Operation Zarin
Operation Zarin, or Tsarina, was a German Arctic mining mission during World War II. From 24 to 28 September 1942, the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper, escorted by four destroyers (Z23, Z28, Z29 and Z30), laid a field of mines off the northwest coast of Novaya Zemlya in the Arctic Ocean. The operation was commanded by Vice Admiral Oskar Kummetz, and Hipper carried about 96 mines on deck to complete the minefield after Ulm, the German minelayer sunk in August, could no longer be used.
The aim was to push Allied ships away from the Novaya Zemlya area and into range of German bombers based in Norway. The mines were laid between 24 and 26 September, and the ships returned to Kaafjord by 28 September. The minefield had little to no effect, and no Allied ships are known to have struck it, leaving the operation indecisive.
The loss of Ulm reduced Germany’s mining capability, so Zarin was a makeshift solution using Hipper. British intelligence picked up some movement late, but the operation did not significantly disrupt Allied routes.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 21:29 (CET).