Liberation of Lithuania in 1944. Baltic strategic defensive operation (1941)

The Baltics occupied a special place in the plans of the military-political leadership of the Third Reich. Control over the Baltics made it possible to "look after" most of the Baltic Sea, especially taking into account the coast of allied Finland. The Baltics allowed the German fleet to operate actively in the eastern part of the Baltic Sea and maintain contact with the Scandinavian countries, from where strategic materials and resources came to Germany. The Baltic region not only covered East Prussia from the east, but in itself was a supply base for the German Empire. Thus, oil shale processing enterprises operated in Estonia, which annually supplied the Third Reich with about 500 thousand tons of oil products. The Baltic States were the agricultural base of Germany, supplying a large amount of agricultural raw materials and food.

In addition, we must not forget that the Baltic nationalists supplied the Germans with "cannon fodder." They were especially active in police and punitive units, freeing the Germans for the divisions they needed on the front lines. It is worth recalling the fact that the Baltics were considered the "living space" of the Third Reich. The region was planned to be settled by the Germans, the “inferior population” (including Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians) was planned to be evicted deep into Russia, leaving part as service personnel, slaves.

Therefore, it was very important for Berlin to keep the Baltic states. The loss of this region was a significant blow to the German Empire. East Prussia was under attack. The Baltic Fleet received freedom of action. Germany was losing an important economic base. The German command did not want to withdraw Army Group North from the Baltic states, and even to carry out such an evacuation in given period it was already difficult.

Offensive operations in the Baltic became the so-called. "Stalin's eighth blow." The Baltic strategic offensive operation was carried out from September 14 to November 24, 1944. Its main goal was to defeat the German troops in the Baltic and liberate Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The battle for the Baltic included four front-line and inter-front operations: Riga, Tallinn, Moonsund and Memel. The battle lasted 71 days, the front was 1,000 km wide and 400 km deep. The Baltic operation ended with the defeat of the German Army Group North, the formation of the Kurland pocket and the liberation of the three Baltic republics from German occupation.

Column of Soviet 152-mm howitzers ML-20 in the liberated Tallinn

background

A major offensive in the Baltic began to be prepared even at the height of the Belarusian operation (). Until the summer of 1944, a major offensive operation in the Baltic did not have favorable conditions. In the summer of 1944, in the Baltic direction, Soviet troops carried out a series of operations that led to the liberation of important territories and the deterioration of the situation. German army. Participating in the Belarusian operation, the 3rd Belorussian Front crossed the border of the Lithuanian SSR in early July 1944 and liberated Vilnius on July 13. Later, Soviet troops reached the Lithuanian border with East Prussia.

On July 5-31, 1944, the troops of the 1st Baltic Front under the command of Ivan Bagramyan carried out the Siauliai operation (it was part of the strategic Belarusian operation). As a result, Soviet troops defeated the Šiauliai grouping of the enemy, liberated large areas of Latvia and Lithuania. On July 30-31, Soviet troops liberated Tukums and Jelgava and reached the Gulf of Riga. The German Army Group North was temporarily cut off from East Prussia. In August, during heavy fighting, the Germans were able to restore the land connection between the Baltic States and East Prussia.

On July 10-27, 1944, the troops of the 2nd Baltic Front, led by Andrey Eremenko, carried out the Rezhitsko-Dvina operation. As a result, Soviet troops broke through five strong defensive lines of the enemy, advanced 190-200 km, liberated 7 large and 16 small cities, a total of 5261 settlements. Among them are such important centers as Idritsa, Drissa, Opochka, Sebezh, Rezekne (Rezhitsa) and Daugavpils (Dvinsk). The liberation of the Kalinin region was completed and the liberation of Latvia began. In addition, the northern flank of the Soviet offensive in Belarus was secured. Significant German formations were pinned down by battle, and they could not be transferred to Belarus. The German command had to transfer troops from front to front (first to Belarus, then to the Baltic states), as a result, they did not have enough of them anywhere. Exhausted by marches and battles, the German divisions could not hold even strong and pre-equipped defensive lines.

On July 11-31, 1944, the troops of the 3rd Baltic Front under the command of Ivan Maslennikov carried out the Pskov-Ostrov operation. The well-prepared enemy defense (the "Panther" line), which was defended by the troops of the 18th Army, was broken through. Soviet troops occupied the powerful Pskov-Ostrovsky fortified area, liberated Ostrov and the ancient Russian city of Pskov. The operation led to the final liberation of the Leningrad region, and contributed to the offensive of the neighboring Leningrad Front.

On July 24-30, 1944, the troops of the Leningrad Front under the command of Leonid Govorov, with the support of the Baltic Fleet, carried out the Narva operation. As a result, the Narva grouping of the Wehrmacht was defeated. Soviet soldiers liberated the city and fortress of Narva. The Narva bridgehead was significantly expanded, which improved the operational position of the Soviet troops before the strategic Baltic operation. The liberation of Narva contributed to the successful offensive of the 3rd Baltic Front in the Tartu direction.

On August 1 - 28, 1944, the troops of the 2nd Baltic Front under the command of Andrey Eremenko carried out the Lubansko-Madonskaya operation. Soviet troops with heavy fighting overcame the impenetrable wooded and swampy Luban lowland, repelling strong enemy counterattacks. The cities of Livani, Varaklyany, Barkavy, Ligatne, Krustpils and other settlements were liberated. They stormed the powerful center of resistance, the city of Madona. The Germans failed to stop the Soviet offensive, but were able to significantly slow down its pace and, as a result, wear down the advancing Soviet troops. However, Eremenko's troops were able to reach the starting line to strike at Riga, albeit with a strong delay.

August 10 - September 6, the troops of the 3rd Baltic Front carried out the Tartu operation. As a result, Soviet troops advanced 100-130 km, liberated the city of Tartu and defeated the enemy's Tartu grouping. Conditions were created for entering the shores of the Gulf of Riga and attacking the flank and rear of the enemy Narva grouping.

Thus, in the summer of 1944, most of the defensive lines of the Wehrmacht in the Baltic States collapsed, the Soviet troops advanced more than 200 km in some directions. Almost half of the Baltic area was liberated from the Nazis. Soviet operations made it possible to pin down significant forces in the Baltic direction, which helped the troops of the Belorussian fronts to complete the defeat of Army Group Center in Belarus and break through to Eastern Poland. Soviet troops reached the approaches to Riga, creating all the conditions for completing the liberation of the Baltic states.

offensive plan

According to the directives of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, it was planned to dismember and destroy the North Army Group with the support of the Baltic Fleet by the troops of the three Baltic Fronts and the Leningrad Front, and finally liberate the Baltic states. The troops of the Baltic fronts delivered converging blows in the direction of Riga. The Leningrad front was advancing in the direction of Tallinn. The main attack was considered in the Riga direction, where the defense was held by the main forces of the German 16th and 18th armies. There were five tank divisions of the Wehrmacht here. This blow was supposed to lead to the defeat of the main forces of the "North" group and the liberation of Riga - the most important political and industrial center, the junction of land and sea communications of the Baltic states.

The destruction of the German operational group "Narva" in Estonia was assigned to the troops of the Leningrad Front and the Baltic Fleet. Govorov's troops were supposed to strike from the Tartu region in the direction of Rakvere. Thus, the troops of the Leningrad Front were supposed to go to the rear of the Narva enemy grouping, surround and destroy it. At the second stage, the troops of the front were to liberate the capital of Estonia - Tallinn, to reach the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Fleet under the command of Admiral Vladimir Tributs received the task of supporting the coastal flank of the Leningrad Front, preventing the landing of reinforcements and the evacuation of enemy forces by sea. Naval aviation received the task of bombing the coastal rear of the enemy.

The 3rd Baltic Front delivered the main blow on its right flank (67th and 1st shock armies) and in cooperation with the 2nd Baltic Front, which was advancing along the Madona-Riga line, in order to defeat the enemy’s Riga grouping and liberate the capital Latvia.

The 1st Baltic Front received the task of advancing with the main forces along the left bank of the Western Dvina in the Riga direction. Soviet troops were to reach the coast of the Gulf of Riga in the Riga area, preventing the main forces of Army Group North from withdrawing in the direction of East Prussia. Part of the forces of the 3rd Belorussian Front under the command of Ivan Chernyakhovsky also participated in the operation. Chernyakhovsky's troops advanced on westbound, in order to tie up the enemy forces in East Prussia in battle and prevent them from maintaining a corridor to the Baltic. The general management of the operation and the coordination of the actions of the fronts was carried out by Marshal Soviet Union Alexander Vasilevsky.

