Battle of Sukho Island

{{Short description|Naval engagement between the Soviet Navy and German Luftwaffe during World War II}}

{{Infobox military conflict

| conflict = Battle of Sukho Island

| partof = the Eastern Front of World War II

| image = Road of life. 1941 December.jpg

| caption = Map showing the Axis occupation of Leningrad Oblast by the end of 1941, also showing Sukho Island on Lake Ladoga

| date = 22 October 1942

| place = Sukho Island, Lake Ladoga

| result = Soviet victory

| combatant1 = {{unbulleted indent list|indent=0.4em

|{{flag country|Nazi Germany}}

|{{flag country|Fascist Italy}}

|{{flag|Finland|1920}}

}}

| combatant2 = {{flag|Soviet Union|1936}}

| commander1 = {{unbulleted indent list|indent=0.4em

|{{flag icon|Nazi Germany|air force}} Friedrich Siebel

|{{flag icon|Nazi Germany|air force}} Max Wachtel

}}

| commander2 = {{flag icon|Soviet Union|naval-1935}} Viktor Cherokov

| strength1 = {{unbulleted indent list|indent=0.4em

|11 combatant ferries

|3 transport ferries

|7 infantry boats

|70 troops (landing party)

|1 HQ ferry, 1 hospital ferry, 1 motor torpedo boat

}}

| strength2 = {{unbulleted indent list|indent=0.4em

|3 × {{cvt|100|mm}} coastal guns, 1 × 12.7 mm, 1 × 7.62 mm and 1 × quadruple 7.62 mm AA machine guns, {{circa|90|100}} troops{{efn|The size of the Soviet garrison of Sukho (Commander, Senior Lieutenant Ivan Gusev) during Operation Brazil, it is cited according to various sources; according to some sources, at that time the garrison included {{circa|30|40}} construction soldiers from a Soviet Ladoga Flotilla construction battalion, who were building fortifications on the island.{{sfn|Goncharov|2019a}}{{sfn|Meister|Morozov (ed.)|2005|pp={{nowrap|282–283}}, {{nowrap|319–320}}}}}}

|1 minesweeper, 1 patrol boat{{efn|These Soviet warships (the minesweeper {{nowrap|TShch-100}} and the {{sclass2|MO|small guard ship|0}} patrol boat {{nowrap|MO-171}}) patrolled the waterway area near Sukho Island on the night of October {{nowrap|21–22}}, 1942, and participated in the battle during the Axis landing.{{sfn|Zefirov|Dyogtev|Bazhenov|2008}}{{sfn|Nikitin|2019|pp=91–96}}}}

|2 gunboats, 2 motor torpedo boats, 2 patrol boats, 2 armored boats{{efn|This Soviet naval force (the gunboats Bira and Selemdzha with the towed {{sclass2|G-5|motor torpedo boat|2}}s {{nowrap|TKA-61}} and {{nowrap|TKA-81}}, under the command of Captain 1st Rank Nikolai Ozarovsky, as well as the {{sclass2|MO|small guard ship|0}} patrol boats {{nowrap|MO-198}} and {{nowrap|MO-214}}, and the Project 1124 armored boats {{nowrap|BKA-99}} and {{nowrap|BKA-100}}, under the command of Senior Lieutenant Nikolai Yepikhin) departed from {{ill|Morye|ru|Морье}} some time after receiving the radiogram about the Axis landing on Sukho Island, so it participated in the battle during the pursuit phase.{{sfn|Nikitin|2019|pp=96–99, {{nowrap|103–106}}}}}}

|1 gunboat, 3 minesweepers, 3 patrol boats{{efn|This Soviet naval detachment (the gunboat Nora, the {{transliteration|ru|Izhorets}}-class minesweepers {{nowrap|TShch-37}}, {{nowrap|TShch-126}} and {{nowrap|TShch-127}}, the {{sclass2|MO|small guard ship|0}} patrol boats {{nowrap|MO-201}}, {{nowrap|MO-205}} and {{nowrap|MO-206}}, under the command of Captain 3rd Rank Pyotr Kuriat) departed from Novaya Ladoga some time after receiving the radiogram about the Axis landing on Sukho Island; according to some sources, it did not find the enemy and did not participate in the battle.{{sfn|Nikitin|2019|pp=96–99, {{nowrap|103–106}}}}}}

