Soviet Northern Front
Encyclopedia
The Northern Front was a front of the Red Army
during the Second World War
.
The Northern Front was created on June 24, 1941 from the Leningrad Military District
. Its primary goal was the defense of the Kola Peninsula
and the northern shores of the Gulf of Finland
. On August 23, 1941, the Front's forces were divided into the Karelian Front
and the Leningrad Front
. Lieutenant General Markian M. Popov
commanded the Front for the three months of its existence.
The Front's major force structure was based on the 7th Army
, 14th Army
, 23rd
Armies and the Leningrad People's Opolcheniye Army. Other forces included four Rifle Corps
, two Mechanized Corps
, seventeen Rifle Divisions, four Tank Divisions, two Motor Rifle Divisions, eight artillery regiments of the Reserve of Highest Command, eight Aviation Division
s (including one objective air division), seven Fortified Regions, one Fortified Position, and thirteen machinegun battalions.
The formations of the Northern Front included the following subunits:
Military aviation of the Leningrad Military District
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The Northern Front was created on June 24, 1941 from the Leningrad Military District
Leningrad Military District
The Leningrad Military District was a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In 2010 it was merged with the Moscow Military District, the Northern Fleet and the Baltic Fleet to form the new Western Military District.-History:...
. Its primary goal was the defense of the Kola Peninsula
Kola Peninsula
The Kola Peninsula is a peninsula in the far northwest of Russia. Constituting the bulk of the territory of Murmansk Oblast, it lies almost completely to the north of the Arctic Circle and is washed by the Barents Sea in the north and the White Sea in the east and southeast...
and the northern shores of the Gulf of Finland
Gulf of Finland
The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...
. On August 23, 1941, the Front's forces were divided into the Karelian Front
Karelian Front
The Karelian Front was a Front of the Soviet Union's Red Army during World War II, and operated in Karelia.- Wartime :...
and the 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:...
. Lieutenant General Markian M. Popov
Markian Popov
Markian Mikhaylovich Popov was a Soviet military commander, Army General , and Hero of the Soviet Union .- Life :During the German-Soviet War at various times he commanded a number of Armies and a number of Fronts. His career was uneven....
commanded the Front for the three months of its existence.
The Front's major force structure was based on the 7th Army
7th Army (Soviet Union)
The Soviet Red Army's 7th Army first saw action in the 1939-40 Winter War against Finland. In November 1939, just before the initial Soviet attack, it consisted of the 19th Rifle Corps , 50th Rifle Corps , 10th Tank Corps, 138th Rifle Division, and an independent tank brigade...
, 14th Army
14th Army (Soviet Union)
The 14th Army was formed in October 1939 in the Leningrad Military District. It participated in the Soviet-Finnish war, during which its 52nd and 104th Rifle Divisions fought in the Battle of Petsamo.From 24 June 1941 the Army included...
, 23rd
23rd Army (Soviet Union)
The 23rd Army was a Field Army of the Soviet Union's Red Army. It was formed in May 1941 in the Leningrad Military District for the defence of the southernmost part of the Soviet Union's border with Finland, north and northeast of Vyborg...
Armies and the Leningrad People's Opolcheniye Army. Other forces included four Rifle Corps
Rifle corps (Soviet)
A rifle corps was a Soviet military organization of the mid-twentieth century. Rifle corps were made up of a varying number of rifle divisions, although the allocation of three rifle divisions to a rifle corps was common during the latter part of World War II.Unlike army corps formed by Germany...
, two Mechanized Corps
Mechanized Corps (Soviet)
A mechanised corps was a Soviet armoured formation used prior to the beginning of World War II.- Pre-war development of Soviet mechanised forces :...
, seventeen Rifle Divisions, four Tank Divisions, two Motor Rifle Divisions, eight artillery regiments of the Reserve of Highest Command, eight Aviation Division
Aviation Division
An Aviation Division was a type of formation of the Military Air Forces of the Red Army during the Second World War, the Military Air Forces of the Soviet Union, Forces of Anti Aircraft Defence of the Soviet Union and Aviation of the Military Naval Fleet, and since 1991 remain major formations...
s (including one objective air division), seven Fortified Regions, one Fortified Position, and thirteen machinegun battalions.
