Maxim Kupinov
30.03.2011 - 08:47
61 years ago, on March 30, 1945, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief signed order No. 319, which stated: “The troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front completed the defeat of the Danzig group of Germans and today, March 30, stormed the city and fortress of Gdansk (Danzig) - the most important port and first-class naval base of the Germans on the Baltic Sea. The national flag of the Polish state was raised over Gdansk...” It is unlikely that Poles in Gdansk now remember this order, the most important document in the history of this city, which determined its post-war fate. Well, who in their place would like to remember that it was Stalin and his soldiers who turned German Danzig into Polish Gdansk and allowed them to “raise the national flag of the Polish state”? It should be noted that the Poles had some connection to the capture of Danzig. A Polish tank brigade took part in the battles for this city. How Polish the units of the then Polish Army were, especially the tank ones, is a separate topic. Danzig was a very serious fortress. Powerful, well-camouflaged forts kept the entire area within a radius of 15 kilometers from the city under fire. The fortress rampart, left over from earlier times, encircled the city, and in front of it grew an outer belt of modern defensive structures. At all commanding heights, without exception, there are reinforced concrete and stone concrete pillboxes. Widely and skillfully planned field positions complemented the defense. As all bearers of “universal human” ideas know, the Red Army fought incompetently, as “cannon fodder”, running into the attack exclusively under the bullets of the barrier detachments, with one rifle for three. But, by fighting with such methods, you can only fill the ground with corpses; in this way, you can only win on the pages of liberal publications. Therefore, the 203-mm B-4 howitzers played a special role in the capture of the Danzig fortifications; since the time of the assault on the Mannerheim Line, they had earned the nicknames “Stalin’s sledgehammer” and “Karelian architect” due to their effective work on Finnish pillboxes. They also coped with the role of the Danzig “architect” excellently. The 203-mm shell brought fundamental changes to the Danzig landscape. IS-2 tanks, the most powerful Soviet tanks of that period, also played a major role in the capture of Danzig. 122-mm shells made it possible to quickly “resolve issues” with enemy fortifications, and the 12.7-mm DShK machine gun mounted on the turret served as an effective means of fighting infantry enemy, making it possible to “extinguish” firing points on the upper floors of buildings. Anti-aircraft rapid-firing machine guns mounted on armored personnel carriers were also adapted for the same purpose. During the assault, Soviet troops actively used captured anti-tank weapons: the Faustpatron and the Panzerschreck rocket gun. Captured "Faustpatrons" were ordered to be collected and transferred to the disposal of engineering services. But they were not intended to fight tanks - the Red Army had enough anti-tank weapons. Most of the faustpatrons came into the possession of assault engineer brigades (SHISBr), which used them as part of assault groups to suppress enemy firing points. Before the assault on Danzig, the 1st ShISBr prepared 30 assault groups. Each sapper assault group consisted of 4 attack aircraft and 4 flamethrowers (of which 2 were reserve). Each of these assault groups was accompanied by a group of “faustniks” consisting of 4 sappers (a squad leader and three “faustniks”, one of whom had a special machine for salvo throwing). This machine was a domestic invention and made it possible to simultaneously throw up to 10 faust cartridges. The group of “faustniks” was armed with 50-80 faust cartridges and machine guns. To transport the sapper assault group, one tank or self-propelled gun was allocated, which also provided fire support. To storm particularly complex objects, demolitionists were included in the group. Each sapper department was allocated 200 kg of explosives. Using sewer hatches, which were used as reflectors, they set off targeted explosions, and then, after pre-processing the hole with a flamethrower, they finished off the surviving fascists. Hiding behind neighboring houses, sappers armed with faustpatrons made their way to the intended target and fired at the window where the enemy machine gun was installed. Others at this time threw grenades at the windows and doors from which the Nazis fired. If enemy resistance continued, one or two concentrated charges were placed under the walls of the building and an explosion was carried out. After this, the enemy garrison usually surrendered. If he continued to resist, the infantry threw grenades into the gap formed. During the first two days of the assault on the city, enemy resistance in 19 buildings was suppressed in this way. When fighting inside a quarter, the importance of faustpatrons and flamethrowers increased, since in these conditions the processing of assault targets with direct fire artillery and tanks became almost impossible. And when the assault sappers managed to get close to the assault target or firing point within firing distance of a flamethrower, the success of the assault was ensured, since flamethrowing in all cases forced the enemy to leave the defended object. Almost every day, assault groups fired 200-250 Faust cartridges at the enemy. True, hits from Faust cartridges were not always quite accurate, but the force of their explosion made it possible to eliminate enemy firing points located in buildings with two or three shots. The great opportunities provided by the weapons of the Red Army, rich trophies and the ability to use all this effectively made it possible to carry out the operation to capture Danzig quickly according to the standards of street fighting. The assault on Danzig began on the morning of March 27, 1945. On March 30, the city fell. The troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front captured 10,000 German soldiers and officers, and also captured 140 tanks and self-propelled guns, 358 field guns, 45 submarines. A decree was soon published Supreme Council The USSR on awarding the commander of the 2nd Belarusian Front, Konstantin Rokossovsky, “for skillful leadership of major operations, which resulted in outstanding successes in the defeat of the Nazi troops,” with the Order of Victory. Then the settlement of Danzig by Poles began. In March 1949, to commemorate the liberation of Gdansk and Gdynia, the people's councils of these cities awarded Rokossovsky the title of honorary citizen... I wonder if the marshal still retains this title?
