Order of battle for the Leningrad strategic defensive operation

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This is the order of battle for the Leningrad Strategic Defensive covering the period 10 July to 30 September 1941.

Soviet Union[edit]

Fronts and Fleets[edit]

Northern Front[edit]

The Northern Front was active from 10 July to 23 August 1941 when the command was divided into the Karelian and Leningrad Fronts. Operated in Estonia.

Leningrad Front[edit]

The Leningrad Front (Russian: Ленинградский фронт) was first formed on 23 August 1941, by dividing the Northern Front into the Leningrad Front and Karelian Front, during the German approach on Leningrad. The Front participated through the ed of the operation. It operated from the Gulf of Finland to Lake Ilmen and in Estonia until 27 August.

Northwestern Front[edit]

The Northwestern Front was involved in the operation for the entire duration. It operated in the area from Pskov to Novorzhev, then south and southeast of Lake Ilmen.

Baltic Fleet[edit]

SOURCE:[3]

Red Army[edit]

8th Army[edit]

The 8th Army was involved in the operation for the entire period. First operating in Estonia, then divided into two parts, one the Tallinn area and the other in the Narva - Kingisepp, the army ended the operation in the area which would become the Oranienbaum Bridgehead.
6 commanders between 22 June - 30 September 1941.

11th Army[edit]

The 11th Army was involved in the operation for the entire period. It led the defense of the areas west and southwest of the Lake Ilmen retreating to the area south and then southeast of the lake.
Commander : Vasili Morozov

27th Army[edit]

The 27th Army was involved in the operation for the entire period. Led the defense in the area from Slavkovichi - Novorzhev, retreating towards Kholm and then further to the north shore of Lake Seliger.
Commander : Nikolai Berzarin

34th Army[edit]

The army's involvement began in early August 1941 near Staraya Russa and to the south. The army eventually retreated to the area east of Demyansk.
Commanders : Kuzma Kachanov until 12 September - Petr Alferev

42nd Army[edit]

The army took part in the operation from 9–30 September 1941. Conducted combat operations in the approaches to Leningrad from the Gulf of Finland to the city of Pushkin.
Commanders : Fedor Sergeevich Ivanov until 15 September - Ivan Fedyuninsky

48th Army[edit]

The army was involved in the operation from 10 August to 14 September 1941 when the army was disbanded. The army operated in the area west of the Lake Ilmen.
Commanders : Stepan Akimov until 31 August - Maksim Antoniuk

52nd Separate Army[edit]

The army was involved in the operation from 26 August to the turn of the Volkhov River north of Novgorod.
Commander : Nikolai Klykov

54th Army[edit]

The army was formed on 5 September 1941 with the mission of securing the shores of Lake Ladoga to prevent the Germans from encircling Leningrad. The army participated in the operation to the end.
Commanders : Grigory Kulik until 25 September - Mikhail Khozin
Composition on 1 October 1941:[2]

3rd Guards Rifle Division
4th Guards Rifle Division
128th Rifle Division
286th Rifle Division
294th Rifle Division
310th Rifle Division
1st Mountain Brigade
881st Artillery Regiment (RVGK)
882nd Artillery Regiment (RVGK)
2/5th Guards Mortar Regiment
4/4th Guards Mortar Regiment
21st Tank Division
16th Tank Brigade
122nd Tank Brigade
5th Motorized Engineer Battalion
135th Motorized Engineer Battalion
136th Motorized Engineer Battalion
3rd Reserve Aviation Group
four Fighter Aviation Regiments
three Bomber Aviation Regiment
one Assault Aviation Regiment

55th Army[edit]

The army was formed on 1 September 1941 and operated in the area from Pushkin to the bend of the Neva River through the end of the operation.
Commander : Ivan Gavrilovich Lazarev

Leningrad People's Militia[edit]

See Leningrad Narodnoe Opolcheniye Army for details on Leningrad's Militia units. In late September 1941 the divisions were incorporated into the Red Army.

Operational Groups[edit]

Luga Operational Group/Southern Operational Group[edit]

Took part in the fighting from mid-July in Luga through 16 September when the group was disbanded in Leningrad.

Kopor Operational Group[edit]

Composition on 1 September 1941:[1]

1st Guards Leningrad People's Militia Division
2nd Leningrad People's Militia Division
522nd Rifle Regiment (191st Rifle Division)
519th Howitzer Artillery Regiment (RVGK)
24th Tank Regiment (1st Tank Division)
295th Sapper Battalion

Neva Operational Group[edit]

Composition on 1 October 1941:[2]

115th Rifle Division
1st Rifle Division (NKVD)
4th Naval Infantry Brigade
1st Fighter Battalion
4th Fighter Battalion
5th Fighter Battalion
230th Artillery Regiment (71st Rifle Division)
1/577th Howitzer Artillery Regiment
24th Antitank Artillery Battalion
20th Mortar Battalionn
107th Tank Battalion
21st Pontoon-Bridge Battalion

Novgorod Operational Group[edit]

German[edit]

Presents the largest and units of the German armed forces. It should be borne in mind that the operation involved a variety of specialist, such as artillery and self-propelled artillery (including the provision of OKH), Samokatnaya, rail, engineering, combat engineers, pontoon bridge, part of the army air defense and air defense and the Luftwaffe.

Army Group North (Heeresgruppe Nord) (Field Marshal Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb)[edit]

Data on 8 August 1941.

