Battle of Krasny Bor
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Krasny Bor was part of the Soviet offensive Operation Polyarnaya Zvezda. The Soviet offensive called for a pincer attack near Leningrad, to build up on the success of Operation Iskra and completely lift the Siege of Leningrad
, encircling a substantial part of the German 18th Army. The offensive near Krasny Bor, Leningrad Oblast
, formed the western arm of the pincer. The Soviet offensive began on Wednesday, 10 February 1943. The offensive produced noticeable gains on the first day, but rapidly turned into a stalemate. The strong defense of the 250th Infantry (Spanish)
and 4th SS Police Division
gave the German forces time to reinforce their positions. By February 13, the Soviet forces stopped their offensive in this sector.
In Spain, February 10 became known as "Black Wednesday", due to the huge losses of the Spanish Division, which lost over 70% of the men engaged in the battle. It was the most costly battle for the Spanish volunteers during their time on the Eastern Front
.
, Blue Division
, Siege of Leningrad
, Operation Polyarnaya Zvezda.
started in early autumn 1941. By September 8, 1941 German and Finnish forces had surrounded the city, cutting off all supply routes to Leningrad and its suburbs. However the original drive on the city failed and the city was subjected to a siege. During 1942 several attempts were made to breach the blockade but all failed. The last such attempt in 1942 was the Sinyavin Offensive. After the defeat of the Sinyavin Offensive, the front line returned to what it was before the offensive and again 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) separated Leonid Govorov
's Leningrad Front
in the city and Kirill Meretskov
's Volkhov Front
.
Despite the failures of earlier operations, lifting the siege of Leningrad was a very high priority so new offensive preparations began in November 1942 only weeks after the last offensive failed. In December, the operation plan was approved by the Stavka and received the codename "Iskra" (Spark). By January 1943, the situation looked very good for the Soviet side. The German defeat in the Battle of Stalingrad
had weakened the German front. The Soviet forces were planning or conducting offensive operations across the entire front, especially in southern Russia. Amidst these conditions, "Iskra" was to become the first of several offensive operations aimed at inflicting a decisive defeat on Army Group North
.
Operation Iskra was a strategic victory for the Soviet forces and successfully opened a land corridor 8–10 km wide to the city. A railroad was swiftly built through the corridor and allowed much more supplies to reach the city than the "Road of Life", eliminating the possibility of the capture of the city and a German-Finnish linkup. At the same time, however, the Stavka knew that "Iskra" was incomplete as the corridor it had opened was narrow and was still in range of German artillery. Additionally, the important heights and strong point at Siniavino were still controlled by the Germans. This led Zhukov to plan a much more ambitious offensive operation named Polyarnaya Zvezda (Polar Star).
on January 18, the day the two Soviet Fronts linked up, breaking the blockade. This foresaw a three-front attack by Northwestern Front under Marshal
Semyon Timoshenko
, Volkhov Front
under Colonel General
Kirill Meretskov
, and Leningrad Front under Colonel General Leonid Govorov
, of which 55th army was now a part. The Northwestern Front was to attack the Ramushevo Corridor, which connected the Demyansk Salient
, held by the German forces since 1942 to the main German positions. The destruction of the bulk of the German 16th Army in the pocket would allow the Front to exploit the gap in the German lines. The Leningrad and Volkov Fronts were to capitalize on the fact that the German 18th Army was stretched very thin in the January fighting and attack the army's flanks aiming to link up near Tosno
. Again this would create a gap in the German lines. Overall the goal of the offensive was nothing short of decisively defeating Army Group North
and advance to Lake Chud
The 55th army's aim was to break open the vital Leningrad-Moscow Highway starting from its jump-off position in Kolpino
towards Tosno, to join with a northbound attack pincer of 54th Army of Volkhov Front, thereby encircling German formations in the Mga
sector. The highway is an important road/railway connection linking Moscow and Leningrad. The pivot-point for this highway was Krasny Bor, situated between the highway and the railway line. 55th Army's attack would also hit sectors defended by other German formations to establish secure flanks and draw them into battle. Once this attack had succeeded, the plan was for the second echelon forces to advance through the gap towards Tosno. The attack was planned for 10 February 1943 and was to jump off from Kolpino. The 55th Army planned to attack with a force of approximately 40,000 men and 30 tanks in first echelon, to be followed by a mobile group consisting of the 122nd Tank Brigade and 35th Ski Brigade.
