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64-671: The first Sinyavino offensive was a Soviet counterattack during the German Encirclement of Leningrad between 10 and 26 September 1941. It was executed by the 54th Army which attacked from the east and by the Leningrad Front 's 115th Rifle Division and 4th Marines Brigade which attacked from the region of Nevskaya Dubrovka in Leningrad. The 54th Army Detachment advanced some 6-10 km, but was then surrounded and nearly entirely destroyed. The Leningrad Front troops made

128-647: A forced crossing over the Neva River and occupied the Neva Bridgehead , but failed to advance any further. The Commander of the 54th Army, Marshal Grigory Kulik was relieved of command for the failure. The second Sinyavino offensive was a Soviet operation between 20 and 28 October 1941. It was again executed by the 54th Army which attacked from the region south of Gaitolovo and by the Neva Operational Group which launched an attack from

192-633: A north to columns flank. The Finns made counterattacks in all fronts but were not successful – however the Red Army was now facing a position of defence rather than attack. On 19 December the Finns temporarily ceased their assaults as the soldiers were exhausted. It was not until the period 6 to 16 January 1940 that the Finns made another major offensive, and cut the Soviet division into a smaller group of different sized mottis . Contrary to Finnish expectation,

256-466: A number of other units) joined the heavy fighting with superior forces of the German Wehrmacht on the Šiauliai axis. On 23–25 June its 12th Mechanised Corps with the part of the 3rd Mechanised Corps of the 11th Army southwest of Shyaulyaya executed a counterblow on the forces of the enemy's Panzer Group 4 , as a result of which their advance was delayed by several days. After 30 June

320-481: A result of the unsuccessful offensive, the commander of the North-Western Front, Major General Pyotr Sobennikov , was removed from office and sentenced to 5 years in prison, later replaced by a demotion. The commander of the 34th Army, Major General Kuzma Kachanov , was arrested on 12 September, trialed for cowardice and executed on 29 September. On 28 August, Tallinn fell after a siege of 3 weeks and

384-681: A spectacular advance through the Baltic states. In two and a half weeks, Lithuania and Latvia had been overrun and on 9 July, the 4th Panzer Group had already reached Pskov in Russia and the southern shore of Lake Peipus , with a bulge to the north-east towards Slavkovich . On the left flank of the bulge was the XXXXI Motorized Corps and on the right the LVI Motorized Corps . The German 18th Army had advanced along

448-511: A substantial part of the Sinyavino Heights. During the fifth Sinyavino offensive, there was a pause between 22 August and 15 September 1943, and therefore this battle is sometimes described as two different battles. Encirclement of Leningrad German victory [REDACTED] Army Group North Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Air war 1942 1943 1944 Leningrad strategic defensive operation

512-443: A total of 270–300 kilometers due to Soviet withdrawals. On 10 July, it was decided that Panzer Group 4 was to launch a two-pronged attack, without waiting for the slower infantry to arrive. The XXXXI Panzer Corps of Georg-Hans Reinhardt was to attack towards the city of Luga , while LVI Panzer Corps of Erich von Manstein was to advance toward Lake Ilmen in a flanking movement. On 4 July, General Georgy Zhukov , chief of

576-684: Is the term in Soviet historiography for the defensive operations in the area south of Leningrad by the Red Army and the Soviet Navy during World War II from 10 July to 30 September 1941. The following operations are considered as part of the strategic operation: After the start of Operation Barbarossa on 22 June 1941, the German Army Group North , consisting of the 18th , the 4th Panzer Group and 16th Armies , had made

640-514: The 22nd Motor Rifle Division NKVD started operating as part of 10th Rifle Corps . (Glantz, SC, 175) During July–August the troops of the 8th Army conducted persistent defensive actions in the territory of Estonia. On 14 July, the army was transferred to the Northern Front , and on 27 August of the Leningrad Front . In the beginning of September 1941 the army's troops fought on the neighboring approaches to Leningrad, retaining contact with

704-477: The 4th Panzer Group and on 18 July it took Dno from the 22nd Rifle Corps . Soltsy was retaken on 22 July but an attack of the German 21st Infantry Division on Shimsk was repulsed. Only on 27 July did the situation along the entire front between Narva and Lake Ilmen stabilize, and Army Group North able to think again about continuing the offensive against Leningrad. The German command had decided to wait for

