Narva Offensive (1–4 March 1944)
Encyclopedia
The Narva Offensive (Estonian
: Putki lahing) was an operation
conducted by the Soviet Leningrad Front
. It was aimed at the conquest of the Narva Isthmus from the German army detachment "Narwa". At the time of the operation, Joseph Stalin
, the supreme commander of the Soviet Armed Forces, was personally interested in taking Estonia, viewing it as a precondition to forcing Finland out of the war.
The Soviet 59th Army attacked westwards from the Krivasoo Bridgehead south of the city of Narva
and encircled the strong-points of the 214th Infantry Division and the Estonian 658th
and 659th East Battalions. The resistance of the encircled units gave time for the command of the "Narwa" to move in all available forces and stop the Soviet advance. To the north of Narva, the fresh SS 45th and 46th (1st and 2nd Estonian) Volunteer Grenadier Regiments accompanied by units of the 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division "Nordland"
counter-attacked and reduced the Soviet bridgehead.
. The SS 45th (1st Estonian) Waffen Grenadier Regiment made a direct assault on the bridgehead on 29 February
. Simultaneously, the SS 46th (2nd Estonian) Waffen Grenadier Regiment, in their attempt to attack from the left flank, ran into the Soviet fortifications and a minefield, which they crossed
.
Road and the Narva-Tallinn
road and to capture the village of Jõhvi and the town of Rakvere
.
came as an unpleasant surprise to the leadership of the Leningrad Front, blaming it on the arrival of the Estonian Division. Since the beginning of January, the Leningrad Front had lost 227,440 troops killed, wounded or missing in action, which constituted more than half of the troops who participated in the Leningrad-Novgorod Strategic Offensive. Both sides rushed reinforcements into the area. The 59th Army was brought to Narva and the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps
placed under the command of the Leningrad Front.
Separate units:
Other military units:
, accounting for roughly 200,000 troops. The order of battle of the Leningrad Front as of 1 March 1944, is:
Separate detachments:
. An even larger strong-point was in the wreck of a Tiger
tank. It was destroyed by Ago Loorpärg, the commander of an Estonian anti-tank company, firing at it with a captured Soviet 45 mm gun incidentally found in a loaded state. The 1st and 2nd Estonian Regiments squeezed the Soviet bridgehead into a few hundred metres of river bank around the ruins of the borough of Vepsküla.
. After three days of heavy fighting, the Soviet army broke through the defence and advanced towards the Vasknarva
–Jõhvi
Highway. The 59th Army encircled the strong points of the 214th Infantry Division and the Estonian 658th
and 659th Eastern Battalions, which continued resisting. Lieutenant General Ivan Korvnikov, in charge of the Soviet 59th Army, delayed the advance, citing a lack of artillery support and scarcity of manpower. This gave time for Frießner to move in all available forces and stop the Soviet advance. Units of the 59th Army attacked towards the northwest from the Krivasoo bridgehead on 4 March. The assault was held back by the "Reval" Regiment. A platoon from the SS Panzergrenadier Regiment 23 "Norge" rushed in an unexpected counter-attack and restored the main defence line.
Soviet aviation conducted an air raid, leveling the historical town of Narva. An air and artillery bombardment of 100,000 shells and bombs were aimed at the 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division "Nordland"
and the 4th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Brigade "Nederland" in Ivangorod
on the opposite bank from Narva. It also prepared the 30th Guards Rifle Division's attack on 8 March. Simultaneous pitched battles took place north of the town, where the 14th Rifle Corps supported by artillery from the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps
attempted to break through the defence of the 1st and 2nd Estonian Regiments. The defenders repulsed the attacks with great losses for the Soviets.
The Soviet air assaults against civilians in Estonian cities were aimed at forcing the Estonians away from supporting the Germans during the Soviet offensive. Soviet Long Range Aviation
assaulted the Estonian capital
Tallinn on the night before 9 March. Approximately 40% of the housing space was destroyed in the city, 500 civilians were killed, 25,000 people were left without shelter. The result of the air raid was the opposite to the Soviet aim, as the people felt disgusted by the Soviet atrocities and more men answered the German call.
