Oberkommando Der Marine (Nazi German Navy High Command)

1943

Ostsee. Finnischer Meerbusen. Newa Bucht. Kronstadt bis Leningrad. Massstab, 1:50000…1902.

F. Müllhaupt for Dietrich Reimer (Andrews & Steiner)

Berlin

Chart Map

73

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50,000

Saint Petersburg (Russia)

World War II

Nautical Charts

Ostsee. Finnischer Meerbusen. Newa Bucht. Kronstadt bis Leningrad. Massstab, 1:50000…1902.

10617.000

Oberkommando Der Marine (Nazi German Navy High Command)

1943

Ostsee. Finnischer Meerbusen. Newa Bucht. Kronstadt bis Leningrad. Massstab, 1:50000…1902.

Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie (Rostock): R 154(1943)BSH; CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, Joint Army-Navy Intelligence Study of European U.S.S.R. (Washington, D.C., 1947), Chapter 8: Gazetteer and Map Appraisal, p. 18.

"An extremely rare World War II sea chart of the Leningrad and Kronstadt area made by the high Command of the Nazi German Navy during the Siege of Leningrad, one of the longest and bloodiest sieges in world history, granting a detailed overview of the city and its harbour which was blockaded by the German Kriegsmarine – the present example being a ‘headquarters’ copy from official German naval libraries. This extremely rare chart depicts the entire harbour area of Leningrad (St. Petersburg) and the island naval fortress of Kronstadt during the Siege of Leningrad (September 8, 1941 to January 27, 1944), when the city was encircled by German-Finnish forces for 872 days, being one of the longest and most deadly aspects of the Word War II. The map was made by the Oberkommando der Marine, the high command of the Nazi German Navy, which was responsible for blockading the harbour throughout the siege. This particular edition of the chart was updated to January 21, 1943, incorporating information gained during height of the siege, and would have been consulted by senior German commanders while planning ongoing operations. While primarily intended as a marine navigational aid, the chart features an excellent depiction of the city of Leningrad proper, as well as other features near the coasts. The general street plan of Leningrad is showcased, with major streets delineated (ex. Newski Prospekt) and all key edifices and institutions depicted, such as the ‘Izaak Kath.’ (St. Issac’s Cathedral, the great domed church that miraculously survived the bombing and served a symbol of the city’s resistance)‚ the ‘Winter Palais’, the ‘Admiraltät’ (Admiralty building), and the ‘Peter Paul Festung’ (Peter & Paul Fortress), as well as many others. Additionally, the map marks sites of military importance, such as port facilities, railway lines and stations, as well as the locations of ‘Kaserne’ (army barracks). Further down the coast to the west is the ‘Peterhof’, the former czarist palace complex. Importantly, guarding the entrance to the harbour, is the fortress island of Kronstadt, with its innumerable naval docks, arsenals, warehouses and edifices, which are all carefully detailed. Importantly, in advance of the siege, the Soviet Navy managed to save much of its Baltic Fleet, moving 165 vessels to Kronstadt. While the Kriegsmarine completely sealed the harbour off from the rest of the sea, the island, being defended by massive shore batteries and anti-aircraft guns, managed to successfully resist numerous German attacks, which included harrowing battles upon the ice that covered the harbour during the winter months. The waters of the harbour feature copious and continuously updated hydrographic information, including bathymetric soundings, the delineation of banks and shoals, ‘Baggerschüttstelle’ (dredging zones), while major navigational markers are heightened in yellow, with many sightlines drawn towards key markers. The present example of the chart was almost certainly a ‘headquarters copy’, having once been housed in the map libraries of either the major German naval bases at Kiel or Wilhelmshaven, where it would that would have been consulted by senior naval officers while planning fleet deployments. Importantly, the present chart bears the handstamps of the archive that inherited the contents of these libraries. In 1945, following the end of World War II, the Kiel and Wilhelmshaven map libraries were moved and merged into the archive of the newly-formed Deutsches Hydrographisches Institut (German Hydrographical Institute), in Hamburg. The Institut was the successor of the Norddeutsche Seewarte (North German Naval Observatory), and henceforth became the main library of the West German Navy. The present chart features the handstamp of the Institut, near the title, as well as, in the bottom margin, an ‘Archiv D.H.I.’ handstamp over-stamped with the word ‘Erledigt’ (meaning ‘Deaccessioned’), and well another D.H.I. handstamp labelling chart as a ‘Doppel (Ausleiheexemplar)’, meaning ‘Duplicate’ and ‘Loan Copy’, also over-stamped with ‘Erledigt’. This mean that the present chart was a duplicate that was officially deaccessioned for the library. Indeed, following German reunification in 1990, the BHI was reorganized as the Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie (BSH, Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency of Germany), which had premises in both Hamburg and Rostock. The BSH decided to deaccession many (usually duplicate) items from its archives, including the present chart (from its Rostock library). It is worth noting that most Nazi charts featured (often numerous) handstamps, a result of the Third Reich’s obsession with classification and order. A Note on Editions and Rarity The present chart is adapted from a plate originally created by the German Imperial Navy, under the title Kronstadt bis St. Petersburg, in 1901, and subsequently majorly revised in new editions in 1902, 1911 and 1929, with ‘Kleine Berichtigungen’ (small corrections) added at frequent dated intervals from 1936 until January 21, 1943. In the lower left corner of the map, the note ‘Grundlagen’ reveals the main base sources for the work, mentioning various Russian maps, although many of the hydrographic details on the present edition would have been based upon recent reconnaissance and intelligence. As best as we can tell, five distinct issues of the chart were issued by the Kreigsmarine during World War II, being the editions of 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943 (the present work) and 1944; all of which are today extremely rare. Sea charts produced by the Nazi German Navy are very rare, being much more uncommon than comparable British or American charts. This had a great deal to do with the fact that the Nazis were far more secretive with their charts; they were considered ‘highly