The perfect assault. Impregnable Königsberg was taken in four days

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The “absolutely impregnable bastion of the German spirit” was captured by Soviet troops in just three days

Today is the anniversary of the outstanding military feat of our grandfathers and fathers. 67 years ago, on April 9, 1945, the Sovinformburo solemnly announced: “The troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front, after persistent street fighting, completed the defeat of the Koenigsberg group of German troops, stormed the fortress and the main city of East Prussia, Koenigsberg, a strategically important center of German defense on the Baltic Sea. The remnants of the Koenigsberg garrison, led by the commandant of the fortress, today, at 21:30, stopped resistance and laid down their arms.” Thus, the centuries-old bridgehead of German expansion into Rus' and Russia fell.

The Germans themselves did not expect such a rapid outcome. During interrogation at the headquarters of the 3rd Belorussian Front, the captured German commandant of the city, General Otto Lasch, admitted: “It was impossible to assume that such a fortress as Koenigsberg would fall so quickly. The Russian command developed this operation well and carried it out perfectly. At Koenigsberg we lost our entire army of one hundred thousand. The loss of Koenigsberg is the loss of the largest fortress and German stronghold in the East.”

Hitler was enraged by the fall of the city and, in an impotent rage, sentenced Lasch to death in absentia. Of course: before that, he declared Koenigsberg “an absolutely impregnable bastion of the German spirit”! And the city, indeed, seemed ready to give a decisive battle to the advancing Red Army. A Red Army soldier in a Civil War-era Budyonnovka looked down at the city residents from large colored posters pasted onto street bollards. With his mouth bared brutally, he raised his dagger over a young German woman clutching a child to her chest. On public buildings it was written in large letters: “Fight like the Russians in Stalingrad!” And in the very center of the city, on the banks of the Pregel River, on the brick wall of the castle of the Prussian kings there was an inscription in Gothic font: “The weak Russian fortress of Sevastopol held out for 250 days against the invincible German army. Koenigsberg - the best fortress in Europe - will never be taken!

But it was taken, and in a matter of days: the assault on Koenigsberg itself began on April 6, and by the evening of the 9th, the “absolutely impregnable bastion of the German spirit,” the city from where all “Drang nach Osten” began, fell. The spring of power of the Red Army, compressed to the limit by the Germans at Moscow and Stalingrad, once released, was no longer unstoppable.

But over many centuries, the website russian-west.narod.ru reports, the rulers of East Prussia turned Koenigsberg into a powerful fortress. And when the Red Army troops approached the borders of East Prussia and then invaded its borders, the German high command hastily began modernizing old and building new fortifications around the city.

The first line of defense was occupied by forts named after German commanders and statesmen. They were hills covered with mighty ancient trees and bushes, with wide ditches, half filled with water and surrounded by rows of wire fences, with reinforced concrete bunkers, mounds of pillboxes and bunkers, narrow loopholes for firing from all types of weapons. Speaking about the inaccessibility of the forts, the Gauleiter of East Prussia E. Koch called them the “nightgowns” of Koenigsberg, meaning that behind their walls one could sleep peacefully.

Map of the assault on Konigsberg

The basis of the second line were numerous stone buildings on the outskirts of the city. The Germans barricaded the streets, built reinforced concrete caps at intersections, and installed a large number of anti-tank and assault guns.

The third line of defense ran in the city itself, along the line of the old fortress wall. There were bastions, ravelins, towers with brickwork 1-3 m thick, underground barracks and ammunition and food warehouses.

Under these conditions, General I.Kh. later recalled. Bagramyan, “perhaps the most difficult mission this time fell to the lot of the chief of the engineering troops, General V.V. Kosyreva. Indeed, in ensuring the overcoming of such fortifications that were created around the city and in the city itself, the engineering troops had to play no less important role than aviation and artillery... With the beginning of the assault, the engineering troops had to clear mines and restore paths for the advance of tanks, artillery and other types of military equipment, and then clear the city streets and build crossings across the Pregel River and numerous deep canals. And all this work was carefully planned and completed in a timely manner.”

On April 6, 1945, Soviet troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front launched a decisive assault on Konigsberg, the capital of East Prussia. The capture of the city was supposed to be the crown of the entire East Prussian operation, which Soviet troops had been conducting since January 1945.

The commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front, Marshal Alexander Vasilevsky, assessed the significance of this operation in his memoirs: “East Prussia was long ago turned by Germany into the main strategic springboard for an attack on Russia and Poland. From this bridgehead the attack on Russia was carried out in 1914... From here the fascist hordes moved in 1941.

During 1941-1945. East Prussia was of great economic, political and strategic importance to the German High Command. Here, in deep underground shelters near Rastenburg, until 1944, Hitler’s headquarters was located, nicknamed by the Nazis themselves “Wolfsschanze” (“Wolf Pit”). The capture of East Prussia, the citadel of German militarism, constituted an important page in the final stage of the war in Europe. The fascist command attached great importance to holding Prussia. It was supposed to firmly cover the approaches to the central regions of Germany. On its territory and in the adjacent areas of the northern part of Poland, a number of fortifications, engineering-strong frontal and cut-off positions, as well as large defense centers filled with long-term structures were erected. The old fortresses were largely modernized; all structures were firmly connected to each other in terms of fortification and fire. The total depth of engineering equipment here reached 150-200 km. The relief features of East Prussia - lakes, rivers, swamps and canals, a developed network of railways and highways, strong stone buildings - greatly contributed to the defense. By 1945, East Prussian fortified areas and defensive zones with fortresses included in them, combined with natural obstacles, were not inferior in power to the West German “Siegfried Line”, and in some areas surpassed it. The defense in our main direction - Gumbinnen, Insterburg, Koenigsberg - was especially well developed in terms of engineering.”

The powerful fortifications of East Prussia were complemented by a very large group of German troops. These were the troops of the Army Group Center (from January 26, 1945 - Army Group North) recreated after the defeat in the summer of 1944 in Belarus - the 3rd Tank, 4th and 2nd armies. By mid-January 1945, the Army Group included 43 divisions (35 infantry, 4 tank, 4 motorized) and 1 brigade, according to Soviet estimates, with a total strength of 580,000 soldiers and officers and 200,000 Volkssturm troops. They had 8,200 guns and mortars, 700 tanks and assault guns, 775 aircraft of the 6th Air Fleet. Army Group North was headed by Colonel General Rendulic, and then by Colonel General Weichs.

As Vasilevsky explained in his memoirs, “the East Prussian group of the Nazis had to be defeated at all costs, because this freed up the armies of the 2nd Belorussian Front for operations in the main direction and removed the threat of a flank attack from East Prussia against Soviet troops that had broken through in this direction " According to the plan, the overall goal of the operation was to cut off the armies of the Center group defending in East Prussia from the rest of the fascist forces, press them to the sea, dismember and destroy them in parts, completely clearing the territory of East Prussia and Northern Poland from the enemy. The success of such an operation in a strategic sense was extremely important and was significant not only for the general offensive of the Soviet troops in the winter of 1945, but also for the outcome of the Great Patriotic War as a whole.

First, the troops of the 3rd and 2nd Belorussian Fronts had to use coordinated concentric attacks to cut off the East Prussian enemy group from its main forces and press it to the sea. Then the troops of the 3rd Belorussian and 1st Baltic fronts were supposed to surround the enemy troops and destroy them piece by piece. At the same time, part of the troops was transferred from the 3rd Belorussian to the 1st Baltic Front, and from the 2nd Belorussian to the 3rd Belorussian. Headquarters sent additional military reinforcements from its reserve to these fronts. It was assumed that during the operation the 2nd Belorussian Front, in close cooperation with the 1st Belorussian Front, would be redirected for operations in the main direction - through Eastern Pomerania to Stettin. In accordance with the calculations made by the General Staff, the operation was supposed to begin in mid-January 1945.

Indeed, in January 1945, the Soviet offensive began to develop in two directions: through Gumbinnen to Königsberg and from the Narev area towards the Baltic Sea. Powerful forces were involved - over 1.66 million soldiers and officers, more than 25,000 guns and mortars, almost 4,000 tanks and self-propelled guns, over 3,000 aircraft. And yet, unlike the parallel Vistula-Oder operation, the advance of the Red Army in East Prussia was slow. The battles for the “cradle of Prussian militarism” were distinguished by great tenacity and bitterness. Here the Germans created a defense in depth, which included 7 defensive lines and 6 fortified areas. In addition, the thick fog characteristic of these places at this time of year made it difficult to successfully use aviation and artillery.

And yet, by January 26, the troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front, having reached the Baltic coast north of Elbing, cut off a significant part of Army Group North from the main German forces in the west. Having repelled the persistent attempts of the Germans to restore the coastal corridor, the Red Army began to dismember and eliminate the German troops cut off in East Prussia. This task was assigned to the 3rd Belorussian and 1st Baltic fronts. By the beginning of February, the East Prussian group of Germans was cut into three parts. The largest of them was located in the Heilsberg area (south of Koenigsberg), the other was sandwiched in Koenigsberg itself, the third defended on the Zemland Peninsula (west of Koenigsberg).

On February 10, the liquidation of 19 divisions in the Heilberg pocket began south of Konigsberg. The fighting in this area, dense with defensive structures, became brutal and protracted. The fortification system of East Prussia had an incredible density of concrete structures - up to 10-12 pillboxes per square kilometer. In the winter-spring Battle of Heilsberg there was practically no maneuver. The Germans, who had nowhere to retreat, fought to the end. The army was actively supported by the local population. The militias made up a fourth of the total troops defending the region. Frontal bloody battles lasted a month and a half. The commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front, General Ivan Chernyakhovsky, died in them. Instead, Marshal Vasilevsky took command of the front. Finally, on March 29, the remnants of the German troops desperately fighting in the Heilsberg pocket could not withstand the onslaught and capitulated. During these battles, the Germans lost 220,000 killed and 60,000 captured.

After the defeat of the Heilsberg group, units of the Red Army began to converge on Koenigsberg, the assault on which began on April 6. The united 3rd Belorussian Front by this time included the 2nd Guards, 43rd, 39th, 5th, 50th, 11th Guards, 31st, 28th, 3rd and 48th combined arms armies, 1st and 3rd air armies.

The commander of the defense of Königsberg, General Otto Lasch, also placed almost all men capable of carrying weapons in the ranks of the city’s defenders: the SD (security service), SA (stormtroopers), SS FT (military security groups), youth sports groups “Strength through Joy”, FS ( volunteer guards), units of the NSNKK (fascist motorized groups), parts of the Todt construction service, ZIPO (security police) and GUF (secret field police). In addition, the Koenigsberg garrison included 4 infantry divisions, a number of separate regiments, fortress units, security units, Volkssturm detachments - about 130,000 soldiers, almost 4,000 guns and mortars, more than 100 tanks and assault guns. 170 aircraft were based at the airfields of the Zemland Peninsula. By order of the commandant of the fortress, an airfield was built right in the city.

Our troops have already suffered serious losses. The combat strength of the units was sharply reduced, and the striking force of the front decreased. There were almost no reinforcements, since the Supreme High Command continued to direct all efforts to the Berlin direction. The front also experienced great difficulties with the material support of the troops, especially with the supply of fuel. The rear areas lagged significantly behind and were unable to provide troops in a timely manner. In such a situation, Vasilevsky, after the liquidation of the Heilberg pocket, decided to continue to beat the Germans piece by piece: first, with all his might, attack the troops gathered in the city, and only then engage in grouping on the Zemland Peninsula.

This is how he describes the beginning of the assault on the East Prussian stronghold: “...battles on the southern shore of Frisches Huff Bay. The spring flood brought the rivers out of their banks and turned the entire area into a swamp. Knee-deep in mud, Soviet soldiers fought their way through fire and smoke into the middle of the fascist group. Trying to break away from our troops, the enemy rushed in panic to barges, boats, and steamships and then blew up the dam. Thousands of Nazi soldiers remained under the waves that poured onto the plain.”

The plan for defeating the Koenigsberg group was to cut through the forces of the garrison with powerful blows from the north and south in converging directions and take the city by storm. To carry out the assault operation, troops that were part of the Zemland group were involved: the 43rd, 50th, 11th Guards and 39th armies. The main role in the assault on the city was given to artillery fire of all calibers, including guns of special power, as well as to the actions of aviation, which was supposed to accompany the troops and completely demoralize the defending enemy.

The headquarters provided the front with additional, most powerful means of suppression from the reserve of the Supreme High Command. By the beginning of the assault, the front had 5,000 guns and mortars, 47% of them were heavy guns, then large and special power ones - with a caliber from 203 to 305 mm. To fire at the most important targets, as well as to prevent the enemy from evacuating troops and equipment along the Koenigsberg Sea Canal, 5 naval railway batteries (11 130 mm and 4 180 mm guns, the latter with a firing range of up to 34 km) were intended. . The troops advancing on the city were assisted by large-caliber guns (152 mm and 203 mm) and 160 mm mortars allocated to the commanders of the rifle divisions. To destroy particularly durable buildings, structures and engineering structures, corps and divisional groups were created, which were given specially powerful rocket artillery. Assault military groups were also saturated with artillery to the limit: they had up to 70% of divisional artillery, and in some cases, heavy guns.

The operation involved two air armies of the 3rd Belorussian Front, part of the aviation forces of the Leningrad, 2nd Belorussian Fronts and the Red Banner Baltic Fleet and heavy bombers of the 18th Air Army of Long-Range Aviation under the leadership of Chief Marshal of Aviation A.E. Golovanov - up to 2500 aircraft in total!

After the artillery and air bombardment of enemy positions, by the evening of April 6, the unified defensive system of Koenigsberg virtually no longer existed. The Germans feverishly erected new fortifications, barricaded streets, and blew up bridges. The fortress garrison was ordered to hold out at all costs. On the night of April 7, the fascist command tried to establish broken control and put its battered units in order. On the morning of April 7, hot battles broke out in the suburbs and in Koenigsberg itself. The desperate enemy launched fierce counterattacks, throwing hastily assembled Volkssturm units into battle. The Nazis carried out a hasty regrouping of forces and brought their last reserves into battle, transferring them from sector to section. But all attempts to stop the attackers failed. The second day of the fight for the city was decisive. Our fighters advanced another 3-4 km, captured three powerful forts and occupied 130 blocks.

Having overcome stubborn enemy resistance on the inner defensive perimeter of the fortress, the 43rd Army cleared the northwestern part of the city. At the same time, the 11th Guards Army, advancing from the south, crossed the Pregel River. Now it was dangerous to conduct artillery and mortar fire: it was possible to hit our own people. The artillery had to fall silent, and throughout the last day of the assault our valiant soldiers had to shoot exclusively from personal weapons, often engaging in hand-to-hand combat. By the end of the third day of the assault, 300 blocks of the old fortress were occupied.

On April 8, Marshal Vasilevsky, trying to avoid pointless casualties, turned to German generals, officers and soldiers of the Koenigsberg group of forces with a proposal to lay down their arms. However, there was a refusal, and on the morning of April 9, the fighting flared up with renewed vigor, but this was already the agony of the garrison. By the end of the fourth day of continuous fighting, Koenigsberg had fallen, and its commandant, General Lasch, had also surrendered.

4 days after the capture of Koenigsberg, Soviet troops began to eliminate the 65,000-strong German group on the Zemland Peninsula. By April 25, they captured the Zemland Peninsula and the seaport of Pillau. The remnants of the German units (22,000 people) retreated to the Frische-Nerung spit and surrendered there after the surrender of Germany.

In the city and its suburbs, Soviet troops captured about 92,000 prisoners (including 1,800 officers and generals), over 3,500 guns and mortars, about 130 aircraft and 90 tanks, many cars, tractors and tractors, a large number of different warehouses with all kinds of property.

The Battle of East Prussia was the bloodiest battle of the 1945 campaign. The losses of the Red Army in this operation exceeded 580,000 people (of which 127,000 were killed). The damage to the Red Army in equipment was very large: in terms of tanks and self-propelled guns (3525) and aircraft (1450), it surpassed other operations of the 1945 campaign.

German losses in the Heilsberg pocket, Königsberg and the Zemland Peninsula alone amounted to about 500,000 people (of which approximately 300,000 were killed).

Decades later, traitors were found...

The storming of Koenigsberg showed examples of mass heroism of our soldiers and officers. The guardsmen, without hesitation, went to the most dangerous places, boldly entered into an unequal battle, and if the situation demanded it, they sacrificed their lives, says the Orthodox Warrior website. Guardsmen Lazarev, Shayderyavsky, Shindrat, Tkachenko, Gorobets and Veshkin took the lead and were the first to cross the Pregel River, which blocked the path to the city center. The Nazis managed to surround a handful of brave men. The warriors took on an unequal battle. They fought to the last bullet and all died the death of the brave, preserving their guards honor and immortalizing their names forever. In the area where Russian soldiers fought, there were 50 dead Germans. At the battle site, our soldiers found a note that said: “The guardsmen fought here and died for their Motherland, for their brothers, sisters and fathers. They fought, but did not surrender to the enemy. They fought to the last drop of blood and life.”

The homeland highly appreciated the military exploits of its sons. All participants in the assault on Koenigsberg were presented with commendations from the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and the medal “For the Capture of Koenigsberg,” approved by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR in June 1945, which was usually done only on the occasion of the capture of state capitals. 98 formations received the name “Koenigsberg”, 156 were awarded orders, 235 soldiers were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

In accordance with the decisions of the Allies, Koenigsberg and part of East Prussia became part of the USSR, and the city itself was soon renamed Kaliningrad. And now decades have passed, and in our country (and in its leadership) there were people who thought of returning the Kaliningrad enclave to Germany! In May 2010, the authoritative German magazine Der Spiegel reported that in 1990, when negotiations on the future unification of Germany were in full swing at the initiative of Mikhail Gorbachev, Soviet representatives approached West German diplomats in Moscow with a proposal to discuss the status of the Kaliningrad region. And the fate of Kaliningrad was then actually saved by the Germans themselves: after an introductory conversation held at the Moscow Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, they refused further negotiations. And if they had agreed, Gorbachev’s leadership probably would not have flinched...

Thank God that the above-mentioned heroic guardsmen Lazarev, Shayderyavsky, Shindrat, Tkachenko, Gorobets and Veshkin, as well as 127,000 of our soldiers who died on the battlefields in East Prussia, and all those who stormed Koenigsberg in 1945, but did not live to see 2010, they did not find out about this betrayal. Eternal memory to them. And eternal shame to the traitors from the Soviet leadership.

On April 10, 1945, the wife and eldest daughter of General Lyash, commandant of Koenigsberg, were imprisoned by the German authorities. His son-in-law, the battalion commander, was urgently recalled from the front and thrown into the Gestapo cellars on Albrechtstrasse in Berlin. His wife was already there, the youngest daughter of the commandant of the Koenigsberg fortress. On the same day, Hitler signed the death sentence of infantry general Otto Lyash for surrendering to Soviet troops and signing the act of surrender of a 100,000-strong military group that defended the best citadel of the Third Reich.
Impregnable Koenigsberg
Preparations for the assault on Konigsberg, considered an impregnable citadel of German East Prussia, took about four months. But a few months earlier, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill presented Stalin with a “gift.” The special 5th air group of the British Air Force, which had previously turned the historical centers of Cologne, Bremen, Munich, Hamburg and other German cities into ruins, carried out two powerful air strikes on Konigsberg. This happened on the night of August 26-27 and on the night of August 29-30, 1944. These bombings did not pursue any military-strategic purpose, except for one - Churchill wanted to “make friends” with the Soviet Union, to which the city itself and the surrounding territory were to go. An agreement on this was concluded at the Yalta Conference. In August, the city was destroyed, and the historical center was almost completely destroyed. Only the numerous forts of Koenigsberg were not damaged, and over the next 6 months, the German military and civilian population of Koenigsberg significantly strengthened the defensive lines of the city. Three rings of defense in three rings of encirclement By the beginning of April, the German group on the Zemland Peninsula and in the Konigsberg fortress still posed a serious threat, as it relied on powerful defenses. Koenigsberg, long before the Second World War, was turned into a strong fortress. As the front approached Koenigsberg, the city’s most important enterprises and other military installations were intensively “buried into the ground.” Field-type fortifications were erected in the fortress and on the approaches to it. The outer perimeter and the first position each had two or three trenches with communication passages and shelters for personnel. 6-8 km east of the fortress they merged into one defensive line (six-seven trenches with numerous communication passages along the entire 15-kilometer area). At this position there were 15 old forts with artillery pieces, machine guns and flamethrowers, connected by a single fire system. Each fort was prepared for all-round defense and was actually a fortress with a garrison of 250-300 people. In the spaces between the forts there were 60 pillboxes and bunkers. The second position ran along the outskirts of the city, including stone buildings, barricades, and reinforced concrete firing points. The third position encircled the central part of the city, having fortifications of an old construction. The basements of large brick buildings were connected by underground passages, and their ventilation windows were adapted as embrasures. The fortress garrison consisted of four infantry divisions, several separate regiments, fortress and security formations, as well as Volkssturm (people's militia) battalions. The Koenigsberg garrison numbered about 130 thousand people. It was armed with up to 4 thousand guns and mortars, 108 tanks and assault guns. From the air, this group was supported by 170 aircraft, which were based at airfields on the Zemland Peninsula. The 5th Panzer Division was stationed west of the city. At almost every firing point, the Germans hung posters like this: “We will defend Koenigsberg.” All this was located in three encirclement rings of Soviet troops at once. The last of them was located just 800 meters from Konigsberg.
Propaganda "duel"

Shortly before the assault, on the initiative of political workers, soldiers and officers were selected in all divisions who had experience in street fighting in large cities - Stalingrad, Sevastopol, Vitebsk, and experience in storming long-term fortifications. At short-term training camps, combat veterans shared their experiences with young people.

Assaults of the Great Patriotic War [Urban battle, it is the most difficult] Runov Valentin Aleksandrovich

Assault on Königsberg

Assault on Königsberg

As a result of successful operations carried out in the summer and autumn of 1944, the Red Army troops reached the borders of East Prussia on a wide front. At the first stage of the East Prussian offensive operation, the 3rd Belorussian Front, in cooperation with part of the forces of the 1st Baltic Front (43rd combined arms and 3rd air armies), carried out the Instenburg-Koenigsberg and Mlavsko in the period from January 13 to 26, 1945 -Elbing offensive operations and, building on the success, by February 10, divided Army Group North into three isolated groups: Heilsberg, Königsberg and Zemland.

In mid-February, a new stage of offensive actions by Soviet troops began as part of the East Prussian operation. The implementation of the main tasks by the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command was entrusted to the troops of the 1st Baltic (Army General I.D. Chernyakhovsky) and 3rd Belorussian (Army General I.Kh. Bagramyan) fronts.

After the death of I.D. Chernyakhovsky, from February 21, the post of commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front was taken by Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky. On February 24, the 1st Baltic Front was reorganized into the Zemlanda Group of Forces and included in the 3rd Belorussian Front. The united 3rd Belorussian Front included the 2nd and 11th Guards, 43rd, 39th, 5th, 50th, 31st, 28th, 3rd, 48th Combined Arms, 1st and 3rd Air Armies. General I.Kh. Bagramyan was appointed commander of the Zemland Group of Forces and at the same time deputy commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front.

In the period from March 13 to 29, Soviet troops, intended to eliminate the Heilsberg group, dismembered and defeated the enemy troops opposing them and occupied the Heilsberg fortified area, destroying more than 93 thousand and capturing 46.5 thousand enemy soldiers and officers. After this, a new task arose on the order of the day - to defeat the Königsberg enemy group.

Defensive lines on the approaches and inside Königsberg

The Königsberg fortress existed for about seven centuries, constantly improving its defensive system. On January 22 (11), 1758, it was taken by Russian troops without a fight. Then the Prussian population, sworn to Russian citizenship by Apraksin, did not resist the Russian troops.

In April 1945 the situation was different. Koenigsberg was defended by part of the forces of the German task force "Semland" and a garrison, which included 4 infantry divisions, several separate regiments and Volksturm battalions. In total, up to 130 thousand people, about 4 thousand guns and mortars, 108 tanks and assault guns, 170 aircraft.

The Königsberg defense system included:

External defensive contour (partially overcome by Soviet troops in the January battles) and three positions. The fortress was a complex of fortifications from different eras. The city was surrounded in a tight ring by 15 ancient stone forts.

The structure of the fort looked like this: a pentagon with an area of ​​7–10 hectares with three underground floors. The walls and upper ceilings are two-meter thick brick, and on top there is another meter-thick layer of concrete. All this is crowned with an earthen “pillow”, densely overgrown with trees and bushes. Each fort was surrounded by a high rampart, the concrete slopes of which descended into a water-filled ditch 15 to 30 meters wide. All forts were prepared for all-round defense and, in addition to defensive structures, had strong barracks, a power plant, a hospital, ammunition and food warehouses, as well as a garrison of 250–300 people. All fort structures were connected by underground passages and posterns (a closed communication passage in the form of a corridor underground).

The forts were linked into a single fire system with artillery pieces, machine guns and flamethrowers located in the first position. Fortress guns were capable of firing 300-kilogram shells at a range of up to 30 kilometers. In the spaces between the forts there were up to 609 pillboxes and bunkers.

The second position, located on the outskirts of Königsberg, included strong stone buildings, barricades, reinforced concrete firing points, and minefields adapted for defense. It had a depth of up to 2 kilometers and consisted of three trenches. The first trench ran through the suburbs. By the beginning of March, anti-tank ditches had been dug around the city, the total length of which exceeded 50 kilometers. Anti-tank defense was also created by tens of thousands of mines, land mines, multi-ton granite blocks, and reinforced concrete gouges. Several rows of barbed wire were strung against the infantry.

The third position (internal defensive contour) was established at a distance of five kilometers from the front edge of the second position around the historical center of the city on the slopes of the so-called Lithuanian Wall. There were 9 old but powerful brick forts, built about a hundred years ago on the site of the city walls. They formed a closed ring, surrounded on the outer side by a deep ditch with steep earthen edges. Bridges were thrown to the gates of the forts, in front of which, as a rule, thick-walled brick caponiers rose. And inside the circle formed by the fortifications of the Lithuanian Wall, tightly pressed against each other, stood multi-story buildings in the central part of the city, turned into strongholds. The streets, especially those leading to the city center, were barricaded. All houses - strongholds were interconnected by trenches and communication passages.

Fort "Der Wrangel" - one of the forts of the internal defensive circuit of Koenigsberg

In the very center of the city, on the high right bank of the Pregel River, stood the Royal Castle - a powerful citadel that housed a garrison of several thousand people.

The troops of the 39th (Lieutenant General I.I. Lyudnikov), 43rd (Lieutenant General A.P. Beloborodov), 50th (Lieutenant General F.P. Ozerov) and 11th were involved in the assault on Koenigsberg. Guards (Lieutenant General K.N. Galitsky) armies.

The 43rd Army, consisting of the 54th, 90th and 13th Rifle Corps (nine rifle divisions), as well as the 153rd Tank Brigade, five self-propelled artillery regiments, the 3rd Breakthrough Artillery Division, consisting of six artillery brigades, two artillery cannon brigades , a heavy mortar brigade, two separate artillery battalions of special power, an army cannon artillery brigade, an army anti-tank artillery regiment, two guards mortar brigades and two guards mortar regiments (BM-21 Katyusha and BM-31); 50th Army consisting of the 81st, 124th and 69th Rifle Corps with reinforcements.

In total, the Soviet group consisted of 187 thousand people, 5,200 guns and mortars, 538 tanks and self-propelled guns. In addition, at the end of March, three additional separate divisions of special power arrived from the Headquarters reserve, each of which had six 305-mm howitzers, and the 1st Guards Naval Railway Artillery Brigade (five batteries, four 180-mm and one 130-mm a gun). As a result, there were 12 152 mm cannons, 4 180 mm cannons, 94 203 mm howitzers, 12 210 mm cannons, 18 280 mm mortars and 18 305 mm howitzers from high-power and special-power artillery.

From the air, this grouping was supported by the 1st (Colonel General T.T. Khryukin) and 3rd (Colonel General N.F. Papivnin) air armies, as well as long-range bomber formations of the 18th Air Army (Chief Marshal of Aviation A E. Golovanov). In addition, the Baltic Fleet Air Force, the 5th Guards and 5th Bomber Aviation Corps of the RVGK (2,400 aircraft) acted in the interests of these troops. The general leadership of such large aviation forces was carried out by the commander of the Red Army Air Force, Chief Marshal of Aviation A.A. Novikov.

The plan of the Soviet command provided for the capture of Koenigsberg by a “star assault” - simultaneous attacks from several directions. The 43rd and 50th armies were supposed to strike from the north-west, and the 11th Guards Army from the south. From the east, only an active blockade of the city was envisaged by part of the forces of the 50th Army (324th and 110th Rifle Divisions of the 69th Rifle Corps). The armies had to break through the outer belt of the enemy’s defenses and reach the city by the end of the first day of the offensive. Then, by the end of the third day of the operation, capture the city.

On the first day, the army corps were supposed to break through the outer perimeter of the fortress to a depth of 4 km, capture the suburbs and start battles directly outside the city. Over the next two days, the troops of the 43rd Army were to defeat the enemy in the northern part of the city and reach the Prengel River, where they would link up with the troops of the 11th Guards Army advancing from the south. The divisions of the first echelon of the corps received the immediate task at a depth of up to 2.5 km, the task of the day - up to 4–4.5 km.

The plan for implementing the plan of the Soviet command provided for a decisive massing of forces and assets in the directions of the main attacks. So the 43rd Army was supposed to break through the enemy’s defenses in a 5 km area with the forces of six divisions. The 50th Army received the task of breaking through the defenses in a 4 km area with the forces of four rifle divisions. This means that during the assault on Königsberg, the rifle division in the breakthrough area operated on a front of about 800 m. Rifle regiments (consisting of two battalions) broke through the enemy’s defenses on a front of 300–400 m.

The identification of such narrow breakthrough areas for formations led to a huge concentration of forces and means. In armies in breakthrough areas, the densities were: 0.7–0.8 km per rifle division, 27 tanks and self-propelled guns per 1 km of breakthrough area, artillery densities ranged from 150 to 260 and even more guns and mortars of 76 mm caliber and higher per 1 km front.

The high density of forces and assets predetermined a unique operational formation and battle order of troops. It was decided to have the operational formation of the armies in one echelon with the allocation of a reserve. The corps formed their battle formation in two echelons: two divisions in the first, one in the second. The second echelons of corps were supposed to be brought into battle on the second or third day of the operation during the battle for the city. To build up forces and means during the breakthrough of the first position, the battle formation of rifle divisions and rifle regiments was built in two echelons.

The first echelon of each regiment (two battalions) was supposed to act as an assault detachment. The second echelon battalion was also trained as an assault detachment. Each assault detachment, except for the rifle battalion, included a platoon of a regimental battery (two 76-mm cannons), a howitzer and two cannon batteries of divisional artillery, a company of 82-mm mortars and a battery of 102-mm mortars, 4–5 self-propelled artillery units SU- 122, 2–3 T-34 tanks. Assault detachments from the regimental artillery groups were allocated one division each. In addition, the actions of the detachments were supported by the fire of one or two divisions of the regimental artillery group. In some cases, the assault detachment was assigned 152 mm and 203 mm guns, as well as 160 mm mortars.

To solve individual combat missions or actions in independent directions, assault groups were created as part of assault detachments. The basis of each assault group consisted of a platoon to a company of infantry, one or two guns or mortars, the group’s actions were often supported by a tank or SU-122 self-propelled artillery mount, as well as artillery fire from the regimental artillery group.

Front engineering troops were widely involved in operations as part of assault detachments and groups. Each assault detachment included one sapper company, and each assault group included one sapper platoon. In addition, in each corps a group of sapper forces was created (up to five sapper companies), which were assigned the following tasks: conducting engineering reconnaissance, equipping the initial area, removing their own minefields, making passages in enemy minefields, accompanying infantry and tanks on the offensive.

As elements of operational formation on a front scale, the following were created: a long-range front artillery group consisting of five brigades to combat enemy artillery in the zones of action of the 43rd and 50th armies; artillery blockade group of the Koenigsberg area (9234 guns, including more than half 100 mm and above); railway artillery group of the Baltic Fleet as part of the 1st Guards Naval Railway Brigade.

Destruction artillery groups (up to five divisions each) of 152 mm and 305 mm guns were created in the corps.

Much attention was paid to engineering support for the assault on the fortress. The corps were assigned a large number of engineering units and subunits. Thus, the 13th Guards Rifle Corps, which was supposed to advance in the breakthrough area of ​​the 43rd Army, had 14 sapper companies, which amounted to an average of seven companies per 1 km of breakthrough.

General I.Kh. Bagramyan later recalled:

“...Perhaps the most difficult mission this time fell to the lot of the chief of the engineering troops, General V.V. Kosyreva. Indeed, in ensuring the overcoming of such fortifications that were created around the city and in the city itself, the engineering troops had to play no less important role than aviation and artillery. Considerable forces were allocated: ten engineer-sapper brigades, three assault engineer-sapper brigades, two motorized engineer-sapper brigades and one pontoon brigade. And this is not counting those full-time sapper units that were in the corps and divisions. A significant part of these forces had to be included in 26 assault detachments and 104 groups.

The engineering troops had a gigantic job ahead of them both during the preparation for the assault and during it. In addition to conducting a thorough engineering reconnaissance of the enemy’s defenses, it was necessary to prepare a mass of roads, bridges and column tracks, build a base for torpedo boats on the coast of the Zemlanda Peninsula, an overpass for launching armored boats delivered by rail to the Pregel River, and select a starting point for the troops intended for the assault cities, overcome hundreds of passages in mine and wire obstacles under enemy fire.

With the start of the assault, the engineering troops had to clear mines and restore paths for the advance of tanks, artillery and other types of military equipment, and then clear mines from the city streets and build crossings across the Pregel River and numerous deep canals. And all this work was carefully planned and completed in a timely manner. An important role also belonged to the chemical forces, the combat use of which was planned by Major General M.F. Doronin with his department. To ensure the assault, three chemical defense battalions, seven separate flamethrower battalions, a company of high-explosive flamethrowers and five separate companies of backpack flamethrowers were allocated. Flamethrower units were distributed among assault squads and assault groups.”

During the preparation for the offensive, exceptional attention was paid to artillery reconnaissance. By April 2, all the forts, about 900 pillboxes, 180 fortified buildings and 106 enemy observation posts had been discovered and studied by artillery officers. Each battery commander had a perspective photo panorama of the reconnaissance and fire sector assigned to the unit.

The artillery offensive consisted of four periods: a period of destruction (three days), artillery preparation for the attack, artillery support for the attack, artillery escort of infantry and tanks in the depths of the enemy’s defenses.

During the period of destruction, for four days, large-caliber artillery of the fleet and corps destruction groups fired at the city, destroying pillboxes, strong buildings, and barricades. A day or two before the start of the period of destruction, howitzer artillery of 122 and 152 mm caliber was supposed to open all long-term structures with fire (clear the camouflage with fire and destroy the earthen covering layer). Aviation was inactive during this period due to bad weather.

To destroy forts, reinforced concrete fire structures and concrete shelters, guns with a caliber of 203 to 305 mm were used. As a rule, each fort was assigned an artillery division, which fired for 5–6 hours a day for three days. From 360 to 440 shells were spent on each fort. As a result, from 90 to 200 shells hit the pillboxes. Despite this, some of these defensive structures were not destroyed at the beginning of the assault.

At 9 o'clock artillery preparation began in the zone of the 11th Guards Army, and an hour later - in the zones of the 43rd and 50th armies. It was planned to last 180 minutes. Of these, the artillery worked for two hours for destruction, 20 minutes were allocated for direct fire of guns, and 35 minutes for suppressing and destroying enemy personnel and firepower. The fire preparation ended with a 5-minute powerful fire raid.

The infantry and tank attack was supported by a double barrage of fire to a depth of 2 km. 11 main and 10 intermediate milestones were identified. Accompanying the battle of infantry and tanks in depth was to be carried out by the method of sequentially concentrating fire on previously designated objects and targets.

To carry out the tasks of the artillery offensive, the artillery already took up firing positions on March 28 and began additional reconnaissance and planned shooting of the intended targets. However, immediately before the start of the assault on the fortress, searches for scouts and reconnaissance in force were prohibited until April 5. Reconnaissance was carried out only by observation.

To completely expose the enemy’s defenses, as well as to make sure that he occupied the first trench, on April 5, reconnaissance in force was carried out with forces ranging from platoon to company from each rifle division of the first echelon. During reconnaissance in force, some units broke into the first enemy trench, located behind the anti-tank ditch. This allowed sappers to build 60-ton tank bridges across the ditch overnight.

Operational formation of the 43rd Army and battle formations of formations and units during the assault on Koenigsberg

At the same time, due to the capture of the enemy's first trench by the advanced units, artillery preparation for the attack was reduced from three to two hours.

The assault on the fortress began on April 6 at 10 a.m. with artillery preparation for the attack. Its effectiveness was so high that enemy artillery, even 2 hours after the end of artillery preparation for the attack, could not conduct targeted fire on Soviet troops. Due to unfavorable weather conditions, aviation practically did not operate that day.

At 12 o'clock, infantry and tanks, following a double barrage of fire, moved to storm the fortifications. The resistance of the fort garrisons was relatively weak. Assault troops and groups infiltrated between forts and pillboxes, surrounded and blocked them from all sides.

But in the depths of the defense the enemy put up stubborn resistance. Fierce counterattacks were launched at the slightest advance of the attackers. By the end of the day, the 43rd, 50th and 11th Guards Armies had broken through the fortifications of the outer defense of Koenigsberg, reached its outskirts and cleared a total of 102 quarters of enemy troops. The formations of the 39th Army, having broken through the outer defensive contour, reached the railway to Pillau and cut it west of Königsberg. The fascist German command to the west of the fortress brought the 5th Panzer Division, separate infantry and anti-tank units into battle. Meteorological conditions excluded the participation of bomber aircraft and a significant part of attack aircraft in combat operations. Therefore, the front air army, having completed only 274 sorties in the first two hours of the assault, was unable to prevent the advance and introduction of enemy reserves into battle.

Directly in the offensive zone of the 43rd Army there were 4 forts: No. 5 Charlottenburg, No. 5A, No. 6 and No. 7. Units of this army were the first to break into the city. But the Nazis offered stubborn resistance to her troops, conducting counterattacks from time to time.

By the evening of April 6, the enemy's defensive position was broken through. Some forts and pillboxes were destroyed, others were blocked. The garrisons of forts Kanitz and Lehndorf capitulated without waiting for the assault. Soviet troops reached the outskirts of the city (defensive position No. 2) and started night battles, which were particularly brutal.

By the morning of April 7, the troops of all three armies captured seven forts of the first position and cleared more than a hundred blocks of the enemy on the city outskirts. On this day the weather improved, and aviation began to operate with full force. Only in the period from 13:30 to 14:30, 516 Il-4 long-range bombers from the 18th Air Army dropped 550 tons of bombs on the city. In total, on that day, 4,758 sorties were flown on Königsberg and 1,658 tons of bombs were dropped.

The troops slowly advanced deeper into the city, part of their forces solving problems in the first position. The enemy desperately resisted. During April 7 alone, he launched 35 counterattacks, mainly against the troops of the 43rd and 39th armies. Despite this, by the end of the day, Soviet troops managed to capture several important objects, including one of the most powerful forts - “King Frederick William III” (Fort No. 5), which resisted especially stubbornly. Subsequently, for the heroism shown during the storming of this fort, 15 soldiers and officers were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

On the morning of April 8, the assault resumed with renewed vigor. By mid-day, having united in the Amalienau area, the troops of the 11th Guards and 43rd armies cut off the northwestern part of the city. After this, formations of the 11th Guards Army broke enemy resistance in the southern part of the city and started fighting in its center.

A particularly important role was played by assault groups that had previously undergone special training. Groups of machine gunners infiltrated between houses, penetrated behind enemy lines, conducted reconnaissance and blocked individual streets until the main forces of the assault detachment arrived. The escort guns, operating in pairs, fired directly, destroying fire weapons in buildings and destroying barricades on the streets. They moved in leaps and bounds: while one gun was firing at the enemy, the second was moving to new firing positions.

Tanks and self-propelled guns moved behind the infantry at a distance of 15–22 m. As soon as the infantry met enemy resistance, they moved forward, fired at newly discovered targets or destroyed barricades.

At 15:00, formations of the 11th Guards Army burst into the square in front of the Royal Castle. The artillery opened direct fire on the castle, and clouds of Soviet aviation appeared in the air above it. Planes of the 18th Air Army carried out a massive raid on the fortress. Under the cover of 232 fighters, they destroyed fortifications, artillery firing positions and destroyed enemy troops. The Pillau base, where enemy warships and transports were located, was also subjected to repeated massive raids by naval aviation and the 4th Air Army. In total, during the third day of the assault, Soviet aviation carried out 6,000 sorties and dropped 2,100 bombs of various calibers. Late in the evening, in the offensive zone of the 50th Army, the last fort of the outer defensive perimeter of Königsberg, Gneisenau, surrendered.

On this day, the advancing troops operated primarily in assault detachments and groups. All divisional artillery was assigned to assault detachments. The number of escort guns was constantly growing. For example, if in the 43rd Army there were 188 of them on April 6, then by the end of April 8 there were 312. In addition, in street battles, single rockets were widely used for direct fire. For this purpose, 2-3 assault groups of 12 people each were created in the guards mortar brigades. M-31 rockets were fired directly from the capping, which was installed opposite the object to be destroyed.

On this day, the Koenigsberg garrison was asked through envoys to lay down their arms, but the German command did not accept this proposal, and the troops subordinate to them continued to resist. Moreover, an attempt was made by individual units of the Koenigsberg garrison to break through to the west in the zone of the 43rd Army, which was stopped. The enemy’s attempt to release the city with a strike from the 5th Tank Division from the Zemlanda Peninsula was also unsuccessful.

On April 9, at 9:30 a.m., Soviet troops again opened heavy artillery fire on neighborhoods and objects that the enemy still continued to hold. Air strikes were carried out on them from the air. Unable to withstand this pressure, separate groups of German troops in different parts of the city began to surrender. Soon this process became widespread. At 21:00, in the concrete casemate of the bomb shelter, the act of unconditional surrender of the garrison was signed by the commandant of the fortress, General O. Lash. The Soviet flag hoisted over Fort Derdona.

General I.Kh. recalls Baghramyan:

“By the evening of April 9, the entire northwestern, western and southern parts of Königsberg were in our hands. The enemy continued with his last strength to hold only the very center and eastern part of the city.

Finally, the commandant of Koenigsberg made the first reasonable decision in the last two days of fighting. He sent envoys to us with a message to stop further resistance. At 18:30, General K.N. Galitsky reported to Marshal A.M. Vasilevsky about the arrival at the headquarters of the 11th Guards Rifle Division of representatives of the commandant Colonel Khevke and Lieutenant Colonel Kerwin. A.M. Vasilevsky ordered to send our representatives with them to the headquarters of General O. Lasch to accept the surrender. The chief of staff of the 11th Guards Rifle Division, Lieutenant Colonel P.G., went to the enemy’s location as envoys. Yanovsky, captains V.M. Shpitalnik and A.E. Fedorko. At the risk of their lives, they made their way to the former University Square through rubble-strewn, damaged vehicles and mined streets. At 21:30, General O. Lasch was given an ultimatum from the Soviet command, and after some hesitation, he signed a written order to his troops to cease resistance.

At dawn, the first columns of prisoners began to emerge from the city center. Returning to the front command post, I found there a group of fascist generals, led by the tall and thin commandant of the fallen Koenigsberg, Otto Lasch. Depressed by the fall of what they considered an impregnable fortress, so unexpected for them, they waited with a gloomy look to meet A.M. Vasilevsky, who expressed a desire to interrogate the leaders of the fascist defense. When I entered the office of the front commander, Air Chief Marshal A.A. had already gathered there. Novikov, generals V.E. Makarov, A.P. Pokrovsky and others. Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky exchanged impressions with them about the progress of the assault on Koenigsberg. I gladly joined the conversation and heard with admiration from the mouth of the front chief of staff about the results of our victory.”

During the Koenigsberg operation, about 42 thousand enemy soldiers and officers were destroyed, almost 92 thousand people were captured, including 1800 officers and 4 generals led by the commandant of the fortress, General O. Lash. 2,023 guns, 1,652 mortars and 128 aircraft were captured.

In connection with the capture of Königsberg, Moscow saluted the soldiers of the 3rd Belorussian Front with 24 artillery salvoes from 324 guns. For the storming of this fortress, about 200 Soviet soldiers were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Among them were the commander of the 43rd Army, General A.P. Beloborodov, commander of the 11th Guards Army, General K.N. Galitsky, commander of the 1st Air Army, General T.T. Khryukin, commander of the 3rd Air Army, General N.F. Papivnin, commander of the 36th Rifle Corps, General P.K. Koshevoy, commander of the 5th Guards Rifle Division, General G.B. Peters, commander of the 18th Guards Rifle Division, General G.I. Karizhsky, commander of the 91st Guards Rifle Division, Colonel V.I. Kozhanov and many others.

SUPREME COMMANDER-CHIEF

TO THE COMMANDER OF THE TROOPS OF THE 3rd BELARUSIAN FRONT

MARSHAL OF THE SOVIET UNION VASILEVSKY

TO THE CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE FRONT

COLONEL GENERAL POKROVSKY

“The troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front, after stubborn street fighting, completed the defeat of the Königsberg group of German troops and today, April 9, stormed the fortress and main city of East Prussia Königsberg, a strategically important center of German defense on the Baltic Sea.

During the day of fighting, by 20 o'clock the front troops captured over 27,000 German soldiers and officers, and also captured a large amount of weapons and various military equipment. The remnants of the Koenigsberg garrison, led by the commandant of the fortress, Infantry General Lyash, and his headquarters today at 21:30 stopped resistance and laid down their arms...”

Moscow celebrated the heroic feat with festive fireworks. 97 units and formations that directly stormed the main city of East Prussia were given the honorary name of Königsberg. On June 9, 1945, to reward all direct participants in the assault, the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR established the medal “For the Capture of Koenigsberg.” In total, more than 750 thousand people were awarded this medal (four times more than were part of the group of troops that stormed the city). In the battles for Königsberg, Soviet troops lost more than 60 thousand people killed, and more than a hundred thousand were wounded. A.M. himself Vasilevsky was awarded the Order of Victory for the capture of Königsberg.

Thus, the fall of the Koenigsberg fortress actually predetermined the successful outcome of the offensive operation of the Soviet troops in East Prussia, which became the first major operation in the military leadership of Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky.

The Koenigsberg offensive operation of the Soviet troops was characterized by a simultaneous attack by three armies in converging directions and a decisive massing of forces and assets in the directions of the main attacks. A huge role in achieving the success of the assault belonged to the use of artillery of all calibers, aviation and engineering troops.

Medal "For the Capture of Koenigsberg"

A special feature of the use of artillery was the organization of the artillery blockade of Koenigsberg, as a result of which many important objects in the enemy’s defense were destroyed and destroyed. Characteristic of this operation was the massive use of high-power and special-power artillery (152-mm Br-2 cannons and 305-mm Br-18 howitzers).

Aviation made a great contribution to the suppression of the enemy in the fortress. Since it was very difficult to hit point targets, the tactics of attack aircraft were based on the principle of long-term impact on the enemy. To do this, one wave of aircraft was constantly replaced by another wave, and air strikes were carried out only on reconnoitered areas and according to target designations from the ground. To do this, from the moment of departure, the pilots were constantly in radio contact with the aircraft controllers and made several approaches to ensure that they reached the given target correctly. All important targets were numbered in advance, and during the battle the pilots only received short commands: “Work on target No. 245.”

Groups of attack aircraft sent to accompany infantry fighting in street battles consisted of 4–6 Il-2 aircraft. Having received the task, the commander led the group onto a combat course and formed a “blunt wedge” into a battle formation. 5–7 kilometers before approaching the front line, the group commander contacted the aircraft controller by radio and clarified the combat mission and signals for designating the front line of his troops. After this, the attack aircraft made the first “idle” approach to the target, and struck, as a rule, from the second approach.

The tactics of the ground forces were based on the actions of assault detachments and assault groups, which were formed on the basis of heterogeneous forces and means. Before the start of the offensive, one assault detachment was formed for each regiment of the first echelon divisions and two assault groups for each regiment of the second echelon. The composition of assault detachments and groups was indicated in the unit order and did not change during the entire period of combat training. In all divisions, training fields were equipped according to the enemy defense scheme in the zones of upcoming operations, where personnel were trained. The assault on individual stone structures (buildings) was practiced in villages and farmsteads where there were such buildings.

In battle, the assault detachment moved in the following order. Tanks were moving ahead. The tanks were followed by a rifle company and two platoons of sappers, who carried the assault bridges and installed them. Between the platoons there were 76-mm guns of the regimental artillery, and on the flanks of the rifle company were flamethrowers and 76-mm guns of the divisional artillery. Behind the first echelon were 5 122-mm self-propelled guns. Somewhat behind on the flanks - one 122-mm gun of the divisional artillery. The second rifle company, built in one line, moved behind the self-propelled guns. A platoon of machine gunners and a platoon of sappers remained in reserve. The mortars and artillery battalion were located in closed firing positions.

The assault group acted in the following order. A tank was moving ahead. Behind him to the right and left were two rifle platoons with a platoon of sappers in their battle formations. On the flanks there was one 45-mm gun and flamethrowers, and between the rifle platoons there was a 76-mm gun of the regimental artillery. The third platoon with a 76-mm regimental artillery gun moved behind one of the first line platoons in readiness to increase the group's efforts in the decisive direction.

Speaking about the assault on Königsberg, the question should be divided into two components. The first part contains tactical issues: the courage and heroism of individual soldiers, the military art of commanders of units, units, and formations. This part raises no doubts, and a deep bow to all participants in the assault on the enemy stronghold.

The second part - the question of level strategy - is much more difficult. It is associated with the rationality of the assault on the Koenigsberg fortress a month before the end of the Great Patriotic War, at a time when the victory of the Red Army was already quite obvious, the Allies did not plan to capture East Prussia, and Koenigsberg itself was already blocked by the troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front.

At the strategic level, this issue was purely political and opportunistic. Stalin needed another high-profile victory, and the capture of the Königsberg fortress (the stronghold of Prussian militarism) was supposed to be such a victory.

Among the commanders of the final period of the war there should have been only devotees of I.V. Stalin's people. That is why, after the death of I.D., he was appointed commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front. Chernyakhovsky in February 1945 was appointed A.M. Vasilevsky, who until that time had worked in the General Staff since the beginning of the war, and since 1942 as Chief of the General Staff. During this time he worked so well with I.V. Stalin, that in just three years he rose from major general to marshal of the Soviet Union. It should also not be forgotten that A.M. Vasilevsky, like I.V. Stalin, graduated from a theological school before the revolution, and Joseph Vissarionovich remembered this well.

Now about A.M. itself. Vasilevsky. Having received command of the 3rd Belorussian Front, aimed against East Prussia, at the final stage of the war, Alexander Mikhailovich decided to fully demonstrate his leadership qualities.

After the loss of Königsberg, the Nazi command was still trying to hold the Zemland Peninsula. By April 13, eight infantry and tank divisions were defending here, as well as several separate Volkssturm regiments and battalions that were part of the Zemland task force, which included about 65 thousand people, 1.2 thousand guns, 166 tanks and assault guns.

From the appeal of the Soviet command to the command of the Zemland group:

“...You are well aware that the entire German army suffered a complete defeat... The Russians - near Berlin and in Vienna. Allied forces - 300 km east of the Rhine. The Allies were already in Bremen, Hanover, Braunschweig, and approached Leipzig and Munich. Half of Germany is in the hands of Russian and allied troops. One of the strongest fortresses in Germany, Königsberg, fell in three days. The commandant of the fortress, Infantry General Lash, accepted the terms of surrender I proposed and surrendered with most of the garrison. In total, 92,000 German soldiers, 1,819 officers and 4 generals surrendered...

