In the fall of 1944, after the decisive hostilities of the Soviet Army in Karelia and the signing of an armistice agreement with Finland, favorable conditions were created to completely expel the enemy troops from the Arctic and liberate Northern Norway. The defeat of the German troops in Karelia sharply worsened their position in the Far North. Troops of the Soviet Army reached the line of the Soviet-Finnish border in the area from Ukhta to the coast of the Gulf of Finland. In the Barents Sea, the Allied naval forces and the Northern Fleet inflicted heavy losses on the Germans and seized dominance in the coastal zone.
The leadership of the Third Reich made every effort to keep Norway in their hands, since its ice-free ports and nickel deposits were of vital importance to Germany. Hitler gave the order to the command of the 20th Mountain Army, deployed in the strip from the shores of the Barents Sea to Ukhta, to hold out at any cost in the Arctic and northern Norway. By the end of September 1944 in the Petsamo-Kirkenes direction, where over the past three years continuous work was carried out to strengthen and improve the system of defensive positions, a powerful line of three bands was created. The basis of the defense consisted of resistance nodes and separate strongholds adapted to conduct a circular defense. This direction was covered by the 19th Mountain Rifle Corps, which was part of the German 20th Mountain Army. The corps consisted of three divisions (two mountain rifle and one infantry), three infantry brigades, and other army subordination units. Its composition consisted of up to 53,000 soldiers and more than 750 artillery barrels and mortars. It was supported by about 160 combat aircraft and over 200 ships of various classes.
The Soviet command soon after the cessation of hostilities by Finland began preparations for an offensive in order to liberate the Soviet Arctic, and also to assist Norway in the liberation of the northern part of the country. At the same time, the USSR acted on the basis of an agreement of May 16, 1944, which was concluded between the Allied powers and the government of Norway, which was temporarily in England. This agreement provided for the introduction of our troops into the territory of Norway and gave the Soviet command full power in the combat zone. The Norwegian government hoped that the Norwegian units in England would also take part in the hostilities on the territory of their country. The opinion of the Norwegian government was shared by the Soviet Union, but W. Churchill rejected this proposal. Thus, the Soviet Army had to independently liberate the northern regions of Norway.
On September 26, 1944, the commander of the Karelian Front, General of the Army K. A. Meretskov was handed a directive from the Headquarters. He was ordered by the 14th Army, in close cooperation with the Northern Fleet, to defeat the German 19th Mountain Rifle Corps, occupy the Nikel, Solmijärvi area, completely clear the Petsam region of German troops and reach the borders of the state border with Norway. Three days later, the Stavka, with some amendments, approved the operation plan developed by the front headquarters and appointed the start of the offensive for the period from October 5 to 7, 1944.
The 14th Army, which had five rifle corps in its composition, was given the task of crushing the opposing enemy formations and, together with the marines brigades advancing from the Sredny peninsula, to encircle and destroy the German group in the Titovka area and capture Petsamo. After that, the army's troops were ordered to develop the offensive until the enemy was completely defeated and the entire Petsam region was liberated. The commander of the army decided to carry out the main blow with the forces of three (31, 99 and 131) rifle corps from the southern part of Lake Chapr on Luostari and Petsamo. The light corps (126th and 127th) had to bypass the German right flank. This decision made it possible to strike at the most weakened sector of the enemy defense and made it possible to withdraw the main forces of our advancing troops by the shortest routes to the Luostari and Petsamo area.
The army troops had a two-echelon operational formation. The first included the 131st and 99th Rifle Corps (SK), whose actions were aimed at breaking through the tactical defense zone of the Germans, and the 126th light SK, which provided the strike group from the southern direction. The second echelon consisted of the 31st and 127th light corps, intended to further develop the success. The combat ships of the Northern Fleet had the task of blocking the ports of Petsamo and Kirkenes and depriving the enemy of the opportunity to evacuate their troops by sea from the Kirkenes-Hammerfest coastline. The Marine Corps formations (two reinforced brigades) were tasked with breaking through the German defenses on the isthmus of the Peninsula with the support of ships and aircraft of the naval aviation. Medium, then seize the Titovka-Petsamo highway and, having united with units of the 14th Army, develop a further offensive on Petsamo. The aircraft of the 7th Air Army and the Northern Fleet (up to 1000 combat vehicles) were supposed to cover our troops. The 1st corps and the 122nd IAD of the country's air defense forces were also involved in the operation.
