Operation Wunderland
Encyclopedia
Operation Wunderland was a large-scale operation undertaken in summer 1942 by the Kriegsmarine
during World War II
in the waters of the Northern Sea Route
close to the Arctic Ocean
. The German
s knew that many ships of the Soviet Navy
had sought refuge in the Kara Sea
because of the protection that its ice pack provided during 10 months of the year. The naval operation to enter the Kara Sea during the summer thaw and destroy as many Russian vessels as possible was named "Operation Wunderland".
On 16 August 1942, — under Kommodore
Wilhelm Meendsen-Bohlken
— left Narvik
and entered the Barents Sea
. Along with it went U-boat
s (Captain Grau) and (Lt. Captain Timm), as well as destroyers Friedrich Eckoldt
, Erich Steinbrinck
and Richard Beitzen
.
and entered the Kara Sea which was fairly free from ice during the short summer. The next day, the Arado Ar 196
seaplane
on board Admiral Scheer flew to Kravkova Island in the Mona Islands
and spotted three groups of Soviet ships there, with icebreakers Lenin
and Krasin
among them. Fog and ice floes, however, prevented the German warships from approaching. When they arrived at the Mona Islands, the Russian ships were gone. Then, Admiral Scheer turned northeast and sped towards the Nordenskiöld Archipelago
.
Despite this initial setback, on 24 August, U-601 sank the Soviet steamer Kuybyshev (2,332 BRT). On the 25th, Admiral Scheer fell upon the Russian icebreaker Sibiryakov
(under the command of Captain Kacharava) right off the northwest coast of Russky Island
at the northern end of the Nordenskiöld Archipelago. After putting up resistance, Sibiryakov was sunk in an unequal battle. Looking for Soviet convoys to destroy, Admiral Scheer headed back to the Mona Islands, but not finding any ships there, it sailed again to the Nordenskiöld Archipelago, trying to straddle the two convoy routes coming from the Vilkitsky Strait
. Since it was not able to find any more Soviet ships, Admiral Scheer decided to head southeast towards Dikson Island in order to attack the Soviet military installations there. With its powerful guns, it caused random destruction ashore at Dikson and badly damaged the ships Dezhnev and Revolutsioner which lay anchored in the harbour. Finally, on 30 August, Admiral Scheer returned to Narvik.
On 8 September, U-251 surfaced close to Uyedineniya Island
and destroyed a Soviet weather station with gunfire.
(NKVD) composed of cargo ships Nord and Komsomolets and light vessels Sh-III and P-IV west of the Yugorsky Strait
. Apparently there were 328 political prisoners of the NKVD on board, out of which 305 men were killed through artillery fire or drowning. Meanwhile, on 20 August, (Lt. Captain Teichert) tried to sink the Soviet icebreaker Feodor Litke
off Belushya Guba
with torpedoes but was unsuccessful. and U-209 emerged and bombarded Soviet targets in Mys Zhelaniya and Khodovarikha
on 25 and 28 August respectively.
. Therefore, the Kriegsmarine campaign only affected the Barents Sea and the Kara Sea. By mid-September, it had to be stopped because of the freezing of the sea surface with thick pack-ice, especially in the Kara Sea, which freezes much earlier because it is not affected by the warmer Atlantic currents.
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
during World War II
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...
in the waters of the Northern Sea Route
Northern Sea Route
The Northern Sea Route is a shipping lane officially defined by Russian legislation from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean specifically running along the Russian Arctic coast from Murmansk on the Barents Sea, along Siberia, to the Bering Strait and Far East. The entire route lies in Arctic...
close to the Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
. The 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...
s knew that many ships of the Soviet Navy
Soviet Navy
The Soviet Navy was the naval arm of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy would have played an instrumental role in a Warsaw Pact war with NATO, where it would have attempted to prevent naval convoys from bringing reinforcements across the Atlantic Ocean...
had sought refuge in the Kara Sea
Kara Sea
The Kara Sea is part of the Arctic Ocean north of Siberia. It is separated from the Barents Sea to the west by the Kara Strait and Novaya Zemlya, and the Laptev Sea to the east by the Severnaya Zemlya....
because of the protection that its ice pack provided during 10 months of the year. The naval operation to enter the Kara Sea during the summer thaw and destroy as many Russian vessels as possible was named "Operation Wunderland".
