On the whole front in the winter of 1945, a large-scale offensive of the Soviet Union was carried out. The troops inflicted powerful blows in all directions. The command was carried out by Konstantin Rokossovsky, Ivan Chernyakhovsky, Alexander Vasilevsky, as well as Ivan Baghramyan and Vladimir Tributs. Their armies faced the most important tactical and strategic task.
January 13 began the famous East Prussian operation of 1945. The goal was simple - to suppress and destroy the remaining German groups in
East Prussia and northern Poland in order to open the road to Berlin. In general, the task was extremely important not only in the light of eliminating the remnants of resistance. Today it is generally accepted that the Germans had almost been defeated by then. This is not true.
Important prerequisites for the operation
Firstly, East Prussia was a powerful defensive line, which could quite successfully fight back for many months, giving the Germans time to lick their wounds. Secondly, high-ranking German officers could use any respite to physically eliminate Hitler and begin negotiations on a separate peace with our “allies” (there is much evidence of such plans). None of these scenarios were allowed. The enemy should have been quickly and decisively put an end to.
Region features
The eastern end of Prussia itself was a very dangerous region, having a developed road network and many airfields, which made it possible to transfer a huge number of troops and heavy weapons through it as soon as possible. This area as if by nature itself was created for a long defense. There are many lakes, rivers and swamps, which greatly complicate offensive operations and force the enemy to go along shot and fortified “corridors”.
Perhaps the offensive operations of the Red Army outside the borders of the Soviet Union were not yet so complicated. Ever since the Teutonic Order, this territory has been full of defenses, many of which were very powerful. Immediately after 1943, when the course of the 1941-1945 war was broken near Kursk, the Germans first felt the possibility of their defeat. The entire able-bodied population and a huge number of prisoners were thrown off to work to strengthen these boundaries. In short, the Nazis prepared for glory.
Failure is the harbinger of victory
In general, the winter offensive was not the first, just as the East Prussian operation itself was not the first. The year 1945 only continued what was started by the troops in October 1944, when Soviet soldiers were able to advance about one hundred kilometers into the fortified areas. Due to the strongest resistance of the Germans, they could not go any further.
However, it is difficult to consider it a failure. Firstly, a reliable bridgehead was created. Secondly, armies and commanders gained invaluable experience and were able to feel some of the enemy’s weaknesses. In addition, the very fact that the seizure of German lands began began acted on the fascists extremely depressing (although not always).
Wehrmacht forces
Defense was held by Army Group Center, commanded by Georg Reinhardt. In service were: the entire third tank army of Erhard Routh, the compounds of Friedrich Hossbach, as well as Walter Weiss.
Our forces were immediately opposed by 41 divisions, as well as a large number of units recruited from the most defensive members of the local Volkssturm. In total, the Germans had at least 580 thousand military personnel, as well as about 200 thousand Volkssturm. The Nazis pulled 700 tanks and self-propelled guns, more than 500 combat aircraft and about 8.5 thousand
artillery pieces and large-caliber mortars to defensive lines.
Of course, the history of the Patriotic War of 1941-1945. She also knew more combat-ready German formations, but the area was extremely convenient for defense, and therefore such forces were quite enough.
The German command decided that the region should be kept, regardless of the number of losses. This was entirely justified, since Prussia was an ideal springboard for the further offensive of the Soviet troops. On the contrary, if the Germans were able to recapture previously captured areas, this would allow them to attempt an offensive. In any case, the resources of this area would extend the agony of Germany.
What forces did the Soviet command have, which planned the East Prussian operation of 1945?
USSR forces
However, military historians of all countries believe that the battered Nazis had no chance. Soviet military leaders fully took into account the failures of the first assault, in which the forces of the Third Belorussian Front alone took part. In this case, it was decided to use the forces of the whole tank army, five tank corps, two air armies, which, in addition, were strengthened by the 2 Belorussian Front.
In addition, the offensive was supposed to be supported by aircraft of the First Baltic Front. In total, the operation involved more than one and a half million people, more than 20 thousand guns and large-caliber mortars, about four thousand tanks and self-propelled guns, as well as at least three thousand aircraft. If you recall the events of World War II, the assault on East Prussia will be among the most significant.
Thus, our troops (not including the militia) surpassed the Germans in forces by three times in people, in artillery by 2.5 times, in tanks and aircraft - by almost 4.5 times. At breakout sites, the advantage was even more overwhelming. In addition, Soviet soldiers were fired, powerful IS-2 tanks and self-propelled guns ISU-152/122/100 appeared in the troops, so there was no doubt about the victory. However, as in high losses, since the natives of Prussia were specially sent to the ranks of the Wehrmacht, who fought desperately to the last.
The main course of the operation
So how did the East Prussian operation of 1945 begin? On January 13, an offensive was launched, which was supported by tank and air strikes. Other troops supported the attack. It should be noted that the beginning was not the most inspiring, quick success did not work.
Firstly, the day “D” in secret could not be kept. The Germans managed to take proactive measures, pulling as many troops as possible to the proposed breakout site. Secondly, the weather failed, which did not contribute to the use of aviation and artillery. Rokossovsky subsequently recalled that the weather resembled a continuous piece of damp fog, sprinkled with thick snow. Air sorties were only targeted: full support for the advancing troops did not work. Even the bombers sat idle all day, as it was simply impossible to discern the enemy’s positions.
Such events of World War II were not uncommon. They often broke carefully thought-out staff directives and promised additional losses.
"General Fog"
The gunners also had a sad time: visibility was so poor that adjusting the fire was impossible, and therefore had to shoot exclusively direct fire at 150-200 meters. The fog was so dense that even the sounds of explosions were lost in this "mess", and the targets hit were not visible at all.
Of course, all this negatively affected the pace of the offensive. The German infantry in the second and third lines of defense did not suffer serious losses and continued to fiercely snarl at the fire. In many places, fierce hand-to-hand fights ensued, and in some cases the enemy went on the counterattack. Many settlements for a day ten times passed from hand to hand. The weather was extremely bad for several days, during which the Soviet infantry continued to systematically break down the German defense.
In general, Soviet offensive operations during this period were already characterized by thorough artillery training and the widespread use of aviation and armored vehicles. The events of those days by the heat were in no way inferior to the battles of 1942-1943, when the main burden of the fighting was borne by simple infantry.
The Soviet Army acted successfully: on January 18, Chernyakhovsky’s troops were able to break through the defenses and create a corridor 65 kilometers wide, deepening into enemy positions immediately by 40 kilometers. By this time, the weather had stabilized, and therefore heavy armored vehicles poured into the breakthrough, supported by attack aircraft and fighters from the air. Thus began the large-scale offensive of the troops (Soviet).
Securing Success
Tilsit was taken on January 19th. For this, it was necessary to force the Neman under dagger fire . Until January 22, the Instersburg group was completely blocked. Despite this, the Germans fiercely resisted, the battles were protracted. Only at the approaches to Gumbinnen alone did our fighters repel ten massive enemy counterattacks at once. Ours stood, and the city fell. Already on January 22 they managed to take Insturb.
The next two days brought new successes: they managed to break through the defensive fortifications of the Heilsberg district. By January 26, our troops approached the northern tip of Koenigsberg. But the assault on Koenigsberg then failed, because a strong garrison of Germans and five relatively fresh divisions had settled in the city.
The first stage of the hardest attack was successfully completed. However, the success was partial, because our troops failed to take and destroy two tank corps: the enemy’s armored vehicles retreated to the previously prepared defensive lines.
Civilians
At first, our soldiers did not meet civilians here at all. The Germans hastily fled, as the remaining were declared traitors and often shot their own. The evacuation was organized so poorly that almost all the property remained in abandoned houses. Our veterans recall that East Prussia of 1945 was more like an extinct desert: they had a chance to relax in fully furnished houses, where there were still dishes and food on the tables, but the Germans themselves were gone.
Ultimately, the tales of "wild and bloodthirsty barbarians from the East" played a bad joke with Goebbels: civilians in such a panic left their homes, which completely loaded all the rail and road connections, as a result of which the German troops were constrained and could not quickly Change your position.