At the time of the offensive, the 14th Army had 97,000 people, more than 2,100 artillery and mortar barrels (76 mm and more), 126 tanks and self-propelled artillery units. The ratio of forces was: manpower 1, 8: 1, artillery systems - 2, 7: 1, aviation - 6, 1: 1 in favor of the Soviet troops.
Soviet formations had to operate in difficult conditions of mountains and polar tundra, with a huge number of lakes, impassable swamps, vast areas cluttered with boulders. The off-road capabilities and many water obstacles severely limited the offensive capabilities of the 14th Army. The meteorological conditions were also not favorable: low clouds prevailed, complicating the actions of aviation, heavy precipitation caused a rise in the water level in rivers and lakes, making them difficult to pass.
On October 7, at 10:30 am, after the artillery barrage, which lasted more than 2.5 hours, the troops of the 14th Army launched an offensive. The combat units of the 131st and 99th corps managed to break through the main line of enemy defense, overcame the river. Titovka and occupied bridgeheads on its western bank. Over the next two days, the formations of the Soviet strike group developed the offensive and broke into the second zone of the fascist defense. At this time, the 126th Light Rifle Corps outflanked the enemy from the rear, which was unable to provide decent resistance from this direction, and on the evening of October 9 reached the area 9 km west of Luostari. During 3 days of the offensive, the army's troops, despite the fierce resistance of the Germans, hacked the tactical defense of the enemy in the direction of the main attack and thus created the conditions for conducting an offensive on Luostari and Petsamo. The Nazis suffered huge losses and were forced to start retreating to the west.
In order to prevent the planned retreat of the 19th German corps, on the night of October 10, ships of the Northern Fleet carried out a landing of the 63rd Marine Brigade on the southern coast of the Malaya Volokovaya Bay. On the morning of October 11, on the isthmus of the peninsula. Medium, the 12th Marine Brigade has begun the offensive. Overcoming the fierce resistance of the fascists, she, by mid-day breaking through the fascist defenses, united with the paratroopers of the 63rd brigade, who attacked the German positions from the rear.
On October 12, our troops captured the important road junction Luostari, and three days later liberated the ancient Russian city of Pechenga (Petsamo), which was an important naval base in the Arctic. The enemy hastily withdrawn his units to the north of Norway in the hope of stabilizing the defense and gaining a foothold on the previously fortified lines.
In the current situation, K. A. Meretskov set a new task for the troops of the 14th Army, approved on October 16 by the Headquarters. Now the army troops, with the support of the Northern Fleet, had to realize their success and develop the offensive, advancing to the north-west and south-west, so that, having advanced 45-65 km, completely liberate the Petsam region, recapture the city of Kirkenes and the city from the enemy. Neiden and go out to Nautsi.
On October 18, the offensive of the Soviet army resumed with new forces, as corps from the second echelon were brought into the battle. The main forces of the 14th Army were advancing along the Luostari-Akhmalahti and Luostari-Nikel road routes, and the light rifle corps - on the flanks of the main grouping.
On the same day, our troops crossed the Norwegian border. At dawn on October 22, two rifle divisions of the 131st corps approached the village of Tarnet, where the Nazis equipped a powerful center of resistance. By the end of the day, the divisions, having captured this settlement, reached the Sturbukt, Karpbukt line and, overcoming enemy resistance, on October 24 entered fierce battles for Kirkenes. On the night of October 24, the 61st Infantry Regiment crossed the Yarfjord Bay and established itself on its western coast, and by the end of the day, the 45th Division, expanding this bridgehead, reached the eastern coast of the Beckfjord Bay.
At 5 o'clock in the morning on October 25, after a 20-minute artillery preparation, our troops began to cross this gulf. Under heavy artillery and rifle fire, at 9 o'clock, the soldiers of the 14th and 45th rifle divisions broke through to the outskirts of Kirkenes. From the side of the village of Sulheim, units of the 10th Guards Rifle Division and the 73rd Guards Tank Regiment approached the city. The Nazis began to brutally destroy the city. In the roar of explosions and fires, Soviet troops destroyed the centers of enemy resistance. By 13 o'clock the enemy garrison was completely destroyed. German casualties alone amounted to 5450 soldiers and officers, 160 people surrendered.