The Baltic fronts were supposed to launch an offensive on September 5-7, the Leningrad Front on September 15. However, the preparation of the strategic operation faced a number of difficulties. There was not enough time, so the Headquarters postponed the start of the offensive in the Riga direction for a week. The Leningrad Front was to go on the offensive on 17 September. Thanks to this time, it was possible to better prepare for the offensive, reconnoiter enemy positions, supply ammunition, fuel, and food. The sappers completed the construction of the planned roads and prepared to force water barriers.

Side forces

USSR. The troops of the left wing of the Leningrad, three Baltic, part of the forces of the 3rd Belorussian fronts numbered about 900 thousand people, more than 3 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns, about 17.5 thousand guns and mortars, over 2.6 thousand aircraft. 12 armies participated in the operation, that is, almost three-quarters of the strength of the four Soviet fronts. The offensive was also supported by ships and aircraft of the Baltic Fleet.

Germany. By the beginning of September, Army Group North under the command of Ferdinand Schörner included the 16th and 18th Armies, the 3rd Panzer Army (on September 20 it was transferred from the Army Group Center) and the Narva Task Force. In total, they included about 730 thousand people, over 1.2 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns, about 7 thousand guns and mortars, about 400 aircraft.

Activities of the German command and the defense system

The success of Operation Bagration sharply worsened the position of Army Group North. German troops were deeply enveloped from the south and pressed to the sea. Over the German grouping in the Baltics, there was a threat to fall into a huge "cauldron". On the other hand, the Baltic foothold allowed the Wehrmacht to launch a flank attack on the Soviet troops. Therefore, it was considered inexpedient to leave the Baltic States. To stabilize the front in the Baltic direction, the German command stepped up here engineering work, erecting additional defensive lines and structures, and also deployed reinforcements.

The strongest grouping was located in the Riga direction, which included 5 tank divisions. The Riga fortified area was considered insurmountable for the Russians. On the approaches to the capital of Latvia from the northeast and east, four defensive lines were equipped.

There was also a very powerful defense in the Narva direction. The relatively narrow isthmus between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Peipsi made it possible to create a well-equipped defense line here. Soviet troops unsuccessfully stormed these positions during the Leningrad-Novgorod operation. Now they are even stronger. In the Narva direction, the Germans had three defensive lines with a total depth of 25-30 kilometers.

Usually, the main strip of the main defensive lines included two or three positions. Wire fences were set up ahead of the positions and minefields with anti-personnel and anti-tank mines were set up. The positions themselves had two or three trenches connected by communication passages. Positions were located at a distance of several kilometers from each other. Between the main defensive lines created intermediate. In order to complicate the actions of the ships of the Baltic Fleet, the Germans installed various barriers in the Gulf of Finland. Both fairways along the southern and northern shores of the Gulf of Finland were covered with mines. Narva Bay and Tallinn Bay were especially densely mined.

In August, several infantry and tank divisions, reinforcements, and a large amount of equipment were transferred from Germany and from sectors of the front that were considered “calm”. Infantry divisions, bled dry in previous battles, on average replenished up to 8 thousand people. For this, personnel from the air and navy, as well as various rear units and institutions, were used. Young men and elderly men were mobilized. To restore the combat readiness of Army Group North, Germany spent a significant part of the human and material resources sent to the armed forces.

At the same time, Army Group North maintained a fairly high morale. The most severe discipline was maintained in the troops. To "support" the advanced units, detachments were formed from the SS troops. The propaganda machine continued to convince the soldiers that the war would soon turn to a turning point. It was reported that total mobilization in Germany would allow the formation of new formations, and the Wehrmacht would go on a decisive offensive. Rumors spread about a "wonder weapon".

Operation progress

The greatest success was achieved by the troops of the 1st Baltic Front under the command of Bagramyan. Good reconnaissance made it possible to identify the enemy's fire defense system, and it was almost completely suppressed by artillery and aviation preparation. The shock grouping of the front - the 4th shock army and the 43rd army, advancing from the Bauska region, broke through the enemy defenses and advanced to a depth of more than 50 km in three days. The 35th Tank Brigade of the 3rd Guards Mechanized Corps and the forward detachments of the 43rd Army of General Afanasy Beloborodov made their way to Baldona and Yelgava. There are only about 20 km left to Riga.

Thus, the Soviet troops broke through to the southwestern approaches to Riga and created the threat of encirclement and dissection of the entire Army Group North. For the German command, the first step was to organize strong counterattacks against the troops of the 4th shock and 43rd armies in order to stop them on the outskirts of the capital of Latvia. At this time, other troops were supposed to slip out of the emerging encirclement.

Meanwhile, the troops of the 3rd and 2nd Baltic Fronts tried to break into the powerful enemy defenses. They advanced slightly, but were able to inflict heavy losses on the 18th German Army and tie down its reserves.

The commander of Army Group North, Ferdinand Schörner, fearing that the operational group Narva in the Tallinn direction (6 divisions) would be cut off from the main forces, asked the high command for permission to withdraw it. Usually Hitler's reaction to such proposals was sharply negative. However, this time such permission was given. The Narva group was ordered to withdraw to pre-prepared lines east of Riga. The German command began to withdraw troops from Estonia, which reduced the front by 300 km.

The planned withdrawal of the German troops was hampered by the offensive of the Leningrad Front (Tallinn operation). Govorov's troops struck from the Tartu region. At the same time, part of the forces of the front, in cooperation with the Baltic Fleet, moved along the coast. The troops of the 2nd shock and 8th armies under the command of generals Ivan Fedyuninsky and Philip Starikov successfully advanced. The 8th Estonian Rifle Corps also participated in the liberation of their homeland. September 20 liberated the city of Rakvere, September 22 - Tallinn. On September 23, Soviet troops occupied Pärnu. By September 26, all mainland Estonia was liberated from the Nazis. A significant part of the German troops could not break through to the main forces and died or were captured. The Germans lost more than 45 thousand people killed and captured. Having united with the troops of the 3rd Baltic Front, Govorov's troops joined the battles for the liberation of Latvia. Subsequently, the Leningrad Front carried out the Moonsund operation (September 27 - November 24, 1944) to liberate the Moonsund archipelago. Most of the islands were liberated quickly. Only on the Sõrve peninsula on the island of Saaremaa did the offensive stall for a month and a half. Here the Germans organized resistance on the narrow isthmus of the peninsula. Due to poor organization and lack of ammunition, the Soviet troops could not break the enemy's resistance for a long time.

Meanwhile, the troops of the Baltic fronts continued to fight in the Riga direction (Riga operation). The German 16th, 18th, part of the forces of the 3rd Panzer Army were replenished by the retreating troops of the Narva group and fiercely fought back at the Sigulda line. The fighting took on a particularly stubborn character. Soviet troops had to literally gnaw through the enemy's defenses. The Germans launched furious counterattacks and even pushed the Soviet troops back in places. In particular, in the area of ​​Dobele, the German troops succeeded at the cost of huge losses to push our troops for 5 km. However, near Riga, the Germans were slowly but surely pressed. On September 22, Baldone was taken. The next day, the German command threw into battle two divisions that arrived from Estonia. However, the counterattack was repulsed.

Intense fighting in the Riga direction forced the German command to concentrate its main forces and reserves (33 divisions, including 4 tank divisions) on this narrow strip. This made it possible to temporarily hold Riga and the narrow strip of land along the Gulf of Riga, the last land line that linked Army Group North with East Prussia.

In this situation, the Soviet Headquarters decided to shift the direction of the main attack of the 1st Baltic Front from Riga to the Klaipeda direction, where the defense was held by 7-8 German divisions. The front command received the task of regrouping the troops of four armies with reinforcements from the right flank to the center, in the Siauliai region. Bagramyan's troops were to deliver a powerful blow in the western direction, defeat the troops of the 3rd Panzer Army and break through to the Baltic coast from Liepaja to the Neman River. The implementation of this operation cut off the troops of Army Group North from Prussia. The 39th Army of the 3rd Belorussian Front also participated in this operation. The troops of the 3rd and 2nd Baltic Fronts were to continue to put pressure on the enemy in the Riga direction, holding down the main forces of Army Group North in battle, preventing Schörner from regrouping forces.

On October 5, 1944, the Memel operation began. Troops of the 1st Baltic Front launched an offensive against Memel (Klaipeda). The strike force of the front included the forces of the 6th Guards, 43rd and 5th Guards Tank Armies. They were advancing from the Siauliai region. To the south-west of Siauliai, the 2nd Guards Army struck.

Soviet troops successfully broke through the enemy defenses and moved west. The 4th shock and 51st armies also joined the offensive. The German command did not foresee the possibility of a strike in the Klaipeda direction. The offensive of the 1st Baltic Front on Klaipeda was an unpleasant surprise for the Germans, Schörner was waiting for new attacks in the Riga direction. By the fourth day of the offensive, the depth of the breakthrough reached 60-90 km, and the width was 200-260 km. The fierce counterattacks of the German 3rd Panzer Army under such conditions did not lead to success.

On October 10, units of the 5th Guards Tank and 51st Armies of Generals Vasily Volsky and Yakov Kreizer went to the sea. Following them, on a broad front north and south of Memel, other formations of the front came out to the coast of the Baltic Sea. The movement of large forces of Army Group North in the Saldus-Priekule area, which tried to break into East Prussia, was stopped as a result of stubborn fighting. Thus, Schörner's troops lost the last land communication that connected them with Germany.

The siege of Klaipeda-Memel dragged on, and the city was taken only in January 1945. The Soviet 43rd Army was unable to take the fortress city on the move. Memel was defended by powerful defensive structures, fortress-type forts with reinforced concrete fortifications such as pillboxes. They were connected by underground communication passages. In addition, coastal and naval artillery were involved in the defense of the city. Additional troops were transferred by sea to defend Memel. On the Tilsit direction, the troops of the left wing of the front and the 39th Army of the 3rd Belorussian Front liberated the northern bank of the Neman from the enemy and reached the border with East Prussia. Lithuania was liberated from the Germans.

Taking into account the unfavorable development of the situation in the Klaipeda direction, the German command decided to begin the withdrawal of troops from the Riga region to the territory of the Courland Peninsula. On the night of October 6, the Germans began to evacuate troops from the area northeast of Riga. However, the planned withdrawal did not work. Soviet troops relentlessly pursued the enemy. Having broken through the enemy defenses, the troops of the 3rd and 2nd Baltic Fronts on October 12 started fighting for the capital of Latvia. The next day, Riga was liberated (the western part of the city was liberated only on October 15). By October 22, Soviet troops reached the enemy's Tukums defensive line and blocked the Germans on the Courland Peninsula. So the so-called. Courland boiler. This ended the Riga operation. Most of Latvia was liberated.

It is impossible not to note the great role that Soviet aviation and the Baltic Fleet played in the operation. Only 14th, 15th and 3rd air armies, which supported the Baltic fronts from the air, made 55 thousand sorties during the operation. The Baltic Fleet supported the coastal flanks of the ground forces, landed troops, assisted in the liberation of the islands, disrupted enemy sea communications and carried out important transportation.

Results

Army Group North suffered a heavy defeat. However, despite heavy losses (out of 59 formations, 26 were defeated, 3 divisions were completely destroyed), 33 infantry, tank and motorized divisions remained in its composition. About 500 thousand enemy soldiers and officers, a huge amount of equipment and ammunition fell into the Courland cauldron. The German Courland group was blocked and pressed to the sea, between Tukums and Liepaja. The German troops were doomed. There were no forces to break into East Prussia. There was no point in waiting for outside help. Soviet troops quickly developed an offensive against Central Europe. Having abandoned most of the equipment, supplies and suffered serious losses in personnel and ships, the group could be transferred to Germany by sea. However, this decision was abandoned.

The Soviet command also did not intend to destroy the German group, isolated from the rest of the Wehrmacht troops and not having the opportunity to influence the battles in the main directions. final stage war, at any cost. The 3rd Baltic Front was disbanded. The 1st and 2nd Baltic fronts received the task of destroying the German grouping. Taking into account the difficult terrain conditions of the Courland Peninsula (forests and swamps) and the onset of winter, which complicated the advance, the destruction of the German group dragged on until the end of the war. In addition, the Baltic fronts transferred significant forces to the main directions. Several fierce assaults on the Courland Peninsula did not lead to success. The Germans fought to the death, and the Soviet troops experienced a shortage of forces and ammunition. As a result, the fighting in the Kurland pocket ended only on May 15, 1945.

As a result of the Baltic operation, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were liberated from the Germans. Soviet power was restored everywhere. Only in a small part of Latvia did the German troops hold out. The Wehrmacht lost an important strategic foothold and raw material base, which it owned in for three years. The Baltic Fleet was able to conduct operations on German communications, cover coastal communications and the flanks of ground forces from the Gulf of Finland and Riga. With access to the coast of the Baltic Sea, Soviet troops were able to deliver flank attacks to German troops in East Prussia.

It should be noted that the Baltic States suffered greatly from the German occupation. During the three years of Nazi occupation, the population of the Baltic republics suffered enormous disasters. During this time, the Nazis exterminated about 1.4 million local residents and prisoners of war. The economy of the region, cities and villages was severely destroyed. There was a lot of work to be done to restore the Baltics.

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1944 - 1945: this is how Lithuania was liberated

About 80,000 soldiers and commanders of the Red Army died while liberating the territory of Lithuania from Nazi invaders. For more than half a year, the war rolled its bloody rollers, ruthless towards people, through our cities, towns, villages and farms. The seeds thrown into the ground in the spring by the caring hands of the peasant sprouted together, but were plowed up by the caterpillars of the tanks. Ripened meadow grasses burned from bursts of artillery shells. The fertile lands were surrounded by trenches. Instead of traditional crosses, fortified firing points have grown at the crossroads. The cities were cautiously silent, looking at the world with machine-gun loopholes instead of windows.

It was. And when, if not on Victory Day, to remember the glorious path traveled by the liberating army?

To keep the Baltic States at any cost - the German command did not set any other task for its troops. Covering East Prussia from the northeast, the Baltic states ensured the operations of the German fleet in the eastern part of the Baltic Sea, communication with an ally in the person of Finland, and with Sweden, which supplied Hitler with strategic materials. It was an excellent supply base, since it remained practically the only large part of the USSR occupied, which could still be plundered with impunity. However, hopes for a successful defense were not destined to come true.

The liberation of Lithuania consisted of several operations, namely: the Vilnius-Kaunas offensive, the operations in Dzukia and Suvalkia, the Siauliai offensive, the liberation of Samogitia and the Klaipeda region, the assault on Memel.

Švenčenis was liberated - the first large settlement on the territory of Lithuania.

Vilnius was liberated - the capital of Soviet Lithuania, which even in official documents the German command called "the gate to Prussia". The retreating units and formations of the 3rd Panzer Army were pulled here. The garrison of the city consisted of about 15 thousand people. Official propaganda never ceased to trumpet: Vilna will be defended by the elite forces of the German army, which is "the best guarantee of the power of German weapons."

Nemenchin. In this area, motorized units of the 3rd Belorussian Front crossed the Neris. Guards regiments from the corps of Lieutenant General Obukhov were the first to approach Vilnius, and already on July 9 the Nazi garrison of Vilnius was blocked.

At the same time, an attempt was made from the areas west of Vevis and Maishegol to break the Soviet encirclement and save those who were in the cauldron. As part of this plan, the enemy dropped an airborne assault to help the besieged, which was almost completely destroyed.

On July 11, the Wehrmacht's counterattacks ceased, and street fighting intensified at the same time. In order to avoid unnecessary sacrifices, the enemy was asked to capitulate, but he rejected this offer.

Street fighting broke out with renewed vigor. Narrow crooked streets and alleys, as well as the passage yards of the old city, were exceptionally convenient for defense and limited the use of Soviet tanks and heavy artillery. But on the relatively straight and wide streets there were real battles. So, for example, on the current Vokechu street, twelve German tanks rushed to the attack. Six were destroyed by anti-tank guns, two were blown up by grenades. On Paupio Street, among the barricades, the Germans camouflaged two machine guns, from which there was literally no life for the attackers. I had to roll the cannon through the yards and openings in the fences, and shoot through the gap in the gate. The guns fell silent...

For two days there were battles for Mount Gediminas and its environs, which were turned into an area of ​​defense in depth. A heated battle flared up for the station and the streets adjacent to it.

Alytus released.

Here, to the Neman, in the areas of Alytus and Grodno, the German command hastily pulled together large reserves. The Neman, wide in the Alytus region, was supposed to become a reliable natural barrier. However, already on July 14, units of the Red Army crossed the river in several places at once, and on July 15 the attackers had a bridgehead 70 kilometers wide in the area of ​​​​the city and to the south of it. Alytus was surrounded by a sudden blow and, after short but fierce street fighting, was occupied.

Advancing north of the Vilnius-Kaunas line, the troops of the 1st Baltic Front liberated the town of Dukshtas on July 12, reached the banks of the Sventoji in the Anyksciai region, broke through north of Surdegis, and approached Panevezys on the evening of July 21.

As a result of a swift strike from the north and south, on the morning of July 22, Panevezys was liberated from the Nazi invaders.

The Soviet command expected that with the liberation of Šiauliai, favorable conditions for attacks on the Riga and Klaipeda directions. This is how the idea of ​​the operation came into being, which went down in the history of wars as the Šiauliai operation.

In the direction of the main attack, by the end of July 25, Soviet troops reached the line Kamayai - Vabalninkas - Pumpenai - Naujamiestis - Ramigala - Pagiriai. The breakthrough to Siauliai was started by the 3rd Guards Mechanized Corps. On July 27, Baisogala was taken by storm, cut Railway Siauliai - Kaunas. Crushing the enemy, tankers on his shoulders rushed to the city center. Neither aviation nor tank counterattacks helped the Germans to keep an important transport hub on the way to East Prussia. Šiauliai was released.

The area near Kaunas and on the distant approaches to it is exceptionally favorable for organizing a stubborn defense. The interfluve of the Neris and the Neman, the railway junction turned out to be saturated with infantry and artillery, the city was surrounded by anti-tank and anti-personnel fortifications. Crossroads of streets turned into strongholds, basements - into warehouses of ammunition and food, into shelters. Towers of Kaunas churches - to observation posts and sniper positions.

From Ziežmariai, Soviet troops began to take Kaunas in pincers, and then closed them on the Kaunas-Marijampole highway. The enemy, pressed by infantry and tanks, retreated to the west, using convenient terrain for resistance, mining roads and houses, blowing up bridges and warehouses, burning everything that could burn.

On August 1, troops of the 5th Army, with the assistance of units of the 39th and 33rd armies, liberated Kaunas.
28.01.1945

On the distant approaches to Memel, fighting began as early as October 1944. In the first half of October, Kursenai, Telsiai, Plunge, Seda, Varniai, Mazeikiai, Tauragė, Kretinga, Palanga, Skuodas were liberated. The roads connecting Courland with East Prussia were cut. Parts of the Red Army went to the Baltic Sea.

In the second half of October, fighting began in the Klaipeda region. On October 23, our units occupied Pagegiai, Silute, Prekule, went to the lower reaches of the Neman, cutting off the communications connecting Klaipeda with Tilsit and Prussia.

Klaipeda (Memel) was blocked.

Even before dawn on January 28, the assault on the city began. Street fighting ensued. But the morale of the enemy was already far from the same as in 1941, and not even the same as in 1944.

By the evening of January 28, 1945, the city was taken, and the next day the Curonian Spit was free from the remnants of the Nazi troops. The most distinguished units in the battles were given the honorary title of "Klaipeda".

Soviet Lithuania was cleared of invaders.

Enemy losses:
8,000 killed. 5,000 prisoners. Captured 156 serviceable guns, mortars, tanks, aircraft, 6 railway echelons with various military cargo.

Enemy losses:
Over 8,000 killed. 1,200 prisoners. 36 tanks, 76 guns, 47 mortars, 140 vehicles, 20 armored cars.

Trophies of the Red Army:
17 tanks, 63 guns, 56 mortars, 244 machine guns, 26 warehouses with military equipment.

The Baltic operation is a military battle that took place in the autumn of 1944 in the Baltic. The result of the operation, which is also called the Eighth Strike of Stalin, was the liberation of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia from German troops. Today we will get acquainted with the history of this operation, its defendants, causes and consequences.

general characteristics

The Baltics played a special role in the plans of the military-political leaders of the Third Reich. By controlling it, the Nazis were able to control the main part of the Baltic Sea and maintain contact with the Scandinavian countries. In addition, the Baltic region was a major German supply base. Estonian enterprises annually gave the Third Reich about 500 thousand tons of oil products. In addition, Germany received huge amounts of food and agricultural raw materials from the Baltic states. Also, do not lose sight of the fact that the Germans planned to evict the indigenous population from the Baltic states and populate it with their fellow citizens. Thus, the loss of this region was a serious blow to the Third Reich.

The Baltic operation began on September 14, 1944 and lasted until November 22 of the same year. Its goal was the defeat of the Nazi troops, as well as the liberation of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. In addition to the Germans, the Red Army was opposed by local collaborators. Their main number (87 thousand) was part of the Latvian Legion. Of course, they could not offer proper resistance to the Soviet troops. Another 28 thousand people were part of the Latvian Schutzmannschaft battalions.

The battle consisted of four major operations: Riga, Tallinn, Memel and Moonsund. In total, it dragged on for 71 days. The width of the front reached about 1000 km, and the depth - about 400 km. As a result of the battle, Army Group North was defeated, and the three Baltic republics were completely liberated from the invaders.

background

The Red Army was preparing a large-scale offensive on the territory of the Baltic states during the Fifth Stalinist strike - the Belarusian operation. In the summer of 1944, Soviet troops managed to liberate the most important territories of the Baltic direction and prepare the foundation for a major offensive. By the end of the summer, the main number of defensive lines of the Nazis in the Baltic collapsed. In some directions, the USSR troops advanced 200 km. The operations carried out in the summer fettered significant German forces, which made it possible for the Belorussian Front to finally defeat Army Group Center and break through to Eastern Poland. Coming to the approaches to Riga, the Soviet troops had all the conditions for the successful liberation of the Baltic states.

offensive plan

In the directive of the Supreme High Command, the Soviet troops (three Baltic fronts, the Leningrad Front and the Red Banner Baltic Fleet) were tasked with dismembering and breaking up Army Group North, while freeing the territory of the Baltic states. The Baltic fronts attacked the Germans in the direction of Riga, and the Leningrad front went to Tallinn. The most important attack was a strike in the Riga direction, as it was supposed to lead to the liberation of Riga - a large industrial and political center, a junction of sea and land communications throughout the Baltic.

In addition, the Leningrad Front and the Baltic Fleet were instructed to destroy the Narva Task Force. Having recaptured Tartu, the troops of the Leningrad Front were to go to Tallinn and open access to the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Front received the task of supporting the coastal flank of the Leningrad troops, as well as preventing the arrival of German reinforcements and their evacuation.

The troops of the Baltic Front were to begin their offensive on September 5-7, and those of the Leningrad Front on September 15. However, due to the difficulties during the preparation for the strategic offensive operation, its start had to be postponed for a week. During this time, Soviet troops carried out reconnaissance work, brought weapons and food, and sappers completed the construction of the planned roads.

Side forces

In total, the Soviet army participating in the Baltic operation had about 1.5 million soldiers, more than 3 thousand armored vehicles, about 17 thousand guns and mortars, and more than 2.5 thousand aircraft. 12 armies took part in the battle, that is, almost the entire composition of the four fronts of the Red Army. In addition, the offensive was supported by the Baltic ships.

As for the German troops, by the beginning of September 1944, Army Group North, led by Ferdinand Schörner, consisted of 3 tank companies and Task Force Narva. In total, she had 730 thousand soldiers, 1.2 thousand armored vehicles, 7 thousand guns and mortars and about 400 aircraft. It is interesting to note that there were two divisions of Latvians in the Army Group North, representing the interests of the so-called "Latvian Legion".

German training

By the beginning of the Baltic operation, the German troops were engulfed from the south side and pressed to the sea. Nevertheless, thanks to the Baltic bridgehead, the Nazis could inflict a flank attack on the Soviet troops. Therefore, instead of leaving the Baltic states, the Germans decided to stabilize the fronts there, build additional defensive lines and call for reinforcements.

