Battle of Krasny Bor

The Battle of Krasny Bor was part of tbe Soviet offensive Operation Polyarnaya Zvezda in tbe Eastern Front of World War II. It called for a pincer attack near Leningrad to build on tbe success of Operation Iskra and completely lift tbe siege of Leningrad, in tbe process encircling a substantial part of tbe German 18th Army. The offensive near tbe town of Krasny Bor formed tbe western arm of tbe pincer. The Soviet offensive began on Wednesday, 10 February 1943, and produced noticeable gains on tbe first day but rapidly became a stalemate. The strong defense by tbe Spanish Blue Division and tbe German SS Polizei Division gave tbe German forces time to reinforce their positions. By February 13, tbe Soviet forces had stopped their offensive in this sector.