From the author
The volleys of the Great Patriotic War guns have died down long ago. Its history is described in tens of thousands of books - memoirs of participants and eyewitnesses of those events, official encyclopedias, textbooks and reference books, various historical studies of many contemporary authors. No less well, especially in the West, the events of the entire Second World War are covered (although, as a rule, very little attention is paid to the military operations of Germany on the Eastern Front, where the Soviet Union bore the brunt of the fight against the Wehrmacht). What unites these two versions of the presentation of the events of one, in fact, war is that a large proportion of books and historical research conducted are devoted to 1942. This year really deserves such attention - it accounts for such significant victories of the Axis countries as the breakthrough of the German army to the Volga and the Caucasus on the Eastern Front, and in Africa to Tobruk and the approaches to Cairo, the capture of Malaya and Singapore by Japan, with the subsequent establishment control by the Empire of the Rising Sun over much of the Pacific Ocean. At the same time, it was this year that marked the beginning of a radical change in World War II - starting with the loss by the Imperial Japanese Navy of its main strike force - four heavy aircraft carriers with almost all crews in the battle of Midway Atoll and the defeat of Rommel's previously invincible Afrika Korps under El Alamein, before the death of the 3rd Romanian and 8th Italian armies on the Don, as well as the complete encirclement of the 6th German army at Stalingrad.
If we talk strictly about the Great Patriotic War, then the bloody battles that took place in 1942 on the southern sector of the Soviet-German front - Kharkov and Voronezh directions, in the Crimea and the foothills of the Caucasus, near Stalingrad and in Novorossiysk, were largely decisive for the general the results of the confrontation between the USSR and Germany. The significance of those battles can hardly be overestimated. However, they largely "overshadowed" the other battles of 1942, which, if viewed objectively, made an equally decisive contribution both to the strategic defeat of the German army in the south of the Eastern Front, and in general to a radical change in the course of the entire war. One of these, not so widely known as the battles on the banks of the Volga or on the passes of the Caucasus, confrontations will be described on the pages of my book, with several chapters from which I want to acquaint visitors of the site "Voennoye Obozreniye".
It will be about the hostilities in the summer and autumn of 1942, when the German High Command no longer wanted to put up with the fact that almost a third of the German ground forces on the Eastern Front were tied up in positional battles near Leningrad. Not having achieved the destruction of the city by hunger, Hitler decided to send additional forces near Leningrad, so that, finally, having achieved the capture of the city and joining in the north with the Finnish troops, free up the lion's share of his divisions that fought in this direction. Having thus secured himself a decisive advantage on the northern face of the Soviet-German front, Hitler could have been able in September 1942. either move to the coverage of Moscow from the north, by successively crushing the North-Western and Kalinin Fronts, or by transferring the liberated divisions to Stalingrad or the Caucasus, finally decide in their favor the outcome of the struggle for such a vital oil-bearing region for waging war. The Soviet command, in turn, after an unsuccessful attempt to unblock Leningrad in the spring of 1942, did not abandon plans to break through a land corridor to Leningrad. As a result, when the Headquarters of the Supreme Command was giving orders to the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts to prepare for the next offensive operation, no one could have imagined that this next attempt to lift the blockade would result in a counter battle with the enemy prepared for the final assault.
When creating the book, I based mainly on the memories of the participants of those years and the documents in the public domain. However, in the plot of this work, I allowed myself some artistic processing, but only within those limits that do not distort the historical reliability of the narrative. For a more visual description of the events taking place, in my book I used a lot of photographs taken at that time, on both sides of the front. In most cases, I found them on various sites and forums that now exist on the Internet and, unfortunately, I was not always able to determine who took such pictures, as well as who is depicted in some of them. In this regard, I express my deep gratitude to all their authors and those who stored and posted these materials.
