Battle of Leningrad
During the battle, Soviet troops managed to hold Leningrad in their hands (despite its blockade), pin down a large grouping of enemy troops under the city, preventing the German and Finnish troops from joining, save the Baltic Fleet.
The German offensive against Leningrad began on July 10, 1941, from the border of the Velikaya River. By this time, on the far southwestern and northwestern approaches to Leningrad, the German and Finnish command had 38 divisions (32 infantry, 3 tank, 3 motorized), 1 cavalry and 2 infantry brigades. They were opposed by the troops of the Northern Front (commanded by Lieutenant General M.M. Popov) as part of the 7th and 23rd armies (a total of 8 divisions) and the North-Western Front (commanded by Major General P.P. Sobennikov) consisting of 8 the 11th, 27th armies (31 divisions and 2 brigades), defending on a front 455 km long; in 22 divisions, losses in personnel and materiel were over 50%.
To strengthen the defense of the southwestern approaches to Leningrad, the command of the Northern Front on July 6 formed the Luga operational group, from which 2 rifle divisions, 1 division of the people's militia, personnel of two Leningrad military schools, a separate mountain rifle brigade, and a special artillery group arrived at the beginning of hostilities ... By July 10, the troops of Army Group North (General-Field Marshal V. Leeb), had superiority over the troops of the North-Western Front: in infantry - in 2, 4; guns - 4; mortars - at 5, 8; tanks - in 1, 2; airplanes - 9, 8 times.
The German offensive against Leningrad began on July 10, 1941, from the border of the Velikaya River. By this time, on the far southwestern and northwestern approaches to Leningrad, the German and Finnish command had 38 divisions (32 infantry, 3 tank, 3 motorized), 1 cavalry and 2 infantry brigades. They were opposed by the troops of the Northern Front (commanded by Lieutenant General M.M. Popov) as part of the 7th and 23rd armies (a total of 8 divisions) and the North-Western Front (commanded by Major General P.P. Sobennikov) consisting of 8 the 11th, 27th armies (31 divisions and 2 brigades), defending on a front 455 km long; in 22 divisions, losses in personnel and materiel were over 50%.
To strengthen the defense of the southwestern approaches to Leningrad, the command of the Northern Front on July 6 formed the Luga operational group, from which 2 rifle divisions, 1 division of the people's militia, personnel of two Leningrad military schools, a separate mountain rifle brigade, and a special artillery group arrived at the beginning of hostilities ... By July 10, the troops of Army Group North (General-Field Marshal V. Leeb), had superiority over the troops of the North-Western Front: in infantry - in 2, 4; guns - 4; mortars - at 5, 8; tanks - in 1, 2; airplanes - 9, 8 times.
To coordinate the actions of the fronts on July 10, 1941, the State Defense Committee (GKO) formed the North-West direction, headed by K.E. Voroshilov (member of the Military Council, Secretary of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks A.A. Zhdanov, chief of staff, Major General M.V. Zakharov), subordinating to him the troops of the Northern and North-Western Fronts, the Northern Fleet, and the Baltic Fleet. A defense system was created around Leningrad, which consisted of several belts.
In August, fighting broke out on the outskirts of Leningrad. On August 8, the enemy launched an offensive in the Red Guard direction. On August 16, Kingisepp was abandoned; by August 21, the enemy reached the Krasnogvardeisky fortified area, trying to bypass it from the southeast and break into Leningrad, but his attacks were repelled. From August 30 to September 9, battles were fought in the Krasnogvardeisk area. Having broken through on September 8 through the MGU station to Shlisselburg, the German troops cut off Leningrad from the land. The blockade of the city began. The communication was supported only by Ladoga Lake and by air. The supply of everything necessary for the troops, population and industry was sharply reduced.
Only at the beginning of 1944, the offensive operation of the Soviet troops near Leningrad and Novgorod ended with the lifting of the blockade of Leningrad. In June-August 1944, during the Vyborg and Svir-Petrozavodsk operations, Finnish troops were defeated and the threat to Leningrad was removed from the north. In the battle for Leningrad, Soviet troops pulled back up to 15-20% of the enemy forces on the Eastern Front and the entire Finnish army, defeated up to 50 German divisions. Warriors and residents of the city showed examples of heroism and selfless devotion to the Motherland.
In August, fighting broke out on the outskirts of Leningrad. On August 8, the enemy launched an offensive in the Red Guard direction. On August 16, Kingisepp was abandoned; by August 21, the enemy reached the Krasnogvardeisky fortified area, trying to bypass it from the southeast and break into Leningrad, but his attacks were repelled. From August 30 to September 9, battles were fought in the Krasnogvardeisk area. Having broken through on September 8 through the MGU station to Shlisselburg, the German troops cut off Leningrad from the land. The blockade of the city began. The communication was supported only by Ladoga Lake and by air. The supply of everything necessary for the troops, population and industry was sharply reduced.
Only at the beginning of 1944, the offensive operation of the Soviet troops near Leningrad and Novgorod ended with the lifting of the blockade of Leningrad. In June-August 1944, during the Vyborg and Svir-Petrozavodsk operations, Finnish troops were defeated and the threat to Leningrad was removed from the north. In the battle for Leningrad, Soviet troops pulled back up to 15-20% of the enemy forces on the Eastern Front and the entire Finnish army, defeated up to 50 German divisions. Warriors and residents of the city showed examples of heroism and selfless devotion to the Motherland.
Yugra for the front
Andrey Alekseevich Lepetskiy, born in 1919, took part in the battle for Leningrad; he was drafted in 1942 by the Khanty-Mansiysk GVK. He fought as part of the 85th Infantry Division of the 42nd Army of General Ivan Nikolaev on the Leningrad Front. The goal of the Soviet offensive in the summer of 1942 was to connect the troops of the Leningrad Front with the units that were defending at the Oranienbaum bridgehead. A narrow but very fortified corridor divided Leningrad and the bridgehead.
During the Soviet offensive, the 85th division was supposed to take the city of Uritsk. The city was an important point in the German defense system of the 50th Army Corps, to reinforce which the 215th German Infantry Division was deployed. In addition, assault guns of the 185th assault gun division, two companies of the 29th tank regiment of the 12th tank division, as well as "tank destroyers" of the 563rd anti-tank destroyer division and sapper units of the 121st infantry division were concentrated there. And all this power, collected in a narrow corridor, had to be broken through by the forces of the 42nd Army. It was not possible to break through the German defenses, our troops suffered heavy losses here. In these battles, on July 30, 1942, our fellow countryman Andrei Lepetskiy went missing. However, the Germans also suffered significant losses. For example, the number of the 215th Infantry Division was reduced to 1,633 people.
During the Soviet offensive, the 85th division was supposed to take the city of Uritsk. The city was an important point in the German defense system of the 50th Army Corps, to reinforce which the 215th German Infantry Division was deployed. In addition, assault guns of the 185th assault gun division, two companies of the 29th tank regiment of the 12th tank division, as well as "tank destroyers" of the 563rd anti-tank destroyer division and sapper units of the 121st infantry division were concentrated there. And all this power, collected in a narrow corridor, had to be broken through by the forces of the 42nd Army. It was not possible to break through the German defenses, our troops suffered heavy losses here. In these battles, on July 30, 1942, our fellow countryman Andrei Lepetskiy went missing. However, the Germans also suffered significant losses. For example, the number of the 215th Infantry Division was reduced to 1,633 people.