18th Army (Generaloberst Georg von Küchler)[edit]

Participated throughout the operation. Led offensive in Estonia, along the eastern shore of Lake Peipsi, then advanced on Leningrad from the south-west and west.

The XXXXII Army Corps was transferred to the 18th Army on 18 July 1941.

XXXXII Army Corps (Walter Kuntze)
61st Infantry Division
217th Infantry Division
XXVI Army Corps (Albert Wodrig)
93rd Infantry Division
254th Infantry Division
291st Infantry Division

Panzergruppe 4 (Generaloberst Erich Hoepner)[edit]

Participated in the operation from 10 July to 18 September 1941. The unit was the main striking force for the German forces attack towards Leningrad. The LVI Motorized Corps advanced towards Luga, bypassing the city to the north, breaking through Soviet positions south of Kingisepp, Krasnogvardeisk, and reached the Pulkovo Heights. On 15 September the main forces of the group begin its redeployment from the Leningrad axis to the Moscow axis.

The L Army Corps was transferred to the group on 14 August 1941.

XXXXI Corps (mot.) (Georg-Hans Reinhardt)
1st Infantry Division
1st Panzer Division
6th Panzer Division
8th Panzer Division
36th Infantry Division (mot.)
LVI Motorized Corps (Erich von Manstein)
269th Infantry Division
SS Polizei Division
3rd Infantry Division (mot.)
XXXVIII Corps (Friedrich-Wilhelm von Chappuis)
58th Infantry Division
L Army Corps (Georg Lindemann) (from 14 August 1941)
269th Infantry Division
SS Polizei Division

16th Army (Generaloberst Ernst Busch)[edit]

Participated in the operation for the entire period. Originally moving in the area south of Lake Ilmen, the army's right flank was engaged against the Western Front. After regrouping the army advanced north and south of Lake Ilmen on the Novgorod-Chudovo-Leningrad and Staraya Russa-Kholm-Demyansk axis.

XXVIII Army Corps (Mauritz von Wiktorin)
96th Infantry Division
121st Infantry Division
122nd Infantry Division
SS Totenkopf Division
I Army Corps (Kuno-Hans von Both)
11th Infantry Division
21st Infantry Division
126th Infantry Division
II Army Corps (Walter von Brockdorff-Ahlefeldt)
12th Infantry Division
32nd Infantry Division
123rd Infantry Division
X Army Corps (Christian Hansen)
30th Infantry Division
290th Infantry Division

3rd Panzer Group[edit]

Part of the group was involved in operations from 24 August to the end of the operation at Leningrad (XXXIX Motorized Corps) and from 30 August to 24 September 1941 in the Demyansk direction (LVII Motorized Corps).

XXXIX Motorized Corps (Rudolf Schmidt)
12th Panzer Division
18th Motorized Division
20th Motorized Division
LVII Motorized Corps (Adolf-Friedrich Kuntzen)
19th Panzer Division
20th Panzer Division

Luftflotte 1[edit]

Data as of 3 August 1941.[4]

2.(F)/ObdL Wekusta (2nd Squadron, Long-Range reconnaissance Luftwaffe High Command)
1 KGr z.b.V. 106 (1st Transport Squadron, 106th Military Transport Group)

I. Fliegerkorps[edit]

Took part in the entire operation. Reinforces by Kampfgeschwader 4 on 6 August 1941.

5th Squadron, 122nd Intelligence Group
Kampfgeschwader 1 - He 111H, Ju 88A (Group 2 and 3)
Kampfgeschwader 76 - Ju 88A
Kampfgeschwader 77 - Ju 88A
Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 - Ju 87B, Bf 110
Zerstörergeschwader 26 - Bf 110 (Group 1 and 2)
Jagdgeschwader 54 - Bf 109F
Jagdgeschwader 53 - Bf 109F (Group 2 only)

VIII. Fliegerkorps[edit]

The VIII. Fliegerkorps took part in the operation from late July to 20 September 1941.

2nd Squadron, 11th Intelligence Group
1st Transport Squadron, 4th Transport Group
Kampfgeschwader 2 - Do 17Z (Group 1)
Kampfgeschwader 3 - Do 17Z (Group 3)
Schnellkampfgeschwader 210 - Bf 110 (Group 2)
Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 - Ju 87B (Group 1, 3)
Lehrgeschwader 2 - Bf 109E, Hs 123 (2nd and 10th Squadron)
Jagdgeschwader 27 - Bf 109F, Bf 109E (Group 3 only)
Jagdgeschwader 52 - Bf 109F (Group 2 only)

Reconnaissance Group East[edit]

125th Naval Intelligence Group
Kampfgruppe 806 - Ju 88A
Jagdgeschwader 54 - Bf 109E (only 1 staffel)

References[edit]

  1. ^ 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 Marchand, Jean-Luc (2010). Order of Battle Soviet Army World War 2 1941 June to September Vol 1. West Chester, OH: The Nafziger Collection. ISBN 978-1-58545-269-9.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Marchand, Jean-Luc (2010). Order of Battle Soviet Army World War 2 1941 October to December Vol 2. West Chester, OH: The Nafziger Collection. ISBN 978-1585452705.
  3. ^ Keskinen, Kalevi; Mäntykoski, Jorma, eds. (1991). The Finnish Navy At War in 1939–1945 (Suomen Laivasto Sodassa 1939–1945). Espoo: Tietoteos Ky. p. 153. ISBN 951-8919-05-4. OL 1778118M.
  4. ^ Luftwaffe Orders of Battle on the Eastern Front, 1941 Archived 2014-01-08 at the Wayback Machine