A group consisting of five was responsible for the Riga direction. It was believed that the Riga fortification area would be insurmountable for the Soviet troops. In the Narva direction, the defense was also very serious - three defensive lines about 30 km deep. To hinder the approach of the Baltic ships, the Germans set up many barriers in the Gulf of Finland and mined both fairways along its banks.

In August, several divisions and a large amount of equipment were transferred to the Baltic states from the "calm" sections of the front and Germany. The Germans had to spend a huge amount of resources to restore the combat capability of the North army group. The morale of the "defenders" of the Baltic states was quite high. The troops were very disciplined and convinced that the turning point of the war would soon come. They were waiting for reinforcements in the form of young soldiers and believed in rumors about a miracle weapon.

The Riga operation began on September 14 and ended on October 22, 1944. The main goal of the operation was the liberation of Riga from the invaders, and then the whole of Latvia. From the USSR, about 1.3 million soldiers were involved in the battle (119 rifle divisions, 1 mechanized and 6 tank corps, 11 tank brigades and 3 fortified areas). They were opposed by the 16th and 18th and part of the 3-1 army of the North group. The greatest success in this battle was achieved by the 1st Baltic Front under the leadership of Ivan Bagramyan. From September 14 to 27, the Red Army carried out an offensive. Having reached the Sigulda line, which the Germans fortified and replenished with troops that retreated during the Tallinn operation, the USSR troops stopped. After careful preparation on October 15, the Red Army launched a swift offensive. As a result, on October 22, Soviet troops took Riga and most of Latvia.

The Tallinn operation took place from 17 to 26 September 1944. The objective of this campaign was the liberation of Estonia and, in particular, its capital - the city of Tallinn. By the beginning of the battle, the second and eighth armies had a significant superiority in strength in relation to the German Narva group. According to the original plan, the forces of the 2nd shock army were to attack the Narva grouping from the rear, after which the assault on Tallinn would follow. The 8th Army was to advance if they went into retreat.

On September 17, the 2nd shock army set off to carry out its task. She managed to break through an 18-kilometer gap in the enemy defenses near the Emajõgi River. Realizing the seriousness of the intentions of the Soviet troops, Narva decided to retreat. Literally the next day, independence was proclaimed in Tallinn. Power fell into the hands of the underground Estonian government headed by Otto Tief. Two banners were raised on the central city tower - Estonian and German. For several days, the newly-created government even tried to resist the advancing Soviet and retreating German troops.

On September 19, the 8th Army launched an attack. The next day, the city of Rakvere was liberated from the Nazi invaders, in which the troops of the 8th Army joined forces with the troops of the 2nd Army. On September 21, the Red Army liberated Tallinn, and five days later, all of Estonia (with the exception of a number of islands).

During the Tallinn operation, the Baltic Fleet landed several of its units on the coast of Estonia and the adjacent islands. Thanks to the combined forces, the troops of the Third Reich were defeated in mainland Estonia in just 10 days. At the same time, over 30 thousand German soldiers tried, but could not break through to Riga. Some of them were taken prisoner, and some were destroyed. During the Tallinn operation, according to Soviet data, about 30 thousand German soldiers were killed, and about 15 thousand were taken prisoner. In addition, the Nazis lost 175 units of heavy equipment.

moonsund operation

On September 27, 1994, Soviet troops launched the Moonsund operation, the task of which was to capture the Moonsund archipelago and liberate it from the invaders. The operation continued until November 24 of the same year. The indicated area was defended by the Germans by the 23rd Infantry Division and 4 security battalions. On the part of the USSR, parts of the Leningrad and Baltic fronts were involved in the campaign. The main part of the islands of the archipelago was liberated quickly. Due to the fact that the Red Army chose unexpected points for landing its troops, the enemy did not have time to prepare a defense. Immediately after the liberation of one island, the landing force landed on another, which further disorientated the troops of the Third Reich. The only place where the Nazis were able to delay the advance of the Soviet troops was the Syrve peninsula of Saaremaa Island, on the isthmus of which the Germans were able to hold out for a month and a half, tying down the Soviet rifle corps.

Memel operation

This operation was carried out by the 1st Baltic and part of the 3rd Belorussian Front from October 5 to October 22, 1944. The goal of the campaign was to cut off the armies of the North group from the eastern part of Prussia. When the first Baltic Front, under the leadership of the magnificent commander Ivan Bagramyan, reached the outskirts of Riga, he faced serious enemy resistance. As a result, it was decided to move the resistance to the Memel direction. In the area of ​​​​the city of Siauliai, the forces of the Baltic Front regrouped. According to the new plan of the Soviet command, the Red Army troops were to break through the defenses from the western and southwestern parts of Siauliai and reach the Palanga-Memel-Naman River line. The main blow fell on the Memel direction, and the auxiliary one fell on the Kelme-Tilsit direction.

The decision of the Soviet commanders was an absolute surprise for the Third Reich, which was counting on the resumption of offensives in the Riga direction. On the first day of the battle, the USSR troops broke through the defenses and deepened in different places at a distance of 7 to 17 kilometers. By October 6, all the troops that had been prepared in advance arrived on the battlefield, and on October 10 the Soviet army cut off the Germans from the Germans. As a result, a tunnel of the Soviet army was formed between the troops of the Third Reich, based in Courland and East Prussia, the width of which reached 50 kilometers. The enemy, of course, could not overcome this lane.

By October 22, she had liberated almost the entire northern bank of the Neman River from the Germans. In Latvia, the enemy was driven out to the Courland Peninsula and reliably blocked. According to the results of the Memel operation, the Red Army advanced 150 km, liberated more than 26 thousand km 2 of territory and more than 30 settlements.

Further events

The defeat of Army Group North, led by Ferdinand Schörner, was quite heavy, however, 33 divisions remained in its composition. The Third Reich lost half a million soldiers and officers, as well as a huge amount of equipment and weapons. The German Courland group was blocked and pressed to the sea, between Liepaja and Tukums. She was doomed, since there was neither the strength nor the opportunity to break into East Prussia. Help was nowhere to be expected. The offensive of the Soviet troops in Central Europe was very swift. Leaving part of the equipment and supplies, the Kurland group could be evacuated across the sea, but the Germans refused such a decision.

The Soviet command did not set itself the task of destroying the helpless German grouping at any cost, which could no longer influence the battles of the final stage of the war. The third Baltic front was disbanded, and the first and second were sent to Courland to complete what had been started. Due to the onset of winter and the geographical features of the Courland Peninsula (the predominance of swamps and forests), the destruction of the fascist group, which included Lithuanian collaborators, dragged on for a long time. The situation was complicated by the fact that the main forces of the Baltic fronts (including the troops of General Baghramyan) were transferred to the main directions. Several hard assaults on the peninsula were unsuccessful. The Nazis fought to the death, and the Soviet units experienced a severe shortage of forces. Ultimately, the battles in the Courland pocket ended only on May 15, 1945.

Results

As a result of the Baltic operation, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia were liberated from the fascist invaders. The power of the Soviet Union was established in all the recaptured territories. The Wehrmacht lost its raw material base and strategic foothold, which it had for three years. The Baltic Fleet had the opportunity to conduct operations on German communications, as well as cover ground forces from the Gulf of Riga and the Gulf of Finland. Having recaptured the coast of the Baltic Sea during the Baltic operation of 1944, the Soviet Army was able to attack from the flanks the troops of the Third Reich, who had settled in East Prussia.

It is worth noting that the German occupation caused serious harm to the Baltics. During the three years of Nazi domination, about 1.4 million civilians and prisoners of war were exterminated. The economy of the region, cities and towns suffered greatly. A lot of work had to be done to fully restore the Baltic states.

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Baltic strategic offensive operation (September 14 - November 24, 1944)

Soviet infantrymen in battle. October 1944, Riga region

The Baltic states have always occupied an important place in the plans of the German leadership. She covered East Prussia from the northeast. Control over it allowed the German fleet to operate in the eastern part of the Baltic Sea and maintain contact with the Scandinavian countries, which supplied Germany with strategic materials. The Baltic states were themselves a supply base. For example, oil shale processing plants operated in Estonia, which supplied Germany with about 500,000 tons of oil products per year. From the Baltic States, the Germans received a significant amount of agricultural raw materials and food.

