The Sirius Dog Sled Patrol ( da, Slædepatruljen Sirius), known informally as ''Siriuspatruljen'' (the Sirius Patrol) and formerly known as ''North-East Greenland Sledge Patrol'' and ''Resolute Dog Sled Patrol'', is an

elite In political and sociological theory, the elite (french: élite, from la, eligere, to select or to sort out) are a small group of powerful people who hold a disproportionate amount of wealth, privilege, political power, or skill in a group. ...

Danish naval unit. It conducts long-range reconnaissance patrolling, and enforces Danish sovereignty in the Arctic wilderness of northern and eastern

Greenland Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland ...

, an area that includes the

Northeast Greenland National Park Northeast Greenland National Park ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaanni nuna eqqissisimatitaq, da, Grønlands Nationalpark) is the world's largest national park and the 10th largest protected area (the only larger protected areas all consist mostly of sea) ...

, which is the largest national park in the world. Patrolling is usually done in pairs and using

dog sled A dog sled or dog sleigh is a sled pulled by one or more sled dogs used to travel over ice and through snow. Numerous types of sleds are used, depending on their function. They can be used for dog sled racing. Traditionally in Greenland and th ...

s with about a dozen

dogs The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. ...

, sometimes for four months and often without additional human contact. The Sirius Dog Sled Patrol has the ability to engage militarily, and has done so historically. Its purpose is to maintain Danish sovereignty and police its area of responsibility.Formål og opgaver
Forsvaret, Grønlands Kommando The physical and psychological demands for acceptance into the unit are exceptional.

Crown Prince Frederik Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, (Frederik André Henrik Christian; born 26 May 1968) is the heir apparent to the Danish throne. He is the elder son of Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik. Early life Crown Prince Frede ...

patrolled with the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol.

History

In 1933 the

international court International courts are formed by treaties between nations or under the authority of an international organization such as the United Nations and include ''ad hoc'' tribunals and permanent institutions but exclude any courts arising purely under ...

of the

League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference th ...

ruled in the Danish-Norwegian dispute over Erik the Red's Land that for it to remain Danish, Denmark had to assert its sovereignty there. Initially, this presence was in the form of two fixed police stations. The Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, first known as the North-East Greenland Sledge Patrol, was activated in the summer of 1941 during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

to conduct long-range reconnaissance patrols along the northeast coast of

thereby preventing German presence there. Its headquarters was at

Eskimonaes Clavering Island ( da, Clavering Ø) is a large island in eastern Greenland off Gael Hamke Bay, to the south of Wollaston Foreland. The Eskimonaes ''(Eskimonæs)'' radio and weather station was on this island. It was staffed by Danish scientists ...

, which had been until then a scientific station. At the time, the Germans established a number of secret

weather station A weather station is a facility, either on land or sea, with instruments and equipment for measuring atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasts and to study the weather and climate. The measurements taken include tempera ...

s on the eastern coast of the island to provide them with invaluable meteorological information both to assist their

U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare ro ...

campaign and to predict the weather in the

European theatre The European theatre of World War II was one of the two main theatres of combat during World War II. It saw heavy fighting across Europe for almost six years, starting with Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 and ending with the ...

. Thus the patrol's discovery of these stations denied Germany such information with significant implications both for the

Battle of the Atlantic The Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, ran from 1939 to the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, covering a major part of the naval history of World War II. At its core was the Allies of World War II, ...

and for air and land fighting in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, despite the enormous distance of Greenland from the main theatres of war. The Sirius Dog Sled Patrol cooperated with

Nanok East Greenland Fishing Company Nanok East Greenland Fishing Company (1929–1990), generally known as Nanok, was a Danish company in Greenland, mainly active in the hunting and trading of arctic foxes for their fur. A cultural organization with the objective of propagating k ...

, the only other organization active in the remote area, which built a number of hunting huts in the uninhabited expanses of north eastern Greenland. The Sirius Dog Sled Patrol discovered the German weather station '' Holzauge'' at Hansa Bay on the northeast coast of Sabine Island, which was subsequently destroyed by

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

(USAAF) bombers from

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its ...