The defenders and defenders of Leningrad, as well as all those who, in those difficult years of defense and blockade of the city, made so much effort, not sparing their strengths and lives, to help the inhabitants and soldiers of the city on the Neva to escape from the clutches of hunger and death, to defeat the invading cruel and a strong enemy, my book is dedicated …
To the freedom fighters of Leningrad, I dedicate this book
CHAPTER 1. HEROIC SEVASTOPOL
July 1, 1942
Tatar house in Yukhary-Karales (Crimean peninsula)
Command post of the 11th German army
The commander of the 11th German Army, Colonel-General Erich von Manstein, looked at the battlefield spreading out before him, dying. In the northwest, a wooded area was visible, which until recently hid the fighting on the left flank of the 54th Army Corps, which was delivering the main blow in the operation, codenamed "Sturgeon Fishing". There, at the heights north of the eastern end of the Severnaya Bay, the corps suffered heavy losses in battles against the troops of the 4th Russian defense sector, supported by the large-caliber guns of the Maxim Gorky fort. Only after crushing this resistance, the troops finally managed to reach the coast and block the main supply line of Sevastopol - no ship could no longer enter the port. The Gaitan heights, which could be seen in the west, partially obscured the sparkling surface of Severnaya Bay at its junction with the Black Sea from view. In the southwest, the heights of Sapun-Gora rose menacingly and coastal cliffs towered. In the distance, one could even discern the tip of the Chersonesus peninsula, where Soviet troops were still trying to continue resistance, which, in the opinion of the German commander, was already pointless. The fate of the defense of Sevastopol was finally decided in late June, after the successful crossing of the 54th Army Corps across the Severnaya Bay, the fall of the Inkerman Heights and the subsequent breakthrough by the 30th Army Corps of the Sapun position.
The mood at the headquarters of the 11th Army was upbeat. Finally, after almost a year of heavy fighting, Crimea and the Kerch Peninsula were almost completely conquered. And although the remnants of the coastal army withdrew and tried to organize another line of defense on the Chersonesos peninsula, it was clear to the Germans that the fall of this last line would be a matter of several days (1).
(1) - the battles on the Chersonesus peninsula lasted until July 4, the remnants of the coastal army were captured.
The sound of engines taking off from the nearest airfield was heard in the air. Squadron Ju-87, gaining altitude, headed northeast. These were aircraft belonging to Wolfram von Richthofen's 8th Air Corps.
“It's a shame to part with our birds,” Manstein said, turning to the nearby headquarters officers. - They helped us a lot here, but now they will be most needed by von Bock on the Don and Volga (2).
(2) - The German 8th Air Corps provided very tangible, if not decisive, support to Manstein's troops during the last assault on Sevastopol. In addition to direct bombing of the defensive positions of the Soviet troops, on which the air corps spent more than 20 thousand tons of bombs, the aircraft attacked the ships and submarines of the Black Sea Fleet, significantly hampering the supply of the encircled city and preventing the use of fleet ships for effective artillery support of their ground forces. After the capture of Sevastopol, the 8th Air Corps will be tasked with actively interacting with the 6th Army of Paulus, where he will have to pave its way to Stalingrad with his heavy bombs.
Returning to the army headquarters, Manstein found several officers there, casually discussing whether they could soon get a long-deserved rest and spend a week or two on the beautiful Crimean beaches.
“In this wonderful area of Southern Crimea, wonderful fruits have already ripened - they are the best match for the wine, which the local residents know how to make very skillfully,” noted with undisguised anticipation the head of the intelligence department, Major Eisman, imposingly leaning back in his chair. - Add to this the wonderful climate and the beauty of nature - our vacation promises to be simply magnificent!
- Gentlemen, quickly turn on the radio! - The voice of the officer on duty caused a lively reaction from several people, who immediately rushed to the radio.
The sound of victorious fanfare was heard from the speaker.
The sunken cruiser "Chervona Ukraine" at the Grafskaya pier in Sevastopol. On November 8, 1941, he was the first of the ships of the Black Sea squadron to open fire on the enemy troops advancing on the city, he also became one of the first victims of the actions of the German aviation during the first assault on the city.
-… today, July 1, 1942. the valiant German troops of the 11th Army completely captured the last Russian citadel in the Crimea - the fortress of Sevastopol! - the voice of the announcer sounded proudly and solemnly.
Manstein, surrounded by staff officers, also listened to the news of his victory. Suddenly, the agitated adjutant of the commander, Chief Lieutenant Specht, rushed into the room.
