The Battle of Tannenberg Line (German German (Deutsch, [dɔʏtʃ] ) is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by about 80 million non-native: Die Schlacht um die Tannenbergstellung; Estonian Estonian (eesti keel; pronounced [ˈeːsti ˈkeːl] ) is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities. It is a Uralic language and is closely related to Finnish: Sinimägede lahingud; Russian Russian is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages, and the largest native language in Europe. Russian belongs to the family of Indo-European languages and is one of three living members of the East Slavic languages, the others being Belarusian and Ukrainian (and possibly Rusyn,: Битва за линию «Танненберг») was a campaign between the German Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the colloquial English names for Germany between 1933 and 1945, while it was led by Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Worker's Party . The name Third Reich (Drittes Reich, ‘Third Reich’) refers to the state as the successor to the Holy Roman Empire of the Middle Ages and the German Empire of 187 Army Group Narwa The Battle of Narva was the military campaign that brought the Soviet Estonian Operation to a halt near the present border of Estonia and Russia by August 1944 and the Soviet The Soviet Armed Forces refers to the armed forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics from its establishment during the Russian Civil War in 1918 by the Bolsheviks to its dissolution in December 1991 Leningrad Front The front was immediately given the task of containing the German drive towards Leningrad, and to defend it from the approaching Army Group North. By September 1941, German forces to the south were effectively stopped on the outskirts of Leningrad, initiating the two and a half year long Siege of Leningrad. Although Finnish forces to the north fought for the Narva Isthmus from 25 July to 10 August 1944. The campaign was fought on the Eastern Front The Eastern Front of World War II (German: die Ostfront 1941–1945 , der Rußlandfeldzug 1941–1945 or der Ostfeldzug 1941-1945 (Eastern Campaign)) was a theatre of war between the European Axis powers, Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Croatia and Finland (not an Axis member) and the Soviet Union which encompassed central during World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all of the great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. The war involved the mobilization of over 100 million military personnel, making it the most widespread war in history. The strategic aim of the Soviet Estonian Operation was to reoccupy Estonia as a favourable basis for invasions of Finland Finland /ˈfɪnlənd/ , officially the Republic of Finland ( Finnish: Suomi; Swedish: Finland (help·info)), is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It borders Sweden on the west, Russia on the east, and Norway on the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland. The capital city is and East-Prussia East Prussia (German: Ostpreußen [ˈɔstˌpʁɔʏ̯sən] ; Lithuanian: Rytų Prūsija or Rytprūsiai; Polish: Prusy Wschodnie; Russian: Восточная Пруссия or Vostochnaya Prussiya) refers to the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 17. Several Western scholars refer to the campaign as the Battle of the European SS for the 24 volunteer infantry battalions from Denmark 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 German Waffen SS, Panzergrenadier division recruited from foreign volunteers. It saw action in Croatia and on the Eastern, East Prussia, Flanders, Flemings The 27th SS Volunteer Division Langemarck. was a German Waffen-SS volunteer division comprising volunteers of Flemish background. It saw action on the Eastern Front during World War II, Holland The 23rd SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division Nederland. was a German Waffen SS volunteer division comprising volunteers of Dutch background. It saw action on the Eastern Front during World War II and Norway 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 German Waffen SS, Panzergrenadier division recruited from foreign volunteers. It saw action in Croatia and on the Eastern within the Waffen SS The Waffen-SS was the combat arm of the Schutzstaffel ("Protective Squadron") or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to a force of over 38 divisions, which served alongside the regular army, but was never formally part of the Wehrmacht. It was Adolf Hitler's will. Roughly a half of the infantry consisted in the local Estonian conscripts The Republic of Estonia declared neutrality in the war but fell under the Soviet sphere of influence due to the Nazi-Soviet pact and was occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940. Mass political arrests, deportations, and executions followed. In the Summer War during the German Operation Barbarossa in 1941, the pro-independence Forest Brothers captured motivated to resist the looming Soviet re-occupation 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. The ESSR was initially established on the territory of the Republic of Estonia on July 21, 1940, following the invasion of Soviet troops on June 17, 1940 and. The German force of 22,250 men held off the Soviet advance of 136,830 troops. As the Soviet forces were constantly reinforced, the casualties of the battle were 150,000–200,000 wounded and dead Soviet troops and 157–164 Soviet tanks.

Contents

Background

View from the summit of Grenaderimägi towards the hill of Lastekodumägi

After defending the Narva bridgehead for six months, the German forces fell back to the Tannenbergstellung (Tannenberg Line) at the hills of Sinimäed (Russian Russian is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages, and the largest native language in Europe. Russian belongs to the family of Indo-European languages and is one of three living members of the East Slavic languages, the others being Belarusian and Ukrainian (and possibly Rusyn,: Синие горы) on July 26, 1944. The three hills are running east to west. The eastern hill was known to Estonians Estonians are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting, primarily, the country of Estonia. The Estonians speak a Finno-Ugric language, known as Estonian. Although Estonia is traditionally grouped as one of the Baltic countries, Estonians are linguistically and ethnically unrelated to the Baltic peoples of Latvia and Lithuania as the Lastekodumägi, Kinderheimhöhe in German (Orphanage Hill), the central hill was the Grenaderimägi or Grenadierhöhe (Grenadier Hill) and the westernmost as the Tornimägi or 69.9 Höhe (Tower Hill, also known in German as Liebhöhe or Love Hill). The hills are less than imposing and resemble gently sloping mounds rather than defensible heights. On the hills, the formations of Gruppenführer Felix Steiner Felix Martin Julius Steiner was a German Heer and Waffen-SS officer who served in both World War I and World War II's III SS (Germanic) Panzer Corps halted their withdrawal and fell into defensive positions. The 4th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Brigade Netherlands The 23rd SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division Nederland. was a German Waffen SS volunteer division comprising volunteers of Dutch background. It saw action on the Eastern Front during World War II started digging in on the left (north) flank of the Tannenberg Line, units of the 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Estonian) 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (German: 20.Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (estnische Nr.1), Estonian: 20. Eesti relvagrenaderide SS-diviis) was established on May 25. 1944 in German occupied Estonia during WW II. Formed in Spring 1944 after the general conscription-mobilization was announced in Estonia on 31 January 1944 by the German in the centre, and the 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 German Waffen SS, Panzergrenadier division recruited from foreign volunteers. It saw action in Croatia and on the Eastern on the right (south) flank. Another front section manned by the East Prussians East Prussia (German: Ostpreußen [ˈɔstˌpʁɔʏ̯sən] ; Lithuanian: Rytų Prūsija or Rytprūsiai; Polish: Prusy Wschodnie; Russian: Восточная Пруссия or Vostochnaya Prussiya) refers to the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 17 of the 11th Infantry Division was situated a few kilometres further south, against the 8th Army in the Krivasoo bridgehead.[5]

