Guderian plan

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The so-called Guderian Plan is a plan developed in autumn 1944 to restore and expand the eastern fortifications of the German Reich . The plan was named after its initiator, Colonel General Heinz Guderian .

Colonel-General Heinz Guderian, in his role as Chief of the Army General Staff , had a plan drawn up in autumn 1944 for the possible expansion of the German fortifications to the east. This happened in view of the fact that in the course of Operation Bagration in the summer of 1944 , Soviet troops had advanced as far as the Vistula and the imperial border in East Prussia . Guderian drew up the plan together with the general of the pioneers, Alfred Jacob . It comprised the rearmament of the Oder-Warthe-Bogen (Ostwall), the construction of defense lines along the Oder ( Oder position ), Vistula and nets , the construction of the Pomeranian Wall and the Samland fortifications including the fortification of the city of Königsberg . In addition, fortifications in Glogau , Breslau , Posen and Danzig as well as on the Hela peninsula and the Öxhöfter Kämpe near Gotenhafen were built and repaired. In order to carry out these constructions, the fortification staff of the General Staff was re-established and placed under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Thilo. The fortresses and entrenchments were expanded through the mass deployment of volunteers, civilians and the Hitler Youth .

100 fortress infantry battalions and 100 fortress batteries were set up to man these fortresses . In the course of the Battle of the Bulge , however, 80% of these troops were relocated to the Western Front on Hitler's orders , so that during the start of the major Soviet offensive in January 1945 the fortresses were manned with only around 20% of the planned personnel. Thousands of functional booty guns still stored in German army equipment offices were planned to reinforce the fortresses. However, on the orders of Colonel General Alfred Jodl, this armament was also withdrawn to the western front, so that only a few guns of larger caliber could be built into the eastern fortifications. Only flak guns were installed en masse in the improvised positions. The fortresses were stocked for a period of three months.

If one looks at the effects of these fortresses in retrospect, it can be determined that some of them significantly slowed the advance of the Red Army , even if they were not able to stop it. The fortresses of the Oder-Warthebogen fell very quickly, while other fortresses such as Königsberg, Danzig, Glogau or Breslau (until the surrender in May 1945) held out longer. The fortresses of Glogau ( siege of Glogau ) and Breslau ( siege of Breslau ) withstood the attacks of the Red Army the longest . It should be noted that the fortifications, by slowing down the Soviet advance, made it possible for many millions of refugees, especially from Silesia , Pomerania , West and East Prussia, to flee. This also includes keeping land connections and seaports ( Hannibal company ) open for a certain period of time.

literature

  • Karl J. Walde: Guderian. Ullstein 1979, Frankfurt am Main / Berlin / Vienna, ISBN 3-548-33004-5 .
  • Dermot Bradley: Colonel General Heinz Guderian and the genesis of the modern Blitzkrieg. Biblio, Osnabrück 1986, ISBN 3-7648-1486-1 .
  • Gerd F. Heuer: The Colonel General of the Army. Owner of the highest German command posts. Moewig, Rastatt 1988, ISBN 3-8118-1049-9 , pp. 71-78.
  • Florian K. Rothbrust: Guderian's XIXth Panzer Corps and the Battle of France. Breakthrough in the Ardennes, May 1940. Praeger, New York NY 1990, ISBN 0-275-93473-X , (English).
  • Kenneth Macksey: Guderian the tank general . Biography. Kaiser, Klagenfurt 1994, ISBN 3-7042-3037-5 .
  • Heinz Guderian: memories of a soldier. 14th edition. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1995, p. 171 ff.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Kenneth Macksey: Guderian the Panzer General . Biography. Kaiser, Klagenfurt 1994, ISBN 3-7042-3037-5 , p. 81.
  2. ↑ Gerd F. Heuer: The Colonel General of the Army. Owner of the highest German command posts. Moewig, Rastatt 1988, ISBN 3-8118-1049-9 , pp. 71-78.
  3. ↑ Heinz Guderian: memories of a soldier. 14th edition. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1995, p. 174 ff.
  4. ↑ Heinz Guderian: memories of a soldier. 14th edition. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1995, p. 169 f.
  5. ↑ Heinz Guderian: memories of a soldier. 14th edition. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1995, p. 176 ff.