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768-813: The Leningrad Military District with the task of providing security of the Northwestern borders of the USSR . (The Novgorod Group had been created a month before, on 13 August 1939 by the order No. 0129 of the Chairman of the People's Commissariat for Defence , Marshal of the Soviet Union K.E. Voroshilov . The Group was created for operations in Estonia and Latvia .) On 30 November 1939

832-743: The Narva Offensive (July 1944) and the Battle of Tannenberg Line , 25 July to 10 August 1944. During September in cooperation with the 2nd Shock Army and the Baltic Fleet , the army conducted the Tallinn Offensive , as a result of which, mainland Estonia and the capital Tallinn were captured. In October–November the army together with the Baltic Fleet conducted the Moonsund Landing Operation to capture

896-578: The Neva Bridgehead toward Sinyavino. Both attacks were unsuccessful, but significantly complicated the German Tikhvin offensive , which occurred at the same time. The third Sinyavino offensive was a major Soviet offensive between 19 August and 10 October 1942, with no results but with serious losses on both sides. The fourth Sinyavino offensive, better known as Operation Iskra , was a successful Soviet offensive in January 1943 that conquered

960-554: The Sinyavino Offensive (1942) . During January 1943, the 8th Army participated in the Leningrad blockade break-through, covering the southern flank of the Front's assault group. During July–August it conducted furious fighting in the 1st Mga Offensive . During January 1944, the army headquarters and its support units were moved between Novgorod and Lake Peipus . 119th Rifle Corps with 286th and 374th Rifle Divisions

1024-559: The Staraya Russa offensive operation . The plan was for the newly formed Soviet 48th Army to attack from the Novgorod region along the northwest side of Lake Ilmen , while the newly formed 34th Army , supported by 11th and 27th Armies, would attack south of Lake Ilmen. The Soviets engaged 8 rifle divisions, a cavalry corps and a tank division for the offensive, with the objective of recapturing Staraya Russa and Dno, and destroying

1088-498: The Volkhov River to Veliky Novgorod , including the city, then along the western side of Lake Ilmen to Staraya Russa , from there to the north end of Lake Vella and from the western boundary of the lake to the north shore of Lake Seliger to the region west of Peno . South of the border demarcation operated the forces of German Army Group Center . The length of the fighting front was roughly 450 kilometers and advanced

1152-600: The Võhma District and then south-east to Tartu and Lake Peipus . The 16th Army was at that time on the southern flank of the Army Group around the Velikaya River and west of Novorzhev . The Infantry of the 16th Army was lagging behind the 4th Panzergroup because of the difference in speed, but also because it was asked to support Army Group Center on its right flank. The campaign was conducted in

1216-529: The 118th Rifle Division back to Gdov , and the 90th and 111th Rifle Divisions back to Luga. On July 12, German troops clashed with covering units of the Luga defensive line in the Plyussa River area and were stopped during stubborn fighting. Unable to bypass the defending troops from the flanks because of the swampy terrain, Reinhardt left the 269th Infantry Division at Luga, and diverted the main forces of

1280-510: The 16th Army’s X Infantry Corps . The offensive started on 12 August and immediately threatened to overwhelm and trap the X Infantry Corps against Lake Ilmen. The commander-in-chief of the German Army Group North, von Leeb , was forced to transfer the 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf to the area of the Soviet offensive, it was soon followed by the 3rd Motorized Division and Erich von Manstein 's LVI Panzer Corps , which

1344-564: The 1st and 3rd Militia Division, the 24th Armored Division were trapped in the "Luga Pocket". The encirclement was completed in the north by XXXXI Panzer, in the south by the L Army Corps and in the east by XXVIII Army Corps. The struggle in the Luga Pocket continued until mid-September 1941, and some units were able to break out eastwards. Meanwhile on the southern wing the Soviets were planning their own offensive in what became known as

