Operation Polarfuchs

Operation Arctic Fox

A column from Panzerabteilung 40 during the advance on the Murmansk railway, 1941.

Date	1 July 1941 – 17 November 1941
Location	Salla, Kestenga, Alakurtti, Verman River
Result	Stalemate

Belligerents

Nazi Germany

Finland

Soviet Union

Commanders and leaders

Strength

XXXVI Corps

III Corps

14th Army

(reinforcements)
Grivnik brigade(reinforcements)

7th Army

54th Rifle Division

Casualties and losses

XXXVI Corps: 9,463 men
III Corps: unknown

Heavy casualties

Operation Arctic Fox (German: Unternehmen Polarfuchs, Russian: Кандалакшская операция) was the codename of a World War II campaign by German and Finnish forces against Soviet Northern Front at Salla, Finland in July 1941. The objective of Operation Arctic Fox was the capture of Salla and an advance towards Kandalaksha to block the railway to Murmansk. The operation was part of Operation Silver Fox, meant capture Murmansk. Arctic Fox was simultaneous with Operation Platinum Fox in northeren Lappland.

A combined operation, it included experienced Finnish arctic troops with less prepared German forces from Norway. Salla was captured after fierce fighting, but the German troops were unable to overcome the pre-war Soviet border fortifications further east. The Finnish units made better progress and came to within 30 km (19 mi) of the Murmansk railway. Substantial Soviet reinforcements prevented any further advance. The Germans were unwilling to assign more units to the theater due to the situation in Central Russia and called an end to their offensive; the Finns did not continue their attack due to diplomatic pressure from the United States. Arctic Fox ended in November 1941.

The German High Command (OKW) included Finland in its plan for its major offensive against the Soviet Union: Operation Barbarossa. A joint Finnish-German offensive named Operation Silver Fox was planned to support the Germany's main effort in central Russia. The goal of Silver Fox was to capture or disable the port of Murmansk, which was to be a major destination for Western Allied shipping aid to the Soviet Union, by executing pincer attack against it. The southern pincer of the attack was named Operation Arctic Fox and was launched from the Kemijärvi region of Central Finland against the defenses at Salla.

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Wikipedia