The background of the battle of Leningrad

Leningrad, formerly known as Petrograd (now St. Petersburg), was the Russian "window to Europe" established by Peter the Great in 1703. For more than 200 years, it has been the capital of the vast Russian empire and the birthplace of the October Revolution. 1924 changed its name to Leningrad and was called the second capital of the Soviet Union. It is the largest industrial center and the second largest transportation hub in the Soviet Union, with ten railway lines running through it, among which the October railway line connects Leningrad with Moscow and other economic areas in the Soviet Union. At the same time, it is also an important port in the Baltic Sea and an important base of the Red Flag Baltic Fleet of the Soviet Union. 194 1 In late August, frustrated Hitler mobilized 32 infantry divisions, 4 tank divisions, 4 motorized divisions and 1 cavalry brigade in the north wing, equipped with 6,000 cannons, 4,500 mortars and 1000 planes, and threatened to set up a platoon in September. In Barbarossa's plan, capturing the cities along the Neva River is regarded as a "top priority"-wiping Leningrad from the earth, killing all residents and destroying the cradle of proletarian revolution.

In Hitler's strategy towards the Soviet Union, the initial main goal was to capture Leningrad, so that he could control the entire Baltic Sea and join forces with the Finnish army. Besides. Swedish iron ore can be supplied to Germany unimpeded. Hitler said to the German generals: "Petersburg should naturally be occupied first, and it should be destroyed. The occupation and destruction of this city will not only gain great strategic benefits, but also enable Germany to severely crucify the "window of Europe" opened by Peter the Great and turn the Baltic Sea into an internal sea of Germany. By occupying the cradle of Bolshevism, we can also disintegrate the enemy's rebellious will and destroy their morale. "

1940 18 February 18, Hitler issued instruction No.21,namely "Barbarossa plan". In this plan, the Germans who attacked the Soviet Union were organized into three army groups: North, Central and South. Among them, the task of the Northern Army Group is to set out from East Prussia and destroy the Soviet troops in the three Baltic countries, and then cooperate with the Finnish army to capture Leningrad before July 194 1. Hitler also claimed that he would go to the Winter Palace Square in Leningrad to review the troops and hold a grand celebration banquet at the astoria Hotel in Leningrad. On August 6th, 194 1, Hitler repeated his order: "Leningrad first, Donetsk plain second, Moscow third." From August 194 1 to August 1944 1, any event between the Arctic Ocean and Ilmen Lake was related to the German siege of Leningrad. The Allies escorted to Murmansk and used the North Sea route to transport the grain and war materials of the American Lending Act to the Murmansk railway terminal (although the railway connection to Leningrad was just cut off by the Finnish army in the north of the city). And then transported to other places in labrin. When Britain and Canada declared war on Finland, Winston Churchill asked Marshal carl gustaf emil mannerheim and his Finnish army to reopen the Murmansk-Leningrad Railway on humanitarian grounds, so as to allow food to be transported to help the citizens of Leningrad.

The Northern Army Group is under the command of Marshal Loeb, and includes General Qu Shiller's 18 Army, General bucher's 16 Army, General Hepner's 4th Armored Division, 22 Infantry Divisions, 3 Armored Divisions and 3 Motorized Divisions. Among them, the 4th Armored Regiment is under the jurisdiction of General Manstein's 56th Armored Regiment (1 armored division, 1 motorized division and 1 infantry division) and General Reinhardt's 4 1 armored regiment (2 armored divisions, 1 motorized division and 1)

The defensive tasks of the Soviet army in Leningrad are the Northwest Army and the Northern Army, ***5 group armies, 37 infantry divisions, 9 cavalry divisions, and 10 armored brigade, under the command of Marshal voroshilov, commander-in-chief of the northwest direction. Among them, the Northwest Army has the 8th, 1 1 and 27th Army Groups under the command of General Kuznetsov, which are deployed in Lithuania and Latvia to shield Leningrad. The Union Army has the 42nd and 23rd Army Groups, under the command of Admiral Milz Foucault, and deployed on the east and west sides of Lake Ladoga in the north of Leningrad to fight the Finnish army. The Soviet cover army was forced to retreat to the hinterland under the pressure of German superior forces, and the German army launched an attack on Leningrad from the Great Likaya River area on July 194 1. At this time, it was the 7th and 23rd armies (***8 divisions) under the command of the Union Army (Lieutenant General popov), while the 8th, 1 1, 27th armies (3 1 2 brigades per division) under the command of the Northwest Army (Major General Sobenikov). Considering that the German army might attack Leningrad, the base camp of the Soviet High Command handed over the defensive zone between Finland Bay and Ilmen Lake to the northern army, and transferred a unit from the south to defend the city. Lugar River is an important barrier in the south of Leningrad. The Lugar Campaign Cluster (6 infantry divisions, 2 militia divisions, 2 Leningrad Military Academy, 1 Independent Mountain Infantry Brigade) established by the head of the Union Army entered the Lugar River under the command of Lieutenant General Piedishev.

Before the German "Northern" Army Group attacked Leningrad, it had advantages over the Northwest Army of the Soviet Union: 1.4 times of infantry, 3 times of artillery, 4.8 times of mortars, 0.2 times of tanks and 8.8 times of planes.

In order to facilitate the command of the two armies, the National Defense Commission established the Northwest General Command in July 194 10 (the commander-in-chief is Soviet Marshal voroshilov, and the member of the Central Military Commission is Danov, secretary of the United Front Work Department), which has jurisdiction over the Union Army, the Northwest Army, the Northern Fleet and the Baltic Fleet (the Western General Command and the Southwest General Command were also established).

The initial defense of Leningrad was commanded by Marshal Clement voroshilov. The 23rd Army defended the northern area from the Gulf of Finland to Lake Ladoga, and the 48th Army defended the area from the Gulf of Finland to Lutzke-Magna, followed by the Leningrad fortress area, the Leningrad garrison, the Baltic Fleet and other combat units.