Current page: 5 (book has 16 pages total) [available reading passage: 11 pages]
Even before the creation of the SA, the commander of the civilian militia (Einwohnerwehr), the equivalent of an army in this demilitarized city, was alarmed by reports that Nazi Party members had received instructions not to be particularly diligent in maintaining law and order in the city and thereby not to defend the existing system of government . In reality, at that time, local Nazis did not yet pose a significant threat, because in Germany the NSDAP was mired in political squabbles. This created despondency among ordinary party members, which influenced the people from the Danzig SA even more than their coreligionists in the Reich itself. The Danzig SA detachment was isolated, its interaction with the police was weak, and the road to power seemed closed.
Hitler's entry into Danzig on September 19, 1939. Since 1934, when the Nazis took control of the city administration, Hitler demanded the transfer of the city to Germany. This demand was greeted with jubilation by the German population of the city.
The increase in street violence in Germany in 1931–1932 was repeated in Danzig. SA members repeatedly clashed with communists and social democrats. Shootings occurred quite rarely; much more often, opponents used clubs and knives. The Nazis suffered one loss: on November 12, 1931, near the village of Kalbude, 16-year-old Horst Hoffmann died in a battle between members of the SA and SS and the communists. His Danzig like-minded people considered the young man’s death heroic and immediately declared him a “martyr” who died for the cause of the NSDAP, and the day of his death - “Deadly Sunday.” In the early summer of 1939, the Danzig authorities decided to create self-defense units, and on June 3, Reichsführer SS Himmler took on this task. In October 1938, the 3rd Battalion of the 4th SS Regiment "Totenkopf" was formed in Berlin-Adlerhof under the command of SS-Obersturmbannführer Hans Friedemann Goerze. Himmler decided that a unit of self-defense forces would be created on the basis of the battalion and that it should be supplemented with the German anti-tank training company “Totenkopf”. In July 1939, the Heimwehr SS Danzig was created, consisting of 42 officers and 1,500 enlisted men. Two-thirds were Germans from the Reich, one-third were residents of Danzig. Gauleiter Foster, at the parade held on August 18, 1939, solemnly presented the company standard to SS-Obersturmbannführer Goerze.
"Heimwehr SS Danzig"
Shortly before this, in June 1939, by order of SS-Brigadeführer Schafer, the SS Wachsturmbann "Eymann" was created - a reserve unit that took part in a number of minor military clashes in the Danzig area from July to September 1939 and performed "police functions" after the Wehrmacht attack to Poland. In 1940 it was disbanded. It was a reserve police battalion, consisting of four companies and having its own transport. It was commanded by SS Sturmbannführer Kurt Eymann. Among his inglorious acts was the execution of German disabled people expelled from the Reich to Poland. In addition, several Einsatzkommandos were created from employees of the criminal and political police of Danzig and the general SS, which were subordinate to the Danzig police.
When the war against Poland began in September 1939, the Heimwehr SS Danzig took part in battles with the Polish army in the area of Danzig, Gdynia and Westerplatte. Reichsführer SS Himmler was furious when one of the battalions took part in the assault on the Kiepp Oksywska shoreline in Gdynia on 8 September. But since the battalion was part of the local defensive division of Colonel Count Rittberg, it was mentioned in military reports as the Rittberg battalion. As insignificant as it may sound, at the beginning of the war Himmler's dream was for the SS units to achieve respect in the eyes of the Wehrmacht.
Soon after Poland capitulated (the government left Warsaw on September 6 and fled the country on September 17, Warsaw held out until September 28, isolated pockets of resistance until October 2–6. – Ed.), the unit was transferred to Germany, and its personnel joined the new infantry regiment No. 3 of the SS Division “Totenkopf”. The formation of the regiment was officially announced on 1 November 1939 at a ceremony at the recruit depot in Dachau.
Danzig Cross. Its initiator was Gauleiter Foster. Awarded "for valiant services in strengthening the NSDAP in the Free City of Danzig." The 1st class cross shown in this photo was awarded only 88 times, the 2nd class - 257 times
During Hitler's visit to Danzig, the SS Wachsturmbann "Eymann" was on guard duty in Oliwa and Danzig, while two companies guarded Hitler's headquarters in Sopot. After the fighting in Danzig, many civilians were captured and sent to concentration camps in Neufahrwasser, Stutthof and Grenzdorf, where two companies of the battalion were guarding them.
The first units of “foreign” (German) volunteers were relatively successful. They were easy enough to form because they were loyal to Berlin. They served as a good model for creating units from real foreigners (not Volksdeutsche) for the Wehrmacht or SS. The effectiveness of such a model will be tested in the countries of Western Europe conquered by Germany.
Charter of the French SS regiment, formed in 1943. The purpose of its creation was declared to be the struggle for the preservation of European civilization, and not for the interests of National Socialism
Chapter 5
Vichy France
Vichy France occupied a unique position in Hitler-occupied Europe. While not an ally of the Reich or an occupied state, France under Pétain had relative autonomy. Shortly after Germany attacked the Soviet Union in June 1941, the French Legion was created, intended to conduct combat operations on the Eastern Front. Later, Vichy France regularly supplied volunteers to fight the Red Army. Units of the 33rd SS Division Charlemagne took part in the battle for Berlin in 1945.
After the defeat and occupation of France in May–June 1940, an armistice was signed on June 22 between the governments of Germany and France (and on June 24 between France and Italy). France was divided into two zones. The northern industrial region was occupied, and the rule of the German military administration was established there. In the south of the country, in Vichy, a collaborationist government was formed, headed by the hero of the First World War, 84-year-old Marshal Pétain.
After the German attack on the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, in French political parties There was great excitement among the collaborationist and paramilitary French units.
As a result, the first recruiting station was opened in Paris, at 12 rue Aubert. Soon such recruiting centers appeared throughout France. On July 7, a meeting of the leaders of these parties took place at the Majestic Hotel in Paris, at which the creation of such anti-Bolshevik military formations was discussed. On July 18, 1941, the French Volunteer Legion was officially created to fight Bolshevism.
Shortly before this, the Vichy government passed a law prohibiting the French from enlisting in “foreign armies” in order to prevent them from joining the Free French forces under the command of the exiled General Charles de Gaulle. Since the French Volunteer Legion was a private affair, Marshal Pétain changed the law so that French volunteers could join without hindrance. This caused approval from Hitler, who, however, made a reservation - membership in the legion was limited to 15 thousand people.
However, the French Volunteer Legion recruited only 13,400 people, of which 4,600 applicants were rejected on the basis of health requirements and another 3 thousand on “moral” grounds. Many Frenchmen came from the militias of political collaborationist parties, the most famous of which was the French People's Party, led by Doriot. Ultimately, 5,800 Frenchmen were accepted into the legion, receiving military training in barracks near Versailles.
The volunteers wore German military uniform with a French patch with the inscription "France" on the right sleeve of the uniform. (The Germans made it clear that before France declared war Soviet Union it makes no sense to send them into battle in French uniforms.) Colonel Roger Labonne, a 60-year-old military historian, was appointed commander of the legion.
On September 4, the first group of volunteers - 25 officers and 803 privates - left Paris for Dębica (Poland). On September 20, a second detachment of 127 officers and 769 privates, including non-commissioned officer Doriot, set off after them in the same direction. In October 1941, the legion consisted of two battalions: 181 officers and 2,271 non-commissioned officers and privates. It also included 35 German officers for communication with Wehrmacht units. Officially, the legion was part of the 638th Infantry Regiment of the Wehrmacht.
Volunteers of the French Legion leave Paris to undergo combat training under the control of the German army. In 1941, the SS troops could still be selective in presenting racial standards to foreign volunteers. They did not recognize the French as true Aryans (they found that there were many “impurities”, although the Celts, like the Germans, Slavs, Latvians, Italics, Greeks, etc., are Indo-Europeans. - Ed.)
At the end of October, both battalions were sent by rail to Smolensk, and then by truck to the front line in the immediate vicinity of Moscow, where near Golovkovo (near Naro-Fominsk. - Ed.) joined the German 7th Infantry Division. At the beginning of December, the 3rd Battalion, consisting of 1,400 French volunteers, was sent to a training camp in Dębica. In February 1942, the 1st and 2nd Battalions experienced the might of the Soviet winter counteroffensive. During the fighting, the 2nd battalion was crushed by units of the Red Army near the village of Dunovo and almost completely destroyed. The Legion lost half its personnel due to enemy actions or due to severe frostbite.
In March 1942, Colonel Labonne was called to Paris and relieved of command of the legion. The legion was withdrawn to the rear, and for the next year and a half it existed in the form of two separate battalions, the 1st under the command of Major Lacroix and the 3rd under the command of Major Demessen. The 2nd battalion practically ceased to exist. This unit did not have a French commander. From now on, it was used exclusively for anti-partisan operations. In the summer of 1942, the 1st Battalion was subordinated to the German 186th Security Division and was used to fight against the partisans, while the 3rd Battalion was located southwest of Smolensk and fought against the partisans, where it suffered heavy losses.
