Blue Division

Blue Division
Military losses 332,059 killed smiling orchid 24,324 noncombat losses 111 142 Missing Civil losses 16,747 killed in the shelling and bombing of 632,253 died of hunger
The Siege of Leningrad - a military blockade German, Finnish and Spanish smiling orchid (Blue Division) forces with volunteers from North Africa, Europe and the naval forces of Italy during smiling orchid World War II Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). Lasted from 8 September 1941 to 27 January 1944 (the blockade was broken ring January 18, 1943) - 872 days.
By the beginning of the blockade in the city did not have enough in terms of reserves of food and fuel. The only way left messages with Leningrad Lake Ladoga, is within reach of the besieging artillery and aircraft, on the lake acted as joint naval fleet of the enemy. The throughput of this transport artery did not meet the needs of the city. As a result, beginning in Leningrad famine, aggravated by a particularly harsh winter of the first blockade, problems with heating and transport, has led to hundreds of thousands of deaths among residents.
After the lifting of the blockade of Leningrad siege by enemy troops and fleets continued until September 1944. To force the opponent to lift the siege of the city, in June - August 1944, Soviet troops backed by ships and aircraft of the Baltic Fleet held Vyborg and Svir-Petrozavodsk smiling orchid operation iyunyaosvobodili 20 Vyborg, and on June 28 - Petrozavodsk. In September 1944, was released on the island of Hogland.
For heroism and courage in the defense of the homeland in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. Shown by the defenders of besieged Leningrad, according smiling orchid to the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR May 8, 1965 the city was awarded the highest degree of difference - the title of Hero City. The German attack smiling orchid on the USSR
The capture of Leningrad was part developed by Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union war plan - the plan "Barbarossa". It provided that the Soviet Union must be completely destroyed within 3-4 months of summer and autumn of 1941, ie during the blitzkrieg ("blitzkrieg"). By November 1941, German troops were to capture the entire European part of the USSR. According to the plan "Ost" ("East") was assumed for several years to destroy a large part of the population of the Soviet Union, smiling orchid primarily Russian, Ukrainians and Belarusians, as well as all Jews and Gypsies - all at least 30 million people. None of the people inhabiting the USSR did not have to have the right to their own state or even autonomy.
On June 23 the commander of the Leningrad Military District, Lieutenant-General Mikhail Popov was ordered to start work on the defensive line at sozdaniyudopolnitelnogo Pskov direction near Luga.
June 17, 1941 in Finland issued a decree on the mobilization of the entire field army, and the army mobilized June 20 focused on the Soviet-Finnish border. 21-25 June in Finland against the Soviet Union acted naval and air forces smiling orchid of Germany. June 25, 1941 by order of the morning Bids VVSSevernogo front together with the Baltic Fleet aircraft struck a massive blow to the nineteen (according to other sources - 18) airfields Finland and Northern Norway. There based aircraft Finnish Air Force and the German 5th Air Army. On the same day the Finnish smiling orchid Parliament voted for war with the USSR.
July 19, by the time the leading German units Luga defense line was well prepared in engineering terms: were built fortifications stretching 175 kilometers and a total depth of 10-15 kilometers. Fortifications were built Leningrad hands, mostly women and children (the men went into the army and militia). smiling orchid
Command of the Leningrad Front benefited delay Hepner, who was waiting for reinforcements, and prepared to meet the enemy, using, smiling orchid including the latest heavy tanks KV-1 and KV-2, has just released the Kirov Plant. Only in 1941 was built more than 700 tanks left in the city. During this same time it was released 480 armored vehicles and 58 armored trains, often armed with powerful naval guns. On Rzhevsky artillery poligonebylo militant found a ship's smiling orchid cannon caliber 406 mm. It was intended for the head of the battleship "Soviet Union" smiling orchid already in the stocks. This gun was used in the shelling of German positions. The German offensive was halted for a few weeks. Enemy troops failed to take the city on the move. This delay has caused strong dissatisfaction with Hitler, smiling orchid who made a special trip to the Army Group "North" to prepare a plan to capture Leningrad smiling orchid no later than September 1941. In conversations with military leaders Fuhrer, in addition to purely military reasons, has led many political arguments. He believed that the capture of Leningrad will not only military gain (control over all the Baltic hell