Operation Rentier

Operation Rentier (Reindeer) was a German operation during World War II intended to secure the nickel mines around Petsamo in Finland, against a Soviet attack in the event of a renewed war between Finland and the Soviet Union.

This article is about the German military operation. For other uses of the term, see Operation Reindeer (disambiguation).
Operation Reindeer
Part of Operation Silver Fox of the Arctic Theater
Date22 June 1941
Location
Petsamo, Finland
Result German victory
Belligerents
 Germany  Soviet Union
Units involved
2nd Mountain Division
3rd Mountain Division		 Unknown
Strength
27,500 men[1] Unknown

The planning for the operation started on 13 August 1940, after the German occupation of Norway was complete, and was finalized in October that year. The plan called for the two divisions of the Alpine Corps Norwegen to occupy Petsamo and prevent Soviet capture of strategically important mines.

The operation was carried out by the Wehrmacht as part of Operation Barbarossa, the German attack on the Soviet Union. The operation commenced on 22 June 1941; the 2nd Mountain Division occupied the area around Liinakhamari and the 3rd Mountain Division occupied Luostari. The operation was followed up by Operation Platinum Fox, which was an attack by the two divisions against Murmansk as a part of the larger Operation Silver Fox.

References
  1. Mann & Jörgensen (2002), p. 81

Bibliography
  • Mann, Chris M. & Jörgensen, Christer (2002), Hitlers Arctic War , Hersham, UK: Ian Allan Publishing Ltd., ISBN 0-7110-2899-0
  • Ueberschär, Gerd R. (1998). "Strategy and Policy in Northern Europe". In Boog, Horst; Förster, Jürgen; Hoffmann, Joachim; Klink, Ernst; Müller, Rolf-Dieter; Ueberschär, Gerd R. (eds.). The Attack on the Soviet Union. Germany and the Second World War. IV. Translated by McMurry, Dean S.; Osers, Ewald; Willmot, Louise. Militärgeschichtliches Forschungsamt (Military History Research Office (Germany) ). Oxford: Clarendon Press. pp. 941–1020. ISBN 0-19-822886-4.


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