It was foundation for their arctic warfare doctrine and Soviet era military texts cite historical examples from this operation in support of discussions concerning future combat activities in the Arctic regions. The offensive ended on October 29th, with Soviet troops stationed as far west as Neiden in Norway.įor Soviet military professionals, the Pechenga-Kirkenes Operation provided a model for the study of warfare on arctic terrain. Soviet troops captured the Finnish town of Petsamo (Russian: Pechenga) on October 15th and occupied the Norwegian harbour and town of Kirkenes on October 25th. On October 7th 1944, a Soviet force of nearly 113,000 men of the Karelian Front, commanded by General Meretskov (later Marshal of the Soviet Union) launched an offensive against the 60,000-man German XIX Mountain Corps, defending in prepared positions along the Litsa river valley northwest of Murmansk.Īssisted by sea, air, and land forces (Naval infantry/marines) of the Northern Fleet, the Soviet 14th Army defeated the German forces in a three-phased operation that lasted a total of 24 days. The battle, or rather series of battles, is the largest ever fought north of the Arctic circle and lessons are still being drawn today from the experience of the two armies that slugged it out in the moonlike landscape of the tundra west of Murmansk. SAARF – Special Allied Airborne Recon Force Tiger 131: The mysterious British reports The Loss of Argonaut, Amberjack, Grampus, and Triton WWII Articles History of the Panzerwaffe: Vol 3
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