Operation plan
The defeat of the Heilsberg grouping and the reduction of the front line allowed the Soviet command to quickly regroup its forces in the Konigsberg direction. In mid-March, the 50th army of Ozerov was transferred to the Konigsberg direction, by March 25 - the 2nd Guards Army of Chanchibadze, in early April - the 5th Army of Krylov. The castling required only 3-5 night marches. As it turned out after the capture of Koenigsberg, the German command did not expect that the Red Army would so quickly create a shock group to storm the fortress.
On March 20, Soviet troops received instructions "to break through the Königsberg fortified area and storm the city of Königsberg." Assault detachments and assault groups were the basis for the combat formations of units when breaking through enemy defenses and, especially for urban battles. Assault detachments were created on the basis of rifle battalions, and assault groups - rifle companies with a corresponding reinforcement.
The directive of March 30 presented a specific plan for the Königsberg operation and the tasks of each army. The start of the offensive was scheduled for the morning of April 5, 1945 (then postponed to April 6). The command of the 3rd Belorussian Front decided to launch simultaneous attacks on the city from the north and south in converging directions, to encircle and destroy the enemy garrison. The main forces were concentrated to deliver powerful blows in narrow sectors of the front. On the Zemland direction, it was decided to launch an auxiliary strike in the western direction in order to divert part of the enemy grouping from Koenigsberg.
Beloborodov's 43rd Army and the right flank of Ozerov's 50th Army attacked the city from the northwest and north; Galitsky's 11th Guards Army was advancing from the south. The 39th army of Lyudnikov inflicted an auxiliary strike in the north in a southern direction and was supposed to reach the Frisches Huff Bay, cutting off the communications of the Koenigsberg garrison with the rest of the forces of the Semland task force. The 2nd Guards Army of Chanchibadze and the 5th Army of Krylov delivered auxiliary strikes in the Zemland direction, at Norgau and Dlyau.
Thus, Koenigsberg was to be taken by three armies - the 43rd, 50th and 11th Guards armies. On the third day of the operation, Beloborodov's 43rd army was to seize the entire northern part of the city up to the Pregel River, together with the right flank of Ozerov's 50th army. Ozerov's 50th army also had to solve the problem of capturing the northeastern part of the fortress. On the third day of the operation, the 11th Army of Galitsky was supposed to capture the southern part of Konigsberg, reach the Pregel River and be ready to cross the river to help clear the northern bank.
The commander of artillery, Colonel-General N. M. Khlebnikov, was instructed to begin processing enemy positions with heavy artillery a few days before the decisive assault. Soviet artillery of large calibers was to destroy the most important defensive structures of the enemy (forts, pillboxes, bunkers, shelters, etc.), as well as conduct counter-battery warfare, striking German artillery. During the preparatory period, Soviet aviation was supposed to cover the concentration and deployment of armies, prevent reserves from approaching Königsberg, take part in the destruction of long-term enemy defenses and suppress German artillery, and during the assault, support the attacking troops. The 3rd air army of Nikolai Papivin received the task to support the offensive of the 5th and 39th armies, the 1st air army of Timofey Khryukin - the 43rd, 50th and 11th Guards armies.
Commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front Marshal of the Soviet Union A. M. Vasilevsky (left) and his deputy General of the Army I. Kh. Bagramyan clarify the plan for the assault on Konigsberg
On April 2, the front commander Vasilevsky held a military conference. In general, the operation plan was approved. Five days were allotted to the Königsberg operation. On the first day, the armies of the 3rd Belorussian Front were to break through the external fortifications of the Germans, and in the following days to complete the defeat of the Koenigsberg garrison. After the capture of Koenigsberg, our troops were to develop an offensive to the northwest and finish off the Zemland grouping.
In order to strengthen the air power of the strike, the front-line aviation was reinforced with two corps of the 4th and 15th air armies (2nd Belorussian and Leningrad fronts) and aviation of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet. The operation was attended by the 18th Air Force of Heavy Bombers (former long-range aviation). The French fighter regiment Normandie-Niemen also took part in the operation. Naval aviation received the task of delivering massive strikes against the port of Pillau and transports, both in the Konigsberg Canal and on the approaches to Pillau, in order to prevent the evacuation of the German group by sea. In total, the aviation grouping of the front was reinforced to 2,500 aircraft (about 65% were bombers and attack aircraft). The general leadership of the air forces in the Königsberg operation was carried out by the commander of the Red Army Air Force, Chief Marshal of Aviation A. A. Novikov.