On 16 August 1942, — under Kommodore
Kommodore
Kommodore is a German rank equivalent to Commodore. Kommodore originated as a title used by some Captains in World War I. A German Commodore could hold any naval rank between Lieutenant and Captain and the title of Commodore was held by those officers who held tactical control over more than one...
Wilhelm Meendsen-Bohlken
Wilhelm Meendsen-Bohlken
Wilhelm Gerhard Oskar Julius Meendsen-Bohlken was a Vizeadmiral with the Kriegsmarine during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
— left Narvik
Narvik
is the third largest city and municipality in Nordland county, Norway by population. Narvik is located on the shores of the Narvik Fjord . The municipality is part of the Ofoten traditional region of North Norway, inside the arctic circle...
and entered the Barents Sea
Barents Sea
The Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Norway and Russia. Known in the Middle Ages as the Murman Sea, the sea takes its current name from the Dutch navigator Willem Barents...
. Along with it went U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s (Captain Grau) and (Lt. Captain Timm), as well as destroyers Friedrich Eckoldt
German destroyer Z16 Friedrich Eckoldt
Z16 Friedrich Eckoldt was a built for the German Navy in the mid-1930s. At the beginning of World War II, the ship was initially deployed to blockade the Polish coast, but she was quickly transferred to the German Bight to lay minefields in German waters...
, Erich Steinbrinck
German destroyer Z15 Erich Steinbrinck
Z15 Erich Steinbrinck was a built for the German Navy in the mid-1930s.-External links:*...
and Richard Beitzen
German destroyer Z4 Richard Beitzen
The German destroyer Z4 Richard Beitzen was a Type 1934 destroyer in the German Kriegsmarine, named after Richard Beitzen who commanded the 14th Torpedo boat flotilla in World War I and was killed in action in March 1918....
.
Kara Sea
On 19 August, the German fleet rounded Cape ZhelaniyaCape Zhelaniya
Cape Zhelaniya . It lies at the northern end of Severny Island, in Novaya Zemlya, Russia. The whole area is a desolate place, exposed to bitter Arctic winters....
and entered the Kara Sea which was fairly free from ice during the short summer. The next day, the Arado Ar 196
Arado Ar 196
-See also:-Bibliography:* Dabrowski, Hans-Peter and Koos, Volker. Arado Ar 196, Germany's Multi-Purpose Seaplane. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military History, 1993. ISBN 0-88740-481-2....
seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
on board Admiral Scheer flew to Kravkova Island in the Mona Islands
Mona Islands
The Mona Islands is a group of a few scattered small islands covered with tundra vegetation. They are located in the Kara Sea, about 30 km north of the western coast of the Taymyr Peninsula in Siberia, Russia....
and spotted three groups of Soviet ships there, with icebreakers Lenin
Lenin (icebreaker)
Icebreaker Lenin, built at Newcastle upon Tyne and completed in June 1917, was the largest Russian icebreaker of her time. Her design was supervised by Russian naval architect and author Yevgeny Zamyatin. This icebreaker was named St...
and Krasin
Krasin (1916 icebreaker)
The first icebreaker Krasin was built for the Imperial Russian Navy as Svyatogor. She had a long, distinguished career in rescue operations, as well as a pathfinder and explorer of the Northern Sea Route...
among them. Fog and ice floes, however, prevented the German warships from approaching. When they arrived at the Mona Islands, the Russian ships were gone. Then, Admiral Scheer turned northeast and sped towards the Nordenskiöld Archipelago
Nordenskiöld Archipelago
The Nordenskiöld Archipelago or Nordenskjold Archipelago is a very large and complex cluster of islands in the eastern region of the Kara Sea. Its eastern limit lies west of the Taymyr Peninsula....
.
Despite this initial setback, on 24 August, U-601 sank the Soviet steamer Kuybyshev (2,332 BRT). On the 25th, Admiral Scheer fell upon the Russian icebreaker Sibiryakov
Icebreaker Sibiryakov
The icebreaker Sibiryakov was a Soviet ship which was active in the Russian Arctic during the 1930s. She was built in 1909 in Glasgow and was originally the Newfoundland sealing steamer Bellaventure. After being purchased by Russia in 1916, she was renamed the Sibiryakov...
