Due to the failure of the recent offensive in the Ardennes and the fact that several new types of U-Boat were ready to be deployed, the German positions in Norway became of great value to Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz, Commander-in-Chief of the Naval High Command as a way to continue submarine warfare against the Allies.
Karena kegagalan serangan baru-baru ini di Ardennes dan fakta bahwa ada beberapa jenis baru kapal U-Boat yang siap untuk digunakan, posisi jerman di Norwegia menjadi strategis bagi Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz, Komandan Tertinggi dari Komando Tinggi angkatan Laut sebagai cara untuk mempertahankan peperangan kapal selam perang melawan Sekutu.