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For America, World War II started on December 7, 1941. In Europe, however, the war started in September 1939 with Germany’s invasion of Poland. By April 1940, Norway fell to the Weimar Army and Luftwaffe forcing the Norwegian government into exile.
Russia, which joined the war on the side of the Allies on June 22, 1941, needed supplies. Germany sent 3,000,000 men and tanks across the Russian border and caught the Russians by surprise. The United States, which had been supplying the U.K. with supplies under the “Lend Lease” program, extended a similar offer to Russia.
The convoy system that worked well in World War I was reinstituted. Staging from east coast ports in the U.S. and Canada, the lifeline of democracy in Europe was stretched thin. Supplying U.K. and Russian ports, notably Liverpool and Glasgow, in the U.K. and Murmansk in Russia, it became increasingly difficult as German U-boats and aircraft sank ships as fast as they could be built or pressed into service.
Russia, which joined the war on the side of the Allies on June 22, 1941, needed supplies. Germany sent 3,000,000 men and tanks across the Russian border and caught the Russians by surprise. The United States, which had been supplying the U.K. with supplies under the “Lend Lease” program, extended a similar offer to Russia.
The convoy system that worked well in World War I was reinstituted. Staging from east coast ports in the U.S. and Canada, the lifeline of democracy in Europe was stretched thin. Supplying U.K. and Russian ports, notably Liverpool and Glasgow, in the U.K. and Murmansk in Russia, it became increasingly difficult as German U-boats and aircraft sank ships as fast as they could be built or pressed into service.
Jan Mayen Island Six Part Series
Posted from stationhypo.com
WWII World War Two
Russia
United Kingdom
Submarines
Naval/Maritime History
Posted 2 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Against this backdrop the following six part series of our U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard involvement with Jan Mayen begins.
Finding Jan Mayen Island on a map is hard. The island is only 373 square miles – roughly twice the size of Washington D.C. Its northern latitude: 71 degrees north puts it well above the Arctic Circle – northeast of Iceland, between Greenland and Norway. You need to look at a more specialized map of the Arctic region to appreciate the strategic importance of Jan Mayen in protecting the convoys that were the lifeblood of the war effort. U-boats hunted with near impunity in those frigid waters, and the allies needed a direction finding (DF) station for critical lines of bearings to triangulate the enemy.
Jan Mayen was a good location, but conditions were harsh! It was not an easy sell to officials in Washington. There were many issues to resolve and hardships to endure!"
..."Against this backdrop the following six part series of our U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard involvement with Jan Mayen begins.
Finding Jan Mayen Island on a map is hard. The island is only 373 square miles – roughly twice the size of Washington D.C. Its northern latitude: 71 degrees north puts it well above the Arctic Circle – northeast of Iceland, between Greenland and Norway. You need to look at a more specialized map of the Arctic region to appreciate the strategic importance of Jan Mayen in protecting the convoys that were the lifeblood of the war effort. U-boats hunted with near impunity in those frigid waters, and the allies needed a direction finding (DF) station for critical lines of bearings to triangulate the enemy.
Jan Mayen was a good location, but conditions were harsh! It was not an easy sell to officials in Washington. There were many issues to resolve and hardships to endure!"
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