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1408-636: The 1st, 2nd and 3rd division of the national militia and the 41st Rifle Corps with the 90th, 235th and 118th rifle divisions. The German ground forces were supported by Luftflotte 1 which was reinforced by the 8th Fliegercorps as the operation progressed. On 10 July 1941, the advanced units of German Army Group North, breaking the line of the Velikaya River, continued their attack on Leningrad. The XXXXI Panzer Corps , under command of Georg-Hans Reinhardt and consisting of two panzer, motorized and infantry divisions and supported by aircraft, pushed

1472-542: The 3rd motorized division was directed along a side road to the north. The 8th Panzer Division launched an attack on Shimsk , moving along the highway on the left bank of the Shelon River in the direction of Novgorod . The remnants of the 3rd Tank Division of the 1st Mechanized Corps were trying to hold back the German offensive, retreating from line to line. On 14 July, German units occupied Soltsy and reached

1536-766: The 70th and 177th Rifle Division to the commander of the Northwestern Front . When the German breakthrough began to emerge south of Lake Peipus, the troops of the new line of defense were combined on 6 July to form the Luga Operational Group under General Konstantin Piadyshev's command. The Leningrad Infantry School (2000 men), the Kingisepp Militia and the Leningrad Gun and MG Infantry School (1900 men) soon concentrated in

1600-515: The Corps and after defeating the 1st Soviet Tank Division at Moloskovitchi, the divisions of the XXXXI Panzer corps reached the road from Kingisepp to Gatchina on 16 August. The next day, the German 1st Infantry Division conquered Kingisepp, while the 291st Infantry Division occupied Narva from the west and the 58th Infantry Division from the south. Meanwhile, German tanks began to bypass

1664-535: The Corps believed that its safety was ensured by its speed. The Soviet command decided to take advantage of the fact that the LVI Panzer Corps was left without cover. The commander of the Northwestern Front, Major General Pyotr Sobennikov , on 13 July 1941, issued Order No. 012 to the troops of the 11th Army under command of Lieutenant General Vasili Morozov , reinforced by formations of

1728-619: The Finnish border. The Eighth Army was led by Ivan Khabarov , but on 13 December he was replaced by Grigori Shtern . The Vice Commander of the Southern Group was Vladimir Kurdyumov from December 1939, who later was appointed the Vice Commander of the 15th Army. The mission was to destroy the Finnish troops in the area of Ladoga Karelia and advance to the area between Sortavala and Joensuu within ten days. The Soviets had

1792-613: The General Staff, gave the Military Council of the Northern Front instructions to defend Leningrad. The guideline envisaged the construction of a defensive line between Narva , Luga and Staraja Russa and expanding it to a depth of 10 to 15 km. From the end of June, three divisions of national people's militia were recruited in Leningrad and used to occupy the Luga line. On 6 July, General Konstantin Piadyshev

1856-474: The German 8th Panzer Division was surrounded. At the same time, the German 3rd Motorized Infantry Division was placed in a difficult position. On 16 July, the Soviet 70th Rifle Division under the command of Major General Andrey Fedyunin occupied Soltsy. On the same day, the commander of the Northwestern Front ordered the front armies to complete the defeat of the enemy in the Soltsy area and by firmly holding

1920-543: The German XXVIII Corps of the 16th Army finally unlocked the left flank of General Astanin's Luga group. The SS Police Division had also been moved 74 kilometers north to the east bank of Luga and stormed on the city of Luga from the southeast on August 24. On 22 August, General Astanin had received the order to pull back his units behind the railroad to Gatchina (Krasnogvardeysk), but it was too late. The Soviet 70th, 90th, 111th, 177th and 235th Rifle Division,

1984-582: The Northern Front (21st Tank, 70th and 237th Rifle divisions), to carry out a counter-attack and restore the situation in the Soltsy area. After approvals, on the evening of 13 July, the commander of the 11th and 27th Armies was sent directive No. 010 on the beginning of the counterstrike. The development of the counterstrike plan took place under the leadership of the Chief of Staff of the North-Western Front Nikolai Vatutin . It

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2048-602: The Soviet Baltic Fleet evacuated the city . The Germans had conquered Estonia and a large strip of Western Russia up to southern shores of the Gulf of Finland , although some strong-points of Soviet defence held out. For the final attack on the city, the German XXXIX Panzer Corps was relocated from Army Group Centre to Army Group North. It was ordered to cut off the city from the rest of