The Baltic strategic offensive operation of the Soviet troops was carried out from September 14 to November 24, 1944 with the aim of defeating the grouping of German troops in the Baltic states and completing the liberation of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania from German troops. The operation lasted 71 days, the front was 1,000 km wide and 400 km deep.

Baltic strategic offensive operation.
September 14 - November 24, 1944

By the end of August 1944, the general situation in the Baltic states was determined by the results of the Red Army. The German Army Group North (Colonel-General F. Scherner) was deeply engulfed from the south and pressed against the Baltic Sea. A real threat loomed over her of being cut off from the main forces of the Wehrmacht, that is, falling into a position that the Germans had not so long ago imposed on the Anglo-French armies in Dunkirk or the Soviet troops in Leningrad. At the same time, the configuration of the front allowed Army Group North to launch a flank attack on the troops of the Soviet fronts striving for the Baltic Sea. But it was not 1941 in the yard. Now the German leadership had to think not about the offensive, but about how to keep what it had. In an effort to stabilize the front in the Baltic direction, the enemy urgently erected additional defensive lines and structures here, and strengthened his troops.

The strongest enemy grouping, which included 5 tank divisions, was located in the Riga area. This direction was considered, according to the German command, insurmountable for the Soviet troops. On the outskirts of the city from the northeast and east, 4 defensive lines were equipped.

The enemy created a strong defense in the Narva direction, especially between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Peipsi. The line previously built here, which the Soviet troops could not overcome during the course, was significantly strengthened. Now it included three defensive lines with a total depth of 25 - 30 km.

As a rule, the main line of the main defensive lines consisted of 2 - 3 positions. The first had 2 - 3 trenches with a developed network of communication passages. Ahead of the line are barbed wire and minefields. The second position was located 2 - 4 km from the first, and the third was located at the same distance from the second. Positions consisted of 1 - 2 trenches. At 5 - 10 km behind the main strip, another - rear - strip was being prepared. Between the main defensive lines, the German command created, mainly by the forces of penal units and the local population, intermediate lines.

Various barriers that hampered the actions of the Baltic Fleet were installed by the enemy in the Gulf of Finland. Both fairways along the southern and northern shores of the Gulf of Finland were mined, and the most densely - Narva Bay and Tallinn Bay.

In August, several infantry and tank divisions, a large number of tanks and assault guns were transferred from Germany, as well as from other sectors of the front, to the Baltic states. The infantry divisions have been replenished with up to 8,000 personnel from aviation and the navy, as well as through disbanded various rear units and institutions, and the mobilization of the elderly and adults. To replenish the troops of the Army Group "North" a significant part of the resources of Nazi Germany in manpower and military equipment was spent.

The troops of the left wing of Leningrad (Marshal of the Soviet Union), 3rd Baltic (general of the army), 2nd Baltic (general of the army), 1st Baltic (general of the army), part of the forces of the 3rd Belorussian ( army general) of the fronts, the forces of the Baltic Fleet (Admiral V.F. Tributs) and long-range aviation. In total, they included 900 thousand people, about 17.5 thousand guns and mortars, over 3 thousand tanks and self-propelled artillery installations, more than 2.6 thousand combat aircraft. The coordination of the actions of the three Baltic fronts was carried out by the representative of the Headquarters of the Supreme Command Marshal of the Soviet Union, the leadership of the actions of the Leningrad Front was retained by the Headquarters.

The enemy grouping that opposed the Soviet troops in the Baltic included the Narva task force, the 18th and 16th field, 3rd tank (transferred on September 20 from the Center army group to the North army group) of the army - a total of 730 thousand people. people, 7 thousand guns and mortars, over 1.2 thousand tanks and assault guns, up to 400 combat aircraft.

The combat readiness of the German troops in the Baltic was higher than in other groups. It was supported by cruel discipline, surveillance by the Gestapo of soldiers and officers. Behind the combat units, in order to "maintain their morale," there were SS barrage detachments, which prevented the infantry from retreating from their positions with machine gun fire. Fascist propaganda persistently tried to convince the soldiers that a turning point in the war would soon come. It was said that by declaring total mobilization, Germany would form many new divisions and be able to go on a decisive offensive. Non-existent heavy-duty weapons were praised in every way. It was clear from everything that Hitler not only did not think about withdrawing his troops from the Baltic states, but, on the contrary, tried in every possible way to strengthen them.

Radio intelligence provided valuable information about the enemy, the composition of his troops and their disposition. At that time, radio reconnaissance units, using the handwriting of enemy radio operators, the power of stations, call signs and special signs of work, quickly and accurately determined the location of headquarters of all levels, accurately indicated the defense areas of divisions and regiments. As a rule, these data were confirmed by the capture of control prisoners.

The plan of the Soviet command was to cut off the enemy grouping defending in the Baltic from East Prussia, dismember it and destroy it in parts. At the same time, the main efforts were concentrated against the enemy grouping in the Riga area (the main forces of the 16th and 18th German armies), where the troops of the three Baltic fronts were to strike in converging directions. The liquidation of the enemy grouping in Estonia (operational group "Narva") and the liberation of the Estonian SSR was planned to be carried out by the troops of the Leningrad Front with the assistance of the Baltic Fleet.

The Leningrad Front was ordered to strike from the Tartu region in the direction of Rakvere and, leaving the main forces to the rear of the enemy Narva grouping, surround and destroy it. Subsequently, develop an offensive against Tallinn, liberate the capital of Estonia and reach the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea.

The Baltic Fleet was obliged to cover the flanks of the groupings of the Leningrad Front, to prevent the landing of enemy troops and the withdrawal of enemy forces from Estonia by sea.

The 3rd Baltic Front delivered the main blow on its right wing and in cooperation with the 2nd Baltic Front, which was advancing on Riga from the east, in order to defeat the enemy grouping opposing them.

The 1st Baltic Front was ordered to advance with the main forces along the left bank of the Western Dvina towards Riga with the task of reaching the coast of the Gulf of Riga in the area of ​​the Latvian capital, preventing the withdrawal of the troops of Army Group North towards East Prussia.

Thus, the main blow of the three Baltic fronts was aimed at the capital of Latvia, Riga - the most important political, administrative and industrial center, the intersection of land and sea communications.

In its scope, the Baltic offensive operation was one of the largest strategic operations in the autumn of 1944, because 12 armies were deployed on a 500-km front, which amounted to almost 3/4 of the forces of the four Soviet fronts.

The beginning of the offensive of the Baltic fronts in the Riga direction was scheduled for September 5 - 7, the troops of the Leningrad Front - for September 15. The fulfillment of the tasks set by the headquarters of the Supreme High Command required a very complex complex preparatory activities. During the week, the Soviet troops were to increase the total number of tanks and self-propelled guns in the breakthrough areas by almost 1.5 times. Particular attention was paid to tanks directly supporting the infantry. However, this problem could not be completely solved, since, according to the instructions of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, tank and mechanized corps were ordered to be used only for the development of success. Therefore, of the 287 tanks and self-propelled guns available in the 2nd Baltic Front, only 133 combat vehicles were used as tanks for direct infantry support. Preparations for the offensive operation were carried out in all directions. The troops were engaged in the accumulation of ammunition, fuel, food, supplying all necessary hospitals. Combat training was going on in formations and units with all categories of personnel - fighters and commanders learned to overcome the developed enemy defense system, overcome various engineering structures, obstacles, force rivers and lakes.

Despite the round-the-clock work, there was not enough time. In this regard, the Stavka postponed the start of the operation for a week; troops of the Leningrad Front were to launch an offensive on 17 September. Thanks to this, the rear services, which did not have time to deliver the required amount of ammunition, fuel and food by the originally scheduled date, managed to catch up. Engineering Troops better prepared to overcome water obstacles, completed the construction of the planned roads and column roads. By this time, dry sunny weather had settled in the Baltic States. The roads finally dried up, and the Soviet troops hurried to take advantage of this.

On September 14, 1944, the troops of the Baltic fronts, after artillery and aviation preparation, launched an offensive in the Riga direction. Despite the stubborn resistance of the Germans, their first position was broken through by 2-4 km by the end of the day. In the zone of the 1st Baltic Front, the 43rd Army of Lieutenant General A.P. Beloborodov and the 4th Shock Army of Lieutenant General P.F. Malyshev crossed the Lielupe River and broke through the defenses of the German troops. During the first 3 days of the operation, the troops of the shock group of the front advanced southeast of Riga to a depth of 50 km. The rear army defensive line of the enemy, which was the southern face of the Sigulda line, which was highly developed in terms of engineering, was broken through on the 8-km front. The advanced units of the 43rd Army were fighting just 25 km southeast of the capital of Latvia. Success was ensured by suppressing enemy defenses with high-density artillery fire and air strikes. The dams built in the upper reaches of the Memele and Lielupe rivers also played their role. With the start of the attack, they were closed, as a result of which the water level dropped, and the infantry with tanks were able to quickly cross the rivers. Having broken through the Sigulda line, which was of great operational importance in the enemy defense system, the troops of the 1st Baltic Front created a threat of cutting off the main forces of Army Group North in the Baltic.

The German command took all measures to stop the advance of the troops of the 1st Baltic Front in the Riga direction at any cost and to withdraw the troops of Army Group North, defending north of the Western Dvina River, to the Sigulda rear defensive line. To eliminate the threat to Riga from the south, the enemy decided to carry out two counterattacks: the first with the forces of the 3rd Panzer Army in the direction of Jelgava, the second - with 2nd Panzer and 4th Infantry Divisions against the advancing 43rd Army. On September 17, especially bloody battles began in these areas. Some positions changed hands several times. More and more reinforcements approached the Germans. The German command transferred part of the forces from the strip of the 2nd Baltic Front. Despite persistent attacks, the enemy failed to achieve their goal. On September 22, he stopped offensive operations.

Events unfolded much more slowly in the zones of the 3rd and 2nd Baltic fronts. North of the Western Dvina, they ran into stubborn enemy resistance. It was on this sector of the front that General Scherner threw all available forces. In the first 3 days, the offensive of both fronts took on the character of protracted battles with little progress within the enemy's main line of defense.

At the command post of the 2nd Baltic Front.
From right to left: front commander A. I. Eremenko, chief of staff L. M. Sandalov, head of the political department A. P. Pigurnov
and member of the Military Council V. N. Bogatkin. Autumn 1944

At the same time, the German command was forced to use up all available reserves. The divisions defending here were drained of blood and were reduced to battle groups. General Scherner reported to Hitler that for the German troops in the Baltic, who had lost almost half of their strength, the last moment had come. Army Group North was unable to conduct long-term defensive operations, so there was only one option left for it - to leave. The next day, Scherner received permission to withdraw troops to East Prussia.

On September 17, when all the attention of the German command was focused on the Riga direction, the troops of the left wing of the Leningrad Front (8th and 2nd shock armies), with the participation of the Baltic Fleet, launched an attack on Tallinn. A complete surprise for the German command was the appearance in the Tartu region of the 2nd shock army of a lieutenant general. Just a few days before the start of the offensive, she was behind Lake Peipsi. However, thanks to a bold maneuver, more than 100 thousand people, 1000 guns, 4 thousand cars, more than 13 thousand horses, 14 thousand tons of ammunition and 67 thousand tons of food were able to cross the lake in half a month.

The operational group "Narva", which was operating against the troops of the left wing of the Leningrad Front, due to the unfavorable operational and strategic situation, was preparing to withdraw its troops from Estonia, which was scheduled for the evening of September 19th. However, the breakthrough by the Soviet troops of the enemy defenses in the Tartu region with further development The offensive of the 2nd shock army in the northern direction created a threat of encirclement of the Nazi troops defending on the isthmus between Narva Bay and Lake Peipsi, and frustrated the plans of the enemy command for a systematic withdrawal of troops from Estonia. Therefore, the troops of the operational group "Narva" were forced to begin their retreat a day ahead of schedule.

Subsequently, the troops of the Leningrad Front developed a rapid pursuit of the enemy in the western and southwestern directions. The 2nd shock army, after reaching the Rakvere region, deployed its main forces to the southwest and by September 24 reached the coast of the Gulf of Riga. To the south, the troops of the 67th Army (Lieutenant General V. Z. Romanovsky) of the 3rd Baltic Front came out to the coast. The troops of the 8th Army of Lieutenant-General F.N. Starikov, to which the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps was transferred, advancing at a rate of up to 40 km per day on September 22, liberated the capital of the Estonian SSR, Tallinn, an important naval base and a major port on the Baltic Sea. As part of the 8th Army, the 7th Estonian Division under the command of Colonel K. A. Allikas entered Tallinn.

Warriors of the 8th Estonian Corps enter Tallinn after the liberation of the city from the German troops. September 1944

The combat actions of the front were carried out jointly with the Baltic Fleet, whose ships, with their fire, the landing of reconnaissance groups and landing forces, supported the offensive of troops along the coast of the Gulf of Finland. Aviation of the 13th Air Army under Lieutenant General S. D. Rybalchenko and fleet aviation under the command of Lieutenant General M. I. Samokhin were active.

In the following days (until September 26), the troops of the Leningrad Front reached the coast of the Baltic Sea all the way from Tallinn to Pärnu, thereby completing the clearing of the enemy from the entire territory of Estonia, with the exception of the islands of Dago and Ezel. By the directive of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command of September 27, the 2nd shock army, consisting of 9 divisions, was withdrawn to the reserve of the Headquarters.

During the Tallinn operation, which lasted only 10 days, the troops of the Leningrad Front defeated 4 infantry divisions, 5 artillery regiments, a number of other units and subunits, and 3 divisions and 1 brigade were greatly weakened. During the operation, over 30 thousand were killed and about 16 thousand enemy soldiers and officers were taken prisoner.

At the same time, the offensive of the Soviet troops in the direction of Riga stalled. The enemy grouping here was replenished at the expense of the forces that withdrew from Estonia. It now included 33 divisions, including 4 tank divisions. The headquarters of the Supreme High Command, considering that further fighting in the Riga area would be fraught with heavy losses, on September 24 decided to transfer the main efforts to a new direction - Memel, where 7 - 8 enemy divisions operated.

On the same day, preparations began for the Memel operation, which was to be carried out by the troops of the 1st Baltic Front and the 39th Army of the 3rd Belorussian Front. The main objective of this operation was to defeat the enemy grouping operating in the Memel direction (formations of the 3rd Panzer Army), the exit of our troops to the coast of the Baltic Sea, which achieved the isolation of all troops of Army Group North from the rest of the forces of the Nazi army, pressing it to the sea and creating conditions for its complete destruction. The start of the offensive was scheduled for October 5th.

The headquarters ordered General I. Kh. Baghramyan to regroup all the forces of the front in the Siauliai region. At the same time, General A.I. Eremenko was ordered to change the troops of the right wing of the 1st Baltic Front in the 60-km section from the Western Dvina River to Bene inclusive.

The troops of the 2nd and 3rd Baltic fronts were supposed to regroup on October 7 to resume active operations in the Riga-Libau direction, liberate Riga and clear the coast of the Gulf of Riga from Riga to Libau from the enemy. The offensive in the Memel direction was supported from the north by active operations towards Liepaja by the 4th shock army and from the south by an attack by the 39th army of the 3rd Belorussian Front from the Raseiniai area in the direction of Tauragė. In connection with the Moonsund landing operation of the troops of the Leningrad Front and the forces of the Baltic Fleet, which began on September 27, as well as the active operations of the troops of the 3rd and 2nd Baltic Fronts in the Riga region, the enemy was unable to transfer significant forces from the Sigulda line to repel the Soviet offensive troops in the Memel direction.

On the morning of October 5, after a powerful artillery and aviation preparation, the troops of the 1st Baltic Front launched an offensive. Due to the suddenness of the blow, the enemy was unable to put up any serious resistance.

Using the success achieved on the very first day of the offensive, the front commander, General Bagramyan, decided the next day to bring into battle the armies of the second echelon of the front. This decision was conditioned by the need for the fastest possible defeat of the enemy troops and the prevention of an organized approach of his reserves. For 4 days, the enemy defense was broken through to a depth of 60 - 70 km, and the total width of the breakthrough front was about 200 km. German troops suffered heavy losses. Formations of the 5th Guards Tank Army under the command of Lieutenant General V.T. Volsky, acting in operational depth, on the sixth day of the offensive reached the coast of the Baltic Sea in the Palanga region, thereby cutting off Army Group North from the communications linking it with Germany.

