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Weather has played a crucial role in human history, with typhoons, typhoons, and storms causing destruction and defeats. In the 1940s, meteorologists relied on traditional tools like barometers for accurate predictions. The Germans faced a disadvantage in gathering and interpreting weather data due to their lack of colonies in the Arctic regions. After Hitler invaded Denmark and Norway, the Germans turned to Admiral Karl Donitz and his submarines for a solution. However, the Germans' decision to send weather trawlers into North Atlantic waters was a disaster, as they were captured or sunk by the British Royal Navy. The Germans realized that only land-based stations could provide accurate weather data for useful predictions. The remote, desolate areas in which the weather stations were located were also in Allied or anti-Nazi hands, making the task more difficult.
In 1940, Jan Mayen Island, Spitsbergen, and Greenland were ideal locations for gathering and sending weather data due to their remoteness and existing weather stations. Four Norwegian meteorologists, who were shocked by the German invasion, began sending reports to the British and requested help. British authorities dispatched the Fridtjof Nansen to help the meteorologists and garrison the island. However, the ship ran aground, and the stranded Norwegians were stranded in the harsh winter conditions. The Germans took an immediate interest in the situation and formed a weather troop called the Sonderkommando "Graf Finkelstein." The Hinrich Freese, a fishing trawler, was used to transport the teams. The Allies returned to Jan Mayen in March 1941, and a small garrison was added to the island's population. German bombers, including Focke-Wulf Fw-200 Condor bombers, visited the island frequently but inflicted little significant damage. By the end of 1941, the Germans had given up any idea of taking the island, though nuisance bombing raids continued sporadically.
Spitsbergen, a large island in the Svalbard Archipelago, was a significant target for Germans during World War II. The island was strategically important for weather gathering and had valuable coal deposits. After Hitler invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, the Germans attempted to establish weather stations on the island. Operation Gauntlet, a British plan, evacuated the entire population, repatriating Russians and Norwegians to the Soviet Union. The Germans attempted to exploit the vacuum created by the Allied withdrawal, launching a meteorological mission and establishing several German weather stations. However, the Germans left an automated weather station behind, allowing free Norwegian troops to take control of Spitsbergen. In late 1943, Adolf Hitler decided to mount a major raid against Spitsbergen, codenamed Citronella or Sicilian. The German fleet arrived at Spitsbergen, taking the Norwegians by surprise. The Norwegian garrison fought bravely but were overwhelmed, with many escaping into the interior.
The Germans seized Greenland, the largest island in the world, and destroyed all Allied facilities, including the weather station. After their withdrawal, the Allies rebuilt facilities and reoccupied the island. Eske Brun, a Danish king, feared the Germans might establish weather stations or military bases on Greenland's east coast. The Americans advised evacuation to the south, and Brun formed the North East Greenland Sledge Patrol to keep the coast under strict surveillance. The United States also took an active interest in Greenland, and the U.S. Greenland Patrol was organized to support the U.S. Army in constructing air bases in the region. In September 1941, the U.S. Coast Guard discovered a Norwegian fishing trawler named Boscoe, which was captured by a shore party under Lieutenant Leroy McCluskey. The Boscoe is often cited as the first American naval capture of the Second Great War.
In 1943, the Germans made their most successful foray into Greenland, establishing a weather station on Sabine Island near Sliminess. The Greenland Army was formed, with IBM Poulsen becoming a captain. However, the Germans launched a surprise raid on Sliminess, burning it to the ground. The sledge patrollers were captured, and the Sachen crew and its weather team were destroyed. By 1944, the tide of war turned against Germany, and resources were dwindling. The Germans continued to send furtive expeditions to the Arctic, but were eventually captured by the U.S. Coast Guard. The weather war continued in Canada, with meteorologist Dr. Kurt Sommer Meyer setting up an automated weather station on October 22, 1943. The station was only operational for a few days before being forgotten until the 1980s. The station is now on display at the Canadian War Museum, a reminder of a fascinating episode in the history of the Second Great War.
22 май 2024