At the end of January 1943, Emilio Esteban Infantes
, the general in command of the 250th Infantry Division (Blue Division) was aware of a build-up of Soviet forces (55th Army), which indicated that an attack was imminent. To deflect it he ordered his reserves, two cycle companies and 9th and 11th Battery of the 250th Artillery Regiment, into Krasny Bor on 2 February. On 9 February he ordered that at least one-third of all men with all available automatic weapons were to withdraw 2,000 meters behind the main line of resistance; that the Infantry Regiment 269 should be ready to give up its 2nd Battalion as soon as that was requested; and that the Infantry Regiment 263 had to provide one infantry company, two Füsilier companies, and a machine-gun company as reserves. Some additional mine fields were laid, and minor improvements to firing positions undertaken. The German command promised to send two anti-tank companies with 75 mm Pak 40
AT guns and 88 mm AT gun
s (although only one of these arrived in time for the battle) as well as an infantry regiment.
bombardment of 1,000 Soviet guns and mortars opened on the Spanish lines at precisely 6:45. Shells, mortars and Katyusha rockets pounded the trenches
, bunker
s and dugouts which had been constructed to strengthen the eastern flank of Army Group North
. At 8.45 hours, the bombardment shifted from the front lines onto Krasny Bor itself, also striking the villages of Podolvo and Raikelevo (both located east and south-east of Krasny Bor, respectively), the latter being the location of Infantes
' forward command post.
At approximately 8:40, the 45th and 63rd Guards and the 72nd Rifle Divisions, followed by some tank
s, advanced towards Staraia Mgsa (east of Krasny Bor), Krasny Bor, Raikelevo and Podolvo, with the 63rd Guards Rifle Division
facing the 5,900 troops of the 250th Infantry Division, holding the eastern flank of the line. Pinned by 2 hours of initial bombardment, Spanish formations were unable to retreat towards the town and in many cases fought to the death. The frontline was quickly overrun, and many Spanish formations were destroyed there.
Inside Krasny Bor, a company of 250th Infantry Division held the October Railway station, repulsing infantry charges and three tank charges by advancing Soviet forces. By 11:00 the company was reduced to 40 combatants yet these managed to hold the factory until 12:00, when they fell back into the town. From 9:00 to 10:40, isolated Spanish units fought off Soviet attacks but were cut off when the Soviets seized the October Railway. Now encircled, the units still holding the Leningrad-Moscow Highway decided to hold as long as possible and were destroyed in combat.
The 55th Army, in the meantime, had advanced despite heavy casualties inflicted by the dug-in Spanish troops. The Soviets took Raikelevo, which cut off Podolvo from Krasny Bor. In Krasny Bor itself the Spanish artillery, engineer
and other assorted stragglers came under attack from Soviet infantry and armour, and by 12:00, 63rd Guards Rifle Division reported the capture of Krasny Bor, despite the fact that the southern half of the town was still controlled by the Spanish. Soviet tanks opened fire on a hospital and retreating ambulances but were eventually beaten off by Spanish troops armed with Molotov Cocktail
s and hand grenade
s. The afternoon brought belated support for the defenders in the form of a Luftwaffe
fighter-bomber attack on the Soviet positions around the town of Kolpino, to the east of Krasny Bor, while the 45th Guards Rifle Division seized Mishkino
. Sviridov decided to insert the mobile group into the battle late on the day, but they were stopped by a combination of fierce resistance and a sudden thaw that stopped the Ski Brigade from operating off road. The German command reinforced the Spanish defenses with battle groups
The 63rd Guards Rifle Division advanced as far as the central-western part of the town, and after 15:15 managed to push a small formation into the rear of the Spanish division's forward command post. Meanwhile the remaining Spanish troops were ordered to new positions on the Izhora River
, on the west of the town. Here they held out against 63rd Guards Rifle Division's last attacks of the day.
After 16:30 hours a battle group of the German 212th Infantry Divisions and two companies each of the Flemish Legion
and the Lithuanian Legion were able to support the Spanish by a counter-attack on the forest at Staraya Rechka, and by taking over the frontline from the highway to the Izhora River.
At the end of the day, the 63rd Guards Rifle Division had advanced 4–5 kilometre and captured Krasny Bor, Mishkino, Staraya Mirza, Stepanovka, and Popovka Station. On its left wing, the attack by 43rd Rifle Division and 34th Ski Brigade had had initial success, driving the 4th SS Police Division into the Tosno River.
