Petsamo and Kirkenes 1944

The Soviet offensive in the Northern Arctic

Petsamo and Kirkenes 1944 cover

Petsamo and Kirkenes 1944

The Soviet offensive in the Northern Arctic

Description

A highly illustrated study of this unique and bitter struggle in the far North, an epic battle between two elite forces fighting in a demanding environment.

Petsamo and Kirkenes 1944 examines the bitter conflict between two highly tactical armies as they battled across challenging terrain to gain control of strategically significant Northern Finland. On the one side were the invading Soviet troops, hoping to liberate an area full of rich resources and littered with bases that that would enable the arrival of Arctic convoys from Britain. They employed naval infantry in abundance, not only to make amphibious landings to capture strategically significant port facilities, but also on deep outflanking manoeuvres inland. Their opponents were the elite Gebirgsjäger from XIX Gebirgskorps; trained to be self-sufficient and resourceful and equipped with a range of bespoke weaponry, this mountain division was ideally suited to operate in the harsh climate. Combat conditions were unique: the extremely rough terrain, laced with bogs, streams, boulder fields, and large rivers, presented a significant challenge in its own right, even without the added threat of attacks by highly trained soldiers.

With bird's-eye views and maps of key battlefields, this is a comprehensive guide to one of the most challenging campaigns of the Eastern Front.

Table of Contents

Origins of the campaign

Chronology
Opposing commanders
Opposing armies
Orders of battle
Opposing plans
The campaign
Aftermath
The battlefields today

Further reading
Index

Product details

Published 31 Oct 2019
Format Ebook (PDF)
Edition 1st
Extent 96
ISBN 9781472831156
Imprint Osprey Publishing
Series Campaign
Short code CAM 343
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

David Greentree

David Greentree graduated from the University of Y…

Illustrator

Graham Turner

Graham Turner is a leading historical artist, spec…

Resources

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