The Soviet grouping in the Königsberg area numbered about 137 thousand soldiers and officers, up to 5 thousand guns and mortars, 538 tanks and self-propelled guns. In manpower and artillery, the advantage over the enemy was insignificant - 1, 1 and 1, 3 times. Only in armored vehicles it had a significant superiority - 5 times.
German vehicles on Mitteltragheim Street in Königsberg after the assault. StuG III assault guns on the right and left, JgdPz IV tank destroyer in the background
Abandoned German 105-mm le. F. H.18 / 40 howitzer in position in Königsberg
German equipment abandoned in Königsberg. In the foreground is the sFH 18 150 mm howitzer.
Koenigsberg, one of the fortifications
Preparing the assault
They prepared for the assault on Koenigsberg throughout March. Assault squads and assault groups were formed. At the headquarters of the Zemland group, a model of the city with the terrain, defensive structures and buildings was made in order to work out the issues of interaction with the commanders of divisions, regiments and battalions. Before the start of the operation, all officers, including platoon commanders, were given a city plan with a single numbering of quarters and most important structures. This greatly facilitated the control of troops during the assault.
Much work was done to prepare the artillery for the assault on Koenigsberg. The procedure for using artillery for direct fire and the use of assault guns was worked out in detail and carefully. Artillery battalions of large and special power with a caliber of 203 to 305 mm were to take part in the operation. Before the start of the operation, the artillery of the front smashed the enemy defenses for four days, concentrating efforts on destroying permanent structures (forts, pillboxes, dugouts, the most durable buildings, etc.).
In the period from 1 to 4 April, the battle formations of the Soviet armies were compacted. In the north, in the direction of the main attack of the 43rd and 50th armies of Beloborodov and Ozerov, 15 rifle divisions were concentrated in the 10-kilometer section of the breakthrough. The artillery density in the northern sector was brought to 220 guns and mortars per 1 km of the front, the density of armored vehicles - to 23 tanks and self-propelled guns per 1 km. In the south, on the 8, 5-kilometer section of the breakthrough, 9 rifle divisions were ready to strike. The artillery density in the northern sector was brought to 177 guns and mortars, the density of tanks and self-propelled guns - 23 vehicles. Delivering an auxiliary blow in an 8-kilometer sector, the 39th Army had 139 guns and mortars per 1 km of the front, 14 tanks and self-propelled guns per 1 km of the front.
To support the troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front, the Soviet Headquarters ordered the use of the forces of the Baltic Fleet. To this end, a detachment of river armored boats was transferred by rail to the Pregel River in the area of the city of Tapiau from Oranienbaum. At the end of March, artillery of the 404th railway artillery division of the Baltic Fleet was deployed in the area of Gutenfeld station (10 km southeast of Koenigsberg). The railway artillery battalion was supposed to interfere with the movement of German ships along the Konigsberg Canal, as well as strike at ships, port facilities, berths and a railway junction.
With the aim of concentrating the efforts of the fleet and organizing closer cooperation with the ground forces, the South-Western Naval Defense Region was created at the end of March under the command of Rear Admiral N. I. Vinogradov. It included the Lyubavskaya, Pilauskaya, and later the Kolberg naval bases. The Baltic Fleet was supposed, including with the help of aviation, to disrupt enemy communications. In addition, they began to prepare amphibious assault forces for the landing in the rear of the Zemland grouping.
The positions of the German air defense forces after the bombing. On the right you can see the sound-absorbing installation.
Königsberg, destroyed by a German artillery battery
The beginning of the operation. Breakthrough enemy defenses
At dawn on April 6, Vasilevsky ordered the offensive to begin at 12 o'clock. At 9 o'clock, artillery and aviation training began. The commander of the 11th Guards Army Kuzma Galitsky recalled: “The earth trembled from the roar of the cannonade. Enemy positions along the entire front of the breakthrough were closed by a solid wall of shell explosions. The city was clouded with thick smoke, dust and fire. … Through the brown shroud, one could see how our heavy shells were tearing down the earth coverings from the fortifications of forts, how pieces of logs and concrete, stones, and warped parts of military equipment were flying into the air. Katyusha shells roared over our heads.
For a long time, the roofs of the old forts were covered with a significant layer of earth and even overgrown with young forest. From a distance they looked like small wooded hills. However, with skillful actions, the Soviet artillerymen cut off this layer of earth and got to the brick or concrete vaults. The discarded land and trees quite often blocked the Germans' view and covered the embrasures. Artillery preparation lasted up to 12 hours. In the offensive zone of the 11th Guards Army, 9 o'clock. 20 minutes. a long-range army group hit the German batteries, and from 9 o'clock. 50 minutes until 11 o'clock. 20 minutes. struck at the identified enemy firing positions. At the same time, the Katyushas crushed the active German mortar batteries and strongholds in the nearest depth. From 11 o'clock until 11 o'clock. 20 minutes. guns set for direct fire fired at targets at the front line of the enemy. After that, until 12 o'clock. all the artillery of the army struck to a depth of 2 km. The mortars focused on suppressing the enemy's manpower. Divisional and corps artillery was focused on the destruction of fire weapons and strong points, the artillery of the army group conducted counter-battery combat. At the end of the artillery barrage, all means hit the front edge.
Due to unfavorable weather, Soviet aviation was unable to fulfill the assigned tasks - instead of the planned 4,000 sorties, only about 1,000 sorties were made. Therefore, the assault aircraft was unable to support the attack by infantry and tanks. The artillery had to take over part of the aviation tasks. Until 13 o'clock. aviation operated in small groups, significantly increasing activity only in the afternoon.
At 11 o'clock. 55 minutes "Katyushas" struck the last blow at the main strongholds of the enemy. Even in the course of the artillery preparation, the Soviet forward subunits got close to the enemy's front line. Under cover of artillery fire, some units attacked the stunned Germans and began to seize forward trenches. At 12 o'clock, Soviet troops went to storm the enemy positions. The first were assault detachments supported by tanks, they were created in all rifle divisions. Divisional and corps artillery, the artillery of the army group transferred fire deep into the enemy defense and continued to conduct counter-battery combat. The guns located in the combat formations of the infantry were brought out to direct fire, and they smashed the enemy positions.
The awakened German troops put up stubborn resistance, fired densely and counterattacked. The offensive of the 11th Guards Army is a good example of the fierceness of the battles for Königsberg. In the offensive zone of the 11th Guards Army, the powerful 69th German Infantry Division was defended, reinforced by three regiments of other divisions (in fact, it was another division) and a significant number of separate battalions, including the militia, workers, construction, serfs, special and police units. On this site, the Germans had about 40 thousand people, more than 700 guns and mortars, 42 tanks and self-propelled guns. The German defense in the southern sector was strengthened by 4 powerful forts (No. 12 "Eilenburg", No. 11 "Denhoff", No. 10 "Konitz" and No. 8 "King Frederick I"), 58 long-term firing points (pillboxes and bunkers) and 5 strong points from sturdy buildings.
Galitsky's 11th Guards Army brought all three corps into the first line - the 36th, 16th and 8th Guards Rifle Corps. Galitsky's army delivered the main blow with formations of the 16th Guards Rifle Corps in cooperation with the shock groups of the 8th and 36th Guards Rifle Corps. Each Guards Rifle Corps deployed two rifle divisions in the first echelon and one in the second. The commander of the 8th Guards Rifle Corps, Lieutenant General M. N. Zavadovsky, delivered the main blow with the left flank along the Avaiden-Rosenau line. The corps commander allocated the 26th and 83rd Guards Divisions to the first echelon, the 5th Guards Rifle Division was located in the second echelon. The right flank of the corps was covered by an army reserve regiment, army courses for junior lieutenants and a combined cavalry regiment of mounted scouts. The commander of the 16th Guards Rifle Corps, Major General S. S. Guriev, aimed troops at Ponart. He sent the 1st and 31st divisions to the first echelon, the 11th division was in the second. The commander of the 36th Guards Rifle Corps, Lieutenant General P. K. In the first echelon there were the 84th and 16th divisions, in the second - the 18th division. The left flank of the corps at Frisches Huff Bay was covered by a flamethrower battalion and a company of cadets.
