Battle of Libau/Liepaja in june 1941

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Alis
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Battle of Libau/Liepaja in june 1941

#1

Post by Alis » 15 Dec 2005, 10:38

Hello!

I wanted info about this operation. I'am read in russian information sources that the Libau/Liepaja defenders betwen 24- 29 . june 1941, destroyed about 10 german panzers...???, but 291. inf. div. who captured Libau/Liepaja hasn't any panzers.

Regards!

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tigre
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Libau 1941

#2

Post by tigre » 26 Dec 2005, 07:28

Hello Alis, this is what I've about that topic.

The 291 ID reinforced with the following formations: 402 Battalion of bikers, two Navy Assault Battalions, one Anti aircraft battery of 20 mm (self propelled), 633 heavy Artillery Group, one battery of heavy mortars (21 cm) from the 637 heavy artillery Group, Navy Artillery Group 530, one Anti aircraft Group (two batteries of 2 cm and one of 8,8 cm) and one armoured train would attack towards north as independent division, so a gap would go opening with the XXVI Army Corps attacking towards the northeast.

During the night of 21 - 22 June 1941, the assault elements of the reinforced Division moved into their reconnoitered positions in readiness with the 504 IR right (first objective Krottingen), 505 IR centre and 506 IR left astride the coast.

The 505 IR (Col Lohmeyer) was the main effort and by nightfall reached Schoden after break the enemy resistence at Darbenai. The Regiment established a bridgehead on the border river between Latvia and Lithuania.

On 23 jun 1941 reached Prekuln, moving on 70 kilometers from the jump off position in one day and a half. At Prekuln, Col Lohmeyer with the 505 IR turned West heading towards Libau and by afternoon on the 24 jun 1941 took all around position at Grobin.

The assault on the city of Libau began on 25 jun at 01:30 hs but soon stalled in front of the fortified positions in the isthmus, the attack was cancelled. The city was encircled and the Division was deployed as follows: to the north nearby the coast the 506 IR, adjoining the 504 IR to the road Grobin - Durben and to the south the 505 IR.

On 27 jun the fight reached its peak when the Soviets attempted to break away, which they did along the coastal road; another group fled on the "red road" (carretera roja) leading north. But in doing so the Soviet lost all its vehicles, heavy equipment and guns. On the same day the Navy troops and the 505 IR broke into the south of Libau and the next day 28 jun 1941 the city was seized after stubborn resistence in urban environment. The enemy will to fight was broken with fire support furnished by infantry cannons firing at close range, mortars and heavy artillery. Col Lohmeyer won the RK after that.

It could be possible that the Soviet troops signalled wrongly the self propelled AA guns as tanks.

291 ID

OIC: My Gral Herzog
Ia: My v. Roeder

504 IR: Col Hippler
505 IR: Col Lohmeyer
506 IR: Col Gurran

Source: Historia de la 291 Division de Infantería Alemana 1940 - 1945. Werner Conze. Círculo Militar. Buenos Aires. 1956.

As for the Soviets troops deployment: the 67 Rifle Division with two battalions of the 56 Rifle Regiment and the 281 Rifle Regiment was holding Libau while the 114 Rifle Regiment reinforced with one Battalion of the 56 Rifle Regiment was defending the coast sector on the section Kolgasrago - Pavilosta.

Source: Operations Summary of the staff of the 27th Army. Tsamo, folio 325.

Cheers. Happy New Year. I hope this help. Tigre.
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Alis
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#3

Post by Alis » 29 Dec 2005, 09:58

Thank you, Tigre! :)
Happy New Year!

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tigre
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Libau 1941

#4

Post by tigre » 30 Dec 2005, 00:31

Alis, you're welcome and the same to you. Tigre.

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#5

Post by teg » 21 Jul 2007, 10:00

And what were german losses (KIA, WIA)?

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#6

Post by Qvist » 21 Jul 2007, 11:11


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#7

Post by Qvist » 21 Jul 2007, 11:20

Hello Tigre,
The 291 ID reinforced with the following formations: 402 Battalion of bikers, two Navy Assault Battalions, one Anti aircraft battery of 20 mm (self propelled), 633 heavy Artillery Group, one battery of heavy mortars (21 cm) from the 637 heavy artillery Group, Navy Artillery Group 530, one Anti aircraft Group (two batteries of 2 cm and one of 8,8 cm) and one armoured train would attack towards north as independent division, so a gap would go opening with the XXVI Army Corps attacking towards the northeast.
The returns of AOK 18 list "Marine-Stosstr.Abt.". It would be unusual if that referred to Abt. in the plural, but on the other hand they seem to have absorbed a lot of losses for a single batallion. Also the armored train, and Arko 104 and 123, Flak.Kp 1/31 and Ldschtz.Btl.859. Later, on the 28th, M.G.Btl. 10, Nachrichten-Regiment 520 and Kodeis 18 also appear with 291.ID in the IIa daily loss returns. Radf.Btl. 402 is however never reported in conjucntion with 291.ID - they were with XXVI AK through the whole period in question.
It could be possible that the Soviet troops signalled wrongly the self propelled AA guns as tanks
.