. During the war, the unit suffered one man killed in action. Two others were captured by German forces, but escaped and rejoined the patrol. In 2008, the National Bank of Denmark issued a 10- DKK

commemorative coin Commemorative coins are coins issued to commemorate some particular event or issue with a distinct design with reference to the occasion on which they were issued. Many coins of this category serve as collectors items only, although some countries ...

of Sirius.

Organization

Since October 2012, the

Joint Arctic Command The Joint Arctic Command (JACMD - da, Arktisk Kommando; fo, Arktisk Kommando; kl, Issittumi Sakkutooqarfik) is a direct Level II authority in the Danish Defence. Joint Arctic Command's primary mission in peacetime is to ensure Danish sovereig ...

has been responsible for the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol. The Sirius Dog Sled Patrol used to be operationally under the Greenland Command, and administratively under the

Royal Danish Navy The Royal Danish Navy ( da, Søværnet) is the sea-based branch of the Danish Defence force. The RDN is mainly responsible for maritime defence and maintaining the sovereignty of Danish territorial waters (incl. Faroe Islands and Greenland). O ...

and also represents Denmark's military presence in northeast

. The Sirius Dog Sled Patrol operates in the northern and northeastern part of Greenland, from the west coast of

Hall Land Hall Land is a peninsula in far northwestern Greenland. It is a part of the Northeast Greenland National Park. Hall Land is one of the coldest places in Greenland. History Hall Land was named after Charles Francis Hall, leader of the 1871 Pola ...

(

Petermann Fjord Petermann Fjord is a fjord in northwestern Greenland. Administratively it marks the boundary between the Avannaata municipality and the Northeast Greenland National Park. The fjord and its glacier are named after German cartographer August Heinri ...

and

Glacier A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such a ...

) to

Cape Biot Cape Biot ( da, Kap Biot) is a headland in the Greenland Sea, Northeast Greenland, Sermersooq municipality. History This headland was named "Cape Biot" by William Scoresby (1789 – 1857) in 1822 to honour physicist, astronomer and mathematician ...

north of

Fleming Fjord Fleming Fjord is a fjord in King Christian X Land, eastern Greenland. Administratively it lies in the Sermersooq Municipality. History This fjord was named "Fleming Inlet" by British explorer William Scoresby (1789 – 1857) after Scottish scho ...

. The flying distance between the two points is about 2,100 km, but the length along the coastline is far greater, around 16,000 km. The Greenland ice sheet is not a part of the patrolled area. The Sirius Dog Sled Patrol is stationed at

Daneborg Daneborg (or Daneborg Station) is a station on the south coast of Wollaston Foreland peninsula of northeast Greenland, at the mouth of Young Sund emptying into Greenland Sea. Daneborg serves as the headquarters for the SIRIUS Patrol, the dog sl ...

(), and maintains personnel at Station Nord,

Danmarkshavn Danmarkshavn (Denmark's Harbour) is a small weather station located in Dove Bay, on the southern shore of the Germania Land Peninsula, in Northeast Greenland National Park, Greenland. History The location was chosen as a suitable winter harbo ...

, and

Mestersvig Mestersvig, also called Mesters Vig, is a military outpost located in Scoresby Land, on the southwestern shore of Davy Sound in King Christian X Land, NE Greenland. It has a 1,800 m gravel airstrip . This airport is located near the Stauning Al ...

. The Sirius Dog Sled Patrol uses more than 50 depot huts scattered across the patrolled area. The depot huts are resupplied by small boats in the southern area, and by aircraft in the northern part. The Sirius Dog Sled Patrol consists of six

teams for the duration of the year, each consisting of two men, and 11 to 15 dogs. When traveling, each team carries approximately 350–500 kg, depending on the distance to the next depot. Currently, the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol consists of 12 patrolmen and two radio operators.

