Troubles. 1919 year. 100 years ago, in June 1919, the Eastern Front of the Red Army defeated Kolchak's army in the Ufa direction and liberated Ufa. Soviet troops crossed the Belaya River, defeated the Volga and Ufa group of whites, creating conditions for the capture of the South Urals.
General situation on the Eastern Front before the start of the battle for Ufa
During the counteroffensive of the Eastern Front, when the main blow was delivered by the Southern group under the command of Frunze, the Reds inflicted a heavy defeat on the Western army of Khanzhin, liberated Buguruslan on May 4, Bugulma on May 13, and Belebey on May 17. Thus, the red command intercepted the strategic initiative. The defeated Kolchakites hastily retreated to the Ufa region.
The morale of Kolchak's army was undermined, the fighting efficiency fell. The defeat caused the collapse of the Kolchak army. The Siberian peasants, mobilized forcibly into the army, surrendered en masse and went over to the side of the Reds. The rear of Kolchak's army was undermined by a large-scale peasant war. At the same time, the white command made a number of fatal mistakes. On the southern flank, the Cossack formations of the Orenburg and Ural armies concentrated on the siege of their "capitals" - Orenburg and Uralsk. The Cossack cavalry was shackled by battles in the area of these cities at the moment of decisive battles in the central direction, instead of going into a deep breakthrough, in raids on the rear of the Reds. The Cossacks got bogged down, not wanting to leave their native villages. Also inactive on the southern flank of the Western army of Khanzhin, the Southern Army Group of Belov.
In the north, the white command did not use to the full the potential of the strong 50-thous. Siberian Army Gaida. The Siberian army fought in the Perm-Vyatka direction, which was actually auxiliary, since it could not cause strategic consequences. At the same time, Gaida considered his direction to be the main one and until recently ignored the calls of Kolchak's headquarters to suspend the offensive on Vyatka and Kazan, to transfer the main forces to the central direction. On the contrary, he stepped up the offensive against Vyatka. As a result, the Western army of Khanzhin was defeated, the Reds began to go out to the flank and rear of the Siberian army, and all its previous successes were discounted.
However, while a radical change took place in the center of the Eastern Front in favor of the Red Army, the White Guards were still gaining temporary victories on the flanks. On the southern flank, in the Orenburg and Ural regions, the Ural Cossacks approached Orenburg, and the Ural White Cossacks surrounded Uralsk. Both cities were in dire straits. On the front of the 2nd Red Army, on May 13, 1919, the White Guards broke through the front in the area of Vyatskiye Polyany, but with the help of reserves, the Reds liquidated this breakthrough.
In the 20th of May, pressure from the 5th Red Army on the flank of the Siberian Army of Gaida was indicated. This forced the whites to pull off part of their forces from the line of the Vyatka River to the east. The 2nd Red Army took advantage of this and on May 25 moved its right flank (28th Infantry Division) to the eastern bank of the Vyatka River. Then they began an offensive on the other bank of the Vyatka and the rest of the forces of the 2nd Army, advancing into the Izhevsk-Votkinsk region. As a result, the offensive of the Siberian army was stopped. Gaida soon had to abandon the offensive of his right wing in the Vyatka direction in order to fend off the movement of the 2nd Army. True, at the beginning of June, the White Guards were still able to press the 3rd Red Army and temporarily occupy Glazov.
Meanwhile, the Soviet command, after a break in the central sector of the front, set new offensive tasks. The 3rd and 2nd red armies were to attack the white grouping north of the r. Kama (Gaida's army). The 5th Army was to transfer two of its divisions to the right bank of the river. Kams to support this offensive. The rest of the troops of the 5th Army were supposed to support the offensive of the Southern Group in the Ufa direction. In addition, it was necessary to rectify the situation on the southern flank, where the White Cossacks attacked Uralsk and Orenburg.
Parties' plans
The command of the Eastern Front, having decided to continue the offensive operation, still assigned the main tasks to the Southern Group of Frunze. After the end of the Bugulma and Belebeevskaya operations, the Southern group was supposed to continue the offensive and liberate the Ufa-Sterlitamak region from the enemy (Sterlitamak itself was occupied by the 1st army's cavalry on May 28). Also, the troops of the Southern Group were supposed to defeat the enemy on the southern flank, firmly occupy the Orenburg and Ural regions. The 5th Army was supposed to support the offensive of the Southern Group in the central direction.
The command of the Southern Group assigned the task of defeating the enemy in the Ufa region to the Turkestan Army, reinforced by one division from the 1st Army (24th Infantry Division). The troops of the right flank of the 1st Army were to cover the Ufa grouping of whites from the southeast. At the same time, the red cavalry had to go to the rear communications of the enemy. The troops of the left flank of the 1st Army planned to activate in the Sterlitamak direction. The command of the 5th Army allocated 1, 5 divisions for a crossing on the Belaya River in the area with. Akhlystino. Thus, the red command outlined wide pincers to cover the enemy from the north and south (forces of the 5th and 1st, the right wing of the Turkestan armies) and an offensive from the front (Turkestan army).
Meanwhile, the white command was still empowered to return the initiative into their own hands. The defeated troops of the Western Army were divided into three groups: Volga under the command of Kappel, Ufa - Voitsekhovsky and Ural - Golitsyn. General Sakharov became the Chief of Staff of the Western Army, from June 22 he will become the commander, Khanzhin, for his inability to "stop the retreat and decomposition of the troops," will be sent to the headquarters reserve. This was not the best decision, Sakharov did not have the talents of a commander, he was distinguished only by his iron determination and readiness to carry out any order.
At the same time, the White High Command was finally able to convince the commander of the Siberian Army, Gaidu, to send reinforcements to the south. Gaida deployed the Yekaterinburg shock corps to the south, which was intended to develop success in the Vyatka direction. This corps crossed the Kama and was aimed to strike at the rear of the southern group of Frunze. These troops were supposed to provide the right flank of the Western Army. Thus, Kolchak residents relied on the natural boundary of the river. White and concentrated the strike group at the mouth of the river. White north of Ufa. Another shock group was planned to be assembled beyond the river. Belaya and south of Ufa. Two shock groups of whites were to take the red Turkestan army in ticks.
The forces of the parties during the Ufa operation were approximately equal. 5th and Turkestan armies - about 49 thousand bayonets and sabers, about 100 guns. The western army of the whites numbered about 40 thousand fighters with 119 guns. However, in the Ufa direction, the Reds had an advantage - about 30 thousand soldiers of the Turkestan army (inspired by the latest successes) against about 19 thousand of the Volga and Ufa groups of whites (morally broken down).
The defeat of the Kolchak team in the Ufa region
On May 28, 1919, the oncoming battle of the 5th Army began with the Kolchak's right-flank strike group, which managed to carry out its regrouping and cross the Belaya. The advancing White Guards faced not the rear of Frunze's troops, but the 5th Army's front, deployed and ready for battle. Moreover, the self-confident Gaida did not even organize intelligence. The whites themselves entered the pincers between the two red divisions, were attacked from both sides and defeated. This battle began on May 28 in the area with. Baisarovo and already on May 29 ended with a victory for the Reds. The remains of the white corps were pressed against the river and finished off. In addition, on May 28-29, the whites attacked on the front of the Turkestan army, but did not achieve success. The defeat of the White Guards was associated not only with material problems, but also with the moral breakdown of the Kolchakites. This success created favorable conditions for the offensive of the Turkestan army. The defeated troops of the White Army of Khanzhin began to roll back under the onslaught of the Reds to the crossings on the river. White near Ufa.
The 5th Red Army, which, as a result of this battle, found itself on a ledge in front of the Turkestan army, could cover the retreating enemy grouping or part of it, continuing the offensive to the southeast. However, following the instructions of the command, the troops of the 5th Army crossed Belaya on May 30 and began to turn sharply north to Birsk, which they occupied on June 7. As a result, at the second stage of the operation, the Turkestan army had to act independently, without communication with the 5th Army. On the other hand, the rapid breakthrough of the 5th army to Birsk improved the situation on the front of the 2nd red army. The White Guards began to quickly give up their positions to her, and the Reds launched an offensive on Sarapul and Izhevsk.
On June 4, 1919, the Turkestan army again attacked the enemy. This time, the troops of the Western Army rolled back over the river. White and prepared for a stubborn defense, destroying all the crossings. Two divisions of the 6th corps were located on both sides of the Samara-Zlatoust railway for the immediate defense of Ufa; two weak divisions were stretched out on a wide front north of Ufa - from the city to the mouth of the river. Karmasana. The most combat-ready units, the Kappel corps, were located in the south of the city. Further, against the front of the Red 1st Army, there was only a curtain of the remnants of the brigade of the 6th Infantry Division and several cavalry detachments.
The red command continued to deliver the main blow with the right wing of the Turkestan army to cover the left flank of the whites - at the Arkhangelsk plant. Thus, the Reds wanted to reach the rear iron communication of the enemy and cause the collapse of his front. The strike group was supposed to have troops of 4 rifle and 3 cavalry brigades. However, the crossing of the strike group on the night of June 7-8 through the river. White in the area of art. Tyukunevo failed, as the built floating bridge was torn off by a fast current. In addition, here the Kolchakites created a dense defense.
But this failure was rewarded on the same night with a successful crossing of the 25th rifle division of Chapaev on the left flank of the army, in the White sector, below Ufa, at st. Krasny Yar. Chapaev managed to capture two steamers, and the found boats were driven here and formed a ferry. At first, the white command decided that Krasny Yar had only an auxiliary attack, so the main forces of the army were left south of Ufa. Only the 4th mountain rifle division was sent to Krasny Yar with the support of an air squadron (16 vehicles). But Frunze concentrated artillery here (48 guns) and sent his reserve to this sector - the 31st Infantry Division, which crossed the river in the Dmitrievka area. Under cover of powerful artillery fire, the Reds captured a large bridgehead. White tried to rectify the situation with counterattacks, but did not succeed. The Ural riflemen desperately attacked, used bayonets, but lost the battle. The fierceness of the battle is evidenced by the fact that Chapaev was wounded and Frunze was wounded during the air raids.
Only after that did the command of the Western Army threw into battle their elite units - the Kappelevites and the Izhevskites. It was here that the famous "psychic attack" took place. Only the Kappelevites did not have officer regiments, like the whites in the South of Russia and their distinctive signs. And Izhevsk and near Kolchak fought with the red banners and went to the attack with the "Varshavyanka". However, the Reds here were quite motivated and efficient, they met the enemy with machine-gun and artillery fire. Kappel's divisions suffered huge losses, and nevertheless converged with the Reds in hand-to-hand combat, but they could not be thrown into the river. Thousands of bodies remained on the battlefield, the fighting core of the Western army was bled. The Red Army repulsed all the enemy's counterattacks, and then themselves went on the offensive.
Thus, the red troops broke through to the right bank of the Belaya. Building on their success, the Chapaevites occupied Ufa on the evening of June 9, 1919. On June 10, units of the 31st division in an area 18 km east of Ufa intercepted the Ufa-Chelyabinsk railway. On June 14, the strike group, with the support of the Volga flotilla, crossed the White and began to develop an offensive towards Arkhangelsk and Urman, trying to encircle the Volga and Ufa groups of whites. Above Ufa, the Kolchakites continued to fight until June 16, but even there they began a general retreat to the east. By June 19 - 20, the Kolchakites with heavy losses, but avoiding encirclement, retreated east, towards the Urals.
Sarapulo-Votkinsk operation
The success of the Southern Group in the Ufa direction created favorable conditions for the offensive of the 2nd and 3rd armies - more than 46 thousand bayonets and sabers with 189 guns. The Siberian army of the Whites consisted of 58 thousand bayonets and sabers with 11 guns.
According to the plans of the Red Command, the 2nd Army was to advance on Votkinsk; the troops of the right flank of the 3rd Army to Izhevsk, the left flank to Karagai; 5th Army received the task of crossing the river. Belaya, take Birsk and advance on Krasnoufimsk, to the rear of the Siberian army.
On May 24-25, 1919, the troops of the 2nd Army, with the support of the Volga Flotilla, crossed the river. Vyatka. Azin's 28th Infantry Division, together with the landing of the Volga Flotilla, occupied Yelabuga on May 26. The Reds began to develop an offensive in the Izhevsk-Votkinsk region. At the same time, the troops of the 5th Army reached the Kama River and the mouth of the Belaya River. The offensive of the troops of the 3rd army did not achieve success, the white troops under the command of General Pepelyaev inflicted strong counterstrikes and advanced 40-60 km south and north of Glazov, creating a threat to capture the city.
Meanwhile, the troops of the 2nd Army were developing a breakthrough. Parts of the 28th division took Agryz on June 1, and Sarapul on June 2. The 7th division also went to Agryz. On June 3, the Kolchakites recaptured Agryz, but on June 4 the Reds returned him. The 28th division, with the support of the Volga flotilla, repulsed enemy counterattacks in the Sarapul area. On June 7, the Reds recaptured Izhevsk.
On the Vyatka direction, the Kolchakites captured Glazov on June 2, but the successful offensive of the troops of the 3rd and 5th red armies, which created threats to the flank and rear of the white shock group, soon forced the command of the Siberian army to begin the withdrawal of forces to the east. On June 6, the 3rd Red Army again launched an offensive in the Perm direction. On June 11, the troops of the 2nd Army captured Votkinsk, and by the end of the 12th they occupied the entire Votkinsk region.
Thus, the offensive of the Siberian army in the Vyatka direction failed. The Whites began to retreat east and on the northern flank of the front. The Red Army liberated the important Izhevsk-Votkinsk industrial region.
Remnants of Kolchakites retreat to the Urals
In the central direction, the Red Army defeated the Kolchakites in the Ufa operation, liberated the city of Ufa and the Ufa region. An attempt by the Western Army to gain a foothold at the turn of the river was thwarted. White, to regroup and rebuild forces with the aim of a new offensive to the Volga. The white command, trying to regain the initiative, lost its last combat-ready reserves in the battles near Ufa. Kolchak had three divisions left in reserve, which had just begun to be formed in Tomsk and Omsk. Whites have lost food supplies in the Ufa region. The Reds created the conditions for overcoming the Urals.
On the northern flank of the Eastern Front, the Reds liberated the important industrial Izhevsk-Votkinsk region. Gaida's Siberian army was retreating. On the south wing, the situation remained tense. The 4th Red Army was reinforced to 13 thousand.fighters, but the advantage remained with the enemy - 21 thousand bayonets and sabers. The red command had to send the 25th division of Chapaev to the south. After that, the Turkestan army was disbanded, and its remaining troops were distributed between the 1st and 5th armies.
After these heavy defeats between the Volga and the Urals, Kolchak's army began to steadily move towards its death. It is possible that the Kolchakites would have been finished off in the summer of 1919. But the whites in the east of the country were saved by the offensive of Yudenich's troops on Petrograd and Denikin's army on Moscow. The Southern Front of the Reds collapsed. Frunze had nothing to develop the offensive with and finish off the Kolchakites. His best shock divisions were transferred to other directions: Chapaev's 25th division was moved to Uralsk to cut off the White Cossacks from Denikin's troops; The 31st division was sent to Voronezh, the 2nd division - partly at Tsaritsyn, partly at Petrograd.
