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

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It is little known to Americans that, during WW2, an elite commando detachment of the Soviet Northern Fleet was formed to conduct raids on enemy bases in Finland and Norway. Their mission was largely to provide support for Allied convoys along the most perilous passage of the North Atlantic route to Murmansk and Arkhangelsk. This book contains the translated memoir of Viktor Leonov, twice-decorated recipient of the highest military honor, Hero of the Soviet Union. In his own words, he tells of his team's specialized training and the daring strikes they conducted, greatly outnumbered, against the enemy. The action and adventure is fast-paced and reminiscent of that in Marcinko's "Rogue Warrior" series, but its presentation is delivered with more restraint. Like all Soviet war-memoirs, Leonov's account is straight-forward and tends to emphasize the strong camaraderie and patriotism of his unit. More attention is paid to the deeds of his comrades than to his own heroism, so that the reader feels personally acquainted with each man. Eight pages of wartime photos are included. Accompanying the story are hundreds of footnotes. Some of these provide additional personal information and anecdote. Others cross-reference previously unobtainable Soviet military sources with German records. Besides verifying the accuracy of Leonov's memoir, these provide historical background data of great value. So numerous and fascinating are the footnotes, that I had to read the book with one finger marking place in the Appendix. This proved quite distracting to the flow of the narrative, so upon completion I reread it. I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in World War 2, Soviet military operations, or special-warfare.

This book tells of the experiences of Viktor Leonov and his fellow Naval Scouts during World War II. They were sent behind enemy lines near Murmansk, Finland, and Norway to battle German forces and report on military activity. This book was written in the early 1950s but delayed for publication until 1990. The translation is by James F. Gebhardt, a retired US Army major now employed by a defense contractor in Kansas. Viktor Leonov's exploits are comparable to Sergeant York or Audie Murphy.

Leonov joined the Red Navy in 1937 and worked as a submarine mechanic and then in a repair facility. When war started in July 1941 Leonov joined the Naval Scouts (comparable to the US Navy SEALS). Most of this book tells about the operations west of Murmansk, the only Russian port that is ice-free the year around. Leonov's descriptions have a classic restraint that avoids dramatic stories (but you can read between the lines). There is little about personal lives and thoughts. Combat at Cape Krestovy resulted in decorations for all, and a "Hero of the Soviet Union" (comparable to the Congressional Medal of Honor) for Leonov and two others. The victory in Europe on May 9, 1945 saw the Naval Scouts transferred to the Pacific.

In early August the Soviet Union renounced its Peace Treaty with Japan and attacked the Japanese aggressors (p.180). Their big battle was at Seisin. While Japan surrendered on August 17, fighting still went on at Wonsan. Leonov and nine other scouts went to meet the Japanese garrison commander. The book describes the psychological negotiations with the colonel (pp.197-208). Finally the Japanese colonel ordered all his troops to lay down their arms and surrender. This gave rise to the legend that ten Naval Scouts surrounded 3,000 Japanese troops to get their surrender! Leonov won a second "Hero of the Soviet Union" award for this action.

This is a book that won't appeal to the general reader but offers interesting insights about the First Front of World War II and a force that may have served as a model for the Navy SEALs. [This is the paperback version.]

Russian accounts of the world wars seem to be rare, this book is a unique treasure. Not only does it describe World War II from a Russian point of view, the narrator was a naval commando, and one of the greatest war heros of the Soviet Union. Mr. Leonov begins the story with how he volunteered for commando training when he was a machinist at a submarine base. He served mainly in the arctic region of Scandinavia and northwest Russia, and eventually Japan's northern islands at war's end.
The Soviet naval commandos were probably the major fore-runner of what would become the various Spetznaz units in later decades. Most of Russia's special-operations concepts seem to have originated with the navy, with the army greatly contributing to the institution as the war progressed.
Much must be said in praise of the Russian fighting-men (and women) in World War II. In 1941, the Soviet military was inept, obsolete, and poorly equipped, with most of its officers long-since executed in concentration camps at Stalin's orders. It was Russian patriotism, not communist ideology, that saved them. At the end of the war, the long-suffering Soviet troops had developed new weapons, tactics, and strategy. They learned from their enemy, and some of the most significant developments were in special-operations.

What these men did simply defy reality. I took this book out from the library years ago and read it within two days, I simply could not put it down. Later on I was able to find a copy of it here on amazon and every now and then go back to skim through my favorite parts. The stories in it are incredible, what these men had to endure and what they were able to accomplish are feats that not even the greatest writer can put into words. The author reveals them through the simplest language, that of a soldier, and yet I couldn't help but to read and reread some of the scenes over and over again. As an example: stuck in a cave trying to hide from the Germans, one of the soldiers a marine recon platoon, chewed on his hand rather than scream out from the pain he was under as a result of the wounds he had received. Never in my life could I have imagined such courage and selfrestraint. This is one of the more memorable stories but by no means the most interesting or the 'best', although I'm sure my opinion will differ from yours as to which story the best. If you can find a copy I promise you won't be disappointed. I've read hundreds of books on the war, fiction and non-fiction, to date this is still the greatest and most interesting of them all.