Moonsund operation

Moonsund landing operation
Part of the Eastern Front of World War II
A map depicting the fighting on Saaremaa island
A map depicting the fighting on Saaremaa island
Date29 September 1944 – 24 November 1944
Location
West Estonian archipelago (Moonsund archipelago), Estonia
Result Soviet victory
Belligerents
 Germany  Soviet Union
 Finland[1]
Commanders and leaders
Nazi Germany Ferdinand Schörner Soviet Union Leonid Govorov
Units involved
Nazi Germany Army Group North Soviet Union Leningrad Front
Strength
18,000 unknown
Casualties and losses
unknown unknown

The Moonsund landing operation (Russian: Моонзундская десантная операция; Estonian: Lääne-Eesti saarte kaitsmine; Swedish: Moonsund Invasionen), also known as the Moonzund landing operation, was an amphibious operation and offensive by the Red Army during World War II, taking place in late 1944. It was part of the Baltic offensive, and was designed to clear German forces of Army Group North from the islands in East Baltic Sea, the West Estonian archipelago (Moonsund archipelago). The attacking forces were from the 8th Army of the Leningrad Front.

The Estonian islands were occupied largely by units of the German 23rd Infantry Division, which had been split across the three islands and reinforced with a variety of artillery, coastal artillery, and assault engineer detachments.

  1. ^ Õun, Mati; Ojalo, Hanno (2010). Võitlused Läänemerel 1943–1945. Tallinn: Grenader. ISBN 978-9949-448-42-5.