul 1922.During the Winter War, it covered the state border in the north and north-east coast of the Kola Peninsula in the Murmansk Group....
- 52nd Rifle Division
- Polyamy Division
- Several non assigned units