After the defeat at Kirkenes, Hitler's troops, leaving the cities of Neiden and Nautsi, hastily retreated into the interior of Norwegian territory. The troops of the 14th Army, after the liberation of the North of Norway, from November 9, 1944, by order of the Headquarters of the Civil Code, went on the defensive: the task assigned to it was completed. The total irrecoverable losses of the German 19th Mountain Rifle Corps for the period from 7th to 9th November amounted to almost 30,000 people, the fascist fleet lost 156 ships and vessels.
Soviet soldiers in the harsh polar conditions showed courage and resilience, courage and mass heroism. Thus, during the battles for Petsamo and Kirkenes, the commander of the rifle battalion, Captain V. P. Strygin, showed military skill and personal courage. On October 10-11, his battalion, cutting off the road to Petsamo, repelled nine enemy attacks. In the battle for the city of Petsamo, at the head of his battalion, he was among the first to cross the river. Petsamo. In the future, his battalion, seizing a bridgehead, ensured the success of his regiment and division. Fighting for Kirkenes, he skillfully organized the crossing of the lake using improvised means. Valog-Järvi, and his battalion was one of the first to break into the city. V. P. Strygin was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
The commander of a company of machine gunners of the 325th rifle regiment, Captain V. Lynnik. Having received the task on the night of October 25 to seize a bridgehead on the western coast of the Bekfjord, occupied by the Nazis, the brave officer skillfully organized the crossing of the water obstacle by the company on improvised rafts from barrels and other improvised means, seized the bridgehead in battle, thereby ensuring the crossing of the bay of his troops. divisions. For this feat V. A. Lynnik was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
During the capture of the Norwegian village of Tarnet, the soldiers of the platoon of junior lieutenant V. M. Ivanova. On the evening of October 21, Ivanov's platoon captured an important height that covered the approaches to the village. During the night, the Nazis counterattacked several times with superior forces, but the Soviet soldiers bravely repelled all attacks. Hand-to-hand fights broke out repeatedly. On the approaches to the height, 34 Nazis were destroyed, the junior lieutenant personally killed 8 fascists. Having received several wounds, Ivanov did not leave the battlefield and continued to command the platoon. The bold actions of Ivanov and his men allowed other units of the regiment to defeat the enemy in a night attack and capture the village of Tarnet. Ivanov also became a Hero of the Soviet Union.
The commander of the submachine gun squad, senior sergeant F. G. Digger. On a small boat at the head of his squad, at night, skillfully disguising himself behind the pillars of a blown up bridge, under heavy enemy fire, he was one of the first to cross the Bekfjord Bay 200 m wide and with the fire of his squad ensured the crossing of the units of the 253rd regiment on amphibians. Subsequently, destroying small enemy groups, FG Kopaniyts's squad quickly moved forward and was among the first to enter Kirkenes. The Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union adorned the chest of a brave warrior.
The entry of the Soviet Army into Northern Norway marked the beginning of the liberation of the country from German occupation. The population of these areas greeted our soldiers with joy. The newspaper Siste-Nyutt, published illegally in southern Norway, wrote: “… the Soviet liberators were greeted with great enthusiasm. Excellent relationships quickly developed between Russians and Norwegians.”
Despite the fact that Goebbels' propaganda tirelessly intimidated the Norwegians with the "atrocities of the Bolsheviks", the population was eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Soviet Army. A resident of Kirkenes N. Isaksen later recalled that in the last days of the fascist occupation, the Nazis “could not understand why we, Norwegians, were not afraid of the Russians and were not evacuated. They told us scary stories about Russians and in every way intimidated us … We responded by saying that the Russians are not our enemies. " The Friheten newspaper noted that the appearance of the Soviet Army generated unprecedented enthusiasm among the Norwegian people.