The Soviet Marshall Leonid Govorov considered Tannenberg Line as the key position of the Army Group North Army Group North was a strategic echelon formation commanding a grouping of Field Armies subordinated to the OKH during World War II. The army group coordinated the operations of attached separate army corps, reserve formations, rear services and logistics and concentrated the best forces of the Leningrad Front.[8] Additional 122nd, 124th Rifle Corps and divisions from 117th Rifle Corps were subordinated to General Ivan Fedyuninsky commanding the 2nd Shock Army.[5] The goal set by the War Council of the 2nd Shock Army was to break through the defence line of the III SS Panzer Corps at the Lastekodumägi, force their way to the town of 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 Commune. It is situated 50 km from the Russian border in the west and reach the Kunda River by 1 August.[4] To accomplish this, Govorov ordered to destroy the connections behind the German forces, committing air assaults on the railway stations of Jõhvi and Tapa on July 26.[4]

Battles for Lastekodumägi

July 26

On July 26, pursuing the withdrawing Germans, the Soviet attack fell onto the Tannenberg Line before the vastly outnumbered Army Group Narwa had dug in. The Soviet Air Force and artillery covered the German positions by shells and grenades destroying most of the forest on the hills.[5][7] The headquarters of the newly arrived Flemish 6th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade Langemarck The 27th SS Volunteer Division Langemarck. was a German Waffen-SS volunteer division comprising volunteers of Flemish background. It saw action on the Eastern Front during World War II were destroyed and almost all of their officers wounded. Sturmbannführer Wilhelm Rehmann left the battlefield, as Lieutenant George D'Haese stepped in to bring the brigade back to combat-readiness.[9] The German batteries were badly hit and the commander of a battery killed. It took a few days for Steiner to repair the assault guns and until this had been completed the impact of the German artillery remained modest.[10] Benefiting from the disorder, the Soviet 201st and 256th Rifle Divisions supported by the 98th Tank Regiment assaulted the positions of the Nordland Division seizing the eastern side of the Lastekodumägi.[8] In the darkness of the following night, the Anti-Tank Company, SS Panzergrenadier Regiment 24 Danmark destroyed the Soviet tanks and regained their positions.[11]

July 27

In the morning of July 27, the Soviet forces launched another powerful artillery barrage on the Sinimäed. Anticipating an infantry attack would follow, Steiner concentrated the few working armour consisting in seven tanks[2][3] under the command of Obersturmbannführer Paul Albert Kausch. Steiner placed them behind the westernmost Tornimägi hill in readiness positions.[12] A company of Nebelwerfers were placed behind them, being able to fire forty eight rockets within a few seconds.[11] The defence was completed by the Anti-Tank Company, Waffen-Grenadier Regiment der SS 45 (1st Estonian) behind the Nordland Division placed between the two hills.[7] The Soviet attack concentrated at the Lastekodumägi and the Danmark Regiment south of it. The Danish anti-tank company used their Panzerfausts The Panzerfaust was an inexpensive, recoilless German anti-tank weapon of World War II. It consisted of a small, disposable preloaded launch tube firing a high explosive anti-tank warhead, operated by a single soldier. The Panzerfaust remained in service in various versions until the end of the war. The Panzerfaust 150 variant was the basis for to set fourteen tanks on fire.[13] Meanwhile, the Soviet infantry forced the weakened Langemarck Sturmbrigade to leave the south side of the Lastekodumägi and dig into new trenches in front of the Grenaderimägi.[9] As the last resort, Unterscharführer Remi Schrijnen used the only heavy weapon left in the sturmbrigade, a 7.5 cm PaK 40 anti-tank gun. Schrijnen was wounded and cut off from the rest of his troops when he started acting as both the loader and the gunner. He and the Flemish heavy machine-gunners halted several Soviet tank attacks threatening to encircle the Langemarck Sturmbrigade and the Estonian battalions.[14] The Soviet attack also failed to penetrate the defence line of the II.Battalion, SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Regiment 49 De Ruyter. Several Soviet tanks broke through to the headquarters of the battalion, which were repulsed by Obegruppenführer Fritz von Scholz Fritz von Scholz Edler von Rerancze, known as Fritz von Scholz was an Austrian Austro-Hungarian Army and later German Waffen SS officer who served in both the First and Second World Wars Edler von Rerancze sending twelve assault guns forward from the reserve.[11] South from Lastekodumägi, the Soviet forces broke through the defence of the Danmark Regiment and seized control of most of the hill by night time.[13]

