The Soviet port of Murmansk was a high-value target for German command in 1941. On 27 June 1941 they began Operation Silver Fox to capture the key port, Panzer-Abteilung 211 was tasked with supporting the combined German and Finnish force along with Panzer-Abteilung 40 which was equipped with Panzer I and Panzer II tanks. This force would participate in a sub-operation of Operation Silver Fox code-named Operation Arctic Fox which was a campaign against Soviet Northern Front defenses at Salla, Finland in July 1941. The offensive launched on 1 July 1941 ended on 17 November in a stalemate with German and Finnish forces advancing but not being able to capture Murmansk nor the railway at Kandalaksha.