The Soviet tank attack at Auvere station on 17 March was stopped by the 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion. Fierce fighting continued for another week until the Soviet forces were compelled to go onto the defensive after suffering many casualties. This enabled the "Narwa" to take the initiative.
Estonian language
Estonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...
: Putki lahing) was an operation
Military operation
Military operation is the coordinated military actions of a state in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state's favor. Operations may be of combat or non-combat types, and are referred to by a code name for the purpose...
conducted by the Soviet 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:...
. It was aimed at the conquest of the Narva Isthmus from the German army detachment "Narwa". At the time of the operation, Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
, the supreme commander of the Soviet Armed Forces, was personally interested in taking Estonia, viewing it as a precondition to forcing Finland out of the war.
The Soviet 59th Army attacked westwards from the Krivasoo Bridgehead south of the city of Narva
Narva
Narva is the third largest city in Estonia. It is located at the eastern extreme point of Estonia, by the Russian border, on the Narva River which drains Lake Peipus.-Early history:...
and encircled the strong-points of the 214th Infantry Division and the Estonian 658th
658th Eastern Battalion
The 658th Eastern Battalion was an Eastern Front World War II military unit of the Wehrmacht composed of Estonians. It was formed on 23 October 1942 from Estnische Sicherungs-Abteilung 181 by the German 18th Army and fought in Northern Russia...
and 659th East Battalions. The resistance of the encircled units gave time for the command of the "Narwa" to move in all available forces and stop the Soviet advance. To the north of Narva, the fresh SS 45th and 46th (1st and 2nd Estonian) Volunteer Grenadier Regiments accompanied by units of the 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division "Nordland"
11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland
The 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland, also known as Kampfverband Waräger, Germanische-Freiwilligen-Division, SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 11 or 11. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nordland, was a Waffen SS, Panzergrenadier division recruited from foreign volunteers...
counter-attacked and reduced the Soviet bridgehead.
Preceding combat
Units of the 20th Estonian SS Volunteer Division were tasked with destroying the Siivertsi bridgehead, which was defended by the 1,100-strong 378th Rifle Division equipped with 20 assault guns. The attack was commanded by Standartenführer Paul VentPaul Vent
Paul Vent was an Estonian military officer who served in the Imperial Russian Army, the Estonian Army, the Wehrmacht and in the Waffen SS. Paul Vent fought in World War I, Estonian War of Independence and World War II...
. The SS 45th (1st Estonian) Waffen Grenadier Regiment made a direct assault on the bridgehead on 29 February
Narva Offensive (15–28 February 1944)
This is a sub-article to Battle of Narva.The Narva Offensive was a campaign fought between the German army detachment "Narwa" and the Soviet Leningrad Front for the strategically important Narva Isthmus. At the time of the operation, Stalin was personally interested in taking Estonia, viewing it...
. Simultaneously, the SS 46th (2nd Estonian) Waffen Grenadier Regiment, in their attempt to attack from the left flank, ran into the Soviet fortifications and a minefield, which they crossed
Narva Offensive (15–28 February 1944)
This is a sub-article to Battle of Narva.The Narva Offensive was a campaign fought between the German army detachment "Narwa" and the Soviet Leningrad Front for the strategically important Narva Isthmus. At the time of the operation, Stalin was personally interested in taking Estonia, viewing it...
.
Goals
The operational goals of the Soviet offensive was to break through to the Vasknarva-JõhviJõhvi
Jõhvi is a town in north-eastern Estonia, and the capital of Ida-Viru County. The town is also an administrative centre of Jõhvi Parish. It is situated 50 km from the Russian border....
Road and the Narva-Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
road and to capture the village of Jõhvi and the town of Rakvere
Rakvere
Rakvere is a town in northern Estonia and the county seat of Lääne-Viru County, 20 km south of the Gulf of Finland.-History:The earliest signs of human settlement dating back to the 3rd-5th centuries AD have been found on the present theatre hill. Probably to protect that settlement, a wooden...
.