Under Soviet pressure, the German defence threatened to collapse. On July 27, the commander of the Army Group North, Generalfeldmarschall Generalfeldmarschall ( listen ) (usually translated simply as field marshal, or sometimes as General Field Marshal, and sometimes written only as Feldmarschall) was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire; in the Austrian Empire, the rank Feldmarschall was used. The rank was the equivalent to a Grand Admiral in the Ferdinand Schörner arrived at the Sinimäed. He ordered an immediate re-conquest of the Lastekodumägi, demanding fanatic resistance from the soldiers.[2][7] A meeting convened by von Scholz laid the tactics for the implementation of the orders. Directly after the meeting, von Scholz was killed by a shrapnel Shrapnel shells were anti-personnel artillery munitions which carried a large number of individual bullets to the target and then ejected them forwards, relying almost entirely on the shell's velocity for their lethality. The munition has been obsolete since the end of World War I for anti-personnel use, when it was superseded by high-explosive splinter in front of the headquarters.[7]

On the night before July 28, the SS Reconnaissance Battalion 11 Nordland and the I.Battalion, Waffen Grenadier Regiment 47 (3rd Estonian), launched a ferocious counter attack. Heavy casualties were inflicted on both sides, with the Estonian battalion destroyed.[13] The fighting for the Lastekodumägi was carried on to July 28 as one continuous battle. The II.Battalion Nordland launched their fierce attempt to conquer the Lastekodumägi which the Soviets repulsed. The surviving German defence fell back to the Grenaderimägi.[13]

July 28

For the next day, the 2nd Shock Army was reinforced with the 31st and the 82nd Tank Regiments, three howitzer A howitzer is a type of artillery piece that is characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small explosive charges to propel projectiles at relatively high trajectories, with a steep angle of descent. In the taxonomies of artillery pieces used by European armies in the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries, brigades, and nine heavy artillery regiments. In the morning of July 28, the Soviet forces made a ferocious attempt to out flank the German forces resisting at the Lastekodumägi from the north side. With the last anti-tank gun of the Langemarck Sturmbrigade destroying the Soviet armoured force, the Soviets were denied a breakthrough. The Soviets suffering heavy casualties ordered an air and artillery assault aiming to destroy the withdrawing German units. Anticipating the attack, the German troops advanced to the no-man's-land close to the Soviet units instead. In close combat, a regiment of the Langemarck Sturmbrigade repulsed the Soviets which brought the Flemish regiment to near destruction.[13]

In the evening of July 28, the German forces attempted to regain the Lastekodumägi again. Using the tactics of "rolling" small units into the Soviet positions, the troops seized the trenches on the slope of the Lastekodumägi. When a Soviet tank squadron arrived, the German attack collapsed.[7] At the section of the 11th Infantry Division near the borough of Sirgala in the south, the Soviet tanks aimed to break through. Steiner ordered to withdraw to a new defence line at the Grenaderimägi. The order did not reach a significant part of the German forces who remained at their positions at the Lastekodumägi. Anticipating a major attack, Steiner ordered the heavy weapons of the SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 23 Norge and the Danmark Regiment to be pulled together into two shock units. By the night before the July 29, the battles subsided.[7]

Battles for Grenaderimägi, July 29

Comparison of forces

There is no complete overview of the order of the Soviet Armed Forces or the detachment sizes in the battle of Tannenberg Line.[5] For the attack on July 29, Govorov concentrated all of the capable Soviet units, consisting in 11 Divisions and 6 tank regiments.[2][7] The Soviet units, which had suffered losses, were completed with fresh manpower. The fresh delivery of the Soviet heavy artillery complimented the 9 divisions of the 109th, the 117th and the 122nd Rifle Corps.[5] The 109th and 117th Corps were concentrated close to the Sinimäed, while the 122nd Rifle Corps to the southern section by the church of Vaivara Parish Vaivara Parish is a municipality of Ida-Viru County in northern Estonia. It has a population of 1,800 and an area of 397.97 km². The positions of the 11th Infantry Division were mainly attacked by the 35,000-strong 8th Army with their 112th Rifle Corps, two fresh Tank Regiments, the 1680 assault guns deployed in nine artillery regiments and 150 armoured vehicles.[7] The armoured forces included the brand new IS-2 tanks with extra armour and pipe length. The weakness of the tank was its shortage of fire capacity (28 rounds). The forces were supported by the 576-strong 13th Air Army.[7] The Soviet order of battle (available data as of July 28, 1944):[5]

Leningrad Front The front was immediately given the task of containing the German drive towards Leningrad, and to defend it from the approaching Army Group North. By September 1941, German forces to the south were effectively stopped on the outskirts of Leningrad, initiating the two and a half year long Siege of Leningrad. Although Finnish forces to the north - Marshall Leonid Govorov Leonid Aleksandrovich Govorov , Soviet military commander, was born in the village of Butyrki in central Russia (now in Kirov Oblast). His father was a sailor. He attended a technical high school in Yelabuga and enrolled in the shipbuilding department of Petrograd Polytechnical Institute. In December 1916, however, he transferred to the

Total: 26,850 infantry, 458 artillery, 112 tanks

Total: 28,000 infantry, 174 tanks, 44 self-propelled guns, 518 artillery

Separate Corps and Divisions (possibly subordinated to one the above mentioned Armies)[5]:

Against the Soviet forces, the few tired German regiments without any reserve troops stood at their positions, ploughed up by the Soviet artillery. The commander of the Army Group Narwa, Infantry General Anton Grasser assessed the German capacity as insufficient against the Soviet attack. While sufficient in ammunition and machine-guns, the combat morale of the Germanic volunteers was under heavy pressure while the spirit of some Estonian troops had already been severely damaged in Grasser's opinion.[2][7] However, the following combat proved the opposite.[7] The small number of German Junkers Ju 87 The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka was a two-seat (pilot and rear gunner) German ground-attack aircraft. Designed by Hermann Pohlmann, the Stuka first flew in 1935 and made its combat debut in 1936 as part of the Luftwaffe's Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War dive bombers A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy and limit the exposure to and effectiveness of anti-aircraft fire. This type of aircraft was most heavily used before and during World War II; its use fell into decline shortly afterwards and shortage of aeroplane fuel gave the Soviets a massive air superiority.[2][7] Grasser's conclusion was short:[2][7]

“ The Army Detachment emphasizes, that the situation is extremely intense and the great difference between our forces and the enemy's demands the greatest attention from the High Command. ”

Leaving diplomatic formulation aside, Grasser announced that without immediate reinforcements the Soviets would inevitably break through Tannenberg Line on June 29.[2][7] Such reinforcements were beyond the capacities of the Army Detachment North. Commander Schörner had repeatedly called Hitler to the attention of the fact, that virtually no division consisting in Germans was left at Tannenberg Line, threatening to collapse every moment. These calls had no effect, as Hitler's response remained to stand or die.[7] The German order of battle (as of July 28, 1944):[5]

Army Group Narwa - Infantry General Anton Grasser

Separate detachments:

Total: 22,250 troops[1] deployed in 25 Estonian and 24 German, Dutch, Danish, Flemish, Norwegian, and Walloon battalions[5]

Preparatory fire

The morning of July 29 began with the preparatory artillery fire of 25,000 shells shot by the Soviets.[5] The battering covered the Tannenberg Line in a dust cloud. The forest on Sinimäed Hills was entirely destroyed, with the trees cut at the height of 2-3 metres. While having great psychological effect, the so-called "Katyushas" or so-called "Stalin's organs" were inaccurate causing little damage to the well-dug German troops. The 70–80 German Nebelwerfers answered. This was followed by Soviet bombers, trying to hit the last of the German troops, ducking down in their trenches. Disguised in camouflage Camouflage is a method of cryptic or concealing coloration that allows an otherwise visible organism or object to remain indiscernible from the surrounding environment through deception. Examples include a tiger's stripes and the battledress of a modern soldier. The theory of camouflage covers various strategies which are used, they remained unnoticed by the Soviet pilots.[7]

Soviet advance guards

The attack of the 6,000 Soviet infantry[4] began at 0900, supported by a regiment of nearly 100 tanks (most of them IS-2). These used their 122 mm pipes to fire directly at the strong points showing any signs of life and destroyed the remaining bunkers.[4][15] The shatters of the German advance guard were destroyed. The platoon commanded by lieutenant Lapshin broke through to the top of the Grenaderimägi. Special courage was shown by sergeant Efendiyev who destroyed a German strong point at the defence of the hill. The Komsomol Komsomol is a syllabic abbreviation word, from the Russian Kommunisticheskiy Soyuz Molodyozhi (Коммунисти́ческий сою́з молодёжи), or "Communist Union of Youth". The organization was established on October 29, 1918. Since 1922 the full official name in Russian was Vsesoyuzny Leninskiy Kommunisticheskiy Soyuz organiser of the V. I. Lavreshin of the 937th Rifle Regiment who had been marching ahead of his troops with a red flag Red flags can signify a warning, martial law, defiance, or left-wing politics. The earliest citation for "red flag" in the Oxford English Dictionary is from 1602 and shows that at that time the flag was used by military forces to indicate that they were preparing for battle.[nb 1] It has been associated with left-wing politics since the in his hands attached it at the summit.[4] The small German units who remained resisting were paid no special attention to by the Soviets as the main attack was carried westwards.[16]

Attack of Soviet main forces

The principle of the Soviet attack in the operations in the Sinimäed was an overwhelming frontal shock, with only few of the attackers presumed to reach the target.[7] With the artillery fire preventing any reinforcements sent in from the German rear, the Soviet 8th Army went on attack and wedged in the north flank of the 11th Infantry Division. The Soviet main tactical goal Grenaderimägi was to be assaulted by the 6,000 troopers of the 109th Rifle Corps. The 109th Rifle Division attacked the Nederland Division who were covering the hill from the north.[5] The 120th Rifle Division hit the Grenaderimägi from the east. The 72nd Rifle Division assaulted the II.Battalion, 3rd Estonian Regiment which were defending the northern flank. The 117th Rifle Corps stood ready to break through the last of the German defences.[2][7] The Lastekodumägi fell entirely to the Soviets with the 191st Rifle Regiment at the head of the Soviet attack. These suffered great casualties in the fire of the last defenders who in turn were either killed or forced to the next hill the Grenaderimägi. With the seizure of the Lastekodumägi, the Soviet 201st and the 256th Rifle Divisions were exhausted as the 109th Rifle Division continued to press towards the Grenaderimägi alone. The defenders were commanded Josef Bachmeier the head of the II.Battalion, Norge. The I. and II.Battalions, 3rd Estonian subordinated to Bachmeier had 20-30 men each. For the defence of the Grenaderimägi, every available Estonian was sent into battle, including communications personnel.[7] The central command post was destroyed by the Soviet fire while the Germans, Flemish, Norwegians, Estonians escaped destruction by lying down in their bunkers. Behind them at the summit of the Grenadermägi, stood the Nederland Division. The gaps created in the attacking infantry and tank line by the German artillery did not stop the Soviet advance.[7]

