Hitler’s instruction
Hitler’s instruction (Nr. 37) dated 10 October 1941 mandated the Naval force to protect the Arctic as German zones and attack maritime traffic of the enemy in Northern Norway of the enemy. This attack called for a close cooperation between the naval and the air forces to keep off enemies from stronghold of the Germans both at and within sea. By 14 December, 1941, Hitler resonated the development of infrastructure along the coastlines to protect the German Northern Front from future possibilities of allies taking over the region and trading with the Soviet Union as they controlled the Baltic. Subsequent meetings with Admiral Raeder, including that of 29 December 1941 and 12 January 1942 resulted in a directive to redeploy German warships as a response to an enemy threat concerning Norway control, Trondheim and Kirkenes were the main points of focus. This decision was made in the belief that the US and the British were coordinating an attack aimed at the Northern area. The CINC of the Luftwaffe, Hermann Goring, was to leverage air forces in Norway besides other developments including redeployment of fast-attack crafts, increase in artillery and other war machinery. By February of 1942, the Germans had strongly deployed a significant amount of their surface forces to Northern Norway, including U-boats in the waters.
Western allies knew how much keeping the Soviets on their side was vital to win over Nazi Germany, and they made a decision to supply Russia with war machinery. The most preferred routes proved to be the most dangerous and the alternatives included from the Pacific to Vladivostock, through the Persian Corridor which was from Southern Atlantic around Cape of Good Hope to the Port of Basra or the Arctic Route which went across Northern Atlantic to Iceland getting into Ports of Arkhangelsk in North Russia. Weighing on the costs and benefits of each route, the first Pacific route up into Vladivostock passed near Japan and therefore was the longest and least inconvenient of the three options. In addition, the relationship between Japan and the US was hostile. The second route through the Persian Corridor had to wait till the Mediterranean was open using approximately seventy six days from US east coast to Port of Basra. The third option of the Arctic Route took the least time but was the most endangering as they had to face the German air force, naval forces, surface ships and U- boats besides the extreme sea conditions that hampered sailing. However, the Soviet settled on the third option due to time constraints.