- Mr. Colonel General! - he blurted out excitedly, - to you an urgent telegram from the Fuhrer!
- Read it! Manstein said imperiously.
“To the Commander of the Crimean Army, Colonel-General Erich von Manstein,” Specht's voice still trembled a little with excitement. - Noting with gratitude your special merits in the victorious battles in the Crimea, crowned with the defeat of the enemy in the battle of Kerch and the capture of the powerful Sevastopol fortress, famous for its natural obstacles and artificial fortifications, I am awarding you the rank of Field Marshal. By assigning you this rank and the establishment of a special sign for all participants in the Crimean battles, I pay tribute to the entire German people to the heroic deeds of the troops fighting under your command. Adolf Gitler.
The officers rushed to congratulate the commander. Manstein, accepting congratulations, announced his intention to celebrate this event:
- Inform the troops that after the end of the suppression of the last centers of Russian resistance, I will invite to a solemn meeting of all commanders, up to battalion commanders and all non-commissioned officers and privates who have the Knight's Cross or the Golden German Cross, and congratulate them on the successful completion of our Crimean campaign …
A few days later, on July 5, 1942, evening dawn sounded in the park of the former Tsarist Livadia Palace. Drum rolls rang out. which was replaced by a short prayer service for the German soldiers, who had already been buried in the Crimean land. The meeting was headed by the commander of the 11th German army, who in the same way, praying, humbly bowed his head, thus paying tribute to the memory of the dead.
At the end of the prayer service, Manstein addressed the audience:
- My glorious comrades! The fortress, protected by powerful natural obstacles, equipped with all possible means and defended by a whole army, fell. This army was destroyed, the whole Crimea is now in our hands. The enemy's losses in manpower exceed ours several times. The number of captured trophies is enormous. From an operational point of view, 11th Army was freed just in time for use in the big German offensive, which began on the southern sector of the Eastern Front, - Manstein paused and continued: - I thank all the soldiers of the 11th Army and the pilots of the 8th Aviation corps, as well as all those who were unable to participate in this celebration, for their loyalty, courage and perseverance, often manifested almost in a critical situation, for everything they accomplished in this …
The low hum of approaching aircraft interrupted the Field Marshal's speech. All those present turned at him, and, as if on command, rushed scatteringly. The whistle of falling bombs and the powerful explosions that followed pretty much spoiled the German holiday. Having described a few more circles in the sky, apparently assessing the results of the bombing, Soviet planes began to move away towards the Caucasus - their silhouettes slowly dissolve in the rays of the sun that was beginning to lean towards the sunset, and the sound of engines brought by gusts of the warm summer wind began to gradually fade away. Manstein, adjusting his uniform and making sure that the danger had passed, again turned to the commanders present:
- Despite today's victory, the war is not over yet, gentlemen, - Manstein's voice was relatively calm, but the new shade that appeared in it after this air raid betrayed the field marshal's doubts. Everything seemed to be going well now, but this protracted military campaign in the east still brought too many unpleasant surprises. The Russians stubbornly did not want to admit their defeat, and this sometimes made one wonder if the Germans were too optimistic about the outcome of this confrontation with the USSR. However, quickly pulling himself together, the field marshal tried to make his voice firm and confident again, after which he ended his speech with the words:
- We need to prepare for new battles, which must certainly lead us to the final victory! Heil Hitler!
The assembled crowd responded to the Field Marshal with three "Sieg Heil!" The officers looked at their commander with admiration, and most of them were already beginning to feel the triumphant euphoria of the events of the last days. On the southern flank of the Eastern Front, the German army, finally recovering from the winter defeat near Moscow, inflicted a heavy defeat on the Soviet troops in May 1942 near Kharkov and Barvenkovo. On June 28, German troops began broad offensive operations in the Voronezh direction, striking from the Kursk region against the 13th and 40th armies of the Bryansk Front. On June 30, from the Volchansk region, the 6th German army launched an offensive in the direction of Ostrogozhsk, which broke into the defenses of the 21st and 28th armies of the Soviet troops. As a result, the defense at the junction of the Bryansk and Southwestern fronts was broken through to a depth of eighty kilometers. Shock groups of the Germans created a threat of a breakthrough to the Don and were preparing to seize Voronezh. Thus, the German Army Group South (subsequently divided into Army Groups A and B) launched its decisive offensive into the Caucasus and Stalingrad. Now, after the complete conquest of the Crimea, the German commanders felt that the Russians had no chance of repelling the summer offensive of the Wehrmacht, which very soon should bring them final victory on the Eastern Front.