Responsibilities

Sled patrolling is divided into two periods. Depending on when the ice becomes thick enough, the autumn patrol starts sometime in November, and lasts until late-December. The sun sets for the last time around the beginning of November, and in the increasing darkness the winter storms get progressively worse, and more frequent. Getting home before Christmas is therefore not always possible for members of the unit. Around the end of January, when the weather stabilizes, and the sun reappears, the longer journeys begin and last until June, when the ice begins to break apart and drift southwards. During this period, the six sled teams will cover a large part of the coastline, and within a period of three to four years all areas will be visited.

Recruitment and training

Candidates for the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol must have completed their compulsory service in the Danish Defense. At the tryouts, seven men are selected to start on about six months of various training courses. Women can apply, but none have yet. *Survival course in Greenland (five weeks) *Shooting course *Demolition course *Engine and mechanics course *Reconnaissance course *Firefighter course *Radio and communications course *First aid course *Extended first aid course *Sewing course *Truck course The courses run from December to the end of May. The final group consisting of twelve men is picked as late as two to three weeks before they depart to Greenland for 26 consecutive months.

Equipment

M1917 Enfield - USA - 30-06 - Armémuseum

Because of the special nature of the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol operations, a wide range of unique equipment is required that is not normally used by the Danish armed forces. The weapons carried also reflect the harsh conditions. Among the equipment used by the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol is the

M1917 Enfield The M1917 Enfield, the "American Enfield", formally named "United States Rifle, cal .30, Model of 1917" is an American modification and production of the .303-inch (7.7 mm) Pattern 1914 Enfield (P14) rifle (listed in British Service as Rifle No. ...

bolt-action rifle chambered in

.30-06 Springfield The .30-06 Springfield cartridge (pronounced "thirty- aught-six" ), 7.62×63mm in metric notation, and called the .30 Gov't '06 by Winchester, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and later standardized; it remained in military use ...

, known in Danish service as the ''Gevær M/53 (17)'', and the

Glock 20 Glock is a brand of polymer- framed, short recoil-operated, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H. The firearm entered Austrian military and police service by 1982 after it was th ...

pistol chambered in

10mm Auto The 10mm Auto (10×25mm, official C.I.P. nomenclature: 10 mm Auto, official SAAMI nomenclature: 10mm Automatic) is a semi-automatic pistol cartridge introduced in 1983. Its design was adopted and later produced by ammunition manufacturer ...

."The weapons carried also reflect the harsh conditions. Only bolt-action rifles (M17/M53) performs reliably. The standard SIG210 Neuhausen sidearm was recently replaced by the 10mm Glock 20, as the stopping power of multiple 9mm rounds proved to be insufficient against a polar bear." () The Sirius Dog Sled Patrol uses the standard .30-06 Springfield armor piercing, M2 military rifle round and also civilian hollow-points. The patrolmen feel that the M2 military round is best against aggressive

polar bear The polar bear (''Ursus maritimus'') is a hypercarnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the Arctic Circle, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the largest extant bear spec ...

s at long range, but that the hollow-points are better against an enraged

musk ox Musk ( Persian: مشک, ''Mushk'') is a class of aromatic substances commonly used as base notes in perfumery. They include glandular secretions from animals such as the musk deer, numerous plants emitting similar fragrances, and artificial sub ...

. Typically, the patrolmen arrange their stripper clips so every third round is a hollow-point. The Sirius Dog Sled Patrol formerly used '' Pistol M/49'' sidearms chambered in

9×19mm Parabellum The 9×19mm Parabellum (also known as 9mm Parabellum or 9mm Luger or simply 9mm) is a rimless, tapered firearms cartridge. Originally designed by Austrian firearm designer Georg Luger in 1901, it is widely considered the most popular handgun ...

, but they proved insufficient against the polar bears encountered.

References

External links

Slædepatruljen SIRIUS
(in Danish) - Official homepage for Sirius Patrol
The Sirius Patrol - Destination East Greenland
Palle Norrit, former manager of the Patrol service, North and Northeast Greenland
Kursus for personnel til slædepatruljen SIRIUS (Army Combat Training School, Course for slædepatruljen SIRIUS personnel)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Slaedepatruljen Sirius Military units and formations of Denmark Royal Danish Navy Military units and formations established in 1941