In mid-1943, Hitler began to take an interest in the Weather War. Frustrated by the inactivity of his navy's major surface ships, he asked if they couldn't be used to do something about the Allied presence on Spitzbergen. The result was "Operation Zitronella," an amphibious raid on that island.

Supported by the battleship Tirpitz, the battlecruiser Scharnhorst, and nine destroyers, the plan called for landing an entire infantry battalion. They approached the main settlement at dawn on 7 September, quickly suppressed the Free Norwegian battery of 3-inch guns there, and began to land troops at the main pier. The entire operation was completed in four hours.

On the debit side, German fire coordination was poor, with the battleship at one point shelling their own infantry, and much of the Norwegian garrison managed to escape in the confusion. The Germans did manage to capture the garrison commander, though, along with most of his files. All the facilities, including the weather stations, were destroyed.

Feldpost M 30162

Feldpost M 23657

1940

Feldpost M 01923

1942

Feldpost M 24888

1943

Feltpost M 14891

1940

1944

1944

Feldpost M 24212

Feldpost M 42903

1942

Feldpost M 00195

1942

Feldpost M 26896

1942

Feldpost M 00603

1942

Feldpost M 51707

Feldpost Nr. 09548

Rgst. Stab
 

16748D = 11. Kompanie