Narva Offensive (1–4 March 1944)

Soviet map of the beginning of Estonian Operation (February – April 1944)

Date	1–4 March 1944
Location	Narva, Estonia
Result	German defensive victory

Belligerents

Germany

Estonian conscript, police and border guard forces

Soviet Union

Commanders and leaders

Johannes Frießner

Leonid A. Govorov

Strength

123,541 personnel

200,000 personnel
2500 artillery
100 armoured vehicles
800 aircraft

Casualties and losses

Thousands

Manyfold higher than those of the German forces

Germany

The Narva Offensive (1–4 March 1944) (Estonian: Putki lahing) was an operation conducted by the Soviet Leningrad Front. It was aimed at the conquest of the Narva Isthmus from the German army detachment "Narwa". At the time of the operation, Joseph Stalin, the supreme commander of the Soviet Armed Forces, was personally interested in taking Estonia, viewing it as a precondition to forcing Finland out of the war.

The Soviet 59th Army attacked westwards from the Krivasoo Bridgehead south of the city of Narva and encircled the strong-points of the 214th Infantry Division and the Estonian 658th and 659th East Battalions. The resistance of the encircled units gave time for the command of the "Narwa" to move in all available forces and stop the Soviet advance. To the north of Narva, the fresh SS 45th and 46th (1st and 2nd Estonian) Volunteer Grenadier Regiments accompanied by units of the 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division "Nordland" counter-attacked and reduced the Soviet bridgehead.

Units of the 20th Estonian SS Volunteer Division were tasked with destroying the Siivertsi bridgehead, which was defended by the 1,100-strong 378th Rifle Division equipped with 20 assault guns. The attack was commanded by Standartenführer Paul Vent. The SS 45th (1st Estonian) Waffen Grenadier Regiment made a direct assault on the bridgehead on 29 February. Simultaneously, the SS 46th (2nd Estonian) Waffen Grenadier Regiment, in their attempt to attack from the left flank, ran into the Soviet fortifications and a minefield, which they crossed.

...
Wikipedia