Ljubaner Operation

DATE: 08/03/2026

TIME (GMT): 19:00

ERA: WW2

MAP(S): Volkhov Forest

TYPE: COOP

GAME: Arma 3

EVENT: Official

AUTHOR(S): Sclembi

SLOTS: 76 / 90

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After the start of the Siege of Leningrad, the advance of the German Army Group North in the Battle of Tikhvin came to a halt between October 16 and December 30, 1941. At the end of 1941, the German 18th Army was positioned on the Mga–Kirischi railway line and on the Volkhov River, facing the troops of the Volkhov Front (4th, 52nd, and 59th Armies) and the left wing of the Leningrad Front—the 54th Army—in anticipation of a new offensive. The Oberkommando des Heeres reinforced Army Group North with four infantry divisions (215th, 126th, 250th, and 20th mot. ID.) from the OKH reserve, plus the 225th Infantry Division from France and the 2nd SS Infantry Brigade (mot.) from the Reich; in addition, four divisions were regrouped from the Leningrad area to the danger zone on the southern Volkhov.

The Stavka ordered the Volkhov Front to break the blockade of Leningrad as its operational objective. The 2nd Shock Army, newly assigned to the front, had been inserted at the beginning of January 1942 in the Krupichino-Gorodok sector between the 59th Army in the north and the 52nd Army in the south on the south of Chudovo. It commanded the 327th Rifle Division, the 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th, 53rd, 57th, 58th, and 59th Rifle Brigades, and about 10 ski battalions. The separate rifle brigades operated as smaller divisions with a strength of approximately 3,500 men each, consisting of three rifle battalions, and had been specially formed and trained for breakthrough operations in the Winter War. After a long, intensive training period behind the Urals, the troops were equipped with the best winter gear and rushed to the northern front.

On January 7, 1942, at around 4 p.m., in severe cold and difficult, partly wooded terrain, the Volkhov Front offensive began between Grusino and Sakharino. The northern flank of the main attack group, which was taken by the 2nd Shock Army, was covered by the 4th and 59th Armies, which concentrated their troops on both sides of Chudovo on the Volkhov section.

Heavy artillery fire preceded the infantry attack on the sections of the 215th Infantry Division (Lieutenant General Baptist Knieß) and the 126th Infantry Division (Lieutenant General Paul Laux). The southern wing of the XXXVIII Army Corps (General der Infanterie von Chappuis) extending to Novgorod – the 250th Infantry Division – was not affected by the attacks. The fire, which had initially been concentrated on the main battle bine and its immediate rear, was moved further back before the infantry attack began. Two heights were of particular importance to the 215th Infantry Division for maintaining the Volkhov defense because of their position slightly above the wide lowlands: the Dymno height on the west side and, almost opposite it on the east side of the river, the height near Borki. Across a width of 18 kilometers, the 435th and 380th Infantry Regiments were able to repel all Soviet attacks between Jamno and Dymno by evening. In the first half hour of the battle alone, the front attack units of the 2nd Shock Army suffered more than 3,000 dead and wounded. Only the 327th Rifle Division (Colonel I. M. Antyufeyev) achieved any tangible success, driving the German troops out of the settlement of Krasnoy Poselok and storming the fortified positions there.

By January 17, after three days of continuous attacks, the Red Army had succeeded in completely breaking through the front line of the German XXXVIII Army Corps (General der Infanterie von Chappuis). By the end of January, the troops of the 2nd Shock Army had advanced almost 75 kilometers and reached the approaches to the city of Ljuban via the Novgorod–Leningrad railway line. The 54th Army of the Leningrad Front had temporarily suspended its attacks after exhausting its ammunition. Furthermore, further attacks on the right flank of the front would have been a waste of resources due to the more important developments in the main area of attack. The 2nd Shock Army operated west of the runway, while the 59th Army fought east of it with its command post at Orelje on the eastern bank of the Volkhov.

In this mission we will play as elements of Heeresgruppe Nord (Army Group North) initially defending a position nearby Volkhov river. The soviet attacks will continue until nightfall, at which point the players will sally out and attempt to gain some ground under cover of the dark.