It was getting dark … In the alleys of the Livadia Palace park, muffled enthusiastic toasts were heard to the victory of the 11th army, the health of the Fuhrer and Greater Germany - they were accompanied by the clink of glasses and cheerful exclamations. Only a few elderly officers, gathered in small groups at a distance from their already heated young colleagues, discussed the recent desperate resistance of the Russians on the Chersonesus peninsula. At the same time, many of them frowned anxiously, realizing that the war really is still far from "over" …
The destroyed tower of the 30th battery, nicknamed by the Germans Fort "Maxim Gorky - 1". Its 305-mm guns inflicted serious losses on units of the 54th Army Corps of the Wehrmacht, which was rushing to the Northern Bay of Sevastopol. The Germans were able to destroy the surviving defenders of the battery and completely capture it only on June 26, 1942. Battery commander, Guard Major G. A. Alexander was taken prisoner, where he was shot for refusing to cooperate with the Germans.
CHAPTER 2. LYUBAN BAG
Outside the car window of the commander of the Volkhov Front, General of the Army Kirill Afanasyevich Meretskov, stretched seemingly endless swampy marshes. The car every now and then bounced on the bumpy road and heeled sharply, with its forced maneuvers on its winding path.
“You at least slow down on these bumps,” Meretskov turned to his chauffeur.
“Kirill Afanasyevich, there are such pits and bumps everywhere here,” the driver objected to the commander, turning around, although he was somewhat guilty.
The general did not answer, looking thoughtfully out the window, behind which a monotonous picture seemed to freeze. Going over in his memory the events of the last month, he seemed to relive them again …
June 8, 1942
Western front.
Command post of the 33rd Army.
The ringing of the field telephone sounded unexpectedly. The army commander answered the phone:
- Commander-33 Meretskov at the apparatus, - he introduced himself.
On the other end of the line, the well-known voice of the commander of the Western Front G. K. Zhukov.
- Hello, Kirill Afanasevich. You need to urgently arrive at the front headquarters, - as always, he ordered briefly and firmly.
- I wish you good health, Georgy Konstantinovich! Now I’ll take the map and come,”Meretskov replied, thinking that it would be about the operation being prepared by the 33rd Army.
“You don’t need a map,” Zhukov snapped sharply.
- But what's the matter then? The commander asked in perplexity.
- You will find out here. Hurry up!
After a while, still lost in conjecture about the purpose of the urgent call, Meretskov entered Zhukov's office. He was sitting at his desk, eyebrows knitted in displeasure and examining some kind of paper. The incoming army commander stretched out and prepared to report his arrival:
“Comrade Commander of the Western Front…” he began.
Zhukov, sharply raising his head, interrupted him.
- Well, where does it carry you, Kirill Afanasevich? I couldn't find you for almost two hours!
- Georgy Konstantinovich, was with the soldiers, in the battalion. Arrived immediately from there, did not even have time to eat. And here is your call.
“The Supreme Commander has already called me three times. He urgently demands your arrival in Moscow. The car will be prepared for you now, and in the meantime we will have something to eat with you.
- And what is the reason for the call? - again tried to recognize Meretskov.
“I don’t know,” Zhukov looked away. - Order - to urgently come to the Supreme. It's all…
Half an hour later, the car with the commander of the 33rd Army rushed along the night road to Moscow. At two o'clock in the morning, he entered the reception room of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. Stalin's secretary, A. N. Poskrebyshev.
- Hello, Kirill Afanasevich! He greeted quickly. - Come in, the Supreme is waiting for you.
- I wish you good health, Alexander Nikolaevich! - answered Meretskov. - Let me at least put myself in order - I arrived directly from the front line, did not even have time to change.