classified’ and were produced in only very small print runs for restricted use by senior naval officers. Moreover, most of the examples which did circulate would have been exposed to wear during headquarters strategy sessions or onboard vessels, leading to a very low survival rate. We can trace only a single example of the present 1943 edition of the chart in institutional holdings, held by the Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie at their Rostock premises (this is seemingly the sister copy of the present example, which is its ‘Duplicate’). Moreover, we cannot trace any sales records. Curiously, the present edition of the chart is cited as a source in the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency’s 1947 confidential briefing (since declassified) on the European parts of the U.S.S.R. The Siege of Leningrad: Soviet Bravery during 872 Days of Terror The 872-day long Siege of Leningrad was one of the most horrific events of World War II, that showcased the both Third Reich’s depravity and the bravery of the Soviet people to their maximal extents. The Third Reich and the Soviets signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (August 23, 1939) forging an alliance of convenience, dividing Poland between them. However, as Germany steamrolled the Allies in Western Europe, Hitler (against the advice of many of his generals) felt emboldened to follow his avaricious instincts. As part of his design to gain ‘lebensraum’ (living space) for the German race, the Third Reich formed the ‘Generalplan Ost’, a genocidal scheme to invade and completely depopulate European Russia of its indigenous inhabitants, so leaving room to create and re-settle a gigantic Germany extending to the gates of Asia. On June 22, 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union, in what was called Operation Barbarossa. This massive endeavour employed over 4 million Axis troops and aimed to duplicate the Blizkrieg that had easily crushed France the year previous, by making a lightning strike across the Russian plains to take all the territory west of the ‘A-A Line’, which ran north-south from Archangel to Astrakhan, before the onset of the winter. This plan assumed that both Leningrad and Moscow could be taken with relative ease. The Germans possessed an overwhelming technological and organizational advantage, and assumed that the Soviets would ‘fold’ without too much trouble, as the Russians had in the early part of World War I. However, while the Germans initially held the upper-hand and made progress into Soviet territory, they severely underestimated the commitment and bravery of the Red Army. Even with comparatively poor weaponry, and with variable leadership, the Soviet troops fought tirelessly and fearlessly; even after enduring horrendous casualties, their resolve remained undiminished. Taking Leningrad was of vital importance to the ‘Generalplan Ost’. While no longer the national capital of Russia, the city was the USSR’s window to the world, a great symbol Russian pride, as well as being a major industrial centre. Hitler’s plan was to almost completely level the city, killing or exiling all of its inhabitants, whereupon Germany would annex the territory south of the Neva River, while its Axis ally Finland would take the land to the north. The fact that the Nazis were content to kill millions of civilians and erase one of the world’s great cultural gems is indicative of their total barbarity. In early September, the Germans were able to take the land to the south of Leningrad, while the Finns captured the territory to the north of the city, completely surrounding the metropolis, at least on all its landward sides. Leningrad’s 2.5 million residents were trapped inside the city, with only very limited stores of food and other supplies. Meanwhile, what remained of the Soviet Baltic fleet fled to the island naval base of Kronstadt, which remained in Soviet hands, while the Germans enforced a complete naval blockade. So confident was Hitler of quickly taking the city, that he even had invitations printed for a victory celebration to be held at Leningrad’s luxurious Astor Hotel. However, events did not turn out that way. All able-bodied Soviets were called to man anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns (of which there were many), and to defend the city’s perimeters. Meanwhile, the Axis forces of about 725,000 that enveloped Leningrad proceeded to mercilessly bombard the city and to continually test it defenses. The Nazis were confident that, given the shortage of food and supplies in the city, Leningrad would either surrender or fall sooner than later. However, Leningrad’s citizens showed remarkable drive and bravery. Even as thousands of civilians started to die of hunger and as bombs reigned down seemingly everywhere, they kept fighting and succeeded in preventing any Axis violations of the city’s perimeters. The German high command grew increasingly frustrated as their attempts to attack Kronstadt over the winter ice failed, while despite their best efforts, nothing shook the Soviet resolve to hold Leningrad. Meanwhile, the situation around Leningrad came to mirror the general state of play along the Eastern Front. The Barbarossa Campaign came nowhere near reaching the A-A Line, while the vicious Winter of 1941-42 set in. The Nazis’ progress was slowed by heavy Soviet resistance, and at the end of the next campaign season, the Germans suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Stalingrad (August 23, 1942 – February 2, 1943), whereupon a large portion of their Eastern army was encircled and destroyed, in one of the most atrocious military events in world history. From that point onwards, the Germans were on the defensive, with many resources still being dedicated towards taking Leningrad. Indeed, even after suffering hundreds of thousands of casualties, in an endless scene of almost unparalleled suffering, the defenders of Leningrad simply refused to stop fighting. Finally, the Axis side was so worn down that in January 1944, the Soviets moved to break the siege, driving the Germans away from Leningrad, and liberating the city. While the resistance of Leningrad represents one of the greatest examples of bravery and human strength in history, it came at a horrendous cost. Almost 1.1 million of the city’s residents died, in addition to over 500,000 Soviet troops. However, many of the Leningrad’s great edifices and historical sites survived, and the city managed to revive itself in the postwar era, although the memory of the siege remains vivid to the present day." (Alexander Johnson and Dasa Pahor, 2020)

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Oberkommando Der Marine (Nazi German Navy High Command)