Preparations
The setbacks in the Narva Offensive (15–28 February 1944)Narva Offensive (15–28 February 1944)
This is a sub-article to Battle of Narva.The Narva Offensive was a campaign fought between the German army detachment "Narwa" and the Soviet Leningrad Front for the strategically important Narva Isthmus. At the time of the operation, Stalin was personally interested in taking Estonia, viewing it...
came as an unpleasant surprise to the leadership of the Leningrad Front, blaming it on the arrival of the Estonian Division. Since the beginning of January, the Leningrad Front had lost 227,440 troops killed, wounded or missing in action, which constituted more than half of the troops who participated in the Leningrad-Novgorod Strategic Offensive. Both sides rushed reinforcements into the area. The 59th Army was brought to Narva and the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps
8th Estonian Rifle Corps
The 8th 'Estonian' Rifle Corps was a formation in the Soviet Army, created on 6 November 1942, during World War II. The 8th 'Estonian' Rifle Corps 1st...
placed under the command of the Leningrad Front.
German
Army Group North ordered the deployment of the army detachment "Narwa" on 22 February in the following positions: III SS Panzer Corps deployed to the north of Narva and the bridgehead on the east bank of the river, the XXXXIII Army Corps against the Krivasoo Bridgehead and the XXVI Army Corps to the sector between the bridgehead and Lake Peipus. As of 1 March 1944, there were a total of 123,541 personnel subordinated to the army group in the following order of battle:- XXVI Army Corps - General der InfanterieGeneral of the Infantry (Germany)General of the Infantry is a rank of general in the Imperial Army, Reichswehr or Wehrmacht - the second-highest regular rank. The same rank spread to the Imperial Russian Army and the Defence forces of Finland between the world wars...
Anton Grasser - XXXXIII Army Corps - General der Infanterie Karl von OvenKarl von OvenKarl von Oven was a highly decorated General der Infanterie 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...
- III SS (Germanic) Panzer Corps - SS-Obergruppenführer Felix Martin Julius SteinerFelix SteinerFelix Martin Julius Steiner was a German Reichswehr and Waffen-SS officer who served in both World War I and World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
Separate units:
- Eastern Sector, Coastal Defence (Staff of 2nd Anti-Aircraft Division as HQ) - Lieutenant General Alfons LucznyAlfons LucznyAlfons Luczny was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Luftwaffe during World War II. 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 military leadership...
- Estonian Regiment "Reval"Estonian Regiment "Reval"Estonian Regiment "Reval" was formed on the early spring of 1944. The regiment comprised only Estonians, and had three battalions. The regiment was led by Major Rubach, helped by Lt. Noorkukk...
- 3 Estonian PoliceEstonian PoliceThe Estonian Police are the law enforcement agency of Estonia.- Structure :They are under the supervision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which supervises five central agencies – the Police Board, the Security Police Board, the Police and Border Guard Board and the Rescue Board...
battalions - 658th658th Eastern BattalionThe 658th Eastern Battalion was an Eastern Front World War II military unit of the Wehrmacht composed of Estonians. It was formed on 23 October 1942 from Estnische Sicherungs-Abteilung 181 by the German 18th Army and fought in Northern Russia...
and 659th Estonian Eastern Battalions
- Estonian Regiment "Reval"
Other military units:
- Artillery Command No. 113
- High Pioneer Command No. 32
- 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion502nd Heavy Tank Battalion (Germany)The 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion was a German World War II independent armoured battalion equipped with heavy tanks. The battalion was the first unit to receive and field the Tiger I or Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. E. It fought on the Eastern front...
- 752nd Anti-Tank Battalion
- 540th Special Infantry (Training) Battalion
Soviet
Three Soviet armies were deployed during the course of the operation. The 2nd Shock Army was placed in the sector against the German bridgehead and north to the Gulf of Finland; the 59th Army south of the city of Narva and the 8th Army south of the 59th Army along the 50 km long Narva river stretching down to Lake Peipus. Detailed information on the size of the Soviet forces at the Narva front during the Winter-Spring campaign has not been published by any sources. It is impossible to give an overview on the Soviet strength until the Red Army archival information is made available to non-Russian investigators or published. Estonian historian Hannes Walter has estimated the number of Soviet troops at 205,000 which is in accordance with the number of divisions multiplied by the assumed sizes of the divisions presented by the Estonian historian Mart LaarMart Laar
Mart Laar is an Estonian statesman, historian and a founding member of the Foundation for the Investigation of Communist Crimes. He was the Prime Minister of Estonia from 1992 to 1994 and from 1999 to 2002, and is the leader of the conservative party Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica...
