Battle of Narva: Casualties and losses

Hoheren Panzerführer Hyacinth Graf Strachwitz in Narva

III. (germanisches) SS-Panzerkorps in Narva

Battle-fatigued Waffen-SS troops in a trench line

German casualties during the Battle of Narva, including a number of West-European volunteers and local Estonian conscripts, is estimated at 14,000 dead or missing and 54,000 wounded. As the Soviet forces were constantly reinforced, the casualties of the battle were 150,000 – 200,000 wounded and dead Soviet troops. Soviet losses in the offensive at Estonia are estimated to 480,000 overall casualties (the number of Soviet casualties can only be estimated indirectly). According to the German War Graves Association, 35,000 German soldiers were killed on Estonian territory, and a further 10,000 or so prisoners of war subsequently died in forced-labour camps. A large number of graves are unmarked or were obliterated by the Soviet regime. The bitterly-fought battles waged on Estonian territory are today remembered by many partly restored military cemeteries. Credit: Estonica. Top image: Prussian SS-Brigadeführer und General der SS and Oberst d. R. Hyacinth Graf Strachwitz in conversation with a Wehrmacht Oberleutnant while commanding a battle group on the Narva front in early 1944. Der Panzergraf Strachwitz was known for his daring raids behind Soviet lines and led panzer forces in fierce counterattacks to eliminate the expansive Soviet bridgehead over the Narva River at Krivasso. He was wounded 13 times during the war and was one of only 27 recipients of the Knight's Cross with oakleaves, swords and diamonds. Generalleutnant d. R. Hyacinth Graf Strachwitz von Groß-Zauche und Camminetz died aged 74 on April 25 1968 in Bayern, where he was buried with full military honours in Grabenstätt. Photo by Kriegsberichter Ütrecht. Commons: Bundesarchiv. Middle image: a Waffen-SS man, possible a Dutch volunteer, observing the Soviet-Estonian front line from the west side of the Narva river. The bridge in picture is the Bunse-Brücke, named after SS-Sturmbannführer Fritz Bunse, commander of SS-Panzer-Pionier-Bataillon 11 of the SS-Division Nordland. The photo is taken by the former Wiking war correspondent SS-Kriegsberichter Hans Truöl who covered the Nordland division from early 1944. U.S. National Archives. Bottom image: according to some accounts, battle-fatigued Waffen-SS men pictured in an advanced trench during the ferocious battles of Narva in 1944. Commons: Bundesarchiv.