Soviet encirclement of Grenaderimägi

The 109th Rifle Division passed the remnants of the II.Battalion, De Ruyter which used their light machine guns to cause heavy casualties to the Soviets. The Soviet attack ran into the camouflaged anti-tank gun of Remi Schrijnen standing near the northeastern corner of the hill.[16] Meeting the Soviet attack, he fired his gun destroying seven tanks in the course of which he was severely wounded when his gun was destroyed by a IS-2 tank returning fire from 30 metres.[14] Despite Schrijnen's heroics, the Soviet tanks besieged the Grenaderimägi and kept circling the hill all the while firing away at the defenders. They could not however capture the summit due to heavy casualties caused by the German anti-tank guns and the anti-aircraft Anti-aircraft warfare, or air defence, is any method of engaging hostile military aircraft in defence of ground objectives, ground or naval forces or denial of passage through a specific airspace region, area or anti-aircraft combat zone. It is also used in denying entry into national air space to unauthorized aircraft guns pointing their barrels down. The other Soviet tanks reached the westernmost hill Tornimägi. The defenders in their bunkers, which were poorly fortified from the north and the flanks, were destroyed. Among the Soviet tank commanders, starshina Starshina, or Starshyna , had a number of meanings, all related to the position of chiefdom S. F. Smirnov destroyed five German strong points.[4] One of the tanks reached the community centre Community centres or community centers are public locations where members of a community may gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may sometimes be open for the whole community or for a specialised group within the greater community. Examples of community centres for specific groups include: of the municipality of Vaivara shooting a hole in the wall. This remained the westernmost point the Soviet Armed Forces reached in Northeast Estonia until late September 1944.[7]

German re-capture of Tornimägi

By noon July 29, the Soviet forces had almost seized control of the Tannenberg Line. During the attack, the Soviets had suffered great casualties and were unable to secure their positions at the Sinimäed. A fatally wounded German radio operator cleared the eastern slope of the Grenaderimägi by waiting for the Soviet troops to reach his position and then ordering an artillery barrage on himself as the Soviets surrounded him.[16] The Soviet tanks threatened the headquarters of the De Ruyter Regiment. The counterattack by the headquarters guards company was repelled and Obersturmbannführer Hans Collani seeing a Soviet tank from the door of the headquarters shot himself dead. His observations turned out as erroneous as Steiner ordered the last German tanks from the reserve commanded by Paul-Albert Kausch into the battle.[13] He distributed his tanks in three units. One of them went on counterattack at the Soviets besieging Tornimägi, the second of them securing Narva–Tallinn Highway in the west and the third unit counterattacking between the Grenaderimägi and the railway a few kilometres to the south.[7] The arrival of the German tanks came unexpectedly for the Soviet tanks. Probably being out of their ammunition, the Soviet tank squadron retreated and the counterattack of the De Ruyter Regiment repulsed the Soviets from the Tornimägi.[17] After the counterattack, one German Panther tank remained unscathed.[2][7]

German re-capture of Grenaderimägi

After the German counterattack, the tactical situation at the Tannenberg Line remained unclear. The remains of the II.Battalion, Norge at the Grenaderimägi assaulted the Soviets. The latter suffered heavy losses but re-grouped and cut the Norwegians off at the east side of the hill.[4][13] On the western terrace of the Grenaderimägi, the Kampfgruppe Bachmeier and the III.Battalion, 3rd Estonian kept resisting. The Soviets started searching the bunkers for documents and prisoners.[4] Steiner ordered an air assault using dive bombers from Tallinn Airport. The Soviets had anticipated the attack and had moved their self-propelled anti-aircraft units to the Lastekodumägi. These shot down several German bombers and afterwards turned their fire at the German infantry.[15]

Steiner had one more battalion to spare — the I.Battalion, 1st Estonian which had been spared from the previous counter attacks because of the scarcity of able bodied men. Sturmbannführer Paul Maitla requested reinforcements from the men in the field hospital. Twenty less injured men responded, joining the remains of the other destroyed units including a unit of the Kriegsmarine and supported by the single remaining Panther tank.[7] The counter attack started from the parish cemetery south of the Tornimägi with the left flank of the assault clearing the hill of the Soviets. The attack continued towards the summit under heavy Soviet artillery and bomber attack, getting into close combat in the Soviet positions. The small German grenadier units were moved into the trenches. Running out of ammunition, the German troops used Soviet grenades and automatic weapons taken from the fallen.[7] According to some veterans, it appeared that low flying Soviet bombers were attempting to hit every individual German soldier jumping between craters, from time to time getting buried under the soil by the explosions of Soviet shells.[18] The Soviets were forced to retreat from the Grenaderimägi Hill.[5][8]

Soviet attempts to regain Grenaderimägi

In the afternoon of July 29, the Soviet forces made eight attempts to regain control of Grenaderimägi. The last of the German reserves were sent into the battle, including the supply troops. The two assaults by Maitla's improvised platoon at the Lastekodumägi forced the Soviets to refrain from further attacks and gave the Germans time to re-group.[2][19][20]

Report of headquarters of 2nd Shock Army on July 30

Reluctant to admit the catastrophe in his report to the Soviet High Command on July 30, the Political Commissar of the Soviet 2nd Army falsely assured that the Grenaderimägi was still in the possession of the Soviet 109th Rifle Corps. As the justification of the failure to break through the German defence, the report cited the weak cooperation between the artillery and the infantry. The report also mentioned the poorly coordinated action of the armoured units, driving to the minefields, which were uncleared by the sapper units. The commissar made serious reproaches against the commanders of the units and claimed in his report than they were heavily drunk while attempting to command the attacks.[7][21]