}}

| casualties1 = {{unbulleted indent list|indent=0.4em

|4 combatant ferries lost

|1 infantry boat lost

|Unknown number of aircraft

|18 KIA, 57 WIA, 4 MIA

}}

| casualties2 = {{unbulleted indent list|indent=0.4em

|1 gunboat and 1 patrol boat damaged

|2 × 100 mm coastal guns and 2 × AA machine guns destroyed, 1 × AA machine gun damaged

|6 aircraft lost (4 Ilyushin Il-2, 2 Polikarpov I-15bis)

|6 KIA, 23 WIA, 6 POW

}}

The Battle of Sukho Island, also known as Operation Brazil ({{langx|de|Brasil}}),{{sfn|Nikitin|2019|p=14}} was an amphibious operation and naval engagement on Lake Ladoga between the Soviet Navy and a German {{lang|de|Luftwaffe}} naval detachment during World War II.

Background

File:Einsatzstab Fähre Ost Ladoga.jpg on Lake Ladoga, 13 August 1942]]

During the siege of Leningrad the Soviets moved supplies to the city through Lake Ladoga. The Axis deployed the Finnish Ladoga Naval Detachment, Naval Detachment K (including the Italian {{lang|it|XII Squadriglia MAS}}), and the German {{lang|de|Luftwaffe Einsatzstab Fähre Ost}}, to interdict the route;Kijanen, Kalervo (1968). Suomen Laivasto 1918–1968 II. Helsinki: Meriupseeriyhdistys/Otava. pp. 185–197. the MAS unit conducted motor torpedo boat attacks.Ruge, F. (1979), The Soviets as Naval Opponents {{nowrap|1941–1945}}, p. 26, {{ISBN|0-85059-390-5}}. The combined Axis force failed to significantly interrupt traffic.

The culmination of Axis operations was the raid against Sukho Island, {{circa|{{cvt|20|km|mi nmi}}}} from the southern shore of the lake, which covered supply lines and the approaches to Soviet bases.

Axis forces

{{multiple image

| align = right

| direction = vertical

| width = 250

| image1 = JSdia173.jpg

| image2 = JSdia175.jpg

| footer = A German heavy (top) and a light (bottom) anti-aircraft combat Siebel ferry during the Axis naval review at Lakhdenpokhya on Lake Ladoga, 13 August 1942

}}

The attack was commanded by {{lang|de|Oberstleutnant}} Max Wachtel. The flotilla was composed of 16 Siebel ferries, 7 infantry boats ({{langx|de|Infanterietransporter „Siebelgefäß“|lit=Siebel Vessel infantry transporter|links=no}}, a.k.a. {{langx|de|{{nowrap|I-Boot}}|lit={{nowrap|I-boat}}|label=none}}), and 3 Italian motor torpedo boats (two of them provided escort to Sukho Island, after which they returned to their base).{{sfn|Nikitin|2019|p=91}} Seven combatant ferries (SF 11, SF 13, SF 15, SF 17, SF 21, SF 23, SF 25) were fitted with heavy anti-aircraft weapons. Four combatant ferries (SF 12, SF 14, SF 22, SF 26) were fitted with light anti-aircraft weapons. A 70-troop landing party was carried aboard three transport ferries (T 2, T 4, T 6), and allocated five of the {{nowrap|I-boats}}. There was also one HQ ferry and one hospital ferry.

Axis fighters (German Messerschmitt Bf 109s and Finnish Fiat G.50s) provided air cover for the landing force during the battle.{{sfn|Goncharov|2019b}}

Battle

File:DSC06480 2018v.jpg, 2018 ({{langx|ru|ТЩ-100|italic=yes}}; in {{nowrap|1919–1940}} it was the Finnish gunboat {{lang|fi|Aunus}}, a 1900 icebreaking river tug commissioned into naval service)]]