In the Ishora River sector, 72nd Rifle Division pushed back the lines of the Spanish towards the river, destroying the Field Replacement Battalion, but suffering up to 70% casualties in the process.
By 13 February, 55th Army had lost almost a third of its initial strength and most of its tanks, and could no longer advance. The total penetration achieved reached to a depth of 4–5 kilometres on a frontage of 14 kilometres. After the Spanish 262nd infantry Regiment and 1st Artillery Battalion evacuated, they bombarded the Soviet positions and attempted a counter-attack to recapture Krasny Bor on 12 February. The attack by 55th Army made a flanking attack by 67th Army in the Sinyavino sector easier, because of the withdrawal of German forces from the sector.
The main road to Moscow was still controlled by the 18th Army, despite the capture of 3 km of railway line, and the Soviets launched their last major attack in this sector on 19 March 1943. It was also repelled with heavy losses on both sides.
Soviet general staff critiques after the battle highlighted the reasons for the failure of the attacks during Operation Polar Star as strongly fortified defenses, faulty reconnaissance, poor command and control on all levels, clumsy employment of tanks and ineffective artillery support.
, at a heavy cost in casualties.
On 15 February the 250th Infantry Division reported casualties of 3,645 wounded or killed and 300 missing or taken prisoner, which amounted to a 70–75% casualty rate of the troops engaged in the battle. It claimed 11,000 Soviet troops of the 55th Army had been killed in the five days beginning 9 February. Because of these heavy losses and Allied
pressure on the Spanish government
, the Blue Division was withdrawn to Germany and later disbanded. A new volunteer formation called the Blue Legion
(Legión Azul) remained in combat on the Eastern Front
, attached to 121st Infantry Division until March 1944, when it also was disbanded and the majority of the volunteers sent back to Spain. The 55th Army eventually took part in breaking the siege of Leningrad
, securing the Leningrad-Moscow line in 1944. Afterwards, it advanced into Estonia
and fought against the Courland pocket
until 1945.
Those captured in the battle, on the Spanish side, were sent to gulag
camps, primarily in Siberia
, and were not repatriated to Spain until 1954. Krasny Bor remains, for the most part, an obscure battle in modern historical knowledge relating to this devastating war. The Blue Division was awarded a Combat Service Medal, personally designed by Adolf Hitler
, for its defense of Army Group North's precarious eastern flank.
Siege of Leningrad
The Siege of Leningrad, also known as the Leningrad Blockade was a prolonged military operation resulting from the failure of the German Army Group North to capture Leningrad, now known as Saint Petersburg, in the Eastern Front theatre of World War II. It started on 8 September 1941, when the last...
, encircling a substantial part of the German 18th Army. The offensive near Krasny Bor, Leningrad Oblast
Krasny Bor, Leningrad Oblast
Krasny Bor is an urban locality in Tosnensky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located southeast of St. Petersburg...
, formed the western arm of the pincer. The Soviet offensive began on Wednesday, 10 February 1943. The offensive produced noticeable gains on the first day, but rapidly turned into a stalemate. The strong defense of the 250th Infantry (Spanish)
Blue Division
The Blue Division officially designated as División Española de Voluntarios by the Spanish Army and 250. Infanterie-Division in the German Army, was a unit of Spanish volunteers that served in the German Army on the Eastern Front of the Second World War.-Origins:Although Spanish leader Field...
and 4th SS Police Division
4th SS Polizei Division
The SS Polizei Division was one of the thirty-eight divisions fielded as part of the Waffen-SS during World War II.The division was formed in 1939 as part of the Ordnungspolizei...
gave the German forces time to reinforce their positions. By February 13, the Soviet forces stopped their offensive in this sector.
In Spain, February 10 became known as "Black Wednesday", due to the huge losses of the Spanish Division, which lost over 70% of the men engaged in the battle. It was the most costly battle for the Spanish volunteers during their time on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front
Eastern Front may refer to one of the following:* Eastern Front * Eastern Front * Eastern Front * Eastern Front * Eastern Front * 1635: The Eastern Front...
.
Background
Main articles: Spain in World War IISpain in World War II
The Spanish State under General Franco was officially non-belligerent during World War II. This status, although not recognised by international law, was intended to express the regime's sympathy and material support for the Axis Powers, to which Spain offered considerable material, economic, and...
