Battle of the steel armada
The German 88-mm FlaK 18/36/37 anti-aircraft gun from the 2nd battalion of the General Goering anti-aircraft regiment destroyed at Dubno. In the background, German soldiers examine the damaged Soviet heavy tank KV-2. A car from the Popel group (belonged to the 12th tank division of the 8th mechanized corps)
Already in the first border battles, Soviet troops showed themselves as a serious enemy, and the Germans noted this. Despite all the shortcomings in the training of soldiers and officers, equipment, unfavorable conditions for entering the war, the Red Army fought fiercely, maintaining relative order and high morale.
The defeat of the aviation of the front
An important role in the counterattacks of the mechanized corps of the Southwestern Front (SWF) was to play aviation... However, by the beginning of active operations of the front's mobile formations, the aviation of the South-Western Front had largely lost its combat effectiveness.
The commander of the air force of the South-Western Front Astakhov, in his report in August 1941, noted:
On 22.6.1941/22.6.1941/22, the first enemy raids on our airfields of the front line did not inflict significant losses on our flight units, but, as a result of weak leadership from the commanders of air divisions and air regiments, the units subordinate to them in organizing an exit from the attack and repelling enemy air raids, the last repeated strikes during June 23, 24 and in the next two days inflicted significant losses on our flight units, destroying and damaging 237 aircraft at our airfields on June 68, XNUMX and XNUMX, which is XNUMX% of the material losses at our airfields as a result of air raids enemy for the entire period of the war. "
Also, during the offensive, the Germans captured a large number of front-line airfields, which led to the loss of aircraft that were damaged or were malfunctioning. The damaged and faulty aircraft simply did not have time to evacuate.
As a result, the South-Western Front Air Force had lost 24 aircraft by June 1941, 1452. Therefore, Soviet aviation was unable to effectively cover and support the attack of mechanized corps.
Fighting June 25, 1941
On the evening of June 24, 1941, the front command again made an attempt to gather all mobile formations into a fist for a counterattack on the enemy. The mechanized corps (8th, 15th and 4th) were supposed to cut the wedge of the German 1st tank group, saving the 5th Soviet army from encirclement. At the same time, the depth of the strike was reduced to 60 km, the 8th mechanized corps was supposed to reach Berestechko, the 15th - to Sokal through Radzekhov.
On June 25, the Soviet command was unable to organize a coordinated counterstrike. The 8th and 15th mechanized corps were on the march. The Germans continued their offensive. But on this day, the Nazis faced new Soviet formations, which came from the depths of the defensive orders of the front. The German 11th Panzer Division in the Dubno - Mlynov area entered into a meeting battle with units of the 36th Rifle Corps and the forward detachments of the 19th Mechanized Corps Feklenko. Having broken into the defenses of the 228th Infantry Division, which was on a wide front, the Nazis took the city of Dubno by the middle of the day on June 25. To the north, our riflemen, supported by a company of tanks (16 T-26 and T-38 vehicles) of the 40th Panzer Division of the 19th Corps, held Mlynov. True, Ivashkovsky's detachment lost almost all of its tanks during the stubborn battle.
Heavy battles for Lutsk were on the right flank.
Here the 131st motorized division of the 9th mechanized corps of K.K.Rokossovsky and units of the 1st artillery anti-tank brigade of K. S. Moskalenko defended themselves. By evening, the Germans took Lutsk. The 131st Motorized Division defended 20 km of the front and could not resist a concentrated attack.
The Soviet division had a tank regiment of 104 BT-5 and BT-7 tanks, which supported the infantry with fire from the spot. But the Germans neutralized it with strong artillery. So, the 14th Panzer Division had its own strong artillery, plus corps artillery - the 511th artillery regiment (150-mm howitzers), the 2nd division of the 60th artillery regiment (100-mm guns) without one battery, the 607th heavy division artillery (210-mm mortars) without one battery, 731st heavy artillery battalion.
Such an artillery fist literally swept away the liquid formations of the Soviet infantry and its artillery. Also skilful and methodical actions of the Luftwaffe. German artillery and aircraft were clearing the way for the tanks.
Machine gunner of the 743rd motorized rifle regiment of the 131st motorized division I.K. Yakovlev recalled the battle with the enemy:
The regiment suffered heavy losses in people and equipment, unable to either hide or defend itself. German shells were torn at the positions of the regiment for a long time.
Meanwhile, under the roar of bombs and shells, the enemy pulled the sapper units to the river, set up a pontoon crossing, and threw tanks, guns, soldiers and mortars to the eastern bank. Weak fire from our surviving batteries and rifle and machine-gun firing of soldiers could not stop the enemy, destroy their crossing. "
Having captured Lutsk, the German command turns the tank divisions of the 3rd motorized corps (13th and 14th) to the south, to Rivne.
Obviously, this was due to the strong resistance of the enemy along the line of the strategic highway, which led to Kiev. The Nazis decided to go further south, along secondary roads.
On the same day, the situation in the direction of the main strike changed qualitatively. The Germans are pulling up the 2nd echelon divisions. Now the mobile formations of the South-Western Front were no longer opposed by individual enemy tank divisions, but by new mobile formations and infantry divisions. In the footsteps of the 11th Panzer Division, the 16th Hube Panzer Division (48th Motorized Corps) is moving forward. On the 25th, the 16th division was in the Radzekhov area. Three infantry divisions are entering the border of the Styr River.
On the front of the Soviet 6th Army, Muzychenko continued the offensive of the 49th Kübler Mountain Corps from the 17th Army. The enemy's offensive was held back by the 32nd Panzer Division of the 15th Mechanized Corps. Our tanks attacked without the support of infantry and artillery, in marshy areas, which led to heavy losses. The German infantry, who had experience in fighting in Poland and France, fought bravely, burning Soviet tanks with anti-tank guns and in close combat with cans of gasoline, to which they tied grenades, placed in the path of armored vehicles with anti-tank anti-jib mines (tellermines).
Tellermina 35 (Tellermine 35 Stahl, T Mi 35 St) - anti-tank anti-track mine of push action. Developed in Germany. Introduced into service in January 1935. The mine is installed manually on the ground. An explosion occurs when a tank track or a car wheel hits the mine pressure cover. As a result of the explosion, a vehicle wheel or two or three tracks of a caterpillar is destroyed and the roller of the tank's undercarriage is partially damaged.
Soviet heavy tank T-35, abandoned on the street of Lvov city of Grodek. This vehicle is from the 67th Panzer Regiment of the 34th Panzer Division of the 8th Mechanized Corps of the Southwestern Front.
Soviet tank KV-2, abandoned on the street of Lvov in the city of Zolochiv as a result of a malfunction. A vehicle from the 8th Panzer Division of the 4th Mechanized Corps
June 26, 1941 attacks
At the cost of tremendous efforts and losses, already on the march, the command of the South-Western Front managed to assemble a group of mechanized corps to strike on the flanks of the German strike group. True, the offensive lines indicated in the order were already occupied by the enemy. The Nazis captured Luktsk and Dubno. As a result, flank counterattacks turned into fierce oncoming battles.
Feklenko's 19th corps fought a counter battle with the tank divisions of the 3rd and 48th motorized corps. The 43rd Panzer Division of Tsibin faced the enemy (the battle group of the 11th Panzer Division) on the outskirts of Dubno. Here the infantry and artillery of the Soviet 228th Infantry Division retreated, which eased the position of our tankers. Tsibin used the infantry and artillery of the 228th division in his attack.
In tanks and infantry, the forces were approximately equal. But the Germans had a great advantage in corps heavy artillery. At the forefront of the attack were several new types of tanks, the T-34 and KV, followed by the light T-26. The battle lasted about 4 hours and ended with the exit of Soviet tanks to the outskirts of Dubno. However, the Germans blew up the bridges, and ours could not break through to the city.
The success of the attack was achieved at the cost of the loss of both KV tanks (both burned out) and 15 T-26 tanks. Further, they planned to develop an offensive on Dubno from the southeast, along the railway, but on the night of June 27, the division retreated to Rovno.
South of Lutsk, the German 13th Panzer Division was advancing, which broke through the combat formations of the Soviet 228th Infantry and 40th Panzer Divisions. This affected the position of the 43rd Division, it was bypassed from the north, and there was a threat of a "boiler". Tsibin's division had to retreat.
Meanwhile, the second battle group of the 11th German division reached Ostrog, where it clashed with the troops of the second strategic echelon of the Red Army - part of the 109th motorized division of the 5th mechanized corps and the 57th tank division (formations of the 16th army of the Trans-Baikal Military District) ...
The first echelons with the division headquarters on June 18, 1941 disembarked at the Berdichev station. The troops of the 16th Army were sent to the Western Front, where a catastrophic situation developed. The motorized division of the 26th began a march to the Shepetovka station, where it was supposed to plunge into train echelons and go to Belarus.
However, the enemy's breakthrough to Ostrog forced to change plans. The commander of the 16th Army, Lukin, moved the division to Ostrog. The reconnaissance battalion was the first to arrive in the city and take up defensive positions. The Germans knocked him out. In the evening, the 114th Panzer Regiment of the 57th Panzer Division, equipped with T-26 tanks, went to the city. At night, the 381st motorized rifle regiment arrived, then other parts of the 109th division, which did not manage to go to Orsha, were pulled up to Ostrog. The main forces of the two regiments of the motorized division were already on their way, and it was impossible to turn them back.
On the southern flank in the Radzekhov area, units of the 15th mechanized corps of Karpezo fought defensive battles, repelling the attacks of the enemy, who tried to bypass the flanks of the 10th and 37th tank divisions. Corps Commander Carpezo was wounded during an enemy air raid.
The Germans stopped the counterattacks of our tanks with strong anti-tank artillery, meeting the Soviet vehicles with fire from guns of various calibers, including heavy howitzers put on direct fire. The corps, anti-aircraft guns of the Germans smashed and "invulnerable" KV. Also, the German Air Force played an important role, smashing the headquarters, artillery and rear parts of the corps.
In addition, by the end of the day, the corps had only 36 guns on the 15-kilometer stretch of the offensive. That is, there was practically nothing to suppress the enemy's artillery. Panzer divisions had very few riflemen to secure the occupied territory and defend their tanks from enemy infantry.
Since parts of the 15th mechanized corps were tied up in a heavy oncoming battle, the 8th mechanized corps of Ryabyshev was to play the main role in the South-Western Front's counterstrike, which lost almost half of its materiel during a 3-day 500-kilometer march. The corps was supposed to go to Berestechko.
The battle group of the 16th Panzer Division stood in the way of our troops. German intelligence warned the command of the tank division about a large accumulation of enemy forces in the direction of the attack. The Germans took up defensive positions. On the morning of the 26th, the 12th and 34th Panzer Divisions launched an offensive. By evening, our troops advanced 10-15 km, reaching the approaches to Berestechka, threatening the communications of the enemy's 38th motorized corps.
Tank losses were relatively small. But German planes knocked out all the tractors of the artillery regiment, most of the gun crews of the 12th division died. The 7th Motorized Infantry Division was unable to advance. With the support of aviation and the neighboring 15th corps, the panzer divisions of the 8th corps could develop their first success, but there was no help. Also, the front command did not throw into the battle parts of the 37th Rifle Corps that was approaching from the depths.
Heavy tank T-35, abandoned due to a malfunction on the Sasov-Zolochev road. This vehicle is from the 67th Panzer Regiment of the 34th Panzer Division of the 8th Mechanized Corps.
Soviet heavy tank KV-2 produced in November-December 1940 from the 8th Panzer Division of the 4th Mechanized Corps, abandoned due to a malfunction in the technical park of the repair base of the 4th Mechanized Corps of the 6th Army of the Southwestern Front
27th of June. Stop order
On the night of June 27, the 8th mechanized corps received an order from the command of the South-Western Front to stop the offensive and retreat behind the defensive formations of the 37th rifle corps.
The 15th mechanized corps received a similar order.
The front command, after the departure of the chief of the General Staff, Zhukov, decided to abandon counterstrikes by mobile formations. It was decided to place the 31st, 36th and 37th rifle corps suitable from the depths on the line of the Stokhod, Styr rivers and the settlements of Dubno, Kremenets, Zolochev. Mechanized corps - to withdraw the rifle divisions behind the battle formations and prepare for a counteroffensive.
The decision was clearly wrong.
The Germans broke through the battle formations of our rifle divisions in the Lutsk-Dubno sector on the 25th.
The SWF command made a mistake in the direction of the enemy's main attack. It was decided that the 1st Panzer Group sought to develop an offensive in the southeast direction, towards Tarnopol. In reality, the Nazis pushed further east, in the direction of Ostrog and Shepetovka, to encompass the Soviet armies in the Lvov salient in cooperation with Schobert's 11th Army, which was concentrated in Romania.
Therefore, the Soviet command was not going to hold back the enemy east of Dubno. It was believed that the main forces of the German wedge were turning to the southeast.
Meanwhile, the Germans broke into the defenses of the 36th Rifle Corps on the river. Styr, and only the support of the mechanized corps did not allow the Soviet front to collapse completely. The 228th rifle division of the 36th corps, together with the formations of the 19th mechanized corps, retreated to the northeast, to Rovno. In the evening the Germans broke into the outskirts of Rovno. Unable to withstand artillery and air strikes, the Soviet infantry retreated. A continuous line of defense was broken, the Germans bypassed the 19th corps from the south. Komkor Feklenko decides to withdraw troops to the river. Goryn, 20 km east of Rivne.
A heavy battle was going on behind Ostrog. On the morning of June 27, two regiments of the 109th motorized division launched an offensive on Ostrog, supported by 45-mm guns from T-26 and BT tanks from the 57th and 13th Panzer Divisions. Having overcome the river Viliya on the only bridge and by swimming, our troops began a battle for the city. Already in the first hours of hostilities, the 109th division lost its commander, Krasnoretsky. The division was headed by his deputy Sidorenko. In the afternoon, the 15th Panzer Regiment of the 11th Panzer Division of the Germans approached Ostrog, and the balance of forces immediately shifted towards the enemy. The Germans drove our troops out of the city.
On June 27, the main forces of the 9th mechanized corps of Rokossovsky entered the battle. Katukov's 20th Panzer Division tried to advance in the Mlynov area. The Nazis actively counterattacked, bypassed the flanks and forced our troops to withdraw. Novikov's 35th Panzer Division held back enemy attacks all day, then withdrew. Rokossovsky took the initiative, ordered to withdraw the troops back, occupying the strategic highway Lutsk - Rovno. His weak tank divisions, with open flanks, could not stop the enemy on their own.
Soviet heavy tank KV-2, which failed with a bridge in the village of Pelcha near Dubno. The vehicle was produced in November-December 1940 from the 12th Panzer Division of the 8th Mechanized Corps of the Southwestern Front. There is a trail of hitting a high-explosive projectile on the tower
Soviet heavy tank KV-2, knocked out at Dubno. A vehicle from the Popel group (belonged to the 12th Panzer Division of the 8th Mechanized Corps). This tank was knocked out by anti-aircraft gunners of the 2nd battalion of the General Goering anti-aircraft regiment. The regiment was part of the 2nd Anti-Aircraft Corps attached to the 1st Panzer Group of Army Group South. Transferred to the 11th Panzer Division of the Wehrmacht, this anti-aircraft regiment took part in a major tank battle near Brody
New counteroffensive
The "stop order" of Kirponos and Purkaev further disorganized the best mobile formations of the front.
The corps withdrawn from the battle were returned to the battle under the pressure of the Headquarters.
The 15th mechanized corps received an order to return at 10 o'clock. The 10th Division, bound by the battle, has not yet withdrawn from the battle. And the 37th Panzer Division managed to retreat and spent the day marching 180 degrees. The situation with the 8th mechanized corps was similar. The 12th Panzer Division was on the march, but the 7th Motorized Rifle and 34th Panzer Divisions did not have time to receive an order to retreat and fought in the same areas.
In the memoirs of N.K. Popel ("The tanks turned to the west"), the process of returning the 8th corps to battle is described very vividly:
- How much did you sell for, Judas?
Ryabyshev stood in line in front of a member of the Military Council (HH Vashugin), taken aback, could not find anything to say, and we all looked in confusion at the short, well-cut corps commissar. "
The 8th mechanized corps again launched an offensive in the direction of Dubno.
Popel's forward detachment advanced about 10 km and was stopped 10-12 km south-west of Dubno. The Soviet mobile formations found the enemy's weak spot, although the command did not know about it. The advance of units of the Soviet 12th and 34th tank divisions towards Dubno blocked the communications of the 16th and 11th enemy tank divisions. This forced the German command to move reserves to the Dubno area and suspend the offensive in the main direction. The 11th Panzer Division stopped at Ostrog, the 16th Panzer Division stopped the offensive on Kremenets, turned back and went to Berestechka.
While the Soviet mechanized corps again went on the attack in the direction of Dubno, the withdrawal of the Soviet 17th and 6th armies began in the offensive zone of the German 26th Army. Their withdrawal was covered by one of the strongest fortified areas of the Molotov line in the Rava-Russkaya area. In the fortified area in June 1941, there were 61 bunkers, armed with 8 76,2 mm, 52 45 mm caponier cannons, 181 easel and more than a hundred light machine guns. The Germans suppressed the embrasures of the pillboxes with 88-mm anti-aircraft guns, then flamethrower tanks and sappers with land mines went into the attack. When some pillboxes opened fire again, anti-aircraft guns and other types of heavy weapons fired again. Some of the fortifications were suppressed by flamethrower tanks, others were blown up by land mines. Rava-Russkaya fell.
The bodies of killed German soldiers in front of the Soviet fortifications of the "Molotov Line" east of Kristinopol (now Chervonograd, Lviv region), two kilometers from the border. Photo taken in the operational sector of the German 6th Army
To be continued ...
- Alexander Samsonov
- https://ru.wikipedia.org/, http://waralbum.ru/
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