Petsamo–Kirkenes offensive
The Petsamo–Kirkenes offensive was a major military offensive during World War II, mounted by the Red Army against the Wehrmacht in 1944 in the Petsamo region, ceded to the Soviet Union by Finland in accordance with the Moscow Armistice, and Norway. The offensive defeated the Wehrmacht's forces in the Arctic, driving them back into Norway, and was called the "Tenth Shock" by Stalin. It later expelled German forces from the northern part of Norway and seized the nickel mines of Petsamo.
| Petsamo–Kirkenes offensive | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Eastern Front of World War II | |||||||
Soviet landing party heading for Kirkenes, Norway. | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Soviet Union |
Germany Quisling Government | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Kirill Meretskov Vladimir Shcherbakov | Lothar Rendulic | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
14th Army 133,500 men 110 tanks 2,100 guns |
20th Mountain Army 45,000 men 145 guns | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
6,084 killed or missing 15,149 wounded 21,233 overall |
8,263 overall (whole of October) | ||||||
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