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Tallinn offensive

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Tallinn Offensive
Part of Eastern Front (World War II)
Date17 – 26 September 1944
Location
Estonia
Result Soviet victory
Belligerents
Nazi Germany Soviet Union Soviet Union Estonia Estonia
Commanders and leaders
Ferdinand Schörner (Army Group North)
 Leonid Govorov (Leningrad Front)
Ivan Maslennikov (3rd Baltic Front)		 Johan Pitka ("Admiral Pitka" Battle Group)
A Soviet map of the operation.
A Soviet map of the operation.

The Tallinn Offensive (Russian: Таллинская наступательная операция) was a Soviet operation against the Nazi German Army Group "Narwa" and the Estonian Nazi[1] on the Eastern Front (World War II) on 17 – 26 September 1944 in Estonia. The operation commenced with the Soviet 3rd Baltic Front breaching the defence of the II Army Corps in the vicinity of Tartu. The defence deccelerated the Soviet advance enough for the German Army Group "Narwa" to be evacuated from mainland Estonia. By 22 September, the city was abandoned by the German forces. The Soviet 8th Estonian Rifle Corps broke through the defence and seized Tallinn on 22 September.

Prelude

Soviet forces had advanced towards the Baltic Sea coast at the end of their Operation Bagration of June-August 1944 against the German Army Group Centre. In the north, the attacks of the Leningrad Front had pushed the Army Group North to the west of Lake Peipus, resulting in a series of German defensive operations in Narva. The Soviet Tallinn Offensive was designed as a part of the Baltic Offensive to finally eliminate Army Group North's positions along the Baltic coastline.

The three Soviet Baltic Fronts launched their Riga Offensive Operation on 14 September along the entire length of the German 18th Army front segment stretching from Madona town in Latvia to the mouth of the Väike Emajõgi river.[2] In the Estonian segment from Valga railway junction to Lake Võrtsjärv, the Soviet 3rd Baltic Front attacked the German XXVIII Army Corps.[2][3] In fierce battles, the German and Estonian units held their positions.[4]

Deployments

Red Army

Elements of:

German

Estonian

Combat activities

The offensive of the 3rd Baltic Front commenced in the eastern vicinity of Tartu town in the early morning of 17 September.[3] After the artillery barrage of 132,500 shells and grenades fired at the German II Army Corps,[4] the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps, the 30th Guard Rifle Corps, and the 108th Rifle Corps crossed the Emajõgi river in the 25 km wide front segment and went on offensive with armoured and air support.[3] The defence of the II Army Corps was breached. The Soviet Corps forced their way through the German divisional headquarters and artillery positions, killing several superior officers. Only "Rebane" Battle Group placed near Tartu held their front segment.[3] Alfons Rebane operated his troops out of the siege with heavy losses.[4] Army Detachment Narwa and the 18th Army, the northernmost elements of Army Group North were at risk of being encircled and destroyed.[2] Schörner ordered the II Army Corps to abandon the defence of the Emajõgi line and to move quickly around the northern tip of Lake Võrtsjärv to Latvia.[3]

The defence of the II Army Corps deccelerated the 3rd Baltic front enough for the Army Group "Narwa" to escape from Estonia in an operation codenamed Aster. Beginning on 17 September, a naval force under Vice-Admiral Theodor Burchardi began evacuating elements of the German formations along with some civilians. Within six days around 50,000 troops, 20,000 civilians and 1,000 prisoners had been removed.[5] The remaining elements of Army Group North in Estonia withdrew to Latvia. As the exception, the Estonian Border Defence regiments retreating from the most distant part of the Narva front in the Krivasoo swamp were blocked by the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps and destroyed in the battles of Porkuni and Avinurme, 20 and 21 September.[4] In the battles, the Estonian fighters of the Rifle Corps murdered their compatriate soldiers fallen prisoner in Porkuni, and the wounded soldiers resting in the Avinurme Parish church.[4]

On September 18, 1944 Estonian independence was re-declared in Tallinn, a provisional government was formed by the National Committee of the Republic of Estonia.[6] The Estonian military units clashed with the German troops in Tallinn, seizing the government buildings in Toompea. The Estonian government appealed to the Soviet Union to recognize the independence of Estonia.[7]

By early 22 September, the time of the arrival of the advance 8th Estonian Rifle Corps units to Tallinn, the town was practically abandoned by the German troops, with the last of them being loaded on the ships in the dock.[4] The Government of Estonia had failed to concentrate the Estonian soldiers retreating from the Narva and Emajõgi fronts, as the units were scattered and mixed with the German detachments withdrawing towards Latvia.[4] Therefore, the Government lacked significant military forces to repulse the Soviet forces concentrated around Tallinn. The units securing the national capital and the Estonian provisional government were led by Rear Admiral Johan Pitka.[8] The 20–30 Estonian troopers from various German and Estonian military units set up defence positions in Vaskjala, 15 km southeast of Tallinn.[4] The 8th Estonian Rifle Corps broke through these defences and seized Tallinn on 22 September. Jüri Uluots acting in the duties of President of Estonia evacuated to Sweden.[9]

Aftermath

The 8th Army of the Leningrad Front went on to take the remaining islands off the Estonian coast in the Moonsund Landing Operation, an amphibious attack. The remainder of the Baltic Offensive saw Army Group North driven into the Courland Pocket, where they remained until the end of the war.

Footnotes

  1. ^ By Royal Institute of International Affairs. Information Dept. Published 1945
  2. ^ a b c Mitchum, S. (2007). German Defeat in the East 1944 - 45. Stackpole.
  3. ^ a b c d e Toomas Hiio (1999). Combat in Estonia in 1944. In: Toomas Hiio, Meelis Maripuu, Indrek Paavle (Eds.). Estonia 1940–1945: Reports of the Estonian International Commission for the Investigation of Crimes Against Humanity. Tallinn.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Laar, Mart (2005). Estonia in World War II. Tallinn: Grenader.
  5. ^ Mitcham, p.149
  6. ^ Frucht, Richard (2005). Eastern Europe. ABC-CLIO. p. 111. ISBN 1576078000. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  7. ^ By Royal Institute of International Affairs. Information Dept. Published 1945
  8. ^ Laar, Mart (1992). War in the Woods. Howells House. p. 251. ISBN 0929590082. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  9. ^ Taagepera, Rein (1993). The Baltic States, Years of Dependence, 1940-1990. University of California Press. p. 69. ISBN 0520082281. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

References

  • Glantz, D. Soviet Military Deception in the Second World War, Frank Cass, London, 1989, ISBN 0-7146-3347-X
  • Mitcham, S. German Defeat in the East 1944 - 45, Stackpole, 2007, ISBN 0811733718
  • Vercamer, A. Naval war in the Baltic, article accessed 18/04/08
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