Leningrad Strategic Defensive | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the Eastern Front of World War II | |||||||
|
|||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
Germany | Soviet Union | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Wilhelm von Leeb G. Reinhardt G. Küchler |
P. Sobennikov P. Kurochkin M. Popov K. Voroshilov G. Zhukov V. Tributs |
||||||
Strength | |||||||
517,000 troops | 725,000 troops | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
about 60,000 | about 345,000, of which 214,000 were killed in action or taken prisoner. 733,300 small arms, 1492 tanks, 9889 guns and mortars, 1,702 combat aircraft |
Leningrad Strategic Defensive Operation is the name Soviet historiography for the defensive operations of the Red Army and Soviet Navy during World War II from 10 July to 30 September 1941. The following operations are considered as part of the strategic operation:
The campaign was conducted in the area to the northwest of the Kalinin Region to the Baltic Sea. In the north the land line of operations was limited to the shores of the Gulf of Finland, north of the Gulf Soviet troops were engaged in the Arctic-Karelia Strategic Defensive and the defense of the Hanko Peninsula. In the east the German troops reached the southern shore of Lake Ladoga, south along the Kirisha River to Kirishi, then south along the Volkhov River to Veliky Novgorod, including the city, then along the western side of Lake Ilmen to Staraya Russa, from there to the north end of Lake Vella and from the western boundary of the lake to the north shore of Lake Seliger to the region west of Peno. South of the border demarcation operated the forces of German Army Group Center. The width of the fighting front was roughly 450 kilometers and advanced a total of 270-300 kilometers due to Soviet withdrawals.
The operation took place from 10 July to 30 September lasting a total of 83 days.
Operations immediately preceding the campaign in time and space was the Baltic Strategic Defensive Operation. Operations continued on the outskirts of Leningrad include the 1st and 2nd Sinyavino operations from 10 September - 28 October 1941. The Tikhvin Defensive from 16 October - 18 November 1941. To the south only the Demyansk Offensive from 7 January - 25 May 1942 took place.