, accounting for roughly 200,000 troops. The order of battle of the Leningrad Front as of 1 March 1944, is:
- 2nd Shock Army2nd Shock ArmyThe 2nd Shock Army was a field army of the Soviet Union during the Second World War. This type of formation was created in accordance with prewar doctrine that called for Shock Armies to overcome difficult defensive dispositions in order to create a tactical penetration of sufficient breadth and...
- Lieutenant General Ivan Fedyuninski- 43rd Rifle Corps - Major General Anatoli Andreyev
- 109th Rifle Corps - Major General Ivan Alferov
- 124th Rifle Corps - Major General Voldemar Damberg
- 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...
- Lieutenant General Filipp Starikov- 6th Rifle Corps - Major General Semyon Mikulski
- 112th Rifle Corps - Major General Filipp Solovev
- 115th Rifle Corps - (HQ with no troops assigned by 1 Apr 1944)
- 59th Army - Lieutenant General Ivan Korvnikov
- 117th Rifle Corps - Major General Vasili Trubachev
- 122nd Rifle Corps - Major General Panteleimon Zaitsev
Separate detachments:
- 8th Estonian Rifle Corps8th Estonian Rifle CorpsThe 8th 'Estonian' Rifle Corps was a formation in the Soviet Army, created on 6 November 1942, during World War II. The 8th 'Estonian' Rifle Corps 1st...
- Lieutenant General Lembit Pärn - 14th Rifle Corps - Major General Pavel Artyushenko
- 124th Rifle Division - Colonel Papchenko Danilovich
- 30th Guards Rifle Corps - Lieutenant General Nikolai Simonyak
- 46th, 260th and 261st Separate Guards Heavy Tank and 1902nd Separate Self-propelled Artillery regiments
- 3rd Breakthrough Artillery Corps - Major General N. N. Zhdanov
- 3rd Guards Tank Corps - Major General I. A. Vovchenko
Northern wing
The SS Panzergrenadier Regiment 24 "Danmark" counter-attacked and took Siivertsi cemetery. They attacked from the northern suburbs of Narva, but could not destroy a Soviet strong-point inside a massive granite monument erected in honour of the soldiers of the Northwestern White Army in the battle of Narva, 1919. The Soviets were eventually killed by a flamethrowerFlamethrower
A flamethrower is a mechanical device designed to project a long controllable stream of fire.Some flamethrowers project a stream of ignited flammable liquid; some project a long gas flame. Most military flamethrowers use liquids, but commercial flamethrowers tend to use high-pressure propane and...
. An even larger strong-point was in the wreck of a Tiger
Tiger I
Tiger I is the common name of a German heavy tank developed in 1942 and used in World War II. The final official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. E, often shortened to Tiger. It was an answer to the unexpectedly formidable Soviet armour encountered in the initial months of...
tank. It was destroyed by Ago Loorpärg, the commander of an Estonian anti-tank company, firing at it with a captured Soviet 45 mm gun incidentally found in a loaded state. The 1st and 2nd Estonian Regiments squeezed the Soviet bridgehead into a few hundred metres of river bank around the ruins of the borough of Vepsküla.
Southern wing
On 1 March, the newly arrived Soviet 59th Army, supported by the fire of 2,500 assault guns and more than 100 tanks, attacked the German 214th Infantry Division from the Krivasoo Bridgehead. The objective of the attack was the nearest connecting road in the village of KuremäePuhtitsa Convent
Pühtitsa Convent is a convent located in Eastern Estonia between Lake Peipus and the Gulf of Finland.-History:...
. After three days of heavy fighting, the Soviet army broke through the defence and advanced towards the Vasknarva
Alajõe Parish
Alajõe Parish is a rural municipality ofIda-Viru County in northern Estonia. It has a population of 1024 and an area of .-Villages:Alajõe - Karjamaa - Katase - Remniku - Smolnitsa - Uusküla - Vasknarva...
