Операция «Искра»

Operation Spark

Task 1. Read and translate the text.

Operation Spark.

January 11 2013

By the beginning of 1943, the situation in Leningrad, surrounded by German troops, remained extremely difficult. The troops of the Leningrad Front and the Baltic fleet were isolated from the rest of the Red Army. Attempts to lift the blockade of Leningrad in 1942 - the Lyuban and Sinyavino offensive operations - were unsuccessful. The shortest route between the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts - between the southern shore of Lake Ladoga and the village of Mga (the so-called Shlisselburg-Sinyavino salient, 12-16 km) - was still occupied by units of the 18th German Army. Shells and bombs continued to explode on the streets and squares of the second capital of the USSR, people were dying, buildings were collapsing. The city was under constant threat of air raids and artillery shelling. The lack of land communications with the territory under the control of Soviet troops caused great difficulties in the area of ​​delivering fuel, raw materials for factories, and did not allow the needs of the troops and civilians to be met for food and basic necessities. However, the situation of Leningraders in the winter of 1942-1943 was still somewhat better than the previous winter. Electricity was supplied to the city via an underwater cable, and fuel via an underwater pipeline. The city was supplied with necessary products and goods across the ice of the lake - the Road of Life. In addition, in addition to the road, a railway line was built directly on the ice of Lake Ladoga.

By the end of 1942, the Leningrad Front under the command of Leonid Govorov included: the 67th Army - commander Lieutenant General Mikhail Dukhanov, the 55th Army - Lieutenant General Vladimir Sviridov, the 23rd Army - Major General Alexander Cherepanov, the 42nd Army - Lieutenant General Ivan Nikolaev, the Primorsky Operational Group and the 13th Air Army - Colonel General aviation Stepan Rybalchenko. The main forces of the LF - the 42nd, 55th and 67th armies, defended themselves at the turn of Uritsk, Pushkin, south of Kolpino, Porogi, the right bank of the Neva to Lake Ladoga. The 67th Army operated in a 30 km strip along the right bank of the Neva from Porogi to Lake Ladoga, having a small bridgehead on the left bank of the river, in the Moscow Dubrovka area. The 55th Infantry Brigade of this army defended the highway from the south, which ran along the ice of Lake Ladoga. The 23rd Army defended the northern approaches to Leningrad, located on the Karelian Isthmus. It should be noted that the situation on this sector of the front was stable for a long time, even a soldier's saying appeared: “Three (or“ there are three neutral ”) armies do not fight in the world — Swedish, Turkish and 23rd Soviet”. Therefore, the formations of this army were often transferred to other, more dangerous directions. The 42nd Army defended the Pulkovo Frontier. The Primorye Operational Group (POG) was located on the Oranienbaum bridgehead.

The actions of the LF were supported by the Red Banner Baltic Fleet under the command of Vice-Admiral Vladimir Tributs, which was based at the mouth of the Neva River and in Kronstadt. It covered the coastal flanks of the front, supported the ground forces with its aviation and naval artillery fire. In addition, the fleet held a number of islands in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland, thereby covering the western approaches to the city. Leningrad was also supported by the Ladoga Military Flotilla. The air defense of Leningrad was carried out by the Leningrad Army Defense, which interacted with the aviation and anti-aircraft artillery of the front and fleet. The military road on the ice of the lake and the transshipment bases on its shores were protected from Luftwaffe attacks by the units of the separate Ladoga air defense region.

By the beginning of 1943, the Volkhov Front under the command of General of the Army Kirill Meretsky included the 2nd Shock Army, the 4th, 8th, 52nd, 54th, 59th Armies and the 14th Air Army. But the following took direct part in the operation: the 2nd Shock Army under the command of Lieutenant General Vladimir Romanovsky, the 54th Army under Lieutenant General Alexander Sukhomlin, the 8th Army under Lieutenant General Filipp Starikov, and the 14th Air Army under Lieutenant General of Aviation Ivan Zhuravlev. They operated in a 300 km strip from Lake Ladoga to Lake Ilmen. On the right flank from Lake Ladoga to the Kirov Railway were units of the 2nd Shock and 8th Armies.

After the failure of attempts to take the city in 1942, the German command was forced to stop the fruitless offensive and order the troops to go on the defensive. The Red Army was opposed by the 18th German Army under the command of Georg Liedermann, which was part of Army Group North. It consisted of 4 army corps and up to 26 divisions. The German troops were supported by the 1st Air Fleet of Colonel General of Aviation Alfred Keller. In addition, on the northwestern approaches to the city, opposite the 23rd Soviet Army, there were 4 Finnish divisions from the Karelian Isthmus operational group.

German defense

The Germans had the most powerful defense and dense grouping of troops in the most dangerous direction - the Shlisselburg-Sinyavino salient (its depth did not exceed 15 km). Here, between the city of Mga and Lake Ladoga, 5 German divisions were stationed - the main forces of the 26th and part of the divisions of the 54th Army Corps. They consisted of about 60 thousand people, 700 guns and mortars, about 50 tanks and self-propelled guns. Each settlement was converted into a strong point prepared for all-round defense, the positions were covered with minefields, barbed wire and reinforced with pillboxes. There were two lines of defense: the first included the structures of the 8th State District Power Plant, 1st and 2nd Towns and houses of the city of Shlisselburg - from the Leningrad side, Lipka, Workers' Settlements No. 4, 8, 7, Gontovaya Lipka - from the Volkhov Front, the second included workers' settlements No. 1 and No. 5, Podgornaya, Sinyavino stations, workers' settlement No. 6, Mikhailovsky settlement. The defensive lines were saturated with resistance nodes, had a developed network of trenches, shelters, dugouts, and fire weapons. As a result, the entire salient resembled one fortified area.