(under the command of Captain Kacharava) right off the northwest coast of Russky Island
Russky Island (Kara Sea)
Russky Island , also spelt Russkyy and Russkiy, meaning "Russian Island", is an island in the Kara Sea. It is located in the Litke Islands subgroup of the Nordenskiöld Archipelago. With and area of 309 km², Russky is the biggest island in the whole archipelago...
at the northern end of the Nordenskiöld Archipelago. After putting up resistance, Sibiryakov was sunk in an unequal battle. Looking for Soviet convoys to destroy, Admiral Scheer headed back to the Mona Islands, but not finding any ships there, it sailed again to the Nordenskiöld Archipelago, trying to straddle the two convoy routes coming from the Vilkitsky Strait
Vilkitsky Strait
Vilkitsky Strait is a strait between the Taimyr Peninsula and Bolshevik Island in the Severnaya Zemlya archipelago. The strait connects the Kara and Laptev Seas. The length of the Vilkitsky Strait is 104 km, the width – approx. 55 km, and the depth – between 32 and 210 m. It is...
. Since it was not able to find any more Soviet ships, Admiral Scheer decided to head southeast towards Dikson Island in order to attack the Soviet military installations there. With its powerful guns, it caused random destruction ashore at Dikson and badly damaged the ships Dezhnev and Revolutsioner which lay anchored in the harbour. Finally, on 30 August, Admiral Scheer returned to Narvik.
On 8 September, U-251 surfaced close to Uyedineniya Island
Uyedineniya Island
Uyedineniya Island is an island located in the central part of the Kara Sea, roughly midway between Novaya Zemlya and Severnaya Zemlya. Its latitude is 77° 29' N and its longitude 82° 30' E...
and destroyed a Soviet weather station with gunfire.
Barents Sea
Among the Kriegsmarine vessels operating in the Barents Sea during the "Wunderland" operation, (Lt. Captain Brodda) sank, on 17 August, a transport convoy of the Soviet Secret ServiceNKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
(NKVD) composed of cargo ships Nord and Komsomolets and light vessels Sh-III and P-IV west of the Yugorsky Strait
Yugorsky Strait
The Yugorsky Strait is a narrow sound between the Kara Sea and the Pechora Sea. Its maximum width is 10 km and its minimum width only 3 km...
. Apparently there were 328 political prisoners of the NKVD on board, out of which 305 men were killed through artillery fire or drowning. Meanwhile, on 20 August, (Lt. Captain Teichert) tried to sink the Soviet icebreaker Feodor Litke
Icebreaker Feodor Litke
The icebreaker Fyodor Litke was active in the Soviet era in the Arctic, until the late 1950s. It was built in 1909 in England for the Saint Lawrence River service and initially named CGC Earl Grey after Albert Grey, Governor General of Canada...
off Belushya Guba
Belushya Guba
Belushya Guba is an urban locality and the administrative center of Novaya Zemlya District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located in the southwestern portion of the Southern Island of the Novaya Zemlya arctic archipelago. Population:...
with torpedoes but was unsuccessful. and U-209 emerged and bombarded Soviet targets in Mys Zhelaniya and Khodovarikha
Khodovarikha
Khodovarikha is a point in the coast of the Pechora Sea located on a landspit projecting eastwards over the bay. Latitude: 68° 57' Longitude: 53° 45'...
on 25 and 28 August respectively.
Conclusion
Operation Wunderland was only moderately successful. Owing to bad weather conditions and the abundance of ice floes, the vessels taking part in Operation Wunderland did not venture beyond the Vilkitsky StraitVilkitsky Strait
Vilkitsky Strait is a strait between the Taimyr Peninsula and Bolshevik Island in the Severnaya Zemlya archipelago. The strait connects the Kara and Laptev Seas. The length of the Vilkitsky Strait is 104 km, the width – approx. 55 km, and the depth – between 32 and 210 m. It is...
. Therefore, the Kriegsmarine campaign only affected the Barents Sea and the Kara Sea. By mid-September, it had to be stopped because of the freezing of the sea surface with thick pack-ice, especially in the Kara Sea, which freezes much earlier because it is not affected by the warmer Atlantic currents.