July 30–31

On July 30, the battles went on in the similar fashion. The Soviet artillery increased the intensity of the fire to 30,000 shells,[5] with the German artillery answering with 10,000 shells.[2] The subsequent attack by the Soviet heavy tanks broke through the defence of the II.Battalion, De Ruyter consisting in 35–45 capable men running between their heavy machine guns.[7] Hauptsturmführer Helmut Scholz took the units of the De Ruyter Regiment to counterattack destroying two tanks at the doorsteps of Scholz's bunker and forcing the Soviets to retreat.[16] For the battles of Tannenberg Line, Scholz earned the Knight's Cross with Oakleaves, the only SS infantry company commander to be a recipient of the Oakleaves.[7] Simultaneously, the Soviet platoons were climbing up the Grenaderimägi under intensive German bombardment. Eventually, the attack was repelled by German hand grenades. By the coast, the Soviets attacked the Estonian II.Battalion, 2nd Estonian. In close combat, the Estonians commanded by Major Alfons Rebane destroyed 12 tanks and repelled the Soviet assault.[22][7] Units of the Soviet 8th Army advanced to some degree in the forests of the southern section of the front.[4] On July 31, the Soviet command changed the direction of their preparatory artillery fire aiming it this time behind the hill, cutting it off from the main army group. The gradual decrease in the number of shells fired by the Soviet artillery (9,000 shells on July 30) witnessed the weakening of the Soviet attacks.[2][7] The Soviet infantry started climbing up the Grenaderimägi. The Estonian units against them ran out of ammunition.[2]<laar/> Just in time, an improvised platoon of the Danmark Regiment arrived to their rescue, and another Soviet attack was repulsed. In the evening, the Soviets tried yet another conquest of the Grenaderimägi, repelled by the unit commanded by Bachmeier who was later decorated with the Knight's Cross.[16] The remnants of the I.Battalion, 3rd Estonian resisted the Soviet attacks at the southern flank.[23]

Report of headquarters of 2nd Shock Army on July 31

That time, the Political Commissar of the 2nd Shock Army admitted the failure to break through the German defence. The Soviet Commissar explained it with the artillery fire running late.[7][24] The report presented the false assertion that the Germans had captured the Grenaderimägi only on July 30.[5]

August

Soviet reinforcements

Receiving the order from Stalin to break through to Tallinn at all costs, Govorov appointed Fedyuninsky as responsible for reaching Rakvere no later than August 7.[8] During the first days of August, the 2nd Shock Army received the the 110th and 124th Rifle Corps as reinforcements raising the number of troops over 20,000 again.[5] The 8th Army received similar additions to their forces with the 112th and 117th Corps ordered to join the attacks.[5] The Soviet tank forces were also restored, with 104 armoured machines at their command.[5] At the nine kilometre long segment of the front, 1913 assault guns were collected, making it 300 cannons per kilometre. 365 pieces of heavy artillery were aimed at Grenaderimägi and 200 at Sirgala settlement in the south segment. As the daily amount, 200,000 shells and grenades were supplied to the artillery.[4] On August 1, no combat took place, as both parties relocated their forces.[4] The Leningrad Front tried to shift the centre of weight southwards.

German condition

Army Group Narwa replaced the nearly destroyed units with the less damaged detachments. Despite inflicting immense casualties on the Soviets, the Waffen SS units were slowly being worn down. The 4th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Brigade Nederland was now reduced to the size of a regiment, while the 5th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade Wallonien and the 6th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade Langemarck had the strength of an inforced company each.[7] The Estonian Waffen-Grenadier Regiment der SS 46 was virtually lost and the 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland was a shadow of its former self. The SS Panzer Battalion 11 Hermann von Salza was reduced to two Panther tanks and a few Panzer IVs.[7] Reinforced by the tanks from the Großdeutschland Division Panzer Regiment, all available armour was grouped into the "Strachwitz" Tank Squadron under the command of the Armoured Count Generalleutnant Hyazinth Graf Strachwitz von Gross-Zauche und Camminetz. This formation acted like a fire brigade along all fronts of Army Group North. To the German fortune, the Soviet intelligence overestimated the strength of the defenders to more than 60 tanks and 800 artillery[4] while in fact there were just one tank and 70–80 artillery.[2][7]

Combat in August

By August 2, the 2nd Shock Army had re-deployed, and assaulted using the same tactics, as previously. The men of the Nederland Brigade who survived the artillery bombardment, retreated down the slopes of the Grenaderimägi pursued by the Soviet units. In Steiner's memoirs, the intensity of the fire and the nature of the battles reminded of the Battle of Verdun.[25] When the artillery barrage ended, the freshly drafted II.Battalion, Waffen-Grenadier Regiment der SS 46 (2nd Estonian) returned fire after inflicting severe casualties on the assaulting Soviets and counter attacked reclaiming the Grenaderimägi.[26] The Soviet tanks broke through in the southeastern section of the front as the Estonian assault team commanded by Hauptsturmführer Oskar Ruut, the 11th Infantry Division (consisting in personnel from East Prussia) and the 300th Special purpose Division repelled them while suffering heavy casualties.[5][7][16]

