Jump to content

Operation Albion

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by FarSouthNavy (talk | contribs) at 00:56, 1 March 2013 (→Russian unitshttp://www.gwpda.org/naval/albion1.htm: Link's format). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Operation Albion
Part of World War I

Operation Albion amphibious operations 10–20 October
DateSeptember–October 1917
Location
Baltic Sea
Result German victory
Belligerents
German Empire Russian Republic
Commanders and leaders
German Empire Ludwig von Estorff
German Empire Ehrhard Schmidt		 Russia Mikhail Bakhirev
Russia Vasily Altvater
Strength
23,000 men,
5,000 horses,
1,400 vehicles,
150 machine guns,
54 guns,
12 mortars and munitions		 Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown Battleship Slava lost
Destroyer Grom lost
Panorama of the Tagalaht Bay, Saaremaa, Estonia. This was the location of the German landing on 11 October 1917.
The gun turrets of a battleship. A gray zeppelin flies overhead
German battleship Grosser Kurfürst taken during Operation Albion in October 1917
See also: Occupation of Estonia by German Empire

Operation Albion was the German land and naval operation in September–October 1917 to invade and occupy the West Estonian Archipelago, then part of the Autonomous Governorate of Estonia, Russian Republic. The land campaign opened with landings at the Tagalaht, Saaremaa on 11 October 1917, after extensive naval activity to clear mines and subdue coastal artillery batteries. The Germans secured the island by 16 October. The Russian Army evacuated Muhu on 18 October.

After two failed attempts, the Germans managed to land on Hiiumaa on the 19th and captured the island on the following day. The Russian Baltic Fleet had to withdraw from the Suur Strait after major losses (see Battle of Moon Sound). The Germans claimed 20,000 prisoners and 100 guns captured during the Operation Albion from 12 October.

Strategic significance

At the beginning of World War I the islands were of little importance to either Imperial Russia or Germany. However after the revolutionary turmoil in Russia during 1917, the German high command believed capturing the islands would outflank Russian defences and lay St. Petersburg vulnerable to attack.[1]

Order of battle

German units

Russian units[2]

References

Notes

  1. ^ Barrett (2008), p8
  2. ^ Operation Albion: The Attack On The Baltic Islands

Bibliography

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Operation Albion.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Operation_Albion&oldid=541379311"