Editing Continuation War (section)

===Operation Silver Fox in Lapland and Lend-Lease to Murmansk===
[[File:Warriors of Lapland.jpg|thumb|Finnish [[Sámi peoples|Sámi]] soldier Rájá-Jovnna<ref name="yle-11335441">{{cite news |last=Rasmus |first=Linnea |date=5 May 2020 |title=Ohcejohkalaš Rájá-Jovnna šattai Ruošša vuoitobeaivvi modeallan – Bárdni: "Hervii gal, gádden giinu leaikkastallá" |url=https://yle.fi/a/3-11335441 |work=Yle Sápmi |access-date=31 March 2023 |language=se |archive-date=30 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330213135/https://yle.fi/a/3-11335441 |url-status=live }}</ref> with a [[reindeer]] in Lapland. Reindeer were used in many capacities, such as pulling supply sleighs in snowy conditions.]]

{{Main|Operation Silver Fox|Lend-Lease}}

The German objective in Finnish Lapland was to take Murmansk and cut the Kirov (Murmansk) Railway running from Murmansk to Leningrad by capturing Salla and [[Kandalaksha]]. Murmansk was the only year-round [[Port#Warm-water port|ice-free port]] in the north and a threat to the nickel mine at Petsamo. The joint Finnish–German Operation Silver Fox ({{langx|de|Unternehmen Silberfuchs}}; {{langx|fi|operaatio Hopeakettu|links=no}}) was started on 29 June 1941 by the German Army of Norway, which had the [[Finnish 3rd Division (Continuation War)|Finnish 3rd]] and [[Finnish 6th Division (Continuation War)|6th Divisions]] under its command, against the defending Soviet 14th Army and [[54th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)|54th Rifle Division]]. By November, the operation had stalled {{convert|30|km|mi|abbr=on}} from the Kirov Railway due to unacclimatised German troops, heavy Soviet resistance, poor terrain, arctic weather and diplomatic pressure by the United States on the Finns regarding the lend-lease deliveries to Murmansk. The offensive and its three sub-operations failed to achieve their objectives. Both sides dug in and the arctic theatre remained stable, excluding minor skirmishes, until the Soviet [[Petsamo–Kirkenes Offensive]] in October 1944.{{sfn|Mann|Jörgensen|2016|pp=81–97, 199–200}}{{sfn|Vehviläinen|2002|p=95}}

The crucial [[Arctic convoys of World War II|arctic lend-lease convoys]] from the US and the UK via Murmansk and Kirov Railway to the bulk of the Soviet forces continued throughout World War II. The US supplied almost [[United States dollar|$]]11 billion in materials: 400,000 jeeps and trucks; 12,000 armored vehicles (including 7,000 tanks, which could equip some 20 US armoured divisions); 11,400 aircraft; and {{convert|1.75|e6ST|e6t|abbr=unit|order=flip}} of food.{{sfn|Weeks|2004|p=9}}{{sfn|Stewart|2010|p=158}} As a similar example, British shipments of Matilda, Valentine and Tetrarch tanks accounted for only 6% of total Soviet tank production, but over 25% of medium and heavy tanks produced for the Red Army.{{sfn|Suprun|1997|p=35}}