Gulf of Riga Defense

[Lobster]

So, trying to deploy the Soviet defensive works for the Gulf of Riga. Lots of coastal gun batteries. Problem is, the only map I've been able to find was on an ASL site. https://www.aslscenarioarchive.com/

The little cresents with a line are batteries. )- Some are hard to see but this is the best I've found. Doesn't show the size of the guns just the emplacements. I know what a few of them are supposed to be but there are so many. [:D]

I could make assumptions based of where they are and what kind of range they need to deny passage but it's going to be simple speculation. Anyone have any idea regarding what size guns go where? Niehorster's site has a little info but still there are big holes.

Gulf of Finland defenses will be the same. More speculation than good info.

[cathar1244]

Any idea which Soviet command had those subordinated to it?

Cheers

[76mm]

Here is a link to a Russian wikipedia page with some helpful info and a kind of crappy map:
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0 ... 0%B8%D1%8F

Below is a list of Soviet forces...you can probably feed it into Google translate, but the bottom line is a
rifle brigade of the NW Front (about 6500 men), a few additional battalions of naval and rifle infantry, 12
fighters, and 55 coastal artillery pieces in 16 batteries, including 3 x quad 180mm turrets, 1 x 152mm, 8 x
130mm, and 3 x 100mm. Also six torpedo boats and 14 trawlers, plus some other stuff--a few tanks, pioneer batts, etc.

********
СССР
3-я отдельная стрелковая бригада 8-й армии Северо-Западного фронта (около 6500 человек)
отдельные части: батальон моряков, 2 батальона 249-го стрелкового полка 16-й стрелковой дивизии, эстонский стрелковый батальон, 4 отдельные роты, подразделения погранотряда
142 орудия береговой, полевой и зенитной артиллерии, 60 миномётов, 795 пулемётов
55 орудий береговой артиллерии — 16 батарей, в том числе: 3 четырёхорудийные башенные 180-мм, 1х152-мм, 8х130-мм, 3х100-мм
лёгкая бронетехника: взвод химических танков (4-5 штук), 2 танкетки, 5-6 блиндированных трактора
12 самолётов-истребителей
4 отдельных инженерных батальона
6 торпедных катеров, 17 тральщиков, 6 мотоботов, буксир, транспорт
Всего: 23 663 человек.

Руководитель обороны — комендант береговой обороны Балтийского района (БОБР) генерал-лейтенант береговой службы А. Б. Елисеев, военный комиссар БОБР — дивизионный комиссар Г. Ф. Зайцев, начальник штаба БОБР — подполковник А. И. Охтинский.
*********

This was about two minutes with a Russian-language google search, I'll poke around a bit more to see if there is more info.

[76mm]

I found several other articles about this operation, but none of them provided more detailed OOB info, and all of them used the same map that you've already seen. I've posted another version here, just in case it is higher resolution than what you have:

[cathar1244]

Yeah, I saw the 3d Rifle Brigade in the Russian archives, but the map didn't show the batteries.




Cheers

[Lobster]

This map is easier to read than the one I found. The troops and equipment are the same as I have except for the batteries that were under construction and completed before the Germans landed. The map shows them as completed too. The two emplacements (4x305mm guns in 2 turrets and 4x180mm guns in two turrets) on the Svorbe Peninsula could fire all around and the Soviets had time to heavily fortify the peninsula for a final stand. They never intended to evacuate. Those guns and 4x130mm guns in two turrets on the north most peninsula of Hiimuaa Island (site of present day lighthouse) are all I am positive of. Others like the guns on Muhu under construction and the plethora of others will have to be a guess as to what goes where I suppose.

Also found out the guns on Abruka Island are 3x130mm. That still leaves a lot of guns. [:D]

Big thanks for that map. Huge help. [;)]

I was wondering exactly where the Brandenburgers made their glider landing. Just realized it's shown on the map too.

This operation is like a mini campaign. [:)]

ORIGINAL: 76mm

I found several other articles about this operation, but none of them provided more detailed OOB info, and all of them used the same map that you've already seen. I've posted another version here, just in case it is higher resolution than what you have:

[76mm]

Next question: do the coastal guns even matter? Was the coastal gun bug (where they evaporate upon being hit by anything) ever fixed?

