Burning Baltics Expansion - Narva Bridgehead Versus #4
Hello!
We have arrived at the latest Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics Versus post. Two slightly different battlegroups will take today’s center stage: the 11. SS-Freiwilligen Panzergrenadier-Division “Nordland” and the Red Army’s 7. Eesti Laskurdiviis (7th Estonian Rifle Division).
In comparison to the other Versus formations previously featured, which all fought during Operation Doppelkopf, the two divisions highlighted today were located further north, in Army Group North’s area of responsibility.
Specifically, both the ”Nordland” and the 7th Estonian Rifle Division took part in the hard-fought Battle for Narva campaign, including the infamous Battle of Tannenberg Line.
In case you’ve forgotten:
[h2]Historical Background[/h2]
The Battle of Tannenberg Line forms the second phase of the larger Battle for Narva campaign fought from February to August 1944 in Estonia. This particular battle was preceded by the Battle of the Narva Bridgehead, concluded by July 1944. The struggle focused on the strategically important Narva Isthmus, which provided a way into the northern Baltic country for the Red Army’s Leningrad Front. The narrow battlefield was fiercely defended by a motley collection of Axis troops, including various SS formations which included Scandinavians (part of Nordland) to Dutchmen, Belgians, Estonians, etc. That’s why the Battle of Tannenberg Line is sometimes called the The Battle of the European SS.
This particular engagement was brutal, with near-constant attacks and heavy artillery bombardments from the Red Army, and an almost desperate defense from the Axis troops involved. Exhausted, the Soviets called a halt after horrendous losses and only negligible results. Considered a German tactical victory at the conclusion of this hard-fought battle, which finished around the same time Operation Doppelkopf kicked off further south.
The German victories were short-lived, however. Later Red Army offensives in September overran the defensive lines, which forced the evacuation of the Baltics, including Estonia, and resulted in the pocket at Courland and the siege of Memel.
[h2]11. SS-Freiwilligen Panzergrenadier-Division “Nordland”[/h2]
Built around an existing Nordic SS regiment (from “Wiking”) but expanded on a low budget, the 11. SS-Freiwilligen Panzergrenadier-Division “Nordland” had to make do with whatever equipment was around. For instance, while this division was supposed to have both a separate Panzer-Abteilung (with Panzer IV or StuG) and a Panzerjäger-Abteilung (with StuG), it never fought with the latter, and all the StuG were concentrated in the Panzer-Abteilung. Nordland was one of the SS volunteer divisions, housing a large contingent of Scandinavian SS troops in its ranks.
Nordland fought mostly with the III. SS-Panzerkorp: around Leningrad and Narva, where it was ordered to defend as long as possible. The division made its famous stand at Tannenberg Line, where it withstood countless attacks. Having held back the enemy, it was moved to Riga but arrived too late to play a significant role in the last phase of Operation Doppelkopf.
During the campaign in the Baltics, it managed to acquire left-over materiel from units sent back to Germany to be refitted. That’s how a dozen worn-out Panthers found their way in Nordland's arsenal. No Panzergrenadier-Division was supposed to field Panthers, which made the SS formation unique. Nordland's workshops worked around the clock to keep these older tanks running.
Some of the Panthers were used as fixed, dug-in positions. This will be represented in-game as a new Panther-Stellung defensive position in Breakthrough mode!
[h2]Nordland’s main features[/h2]
A battlegroup pockmarked by near-constant fighting, Nordland’s equipment might not be state-of-the-art but features plenty of choices.
It might not be the hardest hitting battlegroup, but Nordland offers plenty of flexibility, allowing you to adapt quickly to most situations and opponents.
[h2]7. Eesti Laskurdiviis[/h2]
The Soviet 7th Estonian Rifle Division was an integral part of the Red Army, under the umbrella of the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps. This overarching command also contained another Estonian rifle division (the 249th) and the 45th Estonian Tank Regiment. Formed in 1942, this corps participated in some of the Eastern Front’s bloodiest battles: Leningrad, Velikiye Luki, before participating in the offensive aimed at breaking through at Narva. The formation suffered heavily, in both manpower and equipment, during the war years.
Mostly incorporating ethnic Estonians and officers from the pre-war Republic of Estonia’s Army, the 7th Estonian Rifle Division is a regular Soviet rifle division, but with all its Estonian troops fully voiced!
During the Battle of Narva in 1944, the 7th Estonian Rifle Division directly engaged the Estonians fighting for the Waffen SS. Later, the division’s troops were one of the first to enter the Estonian capital of Tallinn, for which the units received the name of the city as a battle honor.
[h2]7. Eesti Laskurdiviis’ main features[/h2]
The 7th Estonian Rifle Division is featured in-game as it was when spearheading the assault towards Tallinn at the end of September. This means that we have also incorporated elements from supporting formations, such as the 45th (Estonian) Tank Regiment, the 952nd (Soviet) SU Regiment, and remnants of the 152nd (Soviet) Tank Brigade.