The formations of the Northern Front included the following subunits:
14th Army
- 14th Army14th Army (Soviet Union)The 14th Army was formed in October 1939 in the Leningrad Military District. It participated in the Soviet-Finnish war, during which its 52nd and 104th Rifle Divisions fought in the Battle of Petsamo.From 24 June 1941 the Army included...
(HQ in MurmanskMurmanskMurmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
) with its commander, General Lieutenant Frolov Valerian AlexandrovichValerian A. FrolovValerian Alexandrovich Frolov Valerian Alexandrovich Frolov Valerian Alexandrovich Frolov (June 7 (O.S. May 26), 1895, (1895, Petrograd - 1961, Leningrad) was a Soviet Colonel General (1943). Frolov participated in the First World War, the Russian Civil War, and the Soviet-Finnish war as an Army...
, responsible for the Defence Sector No.1 which extended from the coast of the Barents SeaBarents SeaThe Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Norway and Russia. Known in the Middle Ages as the Murman Sea, the sea takes its current name from the Dutch navigator Willem Barents...
to include the entire Kola PeninsulaKola PeninsulaThe Kola Peninsula is a peninsula in the far northwest of Russia. Constituting the bulk of the territory of Murmansk Oblast, it lies almost completely to the north of the Arctic Circle and is washed by the Barents Sea in the north and the White Sea in the east and southeast...
and in particular the Murmansk to KandalakshaKandalakshaKandalaksha is a town in Kandalakshsky District of Murmansk Oblast, Russia, located at the head of Kandalaksha Gulf on the White Sea, beyond the Arctic Circle. Population: 40,564 ; -History:The settlement has existed since the 11th century...
railway.
- 14th Rifle Division14th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)The 14th Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Red Army from 1922 to 1944.It was formed in Moscow 1 Jul 1922.During the Winter War, it covered the state border in the north and north-east coast of the Kola Peninsula in the Murmansk Group....
defending the PetsamoPechengsky DistrictPechengsky District is an administrative and municipal district , one of the five in Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It is located to the northwest of the Kola Peninsula on the coast of the Barents Sea and borders with Finland in the south and southwest and with Norway in the west, northwest, and north...
sector - 42nd Rifle Corps
- 104th Rifle Division
- 122nd Rifle Division
- 52nd Rifle Division
- 1st Tank Division
- 104 Gun Artillery Regiment of the Reserve of Highest Command
- 23rd Murmansk Fortified Region
- 35th, 100th, 82nd, 72nd and 101st Border Guard Detachments
- 1st Mixed Air Division
- Northern FleetNorthern FleetThe Red Banner Northern Fleet is a unit of the Russian Navy that has access to the Barents and Norwegian Seas, the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, and is responsible for the defense of northwestern Russia. It was established in 1937 as part of the Soviet Navy...
commanded by Admiral Arseniy GolovkoArseniy GolovkoArseniy Grigoriyevich Golovko was a Soviet admiral, whose naval service extended from the 1920s through the early Cold War....
(based at PolyarnyPolyarnyPolyarny is a closed town in Murmansk Oblast, Russia, situated on the outermost western side of the Kola Bay. Population: -History:It was founded in 1896 and named Alexandrovsk in honor of Tsar Alexander III. Town status was granted to it on , 1899...
) and its coast defenceCoastal artilleryCoastal artillery is the branch of armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications....
and naval aviationNaval aviationNaval aviation is the application of manned military air power by navies, including ships that embark fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters. In contrast, maritime aviation is the operation of aircraft in a maritime role under the command of non-naval forces such as the former RAF Coastal Command or a...
units.
7th Army
- Separate 7th Army7th Army (Soviet Union)The Soviet Red Army's 7th Army first saw action in the 1939-40 Winter War against Finland. In November 1939, just before the initial Soviet attack, it consisted of the 19th Rifle Corps , 50th Rifle Corps , 10th Tank Corps, 138th Rifle Division, and an independent tank brigade...
(HQ in SuoyarviSuoyarviSuoyarvi is a town and the administrative center of Suoyarvsky District of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located northwest of Petrozavodsk. Population:...
) with its commander General Lieutenant F.D. Gorelenko responsible for the Defence Sector No.2 covering the longest sector of the Front between the Kola Peninsula and Lake LadogaLake LadogaLake Ladoga is a freshwater lake located in the Republic of Karelia and Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia, not far from Saint Petersburg. It is the largest lake in Europe, and the 14th largest lake by area in the world.-Geography:...