The German ferries were escorted at a distance by the Italian motor torpedo boat MAS 526 (according to some sources, it was MAS 528);{{sfn|Meister|Morozov (ed.)|2005|pp={{nowrap|282–283}}, {{nowrap|319–320}}}}{{sfn|Nikitin|2019|p=91}} critically, surprise was lost when they were detected by the Soviet minesweeper {{nowrap|TShch-100}} which joined the battle, and then by the {{sclass2|MO|small guard ship|0}} patrol boat {{nowrap|MO-171}} which entered the battle later.{{cite web|title=Gunboat "Aunus"|url=http://heninen.net/aunus/english.htm|website=Heninen.net|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241012063230/http://heninen.net/aunus/english.htm|archive-date=October 12, 2024|access-date=February 21, 2025}} Before landing, nine German Junkers Ju 88 As from KG 1 bombed the island (according to some sources, these were two Junkers Ju 88s).{{sfn|Nikitin|2019|p=94}} The Axis landing party landed on Sukho under the cover of the combatant ferries; two of the three Soviet {{nowrap|100 mm/56}} {{nowrap|B-24BM}} coastal guns, as well as two anti-aircraft machine guns, were destroyed, another anti-aircraft machine gun was damaged; and the lighthouse was also damaged but not taken.{{sfn|Goncharov|2019a}}{{sfn|Meister|Morozov (ed.)|2005|pp={{nowrap|282–283}}, {{nowrap|319–320}}}} The landing party withdrew after sustaining casualties and losing radio contact (radios were flooded with water), having received a flare retreat signal.{{sfn|Zefirov|Dyogtev|Bazhenov|2008}}

On the lake, multiple German ferries grounded around the island. SF 12 grounded on rocks, followed by SF 13 while attempting to assist. SF 22 grounded after being disabled by the remaining Soviet 100 mm coastal gun; SF 14 and SF 26 grounded attempting to assist. A Soviet patrol boat was damaged and retreated under a smoke screen. The arrival of the main forces of the Soviet Ladoga Flotilla forced the Axis to withdraw after having refloated SF 14 and SF 22.

File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-005-0015-35, Jugoslawien, Polizeieinsatz, Truppentransport.jpg mounted atop the pilothouse, 1943]]

Soviet naval and air forces pursued but inflicted only minor damage on the retreating Germans; attacks by the Soviet {{sclass2|G-5|motor torpedo boat|2}}s {{nowrap|TKA-61}} and {{nowrap|TKA-81}} on rear-guard transport ferries scored no hits, while the Germans claimed four hits on a Soviet ship. The German retreat was slowed by ferries suffering machinery failure. SF 21 was used as a rearguard; it silenced the remaining gun on Sukho but was damaged and then abandoned – along with the towed infantry boat I 6 – when it began to sink from leaks and pump failures, after which it was set on fire by gunfire from the ferries SF 11 and SF 23.{{cite web|last=Aromaa|first=Jari|url=https://kotisivut.fonet.fi/~aromaa/Navygallery/Background/Wartime/Ladoga.htm|title=Finnish navy in Continuation War, year 1942|website=Kotisivut.fonet.fi|date=July 2, 2007|access-date=February 24, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180330012540/https://kotisivut.fonet.fi/~aromaa/Navygallery/Background/Wartime/Ladoga.htm|archive-date=March 30, 2018|url-status=dead}}{{sfn|Zefirov|Dyogtev|Bazhenov|2008}}

Aftermath

The Axis suffered heavy casualties for little result, and marked the effective end of offensive Axis operations on Lake Ladoga. 17 of the 23 participating German ships were sunk or seriously damaged;{{cite web|title=War on Lake Ladoga|url=http://heninen.net/laatokka-war/english.htm|website=Heninen.net|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240528092453/http://heninen.net/laatokka-war/english.htm|archive-date=May 28, 2024|access-date=February 21, 2025}} four combatant ferries (SF 12, SF 13, SF 21, SF 26) and one {{nowrap|I-boat}} (I 6, which was captured by Soviet forces) were lost, and SF 22 was heavily damaged (one of the light combat Siebel ferries that were lost aground near Sukho Island was captured by Soviet forces, then repaired and commissioned as {{nowrap|DB-51}} of the Soviet Navy). Crew and troop casualties amounted to 18 killed, 57 wounded (one of them fatally) and 4 missing.{{sfn|Nikitin|2019|pp=99, {{nowrap|101–103}}}}

Total Soviet losses are 6 killed (or 7 killed according to some sources){{sfn|Goncharov|2019a}} and 23 wounded (according to some sources, two of them fatally).{{sfn|Goncharov|2019a}} Beyond naval losses, the Germans took six prisoners from Sukho.{{sfn|Nikitin|2019|p=99}}

Battle of Sukho Island

Background

Axis forces

Battle

Aftermath

See also

Notes

References

Further reading