The third stage of the East Pomeranian operation. The offensive of the troops of the 2nd and 1st Belorussian fronts in divergent directions
After the armies of Rokossovsky and Zhukov reached the Baltic Sea and cut through the Vistula army group, the troops of the 2nd Belorussian and the right wing of the 1st Belorussian fronts without a pause were turned in the western and northeastern directions and began to eliminate individual groupings in the east. -Pomeranian grouping. Rokossovsky's troops were given the task of finally crushing the 2nd German Army, which had lost ground contact with the rest of the forces of the Vistula Army Group and to clear the northeastern part of Pomerania from the Nazis. Zhukov's troops were to finish off the remnants of the 11th German army, pressed against the Oder and occupy the western part of Eastern Pomerania.
The headquarters of the Supreme High Command gave instructions to the troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front to defeat the German troops in the Stolp, Gdynia and Danzig areas. The troops of the right flank of the front were to advance along the western bank of the river. Vistula to Danzig, the left flank to Stolp, Lauenburg and Gdynia. For a faster solution of the problem, Rokossovsky's front was reinforced by the 1st Guards Tank Army of Katukov from the 1st Belorussian Front. Katukov's army was supposed to advance in the Gdynian direction.
The 1st Belorussian Front was tasked with completing the clearance of German troops from the western part of Eastern Pomerania and reaching the Oder in the area from the mouth to Zeden. After that, the main forces of the right flank of the 1st Belorussian Front were to switch to the Berlin direction again. After the completion of the East Pomeranian operation, tank formations were withdrawn to the reserve for replenishment with equipment and preparation for the decisive Berlin operation.
The German command, despite a heavy defeat, was not going to surrender. The 2nd German army continued to have large forces: 2 tank and 5 army corps - the 7th and 46th tank corps, the 18th mountain-jaeger, 23rd and 27th army corps, the 55th army corps were in reserve and the 20th Army Corps, a total of 19 divisions (including two tank divisions), three battle groups and a significant number of other units and subunits of a special, training, militia character. Discipline in the troops was imposed by the most brutal methods. To intimidate almost all the roads leading to Danzig and Gdynia, and in the cities themselves, gallows were erected. The soldiers were hanged with signs with the words "Hanged for unauthorized abandonment of positions," "Hanged for cowardice," etc.
The 11th German army was in the worst condition. Its formations were fragmented and could mainly resist in individual settlements, turned into defense centers. Parts of the 10th SS Corps and the Tettau Corps Group defended themselves in the western and northwestern directions. West of the line Naugard, Massov, Stargard, the troops of the 3rd and 39th tank and 2nd army corps fought. The rapidity of the development of the situation did not allow the German command to strengthen the forces remaining in Eastern Pomerania at the expense of the formations of the 3rd Panzer Army. On the contrary, units of the 11th Army had to be withdrawn beyond the Oder in order to put them in order and organize a new line of defense. The Germans paid special attention to the defense of Stettin, a large industrial center of Germany. To do this, they planned to keep Altdamm.
The offensive of the troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front
Rokossovsky, in accordance with the instructions of the Headquarters, threw his troops into a new offensive. On the left flank, the 19th Army, reinforced by the 3rd Guards Tank Corps, attacked in the direction of Stolp, Lauenburg and Gdynia. In the future, the 1st Guards Tank Army was introduced into the zone of its offensive. The 134th Rifle Corps of the 19th Army was supposed to assist the 1st Army of the Polish Army in the destruction of German troops in the area south of Kohlberg.
The 70th Army and the 8th Mechanized Corps attacked Byutov, Gdynia. The right-flank 2nd Shock Army, reinforced by a tank corps, advanced along the Vistula towards Danzig. The armies of the center - the 65th and 49th armies, advanced in the northeastern direction, on Danzig and Zopot (Sopot). The 3rd Guards Cavalry Corps, which provided the left flank of the front's strike group from the west, was instructed, as the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front advanced to Kohlberg, to move to the coast of the Baltic Sea and gain a foothold on it.
On the morning of March 6, the troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front resumed their offensive along the entire front. The Soviet troops achieved special successes on the flanks, where the enemy's defenses were broken. On the right hose, Soviet troops began the assault on Starogard. On March 7, Soviet troops launched an offensive on the flanks, occupying more than 350 cities and towns. Starogard was liberated on the right flank, Schlave and Rügenwalde on the left. The tankers started a battle for the town of Stolp. The 134th Rifle Corps, having completed the destruction of scattered enemy groups south of Kohlberg, went to its eastern outskirts, establishing contact with the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front. Then the corps troops moved to join the main forces of their army.
