Soviet Leningrad–Novgorod Offensive and the withdrawal from Leningrad

Waffen-SS volunteer of the Nederland

German 15 cm Nebelwerfer 41 launcher while reloading

The Leningrad-Novgorod Offensive between January 14 and March 1 1944 was the Soviet strategic offensive against Heeresgruppe Nord by the Leningrad Front, the Volkhov Front and part of the 2nd Baltic Front in order to lift the almost 900-day siege of Leningrad. In all, the three Soviets fronts comprised the equivalent of 105 infantry divisions and 12 tank brigades, and the Leningrad and Volkhov Fronts alone claimed a numerical superiority of at least 6/1 in armoured fighting vehicles and aircraft over the German 18th Army. Adolf Hitler rejected all proposals for an early withdrawal into the 'Ostwall' positions, insisting that the Soviet forces had to be kept as far as possible from Germany and compelled to pay dearly for each yard of ground they took. SS-Obergruppenführer Felix Steiner's III. (germanisches) SS-Panzerkorps was able to hold off the Soviets until Jan. 26 1944 in continuous fighting while the northern wing of the 18th Army retreated to the west. The reorganization of the coastal sector was entrusted to the Danish SS-Obersturmbannführer Christian Peder Kryssing. The Soviets had finally raised the siege of Leningrad and had driven the Germans westwards into Estonia and Latvia. The Dutch 4.SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Brigade Nederland was involved in the 150 km fighting withdrawal to the Narva River in Estonia. In this sector of the front were to be found the bulk of the non-German volunteer divisions of the Waffen-SS. These foreign volunteers made a stand at Narva, and in an epic defence held up the Soviet Red Army for six months. Credit: Christopher Chant. Top image: an SS man of the Nederland during a break from the fierce battles. Neither heroes nor brave fighters step from the ranks of men made lonely by a hunger in their hearts for news from home. The volunteer is wearing one of many camouflage patterns used by the Waffen-SS. Photo by SS-KB Werner Mielke in 1944. U.S. NARA. Bottom image: German troops reload their 15 cm Nebelwerfer 41 multiple rocket launcher. c. Bundesarchiv.