Weather Station Kurt: A WWII-era German Weather Station in North America

Weather Station Kurt, located in far northern Newfoundland and Labradour, Canada is the only known World War II military installation conducted by Germany on the North American continent, built in 1943.

German Weather Station Kurt set up on the Hutton Peninsula, Labrador, Dominion of Newfoundland on 22 October 1943 (Bundesarchiv)



Based on how weather patterns move across the world, mostly from west to east in the Northern Hemisphere, having accurate weather data provided the Allies an inherent advantage in the European theater, and the weather station was a German attempt to gather their own weather data to counteract this Allied advantage, using telemetry systems and radio transmitters. Several other weather stations in the arctic were planned, with at least two others planned to be deployed on land in North America, but this was the only successful (or at least discovered) weather station.

Empty American cigarette packets were left around the site to deceive any Allied personnel that chanced upon it, as well as stamping the equipment with the name of a non-existent "Canadian Meteor Service", the equivalent of Environment Canada.

Nonetheless, the weather station functioned for only a month before it permanently failed, after only three individuals had any knowledge of the station's existence.

After the war, it was forgotten until its rediscovery in 1977, when geomorphologist Peter Johnson chanced upon the area upon conducting unrelated research. Today, the station is on display at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, ON.


Canadian War Museum Weather Station Exhibit

Thanks as always for reading!

Location: Hutton Peninsula, Division No. 10, Subd. E, NL A0P, Canada

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