The entry into battle on the left wing of the front of the 3rd Guards Tank Corps finally broke the enemy's defenses. The German command, having lost hope of stopping the Soviet armies, began to withdraw troops from the position of the Danzig-Gdynian fortified area. The withdrawal of the main forces was covered by strong rear guards, which tried to hold back the Soviet troops at the communication centers and destroyed the communication routes. In some places, German troops were held up at certain lines and offered stubborn resistance. The Germans resisted especially stubbornly in the offensive zone of the right flank of the Soviet front, where they had pre-equipped field-type positions.
On March 8, units of the 3rd Guards Corps, together with the approaching rifle formations, took the second largest city in Pomerania after Stettin, a large industrial center and a communications center Stolp. On the same day, with a sudden blow, a detachment of the tank corps captured Stolpmünde. On the way to the city, a motorized enemy column was defeated, which was supposed to organize the defense of Stolpmünde.
At the same time, the tank units continued to develop the offensive against Lauenburg and swiftly captured the crossings across the river. Lupov-Fliss. So the vanguard of the 2nd Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade captured the bridge in the Lupov area. The detachment under the command of Captain Baranov's Guard included the 3rd Guards Motorized Rifle Battalion, two mortar companies and two self-propelled guns batteries. Self-propelled guns destroyed the enemy anti-aircraft guns located directly on the road on both sides of the bridge, and mortar gunners suppressed the machine-gun points of the German infantry. Taking advantage of the weakening of the enemy's fire and his confusion, the submachine gunners seized the bridge with a quick onslaught. The crossing was captured intact.
On March 9, the troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front, overcoming the resistance of the enemy rearguards, continued their offensive. On this day, the 1st Guards Tank Army began the offensive. On March 8-9, Soviet troops advanced in different areas from 10 to 50 km, and occupied over 700 settlements, 63 railway stations, including the cities of Schöneck, Byutov and Stolp. However, as the Soviet troops advanced to Danzig and Gdynia, and the front of the German defense was reduced, the density of the enemy's battle formations increased. The Germans began to offer more powerful resistance. Therefore, in the following days, the pace of the Soviet offensive slowed down noticeably.
On March 10, units of the 3rd Guards Tank Corps began an assault on Lauenburg. However, the attempts of the 18th Guards Tank and 2nd Guards Motorized Rifle Brigades to take the city on the move did not lead to success. The Germans put up stubborn resistance, the battles took on a fierce and protracted nature. Only when the infantry of the 19th Army approached in the afternoon, and artillery and aviation provided support, the Soviet troops were able to break into the city. During the fierce street fighting, Lauenburg was taken. By the end of the day, the advancing troops of the left wing of the front, using the success of the tank units, advanced with battles to a depth of 30 km and took the cities of Carthaus, Lauenburg and Leba.
In the central sector, where the troops of the 49th Army were advancing together with the 1st Guards Tank Corps, the Soviet troops had to break into the strong enemy defenses. On the right wing, the situation was even more difficult. Soviet troops not only failed to advance, but also repelled numerous enemy counterattacks. The Germans threw a significant amount of armored vehicles into battle. As a result of a fierce oncoming battle, the 8th Guards Tank Corps, with the support of the 2nd Shock Army's infantry, defeated a strong enemy armored group.
On March 11, the infantry of the 19th Army and the tankers of the 1st Guards Tank Army took the city of Neustadt. A large German garrison was defeated, about 1 thousand people surrendered. By the end of March 13, the left wing of the 2nd Belorussian Front reached the front edge of the Danzig-Gdyn fortified region. On the left flank, the coast of the Putziger-Wik Bay was cleared from the enemy, the city of Putzig was occupied and the exit from the Putziger-Nerung (Hel) spit was closed, where the German 55th Army Corps was blocked.
Stubborn battles at that time were going on in the central sector of the front in the offensive zone of the 49th Army and on the right wing of the front, where the 2nd Shock Army was advancing from the south to Danzig. For two days, the troops of the 49th Army stormed the area of the village of Kvashin. By the end of March 13, the village was taken. The troops of the right flank broke into a strong enemy defense and took a large enemy stronghold, the city of Dirschau. As a result, the troops of the right wing also reached the front edge of the Danzig-Gdynian defensive area. At this, the third stage of the East Pomeranian operation was completed.
Thus, the troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front advanced with battles from 35 to 100 km towards Danzig and Gdynia, where the main forces of the 2nd German army were surrounded. During this time, such large cities and strongholds of the enemy as Spolp, Stolpmünde, Lauenburg, Starogard, Byutov, in total more than 700 settlements were occupied. Most of the eastern part of Pomerania was cleared of the Nazis.
The shelling of Gdynia is conducted by a 203-mm howitzer B-4
The offensive of the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front
By Zhukov's decision, the formations of the 3rd Shock, 1st Guards Tank Armies and the 1st Polish Army were to clear the Schiefelbein area of the Nazis, occupy the northern section of the line along the Oder River, and take Kolberg. The rest of the troops on the right flank of the front were to clear the territory of the enemy from the zone of their offensive and reach the Oder. The 2nd Guards Tank Army received the task of continuing the offensive against Cummin and Gollnov. The 61st Army was supposed to take Altdam and reach the Oder. The 47th Army captures the Greifenhagen area and reach the Oder in the Greifenhagen-Zeden sector.
After that, the troops of two cavalry corps and part of the Polish army were to take up defenses along the Oder and organize the defense of the Baltic coast. The troops of the 1st Guards Tank Army, after solving the task of eliminating the enemy in the area south of Schiefelbein, were placed at the disposal of the commander of the 2nd Belorussian Front. The rest of the troops were withdrawn to the Berlin direction.
By the end of March 7, the formations of the 1st Army of the Polish Army, the 3rd Shock Army and the 1st Guards Tank Army destroyed the scattered enemy detachments blocked in the area south of Schiefelbein. After that, the troops of the tank army were withdrawn from the battle and prepared to move into the zone of action of the 2nd Belorussian Front. The rest of the troops continued their offensive in the area of Kolberg, Treptow and Cummin.
In the Treptow area, a significant enemy grouping was semi-encircled: the remnants of four infantry divisions, the 7th Panzer Division and the Holstein Panzer Division. The 7th Guards Cavalry Corps blocked the path to the west of the German group and fought with the front to the east and northeast. The German command sought to withdraw this grouping beyond the Oder, and part of the troops were exported by sea to Western Pomerania. Zhukov ordered to accelerate the defeat of the enemy grouping in the Treptow area. The offensive was organized from several directions at once - from the south, southeast, east, southwest and west.
However, due to the mistakes of the command of the 3rd Shock Army and the 7th Rifle Corps, which did not take measures to strengthen our troops in the western direction, where the Germans were rushing, the Nazis were able to break through the encirclement ring. The Germans left a barrier in the Treptow area, and the main forces were thrown into the breakthrough. On March 10-11, during the fierce battles, the Germans managed to push back our troops.
Thus, part of the semi-encircled enemy grouping was able to break through to its own. The other part was destroyed. At the same time, in general, the task of clearing the northwestern part of Eastern Pomerania by Soviet troops was solved. The battles to defeat the Kohlberg garrison continued.
Tank T-34-85 of the 2nd Guards Tank Army on the outskirts of Stettin
In other directions, Soviet troops also continued to push the enemy. On March 7, our troops took the city of Gollnov by storm. After the capture of the city of Gollnov, the tank formations of the 2nd Guards Tank Army continued their offensive in the southern and western directions. And the troops of the 3rd Shock Army were withdrawn from the battle, transferring their combat areas to Polish units.
The troops of the 61st and 47th armies, which were advancing in the Stettin direction, had to break the stubborn resistance of the enemy. Especially fierce battles were fought for the city of Massov, where our troops had to storm literally every house. The 47th Army was unable to fulfill the task of capturing Altdamme and clearing the Oder in its offensive zone. In this direction, the Germans had a pre-prepared defensive line, which had not only field fortifications, but long-term firing points. The troops defending it had a large number of artillery, tanks and assault guns. The terrain was inconvenient for an offensive - a lot of swamps, small water obstacles. It was possible to advance only along the roads, which were blocked by rubble and minefields. The German flanks could not be bypassed, since they rested against natural barriers: the left - into Lake Dammscher See, the right - into the Oder River in the Greifenhagen region.
The commander of the front Zhukov on March 12 temporarily stopped the offensive, giving the troops two days to prepare a strike in the Altdam direction. It was necessary to prepare the assault on the last major center of enemy resistance in Eastern Pomerania. During this time, they carried out a thorough reconnaissance of the enemy's positions, reinforced the armies in this direction with four artillery breakthrough divisions, and attracted most of the assault and bomber aviation for aviation training. To strengthen the blow, the formations of the 2nd Guards Tank Army were attracted. At this, the third stage of the operation was completed.
The command armored personnel carrier SdKfz.251 abandoned on the shore of the Danzig Bay
Brief results of the third stage of the operation
Most of the territory of Eastern Pomerania was cleared of German troops. The entire East Pomeranian grouping of the enemy was split into several parts. In the area of Danzig and Gdynia and on the Hel spit, the formations of the 2nd German army were surrounded. The remnants of the 11th German army were blocked in the areas of Kolberg and Altamm. The Altdam bridgehead was of particular importance for the Germans, as it was covered by Stettin. The presence of sea communications allowed the German group in the Danzig-Gdynian fortified region not only to receive various kinds of supplies and materials, but to ensure the transfer of troops by sea. However, the stubborn resistance of the enemy and the desperate attempts of the German command to hold the remaining bridgeheads in Eastern Pomerania, in order to pin down the forces of Soviet troops in these areas for as long as possible and gain time, could no longer change the situation. The German army lost the battle for East Pomerania.
The calculation of Soviet anti-aircraft gunners firing direct fire from a 37-mm automatic anti-aircraft gun in the Danzig area
The fourth stage of the operation
Rokossovsky decided to deliver the main blow to Zopot at the junction of the Danzig and Gdynian fortified areas in order to cut the enemy grouping and defeat it in parts. The main blow was delivered by the forces of the 70th and 49th armies, reinforced by two tank corps. After the capture of Zoppot, both armies were to attack Danzig from the north and northwest. In order to prevent the ships of the German front from supporting the garrison of Danzig, the troops of the 49th Army had to move long-range artillery to the bay.
The troops of the right wing of the front were to continue the offensive against Danzig. On the left flank, the formations of the 19th and 1st Guards Tank Armies were to take Gdynia. A separate detachment was to occupy the Hel scythe. The offensive of the ground forces was supported by the entire aviation of the front, which was supposed to destroy the enemy's battle formations and fight the German fleet.
The remaining troops of the right wing of the 1st Belorussian Front were to complete the defeat of enemy groups in the Kolberg and Altamm area. The formations of the 1st Army of the Polish Army and the 2nd Guards Cavalry Corps received the task of taking Kolberg. The troops of the 47th, 61st armies and the 2nd Guards Tank Army were to defeat the enemy's Altdam grouping. The rest of the troops of the right wing continued to regroup in the Berlin direction.
Self-propelled gun SU-85 on the outskirts of Gdynia
Street fighting in Gdynia
Taking Gdynia and Danzig
The Danzig-Gdynian defensive area was a tough nut to crack. The Gdynia fortified area consisted of two defense lines and had previously built long-term defensive structures, artillery positions and observation posts, reinforced with an additional system of field fortifications, trenches, trenches and anti-personnel and anti-tank obstacles. As a result, the city was protected by a continuous defensive ring within a radius of 12-15 km. The first line of defense had two positions, consisting of five lines of trenches with a total depth of 3-5 km. The second strip was located several kilometers from Gdynia and had three lines of trenches. The basis of the defense of the Gdynia region was made up of strong air defense posts (since 1943, the Germans created a powerful air defense system in the area to protect ports and the fleet) and long-term defensive structures built by the Poles.
The city itself was prepared for street fighting. Almost all large stone buildings have been converted into strongholds. In such buildings, most of the window and doorways were filled with sandbags, stones, others were adapted for firing machine-gun and artillery fire. Created firing positions for shooters. The basements were used as dugouts. Buildings and quarters were connected by means of communication, trenches, so that it was possible to support each other, to maneuver forces. The streets were blocked with barricades, mined them, reinforced concrete blocks and iron hedgehogs were installed, long-term firing points were erected at the crossroads. Many houses were prepared for demolition, guided mines were planted in the streets.
The Danzig fortified area also consisted of two field-type defense zones. The first line of defense consisted of five lines of trenches and was 3-5 km deep. The second line of defense was located 5-7 km from the city and rested against the coast of the bay with its flanks. It consisted of three positions. The first had from 2 to 4 lines of trenches with a total depth of 1, 5-2, 5 km, the second had two lines of trenches, plus strong points, and the third ran along the outskirts of the city. The outer defense belt had two new fortified areas Bischofsberg and Hagelsberg with capital reinforced concrete structures. From the southeast, the defenses of Gdansk were strengthened by a system of old forts. There were also new forts in the defense of the city. The forts had powerful firearms. Gdansk itself was also well prepared for street fighting. Gdansk-Danzig was one of the strongest "fortresses" of the Third Reich, and had to delay the advance of the Red Army for a long time.
At the junction between the Gdynia and Danzig fortified areas, a defensive position was set up with a number of strongholds with three lines of trenches. The Danzig-Gdynian defensive area had a good anti-tank defense: ditches, rubble, barricades, reinforced concrete gaps. Near the obstacles, single trenches were set up for tank destroyers armed with faust cartridges. The defense was strengthened by stationary anti-aircraft and coastal batteries. The Germans had a significant infantry force, about 200 tanks and self-propelled guns, 180 artillery and mortar batteries, about 100 aircraft. In addition, the troops of the 2nd German could support the fleet from the sea - several cruisers, destroyers, coastal defense ships and dozens of submarines and various boats.
Militia from one of the Volkssturm battalions in Pomerania
Assault on central positions. On the morning of March 14, 1945, after a short artillery preparation, Rokossovsky's troops continued their offensive. Fierce battles went on day and night. The enemy's defenses had to literally gnaw through. On some days, our troops could only advance a few hundred meters. The struggle for some of the enemy strongholds went on for several days. The Germans often went over to counterattacks, which were supported by powerful artillery, including shipborne artillery, as well as the Luftwaffe.
For example, such a battle went over the height 205, 8, which had four lines of trenches and four long-term reinforced concrete firing structures. The perimeter was covered with various obstacles, including solid minefields. All approaches were fired upon by artillery, mortars and machine guns. Separate buildings, located in the area of heights 205, 8, were prepared for defense. The height was of great importance, since the battle formations of our troops were viewed from it to a great depth. At the same time, you can view the entire German defense up to the Danzig Bay, direct artillery fire at land and sea targets. The attempt of the 18th Guards Tank Brigade of the 3rd Guards Tank Corps to take the height on the move failed. On March 15, the 2nd Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade, which was in the second echelon, had to be brought into battle. The Germans easily repulsed the first attacks of our troops with machine-gun and artillery fire. On the first day of the assault, motorized riflemen and tankers were unable to move forward.
The next day, they decided to strike from several directions, some units were to distract the enemy, others to deliver the main blow. This tactic has been successful. While the 2nd company, under the command of Kulakov of the 1st motorized rifle battalion, attracted the enemy, the 1st company of senior lieutenant Zadereev was able to break into the first trench. A stubborn hand-to-hand fight ensued. At the same time, units of the 2nd motorized rifle battalion under the command of Captain Uvarov and Senior Lieutenant Deinogo broke into the enemy's positions. The commander of the 1st company of the 1st motorized rifle battalion, taking advantage of the fact that the German garrison was chained by battle in other directions, also attacked the enemy and broke through into the second trench. In the course of many hours of fighting, by the end of the day, our troops captured the first two trenches. The next day, there was a battle for the third trench all day, it was also occupied. On the morning of 18, after a short artillery attack, our troops again went to storm the enemy positions. Tanks and self-propelled guns went to the slopes of the heights and with their fire on the embrasures of combat firing structures suppressed enemy firing points. As a result, the infantry and sappers were able to destroy the German pillboxes. The remnants of the German garrison perished under the rubble.
Thus, in the course of an almost continuous three-day battle, our troops, at the cost of incredible efforts, took the enemy's height, captured about 300 enemy soldiers and took 10 guns, 16 mortars and 20 machine guns as trophies. This battle shows the conditions under which the assault on the German "fortress" took place.
Enemy aviation greatly interfered with the offensive operation. Therefore, on March 18, an operation was organized by the Soviet Air Force to destroy the enemy air group. Despite the bad weather, our aircraft dealt a powerful blow to German airfields. Our fighters blocked airfields to prevent German planes from taking off and attack aircraft from striking the runways. The operation was successful, 64 enemy aircraft were destroyed. After that, the German army practically lost its air support, which facilitated the offensive of our troops.
By March 24, the troops of the 49th and 70th armies broke through two lines of trenches, and reached the third, last line of fortifications. Throughout the day, Soviet artillery and aviation inflicted powerful blows on enemy defensive structures. As a result, a significant part of the fortifications was destroyed. On the night of March 25, Soviet troops broke through the last enemy line of defense and in the morning broke into Zopot. In the course of a fierce battle, the city was taken and the battle for the outskirts of Danzig began.
Thus, by March 26, Soviet troops were able to break through the German defenses in the central sector and divide the Danzig-Gdynian grouping into two parts. Zopot was captured. The German army was divided into three isolated groups in Danzig, Gdynia and on the Hel Spit.
Soviet tank crews firing at the faustics from the DShK machine gun in Danzig
The storming of Gdynia. Meanwhile, Soviet troops were advancing in the Gdynia region. The Gdynia fortified area was defended by 40 thousand groups, which had about 100 tanks and self-propelled guns, about 80 artillery batteries. The guns of 12 coastal batteries and a dozen ships constantly supported the ground forces. The Germans actively fought back, launched counterattacks, in some areas our troops repelled 15-20 attacks a day. On March 13, Soviet troops were able to break through the front line of defense and began an assault on the main positions. The pace of the offensive dropped sharply. By March 17, our troops wedged into the enemy's defenses and on March 23 reached the last defense belt.
Since March 24, Soviet troops have already fought for the nearest villages to Gdynia, stormed the suburbs and the city itself. From that moment on, such an army was withdrawn to the rear and from March 27 was returned to the 1st Belorussian Front. The troops of the 19th Army, after a small regrouping, continued the assault on the city. The first days the battle went on with the same intensity. We had to take one strong point after another, storm buildings. However, after our troops took 13 blocks by March 26, the Germans wavered. Their individual garrisons began to surrender without resistance or fled. The counterattacks lost their former fury. The categorical order of the German command to stand to death was no longer valid. The Germans fled or surrendered. On the night of March 27, the flight of German troops to the so-called. Oxheft bridgehead, which had been prepared in advance in case of a possible withdrawal from the city. Another part of the Gdynia group, throwing heavy weapons, ammunition and equipment, was hastily loaded onto ships. The organized defense collapsed, the Germans saved themselves as best they could.
As a result, on March 28, Soviet troops took Gdynia and its suburbs after many days of stubborn fighting. The remnants of the enemy's Gdynia group, which fled the Oxheft bridgehead, were also eliminated a few days later. About 19 thousand people were taken prisoner. Soviet troops captured rich trophies, including 600 guns, more than 1,000 machine guns, more than 6,000 vehicles, 20 ships (including 3 damaged cruisers), etc.
ISU-122 in Danzig
Tank T-34-85 with an infantry landing in the Danzig area
Unfinished German submarines captured by Soviet troops in Danzig
The assault on Danzig. Simultaneously with intense battles in the Zopot and Gdynian axes, Soviet troops stormed the fortifications of the Danzig defense region. The Germans stubbornly resisted, fiercely counterattacked. However, due to the success of the 70th and 49th armies in the central sector, enemy resistance weakened. The Germans began to lose one position after another. On March 23, Soviet troops reached the enemy's second defense belt. Here the resistance of the German troops intensified again. By the end of March 26, the troops of the 2nd shock and 65th armies broke through the enemy's defenses at the last line and reached the city.
On March 27, a decisive assault on Danzig began. Despite the doom of the German group, trapped in the city, the Germans fought fiercely. Particularly heavy battles were fought for large buildings and factory buildings. So for two days there was a battle for the territory of a chemical plant. Soviet aviation, with its strikes on fortified points, forts and fortress bastions, and the ships of the German fleet, supported the ground forces. By March 29, most of the city was cleared of the Nazis. On March 30, the city and port were taken. The remnants of the German group fled to the area of the Vistula estuary, where they soon capitulated. About 10 thousand people were taken prisoner. About 140 tanks and self-propelled guns, 358 field guns, 45 faulty submarines and other property were captured as trophies.
Thus, the troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front completely destroyed the Danzig-Gdynian grouping of the enemy. The 2nd German army was completely defeated. The eastern part of Eastern Pomerania was cleared of German troops. Soviet troops captured the strategic ports of Gdynia and Danzig. Germany lost its "fortress" and the large industrial center Danzig. The Soviet Union returned to Poland the ancient Slavic city of Danzig (Gdansk).
