Koenigsberg operation: the course of the operation and the results

The Instburg-Königsberg offensive operation was part of the East Prussian military campaign. The German command took all possible measures to prepare for continued resistance under siege conditions. In Koenigsberg, there were numerous warehouses and arsenals, underground factories operated.

Features of the defensive system of the Germans

The invaders created three rings of resistance. The first was located 6-8 km from the center of Koenigsberg. It included trenches, an anti-tank ditch, wire barriers and minefields. There were 15 forts, built as far back as 1882. Each of them had garrisons for 200-500 people. With 12-15 guns. The second ring passed along the outskirts of Koenigsberg. Here were located stone structures, barricades, firing points on minefields and firing points. In the center of the city passed the third ring. It included 9 bastions, ravelins and towers, built in the 17th century and rebuilt in 1843-1873. Koenigsberg itself refers to the cities of mixed planning. Its central part was built as early as 1525. Its structure is characterized as radial-circular. The northern outskirts were dominated by parallel planning, and on the southern - arbitrary. Accordingly, the defense of the Germans in different parts of the city was carried out in different ways. Forts, which were 6-8 km from the center, were located from each other at a distance of no more than 4 km. Between them was organized fire communications and equipped with trenches. In some areas there was a continuous anti-tank ditch. Its width was 6-10 km, and the depth - about three meters.

Additional protection

On the peripheral street in close proximity to the center of the city, the inner belt of defense included full-profile trenches and 24 earthen forts. The latter were connected with each other by anti-tank ditches, which were half filled with water. The outer and inner defensive belts were separated by two intermediate rings. In each of them there were 1-2 lines of trenches, bunkers, pillboxes, which at some sites were covered with minefields and wire barriers.

Fire points

The basis of internal defense was formed from strong points. They were connected with each other by crossfire and covered themselves with sufficiently powerful anti-tank and anti-personnel obstacles. Key support points were equipped at the intersection of streets in stone, the most durable and adapted for defense installations. The gaps formed between the strong points were covered by barricades, hollows, blockages. A variety of materials were used for their construction. Several items that had a fire relationship with each other formed defense units. They, in turn, were grouped in lines. The organization of the fire system was carried out by adapting the structures to the application of dagger machine guns and gun strikes. Artillery installations and machine guns were located mainly on the lower floors, mortars, grenade launchers and submachine gunners on the upper floors.

The alignment of forces

The Königsberg operation in 1945 was conducted with the participation of the troops of the 2nd and 3rd Byelorussian fronts under the command of K. K. Rokossovsky and ID Chernyakhovsky, the 43rd Army of the 1st Baltic Front led by I. Kh. Baghramyan. The Soviet Army from the sea was supported by the Baltic Fleet under the leadership of Admiral V. F. Tributs. In total, 15 combined-arms, 1 tank armies, 5 mechanized and tank corps, and 2 air armies participated in the hostilities. In January 1945, Konigsberg defended a group of units "Center" (from 26.01 - "North"). The command was carried out by Colonel-General G. Reinhardt (from 26.01 - L. Rendulich). Resistance from the German side was provided by 2 field and 1 tank armies, 1 - by the air fleet.

Command Plan

The Koenigsberg operation, in short, implied the exclusion of the East Prussian group from the others. Then it was planned to push it back to the sea and destroy it. For this, the Soviet army was to strike simultaneously from the south and the north along convergent directions. According to the plan of the command, there was also planned a strike on Pillau.

Insterburg-Koenigsberg operation

The active actions of Soviet troops began on January 13. The 3rd Byelorussian Front broke the stubborn resistance of the Germans, broke through the defense on 18.01 north of Numbinnen. The troops advanced 20-30 km deep. The 2nd Belorussian Front launched the offensive 14.01. After a tense battle, the troops managed to break through the defenses and develop a rapid offensive. At the same time, the 28th and 5th armies completed their breakthrough. On January 19, the 39th and 43rd armies seized Tilsit. During the battle, the enemy grouping was taken into the environment on 19-22 January. On the night of 22/01, Soviet troops began to storm Interbury. The city was taken by morning. On January 26, the troops reached the Baltic Sea north of Elibing. The key forces of the Germans were divided into isolated groups. Part 2 of the army managed to transfer to the Vistula in Pomerania. Destruction of enemy forces pushed back to the sea was assigned to units of the 3rd Belorussian Front, assisted by 4 armies of the 2nd front. The rest of the forces were to conduct the Konigsberg operation (a photo of some moments of the battle are presented in the article). The second stage of the military campaign began on March 13.

