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The raid on Kirkenes and Petsamo (Operation EF) took place on 30 July 1941 during the Second World War. The British Fleet Air Arm launched this unsuccessful raid from the aircraft carriers and to inflict damage on merchant vessels owned by Germany and Finland and to show support for Britain's new ally, the Soviet Union. ==Origins== During the Russian Civil War, Finland declared independence from the Soviet Union and acquired the north port of Petsamo under the Treaty of Tartu (1920). In the Winter War (1939–1940), the Soviet Union occupied all of Petsamo. However, in the following peace agreement, only the Finnish part of the Rybachy Peninsula (fin. ''Kalastajasaarento'') was ceded to the Soviet Union (321 km²/124 mi²). In 1941, during the Continuation War, Petsamo was used by Nazi Germany as a staging area for the attack on Murmansk. Kirkenes is in Norway, which was neutral at the start of the war, but was invaded and occupied by Germany. War officially broke out between Britain and Nazi Germany on 3 September 1939. In November, Joseph Stalin ordered the invasion of Finland and, although they put up a stubborn defense, the Finns had to give up some 10% of the country's total territory after they agreed to sign an armistice in March 1940. Subsequently, Denmark and Norway were invaded in April 1940 and France was defeated in May–June. By June 1940, Britain was the only European country standing against Adolf Hitler. However, after being defeated in the Battle of Britain, Germany focused eastward, invaded the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941 and Finland fought as a co-belligerent, in what is known the Continuation War. Germany's Operation Barbarossa threatened the survival of the Soviet Union. The British decided that the best way to show support for their new ally would be to attack ports occupied by the Axis; the use of carrier-borne aircraft had previously been shown effective at Taranto and against the battleship . 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Raid on Kirkenes and Petsamo」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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