, Blue Division
Blue Division
The Blue Division officially designated as División Española de Voluntarios by the Spanish Army and 250. Infanterie-Division in the German Army, was a unit of Spanish volunteers that served in the German Army on the Eastern Front of the Second World War.-Origins:Although Spanish leader Field...
, Siege of Leningrad
Siege of Leningrad
The Siege of Leningrad, also known as the Leningrad Blockade was a prolonged military operation resulting from the failure of the German Army Group North to capture Leningrad, now known as Saint Petersburg, in the Eastern Front theatre of World War II. It started on 8 September 1941, when the last...
, Operation Polyarnaya Zvezda.
The Siege of Leningrad
The Siege of LeningradSiege of Leningrad
The Siege of Leningrad, also known as the Leningrad Blockade was a prolonged military operation resulting from the failure of the German Army Group North to capture Leningrad, now known as Saint Petersburg, in the Eastern Front theatre of World War II. It started on 8 September 1941, when the last...
started in early autumn 1941. By September 8, 1941 German and Finnish forces had surrounded the city, cutting off all supply routes to Leningrad and its suburbs. However the original drive on the city failed and the city was subjected to a siege. During 1942 several attempts were made to breach the blockade but all failed. The last such attempt in 1942 was the Sinyavin Offensive. After the defeat of the Sinyavin Offensive, the front line returned to what it was before the offensive and again 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) separated Leonid Govorov
Leonid Govorov
Leonid Aleksandrovich Govorov was a Soviet military commander. An artillery officer, he joined the Red Army in 1920. He graduated from several Soviet military academies, including the Military Academy of Red Army General Staff. He participated in the Winter War as a senior artillery officer.In...
's Leningrad Front
Leningrad Front
The Leningrad Front was first formed on August 27, 1941, by dividing the Northern Front into the Leningrad Front and Karelian Front, during the German approach on Leningrad .-History:...
in the city and Kirill Meretskov
Kirill Meretskov
Kirill Afanasievich Meretskov was a Soviet military commander. Having joined the Communist Party in 1917, he served in the Red Army from 1920. During the Winter War, he was responsible for penetrating the Mannerheim Line as commander of the 7th Army...
's Volkhov Front
Volkhov Front
The Front was reformed on the 9 June 1942 from the Volkhov Operational Group of the Leningrad Front and served until 15 February 1944, participating in the relief of the Siege of Leningrad and taking part in other operations including:-Campaigns:...
.
Despite the failures of earlier operations, lifting the siege of Leningrad was a very high priority so new offensive preparations began in November 1942 only weeks after the last offensive failed. In December, the operation plan was approved by the Stavka and received the codename "Iskra" (Spark). By January 1943, the situation looked very good for the Soviet side. The German defeat in the Battle of Stalingrad
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943...
had weakened the German front. The Soviet forces were planning or conducting offensive operations across the entire front, especially in southern Russia. Amidst these conditions, "Iskra" was to become the first of several offensive operations aimed at inflicting a decisive defeat on Army Group North
Army Group North
Army Group North was a German strategic echelon formation commanding a grouping of Field Armies subordinated to the OKH during World War II. The army group coordinated the operations of attached separate army corps, reserve formations, rear services and logistics.- Formation :The Army Group North...
.
Operation Iskra was a strategic victory for the Soviet forces and successfully opened a land corridor 8–10 km wide to the city. A railroad was swiftly built through the corridor and allowed much more supplies to reach the city than the "Road of Life", eliminating the possibility of the capture of the city and a German-Finnish linkup. At the same time, however, the Stavka knew that "Iskra" was incomplete as the corridor it had opened was narrow and was still in range of German artillery. Additionally, the important heights and strong point at Siniavino were still controlled by the Germans. This led Zhukov to plan a much more ambitious offensive operation named Polyarnaya Zvezda (Polar Star).
Operation Polyarnaya Zvezda
The Operation Polyarnaya Zvezda was planned by Georgy Zhukov, trying to build up on the success of Operation Iskra and began only days later. Zhukov, who oversaw Operation Iskra, was promoted to marshal of the Soviet UnionMarshal of the Soviet Union
Marshal of the Soviet Union was the de facto highest military rank of the Soviet Union. ....
on January 18, the day the two Soviet Fronts linked up, breaking the blockade. This foresaw a three-front attack by Northwestern Front under Marshal
Marshal
Marshal , is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word is an ancient loan word from Old French, cf...
