Heilsberger operation

The Heilsberger Operation (Russian: Хейльсбергская операция) was an offensive operation by the Red Army in World War II , which was carried out as part of the East Prussian Operation by the 3rd Belarusian Front . It lasted from February 10th to March 29th 1945, the final breaking up of the encircled German troops was only started in the Battle of Heiligenbeil in the Braunsberg attack operation from March 13th and was completed on March 29th.

prehistory

As a result of the first development phase of the East Prussian Operation , Army Group Center (since January 26th Army Group North ) suffered a heavy defeat. She lost 52,000 prisoners , was surrounded and split into three parts (Samlander, Königsberger and Heilsberger kettle). In the largest Heilsberger (Heiligenbeiler) cauldron, the 4th Army under General der Infanterie Müller was enclosed with 20 divisions, 2 brigades and other units with around 200,000 soldiers. There were also encircled German garrisons in Thorn , Marienwerder, Elbing and others.

The breakthrough of the 2nd Byelorussian Front (Marshal of the Soviet Union Rokossovsky ) reached the Baltic Sea on January 23 and thus split the German front. Stronger units of German troops in Thorn and Elbing were cut off by the Soviet 70th Army (General Vasily Popow) and the 98th Rifle Corps of the Soviet 2nd Shock Army (General Fedjuninsky). At the same time, the western front of the Heiligenbeiler Kessel formed on the Passarge section, and on January 27 the coastal town of Tolkemit fell into Soviet hands. The city of Elblag was also enclosed with about 10,000 men and was forced to surrender from February 3rd to 10th by troops of the 2nd Belarusian Front. While the German 2nd Army was building a new front on the western bank of the Nogat , the 4th Army took over the defense of the Heiligenbeiler Kessel.

By February 8, the 2nd Byelorussian Front had reclassified the bulk of its armies for the conquest of East Pomerania and was reinforced by the 19th Army after the start of the Battle of East Pomerania . For February 10, the headquarters of the command of the Supreme Commander (Stawka) ordered the Heilsberg operation , the 3rd Byelorussian Front under General Tschernachowski was entrusted with the destruction of the trapped German troop massing in the Heiligenbeil pocket.

course

The first phase of the Heilsberg operation began on February 10th and was canceled on February 22nd after great difficulties. The Alle section and the cities of Heilsberg and Bartenstein had already fallen into Soviet hands at the beginning of February. The fortified area of Heilsberg ( Heilsberger Dreieck ) had more than 900 concrete bunkers and many other engineering structures that had been prepared for defense since autumn 1944. As a result, it was impossible for the Soviet leadership, as originally planned, to crush the German forces in the pocket between February 20 and 25. On February 18, the commander of the 3rd Belarusian Front, Marshal Ivan Chernyakhovsky, died at Mehlsack . On February 21, Marshal Alexander Vasilevsky took over the supreme command of the 3rd Belarusian Front.

At this time, the situation for the Red Army worsened : through a counter-offensive by Army Group North, the German troops managed to reunite the Samlander and Königsberger Kessel between February 19 and 21. The Stawka had made a new decision - the destruction of all German troops in East Prussia was entrusted to the 3rd Belarusian Front alone. Therefore, on February 25th, the command staff of the 1st Baltic Front under Army General Bagramjan was disbanded and their troops as "Gruppe Samland" were also placed under the command of Marshal Vasilevsky.

Between February 22nd and March 12th, Marshal Wassilewski gave his troops a break and organized the new attack against the Heiligenberg Kessel.

The second phase of the attack began on March 13, 1945 with the Braunsberg attack operation. On March 18, the area in the basin held by the German 4th Army was reduced to 30 km in length and 10 km in width. On March 20th the Red Army captured Braunsberg and on March 25th Heiligenbeil . On March 26, 21,000 Germans were taken prisoner, the heavy fighting took place under heavy artillery fire by the Soviets. In addition, German refugee treks tried to escape through the fresh lagoon to the spit in Pillau . The collapse of the defense and the mass surrender of the German troops followed; on March 28 and 29, the last remnants of the German troops between Balga and Kahlholz were pushed aside and destroyed there.

consequences

During the second phase of the attack (March 13-29, 1945) 93,000 German soldiers were killed and 46,000 were taken prisoner by the Soviets. The 3rd Byelorussian Front fell into the hands of 605 tanks, 3,560 artillery pieces, 1,440 mortars, 128 aircraft and large amounts of military equipment. A total of 220,000 German soldiers died or were taken prisoner during the Heilsberger and Braunsberg operations. About 16 divisions were completely destroyed.

After the end of the operation, the Soviet 48th Army (General Gusew) occupied the coastal area of the Fresh Lagoon. The narrow strip of land of the Fresh Spit, which was still held by the German troops, came under concentrated artillery fire from the Soviet troops. The 11th Army of the Guard (General Galitzki) was withdrawn for the following battle for Koenigsberg , the 5th Army (General Krylow) and the 2nd Army of the Guard (General Tschantzibadze) were relocated to the Samland peninsula, around the 39th Army (General Lyudnikov) to strengthen. The 31st (General Schafranow) and 28th (General Luchinsky) Armies were transferred to Marshal Konev's 1st Ukrainian Front, the 3rd Army (General Gorbatov) was transferred to the 1st Belarusian Front to take part in the Battle of Berlin .

literature

Alexander Michailowitsch Wassilewski: thing of the whole life Politisdat Moscow 1973, p. 449 f.

Web links

Explanations

↑ Before the following Soviet offensive, which was carried out on March 13, four divisions of the 4th Army (541st and 558th People's Grenadier and 18th and 203rd Infantry Divisions) were disbanded and their troops to reinforce the others 16 divisions used ( 3rd Army in the East Prussian Operation. P. 70 )
↑ In Thorn the following were encircled on January 27th: mass of 31st and 73rd Infantry Divisions (from XXVII Army Corpses of 2nd Army), parts of 251st Infantry Division (Corps Group E with Division Groups 86 and 137), parts of 337 Division of the XXXXVI. Panzer Corps (9th Army), four officer schools, SS non-commissioned officer school, two anti-aircraft regiments and other units. Altogether around 30,000 men, 223 artillery pieces and mortars, and 20 self-propelled guns ( Thorner Operation of the 70th Army. Pages 3 and 4) . According to original Soviet estimates, the German forces in Thorn amounted to only 3,000-5,000 men, for their destruction initially only the 136th Rifle Division and the 126th Regiment of the 71st Rifle Division with a total of 5,634 men and 142 guns were provided. On January 31, the Thorn group attempted to break out in the direction of Świecie to reunite with the bulk of the 2nd Army on the Vistula. Thorn itself was occupied by Soviet troops on February 1st. The Thorner Garrison's "wandering cauldron" temporarily blocked the lines of communication of the Soviet 70th Army. In order to destroy the Thorn group that had broken out, Marshal Rokossowski concentrated the 165th, 200th, 369th and 330th Rifle Divisions, as well as parts of the 160th Rifle Division and 76th Guard Divisions. On February 3rd the Thorn group managed to cross the Vistula. Between February 5 and 9, it was again surrounded, divided and destroyed by the Soviets, around 12,000 soldiers were taken prisoner.

[1] Before the following Soviet offensive, which was carried out on March 13, four divisions of the 4th Army (541st and 558th People's Grenadier and 18th and 203rd Infantry Divisions) were disbanded and their troops to reinforce the others 16 divisions used ( 3rd Army in the East Prussian Operation. P. 70 )

[2] In Thorn the following were encircled on January 27th: mass of 31st and 73rd Infantry Divisions (from XXVII Army Corpses of 2nd Army), parts of 251st Infantry Division (Corps Group E with Division Groups 86 and 137), parts of 337 Division of the XXXXVI. Panzer Corps (9th Army), four officer schools, SS non-commissioned officer school, two anti-aircraft regiments and other units. Altogether around 30,000 men, 223 artillery pieces and mortars, and 20 self-propelled guns ( Thorner Operation of the 70th Army. Pages 3 and 4) . According to original Soviet estimates, the German forces in Thorn amounted to only 3,000-5,000 men, for their destruction initially only the 136th Rifle Division and the 126th Regiment of the 71st Rifle Division with a total of 5,634 men and 142 guns were provided. On January 31, the Thorn group attempted to break out in the direction of Świecie to reunite with the bulk of the 2nd Army on the Vistula. Thorn itself was occupied by Soviet troops on February 1st. The Thorner Garrison's "wandering cauldron" temporarily blocked the lines of communication of the Soviet 70th Army. In order to destroy the Thorn group that had broken out, Marshal Rokossowski concentrated the 165th, 200th, 369th and 330th Rifle Divisions, as well as parts of the 160th Rifle Division and 76th Guard Divisions. On February 3rd the Thorn group managed to cross the Vistula. Between February 5 and 9, it was again surrounded, divided and destroyed by the Soviets, around 12,000 soldiers were taken prisoner.