Units of the 26th, 1st and 31st Guards Rifle Divisions of the 11th Guards Army, operating in the main direction, captured the second enemy trench with the first blow (Soviet troops took the first position of the fortress and Fort No. 9 "Ponart" back in January). The guardsmen of the 84th division also broke into enemy positions. The 83rd and 16th Guards Rifle Divisions advancing on the flanks were less successful. They had to break through strong defenses in the area of German forts No. 8 and 10.
So, in the zone of the 8th Guards Rifle Corps, the 83rd Division fought a heavy battle for Fort No. 10. The Soviet guards were able to get close to the fort at 150-200 m, but they could not advance further, the strong fire of the fort and its supporting units interfered. The divisional commander, Major General A. G. Maslov, left one regiment to blockade the fort, and two other regiments covered themselves with a smoke screen, moved on and broke into Avaiden. Maslov brought assault groups into battle, and they began to knock the Germans out of the buildings. As a result of an hour-long battle, our troops occupied the southern part of Avaiden and broke through to the northern outskirts. The 26th Division of the 8th Corps also advanced successfully, supported by tanks from the 23rd Tank Brigade and three batteries from the 260th Heavy Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment.
1st Guards Rifle Division of the 16th Guards Rifle Corps, reinforced with tanks and self-propelled guns, by 14:00. went out to Ponart. Our troops went to storm this suburb of Königsberg. The Germans fiercely resisted, using the guns left after the artillery preparation and the tanks and assault guns dug into the ground. Our troops lost several tanks. The 31st Guards Rifle Division, which was also advancing on Ponart, broke into the second line of enemy trenches. However, then the offensive of the Soviet troops stopped. As it turned out after the capture of the capital of East Prussia, the German command was expecting the main attack of the 11th Guards Army in this direction and was particularly attentive to the defense of the Ponart direction. Disguised anti-tank guns and tanks dug into the ground inflicted serious damage on our troops. The trenches south of Ponart were occupied by a specially formed battalion of the officers' school. The battles were extremely fierce and turned into hand-to-hand combat. Only by 16 o'clock. The 31st division broke through the enemy's defenses and joined the battle for Ponart.
It was hard for the guardsmen of the 36th corps. The Germans repulsed the first attacks. Then, using the success of the neighboring 31st division, the 84th Guards Division with the 338th Heavy Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment, at 13:00. broke through the German defenses and began to advance towards Prappeln. However, the left-flank regiment was stopped by Fort No. 8. And the remaining forces of the division could not take Prappeln. The division stopped, struck an artillery strike at the village, but it did not reach the goal, since the division's guns could not reach the concrete and stone cellars. More powerful weapons were required. The front command ordered to regroup the forces, blockade the fort with 1-2 battalions, and move the main forces to Prappeln. Army artillery received the task of suppressing the fortifications of Prappeln with large-caliber guns.
By 15 o'clock. the regrouping of units of the 84th Guards Division was completed. An artillery strike by army artillery had a positive effect. The guards quickly took the southern part of the village. Then the offensive stopped somewhat, as the German command deployed two battalions of the militia and several assault guns to this direction. However, the Germans were successfully pushed back, capturing house after house.
Street fight in Königsberg
Broken enemy vehicles on the streets of Konigsberg
Thus, by 15-16 hours. Galitsky's army broke through the first enemy position, advancing 3 km in the direction of the main attack. The intermediate line of defense of the Germans was also broken through. On the flanks, Soviet troops advanced 1.5 km. Now the army proceeded to assault the second position of the enemy, which passed along the outskirts of the city and relied on buildings adapted for circular defense
The critical moment of the operation has come. The Germans brought all the nearest tactical reserves into battle and began to transfer reserves from the city, trying to stabilize the front. The guards corps fought stubborn battles in the Prappeln and Ponart areas. Almost all rifle regiments were already using the second echelons, and some of the last reserves. It took an effort to finally turn the tide in their favor. Then the army command decided to throw the divisions of the second echelon of corps into battle, although initially they were not planned to enter the battle on the first day of the operation. However, keeping them in reserve was impractical. At 14 o'clock. began to push forward the 18th and 5th Guards Divisions.