, and in particular having the responsibility at once for the gap between the Ladoga and OnegaLake OnegaLake Onega is a lake in the north-west European part of Russia, located on the territory of Republic of Karelia, Leningrad Oblast and Vologda Oblast. It belongs to the basin of Baltic Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and is the second largest lake in Europe after Lake Ladoga...
lakes, and the possible land assault to cut off ArkhangelskArkhangelskArkhangelsk , formerly known as Archangel in English, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina River near its exit into the White Sea in the north of European Russia. The city spreads for over along the banks of the river...
. In fact the Stavka had determined the Army had four sectors in its responsibility.
- 54th Rifle Division
- 71st Rifle Division
- 168th Rifle Division
- 237th Rifle Division
- 541 Howitzer Artillery Regiment of the Reserve of Highest Command
- 26th Sortavala Fortified Region
- 1st, 73rd, 80th and 3rd Border Guard Detachments
- 55th Mixed Air Division
23rd Army
- 23rd Army23rd Army (Soviet Union)The 23rd Army was a Field Army of the Soviet Union's Red Army. It was formed in May 1941 in the Leningrad Military District for the defence of the southernmost part of the Soviet Union's border with Finland, north and northeast of Vyborg...
(HQ in (Kuusa or Kusa (village)) with its commander General Lieutenant P.S. Pshennikov responsible for the Defence Sector No.3 that included immediate approaches to LeningradLeningradLeningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
, including two major population centres of particular interest to Finland, SortavalaSortavalaSortavala is a town in the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located at the northern tip of Lake Ladoga. Population: It is an important station of the Vyborg-Joensuu railroad.-History:...
and VyborgVyborgVyborg is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the Karelian Isthmus near the head of the Bay of Vyborg, to the northwest of St. Petersburg and south from Russia's border with Finland, where the Saimaa Canal enters the Gulf of Finland...
. Given the importance of the defended objectives, and previous experience in the Winter WarWinter WarThe Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
, the Army was allocated two Rifle Corps, one Mechanised Corps, four rifle divisions, two tank and one Motor Rifle Divisions, three howitzer and one gun Regiment of the Reserve of Highest Command, two Fortified Regions, three border guard detachments, and one aviation division
- 19th Rifle Corps
- 142nd Rifle Division
- 115th Rifle Division
- 50th Rifle Corps
- 43rd Rifle Division43rd Rifle Division (Soviet Union)The 43rd Rifle Division was a formation of the Red Army, which took part in the Second World War, known to the Soviets as the "Great Patriotic War"....
- 123rd Rifle Division
- 43rd Rifle Division
- 10th Mechanised Corps (removed from the Army in early July)
- 21st Tank Division
- 24th Tank Division
- 198th Motor Rifle Division
- 101, 108, 519 Howitzer Artillery Regiments of the Reserve of Highest Command
- 573 Gun Artillery Regiment of the Reserve of Highest Command
- 102nd, 5th, 33rd Border Guard Detachments
- 27th Vyborg Fortified Region
- 28th Keksgolm Fortified Region
- 5th Mixed Air Division which was particularly tasked with preventing repulsing either amphibious or airborne landings in and around the Gulf of FinlandGulf of FinlandThe Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...
coast.
Leningrad People's Opolcheniye Army
- 1st (Kirov) Division of People's Opolcheniye named for the Kirovsky DistrictKirovsky DistrictKirovsky District is the name of several administrative and municipal divisions in Russia. The districts are generally named for Sergey Kirov, a Soviet statesman.-Districts of the federal subjects:...
(Кировский район) (commander Kombrig V.A. Malinnikov)- 76th Latvian Separate Rifle regiment on the 14 September.
- 2nd (Moscow) Division of People's Opolcheniye named for the Moskovsky DistrictMoskovsky DistrictMoskovsky District is the name of several administrative and municipal divisions in Russia. The districts are generally named for Moscow, the capital of Russia.-Districts of the federal subjects:...
