Key Facts
- Duration
- 24–30 July 1944 (7 days)
- Soviet artillery support
- 280,000 shells and grenades
- Assault guns used
- 1,360
- Soviet manpower advantage
- 4:1 superiority over German forces
- Tannenberg line distance
- 16 km from Narva at Sinimäed Hills
Strategic Narrative Overview
The Soviet 8th Army opened the offensive with an assault on Auvere Railway Station, which was repulsed with heavy losses by Estonian SS and East Prussian infantry units. On the night of 24–25 July, the Nordland and Nederland divisions quietly evacuated Ivangorod under Obergruppenführer Felix Steiner's direction. When the 2nd Shock Army resumed its assault on 25 July, crossing the river north of Narva with massive artillery support, Estonian SS battalions held the highway long enough to cover the retreating German formations, though the SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Regiment 48 was lost through tactical errors.
01 / The Origins
The Soviet breakthrough in Belorussia in summer 1944 forced German Army Group North to redeploy significant forces from the Narva front to other sectors. With insufficient troops remaining to hold the Narva line, the army group planned a withdrawal to the prepared Tannenberg defence line at the Sinimäed Hills. The Soviet Leningrad Front, unaware of German withdrawal preparations, concentrated shock troops transferred from the Finnish front, achieving a 4:1 superiority in manpower and equipment before launching its offensive.
03 / The Outcome
Soviet forces captured the city of Narva on 26 July 1944. The German withdrawal, though costly, succeeded in preserving the bulk of Army Detachment Narwa by relocating to the Tannenberg line at Sinimäed Hills. The loss of Narva represented a significant territorial gain for the Leningrad Front, though the German defensive line remained intact further west, continuing to block Soviet advances into Estonia.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent
Felix Steiner.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.