Koenigsberg operation: the course of the operation

By March 29, Soviet troops had destroyed the Heilisberg group. Since April 6, the storming of Koenigsberg began. In the battle participated parts of the 3rd Belorussian Front under the command of Vasilevsky. They contributed to the Baltic Fleet. The Koenigsberg offensive operation was complicated by the presence of three defense rings. Before the storming, large-caliber artillery of ships and the front fired the city and defensive fortifications for 4 days, thus destroying the enemy's long-term facilities. Directly the Koenigsberg operation itself began on 6 April. The Germans resisted stubbornly. But by the end of the day the 39th Army had managed to wedge itself into the defense of the enemy for several kilometers. The troops cut the railway route Koenigsberg-Pillau. At this time, the 50th, 43rd and 11th Guards. The armies broke through the first defensive ring. They managed to come close to the walls of the city. In the fortress the first to break into the units of the 43rd Army. Two days after the stubborn battle, the Soviet troops managed to seize the railway junction and port, a lot of industrial and military facilities. The first task that the Koenigsberg operation was supposed to accomplish was to cut the garrison from the forces stationed on the Zemland Peninsula.

Specificity of military operations

When planning the stages of the Koenigsberg operation, the Soviet command first determined the initial boundary for an attack, where infantry and firearms were hidden. Then the battle formation was built, after which tank units were pulled up. On the firing positions, direct-guided weapons were installed, passages in obstacles were organized. After that, tasks were determined for the rifle divisions, artillery and tanks, and the constant interaction of the army units was organized. After a short but thorough preparation, the direct-guided weapons opened fire on the detected fire points, walls and windows of houses, embrasures for their destruction. The outskirts were subjected to decisive assaults of assault detachments. They moved swiftly to the extreme structures. After a pomegranate attack, the buildings were captured. Having broken through to the outskirts, the assault detachments advanced deep into the city. The troops seeped through parks, alleys, gardens, courtyards, etc. Having seized individual blocks and structures, the units immediately led them into a defensive state. Stone buildings were reinforced. Especially carefully prepared facilities on the outskirts facing the enemy. In the neighborhoods, occupied by Soviet troops, equipped with strong points, a circular defense was created, and commandants responsible for holding the points were appointed. During the first few days of the assault, combat aviation carried out nearly 14,000 sorties, dropping about 3.5 thousand tons of bombs into defensive installations and troops.

The surrender of the Germans

8.04 the Soviet command sent to the fortress of the parliamentarians with a proposal to lay down their arms. However, the enemy refused, continuing resistance. By the morning of April 9, several units of the garrison attempted to withdraw to the west. But the actions of the 43rd Army, these plans were foiled. As a result, the enemy was never able to escape from the city. From the Zemland peninsula, parts of the 5th Panzer Division attempted an attack. However, this counter strike was also not successful. Massed attacks of Soviet aviation and artillery on the surviving German defense units began. Subdivisions of the 11th Guards. The army struck at the Germans who resisted in the center of the city. As a result, on April 9 the garrison was forced to lay down its arms.

results

The Koenigsberg operation allowed the liberation of strategically important cities. The main units of the East Prussian German grouping were destroyed. After the battle, forces remained on the Zemland Peninsula. However, this group was soon eliminated. According to Soviet documents, about 94,000 fascists were captured, about 42,000 were killed. Soviet units captured more than 2,000 guns, more than 1,600 mortars, 128 aircraft. According to the analysis of the situation carried out by G. Kretinin, about 25-30 thousand civilians were present in the total mass of prisoners, who found themselves in prefabricated points. In this regard, the historian points out the figure of 70.5 thousand German servicemen captured after the end of the battles. The Koenigsberg operation was marked by fireworks in Moscow. Of the 324 guns, 24 volleys were committed. In addition, the leadership of the country established a medal, and 98 units of the army were named "Kenigsberg". According to Soviet documents, the losses in the Soviet troops amounted to 3,700 killed. G. Kretinin notes that the whole operation was organized and carried out "not by number, but by skill."

Conclusion

During the East Prussian campaign, Soviet soldiers displayed high skill and exceptional heroism. They managed to overcome several powerful defensive rings, which the enemy defended with fierce and fierce resistance. The victory in the operation was achieved due to sufficiently long battles. As a result, Soviet troops managed to occupy East Prussia, to liberate the northern territories of Poland.