Battle of Utria

Battle of Utria
	Part of Estonian War of Independence
	Utria Battle of Utria (Estonia)
Date	17–20 January 1919
Location	Udria, Estonia59°24′N 27°55′E / 59.4°N 27.92°E
Result	Estonian victory
Belligerents
Estonia; Finnish volunteers	Soviet Russia
Commanders and leaders
Johan Pitka; Aleksander Paulus; Martin Ekström	Nikolai N. Ivanov
Units involved
Estonian Navy; Meredessantpataljon; 1st Finnish Volunteer Corps [fi]	6th Rifle Division; 7th Regiment; 86th Regiment;
Strength
1,900 soldiers; 2 destroyers; 1 gunboat; 1 transport ship	2,700 soldiers
Casualties and losses
32 killed[citation needed]	About 300 killed[citation needed]

Battle of Utria (Estonian: Utria Lahing) also known as the Utria Landing (Estonian: Utria Dessant) took place during the Estonian War of Independence on 17–20 January 1919 at Udria beach.^[2] It was an amphibious landing consisting mainly of Finnish volunteers.

Background

Estonian forces

The naval Taskforce was under the command of Admiral Johan Pitka, he was supported by the Swedish naval officer Martin Ekström and by Captain Aleksander Paulus and Captain Anto Nestori Eskola. The invasion force consisted of roughly 1,900 soldiers under the command of Colonel Martin Ekström.

Soviet forces

Elements of the 6th Rifle Division defending the area were under the command of Nikolai Ivanov. In total the Soviets were able to muster a force of 2,700 men to defend the area from the Estonian military.

Aftermath

The successful landing undertaken by the Estonian military, enabled Estonian units to liberate the border town of Narva on 19 January 1919.

References

^ 6-я Орловско-Хинганская дважды Краснознаменная стрелковая дивизия Rkka.ru
^ Jyri Kork (Ed.), Estonian War of Independence 1918–1920, Esto, Baltimore, 1988 (Reprint from Estonian War of Independence 1918–1920. Historical Committee for the War of Independence, Tallinn, 1938)

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[1] 6-я Орловско-Хинганская дважды Краснознаменная стрелковая дивизия Rkka.ru

[2] Jyri Kork (Ed.), Estonian War of Independence 1918–1920, Esto, Baltimore, 1988 (Reprint from Estonian War of Independence 1918–1920. Historical Committee for the War of Independence, Tallinn, 1938)

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