Howitzer B4 senior sergeant S. Spin during the assault on Danzig
Defeat of the Kolberg and Altdam groupings
Attacking Kolberg from the east, west and south, after several days of fighting, the Polish divisions cut off the German garrison from the sea and started a battle for the city itself. The Poles had no experience in urban battles, so the offensive developed slowly. However, on March 18, 1945, Kohlberg was taken. The German garrison was almost completely destroyed, its remnants surrendered.
In the Altamm area, the fighting was more intense. Here the Germans had a pre-prepared defense and significant forces. On March 14, after a strong artillery and aviation preparation, our troops launched a new offensive in the Altdam direction. Soviet aviation and artillery were able to suppress most of the fire weapons of the first line of defense and quickly broke through. However, as our troops advanced, German resistance increased sharply. The Germans threw reserves into battle, brought in a large amount of artillery, including coastal batteries in the Stettin area. The pace of the offensive has slowed down. We had to fight back every meter.
As a result of three days of fierce fighting, Soviet troops broke through to the last line of defense. In order to inflict the last crushing blow on the enemy, the offensive was stopped for a while, for the regrouping of tanks and artillery. On the morning of March 18, after a strong artillery preparation, the troops of the 61st, 47th and 2nd Guards Tank Armies resumed their offensive. The Germans fought back desperately and launched counterattacks. However, on March 19, the troops of the 47th and 2nd tank armies broke through the enemy's defenses and reached the Oder. As a result, the enemy's Altdam grouping was split into two parts, in the Altdamme region in the north and Greifenhagen in the south.
The German command made a desperate attempt to destroy our troops, which had wedged into their defenses. The counterattack was struck by the forces of two infantry divisions, supported by large armored divisions. The Germans attacked in converging directions: from the Altdam area to the south and from the Greifenhagen area to the north. However, they could not achieve success. In the oncoming battle, the counterattacking German troops suffered a heavy defeat. The Germans suffered serious losses.
Seeing the hopelessness of the situation, the German command began to withdraw troops beyond the Oder. On March 20, Soviet troops took Altdam. On the same day, troops of the 47th Army took Greifenhagen. The remnants of the Altdam group fled to the right bank of the Oder. During this battle, the Germans lost about 40 thousand people killed and 12 thousand prisoners.
Thus, Zhukov's armies defeated the Kolberg and Altamsky enemy groupings. The 11th German Army was completely defeated. Enemy strongholds Kolberg (Kolobrzeg) and Altdam were captured. Our troops cleared the western part of Eastern Pomerania from the Nazis. The entire eastern bank of the Oder was in the hands of the Soviet troops. The 1st Belorussian Front was able to concentrate its main forces in the Berlin direction.
Soviet soldiers in Altdamme
Brief summary of the operation
The East Pomeranian operation ended in complete victory for the troops of the 2nd and 1st Belorussian fronts. Army Group "Vistula" was defeated, its remnants retreated beyond the Oder. The threat to the right flank and rear of the 1st Belorussian Front from the East Pomeranian grouping was eliminated. The troops of the 1st Belorussian Front were able to concentrate all their efforts on the preparation of the Berlin operation. The troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front also freed themselves and were able to attack Berlin.
Soviet troops and the Polish army liberated the ancient Slavic land - Eastern Pomerania (Pomorie). Our troops reached the coast of the Baltic Sea and the mouth of the Oder, such large centers as Elbing, Graudenz, Danzig, Gdynia, Starogard, Stolp, Kozlin, Kohlberg, Treptow, Stargard, Altdam and others were occupied. The ancient Slavic region with large industrial centers and ports in the Baltic was returned to the Polish people.
Germany has lost an important industrial and agricultural base. The basing system of the Baltic Fleet and Soviet aviation was expanded. The blockade of German groups in East Prussia and Courland was strengthened. Important sea communications were disrupted, which made it possible to maintain the Courland and East Prussian groupings, which reduced their combat effectiveness.
The plans of the German command to organize a counterattack from the region of Eastern Pomerania and drag out the war collapsed. The complete collapse of the Third Reich was rapidly approaching.
German troops lost only about 90 thousand people killed. About 100 thousand people were taken prisoner. They took as trophies about 5 thousand guns and mortars, more than 8 thousand machine guns, several warships, about five dozen submarines (out of order) and many other equipment and military materials. The total losses of the Soviet troops amounted to more than 225 thousand people (irrecoverable - more than 52 thousand people).
Anti-aircraft gunners of the 740th artillery regiment on M-17 armored personnel carriers on the street of liberated Danzig
