Blood on the Shores: Soviet Naval Commandos in World War II

by Viktor Leonov, James F. Gebhardt (Translator)

Blood on the Shores is both a first-person account and a meticulously researched study of Soviet naval special operations forces in World War II. It is based on the 1957 memoirs of Twice Hero of the Soviet Union Viktor Leonov, who commanded in combat the reconnaissance detachments of the Northern and Pacific fleets. Leonov describes his entry into the elite Northern Fleet naval scout unit in July 1941 and the tactical and operational raids that followed against German forces based in Norway from 1941 through 1944. His story climaxes in the Far East, where Leonov's Pacific Fleet detachment distinguished itself in daring amphibious landings into Japanese-held Korean ports in advance of Soviet main naval and ground forces.
The translator's introduction and other materials reveal another significant activity of Soviet naval intelligence - the insertion of Soviet and Norwegian intelligence operatives deep into the German rear in Norway by submarine and parachute. These men monitored German ship traffic from Tromso northward, providing timely and accurate intelligence reports directly to Northern Fleet headquarters. When German counterintelligence rounded up and destroyed this agent net, Leonov's detachment assumed the mission. Because Leonov could not describe these highly secretive activities in 1957 when his memoir was first published in the Soviet Union, the translator's contributions to this work are crucial to a fuller understanding of the scope of Soviet naval special operations and intelligence activities in World War II. Historical documentation found in recently opened Russian archives, a survey of the scout detachments of other fleets, captured German documents, and an extensive bibliography help make this a useful reference book as well as an entertaining read about the exploits of these legendary naval commandos.

Genres: History, World War II, Russia, Biography, Nonfiction, Military Fiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1993

Reviews

[Sleepy Boy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly, while the subject matter is very interesting the writing is incredibly stilted and plodding.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Memoir of Viktor Leonov's time as a Soviet Naval Scout during WWII, heavily annotated with information from other memoirs and sources. The result is a look at the operations of the Reconnaissance Detachments of the Northern and Pacific Fleets.

Originally published in Russian in 1957, and according to the forward written in the early 50s, this annotated translation was first published in 1993. The result is a memoir written not that long after the events it relates, but with the benefit of being checked against later research and release of classified documents.

[Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Yes, we knew how to operate in the enemy's rear area... Naval horizons attracted us, deep fjords... It was difficult for the newcomers." - pg. 80