On 3 August, the Soviets made a stronger attempt with the preparatory artillery fire of 25,000–30,000 shells and grenades reaching the level of the attack of July 29. The Soviet artillery fire caused heavy casualties to the German defenders, while a part of them left their positions. Eleven Soviet rifle divisions and four tank regiments tried to spread their attack along the front. However, the main weight of the impending attack tended at Grenaderimägi again. The German artillery noticed the concentration of Soviet forces and launched their Nebelwerfer fire inflicting great casualties to the Soviet infantry and the tanks before the beginning of the attack. As the German artillery fire did not dent the Soviet superiority in manpower, the Soviet attack began as scheduled. The Soviet 110th Rifle Corps attacking the Grenaderimägi found themselves in the middle of the cross-fire of the remnants of the I.Battalion, 2nd Estonian Regiment.[7] As the commanders of the rifle corps erroneously reported the army headquarters on the capture of Grenaderimägi, the artillery fire was removed from the hill. The Estonians went on counter attack and cleared the hill.[26][7] Simultaneously, the 124th Rifle Corps attacking the south segment of the front by the Vaivara Parish church was repulsed. In a similar fashion on August 3, the Soviets made two more attacks each of them beginning with the a massive artillery barrage and ending with a German counter attack restoring the previous positions.[27][7] Overall on August 3, twenty tanks were destroyed. The Soviets attacks from August 4 to 6 were weaker as on August 4, eleven tanks were destroyed and seven tanks on August 5. During the night before August 6, six tanks were destroyed.[5] On August 10, the war council of the Leningrad Front ordered to terminate the offensive and switch strictly to defence.[4] The Soviets reduced their operations to patrol activities with occasional attacks. The German defenders used this respite to rotate several exhausted units out of the line for a few days for rest and refit, and to strengthen their positions. Until Mid-September, the Narva Front stayed quiet.[5]

Casualties

In the Soviet era, the losses in the Battle of Tannenberg Line were not mentioned in the Soviet sources.[28] In recent years, the Russian authors have published some figures[29][30] but not for the whole course of the battles.[7] The number of Soviet casualties can only be estimated upon other figures. In the attack of July 29, 225 men survived of the Soviet 109th Rifle Corps carrying the main weight of the assault. Of the 120th Rifle Division, 1808 men were lost as dead and wounded.[4] The rest of the Soviet rifle corps lost their capacity for further attacks.[15] In the same attack, the German forces lost 600 men.[2][31] The headquarters of the 2nd Shock Army reported 259 troops fit for combat within the 109th Rifle Division and a total exhaustion of the army at the night before August 1,[24] which probably meant a few thousand troops fit for combat out of the 46,385 men who had initiated the Estonian Operation on July 25. The losses of the 8th Army were similar to that.[31]

In the evening of July 29, 1944, Army Group Narwa counted 113–120 destroyed Soviet tanks, almost half of them in the battles of July 29.[2][32] The 2nd Shock Army reported on fifty of their tanks destroyed on July 29.[24][32] The German side counted additional 44 destroyed Soviet tanks on August 3–6.[33]

Russian author G.F.Krivosheev in his account "Soviet casualties and combat losses in the twentieth century" lists 665,827 casualties suffered by the Leningrad Front in 1944, 145,102 of them as dead, missing in action, or captured.[28] Estonian historian Mart Laar, deducting the losses in the Leningrad-Novgorod Offensive, Battle for Narva Bridgehead and the combat in Finland estimates the number of Soviet casualties in the battle of Tannenberg Line as 35,000 dead or missing and 135,000 wounded or sick.[7]

The German Army Group North buried 1709 men in Estonia in July 24 – August 10, 1944.[34][35] Added the men missing in action, the number of irrecoverable casualties in the period is approximately 2,500. Accounting the standard ratio 1:4 of the irrecoverable casualties to the wounded, the total number of German casualties in the Battle for Tannenberg Line is approximately 10,000 men.[35]

Aftermath

Further information: Baltic Offensive and Tallinn Offensive

On September 14, the Riga Offensive Operation was launched by the Soviet 1st, 2nd and 3rd Baltic Fronts. The offensive was aimed at capturing Riga and cutting off the Army Group North in Courland, western Latvia. After much argument, Adolf Hitler finally agreed to allow the evacuation of all troops in Estonia. After months of holding the line, the exhausted men of the III SS Panzer Corps joined the withdrawal fighting their way back from the Tannenberg Line. On September 17, the 3rd Baltic Front launched the Tallinn Offensive from the Emajõgi River Front joining Lake Peipus with Lake Võrtsjärv. The operation was aimed at encircling the Army Group Narwa. Unable to hold the force, the German units withdrew towards the northwest while the incomplete II Army Corps was left to stall the Soviet attack. The Army Group Narwa withdrew quickly towards the Latvian border. On September 22, Tallinn was abandoned. Some of the Estonian formations now began to attack the retreating Germans attempting to secure supplies and weapons to continue a guerrilla war as the Forest Brothers against the Russians and Soviet occupation.[5] Several troops of the 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS stayed in Estonia. These units continued fighting, some survivors joining the guerrilla groups which fought the Soviet occupying forces until the end of the 1970s.[36]

See also

Battle for Narva Bridgehead for the first phase of the campaign.

Documentary film "Sinimäed".