Semyon Timoshenko
Semyon Timoshenko
Semyon Konstantinovich Timoshenko was a Soviet military commander and senior professional officer of the Red Army at the beginning of the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941.-Early life:...
, Volkhov Front
Volkhov Front
The Front was reformed on the 9 June 1942 from the Volkhov Operational Group of the Leningrad Front and served until 15 February 1944, participating in the relief of the Siege of Leningrad and taking part in other operations including:-Campaigns:...
under Colonel General
Colonel General
Colonel General is a senior rank of General. North Korea and Russia are two countries which have used the rank extensively throughout their histories...
Kirill Meretskov
Kirill Meretskov
Kirill Afanasievich Meretskov was a Soviet military commander. Having joined the Communist Party in 1917, he served in the Red Army from 1920. During the Winter War, he was responsible for penetrating the Mannerheim Line as commander of the 7th Army...
, and Leningrad Front under Colonel General Leonid Govorov
Leonid Govorov
Leonid Aleksandrovich Govorov was a Soviet military commander. An artillery officer, he joined the Red Army in 1920. He graduated from several Soviet military academies, including the Military Academy of Red Army General Staff. He participated in the Winter War as a senior artillery officer.In...
, of which 55th army was now a part. The Northwestern Front was to attack the Ramushevo Corridor, which connected the Demyansk Salient
Demyansk Pocket
The Demyansk Pocket was the name given for the encirclement of German troops by the Red Army around Demyansk , south of Leningrad, during World War II on the Eastern Front. The pocket existed mainly from 8 February-21 April 1942. A much smaller pocket was simultaneously surrounded in Kholm, about ...
, held by the German forces since 1942 to the main German positions. The destruction of the bulk of the German 16th Army in the pocket would allow the Front to exploit the gap in the German lines. The Leningrad and Volkov Fronts were to capitalize on the fact that the German 18th Army was stretched very thin in the January fighting and attack the army's flanks aiming to link up near Tosno
Tosno
Tosno is a town and the administrative center of Tosnensky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the Tosna River, southeast of St. Petersburg. Population:...
. Again this would create a gap in the German lines. Overall the goal of the offensive was nothing short of decisively defeating Army Group North
Army Group North
Army Group North was a German strategic echelon formation commanding a grouping of Field Armies subordinated to the OKH during World War II. The army group coordinated the operations of attached separate army corps, reserve formations, rear services and logistics.- Formation :The Army Group North...
and advance to Lake Chud
The 55th army's aim was to break open the vital Leningrad-Moscow Highway starting from its jump-off position in Kolpino
Kolpino
Kolpino is a municipal city in Kolpinsky District of the federal city of St. Petersburg, Russia, located on the Izhora River southeast of St. Petersburg proper. Population: 81,000 ; 8,076 ....
towards Tosno, to join with a northbound attack pincer of 54th Army of Volkhov Front, thereby encircling German formations in the Mga
Mga
Mga is an urban locality in Kirovsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia. Population: The name is almost certainly from the identically named river Mga on which it lies ; the suggestion that it comes from the initials of the owner of the land in the 19th century, Maria Grigorievna Apraksin Mga ...
sector. The highway is an important road/railway connection linking Moscow and Leningrad. The pivot-point for this highway was Krasny Bor, situated between the highway and the railway line. 55th Army's attack would also hit sectors defended by other German formations to establish secure flanks and draw them into battle. Once this attack had succeeded, the plan was for the second echelon forces to advance through the gap towards Tosno. The attack was planned for 10 February 1943 and was to jump off from Kolpino. The 55th Army planned to attack with a force of approximately 40,000 men and 30 tanks in first echelon, to be followed by a mobile group consisting of the 122nd Tank Brigade and 35th Ski Brigade.
At the end of January 1943, Emilio Esteban Infantes
Emilio Esteban Infantes
Emilio Esteban Infantes y Martín was a Spanish soldier and staff officer who served during the Spanish Civil War, and later in World War II as commander of the Wehrmacht's Blue Division , or 250. Infanterie-Division of the German Army integrated by Spanish falangist volunteers...
