Petsamo-Kirkenes operation

Soviet offensive operation map

The Petsamo-Kirkenes operation ( Russian Петсамо-Киркенесская операция ) was a winter battle during the Second World War in the polar region between the Soviet Karelian Front and German troops in northern Norway and Finland, which lasted from October 7 to 29, 1944.

The operation is used in both the Russian and US armies as an object of study for a war in the Arctic.

prehistory

By September 1941, the German troops had not succeeded in the company Platinfuchs , the capture of the important supply port Murmansk . Because ores were mined in this area for the production of copper , nickel and molybdenum , it was important for the German war economy. With the control of Murmansk, the Germans could have prevented the delivery of war material from the Allies.

West of Murmansk in June 1944 the positions of the German XIX were still on Soviet soil . Mountain Corps under General of the Mountain Troops Ferdinand Jodl with the 2nd Mountain Division (General Degen ) and 6th Mountain Division (General Pemsel ). In addition, there was the van der Hoop division group (Grenadier Brigade 193 and 503) and four other brigades with a total of around 53,000 soldiers, 753 guns and 160 aircraft from Air Fleet 5 , which was protecting at Petsamo . The German defense consisted of three lines with a total length of up to 150 km in difficult terrain with mountains, lakes and swamps.

Opposite was the Soviet 14th Army under Lieutenant General Scherbakow with 8 rifle divisions and 6 brigades, which had been reinforced by the Karelian Front under Kirill Afanassjewitsch Merezkow to around 113,200 soldiers, 2,100 guns, 126 tanks and 1,025 aircraft. For an amphibious operation near Liinahamari , the northern fleet under Admiral Golowko was used, which in a second phase was supposed to land additional strong naval units in the rear of the German positions.

course

After 2 hours 35 minutes of strong Soviet artillery bombardment, the operation began on October 7, 1944. The German defense lines were breached up to 16 km deep in three days. With a bypass maneuver from the south, the German troops were forced to retreat near Luostari .

On the night of October 10th, Soviet marines were deposited on the banks of the Malaya Volkovaya . The following morning they attacked the German troops from the flank and, together with the marine infantry attacking ashore, broke through the German defensive positions on the Sredny peninsula . On the evening of October 12th, more troops were dropped off by speedboats in Liinahamari port . Together with the marine infantry, they captured Liinahamari on October 13th. On the night of the 15th, Petsamo fell into the hands of the Soviet 14th Rifle Division (Major General Fyodor Korotkow ) of the Soviet 131st Rifle Corps (Major General Zinowi Alexejew ).

On October 22nd the Norwegian border was crossed and on October 25th the Norwegian town Kirkenes was taken after bitter fighting by the 10th Guards Rifle Division (Major General Chariton Chudalow ) of the 99th Rifle Corps (Lieutenant General Semjon Mikulski ) with the support of the marine infantry. On October 27th, Neiden was also conquered. On October 29th, the Soviet troops were able to maintain their positions north of Neiden and southwest of Nautsi , thus completing the operation. Reasons for the stop were the snowfall, the polar night and the topographical nature of the landscape: in front of the Soviet troops there was an area with numerous fjords .

Losses and consequences

The Red Army advanced up to 150 km west on a front 80 km wide and entered Norway for the first time . The Soviet casualties amounted to 21,233 men, of which 6,084 were killed and missing. According to Soviet information, 30,000 German soldiers were killed in this battle. Some dispersed German troops were captured by Norwegian partisans.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Great Soviet Encyclopedia , "Петсамо-Киркенесская наступательная операция, 7-29 октября 1944 г."

Web links

• James Gebhardt "The Petsamo-Kirkenes Operation" - Leavenworth Paper No. 17 (PDF), accessed on October 26, 2019.
• Petsamo Kirkenes Operation in Soldaty 20 weka (Russian).
• Petsamo-Kirkenes offensive of the great patriatic was started , Russian Presidential Library (English version).