Operation Ikarus
Encyclopedia
Operation Ikarus was a World War II
German
plan to invade Iceland
, which had been occupied by British
forces during Operation Fork
in 1940. The German plan was never realized.
The purpose of the British move was to prevent the German invasion of the island. In fact, German dictator Adolf Hitler
was not planning to invade at the time. So, instead of discouraging the Germans, the British occupation only encouraged them.
The German plan was not realized due to the delay of Operation Sea Lion (Unternehmen Seelöwe) and, even though an invasion of Iceland was considered possible, defense and resupply was not.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
plan to invade Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, which had been occupied by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
forces during Operation Fork
Invasion of Iceland
The invasion of Iceland, codenamed Operation Fork, was a British military operation conducted by the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines and a small Canadian task force during World War II....
in 1940. The German plan was never realized.
The purpose of the British move was to prevent the German invasion of the island. In fact, German dictator Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
was not planning to invade at the time. So, instead of discouraging the Germans, the British occupation only encouraged them.
The German plan was not realized due to the delay of Operation Sea Lion (Unternehmen Seelöwe) and, even though an invasion of Iceland was considered possible, defense and resupply was not.
See also
- Expansion operations and planning of the Axis PowersExpansion operations and planning of the Axis PowersPlanning for global territorial expansion of the Axis Powers; Germany, Italy and Japan, progressed before and during the Second World War. This included some special strike plans against the Allied nations .-1939-1940:*Fall Grün Planning for global territorial expansion of the Axis Powers; Germany,...
- Iceland during World War IIIceland during World War IIThe state of Iceland during World War II was that of a sovereign kingdom in personal union with Denmark, with King Christian X as head of state....
- Operation ForkInvasion of IcelandThe invasion of Iceland, codenamed Operation Fork, was a British military operation conducted by the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines and a small Canadian task force during World War II....
- British invasion of IcelandInvasion of IcelandThe invasion of Iceland, codenamed Operation Fork, was a British military operation conducted by the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines and a small Canadian task force during World War II.... - Operation WeserübungOperation WeserübungOperation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
- German invasion of DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and NorwayNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... - History of IcelandHistory of Iceland-Early history:In geological terms, Iceland is a young island. It started to form about 20 million years ago from a series of volcanic eruptions on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge...