Battle of Sukho Island

The Battle of Sukho Island, also known as Operation Brazil, was an amphibious operation and naval engagement in Lake Ladoga between the Soviet Navy and a German Luftwaffe naval detachment during World War II.

Background
Axis forces in Ladoga Lake, operated different units to harass the Soviet naval supply lines on the Lake directed to the besieged Leningrad: the force consisted in the Finnish Ladoga Naval Detachment, the Italian XII Squadriglia MAS (both operating alongside some Geran units into the Naval Detachment K and the independent German Einsatzstab Fähre Ost operated by Luftwaffe. Overhall this naval force had little success with their intended purpose. Despite the efforts, including the use of MAS boat torpedo attacks, this combined force proved unable to stop or even seriously harm the supply route to Leningrad. The culmination of such operations was the raid against Sukho Island, located 20 km near the southern shore of the Lake and strategically important for covering the approaches of Soviet bases and the transit of supply lines.

Battle
The German attacking force consisted in a number of Siebel landing crafts with heavy or light weapons: 7 heavy artillery ferries (SF-11, SF-13, SF-15, SF-17, SF-21, SF-23, SF-25), 4 light artillery ferries (SF-12, SF-14, SF-22, SF-26), 3 transport ferries (T-2, T-4, T-6) with 70 men (the landing team), one headquarters ferry (Lt.col. Wachtel), one hospital ferry, 7 infantry boats of which 5 were detached for landing troops. Italian motor torpedo boat MAS-526 provided distant escort. Soviet minesweeper TSch-100 (a former Finnish icebreaker) observed by chance the landing barges, spoiling the effect of surprise and alerting the headquarters: this is evaluated as major factor of the attack's failure. The minesweeper later engaged in battle. Artillery ferries begun shelling the Island while the 70 men troop successfully landed and destroyed two of the three 100mm guns located on the island: they failed to destroy the third gun and while damaging the lighthouse it was not conquered. Loss of radio contact and losses forced the landing party to pull back. The same geography of the waters around the island proved a key obstacle for the Germans: SF-12 accidentally grounded on the rocks, soon followed by SF-13 that has come in assistance. The survived Soviet artillery gun on the island scored a direct hit on SF-22 causing heavy damages and having lost ability to sail, the ferry grounded too. Ferries SF-14 and SF-26 suffered the same fate, accidentally grounding while trying to assist SF-22. One Soviet patrol boat was hit and retreated under smoke screen. The arrival of other Soviet naval units (gunboats and MO patrol boats) forced the Germans to retreat having recovered SF-14 and SF-22: during the retreat phase, the German flotilla suffered prolonged naval and air attacks into a running battle however they suffered only splinter damages after fire from Soviet gunboats while they claim to have scored four hits on one of the Soviet units. Soviet motor torpedo boats TK-61 and TK-71 attacked but scored no success. With some units of the flotilla slowed by technical issues, the heavy artillery barge SF-21 sailed back to cover the retreat opening fire against the remaining 100mm gun on the island until it was silenced, however she suffered a series of leaks due to pump failures and began sinking: Germans abandoned the ferry and scuttled her, alongside the infantry-boat I-6.

Aftermath
Overhall, of 23 German vessels taking part in the operation, 17 were sunk or seriously damaged. Total losses were four different artillery ferries (SF-13, SF-21, SF-12, SF-26) and one infantry boat (I-6), while SF-22 suffered heavy damages. Human osses were heavy for the Germans with 18 killed, 57 wounded and 4 missing. There are scarce details about the Soviet losses, except the naval ones, 6 prisoners were took on the island by Germans. The operation resulted in high losses for the Germans with little result and marked the effective end of offensive Axis operations on Ladoga