The 7th Estonian Rifle Division is a battlegroup geared towards being used on the defensive, even though it lacks sizable AT forces. It compensates this with a strong air force and fielding more tanks than a typical Soviet rifle division.
[h2]What can you expect from Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics?[/h2] Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics will feature:
[h2]See you next week[/h2]
That’s it for this week. We are keen to hear what you think!
If you want to reach out to us, you can do this through our Steam forums and Eugen forums, or check our (Facebook and Twitter). Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page.
See you on the battlefield, commander!
We have arrived at the latest Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics Versus post. Two slightly different battlegroups will take today’s center stage: the 11. SS-Freiwilligen Panzergrenadier-Division “Nordland” and the Red Army’s 7. Eesti Laskurdiviis (7th Estonian Rifle Division).
In comparison to the other Versus formations previously featured, which all fought during Operation Doppelkopf, the two divisions highlighted today were located further north, in Army Group North’s area of responsibility.
Specifically, both the ”Nordland” and the 7th Estonian Rifle Division took part in the hard-fought Battle for Narva campaign, including the infamous Battle of Tannenberg Line.
In case you’ve forgotten:
- The first Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics Versus takes an in-depth look at the two Armored battlegroups featured: the Panzerverband Strachwitzcheck and the 19-y Tank Corpus.
- The second Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics Versus dives deep into the two Mechanized battlegroups: Panzergrenadier-Division “Grossdeutschland” and Rezerv 43-y Armii.
- The third Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics Versus puts the spotlight on the Infantry battlegroups with the 52. Sicherungs-Division z.b.V. and the Podv. Gruppa Fedyunkin.
[h2]Historical Background[/h2]
The Battle of Tannenberg Line forms the second phase of the larger Battle for Narva campaign fought from February to August 1944 in Estonia. This particular battle was preceded by the Battle of the Narva Bridgehead, concluded by July 1944. The struggle focused on the strategically important Narva Isthmus, which provided a way into the northern Baltic country for the Red Army’s Leningrad Front. The narrow battlefield was fiercely defended by a motley collection of Axis troops, including various SS formations which included Scandinavians (part of Nordland) to Dutchmen, Belgians, Estonians, etc. That’s why the Battle of Tannenberg Line is sometimes called the The Battle of the European SS.
This particular engagement was brutal, with near-constant attacks and heavy artillery bombardments from the Red Army, and an almost desperate defense from the Axis troops involved. Exhausted, the Soviets called a halt after horrendous losses and only negligible results. Considered a German tactical victory at the conclusion of this hard-fought battle, which finished around the same time Operation Doppelkopf kicked off further south.
The German victories were short-lived, however. Later Red Army offensives in September overran the defensive lines, which forced the evacuation of the Baltics, including Estonia, and resulted in the pocket at Courland and the siege of Memel.
[h2]11. SS-Freiwilligen Panzergrenadier-Division “Nordland”[/h2]
Built around an existing Nordic SS regiment (from “Wiking”) but expanded on a low budget, the 11. SS-Freiwilligen Panzergrenadier-Division “Nordland” had to make do with whatever equipment was around. For instance, while this division was supposed to have both a separate Panzer-Abteilung (with Panzer IV or StuG) and a Panzerjäger-Abteilung (with StuG), it never fought with the latter, and all the StuG were concentrated in the Panzer-Abteilung. Nordland was one of the SS volunteer divisions, housing a large contingent of Scandinavian SS troops in its ranks.
Nordland fought mostly with the III. SS-Panzerkorp: around Leningrad and Narva, where it was ordered to defend as long as possible. The division made its famous stand at Tannenberg Line, where it withstood countless attacks. Having held back the enemy, it was moved to Riga but arrived too late to play a significant role in the last phase of Operation Doppelkopf.
During the campaign in the Baltics, it managed to acquire left-over materiel from units sent back to Germany to be refitted. That’s how a dozen worn-out Panthers found their way in Nordland's arsenal. No Panzergrenadier-Division was supposed to field Panthers, which made the SS formation unique. Nordland's workshops worked around the clock to keep these older tanks running.
Some of the Panthers were used as fixed, dug-in positions. This will be represented in-game as a new Panther-Stellung defensive position in Breakthrough mode!
[h2]Nordland’s main features[/h2]
A battlegroup pockmarked by near-constant fighting, Nordland’s equipment might not be state-of-the-art but features plenty of choices.
- The Recon category is one of the strongest for this battlegroup, with several good options including Puma and Schwedenzug. The latter is the grouping of the few remaining Swedes of the division into the same platoon: this is featured in-game as a heavy recon squad equipped with PPSh, SVT, and twin MG-34.
- The Infantry category is pretty classic but shines in the number of open slots and their low costs. Due to battlefield conditions and limits of supply, half of the PzGrenadier are armed with the older MG-26 LMG.
- Only a few tanks are available. These include Panther D, StuG III and several StuG IV, but all come with combat experience.