On June 24, 1942, the Legion's control committee sent a memorandum to Prime Minister Laval proposing that the remnants of the Legion be converted into a militia unit that would wear French uniforms, receive French decorations and be financed by the Ministry of Defense, and "serve on any front if the interests of the nation so require." A new name was also proposed - the Tricolor Legion; it was intended to “unshakably emphasize the national ideal that inspires the legionnaires.” These ideas were agreed upon four days later. It was decided to finance Tricolor at the expense of the Vichy government. The legion was to be led by Raymond Lachal, the right hand of Pierre Laval.
Volunteers of the French Legion in battles on the Eastern Front in the winter of 1941/42. This legion, attached to the German 7th Infantry Division during the offensive on Moscow, suffered heavy losses and was withdrawn to the rear in the spring of 1942
This formation lasted six months, after which it was disbanded. Hitler did not approve of its creation. If the Legion became a French-controlled military unit, would the Wehrmacht have the power to prevent it from being withdrawn from Russia and sent back to France? The Fuhrer was clearly not happy with this prospect, and he gave an order according to which the French volunteers were to remain part of the German army.
Former Tricolor legionnaires were allowed to return to the French Volunteer Legion. In June 1943, after active recruitment and reorganization, the legion was re-equipped and prepared for service as part of the German 186th Security Division, located in Smolensk.
Thus, at the end of December 1942, the Tricolor Legion was disbanded and its personnel joined the French Volunteer Legion. In June 1943, the 1st and 3rd battalions were attached to the German 286th Security Division, and the same was done with the newly formed 2nd battalion. At the end of that year, the French Volunteer Legion became a single regiment. It was commanded by Colonel Edgard Poux, a career military man who had previously served in the French Foreign Legion in North Africa.
In January 1944, the French Volunteer Legion again took part in hostilities against Russian partisans in the forests near the village of Somry. The operation was successful: out of 6 thousand partisans active in the area, 1118 people were killed and 1345 people were captured. In April 1944, the 4th battalion was added to the legion, consisting of the remnants of the legion's artillery unit.
In June 1944, after the defeat of the German 9th Army (and the entire Army Group Center), the regiment found itself on the path of a large-scale offensive by the Red Army, Operation Bagration. A battalion of 400 French under the command of Major Brideau plus various German units was deployed to counter the Soviet advance. Together they formed a battle group that took up positions near Beaver, in Belarus. Pushed to the rear, the regiment was reorganized in Greifenberg, East Prussia. In September 1944, the French Volunteer Legion ceased to exist, joining the SS troops (see below).
After 1940, only a small number (perhaps no more than 300 people) of the French managed to get into the SS troops. They served primarily as privates in the Viking and Death's Head divisions rather than in the French Legion. Only in July 1943 did mass conscription begin in France, when the Committee of Friends of the SS Troops was created, formed by the Minister of Propaganda of the Vichy government, Paul Marion. The committee's main recruiting station was located in Paris, at No. 24 Avenue Poincaré (where 1,500 applications were received), and its regional branches were located in the largest cities of France.
February 1944. French SS conscripts take the oath. “I take before God the sacred oath of allegiance to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Adolf Hitler, and the commanders appointed by him.”
Volunteers were required to have “no Jewish blood,” good physical fitness, and be 20–25 years old. The first volunteers were recruited from members of Vichy youth organizations, various collaborationist militia units, right-wing politicians, as well as university students.
In the first few months, approximately 3 thousand volunteers visited various recruiting centers. The first 800 volunteers underwent military training at Sennheim in Alsace, and after basic training, 30 were selected as candidates for officer rank and sent to the SS school in Bad Tölz. Another 100 people were assigned to the non-commissioned officer training center in Posen (Poznan). In March 1944, 1,538 French conscripts, as well as officers and non-commissioned officers, were at a training camp in Beneschau near Prague. Here the SS assault brigade “France” was formed from them.
In August 1944, this assault brigade was assigned to the 18th SS Motorized Division "Horst Wessel" and transferred to Galicia, where it entered into fierce rearguard battles with the advancing units of the Red Army. Here the new brigade suffered heavy losses. 15 of the 18 officers were killed or wounded. In addition, 130 privates and non-commissioned officers were killed and 660 wounded. After this baptism of fire, the assault brigade was returned to the barracks for reorganization, where it finally merged with the remnants of the French Legion.
This smiling Arab volunteer served in the German army. His sleeve patch has three colors - red and white. Below it is the inscription German- “Free Arabia”. On top of it is the same inscription in Arabic
Division "Charlemagne"
By this time most France was liberated by the Allied forces of the anti-Hitler coalition. Himmler was thus able to combine the assault brigade, units of the French Navy and members of the French Legion into an SS infantry division. On September 1, 1944, the Reichsführer SS brought together the remnants of the Vichy army and created from them the SS Charlemagne brigade. It consisted of 1,200 former soldiers of the assault brigade, 2,000 former legionnaires, 1,200 naval sailors, 2,300 people from the National Socialist Motorized Corps (NSMK) and the Todt organization, as well as 2,400 former police officers and recruits.