Offensive development
By January 20, the troops commanded by Marshal Rokossovsky were preparing to go to the Vistula. At the same time, an order came from Stavka to change the attack vector and transfer the main efforts to the quickest finishing off of the East Prussian enemy grouping. The troops had to turn north. But even without support, the remaining groups of troops successfully cleared the enemy cities.
So, the Oslikovsky cavalrymen managed to break into Allenstein and completely defeated the enemy garrison. The city fell on January 22, and all the fortified areas in its suburbs were destroyed. Immediately after this, large German groups were threatened by the environment, and therefore began to hastily retreat. At the same time, their retreat was at a snail's pace, since all roads were blocked by refugees. Because of this, the Germans suffered heavy losses and were massively captured. By January 26, Soviet armored vehicles completely blocked Elbing.
At this time, Fedyuninsky's troops broke through to Elbing himself, and also reached the approaches to Marienburg, capturing a large bridgehead on the right bank of the Vistula for a subsequent decisive throw. January 26, after a powerful artillery strike, Marienburg fell.
The flank units of the troops also successfully coped with the tasks assigned to them. The area of the Masurian swamps was quickly overcome, they managed to force the Vistula on the move, after which the 70th Army broke into Bydgoszcz on January 23, simultaneously blocking Torun.
German throwing
As a result of all this, Army Group Center was completely cut off from supplies and lost contact with German territory. Hitler was furious, after which he replaced the commander of the group. Lothar Rendulich was appointed to this position. Soon the same fate befell the commander of the fourth army of Hossbach, who was exchanged for Mueller.
Seeking to break through the blockade and restore land supply, the Germans organized a counterattack in the Heilsberg area, trying to get to Marienburg. In total, eight divisions took part in this operation, one of them being tank. On the night of January 27, they succeeded in significantly crowding out the forces of our 48th army. A stubborn battle ensued, which continued for four days in a row. As a result, the enemy managed to break through 50 kilometers deep into our positions. But then Marshal Rokossovsky came: after a massive blow, the Germans faltered and rolled back to their previous positions.
Finally, the Baltic Front by January 28 completely took Klaipeda, completely liberating Lithuania from the Nazi troops.
The main results of the offensive
By the end of January, most of the Zemland Peninsula was fully occupied, as a result of which the future Kaliningrad was in a semicircle. The scattered parts of the third and fourth armies, which were doomed, were completely surrounded. They had to fight on several fronts at the same time, with all their might defending the last strongholds on the coast, through which the German command still somehow brought up supplies and carried out the evacuation.
The position of the remaining forces was greatly complicated by the fact that all groupings of the Wehrmacht armies were cut into three parts at once. The remnants of four divisions were located on the Zemland Peninsula, and a powerful garrison and an additional five divisions sat in Königsberg. At least five nearly broken divisions were on the Brownsberg-Heilsberg line, and they were pressed to the sea and had no opportunity to attack. However, they had nothing to lose and they were not going to give up.
Enemy Long-Term Plans
Do not consider them loyal Hitler fanatics: they had a plan that provided for the defense of Königsberg with the subsequent pulling of all the surviving units to the city. If successful, they would be able to restore land communications along the Königsberg-Brandenburg line. In general, the battle was far from over, tired Soviet armies needed a respite and replenishment. At least the fact that the final assault on Koenigsberg began only on April 8–9 testifies to the degree of their exhaustion in fierce battles.
The main task of our soldiers was completed: they were able to defeat the powerful central enemy group. All powerful German defensive lines were broken and captured, Koenigsberg was in a deep siege without the supply of ammunition and food, and all the remaining Hitler troops in the area were completely isolated from each other and badly worn out in battle. Most of East Prussia, with its most powerful defensive lines, was captured. Along the way, the soldiers of the Soviet Army liberated areas of northern Poland.
Other operations to eliminate the remnants of the Nazis were assigned to the armies of the Third Belorussian and First Baltic Fronts. Note that the 2nd Belarusian Front was focused on the Pomeranian direction. The fact is that during the offensive between the forces of Zhukov and Rokossovsky, a wide gap formed, which could be struck from Eastern Pomerania. Therefore, all subsequent efforts were aimed at coordinating their joint strikes.