Indeed, local residents of border areas: fishermen, port workers, miners often helped Soviet soldiers to smash the Nazis. So, when our troops crossed the Yarfjord, the Norwegians put at the disposal of the Soviet units all the ships and boats that they had. Local resident F. Must showed our soldiers the fairway in the minefields of the fjord. A resident of the city of Neiden, Gabrielsen, during the retreat of the Nazis, hid several boats from them, and then handed them over to the Soviet command. When the Soviet fighters crossed the Bekfjord Bay, local fishermen transported our soldiers across the bay in their boats, despite the intense enemy fire. When one of our pontoons, smashed by Hitler's artillery, began to sink and the soldiers found themselves in the icy water in the middle of the bay, Norwegians M. Hansen and W. Hansen rushed to their aid under Nazi fire.
When forcing the river. Neidenälv Norwegian patriots, despite the German fire, delivered Soviet soldiers to the enemy shore in their boats. 135 of our soldiers and officers were transported by E. Kaikunen, 115 by E. Labahu, 95 people each by L. Sirin and U. Ladago, 76 by P. Hendrickson, and so many other Norwegians acted at that time.
In turn, the Soviet soldiers provided all-round assistance to the Norwegian population. Thus, during the battles for Kirkenes, when almost the entire city was in flames, about 3500 residents hid in an adit at Bjernevati station. Having learned about this, the Nazis, when retreating from the city, decided to blow up the adit together with the people. This became known to our command. A platoon of the 65th division was immediately sent to this area, which suddenly attacked the fascists and captured the station. Residents with tears of gratitude greeted the Soviet soldiers, who saved them from certain death.
From the very first days of entering the country, the Soviet command helped the local authorities to form units of the Nazi struggle from the Norwegian volunteers. In November, when units of Norwegian troops began to arrive in Norway from England and Sweden, the Soviet command handed them 685 pistols, 40 machine guns and ammunition for them, provided them with vehicles, fuel, and medical equipment. The total expenses of our country for the maintenance of the Norwegian army in 1944-1945. amounted to 27.5 million rubles.
Substantial assistance was rendered to the population of the liberated regions of Norway. During the retreat, the Germans destroyed cities and towns, destroyed power plants, industrial enterprises, and food supplies. In Sør-Waringer, half of the buildings were destroyed, in Vadsø - 65%, in Vardø - 85% of the houses were found to be unfit for habitation. In the conditions of the harsh polar winter, many people had no shelter, suffered from lack of food, fuel, and transport. Epidemics of diseases such as diphtheria and dysentery broke out.
Under these conditions, the Soviet people came to the aid of the Norwegian population. Food was allocated from the warehouses of the Soviet Army. Each Norwegian received 1,600 g of bread, 200 g of fat and sugar per week. Soviet soldiers often shared their rations with the inhabitants of villages where the delivery of food was difficult. To combat epidemics and diseases, the command of the 14th separate army (from November 15, it came under the direct control of the Headquarters), additionally opened 6 hospitals. Many patients were admitted to the army hospital. In the destroyed cities, the Soviet command did not occupy the buildings that remained intact, but provided them for housing for the Norwegians who were left homeless.
Soviet soldiers put a lot of effort into helping the population to establish a normal life. Engineering units have restored destroyed berths in Jakobsnes, Tarnet, Vadsø and other coastal points. In Kirkenes, a water supply system, port facilities and a telephone exchange began to operate again. During the demining of residential areas, piers and enterprises, our engineers cleared 15,000 mines. In addition, cultural and educational work was organized. For residents of cities and towns, lectures were read, concerts were organized, films were shown.
"The Soviet Army," wrote the famous Norwegian politician J. Lippe, "clearly showed that it came to Norway not only and not so much as a military force, but also as a friend of the Norwegian people." From the point of view of military art, the Petsamo-Kirkenes operation is characterized by successful military operations in the mountain tundra, clear interaction between the ground forces, the navy, aviation and units of the country's Air Defense Forces. After completing their liberation mission, Soviet troops left Norway in September 1945. The Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten, which, incidentally, was never pro-communist, wrote in those days: "The Norwegians will never forget what the Russians did for them, as well as for the common cause of defeating the enemy."
And in conclusion, I would like to remind you that the Soviet soldiers did not spare their lives during the liberation of Norway. 2,122 of our soldiers and officers died bravely or were wounded in battles on Norwegian soil. In Oslo, Kirkenes, Buda, Elvenes and other cities, today there are monuments to our soldiers with the inscription: "Norway thanks you", installed in the old days. I would like to believe that the feat of the Soviet soldier still remains in the memory of the Norwegians.