- Come in, come in, - objected Poskrebyshev, - Iosif Vissarionovich has already asked about your arrival more than once, the question, apparently, is very urgent.
Meretskov entered the office. In a large room, at the head of a huge table, sat the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. In Stalin's hand was his famous pipe, on the left and right sides of him sat L. P. Beria, G. M. Malenkov and A. M. Vasilevsky.
- Comrade Supreme Commander, Commander of the 33rd Army of the Western Front arrived at your order! - Meretskov reported clearly.
Stalin looked with some surprise at the clothing of the commander - numerous dried traces of dirt were visible on the field uniform, the boots looked as if they had been kept in a cement mortar for a long time before dressing. Other people gathered in the same way examined Meretskov's clothes.
“I beg your pardon, Comrade Stalin,” said the army commander, embarrassed. - I was summoned to you directly from the trenches of the forward positions.
- Go and clean yourself up. I'll give you five minutes,”Stalin said harshly, as if piercing him with his gaze.
Quickly cleaning his boots, five minutes later Meretskov entered the office again. This time Stalin's eyes looked at him more affably.
- Come in, Kirill Afanasyevich, you can sit down, - the Supreme Commander invited him to the table. - How are you doing on the Western Front? Stalin asked.
- We trained officers, put together command teams, improved the defense system. We receive and study new equipment, conduct a thorough familiarization with the terrain, and prepare combat lines. We work out the coordination of action plans with front-line aviation and artillery, "run in" the personnel in the conditions of an "enemy" attack, organize interaction on the flanks with neighbors, create reserves … - Meretskov reported in detail about the work he had done.
“This is good,” Iosif Vissarionovich said with his familiar Caucasian accent, emphasizing the last word. “But I summoned you here today on a different matter.
Getting up from his seat, Stalin walked slowly along the table, puffing on his pipe. Looking somewhere in front of him, he seemed to reason aloud:
- We made a big mistake by uniting the Volkhov front with the Leningrad one. (3) General Khozin, although he was sitting in the Volkhov area, did not do well. He did not fulfill the directives of the Headquarters on the withdrawal of the troops of the 2nd Shock Army. As a result, the Germans managed to intercept the communications of the army and surround it. You, Comrade Meretskov,”the Supreme Commander continued after a pause, turning to the army commander,“you know the Volkhov Front well. Therefore, we instruct you, together with Comrade Vasilevsky, to go there and by all means rescue the 2nd Shock Army from the encirclement, even without heavy weapons and equipment. You will receive a directive on the restoration of the Volkhov Front from Comrade Shaposhnikov. You must, upon arrival at the place, immediately take command of the Volkhov front … (4)
(3) - On April 23, 1942, the decision of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command was made to transform the Volkhov Front into the Volkhov Task Force of the Leningrad Front. K. A. Meretskov, who until that moment held the post of commander of the Volkhov front, was transferred to the post of deputy commander-in-chief of the troops of the Western direction, G. K. Zhukov. Soon, at the own request of K. A. Meretskov, he was transferred to the post of commander of the 33rd Army of the Western Front.
(4) - Simultaneously with the restoration of the Volkhov Front and the appointment of K. A. Meretskov, by the Order of the Headquarters for the untimely withdrawal of the troops of the 2nd Shock Army, Lieutenant General Khozin was removed from his post as commander of the Leningrad Front and was appointed commander of the 33rd Army of the Western front. The new commander of the Leningrad Front will soon become Lieutenant General L. A. Govorov.
Following the order, on the same day K. A. Meretskov and A. M. Vasilevsky left Moscow. In the evening they arrived at the Volkhov front, in Malaya Vishera. Having assembled the staff officers, the new front commander and the headquarters representative immediately began to discuss the current situation at the front.
The new commander of the Volkhov front turned to the chief of staff of the front, Major General G. D. Stelmakh:
- Grigory Davydovich, I ask you to report on the situation at the front of the 2nd shock, 52nd and 59th armies, as well as your thoughts on the measures that need to be taken to ensure the restoration of communications of the 2nd shock army and the implementation of the decision of the Headquarters, on its withdrawal from the environment.
