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Petsamo-Kirkenes Offensive of the Great Patriotic War began
October 7, 1944 began the Petsamo-Kirkenes operation - offensive of the troops of the Karelian Front and the Northern Navy against enemy forces in the north of Finland, in Petsamo (now Pechenga and Kola districts of the Murmansk region) and in the north of Norway.
Vyborg-Petrozavodsk strategic operation, successfully undertaken by the Soviet troops in June-August 1944, allowed to free the most of the Karelo-Finnish SSR and forced Finland to withdraw from the war. Prewar Soviet border was almost restored with the exception of the far north, where, in the small area west of Murmansk, German troops continued to hold the defense. For the enemy the area was quite important: there were the sources of strategic raw materials, as well as ice-free ports that allowed the navy of Germany to conduct active operations on the northern sea lines of the Allies.
German forces consisted of the 19th mountain Jaeger Corps, which included three mountain divisions and 4 brigades numbering about 53,000 men. The Corps held echelon defense on difficult terrain. The troops of the Soviet Karelian Front, commanded by General of the Army (from October 26, 1944 - Marshal of the Soviet Union) K. A. Meretskov, numbered about 113,000 men; the Army was supported by the 7th Air Force and the ships and units of the Northern Navy.
The morning of 7 October, after an artillery barrage, began the Soviet offensive. During the three days of fierce fighting, the defense of the enemy in the main sector was breached through to a depth of 16 km. Making the detour to the south, Soviet forces threatened to encircle the enemy and forced him to withdraw. In the night of October 10, a landing that coasted the south bank of Little Volokovaya – a bay between the mainland Kola Peninsula and Middle Peninsula - reached the flank and the rear of the enemy and broke his resistance in this area, and 12 – 14 October the next tactical landing operation allowed to free Liinakhamari port.
October 15 was released an important naval base and a powerful stronghold of the enemy’s defense - Petsamo (now Pechenga), and October 22 - the settlement of Nikel. October 22, Soviet troops in pursuit of the retreating enemy, according to the international agreements concluded earlier, crossed the Norwegian border. October 25 Karelian front troops supported by the maritime landing released Norwegian town of Kirkenes, and two days later – the town of Neiden. Petsamo-Kirkenes operation ended October 29, 1944. As a result, the Soviet troops consolidated the position north to Neiden and southwest Nautsi.
Petsamo-Kirkenes operation, one of the "Ten Stalin’s blows" made it possible to defeat the enemy in the Soviet Arctic and marked the beginning of the liberation of Norway from German occupation. Nazis lost killed about 30 thousand men; the Northern Navy sunk 156 ships and vessels of the enemy, and Soviet aircraft destroyed 125 German planes. Irretrievable loss of Soviet troops (killed, died of wounds or missing) was about 6, 000 men. For the merits in battle, 51 formations and one unit were awarded the honorary name "Pechenga" and "Kirkenes", 70 formations and units were awarded medals, more than 50 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. December 5, 1944 the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR established the medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic," which was awarded to about 353, 000 men.
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Based on the Presidential Library’s materials: