75 years ago, on April 25, 1945, the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts, having united west of Berlin, completed the encirclement of most of the Berlin group of the Wehrmacht. On the same day, in the area of the city of Torgau, there was a "meeting on the Elbe" - Soviet troops met with the Americans. The remnants of the German army were dissected into northern and southern parts.
The entourage of the Frankfurt-Guben group
Having completed the breakthrough of the German defenses on the Oder River, the armies of the left wing of the 1st Belorussian Front (1st BF) developed an offensive with the aim of encircling and dismembering the German enemy grouping. The 5th Shock, 8th Guards and 1st Guards Tank Armies of Generals Berzarin, Chuikov and Katukov attacked directly on the capital of Germany. The 69th and 33rd armies of Kolpakchi and Tsvetaev attacked with the task of eliminating enemy troops in the Frankfurt area and separating the Frankfurt-Guben grouping from the German capital. The second echelon of the 1st Baltic Fleet began to move - Gorbatov's 3rd Army and Kryukov's 2nd Guards Cavalry Corps.
Our troops developed an offensive to the southwest and south. On April 23, 1945, the second echelon of the front entered the battle. Taking advantage of the confusion of the Nazis, the advanced detachments crossed the river. Spree and captured the crossings. Having come to their senses, the German troops fiercely counterattacked, trying to throw the enemy's forward forces into the river. However, it was too late. As a result of the rapid movement of Gorbatov's army and Kryukov's cavalry, the possibility of a breakthrough of units of the 9th German army into Berlin from the forest area southeast of the city was eliminated. At the same time, parts of the left wing of the 69th Army Kolpakchi crossed the Spree in the Fürstenwalde area. The troops of the 69th and 33rd armies, with powerful air support, took Frankfurt an der Oder and launched an offensive on Beskov.
During the night and day of April 24, units of Chuikov and Katukov fought stubborn battles in the southeastern part of Berlin. Soviet troops expanded the bridgeheads occupied the day before on the Spree and Dame rivers, transferred the main forces and heavy weapons to the western bank. On this day, units of the 1st BF met in the Bonsdorf - Bukkov - Brits area with the troops of the 1st UV (this was Rybalko's 3rd Guards Tank Army). As a result, the Frankfurt-Guben group of the Wehrmacht (the main forces of the 9th Army and part of the 4th Panzer Army) was cut off from the capital.
On April 24, the left flank of the 1st BF continued the offensive along the entire front. The Nazis continued to stubbornly fight back, launched counterattacks in order to avoid dismemberment of the army. At the same time, the Germans, hiding behind rear guards, began to withdraw units from the most dangerous sectors to the west and southwest. The high command demanded that the 9th Army break through to Berlin. The Germans are trying to form a strike group to break through the encirclement.
Parts of the 3rd Army crossed the Oder-Spree canal. Gorbatov's army advanced in a difficult lake-wooded area, so it advanced only a few kilometers. The 69th Army met strong enemy resistance and also had little advance. The 33rd army crossed the Spree in the Beskov area. At the same time, the 3rd Guards and 28th armies of the 1st UV surrounded the German divisions from the south and south-west, fighting on the Lubenau, Lubben, Mittenwalde and Brusendorf line. On April 25, 3rd Army and 2nd Guards Cavalry Corps joined up with Lucinschi's 28th Army. As a result, the inner ring of the encirclement of the German group was formed. The troops of the 69th Army and the right flank of the 33rd Army had almost no advance on that day. The Germans on their eastern flank offered extremely stubborn resistance, preventing our troops from separating the encircled grouping. In addition, the area was difficult for movement - numerous water obstacles, swamps, lakes and forests.
On the same day, the troops of the 1st BF and 1st UV joined up west of Berlin in the Kötzen area, completing the encirclement of the entire Berlin group. The German group, numbering up to 400 thousand fighters, was not only blocked, but also divided into two isolated and approximately equal groups: the Berlin (capital region) and Frankfurt-Guben (in the forests southeast of Berlin).
Thus, on April 25, 1945, the armies of Zhukov and Konev completed the encirclement of the divisions of the German 9th and 4th Panzer armies. Berlin was blocked by units of the 47th Army, the 3rd and 5th Shock Armies, the 8th Guards Army, the 1st and 2nd Guards Tank Armies of the 1st BF, part of the forces of the 28th Army, the 3rd and 4th Guards Tank Armies of the 1st UV. The Frankfurt-Guben group was blocked by the troops of the 3rd, 69th and 33rd armies of the 1st BF, the 3rd Guards and parts of the 28th armies of the 1st UV. Our troops formed an external encirclement front, passing in the north along the Hohenzollern and Finow canals to Kremmen, in the south-west to Rathenow, to the south through Brandenburg, Wittenberg, then along the Elbe to Meissen. The outer front was removed from the encircled enemy groupings in the area of the German capital by 20-30 km, to the south by 40-80 km.
Meeting on the Elbe
On the same day, another important event took place. The forward units of the 5th Guards Army of General Zhadov of the 1st UV met on the banks of the river. Elby (Old Russian Laba) with scouts of the 5th corps of the 1st American army. On April 26, a solemn meeting of Soviet officers led by the commander of the 58th Guards Rifle Division, Major General V. V. Rusakov, with the American delegation with the commander of the 69th Infantry Division, Major General Emil Reinhardt, took place in Torgau.
Saluting the Soviet commanders, the American general said:
“I am going through the happiest days of my life. I am proud and happy that my division was fortunate enough to be the first to meet with units of the heroic Red Army. On German territory, two great allied armies met. This meeting will accelerate the final defeat of the German military forces."
The allied compound was of great military-strategic importance. The German front was split in two. The northern group, which was located in Northern Germany, by the sea, was cut off from the southern part of the German army, which operated in southern Germany and the Czech Republic. The historic meeting was marked in the Soviet capital with a solemn salute: 24 artillery volleys from 324 guns.
Development of the operation and plans of the parties
The Soviet troops, having completed the encirclement and dismemberment of the Berlin group, continued their offensive. Zhukov's armies simultaneously stormed Berlin, moved to the Elbe north and south of the German capital and fought to destroy the blocked 9th Army. Konev's armies operated in an even more complex operational situation: parts of the forces of the 1st UV took part in the assault on Berlin and the liquidation of the Frankfurt-Guben grouping, other armies developed an offensive to the west, repelling the attacks of the 12th German army, which was tasked with breaking through to Berlin. In addition, the left flank of the 1st UV fought heavy battles in the Dresden direction, reflecting the attacks of the Wehrmacht's Görlitz grouping. Here, the Soviet troops even fell into the "cauldron" for the last time. The German counterattack in the direction of Spremberg was repulsed, but the fighting was extremely fierce.
On the whole, the outcome of the battle was obvious. The German Army Groups Center and Vistula were defeated, suffered heavy losses and had no more opportunities for recovery. The Frankfurt-Guben group was surrounded. Berlin had been stormed for several days, fighting was going on day and night. The fighting was already going on in the central part of the city, the fall of the German capital was not far off. However, the Nazis continued to resist fiercely. Hitler inspired those around him that the battle for Berlin had not yet been lost. On the evening of April 25, he ordered Grand Admiral Doenitz to abandon all the tasks that faced the fleet and provide support to the Berlin garrison by transferring troops there by air, waterway and land.
Following the instructions of the Fuehrer, the German commanders Keitel and Jodl tried to unblock the capital. From the northern direction, from the Oranienbaum area, they tried to organize an offensive of the Steiner army group (3rd SS Panzer Corps). From the Elbe line, Wenck's 12th Army was turned by the front to the east. She was supposed to break through to the German capital from the west and southwest. Busse's 9th army was to break through from the encirclement to meet her from the Wendish-Buchholz area. The units that remained in positions, covering the breakthrough of the strike group from the rear and flanks, were ordered to fight to the last bullet. After the unification, the main forces of the 9th and 12th armies were to strike at Berlin, destroying Soviet troops and their rear in the southern sector of Berlin and unite with the capital's garrison.
Halb "cauldron"
In Western historiography, the battles to liquidate the Frankfurt-Guben grouping are associated with the village of Halbe - the so-called. Halb "cauldron". Parts of the 9th and 4th Panzer Army were surrounded: the 11th SS Panzer Corps, the 5th SS Mountain Rifle Corps, and the 5th Army Corps. A total of 14 divisions, including 2 motorized and 1 tank divisions, as well as 4 separate brigades, a significant number of different regiments, separate battalions and subunits. About 200 thousand soldiers, about 2 thousand guns and mortars, about 300 tanks and self-propelled guns.
The command of the 9th decided to leave on the defensive in the north and southeast of the "cauldron" units of the 11th tank and 5th mountain rifle corps. The 5th Army Corps, leaving its positions in the southeastern part of the "cauldron", turned west, in the direction of Halbe - Barut. At the forefront of the attack were the remnants of the 21st Panzer Division, the Kurmark motorized division, and the 712th Infantry Division. To ensure a breakthrough, all the remaining stocks of ammunition and fuel were used, fuel was withdrawn from all faulty and abandoned vehicles. All military personnel, including logistic officers and staff officers, were included in combat groups.
The Soviet forces, which were supposed to destroy the Halb "cauldron", numbered over 270 thousand soldiers and officers, 7, 4 thousand guns and mortars, about 240 tanks and self-propelled guns. Aviation - the 16th and 2nd air armies - played an important role in eliminating the enemy grouping. The Soviet command understood that the Nazis would desperately break through in the west northwest. Therefore, the defense in the direction of Barut and Luckenwalde was strengthened. The command of the 1st UV moved the 3rd Guards Rifle Corps of General Aleksandrov from the 28th Army to the Barut area. By the end of April 25, the guards took up positions in the Golsen-Barut area. In the rear of the 3rd Guards Army, a second line of defense was formed.
The commander of the 13th Army, General Pukhov, withdrew the 24th Rifle Corps from the combat formations. One division of the corps by the morning of the 26th occupied the Golsen-Barut line, organizing a defense by the front to the east; the second division organized a perimeter defense of Luckenwalde, sending out security to Kummersdorf; the third remained in reserve in the Jüterbog region. As a result, the 24th corps could act against both the Frankfurt-Guben grouping and the German troops, which might be advancing from the west. In addition, Konev instructed the commander of the 3rd Guards Army, General Gordov, to prepare for a breakthrough by the enemy to the west. One division was allocated to the army reserve. General Fominykh's 25th Panzer Corps was assigned to the mobile reserve. On the Cottbus-Berlin highway, it was decided to prepare strongholds, to strengthen anti-tank defenses and artillery in dangerous directions. As a result, a deeply echeloned defensive line was formed in the direction of a possible breakthrough of the Nazis.
Destruction of the 9th Army
On April 26, 1945, Soviet troops continued their offensive. In the northern, eastern and southeastern directions, the Nazis, using natural obstacles convenient for defense (many reservoirs and forests), fiercely fought back. All forest roads were blocked with heaps of logs, stones, barricades, and mined. The Nazis fought fiercely in the east so that the strike group of the 9th Army broke through in the west. On the night of the 26th, the Germans completed the regrouping of forces and formed a shock group consisting of one tank, two motorized and two infantry divisions. The Germans created a slight superiority in manpower and equipment in the breakthrough sector. True, Soviet aviation discovered the enemy's concentration area and dealt a powerful blow against it.
On the morning of April 26, the Nazis struck a strong blow at the junction of the 28th and 3rd Guards armies of the 1st UV. In the vanguard there were up to 50 tanks, and the Germans stubbornly rushed forward, regardless of losses. The fighting was extremely fierce, in some places it came to hand-to-hand combat. The Germans were able to break through at the junction between the 329th and 58th Infantry Divisions, reached Barut and cut the Barut-Zossen highway, breaking the connection between the armies of Luchinsky and Gordov. But Barut himself, where the 395th Infantry Division of Colonel Korusevich held the defense, the Germans could not take. Our aviation continued to deliver strong strikes against enemy columns. The enemy was attacked by the 4th Bomber, 1st and 2nd Guards Assault Air Corps. From the south, units of the 50th and 96th Guards Rifle Divisions attacked the German shock group. The Nazis were thrown back from Barut and fettered northeast of the settlement.
On the same day, the 25th Panzer Corps, supported by units of the 3rd Guards Army, inflicted a counterattack on the enemy. The gap in the combat formations of Gordov's army in the Halbe area was closed. The German forward strike force was isolated from the main forces of the 9th Army. The encirclement ring around the German group on that day, despite the fierce resistance of the Nazis, was significantly reduced. The 12th German Army, which launched an offensive in the direction of Belitz on April 24, was unable to break through. By April 26, the activity of Wenck's army had significantly decreased and it could not help the 9th Army. Soviet troops reached Wittenberg and crossed the Elbe.
