In 1943, military operations of the fronts of the Great Patriotic War gradually returned already to the territory of modern Ukraine. Already, in principle, it is clear that the USSR will win the war against the fascist invaders. In this article we will talk about the 2 Ukrainian Front, the military route, the chronicle of which is very interesting.
The effectiveness of large military formations
The outcome of ancient wars could be decided in one battle, when the troops met head-on and head-to-head and a battle took place between them. With the development of military equipment, this has already become impossible. Victory in a global war (starting from the 1st World War) can only be won by an army that clearly coordinates the movements and actions of combat units on a large sector of the front. An example of such a successful military conglomerate is the 2 Ukrainian Front, whose combat path is very interesting. Through the interaction of army groups, the command can simultaneously achieve success in different areas, and the enemy, accordingly, will not have enough human and technical resources to "eliminate holes".
Creation of 2 Ukrainian Front
At the end of 1943, the territory of Soviet Russia was already practically liberated from the invaders. Therefore, many of the troops who participated in the liberation of the Russian regions continued their battle path behind the enemy and moved to the territory of modern Ukraine. In this connection, it became expedient to create a new front. The Headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief by his order of October 16, 1943 established the 2 Ukrainian Front, the military path of which lasted until 1945. On October 20 of the same year, the order entered into force.
It was not difficult to form an effective combat unit, because the backbone of the group consisted of parts of the former Steppe Front, which already had experience with each other.
2 Ukrainian front: military route (Dnieper and Central Ukraine)
Immediately after its creation, the front was tasked to free the central region of Ukraine as soon as possible. In late September, troops of the then Steppe Front crossed the Dnieper near Kremenchug. Despite the fact that the front did not have enough strength for a serious struggle, the commander decided to continue the offensive. The main task at this point was to prevent the enemy army from attacking Dnepropetrovsk, so the military council of the front decided to advance along the Pyatikhatka-Apostolovo line.
This operation will later be called the Pyatikhatskaya. The offensive after concentration of forces began on October 15, 1943, and gradually bore fruit. After the battles became protracted, the command changed its strategy.
Attack on the Znamenka and Kirovograd
When the army got stuck in the battles in the Dnepropetrovsk region, it was necessary to change the direction and emphasis of hostilities. For this, reconnaissance was carried out. According to the information available to the army, it became clear that few enemy forces were concentrated in the Znamenka area. To provide effective resistance, the enemy will have to transfer forces, which will take a certain time.
From Znamenka’s side, our army, namely, the 2 Ukrainian Front, whose military path was long in Ukraine, delivered its first strike on November 14, 1943. Until November 25, there was no particular dynamics in the actions of the troops. But success in these battles was ensured by a strong 2 Ukrainian front! The chronicle of hostilities is as follows:
- From December 3 to 5, there were battles for the liberation of the city of Alexandria. For the Nazis, this was a rather important point, because in this area even now there are large deposits of brown coal, which was used as fuel.
- On December 6, fighting began for the liberation of a large railway junction - the city of Znamenka. The city was liberated in a few days.
- Then the troops headed towards Kirovograd. The distance from Znamenka to the regional center is only 50 kilometers, but the army was only able to liberate Kirovograd on January 8, 1944. The enemy built a strong line of defense that held back Soviet soldiers for a long time, but could not withstand the onslaught.
Uman-Batoshan operation
Where did the 2 Ukrainian Front go further? The battle path of our troops continued to the west. It was necessary to liberate the Right-Bank Ukraine and Moldova. The offensive towards Uman from the Kirovograd region began on March 5, 1944. The Germans were not able to create a strong line of defense in this area of hostilities. In all elements except aviation, the forces of the Red Army were about 2 times superior to the capabilities of the enemy. The army broke through the Wehrmacht’s defense line about 8 kilometers wide in 2 days. After that, a successful breakthrough began.
The city of Uman was liberated on March 10, 1944. Then the troops crossed the Southern Bug and continued on their way towards Dubno and Zhmerynka. On March 19, the city of Mogilev-Podolsky was liberated.
In fact, in 2 weeks the Soviet troops succeeded in a small “blitzkrieg”. For example, the distance from Kirovograd to Uman is 197 km. From Uman to Mogilev is also not very close. We must also take into account the fighting factor.
In late March - early April, troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front were to help formations of the 1st Ukrainian Front near Kamenetz-Podolsky. Objective: surround 1 enemy tank army. The armies were to reach the Dniester and advance literally along the coast with the aim of encircling the army of the enemy. It was practically possible to close the ring. On April 3, the KA took the city of Khotyn, famous for its fortress.
2 Ukrainian front: military way in the history of war abroad
The troops of the 2 Ukrainian front took an active part in the operations of the Red Army outside the borders of the USSR, aimed at the complete destruction of enemy troops. It is worth noting in this regard the events of August 1944. At this time, the Soviet troops carried out the Iasi-Chisinau offensive operation, which later developed into a joint with the Romanian troops Bucharest-Arad. The strategic goal of these operations was the change of power in Romania and the removal of this state from the war against the USSR. Of course, the Red Army, which was impossible to stop at that time, completed the task.
Next 2 The Ukrainian Front (the combat route of 922 pages of the regiment and other formations is briefly described in the material) was relocated to Hungary. In October, our army launched a successful offensive against enemy troops in the Debrecen area. Army Group South, which operated in Hungary, was defeated due to the well-planned actions of our troops. After this, the troops of the USSR headed towards Budapest, surrounded the enemy and entered the city.
Recent military operations of troops of the 2 Ukrainian Front took place in Austria and the Czech Republic. The Prague offensive operation against individual units of German troops ended on May 12, 1945.
Conclusion
In the history of the Second World War 2, the Ukrainian Front (military route - 1943-1945) left a noticeable mark. The troops of this particular front liberated strategically important areas of Central Ukraine, and also participated in battles in many countries of Europe.
Europe, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus will not forget the exploits of Soviet soldiers!