Murmansk 1941 : The Failure of Germany's Operation Platinum Fox - David Greentree

Murmansk 1941

The Failure of Germany's Operation Platinum Fox

By: David Greentree, Johnny Shumate (Illustrator)

Paperback | 20 October 2026

At a Glance

Paperback


$47.99

or 4 interest-free payments of $12.00 with

 or 

Available: 20th October 2026

Preorder. Will ship when available.

A highly illustrated look at the failed German and Finnish plan to capture Murmansk, and its consequences on the rest of World War II.

After taking Narvik in 1940, the Germans then deployed further north and took up positions on the Finnish border by June 1941. As part of the larger Operation Silver Fox, Operation Platinum Fox was conducted by a force of German Gebirgsjager, commanded by General Eduard Dietl. Murmansk was critical as it was the only port open year-round and it routinely had Allied convoys arriving to supply materiel to the Russians. The nickel deposits in nearby Finland also had to be protected and defended as they were crucial to German armament production.

Due to the inhospitable environment, Dietl found his avenues of approach limited. Numerous river lines would have to be bridged but the Russian Northern Fleet began to land soldiers to threaten the German lines of communication. After failing twice to cross the Litsa River, Dietl attempted a third try in September, but the Russian soldiers were ready to fight back.

Here, historian David Greentree explores this lesser-known but strategically vital campaign in the Arctic. This was a resounding failure for the German and Finnish troops - Dietl lost over 10,000 men for 15 miles of ground. With stunning artwork, period images and detailed maps, this book highlights why Operation Platinum Fox failed and how that affected the remainder of the war.

More in 20th Century History from 1900 to 2000

1942 : The Crux of War - Jonathan  Parshall

$69.99

A Suitable Man : The Eccentric Empire of Fletcher Jones - Jock Serong
The Rape of Nanking : The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II - Iris Chang
Rasputin : And the Downfall of the Romanovs - Antony Beevor

RRP $55.00

$29.75

46%
OFF
The Origins of Totalitarianism : Penguin Modern Classics - Hannah Arendt
Endurance : Shackleton's Incredible Voyage - Alfred Lansing
The Gulag Archipelago : (Abridged edition) - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

RRP $26.99

$22.99

15%
OFF
Some Men In London Vol. 2 : Queer Life 1960-1967 - Peter Parker

RRP $29.99

$24.99

17%
OFF
Winter War 1939-40 : Repelling the Soviets from Finnish skies - Kari Stenman
The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine - Ilan Pappe

RRP $26.99

$21.75

19%
OFF
A People's Tragedy : The Russian Revolution 1891-1924 - Orlando Figes
Weimar : Life on the Edge of Catastrophe - Katja Hoyer

RRP $69.99

$50.75

27%
OFF
The Coming Storm : Power, Conflict and Warnings from History - Odd Arne Westad