2112-465: The Soviet Union attacked Finland in the Winter War . The strength of the 8th Army, or overall the Red Army, in the north of Lake Ladoga ( Ladoga Karelia ), surprised the Finnish general staff. The Finns deployed only two divisions, and they had a support group of three brigades , bringing their total strength to over 30,000 uniforms. The Soviets had a division for almost all roads leading west to

2176-721: The Soviet Union, bypassing the city to the east. The I Army Corps was to advance north along the left bank of the Volkhov river towards Kirishi , covering the right flank of the XXXIX Panzer Army. With the deepening crisis the Stavka assigned the newly mobilised 4th, 52nd and 54th Armies along and east of the Volkhov River. The Stavka also approved the formation of two new Armies: the 42nd and 55th, which would defend Leningrad itself. The main German thrust on Leningrad

2240-596: The VIII Air Corps under General Von Richthofen, the German 1st Army Corps (General of the Infantry Kuno-Hans von Both ) attacked Novgorod directly with the 11th and 21st Infantry Divisions . The defensive positions of the Soviet troops could be breached. On 14 August 14, the 21st Infantry Division advanced on the Novgorod-Luga highway, and the 11th Infantry Division approached the line from

2304-602: The XXXXI Panzer Corps towards the north-west and by 14 July captured two bridgeheads on the right bank of the Luga River near the villages of Ivanovskoye and Bol'shoy Sabsk in the area of Kingisepp . The German troops were stopped at these positions by the forces of the Luga Operational Group and were only able to continue the offensive a month later. Meanwhile, a large gap was created between

2368-582: The advance, successfully repulsed two attacks, and inflicted casualties of about 400 soldiers and officers on the German 3rd Motorized Division. In addition, Soviet gunners destroyed or damaged 20 enemy tanks. Despite this, by nightfall, the Germans were able to advance east of Porkhov for another three kilometers. On 12 July, the SS Totenkopf Division was left behind in the Porkhov area, and

2432-499: The advantage of a three-to-one ratio in men, five-to-one in artillery and also air supremacy . The Finnish troops conducted a pre-planned retreat before the overwhelming opposition. On 7 December, in middle of the Ladoga Karelian front, the Finns retreated near the small stream of Kollaa . The waterway itself did not offer any protection, but alongside there were ridges up to ten meters. The battle of Kollaa lasted until

2496-478: The area east of the city of Narva. A separate mountain rifle brigade (5800 men), which was recruited in Leningrad, was designated to secure the Luga line. The defined line of defense extended almost 250 kilometers in length from the Gulf of Finland along the rivers Luga, Mshaga, Luga Shelon to Lake Ilmen . The Luga Operational Group consisted of 4 rifle divisions: 70th, 111th, 177th and 191st rifle division as well as

2560-798: The area to the northwest of the Kalinin Region to the Baltic Sea . In the north the land line of operations was limited to the shores of the Gulf of Finland , north of the Gulf Soviet troops were engaged in the Arctic–Karelia strategic defensive and the defense of the Hanko Peninsula . In the east the German troops reached the southern shore of Lake Ladoga , south along the Kirisha River to Kirishi , then south along

2624-525: The arrival of the bulk of the 18th Army from Northern Estonia and the 16th Army from Eastern Latvia, to launch a new offensive. On 8 August the LVI Panzer Corps attacked in the area of Luga but failed to advance against strong Soviet defensive positions. At the same time, the XXXXI Panzer Corps attacked in the Kingisepp area and was more successful. The 8th Panzer Division was added to

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2688-543: The city of Luga on country and forest roads and reached the river Luga in the area 20–25 km southeast of Kingisepp. Under the threat of being cut off from Leningrad, the German XXXVIII Corps forced the 8th Soviet Army to withdraw onto the Koporskoye plateau on 18 August. Further to the east, the German 16th Army had launched its attack towards Novgorod on 10 August. Preceded by intense aerial attacks by

