Military operations in Scandinavia and Iceland during World War II

Scandinavia

Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, Iceland and Greenland

Axis

• Birke ("Birch") (1944) — German plan to withdraw from northern Finland prior to the Lapland War
• Birkhahn (1945) — German evacuation from Norway.^[1]
• Büffel ("Buffalo") (1940) — German operation to relieve troops in Narvik, Norway.
• Holzauge ("Wood knot") (1942) — activities in Greenland
• Ikarus (1940) — planned German invasion of Iceland in response to British Operation Fork
• Juno (1940) — German naval operation to disturb allied supplies to Norway.
• Lachsfang (1942) — Proposed combined German and Finnish attack against Kandalaksha and Belomorsk.
• Nordlicht [2] ("Aurora Borealis") (1944) — German withdrawal from the Kola Peninsula into Norway
• Renntier ("Reindeer") (1941) — German occupation of Finnish Petsamo
• Silberfuchs ("Silver Fox") (1941) — German operations in the Arctic, including:
  • Blaufuchs 1 ("Blue Fox 1") (1941) — Staging of German forces from Germany to northern Finland.
  • Blaufuchs 2 ("Blue Fox 2") (1941) — Staging of German forces from Norway to northern Finland.
  • Platinfuchs ("Platinum Fox") (1941) — German attack towards Murmansk from Finnish Petsamo
  • Polarfuchs ("Polar Fox") (1941) — German attack towards Kandalaksha from Finnish Lapland
  • Renntier ("Reindeer") (1941) — German occupation of Petsamo.
• Sizilien (1943) — German raid upon allied occupied Spitsbergen (Svalbard)
• Tanne Ost (1944) — failed German attempt to capture Suursaari from Finland
• Tanne West (1944) — planned German attempt to capture the Åland Islands from Finland
• Weserübung ("Weser Exercise") (1940) — German invasion of Denmark and Norway
  • Weserübung Nord ("Weser Exercise") (1940) — German invasion of Trondheim and Narvik
  • Weserübung Sud ("Weser Exercise") (1940) — German invasion of Bergen, Kristiansand and Oslo
• Zitronella ("Lemon flavour") (1943) — German raid against a Norwegian/British station on Svalbard.

Allies

• Alphabet (1940) evacuation of British troops from Norway
• Archery (1941) — British commando raid on Vågsøy, Norway
  • Anklet (1941) — raid on German positions on Lofoten Islands, Norway
• Carthage (1945) — RAF bombing of the Gestapo headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark
• Catherine (1939) British plan to gain control of Baltic Sea
• Claymore (1941) — British raid on Lofoten Islands, Norway
• Freshman (1942 ) — attempted raid on a Norwegian heavy water plant at Vemork, see Gunnerside
  • Grouse (1942) — Norwegian guide party for Freshman
  • Gunnerside (1943) — 2nd raid on the Norwegian heavy water plant at Vemork
• Fork (1940) — Invasion of Iceland by British.
• Gauntlet (1941) — raid on Spitsbergen
• Jupiter (1942) — suggested invasion of Norway
• Musketoon (1942) — British/ Norwegian destruction of a power station in Norway
• R 4 (1940) — Planned British invasion of Norway
• Source (1945) — British response to German operation Sizilien
• The Sepals/Perianth Operation (1944) — OSS supported operation in Sweden
• Wilfred (1940) — British plan to mine the Norwegian coast

Other

• Rädda Danmark ("Save Denmark") (1945) — Swedish plan to liberate Denmark before the country was occupied by the Soviet Union (cancelled because of German surrender)
  • Rädda Själland (1945) — Swedish landings on Zealand
  • Rädda Bornholm (1945) — Swedish landings on Bornholm

See also

List of World War II military operations

References