Battle of Suursaari

Overview

The Battle of Suursaari was fought over the frozen Gulf of Finland on and around the islands of Gogland and Bolshoy Tyuters during the Second World War. After sharp fighting the numerically superior Finnish forces seized the Gogland and Bolshoy Tyuters against the Red Army, and later provided support for Nazi German forces defending Bolshoy Tyuters against Soviet counterattacks.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Suursaari was fought over the frozen Gulf of Finland, centered on the islands of Gogland and Bolshoy Tyuters during the Continuation War. Finnish forces under Aaro Pajari, numbering approximately 3,500, seized both islands from the Red Army after sharp fighting, inflicting casualties estimated at 300 Soviet losses against 109 Finnish. The capture of these Gulf of Finland islands extended Finnish operational reach into the maritime approaches and subsequently placed Finnish forces in a position to support German defensive efforts when Soviet counterattacks were directed at Bolshoy Tyuters. The engagement illustrated the degree to which Finnish and German operations in the northern theater were operationally intertwined during this phase of the war.

Tactics

Forces & casualties

Commanders (1)