Nigeria became Philip Vian's Force K flagship in July 1941. After an initial expedition to assess Spitsbergen, the force escorted Empress of Australia with Canadian troops and demolition specialists for Operation Gauntlet. They evacuated Norwegian and Soviet personnel and destroyed coal mines and fuel stocks that could help the enemy. A visit to Bear Island removed a German weather station. Nigeria and Aurora also intercepted German shipping, during which Nigeria sank Bremse and damaged her own bow, possibly on a mine.
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Operation Gauntlet evacuated Spitsbergen and denied its fuel to Germany
Nigeria's Arctic operations combined evacuation, destruction of usable fuel supplies, and attacks on German shipping.