At the end of 1944, these scattered units were assembled at the Wildflecken training camp, located northwest of Frankfurt am Main. Here they were reorganized, and in February 1945 the brigade was reorganized into the 33rd SS Infantry Division Charlemagne. After extremely short combat training, she was urgently sent to the Eastern Front.
On February 25, 1945, when units of the Charlemagne division unloaded at the station in Hammerstein, in Pomerania, the tank wedges of the Soviet 1st Belorussian Front dealt a powerful blow, which also hit the French division.
The result was disastrous, and the poorly prepared French force was divided into three battle groups. One, under the command of General Krukenberg, was transferred to the Baltic coast, from where it was evacuated to Denmark, and from there sent to reform at Neustrelitz in Mecklenburg. The second, under the command of General Puo, was soon cut into pieces by the Red Army. The third, almost completely defeated by the enemy, began a fighting retreat to the west and was destroyed in early March 1945.
In Karpin, in Mecklenburg, the remnants of the Charlemagne division - 1,100 people - were sent to rest and reorganize. In early April, Krukenberg released the disappointed and demoralized men from the oath, which cost him the loss of about a third of his personnel. On the night of April 23-24, the surviving French were thrown into the defense of Berlin. General Krukenberg organized a convoy, but due to enemy fire and mechanical failures, only 330 men were able to reach the northwestern outskirts of Berlin just hours before Soviet troops surrounded the city.
Immediately upon arrival, the French entered the battle. They took part in short, bloody battles at Hasenheide, Tempelhof airfield, and retreated through the Landwehr Canal, after which they broke through the Berlin district of Kreuzberg into the city center. The French continued to fight with units of the Red Army until General Weidling's order to surrender was received on May 2. In the area of the Potsdamer station, approximately 30 Frenchmen from the Charlemagne division were captured by the Russians. (In total, 23,136 French were captured by the Soviets. – Ed.)
French volunteer sailors
In February 1944, the Nazi German Navy issued a call for French volunteers to join the Kriegsmarine. They were invited by a recruiting office in the city of Caen, in Normandy. However, as in other branches of the Wehrmacht of the Third Reich, voluntary enlistment into naval service had occurred previously, especially in traditional coastal areas such as Brittany and Normandy. In total, approximately 2 thousand Frenchmen served in the Kriegsmarine during the Second World War. In France, on the initiative of the German Navy, a marine police force was created from the French called the Kriegsmarine Wehrmänner.
Another separate police unit of French volunteers was called "Kriegswerfpolice". Its 250–300 French personnel helped guard the important submarine base at La Palisse near La Rochelle in the Bay of Biscay. The landing of Anglo-American troops in France in June 1944 did not seem to stop the German Navy from recruiting new French volunteers into its service. For example, the issue of the Journal de Rouen dated June 29, 1944, three weeks after the Normandy landings, published advertising material encouraging young Frenchmen to join the Kriegsmarine. It said: “Becoming a sailor means acquiring a profession. Sign up for the German Navy!
In May–June 1941, the German-inspired uprising in British-occupied Iraq, led by Rashid Ali Gailani, ended in failure. German agents and key participants in the conspiracy fled to Greece and ended up in a training camp in Sounion near Athens. Their training Sonderstab "F" was headed by Helmut Felmy. Berlin decided to form an Arab unit to conduct sabotage operations in North Africa. Thus was born the 845th Wehrmacht battalion.
This photograph, taken in late 1944, shows French volunteers at a German training camp. They hold German and Russian machine guns. There is no doubt that the French got what was available
In April 1942, the battalion included volunteers from Algeria, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine and Iraq. (The Tunisians did not join, but offered their services as laborers and policemen.) Approximately 400 Arabs living in the occupied territories were conscripted into the Arab Phalanx, which was part of a new unit called the Deutsch Arabische Lerabtailung. She took part in the battles on the shores of Hammamet Bay, where a group of British commandos landed, tasked with blowing up the headquarters of the German sabotage unit Brandenburg. The Arabs fought with the British for two days and suffered losses of 3 people. British losses amounted to 8 people.
In total, 6,300 Arabs passed through the ranks of the Vichy and German armies. Arab volunteers who fought on the front line wore a sleeve shield, and volunteers from auxiliary units wore a sleeve patch. These shields were produced in limited quantities and are today the rarest of all their counterparts.
