How did the Northwest Army die
A.A. Deineka. Defense of Petrograd
Smoot. 1919 year. The offensive of the Northwest Army of Yudenich was choked a few steps from the old capital of Russia. The White Guards were very close to the outskirts of Petrograd, but never reached them. The fierce battle lasted 3 weeks and ended with the defeat of the whites. The troops of the North-Western Army on November 4 1919 began a retreat to the west. In the course of fierce battles, by the end of November, the remnants of the white troops were pressed against the Estonian border.
Defense of Petrograd
The main forces of the Yudenich army, which went on the attack on the Petrograd direction on October 10, 1919 (total about 19 thousand bayonets and sabers, 57 guns and about 500 machine guns, 4 armored trains and 6 tanks) with the support of Estonian troops and the British squadron, they quickly broke into the defense of the 7th Red Army, which did not expect an enemy attack, and in mid-October reached the distant approaches to Petrograd. On October 16, the White Guards captured Krasnoe Selo, on the 17th - Gatchina, on the 20th - Pavlovsk and Detskoe Selo (now Pushkin), reached Strelna, Ligovo and Pulkovo heights - the last defensive line of the Reds 12-15km from the city. The offensive of the 2nd Corps of the Northwest Army (NWA), which launched an attack on the Luga direction on September 28 and launched an attack on Pskov on October 10, was stopped at the turn of 20-30 km north of Pskov by the 40th.
The situation in the Petrograd region was critical. 7-I army was defeated and demoralized. Its units, having lost contact with the command, isolated from each other, retreated, in fact fled, without any resistance. Attempts by the Soviet command to stabilize the situation by introducing reserves into the battle were unsuccessful. The rear units had very low combat readiness, fell apart at the first contact with the enemy, or did not reach the front line at all.
October 15 1919 The Politburo of the Central Committee of the RCP (B.) Decided to keep Petrograd. The head of the Soviet government, Lenin, called for the mobilization of all forces and means for the defense of the city. The direct leadership of the defense of Petrograd was led by Trotsky. The mobilization of workers between the ages of 18 and 40 was announced, and at the same time groups of communists, workers, and Baltic sailors were formed and sent to the front lines. Troops and reserves were transferred to Petrograd from the center of the country and other fronts. In total, from 15 October to 4 November 1919, 45 regiments, 9 battalions, 17 individual units, 13 artillery and 5 cavalry divisions, 7 armored trains, etc. and on the approaches to it. In a short time, 3 defensive lines were erected. They were reinforced with naval artillery - Baltic Fleet ships were introduced into the Neva. The 7-I Soviet Army, which was headed by Reliable from October 17, was put in order by the most stringent methods, regrouped and replenished.
Meanwhile, the situation of the NWA has worsened. The right flank of white did not manage to intercept the Nikolaev railway in time. This allowed the Red Command to continuously transfer reinforcements to Petrograd. In the Tosno region, the Reds began to form a Kharlamov strike group. On the left flank, the Estonians failed to seize the fort “Krasnaya Gorka” and other fortifications on the coast of the Gulf of Finland. Estonian forces and the British fleet were diverted to the offensive of the Bermondt-Avalov Western Volunteer Army in Riga. Perhaps this was just an excuse not to risk expensive ships in possible clashes with the forces of the Red Baltic Fleet and skirmishes with powerful coastal batteries. The British preferred to wage war with alien "cannon fodder."
In addition, London, pushing the NWA to Petrograd and not providing it with effective military and material support, at the same time subjugated the Baltic neoplasms. Estonia benefited from cooperation with England, political and military patronage, and economic assistance. Therefore, for its part, the Estonian government made every effort to consolidate ties with England. Britain, having established an actual protectorate over Estonia, did not stop there and in the person of Lloyd George conducted persistent negotiations with Estonia on a long-term lease of the islands of Ezel and Dago. The negotiations were successful and only the intervention of France, jealous of the success of the British, prevented England from creating a new base in the Baltic.
Estonians also negotiated with the Soviet government on the basis of recognition of Estonia’s independence and the Bolsheviks’ refusal of all kinds of hostile actions against it. The NWA offensive on Petrograd strengthened Estonia's negotiating position. In the beginning, the Estonians supported the White Guards, and then left to their own devices. Yudenich’s army was simply sold favorably.
Anyway, this led to the fact that the entire coast remained in the hands of the Reds, the left wing of the NWA was open for flanking attacks from the remaining units of the enemy and the Red Baltic Fleet in coastal strongholds. From the areas of Peterhof, Oranienbaum, and Strelna, the Reds began to threaten the left flank of the Yudenich army, and attacks on Ropsha began on October 19. Without any opposition, the red fleet began to land troops.
At Pulkovo Heights, a fierce battle raged. The Reds began to provide desperate resistance, fought, regardless of the losses. The Bashkir group of troops and workers' detachments were thrown into battle. They suffered huge losses. White could not stand such a struggle for exhaustion. They suffered smaller losses, but could not make up for them. The pace of the advance of Yudenich’s army from October 18 slowed down and by the end of the 20-th, the White offensive was stopped. In addition, the White Guards began to have problems with supply. Ammunition in the immediate rear was used, but failed to establish a supply - a bridge across the river. Yamburg’s meadow, blown up in the summer, could not be restored.
Thus, the NWA was doomed to defeat due to the numerical superiority of the enemy, who relied on the crowded, industrialized and good communications areas. The Yudenich army did not have its own military-economic base, internal resources and was critically dependent on foreign military assistance. Its resources were quickly depleted, they were enough only for a short breakthrough to Petrograd. And in order to mobilize people in the occupied territory, it was necessary time, which the whites did not have. The White Guards did not wait for real help from England and France. In particular, the British limited themselves to ship raids and air raids on the coast, which did not have special military significance. The French promised help (weapon, ammunition), but they pulled time and NWA did not get it.
Map source: https://bigenc.ru
Counterattack of the Red Army
Simultaneously with the defense of the city, the Soviet command was preparing a counterattack. There was enough strength for this. In the Tosno-Kolpino area, the Kharlamov Assault Group (7,5 thousand bayonets and sabers, 12 guns) was assembled. It included troops that arrived from Moscow, Tula, Tver, Novgorod and other cities: a cadet brigade, a brigade of the 21th Infantry Division, the Latvian Rifle Regiment (it was removed from the Kremlin), 2 of the Cheka, and about 3 of railway guard regiments . It was also strengthened by one brigade of the 2th Infantry Division, deployed from Pulkovo Heights.
According to the plan of the Red Command, the main attack on the right flank of the NWF from the Kolpin area in the general direction was delivered to the Gatchina by the Kharlamov Assault Group. After the defeat of the enemy in the Gatchina region, Soviet troops were to develop an offensive along the Volosovo-Yamburg railway. An auxiliary attack on the left flank of the enemy from the Gulf of Finland on Krasnoe Selo was dealt by the 6-I rifle division of Shakhov, reinforced by a detachment of cadets. In the center of the front of the 7 Army, the main forces of the 2 Army Rifle Division fought, fortified by detachments of Petrograd workers. The 15 Army was to launch an offensive in a meadow direction.
After a 3-minute artillery preparation supported by the Baltic ships fleetOn October 21, 1919 the troops of the 7th Army (about 26 thousand bayonets and sabers, over 450 guns and over 700 machine guns, 4 armored trains, 11 armored vehicles) went on the counterattack. The battles were stubborn, at first white tried to continue the offensive. On October 23, the troops of the Shock Group captured Pavlovsky and Detskiy Selo. On October 24, the White Guards on their left flank hit Strelna, but were defeated. The 5th Liven Division suffered heavy losses.
The White Command tried to maintain a position at Petrograd. Having discovered a deep detour of the Reds in the Krasnoye Selo region, White transferred the 1 Division of the 2 Corps to Petrograd, thereby exposing the Luga direction. On October 25, Yudenich brought into battle the last reserves, reinforced by a tank detachment. Both sides attacked, the oncoming battle unfolded. During 26 October, some items changed hands several times. But by the end of the day all the attacks of the White Guards were repulsed, the Reds continued the offensive. Soviet troops captured Krasnoye Selo and the Plyuss station on the Pskov-Luga railway. The stubborn battles in the Gatchina region continued for another week. Despite the transition to the offensive of the 15-th Soviet army on the puddle of 26 October, which threatened the communications and rear of the NWA, white tried to stay at the old capital. Taking advantage of the weakness of some of the red units, the White Guards counterattacked and succeeded. So the Talabar regiment of the 2 division on the night of October 28 broke through the front with an unexpected blow and captured Ropsha on October 30. On October 31, the White Guards attacked the positions of the 6 Rifle Division.
But in general, these were already the last bursts of activity of the Yudenich army. The offensive of the 15-th Soviet army led to the collapse of the defense of the NWA. White simply did not have the strength to attack Petrograd at the same time and maintain its position in other sectors of the front. The 15-I and 10-I rifle divisions advancing on the flanks of the 19 Army met serious resistance from the Whites and moved slowly. Located in the center of the 11-I division, located between the stations of the Struga Bely and Plyussa, attacked without encountering any resistance due to the absence of the enemy. The Reds intercepted the Luga-Gdov railway and on October 31 occupied Luga, threatening the rear of the NWA. Two regiments of the North-West Army - Narva and Gdovskiy, departing from the station of Batetskaya, were surrounded. They were forced to break through with the battle, suffered heavy losses. White began to move towards Gatchina and Gdov.
On the site of the 7-th Soviet army, the whites, not receiving the message in time about the fall of the Luga and the advance of the Reds along the Plyussa River to the rear of the NWA, or ignoring the threat, on November 1-2 continued attacks in the area of Krasnoye Selo. Only on the night of November 3 did White leave Gatchina without a fight. The refusal to fight for Gatchina, given the withdrawal of units of the 15 Army to the rear of the NWA, saved Yudenich’s army from complete defeat at the beginning of November 1919. However, strategically the white army was already doomed. Without armed and material assistance from outside, Yudenich’s army could not exist.
The fall of Gdov and Yamburg
From November 4 to 1919, the army of Yudenich began a general retreat to the west. The White Guards retreated to Yamburg and Gdov positions. The troops of the 7 and 15 red armies proceeded to pursue the enemy. However, the movement was not swift. The troops were tired of the fighting, the organization was weak, the rear did not cope with the supply of units, there was not enough transport, etc. Severe frosts ensued, and the soldiers did not have good uniforms. The troops of the 15 Army attacked in the vicinity of Art. Volosovo and Gdov. To operate behind enemy lines in the Gdov direction, a cavalry group was formed consisting of the cavalry regiment of the 11th Infantry Division and the Estonian Cavalry Regiment. 3 - On 6 on November, a red cavalry group raided enemy rear. The Red cavalrymen captured many prisoners, some of the soldiers were simply disarmed and dispersed to their homes, trophies (some were taken with them, others destroyed), destroyed telephone and telegraph communications, defeated and scattered several enemy units.
Meanwhile, units of the 15 Army took Mshinskaya Station, and units of the 7 Army approached Volosovo Station. Here the White Guards put up strong resistance. From the side of the Reds along the line of this railway, the armored train "Chernomorets" had an active assistance to the infantry. On the night of November 7 Art. Volosovo was taken by the troops of the 7 Army. On the same day, units of the 15 Army entered the Volosovo region. The 10-th division of the 15-th army, overcoming the enemy’s resistance in the Gdov direction, occupied the Gnd-Gnx X-th division.
By November 11 and November 12, the Soviet troops of both armies reached the lower reaches of the river. Meadows. NWA struggled to keep Yamburg, its last defensive line, and to retain at least an insignificant part of Russian territory. An English military mission hastily convened a military conference in Narva, with representatives of England, Estonia and SZA. But no real help to the NWA was provided. With the support of the Chernomorets armored train, the Reds broke into the enemy’s defenses and on November 14 broke into Yamburg, capturing about 600 people and freeing 500 captured Red Army soldiers. By November 23, the front had stabilized. Estonians reinforced the whites, the Estonian 1 and 3 divisions defended the Narva region and the line north of the Narva-Yamburg railway.
Aware of the catastrophic situation of the army, on November 14, Yudenich from Narva sent an urgent telegram to the Estonian commander-in-chief, General Laidoner, and asked to transfer all rear services to the left bank of the Narova, to take the NWA under Estonian patronage. Only on 16 was the Estonians allowed the transfer of logistics, refugees and spare parts to the other side of the Narova. The White Guards who were crossing into Estonian territory were disarmed. Moreover, Estonian troops carried out uniform robbery of what they found among whites and refugees. The journalist Grossen described this event as follows: “The unfortunate Russians, despite the winter cold, literally undressed, and everything was mercilessly taken away. Gold crosses were torn from his chest, wallets were taken away, rings were removed from his fingers. In front of the Russian troops, Estonians removed from the soldiers, trembling from the cold, a new English uniform, in exchange for which rags were given, but this was not always the case. “They did not spare the warm underwear, and torn overcoats were thrown over the naked bodies of the unfortunate vanquished.” Many people froze, many died of exhaustion, and an epidemic of typhoid has begun.
Most of the NWA troops remained on the right bank of the river. Narova and together with Estonians conducted military operations against the Red Army and defended the area of Narva. Divisions and regiments melted before our eyes. Hundreds of soldiers defected, crossed to the side of the Reds. On November 22, an Estonian general, commander of the 1 th Estonian division stationed in Narva, Teniysson said: "There is no Northwest army anymore, there is human dust." Yudenich, under pressure from dissatisfied generals, handed over the command of the army to General Glazenap.
Thus, with desperate efforts, White managed to wrest from the outlined “cauldron”, but SZA lost its Russian territory, where it was planned to create a bridgehead for further operations. As a result, during a fierce battle, by the end of November, the remnants of Yudenich’s army were pressed against the Estonian border. The White Guards retained only a small bridgehead (up to 25 km wide, about 15 km deep). The Soviet troops failed to eliminate the enemy bridgehead on the move.
The death of the army
The new commander Glazenap ordered by all means to stay on Russian territory. However, the fate of the Northwest Army was a foregone conclusion. The army was bloodless, demoralized. In December 1919, the Allies ceased assistance to the NWA. Famine began. Troops that did not have winter uniforms were freezing and dying of hunger. Typhoid has begun. 31 December 1919 g. Soviet Russia entered into a truce with Estonia. Estonia pledged not to contain white troops on its territory. Moscow recognized the independence of Estonia and pledged not to fight against it.
At the end of December 1919 - early January 1920 the troops of the North-West Army left the bridgehead, moved to Estonia, where they were interned. 15 of thousands of SZA soldiers and officers were first disarmed, and then 5 of thousands of them - were captured and sent to concentration camps. Thousands of refugees are also located here. People were kept in the winter under the open sky or in unheated “coffin” barracks. Without normal clothes, in old cast-offs, without medical support, when typhoid raged. Estonia refused to feed the internees due to a lack of their own food supplies. Prisoners were fed only at the expense of the American food mission. They also drove prisoners to hard work - repairing roads, sawing. Thousands died of hunger, cold and typhoid. Others fled to Soviet Russia in thousands, where they saw the only salvation.
So the Estonian government "paid" with the White Guards for helping to create their own state. Also, the Estonian nationalist authorities carried out a “sweeping” of the young state from the Russian presence (including refugees from the Petrograd province) - mass evictions of Russians, deprivation of their civil rights, murders, imprisonment and camps.
Secret report of the North-Western Front on the situation of Russians in Estonia (Archive of the Russian Revolution, edited by Hesse. 1921.): “They began to kill Russians right on the street, lock them in prisons and concentration camps, and generally oppress them in every possible way. Refugees from the Petrograd province, the number of which was more than 10 000, were treated worse than cattle. They were forced to lie for days on a crackling frost on the railroad ties. The mass of children and women has died. Everyone had typhus. There were no disinfectants. Under such conditions, sister's doctors also became infected and died. ... The American and Danish Red Crosses did what they could, but no one could help on a large scale. Who was strong, withstood, the rest died. ”
22 January 1920 year by order of the army of Yudenich, the North-Western Army was eliminated. Yudenich himself, with the consent of the Estonian authorities, was arrested by supporters of the “field commander” Bulak-Balakhovich, who was in conflict with the command of the NWA. Under pressure from the Entente command, he was released, but he was not allowed into the troops. Through Scandinavia, Yudenich went to England, then to France.
Information