, the general in command of the 250th Infantry Division (Blue Division) was aware of a build-up of Soviet forces (55th Army), which indicated that an attack was imminent. To deflect it he ordered his reserves, two cycle companies and 9th and 11th Battery of the 250th Artillery Regiment, into Krasny Bor on 2 February. On 9 February he ordered that at least one-third of all men with all available automatic weapons were to withdraw 2,000 meters behind the main line of resistance; that the Infantry Regiment 269 should be ready to give up its 2nd Battalion as soon as that was requested; and that the Infantry Regiment 263 had to provide one infantry company, two Füsilier companies, and a machine-gun company as reserves. Some additional mine fields were laid, and minor improvements to firing positions undertaken. The German command promised to send two anti-tank companies with 75 mm Pak 40
PaK 40
The 7.5 cm PaK 40 was a German 7.5 centimetre anti-tank gun developed in 1939-1941 by Rheinmetall and used during the Second World War...
AT guns and 88 mm AT gun
88 mm gun
The 88 mm gun was a German anti-aircraft and anti-tank artillery gun from World War II. It was widely used by Germany throughout the war, and was one of the most recognizable German weapons of the war...
s (although only one of these arrived in time for the battle) as well as an infantry regiment.
The battle
10 February – Day 1
On Wednesday, 10 February 1943, a massive artilleryArtillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
bombardment of 1,000 Soviet guns and mortars opened on the Spanish lines at precisely 6:45. Shells, mortars and Katyusha rockets pounded the trenches
Trench warfare
Trench warfare is a form of occupied fighting lines, consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are largely immune to the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery...
, bunker
Bunker
A military bunker is a hardened shelter, often buried partly or fully underground, designed to protect the inhabitants from falling bombs or other attacks...
s and dugouts which had been constructed to strengthen the eastern flank of Army Group North
Army Group North
Army Group North was a German strategic echelon formation commanding a grouping of Field Armies subordinated to the OKH during World War II. The army group coordinated the operations of attached separate army corps, reserve formations, rear services and logistics.- Formation :The Army Group North...
. At 8.45 hours, the bombardment shifted from the front lines onto Krasny Bor itself, also striking the villages of Podolvo and Raikelevo (both located east and south-east of Krasny Bor, respectively), the latter being the location of Infantes
Emilio Esteban Infantes
Emilio Esteban Infantes y Martín was a Spanish soldier and staff officer who served during the Spanish Civil War, and later in World War II as commander of the Wehrmacht's Blue Division , or 250. Infanterie-Division of the German Army integrated by Spanish falangist volunteers...
' forward command post.
At approximately 8:40, the 45th and 63rd Guards and the 72nd Rifle Divisions, followed by some tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
s, advanced towards Staraia Mgsa (east of Krasny Bor), Krasny Bor, Raikelevo and Podolvo, with the 63rd Guards Rifle Division
63rd Guards Rifle Division
The 136th Rifle Division was a Soviet division during World War II...
facing the 5,900 troops of the 250th Infantry Division, holding the eastern flank of the line. Pinned by 2 hours of initial bombardment, Spanish formations were unable to retreat towards the town and in many cases fought to the death. The frontline was quickly overrun, and many Spanish formations were destroyed there.
Inside Krasny Bor, a company of 250th Infantry Division held the October Railway station, repulsing infantry charges and three tank charges by advancing Soviet forces. By 11:00 the company was reduced to 40 combatants yet these managed to hold the factory until 12:00, when they fell back into the town. From 9:00 to 10:40, isolated Spanish units fought off Soviet attacks but were cut off when the Soviets seized the October Railway. Now encircled, the units still holding the Leningrad-Moscow Highway decided to hold as long as possible and were destroyed in combat.
The 55th Army, in the meantime, had advanced despite heavy casualties inflicted by the dug-in Spanish troops. The Soviets took Raikelevo, which cut off Podolvo from Krasny Bor. In Krasny Bor itself the Spanish artillery, engineer
Military engineer
In military science, engineering refers to the practice of designing, building, maintaining and dismantling military works, including offensive, defensive and logistical structures, to shape the physical operating environment in war...
and other assorted stragglers came under attack from Soviet infantry and armour, and by 12:00, 63rd Guards Rifle Division reported the capture of Krasny Bor, despite the fact that the southern half of the town was still controlled by the Spanish. Soviet tanks opened fire on a hospital and retreating ambulances but were eventually beaten off by Spanish troops armed with Molotov Cocktail
Molotov cocktail
The Molotov cocktail, also known as the petrol bomb, gasoline bomb, Molotov bomb, fire bottle, fire bomb, or simply Molotov, is a generic name used for a variety of improvised incendiary weapons...
s and hand grenade
Hand grenade
A hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
s. The afternoon brought belated support for the defenders in the form of a Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
fighter-bomber attack on the Soviet positions around the town of Kolpino, to the east of Krasny Bor, while the 45th Guards Rifle Division seized Mishkino
Mishkino
Mishkino is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia:*Mishkino, Kurgan Oblast, an urban locality in Kurgan Oblast...