–Jõhvi
Jõhvi
Jõhvi is a town in north-eastern Estonia, and the capital of Ida-Viru County. The town is also an administrative centre of Jõhvi Parish. It is situated 50 km from the Russian border....
Highway. The 59th Army encircled the strong points of the 214th Infantry Division and the Estonian 658th
658th Eastern Battalion
The 658th Eastern Battalion was an Eastern Front World War II military unit of the Wehrmacht composed of Estonians. It was formed on 23 October 1942 from Estnische Sicherungs-Abteilung 181 by the German 18th Army and fought in Northern Russia...
and 659th Eastern Battalions, which continued resisting. Lieutenant General Ivan Korvnikov, in charge of the Soviet 59th Army, delayed the advance, citing a lack of artillery support and scarcity of manpower. This gave time for Frießner to move in all available forces and stop the Soviet advance. Units of the 59th Army attacked towards the northwest from the Krivasoo bridgehead on 4 March. The assault was held back by the "Reval" Regiment. A platoon from the SS Panzergrenadier Regiment 23 "Norge" rushed in an unexpected counter-attack and restored the main defence line.
Lake Peipus
A Soviet regiment of the 2nd Rifle Division attempted a surprise assault over the northeastern tip of Lake Peipus in order to seize the road along the north shore of the lake on 2 March. Up to 500 of them were killed by the 225th Infantry Division, a large number of weapons were captured, including seven assault guns.Casualties
German losses were in the thousands in all sectors. There is no adequate account of the Soviet casualties.Succeeding combat
In a surprise attack, the 1st Estonian Regiment split the Siivertsi bridgehead into three parts and 'rolled' it down on 5 March. A small Soviet bridgehead still left on the west bank was cleared by the II.Battalion, 2nd Estonian Regiment by 6 March.Soviet aviation conducted an air raid, leveling the historical town of Narva. An air and artillery bombardment of 100,000 shells and bombs were aimed at the 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division "Nordland"
11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland
The 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland, also known as Kampfverband Waräger, Germanische-Freiwilligen-Division, SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 11 or 11. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nordland, was a Waffen SS, Panzergrenadier division recruited from foreign volunteers...
and the 4th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Brigade "Nederland" in Ivangorod
Ivangorod
Ivangorod is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the right bank of the Narva River by the Russian-Estonian border, west of St. Petersburg. Population: The town is known for the Ivangorod fortress....
on the opposite bank from Narva. It also prepared the 30th Guards Rifle Division's attack on 8 March. Simultaneous pitched battles took place north of the town, where the 14th Rifle Corps supported by artillery from the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps
8th Estonian Rifle Corps
The 8th 'Estonian' Rifle Corps was a formation in the Soviet Army, created on 6 November 1942, during World War II. The 8th 'Estonian' Rifle Corps 1st...
attempted to break through the defence of the 1st and 2nd Estonian Regiments. The defenders repulsed the attacks with great losses for the Soviets.
The Soviet air assaults against civilians in Estonian cities were aimed at forcing the Estonians away from supporting the Germans during the Soviet offensive. Soviet Long Range Aviation
Long Range Aviation
Long Range Aviation was the branch of the Soviet Air Forces tasked with long-range bombardment of strategic targets with nuclear weapons. During the Cold War, it was the counterpart to the Strategic Air Command of the United States Air Force....
assaulted the Estonian capital
Bombing of Tallinn in World War II
The Soviet Long Range Aviation bombed the Estonian capital Tallinn several times during World War II. The first instance was during the Summer War of 1941 . A number of bombing missions followed in 1942–43. The largest of the bombings occurred in March 1944 in connection with the Battle of Narva...
Tallinn on the night before 9 March. Approximately 40% of the housing space was destroyed in the city, 500 civilians were killed, 25,000 people were left without shelter. The result of the air raid was the opposite to the Soviet aim, as the people felt disgusted by the Soviet atrocities and more men answered the German call.
The Soviet tank attack at Auvere station on 17 March was stopped by the 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion. Fierce fighting continued for another week until the Soviet forces were compelled to go onto the defensive after suffering many casualties. This enabled the "Narwa" to take the initiative.