In the afternoon, the clouds began to dissipate, and the Soviet aviation intensified its actions. Attack aircraft of the 1st Guards Air Division under the command of General S. D. Prutkov, Hero of the Soviet Union, and General V. I. powerful strikes against enemy positions. The silts operated at a minimum height."Black Death", as the Germans called the Il-2, destroyed manpower and equipment, crushed the firing positions of enemy troops. Attempts by individual German fighters to thwart the attack of Soviet ground attack aircraft were repelled by our fighters. Air strikes against enemy positions accelerated the movement of the Soviet guard. So after our attack aircraft suppressed enemy positions south of Rosenau, the troops of the 26th Guards Division took the southern part of Rosenau.
Parts of the 1st and 5th divisions fought heavy battles in the area of the railway depot and the railway. German troops counterattacked and even pushed our troops in places, returning some of the previously lost positions. The 31st Division fought fierce battles for Ponart. The Germans turned stone houses into citadels and, with the support of artillery and assault guns, actively resisted. The streets were blocked by barricades, the approaches to them were covered by minefields and barbed wire. Literally every house was stormed. Some of the houses had to be demolished by artillery fire. The Germans repulsed three attacks of the division. Only in the evening did the guards advance somewhat, but they could not build on the success, the division had exhausted its reserves. At 19:00 the division launched a new attack. The assault detachments were active, which sequentially took house after house. Heavy self-propelled guns provided great help, the shells of which pierced the houses through and through. By 22 o'clock. The 31st Division captured the southern outskirts of Ponart.
The 18th Guards Rifle Division of the 36th Corps (division of the second echelon) went to storm Prappeln. The Germans stubbornly resisted, and only in the evening did the division capture the southwestern part of Prappeln. The 84th Division made little progress. Fort No. 8 was completely surrounded. The 16th Guards Rifle Division took Kalgen by the end of the day.
Results of the first day of the offensive
By the end of the day, the 11th Guards Army had advanced 4 km, broke through the first enemy position in a 9-kilometer sector, an intermediate defensive line in a 5-kilometer sector and reached the second position in the direction of the main attack. Soviet troops occupied the line passing northeast of Fort No. 10 - the railway depot - the southern part of Ponart - Prappeln - Kalgen - Warten. A threat was created to dismember the enemy grouping, which defended itself south of the Pregel River. 43 quarters of the suburbs and the city itself were cleared of the Germans. On the whole, the task of the first day of the offensive was accomplished. True, the flanks of the army lagged behind.
In other directions, Soviet troops also successfully advanced. The 39th army of Lyudnikov wedged into the enemy's defenses for 4 kilometers, intercepting the Königsberg-Pillau railway. Parts of the 43rd army of Beloborodov broke through the first position of the enemy, took Fort No. 5 and surrounded Fort No. 5a, drove the Nazis out of Charlottenburg and the village south-west of it. The 43rd Army was the first to break into Königsberg and cleared 20 blocks of the Germans. Only 8 kilometers remained between the troops of the 43rd and 11th Guards Army. The troops of the 50th army of Ozerov also broke through the first line of enemy defense, advanced 2 km, took fort No. 4 and occupied 40 blocks of the city. The 2nd Guards and 5th Armies remained in place.
The German command, in order to avoid the encirclement of the Koenigsberg garrison and to fend off the strike of the 39th Army, brought the 5th Panzer Division into battle. In addition, additional troops began to be transferred from the Zemland Peninsula to the Königsberg area. The commandant of Königsberg, Otto von Läsch, apparently believed that the main threat to the city came from the 43rd and 50th armies, which were rushing to the center of the capital of East Prussia. From the south, the city center was covered by the Pregel River. In addition, the Germans feared the encirclement of Koenigsberg, trying to fend off the offensive of the 39th Army. In the southern direction, the defense was strengthened with several reserve battalions, and also tried to hold forts No. 8 and 10, which held back the flanks of the 11th Guards Army and hastily created new fortifications on the way of Galitsky's army.
After the battle in the Königsberg area
Soviet artillerymen in the city battle in Königsberg
Soviet self-propelled guns ISU-122S is fighting in Konigsberg