(Московский район) (commander (to July, Colonel N.S. Ugrumov)- battalion of the Military-Political Border Guard School named for Voroshilov
- 519th Corps (Howitzer) Artillery Regiment of Reserve of Highest Command
- Tank battalion of the Armoured Course for Enhancement of Command Staff
- 3rd (Frunze) Division of People's Opolcheniye named for the Frunzensky DistrictFrunzensky District, Saint PetersburgFrunzensky District, Saint Petersburg is an administrative and municipal district , one of the 18 in Saint Petersburg, Russia....
(Фрунзенский район) (commander (Colonel А.P. Netreba, from 16 August Z.N. Alekseyev) - 1st Guards Division of People's Opolcheniye (18 July 1941) (commander Colonel I.M. Frolov) (deployed next to the 237th Rifle Division) formed in the Kuybishev District
- 2nd Guards Division of People's Opolcheniye (18 July 1941) (commander Colonel Sholev, later Colonel V.A. Trubachev) formed in the Sverdlovsk District
- tank battalion of the Leningrad garrison
- 4th (Dzerzhinsky) Light Division of People's Opolcheniye (19 July 1941) named for the Dzerzhinsky DistrictDzerzhinsky DistrictDzerzhinsky District is the name of several administrative and municipal districts in Russia. The districts are generally named for Felix Dzerzhinsky, the founder of the Cheka.-Districts of the federal subjects:...
(Дзержинский район) (commander Colonel P.I Radigin)- Separate battalion of Special Purpose (commander Almazov)
- 3rd Guards Division of People's Opolcheniye (24 July 1941) (commander Colonel V.P. Kotelnikov) formed in the Petrograd District
- 4th Guards Division of People's Opolcheniye (27 July 1941) formed in the Kalinin District (cadre)
- 264th, 265th and 266th separate machinegun-artillery battalions (264th – 277th and 282nd, 283rd and 289th battalions were created)
- 274th separate machinegun-artillery battalion was allocated to the 177th Rifle Division
- Four Izhorsk “Admiralty” battalions (later 72nd, 73rd, 74th, 75th Combat Red Banner separate machinegun-artillery battalion of the 55th Army)
- Several Destroyer regiments of special purpose were also formed that were eventually integrated into the regular units and partisan detachments.
- Deployed in GatchinaGatchinaGatchina is a town and the administrative center of Gatchinsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located south of St. Petersburg by the road leading to Pskov...
was the 60th destroyer battalion - 104th (Terioksky) destroyer battalion (104-й (Териокский) истребительный батальон) deployed in the area of Terioki (now ZelenogorskZelenogorskZelenogorsk may refer to one of the following:*Zelenogorsk, Krasnoyarsk Krai, a town in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia*Zelenogorsk, Saint Petersburg, a municipal town in Russia under jurisdiction of Saint Petersburg...
) - Deployed around KolpinoKolpinoKolpino 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 ....
was the 120th destroyer battalion (120-й истребительный батальон) (commander A.I. Osovsky) - 2nd Latvian workers regiment (commander)
- 5th (Kuybishevskaya) Division of People's Opolcheniye (1 September 1941) (commander Colonel F.P. Utkin) formed early September 1941 from the former 4th People's Opolcheniye division and on the 10 September dislocated to PulkovoPulkovoPulkovo may refer to:*Pulkovo Heights marking the southern limit of Saint Petersburg, Russia*Pulkovo Airport serving that city*Pulkovo Aviation Enterprise, a former state airline based in Saint Petersburg, Russia...
.- 291st separate machinegun-artillery battalion (commander Captain Kaverznev)
- 6th Division of People's Opolcheniye (1 September 1941)
- 7th Division of People's Opolcheniye (commander Colonel I.S. Kuznetsov) raised on the 17 September it was formed on the 30 September as the 56th Rifle Division.
- 277th separate machinegun-artillery battalion around RopshaRopshaRopsha is a settlement in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated about 20 km south of Peterhof and 49 km south-west of central Saint Petersburg, at an elevation of 80 metres to 130 metres above sea level.-History:...
- 83rd separate machinegun-artillery battalion (commander Lieutenant E.G. Grigoryev) around RopshaRopshaRopsha is a settlement in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated about 20 km south of Peterhof and 49 km south-west of central Saint Petersburg, at an elevation of 80 metres to 130 metres above sea level.-History:...
and KolpinoKolpinoKolpino 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 ....
