Finland's War of Choice: The Troubled German-Finnish Coalition in World War II by Henrik Lunde

Author:Henrik Lunde [Lunde, Henrik]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: 20th Century, Finland, Germany, History, Military, Russia & the Former Soviet Union, World War II
ISBN: 9781612000374
Google: 1izr3Cwhtz8C
Amazon: B004K1ETK2
Publisher: Casemate
Published: 2011-02-22T03:00:00+00:00

Additional forces were added in the far north between the fall of 1942 and the spring of 1943. These included:

210th Infantry Division with five fortress infantry battalions.

Division Group Petsamo under the 503rd Luftwaffe Field Regiment staff.

139th Mountain Infantry Regiment.

Naval Command Kirkenes with eight coastal batteries.

The two mountain divisions were stationed along the Litsa line with the 2nd Mountain Division in the south and the 6th Mountain Division in the north. The other two divisions were stationed along the coast with Division Group Petsamo in the east and the 210th Division on the left where it tied into the 230th Division from Army Group Norway.

The mission of Mountain Corps Norway remained the protection of the nickel mines at Kolosjoki (including hydroelectric plants and transmission lines), security of the Arctic Ocean Highway, and protection of the arctic coast. For supplies the corps relied entirely on the stocks that had been built up in north Norway.

The 20th Mountain Army was responsible for an enormous front. It extended from just north of Loukhi to Pechenga, a distance of over 650 kilometers. Then it ran along the coast from Pechenga to Gamvik in Norway, another 600 kilometers. This very long front could not be occupied in strength. Between XXXVI Corps in central Finland and Mountain Corps Norway there was a 300-kilometer gap in the front. Even on the Litsa front there were gaps as the Germans organized a chain of strong points with considerable distances between positions. Stores for extensive combat were located in these strongpoints with all-around defenses. South of the Litsa the gaps in what was referred to as the security line were much greater. For example, the Finnish Petsamo Battalion was responsible for the southernmost part of the security line and they held a front of about 110 kilometers. To supply the southern portion of the security line—in a virgin forest wilderness—the Finns built a 120-kilometer road running east from the town of Ivalo.

The coastal front ran from Titovka Bay on the Motovskiy Bay side of the Rybachiy Peninsula to Gamvik in Norway. This front was responsible for protecting German shipping from Kirkenes to Liinahamari, the air bases used to attack the arctic convoys, and the Litsa front against amphibious assaults.

The Germans had gone to great length to insure adequate supply of the Murmansk front. Depots to support 100,000 troops for 12 months had been ordered by Hitler. Giant depots and cold-storage plants were established in the area and cold-storage ships were located in Kirkenes.

The Luftwaffe had four operational fields in the Mountain Corps Norway sector. They were located at Kirkenes in Norway, and at Luostari, Salmijärvi, and Nautsi in Finland. A forward headquarters for the 5th Air Fleet was established at Kemi.

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