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Translated to English from the original Soviet General Staff report, this is an account of the naval support of the Petsamo-Kirkenes Operation in October 1944—the only large-scale ground/naval and air operation ever fought in the Arctic. With additional contemporary supporting material on wider-scale Arctic combat including descriptions of combat tactics and weaponry from noted Soviet military scholar James Gebhardt, this book provides a comprehensive and detailed description of the tactics and strategies employed by both Soviet and German forces during the operation from the official Soviet perspective.

The largest Arctic battle on record, involving 133,500 Soviets and 45,000 Germans and Quisling Norwegians, the Petsamo-Kirkenes Operation sought to liberate the northernmost part of Norway from German occupation during World War II. The Soviet navy played a previously unrecognized crucial role in the operation by providing fire support and transportation, as well as conducting raids and combat landings on the enemy-held coast. The harsh Arctic environment, including extreme cold, ice, and limited daylight, posed significant challenges to the Soviet and German forces. Despite these hardships, the Soviet forces achieved their objectives, defeated the German Army, and successfully liberated the area.

Arctic Naval Combat in Support of Ground Operations is a powerful companion to Gebhardt’s previous translation, The Petsamo-Kirkenes Operation: Soviet Breakthrough and Pursuit in the Arctic, October 1944, which details this operation’s ground offensive. Providing a starting point for the study and understanding of combined arms and services combat in the Arctic, an increasingly important and accessible part of the planet where military concerns are rapidly expanding, this work is a valuable addition to the literature of World War II military history and a significant additional perspective on the Soviet military.
 

Addresses head-on the central issue of invasion timing in the Allied European strategy of World War II

In Second Front Now – 1943: An Opportunity Delayed, military historian Walter S. Dunn offers a sharply argued and meticulously researched reassessment of one of the most consequential strategic debates of World War II: the decision not to launch a full-scale Allied invasion of Western Europe in 1943. At a time when Nazi Germany was stretched across multiple fronts and the Soviet Union bore the brunt of the fighting in the East, the question of when—and where—to open a Second Front in Europe became a defining issue among Allied leaders.

Dunn explores the complex interplay of military planning, political caution, logistical constraints, and inter-Allied tensions that led Britain and the United States to postpone a cross-Channel invasion. Drawing from official records, wartime correspondence, and operational analyses, he reconstructs the strategic environment of 1943 and challenges the conventional wisdom that the delay was inevitable—or even prudent. Instead, Dunn presents a compelling case that an earlier invasion may have been both feasible and decisive, potentially shortening the war and altering the balance of postwar power.

With clarity and analytical rigor, the book examines the competing priorities of Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin, the influence of Mediterranean operations, and the evolving capabilities of Allied forces. It also considers the broader implications of the delay, including its impact on Soviet–Western relations and the shaping of the Cold War order that followed.

Blending narrative accessibility with scholarly depth, Second Front Now – 1943 is essential reading for students, historians, and anyone interested in the strategic decisions that defined the Allied path to victory. Dunn invites readers to reconsider a pivotal “missed moment” in history—and to reflect on how differently the war, and the world, might have unfolded.