War North Of 80: The Last German Arctic Weather Station Of World War II

War North of 80 is the personal story of Wilhelm Dege, the leader of the last active German weather station of World War II, code named "Operation Haudegen." In an effort to secure weather data vital for military operations in northwestern Europe during World War II, the German Navy and Air Force secretly established manned weather stations in East Greenland, Svalbard, and Franz Josef Land. <P>Translated from the German by William Barr, War North of 80 describes the mission and its participants from its beginning until they were picked up by Allied troops on May 9, 1945, the last German troops to surrender. Dege’s lively writing describes not just the official weather observation program but also the recreational activities, the ambitious series of hikes around Nordaustlandet, and the hopes and fears of the group as they followed the increasingly dire war situation in Europe. With a detailed introduction, Barr’s translation offers English-speaking readers a rare glimpse into the Germans’ activities in the Arctic during the Second World War. An epilogue by Ekart Dege, Wilhelm’s son, offers insight into the various fates of the expedition members who worked alongside his father.