The situation for the attacking side was aggravated by the forested and marshy terrain in this area. In addition, there was a large area of ​​Sinyavin peat mining, which was cut by deep ditches. The territory was impassable for armored vehicles and heavy artillery, and they were needed to destroy the enemy fortifications. To overcome such defenses, powerful means of suppression and destruction were required, as well as a huge strain on the forces and resources of the attacking side.

Plan and prepare the operation. Shock groups of the Soviet army

As early as November 1942, the LF command submitted its proposals to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief for preparing a new offensive near Leningrad. It was planned to conduct two operations in December 1942 - February 1943. During the "Shlisselburg Operation", it was proposed that the LF forces, together with the troops of the Volkhov Front, break through the blockade of the city and build a railway along Lake Ladoga. During the "Uritsa Operation", they were going to break through a land corridor to the Oranienbaum bridgehead. Headquarters approved the first part of the operation - breaking through the blockade of Leningrad (directive No. 170696 of December 2, 1942). The operation was codenamed "Iskra", the troops were to be in full combat readiness by January 1, 1943.

The plan of the operation was set out in more detail in Direct

Task 2. Answer the questions.

1. What was the general situation in Leningrad by early 1943? List the key challenges the city faced.

2. Why did the 1942 attempts to break the blockade (Lyuban and Sinyavino offensives) fail?

3. What was the Shlisselburg‑Sinyavino salient, and why was it strategically critical?

4. Which armies comprised the Leningrad Front by late 1942? Name their commanders.

5. What role did the Red Banner Baltic Fleet and the Ladoga Military Flotilla play in defending Leningrad?

6. Which forces of the Volkhov Front participated directly in Operation Iskra? List the armies and their commanders.

7. What were the main strengths of the German 18th Army opposing the Soviet troops? How many divisions and pieces of equipment did it include?

8. Describe the German defensive system on the Shlisselburg‑Sinyavino salient: what fortifications and lines were in place, and how were settlements prepared?

9. What natural and man‑made features of the terrain hampered the Soviet advance?

10. When and by what document was the operation to break the Leningrad blockade approved? What was its codename?

11. What was the core plan of Operation Iskra (tasks for the Leningrad and Volkhov Fronts and the intended final line)?

12. Why was the start of Operation Iskra postponed from January 1 to January 12, 1943?

13. What preparations were made to ready the troops for the offensive (training, coordination, artillery grouping)?

14. Who was appointed to coordinate the Leningrad and Volkhov Fronts? What additional support was sent to the Volkhov Front in early January 1943?

15. What forces made up the strike groups of the Leningrad and Volkhov Fronts (list the main branches of service and key formations included in the shock grouping)?

Task 3. Role‑Play: “Commanders’ Briefing”

Goal: Practice professional military/historical discourse, negotiate a plan, and justify decisions.

Scenario:

You are high‑ranking officers at the joint headquarters of the Leningrad and Volkhov Fronts (early January 1943). Your task is to agree on the final details of Operation Iskra before the January 12 start.

Roles (assign 2–3 students per role):

Leningrad Front Commander (Govorov): Argue for a swift crossing of the Neva and rapid link‑up with the Volkhov forces. Stress the need to secure the “Road of Life” corridor.

Volkhov Front Commander (Meretsky): Emphasize the difficulty of the marshy terrain and the strength of German defenses. Push for extra artillery and engineer battalions.

Intelligence Officer: Present key facts about German positions (5 divisions, pillboxes, minefields) and suggest weak points to exploit.

Logistics Officer: Explain constraints (thin ice, limited fuel, winter conditions) and propose solutions.

Instructions:

Each role prepares 2–3 key points (use text data).

Hold a 5‑minute “briefing” where roles present and debate.

Agree on 3 critical decisions (e.g., “double artillery prep,” “night assault on the 1st day,” “priority to secure Lipka”).

Summarize decisions in 2–3 sentences.

Language support:

“I recommend/argue for… because…”

“We cannot afford to ignore…”

“Given the enemy’s defenses at X, we should…”

“Let’s prioritize… to ensure…”

Task 4. Problem‑solving discussion: “Overcome the Salient”

Goal: Collaborate to propose solutions, use evidence, and persuade peers.

Scenario:

You are a mixed team of Soviet staff officers. The Shlisselburg‑Sinyavino salient is heavily fortified (minefields, pillboxes, 5 German divisions). Your mission: design a 3‑step plan to break through it by January 12.

Instructions:

In groups of 3–4, read the “German defense” section again. List 3 key obstacles (e.g., “minefields slow advance”).

For each obstacle, propose 1 solution from the text (e.g., “use engineer battalions to clear mines”) OR invent a plausible one (use military logic).

Agree on a 3‑step attack plan (numbered steps). Use phrases:

“First, we will… to neutralize…”

“Then, our tanks will… while infantry…”

“Finally, we must secure… to prevent counterattacks.”

Present your plan in 60 seconds to another group. They give 1 strength and 1 risk of your plan.

Example plan snippet:

1. Concentrate artillery on Workers’ Settlements 4 and 8 to destroy pillboxes.

2. Send ski brigades across frozen marshes to outflank German positions at Lipka.

3. Once the corridor is open, rush in engineer battalions to build a pontoon bridge for tanks.

Source:

https://en.topwar.ru/22899-operaciya-iskra-k-70-letiyu-proryva-blokady-leningrada.html?ysclid=mkk0eqnksw868320462

Адрес публикации: https://www.prodlenka.org/metodicheskie-razrabotki/629347-operacija-iskra