Recently, or rather, on December 10, the VIASAT "History" channel presented those who watched it at that moment (I confess, there was nothing more interesting around) with another historical opus. It was about the liberation of Prague in May 1945. I learned a lot of new and interesting things, I especially liked about “Assigning the role of the liberator of Prague by the Red Army”. Our position on this issue is known to me, I decided to read the coming authors who set out the position “from the other side”. I chose two: J. Hoffman and S. Auski. The first is because he seems to be German, the second is because he seems to be Czech. Then a certain doctor Stepanek-Stemr was added to them. And plus I am with comments.
So, the Czech uprising in 1945. Who prepared it and how, I will allow myself to omit, there are more than enough materials on this. I will only note that back in 1943, “President” Benes had to silently listen to Molotov's scathing remark in Moscow about the lack of resistance in the protectorate. And now the Czech people, as Benes put it, have also proved their "readiness to resist." Actually, why not be ready? Reich Khan in all respects and on all fronts, and you can distract from riveting tanks, aircraft and cars in the name of his victory. Moreover, the Germans themselves did not particularly strive for another get-together, 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, putting aside the wrenches and hammers, took up arms. And they rebelled.
Soviet soldiers ride a heavy tank IS-2 through the streets of liberated Prague
It turned out, however, that despite, to put it mildly, the disastrous situation on all fronts, the Germans were in no hurry to lay down their arms and surrender. Particularly the undead units of the Das Reich and Wallenstein divisions, which were able to bend the Czechs who thought they were tough fighters. Which, in fact, they have demonstrated.
In general, the Prague uprising was as if copied from the Warsaw uprising. Not "White starts and wins," but "begins and loudly calls for help." Chekhov lasted for a day. The uprising began on May 5, and already on May 6 the authors I have cited unanimously assess the situation of the insurgents as disastrous. And, like in Warsaw, some problems started.
The 3rd American Army, stationed at Plzen, 70 kilometers west of Prague, by this time suspended 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 1st Ukrainian Front were stationed north of the Dresden-Gorlitz line, 140 kilometers from the city, the troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front were at Brunn, 160 kilometers away, and the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front were at Olomouc, 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 they occupied even prevented the population from spontaneously supporting the rebels (that is, they prevented them from killing the Germans surrendering to them), and the Soviet troops were too far away and could not intervene. Although no one tried to coordinate this uprising with the Soviet troops. Everything is like in Warsaw.
It turns out that the only one who responded to the desperate calls of the rebels was the ROA division under the command of Bunyachenko. And even then, she did not respond immediately. We bargained a lot, because we really wanted to live. And preferably not with the Soviet Army next to it.
And what were the "saviors" according to Hoffman noted?
“The battles of the 1st division in Prague began on the afternoon of May 6 with an attack on the Ruzyne airfield, located to the north-west of the city. This largest (but not the only one, I will note) of the Prague airfields at that time hosted the 6th Combat Squadron, a combat formation called the Hogebuck, reinforced by the links of several fighter squadrons with Me-262 jet fighters. The German command still hoped to retain the airfield and the adjacent territory with barracks, and the Bartosz group (the organizers of the uprising) attached particular importance to the capture of Ruzina - firstly, to exclude the possibility of using the airfield by the Germans for Luftwaffe operations, and secondly, to to enable the aircraft of the Western powers to land, on whose help the rebels were still counting. Major General Bunyachenko went to meet the wishes of the Czechs: on the morning of May 6, the 3rd regiment under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Aleksandrov-Rybtsov turned north from the Beroun-Prague highway, in the direction of Khrastany-Sobin-Hostivice.
The battles for the airfield were preceded by several attempts at negotiations, which, however, remained unsuccessful and even led to tragic consequences. Being on the outskirts of the airfield, the 1st regiment made contact with the squadron headquarters through the envoy: according to German sources, in order to agree on an armistice, according to the Russians (who seem to be closer to the truth), in order to achieve the immediate surrender of the airfield. After unsuccessful negotiations, the chief of staff of the 8th Air Corps, Colonel Sorge, who had just landed in Ruzin, the former chief of staff under Lieutenant General Aschenbrenner, volunteered to personally go to the Vlasov troops, apparently believing that yesterday's allies became enemies due to a misunderstanding, especially that, as he knew, all the ROA troops were to unite at Budweis. Stating 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 in the near future, the Vlasovites will shoot the colonel. And the ROA soldiers fulfilled their promise: Sorge, who did a lot to create the ROA Air Force and achieve mutual 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 region." When attempts to negotiate failed and the vanguard detachments of "well-armed and well-equipped Vlasov units" were already fighting the Germans, the squadron headquarters decided to unexpectedly attack the Russian columns with all the Me-262 aircraft at their disposal and shoot them from low level flight. This attack stopped the battalions of the 3rd regiment, whose tanks unsuccessfully tried to break through to the runway, and which then began shelling the airfield with grenade launchers and heavy infantry guns, not daring to move on. But by that time the airfield had lost its significance for the Germans. The combat-ready German vehicles were transferred to Saatz, and the German crews broke through the Russian encirclement the next morning. However, the 3rd ROA regiment took possession of the airfield only after many hours of skirmish with the experienced rearguard of the Waffen-SS.
At this time, the reconnaissance detachment under the command of Major Kostenko was still in the Radotin-Zbraslav area, with the front to the south. On the morning of May 6, a meeting of commanders was held at the division headquarters in Jinonice. At 10 o'clock, the commander of the reconnaissance detachment reported on the radio that he was being pushed by Waffen-SS units with six Tiger tanks and that he was retreating down the Vltava in the direction of the Prague suburb of Smichov. Bunyachenko immediately ordered Arkhipov, the commander of the 1st regiment, coming from Korno, to go to the rescue of Kostenko. As a result of a surprise attack by the 1st Regiment, the German battle group "Moldautal" (part of the SS "Wallenstein" division), which had occupied the bank of the Vltava between Zbraslav and Khukhle, was thrown back to the south to the other side during the day. Lieutenant Colonel Arkhipov, whose regiment made its way through Smikhov to the area of the Irashek and Palatsky bridges, left a company with an anti-tank gun to guard the bridges across the Vltava until evening. On May 6, 1945, at about 23 o'clock, the main forces of the 1st division of the ROA occupied the line Ruzine - Brzhevnov - Smikhov - the bank of the Vltava - Khukhle. The 1st regiment was in the area between Smikhov and the bridges across the Vltava, the 2nd regiment - at Khukhle - Slivenets, the 3rd regiment - at Ruzin - Brzhevnov, the 4th regiment and a reconnaissance detachment - in Smikhov and to the north of it. The artillery regiment took up firing positions on the Tslikhov Heights, equipping forward observation posts.
How did the ROA battles in Prague go on that fateful day, May 7? The battle order of the division commander, drawn up according to the presentation of the Bartosz group and issued at 1.00 am, provided for an attack on the city center in three directions. The main blow was to be delivered at 5.00 am by the regiment of Lieutenant Colonel Arkhipov from the Smikhov region. The regiment, which had several tanks, artillery and anti-tank guns and experienced guides, managed to cross the bridges over the Vltava and with battles advanced through Vinogradi to Strasnice, and from there south to Pankrats. The 4th regiment, advancing from the north, under the command of Colonel Sakharov, captured important objects in the city itself, including the Petrin Hill. The 3rd regiment - under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Aleksavdrov-Rybtsov - passed through Brzhevnov - Strzeszowice and Hradcany and, coordinating its actions with the 4th regiment, managed to break through to the western arm of the Vltava. And finally, the artillery regiment of Lieutenant Colonel Zhukovsky, which took up firing positions between Kosirzhe and Zlikhov in the morning, but moved them partially forward during the day, by agreement with the Bartosz group, fired at German strongholds in the area of the hospital, observatory, Petrin Hill and other places. The battles in the center of the city against the units of the SS "Wallenstein" division that had entered from the south were fought by the rest of the forces of the 1st division. The 2nd regiment under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Artemyev, separated by the division commander on May 6 in the Khukhle-Slivenets region, after a fierce battle near Lagovichki-u-Prague, pushed the enemy back to Zbraslav, and the reconnaissance detachment under the command of Major Kostenko took up posts on the eastern bank of the Vltava in the Branik area. turning to the south”. End of quote.
Oops … Everything is presented very nicely. Straight, blitzkrieg in Bunyachenkov style. It is clear that at first there was no sensible resistance from the Germans, since they were attacked by people in German uniform and with German weapons. Anyway. Back to Hoffman:
“Not surprisingly, the rebels treated the Russians as liberators and gratefully welcomed the ROA's participation in the uprising. The attitude of the Czech population towards the ROA soldiers is everywhere described as "very good, brotherly": "The population greeted them with delight."
As far as I understand, the Czechs did not care deeply who to greet, as long as they were idiots ready to substitute their heads for German bullets in their place. Because at that moment their uprising had already turned into a zilch. The fact that they were TWICE TRAINERS (to the oath given by the USSR and personally to Hitler) did not bother them. But then everything went a little differently, as the protagonists would like.
“On the evening of May 7, at the divisional headquarters, no one doubted that Prague would be occupied by Soviet, and not American, troops. At 23:00 Bunyachenko with a heavy heart gave the order to end hostilities and withdraw from the city. Late in the evening, the fortifications on the western bank of the Vltava, between Prague and Zbraslav, were removed, and by dawn the ROA units left the city. True, the 2nd regiment on the morning of May 8 was still carrying out a firefight in the Slivenets area south-west of Prague with units of the Waffen-SS. But on the same day at 12 o'clock, a message was received about the withdrawal of the 1st ROA division in full strength along the Prague-Beroun highway. The Russian and German troops, which had just fought against each other, were now moving together towards the American positions west of Pilsen. (This moment is key).
“Here are the testimonies 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", significantly changing the 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 Soviets helped us, when no one responded to our endless requests on the radio, they were the only ones rushing to help us.
According to the Colonel of the Czechoslovak People's Army, Doctor Stepanek-Shtemr, in May 1945, the head of the communications department of the 1st Czechoslovak Corps, the main merit of the Vlasovites was that the old historical part of the city was preserved and most of the population remained intact … Undoubtedly, thanks to the participation 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 destruction if the inhabitants of Prague had sat on a soft spot exactly, and quietly waited for the Germans to dump themselves. Fortunately, this was the way to go. Having arranged this pseudo-rebellion, they only caught an adventure on this place, nothing more.
"Dr. Stepanek-Stemr quite rightly notes that" Prague … in fact … was liberated from German troops on the morning of May 8 "and Soviet tanks entered" already liberated Prague."
Once again I would like to draw your attention to the highlighted moment from Hoffman. That is, in connection with the approach of our troops, the Germans and the ROA together poured out of Prague. And it turns out that ours entered an empty city. Attention, question: How, then, should we 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 irrevocable
40, 501 wounded and sick
Total 52, 498
Material losses
373 tanks and self-propelled guns
1, 006 artillery mounts
80 aircraft
(This is according to the American D. Glantz, on purpose). After that, Army Group Center of 850,000 people left the game.
What are the losses of the ROA?
Personnel:
About 300 killed, about 600 wounded (about the same thing, because all the wounded Vlasovites who were in Czech hospitals, ours … were registered. There were no chocolates in our rations then, so they replaced them with sweets for the PPSh. Quite deservedly so).
Material losses:
1 tank
2 artillery pieces.
Blitzkrieg, straight ahead.
“Soon after entering the city, General Rybalko arrived at a meeting of the CNS in order to find out extremely important issues for the USSR -“to learn about the meaning of the uprising, its course, the participation of the so-called Vlasov army in it and the surrender of the Germans.” Judging by the general's reaction, the messages he received did not satisfy him - he bluntly stated that all Vlasovites would be shot. In response to the "energetic and heartfelt" requests of the chairman of Professor Prazhak and other members of the Council to spare these people who fought for Prague, General Rybalko made a "generous concession", saying that not everyone would be shot."
Yes, it was probably difficult for a military general to understand what the essence of this senseless and useless, in general, uprising was. And what have these forgotten here … But he kept his word: not everyone was shot.
Overall, I think the picture actually looked like this:
At the time of the events, Prague became a gateway for the German army fleeing into American captivity. Crowds of German soldiers, screeching to the west with or without at least some order, walked through the city, giving its residents the opportunity to enjoy all the delights that accompany such events. The Czechs could still tolerate such things from the Third Reich. But from a dying stub, which is about to be finally trampled, there are no more.
And on May 2, a delegation of Czechs came to Bunyachenko. The Czechs ask their Russian brothers to help them raise the uprising.
“In the name of the salvation of the heroic sons of Czechoslovakia, in the name of the salvation of defenseless old people, our mothers, wives and children, help us. The Czech people will never forget your help in the difficult moment of their struggle for freedom,”they said to General Bunyachenko.
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 taking place. All the Vlasov soldiers and officers of the First Division could not be indifferent to this either. They all deeply sympathized with the Czechs and admired their readiness for an unequal struggle with the Germans. General Vlasov and General Bunyachenko perfectly understood the responsibility that they would take upon themselves if they gave their consent to support the uprising. The delegation left without receiving a definite answer.
However, on common thought, something had to be done. If the Czechs rebel, and the division just sits next to it, the Germans will disarm it first, so that it does not loom. And they may not take with them a well-fed captive to the allies.
By the way, about satiety. Something had to earn the favor of the local population in the form of giving out food and fodder. All unnecessary weapons had already been distributed, so it was decided to slightly disarm the Germans and thus support the Czechs. Well, the Czechs will feed the brothers of the Slavs. The Germans were disarmed with the utmost correctness so that in case of failure of the plan, one could somehow excuse themselves. So, the scene is as follows: the Germans are marching westward through Prague, committing lewdness. In Prague, Czechs feel bad, they are preparing to kick the Germans in order to be at the checkout. Around Prague, the most active Czechs are already running through the forests with might and main and kicking the Germans. ROA sits southwest of Prague, waiting for the Americans to surrender. If this is called "the fight against Nazism" and "active support for the Prague uprising" … In general, for the sake of justice, I would like to note that the ROA had better "fought" against Nazism, when in April 1945 it simply abandoned its positions near Frankfurt an der Oder and calmly dumped into side of the Americans. Than ours gladly took advantage of.
However, the situation was changing rapidly. After a while, the Czechs again arrived at the Vlasovites, who reported something interesting. German troops approached Prague, making their way into American captivity and, instead of disarming the Vlasovites, they are actively bending down the Czechs, because they nevertheless raised an uprising and prevent them from going into this very American captivity. The Vlasovites estimated that the bulk of the evil armed people in gray and black uniforms by the time of their appearance would already pass through Prague, and said to the Slavic brothers: "We are going !!!"
And the Vlasovites, who sat aside the most naughty ones, arrived at the scene in order to reap the glory of the "saviors of Prague". From what they could save Prague is not clear. There was no talk of any "suppression of the uprising and destruction of Prague on the model of Warsaw". The Wehrmacht of the summer-autumn 1944 model could hold the Red Army on the Vistula for some time and until January 1945 "cleanse" Warsaw. But in the spring of 1945, the Germans simply had to break through a corridor through the insurgent territories to the west and leave. There was neither sense nor order to arrange a total massacre, nor to destroy Prague. And any sane person, even a very cowardly person, understood this well.
So, while the German units were fighting around Prague on the one hand, the Vlasovites safely entered it from the other side without any special difficulties, and even captured the now useless airfield with planes abandoned on it.
In general, the triumph was close. A little more - and the Vlasovites will bring the saved Prague on a platter with a blue border to the allied troops and still heroically fall into a well-fed American captivity. But on May 7, when the parties announced their plans at a meeting between the Vlasovites and the impromptu Czech government, the Czechs sent the Vlasovites into a vonkuda. The Czechs were extremely practical people and were repeatedly affected by this extraordinary, simply transcendent, almost Polish, practicality. Therefore, the last thing they wanted to suffer from such practicality was to surrender to the patronage of the "heroes" who sat out to the last in the rear. And the fact that the city, which hosts the Vlasovites who are waiting for the Americans as guests, will suffer when the Red Army approaches - do not go to a fortune-teller. And the fact that the Vlasovites themselves will dump the city at the same time, leaving the Czechs "to wait for the Americans" in splendid isolation at the muzzle of Russian cannons - also do not go to the fortuneteller. And everything spoke just for the fact that Soviet tanks would enter the city first.
Thus, on the night of May 7-8, the "support for the uprising" ended, and the Vlasovites "leaving the battle" moved westward after the Germans. Finally, the Czech partisans, grateful for the "salvation of Prague", caught the ROA chief of staff, Major General Trukhin, and handed him over to the Soviet troops. And the Vlasov generals, Boyarsky and Shapovalov, who accompanied him, were killed "while trying to resist."
On May 10, the heroic epic of ideological fighters against communism came to an end - the Vlasovites finally met American tanks. The Americans were 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, it became clear, in fact, the main thing. The fact that the epic fighters against communism are still going badly. The American army is not going to accept the ROA's surrender and give it any guarantees, and the territory on which the 1st ROA division is located will be handed over to the Russians. "And sort it out among yourself." Oops…
"Alles, the circus is closing, everyone is free, go wherever you go!" - said Vlasov and Bunyachenko and surrendered to the Americans in private.
"No no no! Nafig from the beach! " - said the Americans and handed Vlasov and Bunyachenko over to the Russians, who are Soviet. And they staged a quite demonstrative show with a rope.
"Heroes of the ROA" shrugged their shoulders and went in all directions. The grateful Czechs caught the heroes who made their way to West Germany and handed them over to the Soviet authorities.
Who will find in this story of the "liberation of Prague" at least some truth and heroism, show me where. I do not see. To sculpt heroes-liberators out of this shit, as "Viasat-History" sculpts it - one must not respect oneself very much.
Maybe someone who read it will have a different opinion. But here I have it. Someone quite like the historical material of Auska and Stepanek, who does not, the fact is that all these attempts to repaint a black ram in white should not lead to results.
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
