Soviet ambush on Luftwaffe trucks in Norway, 25 March 1944

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Hello,

The translated version of the War Diary of the German Naval Staff Operation Division has two entries on an attack on a Luftwaffe truck column on 25 March 1944.

The most complete entry (on 30 March 1944) says:
"At 2325 hrs on 25 March between Vardoe and Vadsoe a lorry column of the Luftwaffe was surprisingly attacked by a Russian commando of 50-70 soldiers. Six men are missing, one is KIA. Presumably the evacuation of the Russians has been made by PT-boats."

The first entry on 26 March says that the six missing were captured and taken off.

Does someone have more details on this action ? I am interested in both sides, German and Russian. Thanks in advance

[Andrey Kuznetsov]

Hello Laurent,

it was a group from SOR (Northern Defence Area). They had landed from MTBs (PT-Boats). 6 POW and some documents were taken.
More detailed answer will be some days later when I'll back home.

Best regards,
Andrey

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Thanks Andrey

[Andrey Kuznetsov]

As it turned out, I can add not very much.
The group (36 men) landed from two MTBs (TK-13 and TK-216). They attacked a lorry column on the road Vardø - Vadsø. 5 lorries and "up to 15 soldiers" were claimed destroyed, the group returned without losses with 6 POW and with captured documents.


Best regards,
Andrey

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Thanks again

[Valangler]

This is it.

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Thanks a lot Valangler !!!

Can you tell me from which source is coming this map ? Is there a written description of the action too ?

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Valangler, and all

That's an amazing map indeed...and fantastic subject/thread. Congratulations...

[RSwank]

I could be wrong about this, but in trying to locate on Google Maps where this attack took place, I found this location
70.207456, 30.456868 which "might" be where the five trucks of group II were attacked.

The contour lines and the road actually come "close" to those shown on the hand drawn map.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/70...456868!5m1!1e4

(You can zoom out on the above map to see where this area is located with respect to Murmansk.)


Street view starting at the truck site, (created Oct, 2010) shows a rather barren area:

https://www.google.com/maps/@70.2074...8i6656!5m1!1e4

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Most beautiful landscape...really beautiful in Summer; however in winter this must be totally white...

And the LW men (and trucks) they had nowhere to run away, isn't it? It is open ground...so a hand coup would do a lot of damage.

Does the Russian Report inform what kind of documents were found with the Germans? Was it a previously planned attack (I mean they knew what they were aft?) or just a routine patrol (coup) that by chance found this truck convoy??

Adriano