Agreed. AOK 18 had only one armored formation in June - Stug.Abt. 185, which was with I AK.

cheers

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Marine-Stosstr.Abt.

#8

Post by tigre » 21 Jul 2007, 13:28

Hello Qvist, thanks for joining us. However, as mentioned by Conze it would be possible that Abt=Abteilungen, since the author wrote two Navy Stormtroops Battalions. Both suffered great numbers of casualties, especially at Grobin and Libau; both Commanders perished and only one officer remained. Both were pulled out to the rear and reformed in one being deployed north of Hainach to watch the coast. For this mission were attached the following 291 ID's officers: Maj Krüger (IR 506) as CO; Lt Wolf and Schnewitz (III./ IR 504) as company commanders and Lt Berger (III./ IR 504) as Adjutant. Later the Navy Unit was gathered at Riga and the Army officers returned to the 291 ID.

Source: Historia de la DI 291 Alemana. Anexo 2 Join Employment with Navy Units. Werner Conze. Círculo Militar. Buenos Aires. 1956.

Cheers. Tigre.

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Re: Battle of Libau/Liepaja in june 1941

#9

Post by tigre » 17 Jan 2017, 23:11

Hello to all :D; a little complement.............................................

Marine Abteilungen - Barbarossa 1941.

For the attack against the Soviet Union the Marine-Stoßtrupp-Abteilung (MSA), the Marine-Erfassung-Abteilung-Wilhelmshaven (MEA) and the Marine-Artillerie-Abteilung 530 (MAA 530) all were gathered as kampfgruppe (combat group) and subordinated under IR 505 within the framework of the 291. ID. During the attack against Libau both the MSA and the MEA heavy casualties. among the KIA were the two commanders von Diest and Bigler.

Source: Hitlers Marine im Landkriegseinsatz: Eine Dokumentation. Bernd Bölscher.

Cheers. Raúl M 8-).

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Re: Battle of Libau/Liepaja in june 1941

#10

Post by Kelvin » 15 Mar 2017, 16:56

tigre wrote:Hello to all :D; a little complement.............................................

Marine Abteilungen - Barbarossa 1941.

For the attack against the Soviet Union the Marine-Stoßtrupp-Abteilung (MSA), the Marine-Erfassung-Abteilung-Wilhelmshaven (MEA) and the Marine-Artillerie-Abteilung 530 (MAA 530) all were gathered as kampfgruppe (combat group) and subordinated under IR 505 within the framework of the 291. ID. During the attack against Libau both the MSA and the MEA heavy casualties. among the KIA were the two commanders von Diest and Bigler.

Source: Hitlers Marine im Landkriegseinsatz: Eine Dokumentation. Bernd Bölscher.

Cheers. Raúl M 8-).

Hi, tigre, did the Baltic Fleet evacuate 67th Rifle Division from Libau like Evauation of Tallin in August 1941 ?

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Re: Battle of Libau/Liepaja in june 1941

#11

Post by tigre » 16 Mar 2017, 00:29

Hello Kelvin :D; I think nope................................

The 67 Rifle Division leaves Libau.

On June 27, 1941 on the right flank of the North-Western Front, began the breakthrough of the garrison from the besieged Liepaja/Libau. The defenders of the city delayed for a few days the offensive of the enemy on the coastal direction, diverted the forces of its 291. Infantry division.

"The breakthrough was carried out in two columns. The first column moved along the sea coast. It included ... units of the northern defense sector of the city. In the event of a meeting on the seaside road with large enemy forces, the column had to evade to the right, to Kuldiga, and then continue to Ventspils, where it was planned to organize defenses.

The second column broke out to the right (Red road - Rote strasse). It consisted of defenders of the eastern and southern sections of the city's defense ...

Following the fighting units from the encircled city, all who were able to move rushed: groups of workers, women, old men. In the tails of the columns were moving cars and carts with seriously ill and wounded defenders of the city. "

With the breakthrough of the first column, the enemy cut off from it a part of the workers' detachments, who were forced to retreat and continued their struggle in the city. From the second column, which suffered great losses, about two thousand people were able to break out from the encirclement. The breakaway forces joined with Soviet troops in the districts of Riga and Krustpils.

On Jun 28, 1941 at 10:05 hours report of IR 506: HQ of Soviet 67 RD shot in the Southern corner Tassusee, papers on the way.

On June 29, 1941 at 11:30 hours report to 18. AOK: Soviet 67. RD Strongly beaten.

