Stalin's Eighth Strike
Heavy self-propelled artillery SU-152 self-propelled guns of one of the units of the 2nd Baltic Front ford a water obstacle
General situation
During the summer campaign of 1944, the Nazis were forced to abandon more than half of the territory of the Soviet Baltics. It was necessary to completely liberate the Baltics, the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian Soviet Republics. To create conditions on the northern wing of the front for a further offensive to the west.
The German General Headquarters made every effort to hold on to this strategic region as a base for the Air Force and Navy. The Baltics were a link to Scandinavia, from where the Germans drew strategic resources. The Baltics covered the core lands of the Reich – East Prussia. Therefore, the Fuhrer did not want to withdraw Army Group North from the Baltics to East Prussia, as the German commanders proposed. Hitler demanded a fight to the death in order to prolong the war, hoping for geopolitical changes in the world. He believed that the allies would quarrel sooner or later, and Nazi Germany would have a chance to survive.
The Soviet Headquarters decided to destroy the German Army Group North. The task was assigned to troops from four fronts: Leningrad, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Baltic. It was a major strategic operation that unfolded on a 1000-kilometer front.
Soviet heavy self-propelled artillery installation SU-152 is being pushed to a new position. 2 Baltic Front, 1944 year
The forces of the parties
The German Army Group North under the command of F. Schörner united the operational group Narwa, the 16th and 18th field and the 3rd tank army. By the beginning of September 1944, it numbered about 730 thousand people, more than 1200 tanks and self-propelled guns, 7 thousand guns and mortars, and up to 400 aircraft.
The Germans had a fairly large, well-armed group of troops, which relied on deep echeloned defense. There was a well-developed road network, which allowed for active maneuvering of forces and resources along internal communications. Supplies were supplied by sea.
A flight of Il-2 attack aircraft from the 6th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment during a combat sortie
Four Soviet Fronts and the Baltic fleet numbered over 1,5 million people, about 17,5 thousand guns and mortars, more than 3 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns, more than 2600 aircraft. Plus aviation long-range and naval aviation.
On September 14, 1944, the Baltic Fronts went on the offensive, and on September 17, the Leningrad Front. General leadership of their actions was carried out by the representative of the Headquarters, Marshal Vasilevsky.
Liberation of Estonia
The 1st Baltic Front of Bagramyan achieved the greatest success. His strike group – part of the forces of the 4th Shock and 43rd Armies, advancing on the right wing of the front from the Bauska region, advanced 50 km in three days. Tankers of the 3rd Guards Mechanized Corps and riflemen of Beloborodov's 42nd Army broke through to Baldona and reached the Daugava.
There were 20 km left to Riga. There was a threat of the front of the "North" group being cut, encircled and destroyed by a significant German group. The German command strengthens its Riga direction, delivers strong counterattacks. The Germans also evacuate the "Narva" group from Estonia, reinforcing its Riga direction with units.
The Germans were able to avoid a complete defeat. The troops of the 2nd and 3rd Baltic Fronts got bogged down in the German defense (18th Army), advanced insignificantly and were unable to support the impulse of the 1st PF.
An IS-2 tank with troops on board moves along the Riga Highway. A wrecked and burnt-out Studebaker US6 truck is on the side of the road. Autumn 1944.
Schörner, fearing the encirclement of the Narva group in Estonia, asked the Headquarters to allow its withdrawal. If earlier the Supreme Command categorically rejected such proposals, this time permission was given. Troops from Estonia were withdrawn to the Riga region, to previously prepared lines. The Nazis withdraw troops from Estonia, shortening the front line by 300 km, compacting the battle formations and avoiding a large "cauldron".
The Leningrad Front troops under the command of Marshal Govorov missed the moment of withdrawal of the enemy divisions. The offensive was late. The main attack was carried out from the Tartu region, where Fedyuninsky's 2nd Shock Army was transferred, and they advanced on Tallinn. Part of the front troops, supported by the Baltic Fleet, advanced on the coast to Pärnu. The Germans acted traditionally and very skillfully. Covered by strong rearguards, they destroyed communications, mined roads, buildings, and important objects.
Column of Soviet 152-mm howitzers ML-20 in liberated Tallinn
The Nazis successfully withdrew their troops to the west, evacuating some by sea from Tallinn. The evacuation took place under attack from Soviet aviation, and some of the transports were destroyed. On September 22, Soviet troops entered Tallinn, the capital of the Estonian SSR, and on the 23rd, Paldiski and Pärnu. The last German naval bases on the coast of the Gulf of Finland fell. The Russian fleet, having destroyed the minefields, began to operate in the Baltic.
Having joined forces with the 3rd Baltic Front, the Leningrad Front took part in the liberation of Latvia. Part of Govorov's troops began the Moonsund Operation with the aim of liberating the Moonsund Archipelago. Most of the islands were liberated quickly: Vormsi, Muhu, Hiiumaa and Saaremaa. Only on the narrow isthmus of the Sõrve Peninsula on the island of Saaremaa did the Germans manage to delay the Soviet advance for a month and a half (until November 23), tying down one rifle corps.
Soviet soldiers check their equipment before landing on the Moonsund Islands. The soldiers are wearing PKT swimsuit float belts. September 1944.
Soviet heavy artillery being transferred to Saaremaa (Ösel) Island in the Moonsund Archipelago in October 1944 via the Virtsu-Kuivastu ferry. In the foreground is a Soviet 152mm howitzer model 1937 (ML-20)
Memel Operation
Meanwhile, the troops of the Baltic Fronts tried to break through to Riga. "In the twenties of September," noted Marshal Bagramyan, "the fighting reached its peak." In the Dobele region, the Nazis were able to push back our troops; on September 22, the Red Army occupied Baldone. The next day, throwing two divisions that they had brought from Estonia into battle, the Germans launched counterattacks, but were thrown back.
The German command concentrated its main reserves in the Riga direction. As a result, the troops of the 2nd and 3rd PF were able to push back the enemy in the east and northeast. But the Germans occupied previously prepared lines 60 km northeast of Riga. The command of Army Group North concentrated its main forces on the Riga bridgehead. The Red Army offensive stalled.
A Soviet tank unit in a forest on the outskirts of Riga. The photo shows IS-2 and T-34 tanks. September 1944
The Soviet Headquarters, having correctly assessed the situation, decided to transfer the main attack of the 1st PF and Riga to the Klaipeda (Memel) direction. Four armies and reinforcements were transferred from the right flank of the front to the center, to the Šiauliai region, in order to deliver a concentrated attack to the west, breaking through to the sea in the area from Liepaja to the Neman. Success allowed Army Group North to be cut off from East Prussia.
On October 5, 1944, the troops of the 1st Baltic Front launched an offensive on Klaipeda-Memel. The main attack was carried out by the forces of the 6th Guards, 43rd and 5th Guards Tank Armies. The 2nd Guards Army was advancing on the southern flank. The Germans did not expect this attack, having only five infantry divisions in the first line in this sector. And in the sector of the 43rd Army (9 divisions) there was only one German division. Therefore, the front was broken through on the first day of the operation. On the second day of the operation, Volsky's tank army, mobile groups of the 6th and 2nd Guards Armies - the 19th and 1st Tank Corps were introduced into the breakthrough. In the direction of the main attack, the 4th Shock and 51st Armies were connected.
In two days of the offensive, Soviet troops broke through the enemy's defenses to their entire tactical depth. Army Group North found itself in a critical situation. By the end of the fourth day, the depth of the breakthrough had reached 60–90 km, and the width – 200–260 km.
The Germans tried to counterattack with the 3rd Tank Army, but without success. The Nazis were able to organize particularly stubborn resistance in the Tilsit direction. Here the Germans tried to break through a corridor to Schörner's group, striking from East Prussia, but were thrown back beyond the Neman, to Tilsit.
On October 10, the 5th Guards Tank Army and the 51st Army of Generals Volsky and Kreizer broke through to the coast near Palanga. Following them, other units of the front reached the sea on a broad front north and south of Klaipeda. Group North lost its land corridor to East Prussia.
The fight for Klaipeda itself, where up to three German divisions under the command of the headquarters of the 40th Panzer Corps were blocked, became protracted and ended only at the end of January 1945. The city was well fortified, had four defensive lines, a system of forts. The city could have been taken on the move, but the Soviet command made a mistake and did not do so. The troops were scattered over a wide front, each unit sought to be the first to reach the sea. As a result, the first blow to the Memel fortified region was delivered by only a third of the forces that were in this area.
German Pz.Kpfw. V "Panther" tanks in Memel. December 1944.
In the Tilsit direction, our troops occupied the northern bank of the Neman and reached the border of Prussia. The Red Army liberated Lithuania.
Hitler was offered to give Army Group North the order to break through with its main forces into East Prussia. On October 9, Guderian tried to persuade the Fuhrer to make this decision. Then the Chief of Staff of Army Group North arrived at Headquarters, but he too was unable to achieve this decision. Hitler stated that he expected the situation to change quickly, after which the Courland group would be needed for a counteroffensive from the northern bridgehead. As a result, Army Group North remained in the Baltics.
Residents of liberated Riga talk with Red Army officers near an IS-2 tank
Liberation of Riga and the Courland "cauldron"
The collapse of the southern wing of the defense forced the command of Army Group North to begin withdrawing troops from the area northeast of Riga on the night of October 6. The Nazis evacuated to the territory of the Courland (Kurzeme) Peninsula.
Soviet troops pursued the enemy and on October 12 began fighting for Riga. As a result of three days of fighting, the capital of Latvia was liberated. The liberation of Latvia was basically complete.
Army Group North suffered serious losses: 26 divisions were routed and 3 divisions were completely destroyed. German troops lost over 200 thousand people, including 33,5 thousand prisoners.
Soviet soldiers of the 130th Latvian Rifle Corps on the streets of Riga. October 16, 1944
However, the German group in Courland (the 16th and 18th field armies) had large and quite combat-ready forces: 33 divisions (including two tank divisions), a large artillery group. About 500 thousand soldiers and officers, a large number weapons, equipment and ammunition. The Nazis held the coast between Tukums and Liepaja. Communication with Germany was carried out through the ports of Liepaja and Ventspils. The Nazis could no longer break through to Prussia. Transfer by sea required a lot of time and casualties, so the German Headquarters decided to leave the North Group on the peninsula (from January 25, 1945 – Army Group Courland).
Hitler believed that these troops would tie up significant forces of the Red Army, weakening it in the central (Berlin) direction. Therefore, the Fuhrer rejected all proposals to withdraw troops from the Baltics. Moreover, reinforcements were transferred to Courland by sea. In addition, due to the lack of transport, at least six months were needed to evacuate such a large group. Unlike Stalingrad, it was possible to supply the troops with everything they needed through the ports.
Repair of a German tank Pz.Kpfw VI "Tiger" in the Courland forest. Late 1944
Therefore, General Schörner was ordered to defend the peninsula to the last resort, diverting Russian troops from Germany itself. The Nazis gradually and persistently turned the peninsula into a fortified region with numerous defensive lines and cut-off positions. Behind one line, at a distance of 6-8 km, another was built, and so on to the sea. The rugged terrain with a large number of lakes and rivers, forests and swamps helped the Germans prepare a strong defense.
The liquidation of the encircled group was entrusted to the troops of the 1st and 2nd Baltic Fronts. The length of the front was reduced to 250 km, which allowed for the release of significant forces of the Soviet troops. The 3rd PF was disbanded, its command was transferred to the reserve, the troops were transferred to the 1st and 2nd PFs, the Leningrad Front.
A camouflaged German tank Pz. Kpfw. IV Ausf. G from the 5th Panzer Division of the Wehrmacht near a trench in the Courland pocket. October 1944
The terrain was difficult: forests and swamps. The Germans were able to create a dense echeloned defense by narrowing the front. They fought desperately. The Soviet fronts were weakened by the allocation of significant forces and resources to other fronts that were advancing in the main direction. The 1st, 61nd Guards, and 2th Guards Tank Armies were withdrawn from the 5st PF to the reserve, and the 2rd Shock Army from the 3nd PF.
The German group was isolated in Courland and could not take part in the decisive battles in Germany, Hungary and Austria that decided the outcome of the war. Only at the beginning of 1945, 10 divisions (including the 3rd SS Panzer Corps) were transported by sea to defend the Reich.
SS soldiers on their way to the front in the Courland pocket. November 1944
Soviet T-34-85 tank, destroyed during the fighting in the Courland pocket. January 1945.
In October, the Nazis repelled two assaults. The success of the Soviet troops was minimal, a tactical advance. In December, the Germans repelled the offensive on Liepaja. At the same time, the German divisions also counterattacked, tried to regain previously lost positions, improve the situation. In January-February 1945, the German units repelled the fourth and fifth attacks, in March - the sixth attack. The Nazis capitulated only on May 10, 1945, when it became known about the capitulation of the Third Reich.
As a result, in the autumn of 1944, the Red Army liberated Estonia, Lithuania and most of Latvia. Soviet power was restored in all the Baltic republics. The enemy lost the strategic foothold it had held for three years. Our army received a foothold for a strike on East Prussia.
With the Red Army's advance to the Baltic Sea on a broad front and the clearing of the Moonzund Islands, the Baltic Fleet could cover the coastal flank of the ground forces from the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Riga. The possibility arose for our Navy to take active action against enemy communications.
A German StuG III assault gun destroyed in the Courland pocket
A column of German prisoners of war passes by the Riga Railway Station
Information