65th Rifle Corps
- 65th Rifle Corps (less its Corps artillery regiments) was a separate Corps which covered the No.4 Defence Sector of the Front which covered the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland with its HQ in Nimma 9km south of TallinnTallinnTallinn 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...
and included two divisions
-
- 11th Rifle Division
- 16th Rifle Division16th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)The 16th Rifle Division , was a formation in the Red Army created during the Second World War. The division was formed twice, and was given the title 'Lithuanian' during its second formation. It was originally established at Novgorod in October 1939. It was wiped out at Mga in 1941...
(Ist formation; 22 June 1941 - 27 December 1941)
- 4th Air Division (from the Leningrad Military District)
Hanko Peninsula naval base
- The Hanko Peninsula naval base (commander General S.I. Kobanov) on the Hanko PeninsulaHanko PeninsulaThe Hanko Peninsula , also spelled Hango, is the southernmost point of mainland Finland. The soil is a sandy moraine, the last tip of the Salpausselkä ridge, and vegetation consists mainly of pine and low shrubs...
was responsible for the No.5 Defence Sector and included
- 29th Hanko Peninsula naval base Fortified Region (General Major Shore Duty Aleksei Borisovish Yeliseyev)
- 8th Separate Rifle Brigade (Colonel Nikolai Pavlovich Simonyak)
- Hanko Peninsula Border Guard detachment
- 13th Figher Aviation Regiment Separate Reconnaissance Air Squadron
- Submarine Divizion
- Torpedo Boat Brigade
48th Army
- 48th Army (from North Western Front after 19 August 1941)
Military aviation of the Leningrad Military DistrictLeningrad Military DistrictThe Leningrad Military District was a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In 2010 it was merged with the Moscow Military District, the Northern Fleet and the Baltic Fleet to form the new Western Military District.-History:...
- 7th PVO Fighter Aviation Corps (later the 2nd PVO Guards Fighter Aviation Corps) commanded by Colonel Stepan Pavlovich Danilov was responsible for air cover over Leningrad, using basing on 10 primary and 15 reserve air fields, and included
- 3rd Air Division equipped with I-16 fighters
- 54th Air Division equipped with Yak-1 fighters
- 191st, 192nd, 193rd, 194th and 195th Fighter Regiments (IAPs)
Leningrad Military District forces
- The Leningrad Military DistrictLeningrad Military DistrictThe Leningrad Military District was a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In 2010 it was merged with the Moscow Military District, the Northern Fleet and the Baltic Fleet to form the new Western Military District.-History:...
also included forces directly subordinated to its commander (Popov).
- 1st Mechanised Corps less 1st Tank Division which was concentrated around Sluttsk and PushkinoPushkinoPushkino may refer to:*Pushkino, Armenia, an inhabited locality in Armenia*Pushkino, Russia, name of several inhabited localities in Russia*Pushkino, former name of the city of Biləsuvar in Azerbaijan...
- 70th Rifle Division in the Karelian IsthmusKarelian IsthmusThe Karelian Isthmus is the approximately 45–110 km wide stretch of land, situated between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia, to the north of the River Neva . Its northwestern boundary is the relatively narrow area between the Bay of Vyborg and Lake Ladoga...
half way between Leningrad and Vyborg (Muola). - 191st and 177th Rifle Divisions that remained at cadre strength awaiting mobilisation.
- 4th, 41st and 39th Air Divisions
- The Baltic FleetBaltic FleetThe Twice Red Banner Baltic Fleet - is the Russian Navy's presence in the Baltic Sea. In previous historical periods, it has been part of the navy of Imperial Russia and later the Soviet Union. The Fleet gained the 'Twice Red Banner' appellation during the Soviet period, indicating two awards of...
(from 28 June 1941)
- Vessels of the Baltic Fleet were severely restricted by the geography and lack of air superiority in conducting offensive operations, however their ships batteries included guns in the 305mm, 180mm and 130mm calibres, and the Scientific-research naval artillery range also located in Leningrad possessed 406mm pieces that were being developed for future Soviet battleshipBattleshipA battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
designs, and these were without opposition until Germans were able to move the heavy rail guns to the area.
NKVD troops
- The 2nd Division of the NKVD troops was responsible for security of specific high-value objectives throughout the Leningrad Military District territory, particularly the railways, and its 11,200 troops were equipped with armoured trains and motorised armoured rail-cars.