Topic summary
Operation Albion
Germany
RussiaUnited Kingdom
Hugo von Kathen
Ludwig von Estorff
Ehrhard Schmidt
Vasily Altvater
10 dreadnought battleships
9 light cruisers
1 mine cruiser
50 torpedo boats
6 U-boats
19 transports
6 airships
102 combat aircraft
24,500 soldiers
8,500 horses
2,400 vehicles
150 machine guns
54 guns
12 mortars
2 cruisers
1 protected cruiser
21 destroyers
3 gunboats
3 submarines
24,000 soldiers
7 minesweepers destroyed
9 trawlers & auxiliary vessels destroyed
5 aircraft shot down
156 killed
60 wounded (Navy)
54 killed
141 wounded (Army)
1 destroyer sunk (Grom)
1 submarine destroyed (HMS C32)
20,130 captured
141 guns lost (47 heavy guns)
130 machine guns lost
40 aircraft lost
Operation Albion was a German air, land and naval operation in the First World War, against Russian forces in October 1917 to occupy the West Estonian Archipelago. The campaign aimed to occupy the Baltic islands of Saaremaa (Ösel), Hiiumaa (Dagö) and Muhu (Moon). The three islands were part of the Russian Empire and strategically dominated the central and northern Baltic Sea. The land campaign opened with German landings at the Tagalaht (Tagga) bay on the island of Saaremaa (Ösel), on 12 October, after extensive naval operations to clear mines and subdue coastal artillery batteries. German forces secured the island by 16 October and the Russian army evacuated Muhu (Moon) on 20 October.
After two failed attempts, the German army landed on Hiiumaa (Dagö) on 12 October, capturing the island the following day. The Russian Baltic Fleet had to withdraw from the Suur Strait after its losses at the Battle of Moon Sound. The Germans claimed 20,000 prisoners and 100 guns captured during Operation Albion from 12 to 20 October 1917.