Flemish SS volunteer. On his left breast pocket he wears a badge with the name of Raymond Tollener of the Flemish Legion
By the beginning of February 1945, the following situation had developed in the central sector of the Soviet-German front. During the Vistula-Oder operation, troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front under the command of I.S. Konev and the 1st Belorussian Front under the command of G.K. Zhukov inflicted a severe defeat on the German forces in the Berlin direction. During the campaign, they managed to break through the German defenses along the Vistula River and reach the Oder River on a broad front. The enemy armies occupying the defensive between the Vistula and Oder rivers suffered serious losses. There were no more than 100 kilometers left to Berlin.
At the same time, the forces of the 2nd Belorussian Front under the command of K.K. Rokossovsky reached the Baltic Sea and cut off the East Prussian enemy group from the main forces of the Wehrmacht. However, despite a series of severe blows, the Reich leadership still hoped to stop the Red Army's advance on Berlin. For these purposes, the German command took a number of measures, in particular, significant reserves were deployed to the line of the Oder River, and the Vistula Army Group was formed from the forces that had retreated to Eastern Pomerania. The German troops were personally commanded by Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler.
For Nazi Germany, the region of Eastern Pomerania was of the greatest economic and transport importance. The region had a developed network of railways and airfields, which, together with many seaports, made it one of the largest transport hubs of the Reich. In addition, industry was well developed in Pomerania, including the military, and there were a large number of warehouses and arsenals. And the main forces of the German navy were based at the naval bases of Danzig, Gdynia and Stettin, which allowed the Reich to control a significant part of the Baltic and carry out large transfers of troops and equipment by sea. Due to the importance of the region, the German command deployed all possible forces to maintain control over it.
Under these circumstances, despite the proximity of the German capital, a decisive attack on Berlin looked quite risky. Mainly due to serious fears that the enemy would try to launch a powerful flank attack on the rear of Zhukov's front. This development of events seemed quite likely due to the difference in the pace of advance of the 1st and 2nd Belorussian fronts, between which a serious gap of 250 kilometers had formed, where there were practically no Soviet troops. German forces in Eastern Pomerania hung over the right flank of Zhukov's front, and the Wehrmacht command was hardly going to miss the opportunity to strike from there. Thus, for the successful conduct of the Berlin operation, it was necessary to eliminate the threat represented by Army Group Vistula.
At the beginning of February Headquarters Supreme High Command decided to turn part of the forces of the 1st Belorussian Front to the north to close the gap between the fronts and at the same time entrusted Rokossovsky’s troops with the task of eliminating the enemy’s East Pomeranian group.
As it became clear later, this step was the right one.
The initial plan for the East Pomeranian operation was reflected in the Directive of the Supreme High Command Headquarters No. 11021 of February 8, 1945.
The main tasks that the command set for the troops of the Rokossovsky front were as follows: no later than February 20, 1945, to capture the line at the mouth of the Vistula River, Dirschau, Berent, Rummelsburg, Neusch-Tettin. After this, developing the offensive, clear the entire Baltic coast up to the Pomeranian Bay. Also, the troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front had to liberate such major cities, like Danzig and Gdynia. The front was supposed to begin the offensive on February 10, 1945, that is, less than two days were allotted for preparation.
So that the front command could fully concentrate on actions in Eastern Pomerania, the 2nd Belorussian Front was released from participation in the East Prussian operation, and all its right-flank armies were reassigned to the 3rd Belorussian Front.
The 2nd Belorussian Front was reinforced by the 19th Army of General G.K. Kozlov, but they could not complete its deployment by February 10th. In fact, by the beginning of the offensive in Eastern Pomerania, the front had four armies: the 2nd shock (I.I. Fedyuninsky), the 65th (P.I. Batov), the 49th (I.T. Grishin) and the 70th (V.S.Popov). The front also included three tank corps, one mechanized and one cavalry. Air support for Rokossovsky's forces was provided by the 4th Air Army of General K.A. Vershinin.
Speaking about the composition of the front, it is worth noting that after fierce fighting in East Prussia, most units and formations experienced a serious shortage of personnel. The average number of rifle divisions in the armies did not exceed 4,500 people, with the exception of the 19th Army that had not yet arrived, in which the divisions consisted of 8,400 soldiers and officers. The front also suffered from a lack of equipment. Almost half of the regular tanks were under repair.
In fact, as of February 10, the 2nd Belorussian Front had at its disposal about 370,000 people, 10,000 guns and mortars, 263 tanks and self-propelled artillery units, as well as 450 aircraft.
The Vistula Army Group, consisting of four armies, including one tank, as well as the 2nd Army of the Wehrmacht, which included 13 infantry and 2 tank divisions, 2 brigades, and 6 battle groups, acted against Rokossovsky’s forces. Germany began building defensive structures in the region back in 1933. The hilly plain, with areas of forest, rivers and lakes, which is Eastern Pomerania, was covered with a network of trenches, various engineering structures, minefields, barbed wire, and anti-tank ditches with water. In addition, along the Pomeranian Wall - the main line of German defense - there were fortified cities (Stolp, Rummelsburg, Deutsch-Krone, Schneidemuhl, Neustettin), each of which was fully prepared for defense and street battles.
