Operation Rentier

This article is about the German military operation. For other uses of the term, see Operation Reindeer (disambiguation).

Operation Rentier (Operation 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.

Operation Reindeer
Part of Operation Silver Fox of the Arctic Theater
Date 22 June 1941 Location Petsamo, Finland 64°N 26°E / 64°N 26°E / 64; 26 Result German victory
Belligerents
Germany	Soviet Union
Units involved
2nd Mountain Division 3rd Mountain Division
Strength
27,500 ^[1]

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 Gebirgskorps Norwegen to occupy Petsamo and prevent Soviet capture of the mines.

The operation was carried out by the Wehrmacht as part of Operation Barbarossa, the German attack on the Soviet Union and began 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.

Sources

• Mann, Chris M.; Jörgensen, Christer (2002). Hitler's Arctic War. Hersham: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-2899-0.

Further reading

• 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.). Germany and the Second World War: The Attack on the Soviet Union. Vol. IV. Translated by McMurry, Dean S.; Osers, Ewald; Willmot, Louise (trans. Clarendon Press ed.). Oxford: Militärgeschichtliches Forschungsamt Military History Research Office (Germany). pp. 941–1020. ISBN 0-19-822886-4.