German officers and soldiers remaining on Zemlyanda! Now, after Königsberg, the last stronghold of German troops in East Prussia, your situation is completely hopeless. Nobody will send you help. 450 km separate you from the front line at Stettin. The sea routes to the west are cut off by Russian submarines. You are deep in the rear of the Russian troops. Your situation is hopeless. Against you are many times superior forces of the Red Army. The force is on our side, and your resistance makes no sense. It will only lead to your death and to numerous casualties among the civilian population gathered in the Pillau area...

To avoid unnecessary bloodshed, I demand that you lay down your arms within 24 hours, cease resistance and surrender. All generals, officers and soldiers who stop resistance are guaranteed life, adequate food and return to their homeland after the war. All wounded and sick will be provided with immediate medical assistance. I promise all those who surrender the treatment worthy of a soldier... If my demand to surrender is not fulfilled within 24 hours, you risk being destroyed. German officers and soldiers! If your command does not accept my ultimatum, act on your own. Save your life, surrender."

The deadline provided by A.M. Vasilevsky to the enemy, expired at midnight on April 12, Moscow time. “We waited for one day and two nights,” writes I.Kh. Bagramyan - that the fascists blocked on the peninsula will come to their senses. On the morning of April 13, A.M. Vasilevsky gave the order: “Attack and destroy the enemy.”

To eliminate enemy troops on the peninsula, the command of the 3rd Belorussian Front allocated the 2nd Guards, 5th, 39th, 43rd and 11th Guards armies. Over 111 thousand soldiers and officers, 5.2 thousand guns and mortars, 451 rocket artillery installations, 324 tanks and self-propelled artillery installations were involved in the operation. The main blow in the direction of Fischhausen was to be delivered by the 5th and 39th armies in order to cut the enemy troops into northern and southern parts and subsequently destroy them through the joint efforts of all armies. To support the strike group from the flanks, the 2nd Guards and 43rd armies were preparing for an offensive along the northern and southern coasts of the Zemlanda Peninsula, the 11th Guards Army formed the second echelon. The Red Banner Baltic Fleet received the task of protecting the coastal flank of the 2nd Guards Army from possible enemy shelling and landings from the sea, assisting the offensive along the coast with naval and coastal artillery fire, and also disrupting the evacuation of enemy troops and equipment by sea.

On the night before the offensive, the 1st and 3rd Air Armies launched a series of massive attacks on the battle formations of enemy troops, defensive structures, ports and communications centers. On the morning of April 13, after an hour of artillery preparation, the troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front, with the support of aviation, went on the offensive. The enemy, relying on a system of field engineering structures, put up unusually stubborn resistance. Numerous counterattacks by his infantry were supported not only by field artillery fire, but also by artillery from surface ships and self-propelled landing barges.

Slowly but steadily, Soviet troops advanced westward. Despite the strong and continuous combat support of aviation, which flew 6,111 sorties on the first day of the operation, the main strike group managed to advance only 3–5 km. Heavy fighting continued the next day. The enemy's resistance was especially stubborn in front of the center and left wings of the front. However, fearing dismemberment, the Nazi command from April 14 began to gradually withdraw its units to Pillau. Taking advantage of this, Soviet troops attacked his positions along the entire front. The 2nd Guards Army achieved the greatest success.

On April 15, its formations cleared the entire northwestern part of the Zemlanda Peninsula from the enemy and rushed along the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea to the south. By the end of the day, under the pressure of Soviet troops, the defenses blocking the path to the Pillau Spit collapsed. On the night of April 17, with a double blow from the north and east, formations of the 39th and 43rd armies captured the city and port of Fischhausen.

The remnants of the enemy group (15–20 thousand people) retreated to the northern part of the Pillau Spit, where they secured a position on a previously prepared defensive line. The 2nd Guards Army, weakened in previous battles, was unable to break through its defenses on the move and suspended its offensive.

The 1st and 3rd Air Armies fought with great tension, carrying out about 5 thousand sorties every day. The naval forces covered the coastal flank of the advancing troops, disrupted the evacuation of enemy personnel and military equipment by sea, and sank several ships and transports, landing barges and submarines. The front commander decided to bring the 11th Guards Army into battle. Having replaced the troops of the 2nd Guards Army west of Fischhausen on the night of April 18, formations of the 11th Guards Army conducted reconnaissance in force on the very first day, and on the morning of April 20, after artillery preparation, attacked the enemy. For six days there were battles on the outskirts of Pillau, one of the strongholds of East Prussia. The wooded terrain of the spit, in combination with engineering structures, increased the stability of the enemy’s defense, and the small width of the land (2–5 km), which completely excluded maneuver, forced the attackers to carry out frontal attacks. Only towards the end of April 24, the 11th Guards Army broke through the 6-kilometer zone of defensive positions covering the approaches to Pillau from the north.

On April 25, Soviet troops broke into its outskirts. By evening, a red flag fluttered over the city. The last node of enemy resistance in the southwestern part of the Zemlyandsky Peninsula was eliminated.

After the capture of Pillau, only the narrow Frische-Nerung spit remained in the hands of the Nazis. The front commander assigned the tasks of crossing the strait and eliminating these troops to the 11th Guards Army with the support of the forces of the Southwestern Maritime Defense Region. On the night of April 26, the advanced formations of the army, under the cover of artillery and aviation fire, crossed the strait. At the same time, the rifle regiment of the 83rd Guards Rifle Division of the 11th Guards Army, the combined regiment of the 43rd Army, together with the regiment of the 260th Marine Brigade, were landed by naval forces on the western and eastern coasts of the Frische-Nerung Spit. Together they captured the northern section of the spit. The army formations consolidated at the reached line. In the center and in the southern part of the Frische-Nerung Spit, as well as at the mouth of the Vistula River, the remnants of the once strong East Prussian group offered stubborn resistance. On May 9, more than 22 thousand enemy soldiers and officers laid down their arms.

The defeat of the enemy on the Zemland Peninsula was the finale of the entire East Prussian operation, as a result of which 42 enemy divisions were destroyed and defeated.

The East Prussian strategic offensive operation of the Soviet Armed Forces lasted a little over a hundred days and the same number of nights, carried out from January 13 to April 26, 1945 by the troops of the 3rd Belorussian (commander - Army General I.D. Chernyakhovsky, from February 20 - Marshal of the Soviet Union A.B. Vasilevsky, member of the Military Council - Lieutenant General V.E. Makarov, chief of staff Colonel General A.N. Pokrovsky) and the 2nd Belorussian (commander - Marshal of the Soviet Union K.K. Rokossovsky, member of the Military Council - General - Lieutenant N.E. Subbotin, Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General (from February 17 - Colonel General) A.N. Bogolyubov) of the fronts, as well as part of the forces of the 1st Baltic Front (commander - Army General I.Kh. Bagramyan, Member of the Military Council - Lieutenant General M.V. Rudakov, Chief of Staff Colonel General V.V. Kurasov). The operation was facilitated by ships of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet (commander - Vice Admiral N.K. Smirnov, chief of staff - Rear Admiral A.N. Popov). The actions of the ground and naval forces were supported by long-range aviation - the 18th Air Army (commander - Chief Marshal of Aviation A.E. Golovanov, Chief of Staff - Lieutenant General of Aviation N.V. Perminov).

This was one of the largest operations of the Great Patriotic War, as a result of which 32 enemy divisions, numbering up to 320 thousand soldiers and officers, were surrounded. During the fighting, the Red Army completely destroyed more than 25 enemy divisions, 12 divisions lost from 50 to 75%. The Wehrmacht lost 120 thousand killed and missing, and 194 thousand captured. The fighting took place in a zone of 455 km to a depth of over 200 km. As part of this strategic offensive operation, the Instenburg-Königsberg, Miavsko-Elbitskaya, Königsberg and Zemland operations were successfully carried out. The main forces of the 2nd Belorussian Front began the East Pomeranian operation on February 10.