References

  1. ^ a b Steven H. Newton (1995). Retreat from Leningrad: Army Group North, 1944/1945. Atglen, Philadelphia: Schiffer Books.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Unpublished data from the official battle diary of Army Group Narwa
  3. ^ a b c Mart Laar (2006) (in Estonian). Sinimäed 1944: II maailmasõja lahingud Kirde-Eestis (Sinimäed 1944: Battles of World War II in Northeast Estonia). Tallinn: Varrak. p. 261.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p F.I.Paulman (1980). "Nachalo osvoboždenija Sovetskoj Estonij" (in Russian). Ot Narvy do Syrve (From Narva to Sõrve). Tallinn: Eesti Raamat. pp. 7–119.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Toomas Hiio (1999). "Combat in Estonia in 1944". in Toomas Hiio, Meelis Maripuu, & Indrek Paavle. Estonia 1940–1945: Reports of the Estonian International Commission for the Investigation of Crimes Against Humanity. Tallinn. pp. 1035–1094.
  6. ^ G.F.Krivosheev (1997). Soviet casualties and combat losses in the twentieth century. London: Greenhill Books. http://lib.ru/MEMUARY/1939-1945/KRIWOSHEEW/poteri.txt#w06.htm-_Toc536603390.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq Mart Laar (2006) (in Estonian). Sinimäed 1944: II maailmasõja lahingud Kirde-Eestis (Sinimäed 1944: Battles of World War II in Northeast Estonia). Tallinn: Varrak.
  8. ^ a b c d Laar, Mart (2005). Estonia in World War II. Tallinn: Grenader.
  9. ^ a b R. Landwehr (1983). Lions of Flanders. Silver Spring: Bibliophile Legion Books. p. 143.
  10. ^ R. Landwehr, T.H.Nielsen (1981). Nordic Warriors. Bibliophile Legion Books, Silver Spring. p. 105.
  11. ^ a b c Wilhelm Tieke (2001). Tragedy of the faithful: a history of the III. (germanisches) SS-Panzer-Korps. Winnipeg: J.J.Fedorowicz. p. 98-99.
  12. ^ R. Landwehr (1981). Narva 1944: The Waffen SS and the Battle for Europe. Silver Spring, Maryland: Bibliophile Legion Books. p. 84.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g R. Landwehr (1981). Narva 1944: The Waffen SS and the Battle for Europe. Silver Spring, Maryland: Bibliophile Legion Books.
  14. ^ a b A.Brandt. The Last Knight of Flanders, pp.126-142
  15. ^ a b c Евгений Кривошеев; Николай Костин (1984). "II. Boi zapadnee Narvy (Battles west from Narva" (in Russian). Битва за Нарву (The Battle for Narva). Tallinn: Eesti raamat. pp. 105–140.
  16. ^ a b c d e f Wilhelm Tieke (2001). Tragedy of the faithful: a history of the III. (germanisches) SS-Panzer-Korps. Winnipeg: J.J.Fedorowicz.
  17. ^ Marc Rikmenspoel (1999). Soldiers of the Waffen SS. J.J.Fedorowicz, Winnipeg
  18. ^ A.Aasmaa (1999). Tagasivaateid.(Looking Back. In Estonian) In: Mart Tamberg (Comp.). Eesti mehed sõjatules. EVTÜ, Saku
  19. ^ A.Aasmaa (1999). Tagasivaateid.(Looking Back. In Estonian) In: Mart Tamberg (Comp.). Eesti mehed sõjatules, p.329. EVTÜ, Saku
  20. ^ Mart Laar (2006) (in Estonian). Sinimäed 1944: II maailmasõja lahingud Kirde-Eestis (Sinimäed 1944: Battles of World War II in Northeast Estonia). Tallinn: Varrak. p. 294.
  21. ^ Political report No. 023363 of the Head of the Political Department of the 2nd Shock Army on 30 July, 1944. Estonian State Archive, Fund 32, Catalogue 12, File 7, pp.98–101
  22. ^ J.Uudevald (2000). Vallutasime Grenaderimäe (We conquered Grenaderimägi Hill. In Estonian). Võitluse Teedel Nr. 3
  23. ^ E.Saumets (1952). "Estonian". 3. Kodukolle.
  24. ^ a b c Unpublished reports of the Estonian Operation of the 2nd Shock Army, July–September 1944. Estonian State Archive, Fund 32
  25. ^ Werner Haupt (1997). Army group North: the Wehrmacht in Russia, 1941-1945. Atglen, Philadelphia: Schiffer Books. p. 244.
  26. ^ a b Karl Sulger (2002) (in Estonian), Sõjakäik pealuu märgi all (Campaign Under the Sign of Bones and Skull, Võitluse Teedel
  27. ^ Robert Helde (2004). Palavad päevad Sinimägedes (Hot Days at Sinimäed Hills. In Estonian). Võitluse Teedel Nr.1
  28. ^ a b Mart Laar (2006) (in Estonian). Sinimäed 1944: II maailmasõja lahingud Kirde-Eestis (Sinimäed 1944: Battles of World War II in Northeast Estonia). Tallinn: Varrak. p. 325.
  29. ^ В.Бешанов (2004). Десять сталинских ударов. Харвест, Minsk. p. 607.
  30. ^ V. Rodin (October 5th, 2005) (in Russian)). Na vysotah Sinimyae: kak eto bylo na samom dele. (On the Heights of Sinimäed: How It Actually Was). Vesti.
  31. ^ a b Mart Laar (2006) (in Estonian). Sinimäed 1944: II maailmasõja lahingud Kirde-Eestis (Sinimäed 1944: Battles of World War II in Northeast Estonia). Tallinn: Varrak. p. 303.
  32. ^ a b Mart Laar (2006) (in Estonian). Sinimäed 1944: II maailmasõja lahingud Kirde-Eestis (Sinimäed 1944: Battles of World War II in Northeast Estonia). Tallinn: Varrak. p. 296.
  33. ^ Mart Laar (2006) (in Estonian). Sinimäed 1944: II maailmasõja lahingud Kirde-Eestis (Sinimäed 1944: Battles of World War II in Northeast Estonia). Tallinn: Varrak. p. 304–327.
  34. ^ Unpublished data by the German War Graves Commission
  35. ^ a b Mart Laar (2006) (in Estonian). Sinimäed 1944: II maailmasõja lahingud Kirde-Eestis (Sinimäed 1944: Battles of World War II in Northeast Estonia). Tallinn: Varrak. p. 326.
  36. ^ Mart Laar (1992). War in the Woods: Estonia's Struggle for Survival, 1944-1956. Washington: The Compass Press. ISBN 0-929590-08-2.

Recommended reading

External links

Coordinates: 59°23′N 27°52′E / 59.383°N 27.867°E

Categories: Conflicts in 1944 | Narva | Battles and operations of the Eastern Front of World War II | Battles involving Estonia

 

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