The chief of staff went to a large map hanging on the wall and began his report.
- As you know, according to the Directive of the Supreme Command Headquarters No. 005826 dated December 17, 1941, our front was ordered to go on a general offensive, with the goal, in cooperation with the Leningrad Front, to defeat the enemy defending along the western bank of the Volkhov River. To accomplish this task, the troops of the front, as part of the 4th, 59th, 2nd shock and 52nd armies, had to break through the enemy's front and leave the main forces of the armies on the Lyuban line, st. Cholovo. In the future, according to the Directive, the troops of the front were to advance in the northwestern direction, where, in cooperation with the Leningrad Front, they would encircle and destroy the grouping of German troops defending near Leningrad. - he showed on the map the directions of the then planned strikes.
- The formations of the 54th army were supposed to interact with us from the side of the Leningrad Front, - the speaker continued. - As a result of the offensive that began on January 7, our armies managed to achieve only a slight advance in 15 days - the 2nd shock army, which delivered the main blow, and the 59th army, were able to advance only 4-7 kilometers. Equally insignificant successes were achieved by the 54th Army of the Leningrad Front. The battles took on a difficult protracted nature, the troops suffered heavy losses, many divisions and brigades had to be withdrawn to the reserve and replenished. After the resumption of the offensive in late January - early February, the troops of the 2nd shock and part of the forces of the 59th armies managed to break through the enemy front and, during February, drive a wedge to a depth of 75 km. On February 28, Headquarters ordered our 2nd Shock Army and the 54th Army of the Leningrad Front to advance towards each other and unite in Lyuban, with the purpose of eliminating the enemy's MGinsk grouping and lifting the blockade from Leningrad. However, the advance of the 2nd shock and 54th armies soon collapsed, our troops stopped 10-12 km before reaching Lyuban. The German command, realizing how they could be threatened by the further advance of our troops in the direction of Lyuban, decided to proceed to active operations. Pulling fresh units to the breakthrough site, including the SS infantry and police division, it sent them against our troops, which provided communications for the 2nd Shock Army in the area of the Chudovo-Novgorod highway and railroad. The units of the 59th and 52nd armies defended there, suppressed by powerful artillery and mortar fire and aviation, could not resist the enemy's onslaught. On March 19, the Germans managed to close the throat of our penetration four kilometers west of Myasny Bor and thereby cut off the communications of the 2nd Shock Army. By March 26, the enemy managed to unite his Chudov and Novgorod groupings, create an external front along the Polist River and an internal front along the Glushitsa River, - Stelmakh made a short pause so that those present could refresh their memory of the events of those days.
Meretskov, attentively listening to the report, nodded in approval, thereby inviting the Major General to continue.
- To eliminate the troops that interrupted the communications of the 2nd Shock Army, the Volkhov Front attracted 3 rifle divisions, two separate rifle and one tank brigade, the Stavka requested the necessary reinforcements for the front troops with people and equipment. As a result of the measures taken, on March 30, 1942, as a result of heavy bloody battles, our troops managed to make a breakthrough to the encircled troops. However, the width of the corridor that was pierced to them did not exceed 1.5-2 km. Only small groups of soldiers, individual guns and carts could move along such a narrow corridor, and even then only at night. Thus, in essence, the communication of the 2nd Shock Army was not fully restored. Eleven rifle and three cavalry divisions, five separate rifle and one tank brigade remained practically surrounded. In this regard, the Military Council of the Leningrad Front and the Volkhov Group on April 30 ordered the 2nd Shock Army to go on the defensive, and then begin the withdrawal (through the existing passage of the 13th Cavalry Corps) of four rifle divisions, a tank brigade, all wounded and sick soldiers, and also what is not needed by the troops from the rear agencies. As a result of the measures taken, by May 16, 1942, when the roads and column tracks dried up, the 13th Cavalry Corps, consisting of three cavalry divisions, the 24th and 58th rifle brigades, the 4th and 24th I guards, 378th rifle divisions, 7th guards and 29th tank brigades. By June 1, the 181st and 328th rifle divisions, an artillery regiment of the RGK of the army type were additionally withdrawn, all wounded soldiers were removed and excess property was evacuated. - G. D. Stelmakh paused again. “However, the German command did not sit idly by,” he continued. - Firmly owning the Spasskaya Polist area and the ledge south-west of this point, as well as the Lyubtsy area, it always threatened to interrupt the passage, 1.5-2 km wide, in the Myasny Bor area. Having transferred, in addition to the forces available there, the 121st and 61st infantry divisions, on May 30 the enemy launched an offensive and until June 4 significantly narrowed the width of the bag's neck. On June 5, going to meet the 2nd Shock Army, our 59th Army struck a blow. But the Germans, meanwhile, crushed the battle formations of the 2nd Shock Army and broke into them from the west. And on June 6, they again completely blocked the neck of the bag. Parts of seven rifle divisions and six rifle brigades, with a total strength of up to 18-20 thousand people, remained surrounded.