On April 27, the defense of the 1st UV ch towards the east was further strengthened. It already consisted of three positions 15-20 km deep. Zossen, Luckenwalde and Jüterbogh prepared for a perimeter defense. The German high command demanded a breakthrough from the 12th and 9th armies at any cost. Fierce battles continued: the Germans tried to break through to the west, Soviet troops squeezed the encirclement ring. The troops of the 9th Army tried to break through in the direction of Halba, but their attacks were repulsed. The group blocked in the Barut area also tried to break through to the west, but during the fierce battle it was almost completely destroyed. Several thousand German soldiers were taken prisoner, the remnants of the group were scattered through the forests. Meanwhile, units of the 3rd, 69th and 33rd armies of the 1st BF continued their offensive, squeezing the encirclement ring from the north, east and southeast. The 3rd Guards Army of the 1st UV in the southern direction took Lubben and began the battle for Wendish-Buchholz, establishing contact with the 33rd Army.
On April 28, the commander of the 9th Army, Busse, reported on the catastrophic situation of the troops. The breakout attempt failed. Part of the strike group was destroyed, other troops suffered huge losses and were thrown back. The soldiers were demoralized by the setbacks. There was no ammunition and fuel either for organizing a new breakthrough or for a long-term defense. On the 28th, the Germans again tried to break through in the Halbe district, but without success. The actions of the 12th Army also did not lead to success. The territory of the "boiler" during the day was dramatically reduced: up to 10 kilometers from north to south and up to 14 kilometers from east to west.
The command of the 9th Army, fearing that in a day everything would be over, on the night of April 29, decided to make a decisive attempt to break through. All that was left was thrown into battle. The last ammunition was spent on the artillery strike. Up to 10 thousand soldiers, supported by 30-40 tanks, went into the attack. The Nazis went ahead and did not reckon with the losses. By morning, German troops, at the cost of huge losses, broke through in the sector of the 21st and 40th rifle corps and occupied Halbe. German troops were stopped on the second line of defense (3rd Guards Corps). The Germans pulled up their artillery, brought the breakthrough group to 45 thousand people and again rushed forward. The Nazis broke into the second line of defense in the Mückkendorf area, created a gap 2 km wide. Despite the high losses from the action of Soviet artillery, German groups began to go out into the forest near Kummersdorf. Attempts by Soviet troops to close the gap were repelled by the Germans with desperate attacks.
By the end of the day, the Germans were stopped in the Kummersdorf area. The rear units and subunits of the 28th, 13th and 3rd Guards Tank Armies had to be thrown into the battle. The command of the 28th Army sent the 130th division to the battle area, which they previously wanted to send to storm Berlin. The division struck at the German grouping from the north. On that day, the armies of the 1st BF occupied almost the entire territory of the "cauldron", went to Hammer and Halba - almost all combat-ready units of the 9th Army were thrown into a breakthrough. The remnants of the 9th Army, divided into several groups, were located in a narrow corridor (2 to 6 km wide) from Halbe to Kummersdorf. On the outer ring of the encirclement, Soviet troops repelled several attacks by the 12th German army. The distance between the forward detachments of the 9th and 12th armies was about 30 km.
In order to prevent the enemy from breaking out of the "cauldron", the Soviet command attracted additional forces to eliminate the German grouping. On April 30, the Germans were still fiercely rushing to the west, they did not consider losses and advanced another 10 km. The German rear screen in the Wendish-Buchholz area was completely destroyed by the troops of the 1st BF. Also, a group of German troops surrounded east of Kummersdorf was almost completely defeated and scattered. Demoralized troops began to surrender en masse, individual groups continued to push westward. The attacks of the 12th Army in the Belitsa area were repelled.
On May 1, 1945, the Soviet armies continued to finish off the enemy grouping. Soldiers of the 9th Army surrendered en masse. However, the advance strike groups continued to break through. At night 20 thous. the group broke through to Belitsa, only a few kilometers remained to the 12th army. The German group was finished off by Lelyushenko's 4th Guards Tank Army. Aviation was also active. About 5 thousand Germans were killed, 13 thousand were taken prisoner, the rest were scattered. Another German group was finished off in the Luckenwalde area. On May 2, the forests were cleared of the last small groups and detachments of the Nazis. Only an insignificant part of the German troops breaking through to the west managed to penetrate through the forests to the west in small groups. There they surrendered to the Allies.
Thus, the armies of Zhukov and Konev in six days completely destroyed 200 thousand. enemy grouping. The divisions of the 9th and 4th Panzer Army could not break through to Berlin in order to strengthen its garrison, either westward, to the Elbe, to join the 12th Army. This turn of events could have made the storming of Berlin difficult. German troops lost about 80 thousand people killed and up to 120 thousand prisoners.