Even a cursory glance at the balance of forces is enough to understand that the firepower of the 2nd Belorussian Front was clearly insufficient. The weather added to the difficulty - in muddy conditions, the swampy terrain in some places became an insurmountable obstacle.
Thus, the operation had to begin in extremely difficult conditions, with insufficient forces and time to transfer them.
However, despite all the difficulties, on the morning of February 10, 1945, the front troops went on the offensive. The East Pomeranian operation began.
Third Reich (modern Poland) |
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Victory of the Red Army |
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Opponents |
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Germany |
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Commanders |
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I. I. Fedyuninsky |
Dietrich von Saucken |
P. I. Batov |
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I. T. Grishin |
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V. Z. Romanovsky |
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Strengths of the parties |
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96,500 soldiers, 750 tanks, 2,500 guns |
24,500 soldiers, 200 tanks, 500 guns |
10,000 people killed, 80 tanks, 800 guns |
22,000 people killed, 3,000 surrendered, 195 tanks, 450 guns |
Capture of Danzig- capture of the German city of Danzig by the forces of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army in battles with the troops of the Third Reich in March 1945. It was carried out during the East Pomeranian operation. After the city was captured, the Polish flag was hoisted over it.
Progress of hostilities
95,000 Soviet soldiers were advancing. There were only 25,000 Nazis in the city.
By 8:00 the battalions of the 59th Guards Tank Brigade, reinforced with self-propelled guns ISU-152 of the battalions of the 60th Guards. TBR, machine gunners of the 28th Guards. MSBR and sappers of the 125th Guards Engineer Battalion, went to the Franciscan Church in Emaus, the eastern suburb of Danzig. By 20.00 of the same day, moving along Karthausstrasse, tankers, self-propelled gunners and motorized riflemen reached the Church of the Holy Spirit in the suburb of Schiedlitz. The streets of the city are blocked by anti-tank ditches and mined barricades. Some buildings are also mined in order to block the tanks of Soviet assault groups by blowing them up.
March 27 to units of the 59th and 60th Guards. The TBR, advancing along the streets of Karthausstrasse and Oberstrasse, managed to advance to the Neugarten area. Aviation helps a lot, working on targets in the port and in the city itself day and night.
On March 29, Barn Island was finally cleared. An attempt to establish a crossing across the Novaya Motlava Canal was unsuccessful: only two tanks managed to cross, after which the crossing was destroyed by artillery fire. The tanks that crossed the river secured a foothold in the customs administration building in Nizhny Gorod. Heavy fire from the area of the barracks, the gymnasium and the Church of St. Barbara makes all attempts to cross impossible.
March 30, part of the 59th Guards. TBR, 60 Guards TBR and 28 Guards The IRB forces the crossing of New Motlawa and clears the Lower City.
Strengths of the parties
PowersUSSR: 96,500 soldiers, 750 tanks and 2,500 guns.
PowersGermany: 24,500 soldiers, 200 tanks and 500 guns.
Losses of the parties
USSR losses: 10,000 soldiers, 80 tanks and 800 guns. During the capture of Danzig, Major General S. R. Rakhimov died.
German losses: 22,000 soldiers (another 3,000 surrendered), 195 tanks and 450 guns.
Results
The Danzig garrison capitulated, the Germans retreated. The Red Army began to advance further. 105,000 soldiers and 950 tanks took part in the battle.
1.16.3. 23rd Latvian police battalion. Formed in April 1942 in Riga and Bolderaja and immediately sent to Ukraine, where he remained until July 1943. In April 1944, he took part in Operation Früllingfest in Belarus. In September 1944, he was evacuated by sea from Riga to Danzig for rearmament and replenishment, where he took part in the battles for Danzig. At the end of the battles for Danzig, he was transferred by sea to Courland. Number of 250 people;
1.16.4. 267th Latvian police battalion. Formed in July 1942 in Krustpils as a security battalion. Since June 1943 it acted as a front-line police battalion. Consisting of two companies with a total number of up to 150 people;
1.16.5. 269th Latvian police battalion. Formed in July 1942. Since June 1943 it has operated as a customs service battalion. Since September 1944, it was used in Kurland to protect the coast from landings. Total number of up to 340 people;
1.16.6. 319th Latvian police battalion. Formed in March 1944. In April it was transferred to the Wehrmacht. In October - in Danzig. Since December - front-line police battalion. Then in Kurland. Consisting of three companies with a total number of 300 people, it was subordinate to the 120th Security Regiment as part of the “Rear Area 584” of the 16th German Army;
1.16.7. 322nd Latvian police battalion. Formed in October 1944 in Danzig. Since December - front-line police battalion. Then - in Kurland. Numbering 250 people.