2752-422: The coast and pursued the Soviet 8th Army from its position on the border. The Soviet 8th Army was able to break contact and establish new defensive lines farther to the rear of the pre-war borders. On 10 July the German 18th Army, helped by the local Forest Brothers , had entered Southern Estonia and was positioned with its left flank occupying positions north of the city of Pärnu , along the Pärnu River through

2816-400: The east. The divisions of the southern group (the 183rd rifle from the 27th army) were to advance in the northern direction, to Sitnya, and there to join up with the units of the northern group. On 14 July 1941, with the support of 235 aircraft, the Soviet 11th Army went on the offensive. The sudden counterattack of Soviet troops came as a complete surprise to the German command. The bulk of

2880-486: The encircled Soviets divisions did not try to break through to the east but instead they stayed put and entrenched themselves. The Soviets were expecting auxiliary troops and service shipments support to arrive by the air. However, the Finns repelled all efforts of the Soviet Eighth Army to resupply the encircled troops, and they did not get enough supplies from the air. As the Finns lacked the necessary heavy artillery equipment and were short of men, they did not directly attack

2944-413: The end of January 1942 the administration of the army, crossed on Lake Ladoga ice to the Volkhov direction, combined formations and units for the Sinyavino operations group of 54th Army , which occupied defenses from the south coast of Ladoga lake to the Kirov railroad. On 9 June, the army was subordinated to the Volkhov Front . In August- September, it acted as a part of the Front's assault group for

3008-417: The end of war. Up to north the Finns retreated from Ägläjärvi to Tolvajärvi on 5 December, and defeated Soviet attacks by the 139th Rifle Division and 75th Rifle Division in the battle of Tolvajärvi on 12 December. In the south, two Soviet divisions were united on the northern side of the coastal road of Lake Ladoga. As before, these divisions were in a trap as the Finns could make counterattacks from

3072-523: The forces of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet on the Oranienbaum bridgehead which played an important role in the Siege of Leningrad . At the beginning of November, the Army headquarters and some formations and units of the 8th Army were relocated into the eastern sector of the defence of the Leningrad Front and to the bridgehead on the Neva River in Moskovskaya Dubrovka ( Nevsky Pyatachok ). During November- December, they conducted persistent offensive combat for achieving Leningrad blockade break-through. At

3136-420: The last rail link to Leningrad. On 8 September, the 20th Motorized Division captured Shlisselburg on the shores of Lake Ladoga , closing the last land route out of Leningrad. 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 (or 14 September 1939 ) from the Novgorod Army Operational Group of

3200-403: The left wing of the German I Corps advanced to Chudovo. The 11th Infantry Division now secured the right flank of the corps on the Volkhov section and the 21st Infantry Division conquered Chudovo on 20 August and interrupted the railway line there. The next day, several Soviet counter-attacks on units of the 1st Army Corps were repelled. The targets of the 16th Army had been reached. The attack by

3264-407: The line occupied by the center and left flank of the 27th Army , the rest of the forces went on the offensive. However, Manstein ordered the proper counter-action: he withdrew his troops some 40 km and prepared for all-out defence. Most of the LVI Panzer Corps managed to break out of the encirclement and on 16 July, the SS Totenkopf Division was transferred to the LVI Panzer Corps, which restored

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3328-423: The line of the Mshaga River. Despite the fact that German air reconnaissance had reported a great concentration of Soviet troops and reinforcements from the north, the 8th Panzer Division was ordered to capture the bridge over Mshaga in an intact state. By 14 July, the right flank of the LVI Corps, which was not covered by anything, turned out to be 70 km long, and the uncovered left flank, some 40 km. The command of

3392-406: The morning of 16 August, Novgorod was in German hands and the remaining regiments of the 21st Infantry Division launched an attack on Chudovo . The Soviets 48th Army launched a counterattack to retake Novgorod and the battle for the eastern part of Novgorod lasted until 19 August. Strong air support ultimately ensured the Germans' success in the battles for Novgorod. During the Battle of Novgorod,

