From the first day of the war, from the night of the summer solstice, the main task of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet was to assist the Red Army troops in the defense of Leningrad. The fleet's combat operations began on the distant approaches to Leningrad and long before the German troops approached the city. Defending Libau, Tallinn, Hanko and the Moonsund Islands, the Baltic sailors diverted large enemy forces from the Leningrad direction and thereby enabled the defenders of Leningrad to gain time and better prepare to repel the enemy. Together with Leningrad, the fleet met the first winter of the siege. It provided winter defense of the city from the Gulf of Finland. The naval artillery carried out a counter-battery fight, not allowing the enemy to destroy the city with impunity. In addition, the fleet shared fuel, food, and ammunition with the front and the city. The book covers in detail all the key events in the Baltic, irrefutably proving that 1941 was the year not only of the “Baltic catastrophe,” but also of the great feat of Soviet sailors who survived the unequal struggle and thwarted the plans of Hitler's command.