Sources: http://refdb.ru/look/1557681-p3.html
KTB 291. ID T315. Roll 1096.
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image001.jpg
Libau on June 28, 1941 (Red road)..................................
http://www.ebay.at/itm/Original-Foto-Strasse-Libau-1941-/391614439799?hash=item5b2e0a2177:g:dwoAAOSwal5YHD~R
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image002.jpg
http://www.ebay.at/itm/Original-Foto-Kampf-um-Libau-1941-/351900207098?hash=item51eee307fa:g:MhkAAOSwcUBYIdxJ
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Re: Battle of Libau/Liepaja in june 1941

#12

Post by Kelvin » 19 Mar 2017, 06:23

Hello, tigre, thank so much for your detail description on this battle, many thank. :D

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Re: Battle of Libau/Liepaja in june 1941

#13

Post by tigre » 01 Oct 2017, 15:43

Hello Kelvin :D; more................................

Breakthrough attempt at Libau - june 28, 1941.

Sources: https://www.antik-war.lv/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=147715

Cheers. Raúl M 8-).
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Re: Battle of Libau/Liepaja in june 1941

#14

Post by tigre » 30 Jun 2019, 01:27

Hello to all :D; more................................

Defense of Libava (Libau) in 1941.

The defenders

In the tragic summer of 1941, when the Red Army, badly prepared for war, suffered one defeat after another and hundreds of thousands of Red Army officers and soldiers marched into captivity, there were nevertheless some remarkable actions. An example: the heroic defense of the city of Libava (Libau) today Liepāja.

The defenders of Libava were composed of four main groups: the naval forces of the naval base; the 67th Rifle Division, border guards and militias.

1) Naval forces. The commander of the naval base since May 1941 was Captain of 1st rank Klevenskoy. At the base there were 15 submarines, the destroyer "Lenin", a detachment of torpedo boats, a division of border patrol boats and other ships. Most of the ships left for Tallinn in time, some were destroyed during the later battles. More than 15 thousand tons of petroleum products, a large amount of military materials were stored in the warehouses of the base. There were also two 130 mm artillery batteries. These were modern weapons with a range of 25 km, but there were few projectiles, only 160 per weapon and they were not prepared for the defense of the perimeter and to shoot at ground targets. Air defense: two antiaircraft divisions in the north and south of the city. Aviation was represented by 13 seaplanes. According to inaccurate data, the personnel of the naval base could count on some 4,000 people.

2) Army Represented by the 67th Rifle Division with the task of protecting the coast from Klaipeda (Memel) to Ventspils - 160 km, three regiments, the 114th Rifle Regiment with an artillery group in Ventspils (110 km from Liepaja), the 2nd Battalion of the 56th Rifle Regiment in Pavilosta (47 km north of Liepaja)), the 83rd Battalion of Sappers built fortifications in Palanga.

The quality of the personnel weakened in the fall of 1940 when the experienced soldiers were relieved with the arrival of young people from the south of the country. The strength of the division was nine battalions of rifles of which only five were in Libava (281st Rifle Regiment and the 56th Rifle Regiment (minus one battalion). Since May 1941, the division was commanded by General N.A. Dedaev, an experienced commander, participant in the civil war, graduated from the Military Academy of Frunze, commanded a division in the war with Finland, received the Order of the Red Star.

There was also a reconnaissance battalion with a total of 360 men, which included 10 BA-10 armored vehicles with a 45-mm gun and a machine gun, a tank company: 16 T-38 amphibious tanks armed with a machine gun of 7, 62 mm.

Since April 1940, the independent 148th Fighter Regiment was located in the vicinity of Liepaja, according to the list: 64 I-153 aircraft that had been obsolete for a long time and several MIG-3s. After the Germans bombed the airfield, only 27 planes flew to Riga.

3) Border guards. The District consisted of four border detachments (level regiments): in Rakvere (6 PO), in Haapsalu (8 PO), in Kursaare (10 PO), in Liepaja (12 PO). The 12th Border Detachment consisted of the 1st Office of the Frontier Commander and the 1st Frontier Post of the Reserve (Mazirbe) with the 1st - 5th Border Posts, the 2nd Frontier Commander's Office and the 2nd Reserve Frontier Post (Ventspils), 6th to 10th Border Posts, the 3rd Office of the Frontier Commander and the 3rd Reserve Frontier Post (Paviloste) consisting of the 11th and 15th border posts, the 4th Frontier Commander's Office and the 4th Reserve Frontier Post with 16th-20th Border Posts ( Libava), the 5th Office of the Frontier Commander and the 5th Reserve Frontier Post (Rutsava) with the, 21st to the 25th and Border Control Point "Libava".

4) Militias. Several detachments of workers, communists and members of Komsomol were formed. The total number of voluntary combatants was 1,033 people.

Sources: http://xn--80afaddfnecahkg3akbiaetpiq8m ... 1-god.html

Cheers. Raúl M 8-).
Last edited by tigre on 30 Jun 2019, 20:37, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Battle of Libau/Liepaja in june 1941

#15

Post by Kelvin » 30 Jun 2019, 09:54

Hello, Raul M, your OOB data are Wonderful, do you have casualties on Soviet side, killed, wounded or POW ? Thank

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