- The Stuka zu Fuss, a unique fire support vehicle, is featured in the Support category, which is a combination of a SdKfz. 251/9 half-track (with short 75mm) and Wurframen with a 280mm rocket!
- One of the drawbacks of the battlegroup can be found in the AT category. With the divisional Panzerjäger-Abteilung having never been formed, the player can only rely on regimental guns, for a good part captured Soviet 45mm or ZiS-3, as well as only a handful of Beute SU-76M.
- The anti-aircraft and artillery units are pretty standard for a Panzergrenadier-Division. A noteworthy unit is the Vielfachwerfer MLRS.
- Air forces on call are limited, with only a few fighters and Stuka dive bombers available. However, the Arado 234 B-2, the first jet bomber, became active around the summer’s end and could range as far north as Lithuania. As such, this new fast “recon bomber” has been added as a counterpart to the new Soviet Yer-2 bomber.
- The other dug-in Panther-Stellung fixed defensive structure is featured in the Defensive category.
It might not be the hardest hitting battlegroup, but Nordland offers plenty of flexibility, allowing you to adapt quickly to most situations and opponents.
[h2]7. Eesti Laskurdiviis[/h2]
The Soviet 7th Estonian Rifle Division was an integral part of the Red Army, under the umbrella of the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps. This overarching command also contained another Estonian rifle division (the 249th) and the 45th Estonian Tank Regiment. Formed in 1942, this corps participated in some of the Eastern Front’s bloodiest battles: Leningrad, Velikiye Luki, before participating in the offensive aimed at breaking through at Narva. The formation suffered heavily, in both manpower and equipment, during the war years.
Mostly incorporating ethnic Estonians and officers from the pre-war Republic of Estonia’s Army, the 7th Estonian Rifle Division is a regular Soviet rifle division, but with all its Estonian troops fully voiced!
During the Battle of Narva in 1944, the 7th Estonian Rifle Division directly engaged the Estonians fighting for the Waffen SS. Later, the division’s troops were one of the first to enter the Estonian capital of Tallinn, for which the units received the name of the city as a battle honor.
[h2]7. Eesti Laskurdiviis’ main features[/h2]
The 7th Estonian Rifle Division is featured in-game as it was when spearheading the assault towards Tallinn at the end of September. This means that we have also incorporated elements from supporting formations, such as the 45th (Estonian) Tank Regiment, the 952nd (Soviet) SU Regiment, and remnants of the 152nd (Soviet) Tank Brigade.
- The battlegroup’s recon forces are decent, with rather typical choices and unit availability.
- The soldier squads are what you can expect from a regular Soviet rifle division. However, there are fewer regular riflemen and more of the new Cherno squads. These are gang-pressed Estonian recruits, picked up along the campaign trail to make up for battlefield losses, and as such, carry the Disheartened trait.
- The 7th Estonian Rifle Division can call on a fair share of tanks, including Estonian T-34/76 and Soviet T-26, KV-1S and Churchill IV. Only the last slots are expensive.
- A noteworthy new unit can be found in the Support tab: SMERSH counter-espionage units. These are larger in-game squads, made up of nine military police soldiers. These replace the regular NKVD squads.
- One of the drawbacks of this battlegroup is the limited availability of its anti-tank forces, with only 45mm guns and a few SU-76 PT and SU-85 deployable.
- Likewise, the AA units are few and far between, with a small number of slots and a high price for each. You’ll get Quad Maxim and 37mm pieces to defend yourself from air attacks.
- The 7th Estonian Rifle Division can deploy a sizable amount of artillery units (including some Soviet ones) with usual complement of mortars, 76,2mm and 122mm howitzers, 152mm off-map and Andryusha 300mm MLRS.
- The battlegroup can also call on a good mix of air forces, such as fighters, close air support planes, as well as the new Yer-2 long-range bombers (which can also found in Podv. Gruppa Fedyunkina).
The 7th Estonian Rifle Division is a battlegroup geared towards being used on the defensive, even though it lacks sizable AT forces. It compensates this with a strong air force and fielding more tanks than a typical Soviet rifle division.
[h2]What can you expect from Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics?[/h2] Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics will feature:
- 1 massive new Army General campaign set in the Baltics during Operation Doppelkopf, allowing you to take command of either the attacking Axis 3. Panzerarmee or the defending Allied 1st Baltic Front.
- 8 new Divisions, playable solo, coop, or in multiplayer, including 6 which took part during Doppelkopf and 2 divisions from Army Group North’s theater of operations.
- 120+ new units, including a variety of new models such as Aufklärungspanzer 38(t) recon tank, Ar 196 A-3 floatplane, Soviet MT-13 160mm super-heavy mortar and the BS-3 100mm heavy AT gun.
- 2 new Nations: Lithuania (Axis) and Estonia (Allies) and 2 new Aces.
[h2]See you next week[/h2]
That’s it for this week. We are keen to hear what you think!
If you want to reach out to us, you can do this through our Steam forums and Eugen forums, or check our (Facebook and Twitter). Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page.
See you on the battlefield, commander!