Operation Platinum Fox 2005008 221690867 2008-06-25T17:21:41Z Xyl 54 2844289 reverted 13 shoddy edits by 217.140.254.122; read the talk page, and [[User talk:217.140.254.122|your own]] {{unreferenced|date=January 2008}} {{FixBunching|beg}} {{Infobox Military Conflict| conflict=Operation Platinum Fox |colour_scheme=background:#cccccc |image= |caption= |partof=[[World War II]] |place=[[Lapland Province|Lappland]] |date=June-July, [[1941]] |result=Stalemate |combatant1=[[Image:Flag of Germany 1933.svg|22px]] [[Nazi Germany|Germany]] <br> [[Image:Flag of Finland.svg|22px]] [[Finland]] |combatant2=[[Image:Flag of the Soviet Union 1923.svg|22px]] [[Soviet Union]] |commander1=[[Eduard Dietl]] |commander2= Gen. Feodor Sabinev |strength1=40,000 |strength2=10 000 |casualties1=5500 killed, 9000 wounded, 200 lost<br> |casualties2=2500 dead, 4000 wounded, 600 lost |}} {{FixBunching|mid}} {{Campaignbox Arctic 1941-1944}} {{FixBunching|end}} Operation ''Platinfuchs'' ('''Platinum Fox''') was a [[Germany|German]] and [[Finland|Finnish]] military offensive launched during [[World War II]]. Platinfuchs took place on the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]] and had the objective of capturing the [[Barents Sea]] port of [[Murmansk]]. It was part of the overall operation, [[Operation Silver Fox]] (''Silberfuchs''). ==Background== At the launch of [[Operation Barbarossa]] on 22 June 1941, German units of [[AOK Norwegen|Alpine Corps ''Norwegen'']] were sent east from [[Norway]] to occupy Petsamo, in [[Operation Renntier|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 [[Gebirgsjäger|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''). <!-- Note: Petsamo was not ceded to the SO after the Winter War! --> ==Platinum Fox== On 29 June, 1941 the ''Platinfuchs'' phase of ''Silberfuchs'' was launched. [[Gebirgskorps Norwegen|The ''Norwegen'' Corps]] under the command of Generalleutnant [[Eduard Dietl]], consisting of the [[German 2nd Mountain Division]] and [[German 3rd Mountain Division]] and the Finnish [[Ivalo Border Guard Battalion|''Ivalo'' Border Guard Battalion]] crossed the border and advanced on Murmansk. The operation made some progress, but the combination of the rough terrain and the fierce Soviet resistance soon proved too much for the Germans and the offensive was halted. Later it was decided to move the focus of the attack further south, first to the [[German XXXVI Corps|XXXVI Corps]] near Salla, and later to the [[Finnish III Corps (Continuation War)|Finnish III Corps]] near [[Kiestinki]]. ==Conclusion== 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. ==Order of battle== *German **[[German 2nd Mountain Division]] **[[German 3rd Mountain Division]] *Finnish **[[Erillinen Osasto P]] (Finnish Separate Detachment P) **[[Finnish 14th Regiment (Continuation War)|Finnish 14th Regiment]] (14. Rykmentti, with only 2 battalions) *[[Ivalo Border Guard Battalion|''Ivalo'' Border Guard Battalion]] *Soviet **122nd Rifle Division, [[14th Army (Soviet Union)]]<ref>[http://www.feldgrau.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=62690&sid=63852cf553990d99318220a8f1e1e2f6 Feldgrau.net :: View topic - The latest updates for "RKKA in the WW2" site for<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ==Sources and References== <references/> [[Category:Battles and operations of the Eastern Front of World War II]] [[fi:Operaatio platinakettu]] [[sv:Operation Platinfuchs]]