2. Police construction battalion “Klavins” (467 people).
3. Police construction battalion “Zvaigzne” (444 people). It was formed in September 1944 as the 2nd separate special purpose battalion, and its personnel were staffed by soldiers of the Latvian SS Legion, sentenced to serve in penal units for various crimes, as well as other penal prisoners and prisoners who made up the “population” of two Riga prisons - “Central” and “Urgent”. Later it became known as the “Latvian Police Construction and Sapper Battalion”, or “Latvian Police Construction Battalion “Zvaigzne”, or “Special Battalion “Zvaigzne” - named after the battalion commander, SS Obersturmbannführer Zvaigzne.
4. 672nd pioneer battalion of the Wehrmacht. Formed in October 1941 as the Latvian engineer security battalion "Abrene". Since June 1942 - 20th reserve Latvian sapper police battalion. Since July - the 270th Latvian sapper police battalion. Since September in Kyiv at the disposal of the chief of police of order in Ukraine. In the spring of 1943, it was renamed the 672nd Eastern Combat Engineer Battalion and transferred to Army Group North. Subordinate to the VI SS Corps with a total strength of up to 300 people.
5. Latgale police battalions (disbanded in April 1945. Personnel were used to replenish other Latvian military units):
5.1. 315th Latgale Police Battalion (total strength up to 350 people);
5.2. 326th Latgale Police Battalion (total strength up to 350 people);
5.3. 327-1. Latgale police battalion (total strength up to 400 people);
5.4. 328th Latgale Police Battalion (total strength up to 200 people).
6. 652nd Latvian supply company (total strength up to 300 people).
7. 47th and 49th Wehrmacht supply battalions (Latvian) (the total number of Latvians in them is up to 115 people).
8. 3rd air defense battery and the “mixed” 645th air defense division (previously part of the “Latvian Aviation Legion”, with a total number of up to 300 people).
9. Latvian naval air defense division (numbering up to 250 people).
10. Seven Latvian construction battalions, previously part of Wehrmacht units and stationed in the Reichskommissariat “Ostland” (with a total number of up to 2,500 people).
11. Latvian “hilfers” - “assistants” (members of auxiliary units) of the air defense and air force (with a total number of up to 1000 people).
12. 6th Latvian company of SS war correspondents (as part of the SS Regiment “Kurt Eggers” of up to 100 people).
13. Detachments and units of the Latvian police (total number of up to 1500 people).
14. Latvian youth who were members of the RAD and the Todt Organization, as well as the Latvian Security Police (total number of up to 1000 people).
15. Wounded from Latvian units who were in hospitals and front-line hospitals at the time of surrender (total number of up to 1,500 people).
That is, in total, on May 8, 1945, there were more than 30,000 Latvians on the territory of “Kurland” only in SS and Wehrmacht uniforms! But there were still a huge number of Latvian civil servants government agencies, in the fall of 1944, evacuated from Riga during the retreat and evacuation of Riga by the German Wehrmacht.
Most of the Latvians who went to fight the USSR together with German troops ended up outside the country of Kurland. It should be remembered that only a year ago, in the summer of 1944, according to some researchers, the total number of Latvians who actively fought on the side of the German Wehrmacht was more than 110,000 people. Including 54,504 Latvians served in the Latvian police, border, auxiliary, construction units, as well as in the SD, 32,418 Latvians served in the SS, 628 Latvians served in the Latvian Aviation Legion, 10,584 Latvians served in the Todt organization, 12,159 Latvians were part of the regular formations of the Wehrmacht.
Of these, after the surrender on May 8, 1945, no more than one and a half thousand people surrendered to the Soviets. The rest dispersed into the forests to continue their war with the Soviets. Combing the Kurland forests immediately after the surrender of Army Group Kurland, counterintelligence officers of the armies and divisions of the 2nd Baltic Front hot on their heels identified fifty-seven caches of weapons and ammunition, which contained forty-five machine guns and mortars, hundreds of machine guns, pistols, Faust cartridges, more one thousand kilograms of explosives, eleven radio stations, hundreds of thousands of cartridges, topographic maps, several tons of food and a large amount of other equipment. It was a loss, but at the same time it was only a small part of what the Germans and Latvians managed to “snatch” and prepare for their war with the “Soviets” before the end of hostilities.
Or, on fishing feluccas, scows, cutters, or just boats, Latvians sailed across the Baltic Sea and landed on the shores of Sweden. They hoped for the neutrality of the Swedes and internment.
And the Swedes handed over almost all of them to the “Soviets.”
The Germans, if they tried to break through, did so to the southwest, into East Prussia, which had just been occupied by the Red Army. But there were only a few of them. The Germans maintained strict discipline until the very last days. Discipline - in the good sense of the word - also “infected” representatives of other nations who fought side by side with the Germans on this piece of the old Hanseatic “Ordensland”.