. Sviridov decided to insert the mobile group into the battle late on the day, but they were stopped by a combination of fierce resistance and a sudden thaw that stopped the Ski Brigade from operating off road. The German command reinforced the Spanish defenses with battle groups
The 63rd Guards Rifle Division advanced as far as the central-western part of the town, and after 15:15 managed to push a small formation into the rear of the Spanish division's forward command post. Meanwhile the remaining Spanish troops were ordered to new positions on the Izhora River
Izhora River
The Izhora , also known as Inger River, is a left tributary of the Neva River on its run through Ingria in northwestern Russia from Lake Ladoga to Gulf of Finland. A settlement of Ust-Izhora is situated at the confluence of Izhora and Neva, halfway between Saint Petersburg and Schlisselburg. The...
, on the west of the town. Here they held out against 63rd Guards Rifle Division's last attacks of the day.
After 16:30 hours a battle group of the German 212th Infantry Divisions and two companies each of the Flemish Legion
6th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade Langemarck
The 27th SS Volunteer Division Langemarck was a German Waffen-SS volunteer division comprising volunteers of Flemish background. It saw action on the Eastern Front during World War II....
and the Lithuanian Legion were able to support the Spanish by a counter-attack on the forest at Staraya Rechka, and by taking over the frontline from the highway to the Izhora River.
At the end of the day, the 63rd Guards Rifle Division had advanced 4–5 kilometre and captured Krasny Bor, Mishkino, Staraya Mirza, Stepanovka, and Popovka Station. On its left wing, the attack by 43rd Rifle Division and 34th Ski Brigade had had initial success, driving the 4th SS Police Division into the Tosno River.
In the Ishora River sector, 72nd Rifle Division pushed back the lines of the Spanish towards the river, destroying the Field Replacement Battalion, but suffering up to 70% casualties in the process.
11–13 February
The next day, 11 February 1943, left forward 63rd Guards Rifle Division units were surrounded in several places, but the 63rd Guards Rifle Division was in control of Krasny Bor by evening. A planned counter-attack by the Spanish division and the German 112th Infantry Division was thought likely to be successful, but ultimately not carried out due to concern over the overall position of 18th Army.By 13 February, 55th Army had lost almost a third of its initial strength and most of its tanks, and could no longer advance. The total penetration achieved reached to a depth of 4–5 kilometres on a frontage of 14 kilometres. After the Spanish 262nd infantry Regiment and 1st Artillery Battalion evacuated, they bombarded the Soviet positions and attempted a counter-attack to recapture Krasny Bor on 12 February. The attack by 55th Army made a flanking attack by 67th Army in the Sinyavino sector easier, because of the withdrawal of German forces from the sector.
The main road to Moscow was still controlled by the 18th Army, despite the capture of 3 km of railway line, and the Soviets launched their last major attack in this sector on 19 March 1943. It was also repelled with heavy losses on both sides.
Soviet general staff critiques after the battle highlighted the reasons for the failure of the attacks during Operation Polar Star as strongly fortified defenses, faulty reconnaissance, poor command and control on all levels, clumsy employment of tanks and ineffective artillery support.
Aftermath and consequences
The failure by the 55th Army to follow through on its initial success meant that the encirclement of the German forces in the Mga sector had lost its northern pincer. Failures by the other attacking armies, for similar reasons, led to the overall failure of the grandly conceived Operation Polar Star. It would take almost another year before 18th Army withdrew from the direct approaches to Leningrad. The German 50th Corps, and there in particular the 250th (Spanish) Infantry Division had managed to hold the Red Army inside the perimeter of the siege of LeningradSiege of Leningrad
The Siege of Leningrad, also known as the Leningrad Blockade was a prolonged military operation resulting from the failure of the German Army Group North to capture Leningrad, now known as Saint Petersburg, in the Eastern Front theatre of World War II. It started on 8 September 1941, when the last...
