So who nevertheless liberated Prague in 1945?
So, the Czech uprising in 1945. Who and how prepared it, I will allow myself to omit, there are more than enough materials about this. I only note that back in 1943 the “president" Benesh had to silently hear in Moscow Molotov’s caustic remark about the lack of resistance in the protectorate. And now the Czech people, as Benes put it, also proved his "readiness for resistance." Actually, why not be ready? Reich Khan on all counts and on all fronts, you can escape from riveting tanks, aircraft and cars in the name of his victory. Moreover, the Germans themselves did not particularly strive for yet another brawl, they had other tasks: to get either to Berlin (at the most conscious part in April 1945), or to the Americans. And the heroic Czechs, laying aside wrenches and hammers, took up weapon. And they rebelled.
It turned out, however, that, to put it mildly, the situation on all fronts, the Germans are in no hurry to lay down their arms and surrender. Particularly unfinished part of the divisions "Das Reich" and "Wallenstein", which were able to bend those who imagined themselves to be cool warriors of the Czechs. What, in fact, they demonstrated.
In general, the Prague uprising was as if copied from Warsaw. Not “White starts and wins,” but “start and loudly call for help.” Chekhov enough for a day. The uprising began on May 5, and already on May 6, the authors I quoted unanimously assess the situation of the rebels as disastrous. And, as in Warsaw, some problems began.
The 3-I American army, located at Pilsen, in 70 kilometers west of Prague, had now stopped its movement. Because already at that time there was an agreement on “who will dance the girl,” that is, to liberate Prague. The troops of the 1 of the Ukrainian Front stood north of the Dresden - Gorlits line 140 kilometers from the city, the troops of the 2 of the Ukrainian Front stood at Brynn in 160 kilometers, and the troops of the 4 of the Ukrainian front stood at Olomouc in 200 kilometers from Prague. The British and Americans did not respond to the desperate calls of the Czechs for help, moreover, the Americans in the area occupied by them even prevented the population from spontaneous support for the rebels (that is, they prevented them from killing Germans who surrendered to them as prisoners) and could not intervene. Although no one tried to reconcile this rebellion with the Soviet troops. Just like in Warsaw.
It turns out that the only one who responded to the desperate appeals of the rebels was the division of the ROA under the command of Bunyachenko. And even then, did not respond immediately. Bargained pretty, because really wanted to live. And preferably not near the Soviet Army.
And what was the "savior" according to Hoffman?
The battles for the airfield were preceded by several attempts at negotiations, which remained, however, unsuccessful and even led to tragic consequences. Being on the approaches to the airfield, the 1 th regiment entered into contact with the squadron headquarters through an envoy: according to German sources, to negotiate a truce, according to the Russian (who, it seems, closer to the truth) - to achieve the immediate surrender of the airfield. After unsuccessful negotiations, the Colonel Sorge, the Chief of Staff of the 8 Aviation Corps, who had just landed in Ruzyne, the former Chief of Staff under Lieutenant-General Aschenbrenner, volunteered to personally go to the Vlasov troops, apparently believing that yesterday's allies had become enemies due to misunderstanding. that, as he knew, all the troops of the ROA were to be united at Budvays. Saying that Vlasov is his best friend and that he will settle the whole matter in a few minutes, Sorge ordered to provide him with a car. However, shortly after Sorge’s departure, his adjutant, Captain Kolhund, returned alone with an ultimatum: if the airfield does not capitulate soon, the Vlasovites will shoot the colonel. And the soldiers of the ROA fulfilled their promise: Sorge, who had done a lot to create the RAA Air Force and reach an understanding between the Russians and the Germans, was shot.
Aerial reconnaissance informed the Germans in advance about the entry of "the entire Vlasov army along several highways into the Prague-Ruzyne area." When the attempts at negotiations failed and the forward detachments of the "well-armed and equipped Vlasov units" were already fighting with the Germans, the squadron headquarters decided to unexpectedly attack Russian columns with all Me-262 aircraft and shoot them with a strafing flight. This attack stopped the battalions of the 3 regiment, whose tanks tried unsuccessfully to break into the runway and who then began firing at the airfield from grenade launchers and heavy infantry guns, not daring to move on. But by that time, the airfield had lost its importance for the Germans. The efficient German vehicles were transferred to Saatz, and the German crews broke through the Russian encirclement the next morning. However, the airfield 3 th regiment ROA took possession only after hours of exchange of fire with an experienced rearguard Waffen-SS.
At this time, the reconnaissance detachment under the command of Major Kostenko was still in the Radotin-Zbraslav region, with the front facing south. On the morning of May 6, a meeting of commanders was held at the headquarters of the division in Jinonice. At 10 hours, the commander of the reconnaissance department reported on the radio that he was being crushed by parts of the Waffen-SS with six Tiger tanks and he was moving down the Vltava in the direction of the Prague suburb of Smichov. Bunyachenko immediately ordered Arkhipov, the commander of the 1 th regiment, coming from Korno, to go to the rescue of Kostenko. As a result of an unexpected attack by the 1 regiment, the German fighting group Moldautal (part of the Wallenstein SS division), which occupied the Vltava bank between Zbraslav and Huhle, was thrown south to the other side in the afternoon. Lieutenant Colonel Arkhipov, whose regiment made his way through Smichov to the area of the bridges of Irashek and Palacky, left a company with an anti-tank gun to guard the bridges across the Vltava until the evening. 6 May 1945 of the year, around 23 hours, the main forces of the 1 Division of the ROA took the line Ruzyne - Břevnov - Smichov - Vltava Bank - Huhle. The 1 th regiment was located in the area between Smihov and the bridges across the Vltava, the 2 th regiment was at Huhle-Slivenets, the 3 th regiment was at Ruzyne-Břevnova, the 4 th regiment and the reconnaissance detachment were in and north of it. An artillery regiment took up firing positions at Tslikhovsky heights, having equipped advanced observation posts.
How did ROA fight in Prague on that fateful day of May 7? The combat order of the division commander, drawn up according to the idea of the Bartosh group and given at night on 1.00, envisaged an attack on the city center in three directions. The brunt of the attack was to inflict a regiment of Lieutenant Colonel Arkhipov from the Smikhov area in the morning at 5.00. The regiment, which had several tanks, artillery guns and anti-tank guns and had experienced guides with it, managed to cross the bridges across the Vltava and advance through Vinogradi to Strasnitsy, and from there south to Pankrats. The 4 th regiment from the north, commanded by Colonel Sakharov, captured important objects in the city itself, including Petrin Hill. The 3 th regiment - commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Alexavdrov-Rybtsov - passed through Břevnov - Stršovice and Hradčany and, coordinating with the 4 regiment, managed to break through to the western arm of the Vltava. Finally, the artillery regiment of Lieutenant-Colonel Zhukovsky, who took firing positions between Koshir and Zlikhov in the morning, but transferred them partly forward during the day, in agreement with the Bartosh group, fired at German strongholds in the area of the hospital, Petrin Hill and in other places. Fighting in the center of the city against units of the Wallenstein SS division that had entered from the south were fought by the rest of the 1 division. The 2 th regiment under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Artemyev, separated by the division commander in May in the Khukhle-Slivenets area, after a fierce battle near Lagovici u Prahy, pressed the enemy to Zbraslav, and the reconnaissance team under the command of Major Kostenko took posts on the east bank of the Vltava in the area of Zbraslav turning south. " The end of the quote.
Oops ... Everything is presented very beautifully. Straight, blitzkrieg in Bugnachenski style. It is clear that at first there was no sensible resistance from the Germans, because their people in German uniform and with German weapons attacked. Anyway. Returning to Hoffman:
I understand that the Czechs didn’t give a damn about who to greet, as long as they were idiots, ready to substitute their heads for German bullets in their place. Because at that time their uprising had already turned into zilch. The fact that they were TWICE CHANGERS (by the oath given by the USSR and personally to Hitler) did not bother them. But then everything went somewhat wrong, as the main protagonists would like.
“We give evidence of two Czech eyewitnesses to the events. Former member of the Czech National Council, Dr. Makhotka, writes that the intervention of the Vlasov army was “decisive”, substantially changing martial law in Prague in favor of the rebels and greatly encouraging the population.
In those hours when neither the Americans, nor the British, nor the Soviet helped us, when no one responded to our endless requests on the radio, they were the only ones to rush to our aid.
In the opinion of Colonel of the Czechoslovak People’s Army, Dr. Stepanek-Stemra, in May 1945, the head of the communications department of the 1 of the Czechoslovak Corps, the main achievement of the Vlasovites was that the old historical part of the city remained and most of the population remained unharmed ... Undoubtedly, thanks to the participation of the Vlasovites in the uprising on the side of the Czech patriots - even if it lasted only a few hours - Prague was saved from destruction. ”
I think that the population would have suffered less, and there would have been no damage if the people of Prague were sitting on a soft spot exactly, and would have waited quietly while the Germans would pile themselves. Fortunately, this was the case. Having built this pseudo-uprising, they only caught the adventure on this place, nothing more.
“Dr. Stepanek-Shtemr rightly notes that“ Prague ... in fact ... was liberated from the German troops on the morning of May 8 "and Soviet tanks entered" into the already liberated Prague. "
Once again I will draw your attention to the selected moment from Hoffman. That is, in connection with the approach of our troops, the Germans and the ROA together piled from Prague. And, it turns out that ours entered the empty city. Attention question: How, then, to understand the data cited by Western sources about the losses of our troops in the Prague operation? And they are not small:
Personnel
11,997 non-returnable
40,501 injured and sick
Total 52,498
Material losses
373 tanks and ACS
1,006 Gunnery
80 aircraft
(This is according to the American D. Glantz, specially). After which the Army Group "Center" from 850 000 people left the game.
What are the losses from POA?
Personnel:
About 300 killed, about 600 injured (about the same, since all of the wounded Vlasovites who were in the Czech hospitals ... we received it. There were no chocolates in our rations then, and they replaced it with candy for PCA. It is well deserved).
Material losses:
1 tank
Xnumx artillery guns.
Blitzkrieg, straight.
Yes, it was probably difficult for a combat general to understand what the essence of the senseless and useless uprising was. And what have these forgotten here ... But you kept the word: not everybody was shot.
In general, I think that the picture actually looked like this:
At the time of the events, Prague became the entrance yard for the German army, fleeing to American captivity. Crowds of German soldiers, who were moving to the west, both with or without some order, went through the city, giving its residents the opportunity to enjoy all the charms that accompanied such events. The Czechs could still tolerate such things from the Third Reich. But from the stinging stub, which is about to be finally trampled down - netushki.
And on May 2, a delegation of Czechs comes to Bunyachenko. Czechs ask Russian little brothers to help them raise a rebellion.
Bunyachenko did not consider himself entitled to interfere in the affairs of Czechoslovakia, but it was also impossible for him to remain indifferent and indifferent to the events. Not all the Vlasov soldiers and officers of the First Division were indifferent to this. They all warmly sympathized with the Czechs and admired their readiness for an unequal struggle with the Germans. General Vlasov and General Bunyachenko understood perfectly the responsibility that they would have taken upon themselves, giving their consent to the support of the uprising. The delegation left without receiving a definite answer.
However, due to common sense, it was necessary to do something. If the Czechs rebel, and the division will just sit side by side, the Germans will disarm it first thing so as not to loom. And they can not take it with you to the captive to the allies.
Speaking of satiety. Something had to earn the favor of the local population in the form of the issuance of food and fodder. All the extra weapons had already been distributed, so it was decided to slightly disarm the Germans and so feasible to support the Czechs. Well, the Czechs will feed the brothers Slavs. The Germans were disarmed extremely correctly so that in case of failure of the plan one could somehow dissuade. So, the scene is as follows: Germans go through Prague to the west, committing lewdness. In Prague, the Czechs are bad, they are preparing to kick the Germans to be at the box office. Around Prague, the most active Czechs are already running through the forests and kick the Germans. South-west of Prague sits the POA, and is waiting for the Americans to surrender. If this is called “the fight against Nazism” and “active support of the Prague uprising” ... Generally, in fairness, I note that the ROA better “fought” against Nazism when in April 1945 just abandoned its position near Frankfurt an der Oder and calmly toppled side of the Americans. What we enjoyed using ours.
However, the situation is changing rapidly. After some time, the Czechs again arrived at Vlasovites, informing them of the interesting. German troops approached Prague, penetrating into American captivity and, instead of disarming Vlasovites, are actively bending the Czechs, because they still raised a rebellion and prevent them from passing into this very American captivity. Vlasov people estimated that the majority of evil armed people in gray and black uniforms would already pass through Prague by the time they appeared, and told the Slav brothers: "We are going !!!"
And the Vlasovites, who went over to the side of the whistle itself, arrived at the scene of action in order to reap the glory of the "savior of Prague." From what they could save Prague is not clear. About any "suppression of the uprising and the destruction of Prague on the model of Warsaw," there was no question. The Wehrmacht of the summer-autumn model 1944 of the year could hold the Red Army on the Vistula for some time and “clear out” Warsaw by 1945. But in the spring of 1945, the Germans simply had to break through the corridor through the rebel territories to the west and leave. There was no sense, no order, either to arrange a total slaughter or to destroy Prague. And any sensible person, even a very cowardly one, understood this well.
So, while German units flown around Prague on the one hand, the Vlasovites safely entered it on the other side without any difficulties, and even now they no longer needed an airfield with planes abandoned on it.
In general, the triumph was close. A little more - and the Vlasovites would bring the rescued Prague on a silver platter to the allied forces and still heroically fall into the well-fed American captivity. But on May 7, when at a meeting of the Vlasovites and the improvised Czech government, the parties announced their plans, the Czechs sent Vlasovites in vodkuda. The Czechs were people extremely practical and repeatedly affected by this extraordinary, simply transcendent, almost Polish, practicality. Therefore, to surrender to the patronage of the “heroes”, who sat down to the last in the rear, and wanted to suffer from such practicality, they once again wanted the least. And the fact that the city, which hosts Vlasovites, who are waiting for the Americans, will suffer as the Red Army approaches, do not go to the fortuneteller. And the fact that the Vlasovites themselves from the city will be dumped at the same time instantly, leaving the Czechs to “wait for the Americans” in splendid isolation at the gunpoint of Russian cannons — do not go to the fortuneteller either. And everything spoke just for the fact that Soviet tanks would enter the city first.
Thus, on the night of 7 on 8 in May, “support for the uprising” was over, and the Vlasovites “coming out of the battlefield” moved westward after the Germans. Finally, the Czech partisans caught the ROA chief of staff Major General Trukhin, who were grateful for the "rescue of Prague" and surrendered it to the Soviet troops. And the Vlasov generals Boyarsky and Shapovalov who accompanied him were killed "while trying to resist."
10 May, the heroic epic of ideological fighters against communism came to an end - the Vlasovites finally met American tanks. The Americans ordered to disarm, and on May 11 all weapons except the minimum necessary to protect themselves were surrendered. After that, in a relaxed atmosphere of full armament of one side of the negotiations and complete disarmament of the other side, the main thing turned out. The fact that the epic fighters against communism do go all the same. The US Army does not intend to accept the ROA capitulation and give it any guarantees, while the territory where the ROA 1 Division is located will be handed over to the Russians. "And sort it out among themselves." Oops ...
“Alles, the circus is closing, everyone is free, whoever goes where!” Said Vlasov and Bunyachenko and surrendered to the Americans in private.
"No no no! Nafig from the beach! ”- said the Americans and gave Vlasov and Bunyachenko to the Russians, who were Soviet. And they made quite a show with a rope.
"Heroes of ROA" shrugged their shoulders and dispersed who where. Grateful Czechs trapped heroes who made their way to West Germany and handed them over to the Soviet authorities.
Whoever finds in this story of “the liberation of Prague” any truth and heroism, show me where. I do not see. To sculpt the heroes of the liberators from this shit, as Viasat-Histori sculpts, this must be respected very much.
Maybe someone from read, will have a different opinion. But I have this. Someone is quite like the historical material of Auski and Stepanek, who does not, the fact is that all these attempts to repaint the black sheep into white should not lead to results.
http://www.radio.cz/ru/rubrika/progulki/prazhskoe-vosstanie-poslednie-zhertvy-velikoj-vojny
Auski Stanislav Betrayal and treason. General Vlasov's troops in the Czech Republic
Hoffmann J. Vlasov against Stalin. The tragedy of the Russian liberation army
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