Narva Offensive (18–24 March 1944)
Encyclopedia
This is a sub-article to Battle of Narva
.
The Narva Offensive (18–24 March 1944) was a campaign fought between the German XXXXIII Army Corps and the Soviet 59th Army for the Narva Isthmus. At the time of the operation, Joseph Stalin
was personally interested in taking Estonia, viewing it as a precondition for forcing Finland out of the war. The Soviet tank assault at Auvere railway station was stopped by the 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion
. Fierce fighting continued for another week, when Soviet forces had suffered many casualties and switched over to the defensive.
, blaming it on the arrival of the freshly conscripted 20th Estonian SS Volunteer Division who were motivated to resist the looming Soviet re-occupation
. Since the beginning of January, the Leningrad Front had lost 227,440 troops killed, wounded, or missing, which constituted more than half of the men who participated in the Leningrad-Novgorod Strategic Offensive. Both sides rushed in reinforcements. The 59th Army was brought to Narva
and the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps
was placed under the command of the Leningrad Front. After this deployment, the Narva sector acquired the highest concentration of forces on the Eastern Front in March 1944.
, sixteen kilometres west of Narva. The defence was built up as an array of posts between the hills and the railway.
tanks were destroyed by the two Tger
tanks of Lieutenant Otto Carius
, forcing the Soviet infantry to withdraw.
Hyazinth Graf Strachwitz von Gross-Zauche und Camminetz
's kampfgruppe
annihilated the Soviet 59th Army shock troop wedge at the western end of the Krivasoo Bridgehead on 26 March. The kampfgruppe destroyed the eastern tip of the Soviet bridgehead on 6 April. Strachwitz, inspired by this success, tried to eliminate the whole bridgehead, but was unable to proceed due to the spring thaw that had rendered the swamp impassable for his tanks. By the end of April, the parties had mutually exhausted their strengths. Relative calm settled on the front until late July, 1944.
Battle of Narva (1944)
The Battle of Narva was a military campaign between the German Army Detachment "Narwa" and the Soviet Leningrad Front fought for possession of the strategically important Narva Isthmus on 2 February – 10 August 1944 during World War II....
.
The Narva Offensive (18–24 March 1944) was a campaign fought between the German XXXXIII Army Corps and the Soviet 59th Army for the Narva Isthmus. 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...
was personally interested in taking Estonia, viewing it as a precondition for forcing Finland out of the war. The Soviet tank assault at Auvere railway station was stopped by the 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion
502nd 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...
. Fierce fighting continued for another week, when Soviet forces had suffered many casualties and switched over to the defensive.
Background
The defeat in the preceding Narva offensive came as an unpleasant surprise to the leadership of the Leningrad FrontLeningrad 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:...
, blaming it on the arrival of the freshly conscripted 20th Estonian SS Volunteer Division who were motivated to resist the looming Soviet re-occupation
Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic
The Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic , often abbreviated as Estonian SSR or ESSR, was a republic of the Soviet Union, administered by and subordinated to the Government of the Soviet Union...
. Since the beginning of January, the Leningrad Front had lost 227,440 troops killed, wounded, or missing, which constituted more than half of the men who participated in the Leningrad-Novgorod Strategic Offensive. Both sides rushed in reinforcements. The 59th Army was brought to 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 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...
was placed under the command of the Leningrad Front. After this deployment, the Narva sector acquired the highest concentration of forces on the Eastern Front in March 1944.
Preceding combat
The newly arrived 59th Army attacked westwards from the Krivasoo bridgehead south of the city of Narva and encircled the strongpoints of the 214th Infantry Division and two Estonian Eastern Battalions. The resistance of the encircled units gave the German command enough time to move in a platoon from the SS Panzergrenadier Regiment 23 "Norge" and to stop the units of the 59th Army.Design
The objective of the Soviet offensive was the headquarters of the XXXXIII Army Corps on the Lastekodumägi height in the Sinimäed Hills next to the highway between Narva–TallinnTallinn
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...
, sixteen kilometres west of Narva. The defence was built up as an array of posts between the hills and the railway.
German
- 61st Infantry Division - GeneralGeneral (Germany)General is presently the highest rank of the German Army and Luftwaffe . It is the equivalent to the rank of Admiral in the German Navy .-Early history:...
Günther KrappeGünther KrappeGünther Krappe was a German officer in the Second World War. He commanded the 61st Infantry Division.- Promotions :*Leutnant *Oberleutnant *Hauptmann... - Artillery Command No. 113
- Tank squadron of the 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...
- LieutenantLieutenantA lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Otto CariusOtto CariusLieutenant Otto Carius was a German Heer tank commander during World War II and is credited with destroying more than 150 tanks. He is also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
Soviet
- 6th Rifle Corps - Major GeneralMajor GeneralMajor general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Semyon Mikulski- 3 divisions
- 109th Rifle Corps - Major General Ivan Alferov
- 3 divisions
- 46th, 260th and 261st Separate Guards Heavy Tank and 1902nd Self-propelled Artillery regiments
- 3rd Breakthrough Artillery Corps - Major General N. N. Zhdanov
- 3rd Guards Tank Corps - Major General I. A. Vovchenko
Combat activity
The six Soviet divisions, armoured vehicles and artillery of the 109th Rifle Corps and the newly arrived 6th Rifle Corps attacked the weakened 61st Infantry Division at the defence of Auvere station. The 162nd Grenadier Regiment was shaken by the massive preparatory artillery bombardment and air attack. The Soviet 930th Regiment broke through the thinned-out defence line of the 61st Infantry Division through to the railway, pushing towards the headquarters of the XXXXIII Army Corps. Six Soviet T-34T-34
The T-34 was a Soviet medium tank produced from 1940 to 1958. Although its armour and armament were surpassed by later tanks of the era, it has been often credited as the most effective, efficient and influential design of World War II...
tanks were destroyed by the two Tger
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...
tanks of Lieutenant Otto Carius
Otto Carius
Lieutenant Otto Carius was a German Heer tank commander during World War II and is credited with destroying more than 150 tanks. He is also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
, forcing the Soviet infantry to withdraw.
Casualties
The German side claimed that on 17–22 March, their 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion destroyed 38 tanks, four self-propelled guns and 17 assault guns.Aftermath
BrigadeführerBrigadeführer
SS-Brigadeführer was an SS rank that was used in Nazi Germany between the years of 1932 and 1945. Brigadeführer was also an SA rank....
Hyazinth Graf Strachwitz von Gross-Zauche und Camminetz
Hyazinth Graf Strachwitz von Gross-Zauche und Camminetz
Hyazinth Graf Strachwitz von Groß-Zauche und Camminetz was a German Army officer. Strachwitz saw action in World War I, but rose to fame for his command of armored forces in World War II.-Early life:...
's kampfgruppe
Kampfgruppe
In military history and military slang, the German term Kampfgruppe can refer to a combat formation of any kind, but most usually to that employed by the German Wehrmacht and its allies during World War II and, to a lesser extent, in World War I...
annihilated the Soviet 59th Army shock troop wedge at the western end of the Krivasoo Bridgehead on 26 March. The kampfgruppe destroyed the eastern tip of the Soviet bridgehead on 6 April. Strachwitz, inspired by this success, tried to eliminate the whole bridgehead, but was unable to proceed due to the spring thaw that had rendered the swamp impassable for his tanks. By the end of April, the parties had mutually exhausted their strengths. Relative calm settled on the front until late July, 1944.