3456-533: The mottis they had created, but instead focussed on eliminating the most dangerous threats only and bide their time. In 1940 the Army became a part of the Baltic Special Military District . From the morning of 22 June 1941 as part of the Northwestern Front the army ( 10th Rifle Corps with 10th , 48th , and 90th Rifle Divisions and 11th Rifle Corps with 11th Rifle Division and 125th Rifle Division , 12th Mechanised Corps , 47th, 51st, and 74th Corps Artillery Regiments, and 9th Anti-Tank Artillery Brigade and

3520-439: The northern and southern. They were to cut off the German force that had broken through to the Mshaga River. From the northern group, two divisions (the 21st Tank and 237th Rifle divisions) advanced from the Gorodishche and Utorgosh line in a southwest direction on Baranovo and Sitnya, and the 70th Rifle division advanced in a southern direction, towards Soltsy. The 1st Separate Mountain Rifle Brigade (1GSSR) also attacked Soltsy from

3584-406: The same direction. This threatened the rear connecting lines of the Soviet troops on the Luga line. The German attack on 15 August initially failed but the Soviet resistance was broken by attacks by dive bombers, which set Novgorod on fire in many places. In the evening the 21st Infantry Division was able to penetrate the city, at the same time as the 424th Regiment of the 126th Infantry Division . On

3648-437: The situation on the Shelon River. The Soviets launched wave after wave of attacks on the German positions, but were thrown back with heavy losses. The fierce Soviet counterattack had the effect that on 19 July the entire German Army Group "North" suspended the offensive towards Leningrad. The 8th Panzer Division, which had suffered serious losses, was withdrawn to the rear. On 16 July, the 1st Army Corps had been transferred to

3712-431: The territory north of Sinyavino and opened up a corridor between the besieged city of Leningrad and the rest of the Soviet Union. The Sinyavino Heights itself remained in German hands. The fifth Sinyavino offensive, also known as the Mga offensive (Soviet) or Third Battle of Lake Ladoga (German), was a Soviet offensive between 22 July and 25 September 1943, which made very little progress, but did succeed in conquering

3776-432: The two Corps of the 4th Panzer Group, which was now divided into two parts heading in different directions. Furthermore, the swampy-wooded area of the Leningrad region seriously impeded the independent actions of the tank units. On 10 July, the 3rd Motorized Division of the LVI Panzer Corps occupied the city of Porkhov and continued the offensive in the direction of Dno . The 182nd Soviet Rifle Division fought against

3840-407: Was already heavily engaged at Luga. The 8th Air Corps of von Richthofen was also involved in repelling the Soviet counterattack. On 19 August, the LVI Panzer Corps’ attack caught the 34th Army by surprise in the flank. The 34th Army was badly damaged and attempted to withdraw. By 22 August, the LVI Panzer Corps reached the Lovat River having captured 12,000 men from the retreating 34th Army. As

3904-402: Was appointed commander of the new line of defense along the Luga River , and the Northern Front Military Council decided to strengthen the Luga section by transferring the 237th Rifle Division from Petrozavodsk and the 21st and 24th Tank Division of the 10th Mechanized Corps from Karelia. Stawka Guideline No. 260 of 7 July ordered that the commander of the Northern front immediately transfer

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3968-435: Was based on the information printed on a secret map that fell into the hands of the Soviet command. It marked the position of all six divisions of Hoepner's Panzer Group. After checking the intelligence data, the headquarters of the North-Western Front developed a counter-offensive plan. By order of the headquarters of the North-Western Front, the commander of the Soviet 11th Army created two groups of forces for counterattack -

4032-438: Was established within the Army in November 1943. After accepting new formations, the Army participated in the Novgorod-Luga Offensive Operation. After regrouping as part of the Leningrad Front (from 16 February), the Army made several attempts to encircle the German Army Group Narwa in the battle for Narva Bridgehead . After the failure to do so, the army took up defensive positions in late March to July. The Army participated in

4096-443: Was to be executed by the XXXXI Panzer Corps , in cooperation with the XXXVIII Army Corps on its left flank. In the south, between Gatchina and Mga, the L and XXVIII Army corps were to attack the southern belt around Leningrad. On 25 and 26 August the two Panzer corps attacked. The XXXIX Panzer Corps captured Lyuban the same day and advanced towards the Neva River. On 1 September, the XXXIX Panzer Corps captured Mga and cut

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