World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseIn 1799, cryolite and galena were discovered in Arsuk Fjord in southwestern Greenland, and mining for cryolite began in 1859. The town of Ivigtut sprang up around the mining operations. Cryolite, a very rare mineral, was used in association with aluminum extraction. Arsuk Fjord was usually ice free, thus maritime access to Ivigtut was available year round. When the United States considered intervention in Greenland, Ivigtut was identified by the United States as the only town in need of military protection. The first step the United States took was to discharge 15 men from the US military so that they could be hired by the Cryolite Company as security staff. In Jun 1940, two months after Greenland's mother country Denmark was occupied by Germany, the United States sold a 3-inch naval gun, 55 rifles, and ammunition to the government of Greenland. On 9 Apr 1941, the Danish Ambassador to the United States Henrik Kauffmann, on his own accord, invited American forces to Greenland to defend against Germany, and it was officially approved by US President Franklin Roosevelt on 7 Jun 1941. The town of Ivigtut was initially used as the US military base in the area, but it was soon replaced by a new US Navy base in Kungnat Bay about 10 miles to the west. While Bluie West Seven was mainly a US Navy facility, US Army and US Coast Guard had presence as well. Particularly in US Navy terminology, Bluie West Seven was also known as Grondal, which was derived from the Danish word Grønnedal for "green foliage", describing the beautiful surrounding scenery. After the war, in 1951, the control of the site was turned over to the Danish government, and the facilities became the headquarters of Danish forces in Greenland. Cryolite was eventually synthesized, and the importance of Ivigtut waned. In 1987, mining operations ceased, and the town was abandoned quickly thereafter. In 2012, the Danish military base at Ivigtut was relocated to Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, further up the western coast.

Bluie West Seven Interactive Map

Photographs

Bluie West Seven Timeline