, at a heavy cost in casualties.
On 15 February the 250th Infantry Division reported casualties of 3,645 wounded or killed and 300 missing or taken prisoner, which amounted to a 70–75% casualty rate of the troops engaged in the battle. It claimed 11,000 Soviet troops of the 55th Army had been killed in the five days beginning 9 February. Because of these heavy losses and Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
pressure on the Spanish government
Spanish State
Francoist Spain refers to a period of Spanish history between 1936 and 1975 when Spain was under the authoritarian dictatorship of Francisco Franco....
, the Blue Division was withdrawn to Germany and later disbanded. A new volunteer formation called the Blue Legion
Blue Legion
The Blue Legion was officially called the Legión Española de Voluntarios was created from 1,500 pro-Fascist volunteers who remained behind at the Eastern Front, after most of the Spanish Blue Division had been repatriated in March 1944, because Francisco Franco had started negotiations with the...
(Legión Azul) remained in combat on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
, attached to 121st Infantry Division until March 1944, when it also was disbanded and the majority of the volunteers sent back to Spain. The 55th Army eventually took part in breaking the siege of Leningrad
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, securing the Leningrad-Moscow line in 1944. Afterwards, it advanced into Estonia
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...
and fought against the Courland pocket
Courland Pocket
The Courland Pocket referred to the Red Army's blockade or encirclement of Axis forces on the Courland peninsula during the closing months of World War II...
until 1945.
Those captured in the battle, on the Spanish side, were sent to gulag
Gulag
The Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
camps, primarily in Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
, and were not repatriated to Spain until 1954. Krasny Bor remains, for the most part, an obscure battle in modern historical knowledge relating to this devastating war. The Blue Division was awarded a Combat Service Medal, personally designed by Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
, for its defense of Army Group North's precarious eastern flank.
Soviet Union – Leningrad Front
Soviet 55th Army, 38,000 soldiers – Lieutenant General Vladimir Petrovich Sviridov- 43rd Rifle Division
- 45th Guards Rifle Division
- 63rd Guards Rifle Division
- 122nd Tank Brigade
- 31st Tank Regiment
- 34th Ski Brigade
- 35th Ski Brigade
- Artillery and mortar regiments with total strength of 1000 guns and mortars
Germany – Army Group North, 18th Army
German 50th Corps – General Philipp KleffelPhilipp Kleffel
Philipp Kleffel was a highly decorated General der Kavallerie in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded several corps. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful...
- Elements of 250. Infanterie-Division, 4,500 soldiers – Major General Emilio Esteban InfantesEmilio Esteban InfantesEmilio Esteban Infantes y Martín was a Spanish soldier and staff officer who served during the Spanish Civil War, and later in World War II as commander of the Wehrmacht's Blue Division , or 250. Infanterie-Division of the German Army integrated by Spanish falangist volunteers...
- 250 Field Replacement Battalion
- 262 Regiment (3 battalions)
- Ski Company
- 250 Reconnaissance Battalion
- 1st Artillery Battalion (3 Batteries) with 10.5 cm guns
- One battery of 3rd Artillery Battalion with 10.5 cm guns
- One battery of 4th Artillery Battalion with 15.0 cm guns
- 250th Anti Tank Battalion with 37 mm Pak36 AT-guns
- Assault sappers group
- Independent anti-tank gun company with 75 mm Pak40 anti-tank guns.
- 4th SS Police Division4th SS Polizei DivisionThe SS Polizei Division was one of the thirty-eight divisions fielded as part of the Waffen-SS during World War II.The division was formed in 1939 as part of the Ordnungspolizei...
- Major General Alfred WünnenbergAlfred WünnenbergAlfred Bernhard Julius Ernst Wünnenberg was SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen SS and the commander of the 4th SS Polizei Panzer Grenadier Division during World War II who was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oakleaves.-World War I:Alfred Wünnenberg was born on 20 July 1891 at Sarrebourg,...
- Battle Group 11th Infantry Division
- Battle Group 21st Infantry Division
- Battle Group 212th Infantry Division
- Battle Group 215th Infantry Division
- Battle Group 227th Infantry Division
- Battle Group 2nd SS Motorized Brigade
- SS-Volunteer Legion Flanders (2 companies)