[Zovs]

For What Its Worth (resource War in the East 2):

Ventspils
29th PVO AA Battalion (3x 85mm AA, 7x 76.2mm AA, 1x 37mm AA)
Ventspils Airbase (11x 37mm AA, 11x 7.62mm Quad Maxim AAMG, 8x 12.7mm DShK AAMG)
40 BAP (52x SB-2)
I/45 FR MG-Artillery Battalion (3x light artillery, 2x AT, 2x artillery)

Its a lot of work using the editor to look that up, not sure if that kind of info will help or not.

[Lobster]

Ventspils was part of the Irbensky defense group. I have good information there.

Little known triva. Five German torpedo boats seized Liepaja harbor the day before the 291 Infantry division got there.

I didn't think about opening my FitE2 beta to check. [8|]

[Lobster]

ORIGINAL: Zovs

For What Its Worth (resource War in the East 2):

Ventspils
29th PVO AA Battalion (3x 85mm AA, 7x 76.2mm AA, 1x 37mm AA)
Ventspils Airbase (11x 37mm AA, 11x 7.62mm Quad Maxim AAMG, 8x 12.7mm DShK AAMG)
40 BAP (52x SB-2)
I/45 FR MG-Artillery Battalion (3x light artillery, 2x AT, 2x artillery)

Its a lot of work using the editor to look that up, not sure if that kind of info will help or not.

Bummer. I tried firing up my WitE2 beta copy and it happens to be on a hard drive that blew up. Now it's double [8|]. [:D]

Oh well. Thanks for the idea anyway. [;)]

[Lobster]

ORIGINAL: 76mm

Next question: do the coastal guns even matter? Was the coastal gun bug (where they evaporate upon being hit by anything) ever fixed?

A couple of them could fire inland. So I put a second icon to cover that. They should at least work that way. As for the coastal gun bug I thought we had to do some kind of lame work around for bugs these days since no one fixes them anymore. Not sure.

[Lobster]

ORIGINAL: cathar1244

Any idea which Soviet command had those subordinated to it?

Cheers

The guns on the islands operate in the 8th Army area and are subordinate to the Gulf of Riga Defence Command which is part of the Baltic Naval Area, Baltic Fleet. Some in the Irbansky Defense Sector (the ones on the Svorbe Peninsula) and some in the Saaremaa Island Defense Sector. And then some directly to the Baltic Area Coast Defense Command in Tallinn. Seems all the commands get thrown in a blender once the bullets start flying if it isn't already confusing enough. To simplify things I put the island batteries in the same command. Probably should have just put it all into the NW Front since hierarchy is meaningless in TOAW.

[cathar1244]

ORIGINAL: Lobster

The guns on the islands operate in the 8th Army area and are subordinate to the Gulf of Riga Defence Command which is part of the Baltic Naval Area, Baltic Fleet. Some in the Irbansky Defense Sector (the ones on the Svorbe Peninsula) and some in the Saaremaa Island Defense Sector. And then some directly to the Baltic Area Coast Defense Command in Tallinn. Seems all the commands get thrown in a blender once the bullets start flying if it isn't already confusing enough. To simplify things I put the island batteries in the same command. Probably should have just put it all into the NW Front since hierarchy is meaningless in TOAW.

Yes, apparently the Baltic Fleet had (at least) nominal command of the coastal batteries on the "Moon" islands. I looked at the Pamyat archives but the material is very thin for this period; for 8th Army, 3d Rifle Brigade, and Baltic Fleet. I saw no maps that showed the batteries.

You are correct about the formation aspect regarding TOAW. No sense in trying to make those guns be part of a naval command.

Cheers

[76mm]

OK, found two maps with locations of specific artillery batteries:

[76mm]

and this one:

[76mm]

Both those maps from from this site, which has a huge collection of Soviet maps:
http://www.armchairgeneral.com/rkkaww2/

[Lobster]

Wow Tom. That last one even shows the ground units. You da man. I've been searching for a couple of weeks now and the ASL one was the best I could find. But these that you found are the best. [&o][&o][&o]

[76mm]

No worries. I like maps!

[cathar1244]

https://thelib.ru/books/00/17/29/00172913/i_010.jpg

Another map showing battery locations and bore diameter of the guns -- to compare with Tom's find.

This one shows unit IDs.

https://thelib.ru/books/00/17/29/00172913/i_009.jpg

And a "military-historical" essay on the islands, including information on the defenses of 1941:

https://thelib.ru/books/sergey_buldygin ... -read.html

nb. Items located with the assistance of an internet colleague. My Russian is far too sparse to find material like this.

Cheers

[Lobster]

Wow this is all far better than I had imagined. You guys have gone above and beyond. [&o]