ON LAKE LADOGA IN THE SUMMER AND AUTUMN 1942

Laivasto-Osasto K (LOs. K)
/ Laatokan Laivasto-Osasto (Laat.LOs.)
(Naval Detachment K / Lake Ladoga Naval Detachment)

Commander
Lt.Cmd. K. Kijanen

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In 1942 the Joint Naval Forces (C./31.MS.Fl., 12.Squadriglia MAS and EFO) on Lake Ladoga were subordinated operationally to LOs. K which was part of the Lake Ladoga Naval Detachment. Their primary leading staff was although Luftflotte 1 which tried to co-ordinate naval strikes and air raids against the shipping to partly encircled city of Leningrad.

Finnish naval forces on Lake Ladoga subordinated to Lake Ladoga Coastal Brigade were very weak and could not support Axis forces which too were too weak to achieve any mentioned results.
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C-Gruppe / 31. Minensuch-Flottilla (C./31.MS.Fl.)

Kommandeur
Oberleutnant J. Reymann

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C-Gruppe / 31.MS.Fl. was equipped with four light KM type mine sweeper boats numbered as KM 3, KM 4, KM 8 and KM 22. Unit was activated on Lake Ladoga at the beginning of July 1942. The base of the group was at Sortanlahti.

KM boat was a 17 ton light sweeper / minelayer with a theoretical max speed of 26 knots but due to technical problems boats were able to 15 knots only. It could carry 4 magnetic mines and was armed with a heavy MG. Crew was 2 + 4 and the total strength of C-Gruppe thus about 30 to 35 men.
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.12. Squadriglia MAS

Commander
Capitano di corvetta Giuseppe Bianchini

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Italian MTB (MAS) squadron was activated on Lake Ladoga on 22.6.1942 with four motor torpedo boats named MAS 526 (), MAS 527 (Lt. R. Becchi), MAS 528 (Lt. A. Benvenuto) and MAS 529 (). Squadron's base was at Sortanlahti. Strength of the squadron was 7 + 19 + 63 = 89 men.

MAS boat was a wooden 20 ton motor torpedo boat with a max speed of 47 knots, armed with two 450 mm torpedoes and a 20 mm Breda AA gun.

Boats patrolled at first near Konevitsa Island and since 14.8.1942 unit was free to find its targets on the southern part of Lake Ladoga. Unit was operational until 25.10.1942 after which boats were transferred to the Gulf of Finland and they stayedin Tallinn, Estonia, over winter 1942/43 without crews. All four boats were bought by the Finnish Navy on 5.5.1943 and became the Jymy Class (J1 - J4) in Finland.
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LUFTFLOTTE 1

Kommandeur
Generaloberst Alfred Keller

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Joint Naval Forces were supported by the temporary fighter formation Kommando Philipp of JG 54. It is described on page Luftwaffe Flying Units in Central and Southern Finland 1941 - 1944.

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Einsatzstab Fähre Ost (EFO)

Kommandeur
Oberstleutnant F. Siebel

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Although a naval unit EFO was actually a Luftwaffe formation originally intended for the Operation Sealion (Seelöwe). Unit was equipped with 7 heavy and 8 light gun barges, 6 transport barges in addition to 9 boats (capable of 50 men each).

Strength: 2323 men
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Stab

Fähre-Flottille

Kommando-Gruppe
[command barge, hospital barge, 3x boat]

Kampfgruppe 1 (1. Halb-Flottille)
[4x heavy barge, 3x light barge,
3x transport barge, 2x transport boat]

Kampfgruppe 2 (2. Halb-Flottille)
[3x heavy barge, 3x light barge,
3x transport barge, 2x transport boat]

Geschütz-Abteilung

Arbeit- und Ausbesserungs-Trupp