Raids on Berlin in 1941
Few people know that Berlin was not one, and not two
(According to the Military Historical Report on the combat operations of the BF Air Force, 1946 .g.)
One of the most difficult and remarkable, in terms of organization and execution, of the operations of the first period of the war was the operation to launch bombing attacks on the capital of Nazi Germany - Berlin.
In response to the raids that began aviation the enemy to Moscow and to statements by German propaganda that “Soviet aviation was completely destroyed”, the Supreme High Command assigned the KBF Air Force the following task: “to launch a series of bombing strikes on the political center of fascist Germany - Berlin.”
This operation pursued major political goals.
Due to the advancement of the German army, the front line by the end of July defended Moscow from 450 kilometers, and from Berlin more than 1000 kilometers.
22 July 1941, the Germans launched mass raids on Moscow and announced to the whole world about the destruction of Soviet aviation and that not a single Russian bomb would fall on German cities.
It was necessary to prove to the whole world and the people of Berlin the falsity of fascist propaganda. The operational situation prevailing at the front excluded the possibility of strikes from the airfields of both the Western and Northwestern fronts, due to the lack of a radius of action available for the long-range DB bombers 3.
The situation at the Baltic theater was somewhat different. At this time, our troops continued to hold northern Estonia and the islands of Dago and Esel.
The shortest distance to Berlin, which allowed the use of DB-3 airplanes, was from the airfields on. Ezel.
1.08.1941 was one of the most trained crews of the 1 mine-torpedo aviation regiment of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet air force, which was redeployed to the airport of Cahul (Ösel).
Initially, the group had 10 aircraft DB - 3, then it was supplemented from the Red Army Air Force to 33 aircraft. The organization of the preparation and execution of the operation was led by the Chief of the Naval Air Force, Lieutenant-General Zhavoronkov S.F.
The group consisted of flight crews who had extensive flight experience and flew in any conditions, day and night. The commander of the group was appointed the commander of the 1-I MTAP colonel Preobrazhensky E.N.
In order to clarify the flight conditions in detail, on the night from 4 to 5 of August, a test, reconnaissance flight to Berlin was organized by a group of five DB-3 aircraft.
Technical analysis of the flight gave the guarantee the ability to carry out missions with a bomb load 750 - 1000 kg. and refueling - 3000kg., while remaining 20% of the fuel stock. Difficult and difficult issues were the technique of blind flight and orientation.
The reconnaissance flight on the night of 4 on August 5 gave the basic ideas about the situation in the area of the target and the conditions of the flight necessary for the organization of further work.
The first raid on Berlin was made on the night of 7 on August 8. In the first raid participated 15 aircraft in three groups, led by the so-called. Preobrazhensky, Grechishnikov and Efremov.
The flight took place in extremely difficult conditions. Three-quarters of the way passed above the surface of the Baltic Sea, out of sight of the coast, part of the route had to fly in the clouds and behind the clouds. Weak flight - navigation equipment of airplanes, combined with difficult flight conditions, with the total duration of 7 - 8 hours, demanded from the crews of extremely high physical and moral stress forces, impeccable piloting and air navigation. Over the entire length of the route from the coastline to the target, the planes were subjected to shelling by antiaircraft artillery (FOR) and floodlights.
The blow was struck from a height of 5500 meters. As a result of the strike, several fires were noted in the areas of the stadium, the new industrial quarter, the railway station and the telegraph.
After completing the task, all the aircraft returned to their airfield.
Subsequently, before 4 September 1941, the group made several more raids on Berlin.
In total, 86 airplanes were made during the month - 3 DB departures, of which only 33 reached Berlin, 37 airplanes for various reasons, mainly meteorological, bombarded spare targets: Stettin, Kolberg, Danzig, Memel, Libava, etc. 18 airplanes due to material failures and weather conditions, they returned to the airfield with ammunition.
In total, during the operation, the group lost 18 airplanes, and it should be noted that, despite the intense fire for the night fighters and the opposition of the fighters, the group lost only one plane on the target (supposedly shot down by the FOR). The remaining losses are associated with the difficulties of flying from a limited aerodrome, with poor autumn weather conditions and with the complete absence of alternate aerodromes. During the takeoff, the 2 of the aircraft crashed, during the landings, the 5 machines, 2 DBs - 3 were lost due to the failure of the materiel on the route, another one - for an unknown reason.
28 August the Germans occupied Tallinn and Paldiski, leaving the group on Fr. Ezel was cut off from bases more than 400 kilometers. Delivery of ammunition, fuel and spare parts was extremely difficult. To all this, the opponent is 6.09.1941. produced an airfield attack that lasted more than 30 minutes. Despite the excellent masking, from 9 DB - 3, standing on the airfield, 7 was destroyed. The decision of the Command, the operation, due to the above reasons, was discontinued and the personnel of the group was evacuated from the island.
All members of the crews of the group were awarded orders and medals, and the leading groups: E.N. Transfiguration, V.A. Grechishnikov, A.Ya. Efremov, M.N. Plotkin and the regiment navigator P.I. Khokhlov was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.
You can learn more about the attacks on Berlin from the memoirs of P.I. Khokhlova outlined in the fourth chapter of the book "Baltic Naval Aviation fleet”, The preparation and publication of which I was able to carry out at the end of 2003, after three years of work on it.
(According to the Military Historical Report on the combat operations of the BF Air Force, 1946 .g.)
