Basis Nord

Basis Nord – a secret naval base of the German Navy (Kriegsmarine in German) located in Nerpichya Harbor in Great Western Litza ca. 45 km from the entrance to the Kola Bay in the Barents Sea. It was provided to Germany by the Soviet Union in 1939. A fishing farm that had been there before was relocated to Karelia in one night. The plan was to use this base to counter navigation of English ships in northern seas, link Germany to Japan, and support the offensive of the German Mountain Corps Norway on Murmansk and German military actions in the Arctic after Germany had occupied Norway in 1940 and attacked the Soviet Union in 1941. In August 1940, B.N. was used to escort German cruiser Komet to Japan via the Northern Sea Route, disguised along its way under the names of Semen Dezhnev and Dunai in the Soviet Arctic and Tokyo Maru in the Pacific. In the fall of 1940, Germany decided to close the base. It is assumed that B.N. bore relation to the disappearance of the Soviet submarine Dekabrist...