Battle of Auvere
Encyclopedia
Battle of Auvere was a battle in Estonia
, stating on July 20, 1944 and ending on July 25. It was a part of the World War II
campaign in Narva
.
The Soviet 8th Army
started attacking the Auvere Station on July 20 with artillery fire. The defenders had some losses. The Estonians and Germans (of the 11th (East Prussian) Infantry Division) had built trenches and dug themselves into foxholes. In the morning of July 24, the Soviet assault commenced with 30-50 batteries firing 17,000 shells and grenades (2,000 tons), inflicting significant casualties to the Estonian 45th Regiment in Auvere and the 44th Infantry Regiment in the borough of Sirgala.
After two hours of preparatory artillery fire, the two regiments were attacked from the air. Three German and eight Soviet bombers were shot down in air combat. Under artillery cover, the Soviet 122nd Rifle Corps
and a tank brigade pierced to the German positions, while the 117th Rifle Corps encircled the Estonian regiment, which reformed themselves in circular defence.
Relieved by Paul Albert Kausch
's Kampfgruppe (the "Nordland" tTank Battalion with additional units) and three rocket artillery launcher
s, the Estonians went on for a counterattack. The 44th Regiment was saved by the swift movement of artillery behind them clearing their previous positions of Soviet troops. The 117th Rifle Corps reached the headquarters of the Estonian I Battalion, who resisted by heavy machine-gun fire in circular defence. The support by the anti-tank weapons of the 14th Company and Kausch's Kampfgruppe helped to seize the main frontline back to the control of the "Narwa".
The attempts by the 117th and the 122nd Rifle Corps to break through were repelled in a similar way, causing them to lose 3,000 men, 17 planes and 29 tanks, compared to the loss of 800 troops of army detachment "Narwa". On the next day, the Soviet 8th Army tried to capture the German positions again, but they were repelled by machine guns.
Soviet Union
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, stating on July 20, 1944 and ending on July 25. It was a part of the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
campaign in Narva
Battle of Narva (1944)
The Battle of Narva was a military campaign between the German Army Detachment "Narwa" and the Soviet Leningrad Front fought for possession of the strategically important Narva Isthmus on 2 February – 10 August 1944 during World War II....
.
The Soviet 8th Army
8th Army (Soviet Union)
The 8th Army was a field army of the Soviet Red Army during the Second World War.The 8th Army was formed in October 1939 from the Novgorod Army Operational Group of the Leningrad Military District with the task of providing security of the Northwestern borders of the USSR. The 8th Army was a field...
started attacking the Auvere Station on July 20 with artillery fire. The defenders had some losses. The Estonians and Germans (of the 11th (East Prussian) Infantry Division) had built trenches and dug themselves into foxholes. In the morning of July 24, the Soviet assault commenced with 30-50 batteries firing 17,000 shells and grenades (2,000 tons), inflicting significant casualties to the Estonian 45th Regiment in Auvere and the 44th Infantry Regiment in the borough of Sirgala.
After two hours of preparatory artillery fire, the two regiments were attacked from the air. Three German and eight Soviet bombers were shot down in air combat. Under artillery cover, the Soviet 122nd Rifle Corps
Rifle corps (Soviet)
A rifle corps was a Soviet military organization of the mid-twentieth century. Rifle corps were made up of a varying number of rifle divisions, although the allocation of three rifle divisions to a rifle corps was common during the latter part of World War II.Unlike army corps formed by Germany...
and a tank brigade pierced to the German positions, while the 117th Rifle Corps encircled the Estonian regiment, which reformed themselves in circular defence.
Relieved by Paul Albert Kausch
Paul Albert Kausch
Paul Albert Kausch was a Obersturmbannführer in the Waffen SS during World War II who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross....
's Kampfgruppe (the "Nordland" tTank Battalion with additional units) and three rocket artillery launcher
Nebelwerfer
The Nebelwerfer was a World War II German series of weapons originally designed to deliver chemical weapons. They were initially developed by and assigned to the Wehrmacht's so-called Chemical Troops ...
s, the Estonians went on for a counterattack. The 44th Regiment was saved by the swift movement of artillery behind them clearing their previous positions of Soviet troops. The 117th Rifle Corps reached the headquarters of the Estonian I Battalion, who resisted by heavy machine-gun fire in circular defence. The support by the anti-tank weapons of the 14th Company and Kausch's Kampfgruppe helped to seize the main frontline back to the control of the "Narwa".
The attempts by the 117th and the 122nd Rifle Corps to break through were repelled in a similar way, causing them to lose 3,000 men, 17 planes and 29 tanks, compared to the loss of 800 troops of army detachment "Narwa". On the next day, the Soviet 8th Army tried to capture the German positions again, but they were repelled by machine guns.
Forces
Germany- III SS Corps
- 11th East Prussian Infantry Division
- 20th Estonian SS Division
- 45th Estonian Regiment
- First Battalion, 47th Estonian Regiment
- 20th Estonian Fusilier Battalion (former Battalion Narwa)
Soviet Union
- 8th Army8th Army (Soviet Union)The 8th Army was a field army of the Soviet Red Army during the Second World War.The 8th Army was formed in October 1939 from the Novgorod Army Operational Group of the Leningrad Military District with the task of providing security of the Northwestern borders of the USSR. The 8th Army was a field...
- 122nd Rifle Corps
- 117th Rifle Corps