One of the most difficult and remarkable, in terms of organization and execution, of the operations of the first period of the war was the operation to launch bombing attacks on the capital of Nazi Germany - Berlin.
In response to the raids that began aviation the enemy to Moscow and to statements by German propaganda that “Soviet aviation was completely destroyed”, the Supreme High Command assigned the KBF Air Force the following task: “to launch a series of bombing strikes on the political center of fascist Germany - Berlin.”
This operation pursued major political goals.
Due to the advancement of the German army, the front line by the end of July defended Moscow from 450 kilometers, and from Berlin more than 1000 kilometers.
22 July 1941, the Germans launched mass raids on Moscow and announced to the whole world about the destruction of Soviet aviation and that not a single Russian bomb would fall on German cities.
It was necessary to prove to the whole world and the people of Berlin the falsity of fascist propaganda. The operational situation prevailing at the front excluded the possibility of strikes from the airfields of both the Western and Northwestern fronts, due to the lack of a radius of action available for the long-range DB bombers 3.
The situation at the Baltic theater was somewhat different. At this time, our troops continued to hold northern Estonia and the islands of Dago and Esel.
The shortest distance to Berlin, which allowed the use of DB-3 airplanes, was from the airfields on. Ezel.
1.08.1941 was one of the most trained crews of the 1 mine-torpedo aviation regiment of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet air force, which was redeployed to the airport of Cahul (Ösel).
Initially, the group had 10 aircraft DB - 3, then it was supplemented from the Red Army Air Force to 33 aircraft. The organization of the preparation and execution of the operation was led by the Chief of the Naval Air Force, Lieutenant-General Zhavoronkov S.F.
The group consisted of flight crews who had extensive flight experience and flew in any conditions, day and night. The commander of the group was appointed the commander of the 1-I MTAP colonel Preobrazhensky E.N.
In order to clarify the flight conditions in detail, on the night from 4 to 5 of August, a test, reconnaissance flight to Berlin was organized by a group of five DB-3 aircraft.
Soviet long-range bomber DB-3B “board 2-red” in flight. In front of the cockpit, the RPK-2 radio-compass (frame antenna in fairing) is installed (photo http://waralbum.ru)
Technical analysis of the flight gave the guarantee the ability to carry out missions with a bomb load 750 - 1000 kg. and refueling - 3000kg., while remaining 20% of the fuel stock. Difficult and difficult issues were the technique of blind flight and orientation.
The reconnaissance flight on the night of 4 on August 5 gave the basic ideas about the situation in the area of the target and the conditions of the flight necessary for the organization of further work.
The first raid on Berlin was made on the night of 7 on August 8. In the first raid participated 15 aircraft in three groups, led by the so-called. Preobrazhensky, Grechishnikov and Efremov.
The flight took place in extremely difficult conditions. Three-quarters of the way passed above the surface of the Baltic Sea, out of sight of the coast, part of the route had to fly in the clouds and behind the clouds. Weak flight - navigation equipment of airplanes, combined with difficult flight conditions, with the total duration of 7 - 8 hours, demanded from the crews of extremely high physical and moral stress forces, impeccable piloting and air navigation. Over the entire length of the route from the coastline to the target, the planes were subjected to shelling by antiaircraft artillery (FOR) and floodlights.
Squadron of Soviet bombers DB-3А prepares for departure (photo http://waralbum.ru)
The blow was struck from a height of 5500 meters. As a result of the strike, several fires were noted in the areas of the stadium, the new industrial quarter, the railway station and the telegraph.
After completing the task, all the aircraft returned to their airfield.
Subsequently, before 4 September 1941, the group made several more raids on Berlin.
In total, 86 airplanes were made during the month - 3 DB departures, of which only 33 reached Berlin, 37 airplanes for various reasons, mainly meteorological, bombarded spare targets: Stettin, Kolberg, Danzig, Memel, Libava, etc. 18 airplanes due to material failures and weather conditions, they returned to the airfield with ammunition.
In total, during the operation, the group lost 18 airplanes, and it should be noted that, despite the intense fire for the night fighters and the opposition of the fighters, the group lost only one plane on the target (supposedly shot down by the FOR). The remaining losses are associated with the difficulties of flying from a limited aerodrome, with poor autumn weather conditions and with the complete absence of alternate aerodromes. During the takeoff, the 2 of the aircraft crashed, during the landings, the 5 machines, 2 DBs - 3 were lost due to the failure of the materiel on the route, another one - for an unknown reason.
28 August the Germans occupied Tallinn and Paldiski, leaving the group on Fr. Ezel was cut off from bases more than 400 kilometers. Delivery of ammunition, fuel and spare parts was extremely difficult. To all this, the opponent is 6.09.1941. produced an airfield attack that lasted more than 30 minutes. Despite the excellent masking, from 9 DB - 3, standing on the airfield, 7 was destroyed. The decision of the Command, the operation, due to the above reasons, was discontinued and the personnel of the group was evacuated from the island.
All members of the crews of the group were awarded orders and medals, and the leading groups: E.N. Transfiguration, V.A. Grechishnikov, A.Ya. Efremov, M.N. Plotkin and the regiment navigator P.I. Khokhlov was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.
You can learn more about the attacks on Berlin from the memoirs of P.I. Khokhlova outlined in the fourth chapter of the book "Baltic Naval Aviation fleet”, The preparation and publication of which I was able to carry out at the end of 2003, after three years of work on it.
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