defeating the German Army Group North, but achieved very modest gains. Several other offensives were conducted by Govorov in the area in 1943, slowly expanding the corridor into Leningrad, and making other small gains. In November 1943, Govorov began planning the Leningrad-Novgorod Offensive which would drive Army Group North out of the Leningrad region. On 17 November he was promoted to army general. Soviet Counter Offensive The Soviet offensive started on 14 January 1944. By 1 March the Leningrad, Volkhov and 2nd Baltic Fronts had driven Army Group North back up to on a front, liberating the southern Leningrad region and part of the Kalinin region. By that time, the reinforced Germans forces were at the "Panther Line", stretching from Narva to Pskov using Lake Pskov as a barrier, where the offensive was stopped in several heavy battles around Narva. On 18 April the Soviet forces were ordered to the defense, a new 3rd Baltic Front was created to coordinate operations near Narva and Govorov's Leningrad Front turned attention to the north. In June 1944, during the Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive, which led to Soviet recapture of Vyborg, Govorov was promoted to the rank of marshal of the Soviet Union. Later his forces recaptured the Baltic states, and in autumn 1944 his forces blocked Army Group North in what became known as Courland Pocket. On 27 January 1945, Govorov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Post-war career In the postwar years Govorov was commander of the Leningrad Military District, and then Chief Inspector of Ground Forces. In 1948 he was appointed Commander of National Air Defence Forces, and in 1952 he also became Deputy Minister of Defence. In these posts he oversaw the modernization of the Soviet air defence system for the age of the jet aircraft and the atomic bomb. But Govorov was by this time suffering from chronic heart disease, and died in March 1955. He was cremated and his ashes in the Kremlin Wall Necropolis. A street in St Petersburg is named after him. Honours and awards Soviet Awards Foreign Awards Citations and notes References Further reading External links 1897 births 1955 deaths People from Sovetsky District, Kirov Oblast People from Yaransky Uyezd Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union candidate members Second convocation members of the Soviet of the Union Third convocation members of the Soviet of Nationalities Fourth convocation members