- So, what is planned to be done by the front headquarters to rectify the situation? - asked A. M. Vasilevsky.
“To counteract the enemy, we have planned another strike towards the forces of the 59th Army leaving the encirclement,” the front chief of staff replied to Vasilevsky and showed the direction of the strike on the map.
- And with what forces do you plan to deliver this blow? - Meretskov entered the discussion.
- Since our front has no reserves, we plan to free three rifle brigades and a number of other units, including one tank battalion, from various sectors of the front. These forces, brought together in two groups, must break through a corridor 1, 5 - 2 km wide, cover it from the flanks and ensure the exit of the 2nd Shock Army. This strike can be organized by June 10th. - graduated from G. D. Stelmakh …
As if awakening from his memories, Kirill Afanasyevich Meretskov looked out the car window at the deserted swamp landscape again. Three and a half weeks have passed since that meeting with the front headquarters. During this time, several times the Volkhov Front made attempts to break through to the encircled troops of the 2nd Shock Army. Only on June 21, joint strikes of the 59th and 2nd shock armies managed to break the encirclement to a width of about 1 km. In the formed passage by 20 o'clock on June 22, about 6 thousand people left the encirclement. By June 23, the area occupied by the 2nd Shock Army had been reduced to such a size that it was already being shot through by enemy artillery to the full depth. The last area, to which food and ammunition were dropped by planes, fell into the hands of the enemy. On June 24, communication with the headquarters of the 2nd Shock Army was finally cut off. The enemy again broke through the front at the main line of its defense in the area of Finev Luga and began to develop an offensive along the railway and narrow-gauge railway in the direction of Novaya Kerest. From the morning of June 25, the exit from the encirclement completely stopped …
One of the warehouses of captured property collected by the Germans as a result of the encirclement and defeat of the 2nd Shock Army in the Luban operation.
The commander's thoughts were contradictory. “So, the difficult Luban operation has just ended,” he thought, peering into the water-filled peat fields. - The operation ended extremely unsuccessfully, most of the 2nd shock army died in a cauldron near Myasny Bor, only 8-9 thousand people were able to withdraw from the encirclement without heavy weapons, but these soldiers and officers were completely exhausted. However, during the entire Luban operation, the front troops forced the enemy to conduct heavy defensive battles, inflicted significant losses on the Germans and pinned down more than 15 enemy divisions, including one motorized and one tank, with their actions, and the enemy was forced to withdraw two infantry divisions and a number of separate units. directly from near Leningrad. In order to counter our offensive and compensate for the heavy losses, the German command in the first half of 1942 was forced to reinforce Army Group North with six divisions and one brigade. But, nevertheless, the main task - the lifting of the blockade of Leningrad - has not yet been completed, and there is no way to hesitate with this. In the very near future, it is necessary to submit proposals to the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command for a new offensive operation. The remnants of the 2nd Shock Army, withdrawn to the rear for reorganization, will soon again have to go into battle …"
- Why are you going like a turtle, press, come on, time is running out! - Meretskov ordered sharply to the driver, finally driving off his gloomy thoughts.
Looking at the general in bewilderment, the soldier shrugged his shoulders and pressed the gas - the car obediently increased speed, not forgetting to jump even higher on bumps and bumps …
