[Robert A Cook PE]

True, an abandoned German base in the Arctic was likely found.

But more likely a weather station (for aircraft - most important- but also ships and subs fighting the Murmansk-bound convoys) and radio-relay base for command and recon. No search plane is going to go out on a 6-10 hour mission over the Arctic without knowing (or even trying to guess) what the weather is over the flight path.

[az_gila]

True, an abandoned German base in the Arctic was likely found.

But more likely a weather station (for aircraft - most important- but also ships and subs fighting the Murmansk-bound convoys) and radio-relay base for command and recon. No search plane is going to go out on a 6-10 hour mission over the Arctic without knowing (or even trying to guess) what the weather is over the flight path.

-----------------------------------------------

The convoys travelling the route you mention suffered amazing hardships in WWII. This book is an amazing read -

Reading the book it appears most of the convoy attacks came from U-boats and aircraft, so a German weather station would have been vital to report weather in that inhospitable area.

And, as seemed to happen often, some of the disasters were from bad leadership decisions -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convoy_PQ_17

As the book title suggest the sailors actions were largely forgotten and the Royal Navy didn't even have a medal for their convoy duty. This was rectified only a few years ago.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2250499/Arctic-Convoy-heroes-finally-receive-medal-70-years-risking-lives-supplies-open-frozen-hell.html

My uncle applied and is proud of the medal he received. He was on a Royal Navy US-built Destroyer Escort.