World War II From Original Sources [00] Hitler's Forgotten Armies: Combat in Norway and Finland by Bob Carruthers

Author:Bob Carruthers [Carruthers, Bob]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: World War 2, Campaigns, Armed Services, Strategy
ISBN: 9781781591437
Google: 3rJgLwEACAAJ
Amazon: B0083IOPIE
Goodreads: 15901571
Publisher: Coda Books
Published: 2012-05-14T04:00:00+00:00

Finnish III Corps Operations in July and August 1941

The Fuehrer Directive of 31 July ordered the Army of Norway to shift its main effort to the Finnish III Corps zone and the drive to Loukhi, leaving only as many troops with the XXXVI Corps as were necessary for defense and to create an impression of further offensive intentions. The directive, in the main, confirmed measures already taken by the Army of Norway. Since mid-July Falkenhorst had believed that the Murmansk Railroad could be reached most quickly at Loukhi, and on the 19th he had committed a regiment and an artillery battalion of the SS-Division "Nord" to the III Corps attack in that direction. On the 29th and 30th he sent an additional infantry battalion and an artillery battalion of the SS-Division to the III Corps.

Concluding the Fuehrer Directive, Hitler added that, were the drive toward Loukhi also to lose its momentum, all German troops were to be withdrawn and sent to the Army of Karelia. In fact, he wanted the Army of Norway to prepare immediately to commit forces in support of the Army of Karelia. It appeared that Hitler was considering stopping for good the German operations in the XXXVI Corps and Finnish III Corps zones, but he did not revert to this aspect of the directive again. His reference to immediate support for the Army of Karelia was later clarified and limited to the 324th Infantry Regiment, which the OKH wanted returned to. the 163d Infantry Division and which the Army of Norway continued to insist it could not spare.

On 1 July, following the Army of Norway plan, the III Corps had sent Group J (one regiment) across the border east of Kuusamo in the direction Kesten'ga-Loukhi and Group F east of Suomussalmi in the direction Ukhta-Kem. In accordance with the Army of Norway instructions the corps placed its main effort in the Group F sector, committing its reserve regiment there for a converging attack by two regiments on Voynitsa (Vuoninnen) 12 miles east of the border. The corps sector was held by the Russian 54th Rifle Division, which at first divided its forces about equally to defend Kesten'ga and Ukhta.

The III Corps offensive made good initial progress against weak resistance. By 5 July Group J was in Makarely, 17 miles east of the border, and the right-flank regiment of Group F had marched 28 miles to Pon'ga Guba. On the 10th, as Group J drew up to Tungozero, the two regiments of Group F in the south encountered a center of resistance at Voynitsa which they encircled and wiped out during the next nine days. By the 19th, Group J was on the Sof'yanga, an eight-mile long channel connecting Pya Lake and Top Lake. It was a major obstacle, strongly defended, which could not be taken without careful preparation; but the Group J commander was optimistic. Once in the narrows between the lakes he could advance to Kesten'ga without worrying about his flanks, and from Kesten'ga to Loukhi there were 42 miles of improved road.

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