Operation Beowulf
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| Operation Beowulf | |||||||
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| Part of World War II | |||||||
| File:WWII Moonsund Def.jpg | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Nazi Germany |
 Soviet Union | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Georg von Küchler |
Nikolay Kuznetsov | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
| 61st Infantry Division | 3rd Infantry Brigade of the North-Western Front | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown | 23,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 2,850 dead, missing, or wounded |
5,000 killed 15,000 captured | ||||||
Operation Beowulf refers to two German plans to occupy the islands of Saaremaa, Hiiumaa and Muhu, off the Estonian west coast. Both plans had the same objectives but assumed differing start points. The attack, using Beowulf II, started on 8 September 1941 and had achieved its objectives by 21 October.
Beowulf I
This version assumed a rapid German victory in the Baltic States. It would have been a re-working of the World War I Operation Albion, launched from Courland in Latvia. In the event, German forces were delayed as they crossed into Estonian territory.
Beowulf II
This version, which was executed, was an attack from the Estonian west coast. There were a series of diversionary attacks to confuse the Soviet defenders - Südwind, Westwind and Nordwind.