On October 9, 1944, the order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief was heard on the radio. It said that the troops of the 1st Baltic Front, with the assistance of the troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front, broke through the heavily fortified enemy defenses and advanced up to 100 km in 4 days of offensive battles. During the offensive, they captured a number of important strongholds of the enemy defense and liberated over 2,000 settlements with fighting. At 2030 hours, in commemoration of the victory won, the capital of our Motherland, Moscow, saluted the troops of the 1st Baltic Front with 20 volleys from 224 guns.

Salute to the soldiers of the Red Army,
out on the coast of the Baltic Sea. Autumn 1944

However, the offensive of the 43rd Army was soon stopped on the outskirts of Memel, where the Germans erected powerful defensive structures. They were fortress-type forts with reinforced concrete structures in the form of pillboxes, connected by underground communication passages. To defend the city, the enemy involved coastal defense artillery and warships brought into the port of Memel. The defensive structures were occupied by detached formations, as well as units transferred to Memel by sea. The 43rd Army could not overcome such a powerful defense on its own. The front commander was unable to provide assistance due to the fact that the main forces of the front were involved in the destruction of the Courland group pressed to the sea. Further struggle for Memel in October 1944 did not positive results. The city was liberated only in 1945.

While the troops of the 1st Baltic Front were advancing towards the sea, the 2nd and 3rd Baltic Fronts were advancing on Riga north of the Daugava. As our troops approached the capital of Latvia, the enemy increasingly used all kinds of barriers, especially in the wooded and swampy areas along the banks of the Maza-Jugla River, but this could no longer stop the formations of the Red Army.

At dawn on October 10, the troops of the 2nd and 3rd Baltic fronts from the Gulf of Riga to the city of Jelgava attacked the enemy and, having knocked him off the intermediate defensive line, approached Riga by another 8-12 km. In all areas they approached the last defensive line in front of the city - the city bypass. On October 12, fighting began on the outskirts of the Latvian capital. The next day, formations of the 1st shock army, Lieutenant General N. D. Zakhvataev and the 67th Army, General V. Z. Romanovsky, cleared the eastern part of the city from the enemy. In the afternoon, the advance detachment of the 374th rifle division Colonel Gorodetsky managed to cross to the left bank of the Daugava and capture a bridgehead there, which was immediately expanded. Panic broke out among the Germans. Fearing that they would be cut off from the Daugava, they went to the river.

October 14 turned around fighting on the southern approaches to Riga. After fierce battles, the 10th Guards Army of Lieutenant General M.I. Kazakov and the 130th Latvian Rifle Corps, advancing in this direction, cleared the western part of the city from the enemy on October 15, thereby completing the liberation of Riga.

Warriors of the 130th Latvian Rifle Corps
pass through the liberated Riga. October 1944

At this time, the 43rd Army and the tank corps of the 5th Guards Tank Army of the 1st Baltic Front bypassed Memel from the north and south and blocked the city from land, and the troops of the 2nd Guards Army of Lieutenant General P. G. Chanchibadze came out on the border with East Prussia.

The troops of the 39th Army, Colonel General I. I. Lyudnikov from the 3rd Belorussian Front, using the success of the 1st Baltic Front, also reached East Prussia by October 11 and wedged into its borders. Subsequently, these armies continued their offensive in the Tilsit direction and by the end of October they had completely cleared the northern bank of the Neman River from the enemy.

As a result of the Memel and Riga operations, Soviet troops reached the Baltic coast, wedged into the territory of East Prussia and cut off Army Group North from it. Despite a major defeat, the Nazis managed to withdraw the main forces of Army Group North (about 34 divisions) to the Courland Peninsula and organize stubborn resistance there.

By the Directive of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command of October 16, the 3rd Baltic Front was abolished, its command, front-line units, institutions and the 54th Army were withdrawn to the Headquarters reserve, and the rest of the troops were transferred to the Leningrad (67th Army), 1st (61st -I Army) and the 2nd (1st Shock Army, 14th Air Army) Baltic Fronts. The destruction of the Courland grouping was entrusted to the troops of the 2nd and 1st Baltic fronts. The coordination of the actions of the two Baltic and 3rd Belorussian fronts was entrusted to A. M. Vasilevsky. L. A. Govorov remained commander of the troops of the Leningrad Front.

On October 17, the troops of the two Baltic fronts continued their offensive. The enemy was well aware of the area from which the main blow was delivered, and of the direction of the blow. The German command left an extensive reconnaissance network on the territory of Latvia. In addition, radio and air reconnaissance established the regrouping of the main forces of the 2nd Baltic Front to the left flank, and the troops of the 1st Baltic Front to the right. Therefore, the forward advance of the fronts on this day did not exceed 2-4 km.

On October 18, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command pointed out the exceptional importance of the speedy liquidation of German troops northeast of Liepaja and in the Memel region, demanding that all the efforts of the troops of the 1st and 2nd Baltic Fronts be directed to their defeat, to attract long-range aviation and aviation of the Baltic Fleet, to intensify actions submarines on sea lanes.

Using the offensive of the Baltic fronts in the Riga and Memel directions, the troops of the Leningrad Front, together with the Baltic Fleet, successfully completed the Moonsund landing operation to liberate the Moonsund archipelago. Hitler in a special directive ordered to defend the Moonsund archipelago at all costs. The garrisons of the islands were given the task of preparing an insurmountable defense in the most probable areas for the landing of Soviet troops. On the Moonsund Islands, the enemy had almost 14 thousand people, most of whom defended the largest island of Saaremaa (Ezel). The defensive grouping was supported by the fire of 10 artillery battalions and air strikes based at the airfields of Courland. In addition, the defenders were supported by the forces of the fleet, consisting of destroyers, self-propelled artillery barges, minesweepers, torpedo and patrol ships.

The task of liberating the island part of Estonia was entrusted to the 8th Army of the Leningrad Front under the command of General I. O. Starikov. From the composition of the Baltic Fleet, 58 torpedo boats, 13 patrol ships, 13 minesweepers, 8 naval armored boats, 40 tenders and 2 assault divisions of naval aviation were allocated for the operation.

On September 27, the troops of the 8th Army, with the participation of the forces of the fleet, occupied the island of Vormsi, and on September 30, the island of Muhu, preparing a bridgehead for the deployment of the main forces to capture the islands of Hiiumaa (Dago) and Ezel. On October 3, Dago was cleared of the enemy. From October 5 to October 9, there was a struggle for Ezel, which ended with the withdrawal of our troops to the isthmus in the southern part of the island.

The liquidation of the remnants of the Nazi troops entrenched in the southern part of Ezel Island, due to the significant strengthening of the enemy, as well as due to the lack of artillery, ammunition and a number of shortcomings in command and control, was completed only on November 24, 1944.

With the accomplishment of this task, as well as with the entry of our troops to the coast of the Baltic Sea south of Libau, the conditions for the operations of ships and submarines of the Baltic Fleet on the enemy's communications linking his Courland grouping with Germany improved significantly.

The offensive of the Soviet troops in the Baltic States was facilitated by the successful actions of the 3rd Belorussian Front. In the period from October 16 to 30, his troops, using the forces of 5 combined arms armies, broke through the enemy’s long-term defense in depth, covering the border of East Prussia, and invaded its borders on a 100-km front and to a depth of 60 km. The fighting was transferred directly to the territory of Germany.

The significance of the operation of the troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front was that it pinned down large enemy forces for a long time, preventing them from being used to strike against the 1st Baltic Front, which had reached the coast of the Baltic Sea and the Neman River. Moreover, the divisions of the SS Panzer Corps "Hermann Goering" transferred from the reserve to the Tilsit region to launch a counterattack on the left wing of the troops of the 1st Baltic Front were turned in the direction of the latter with the start of the offensive of the 3rd Belorussian Front.

As a result of the offensive of the Soviet troops in the Baltic strategic direction, Army Group North was expelled from almost the entire Baltic and lost communications that connected it by land with East Prussia. Of the 59 divisions, 26 were defeated, and 3 were completely destroyed. The remaining forces of this group were pressed to the sea in Courland and in the Memel region. The length of the front line in the Baltic sector was reduced to 250 km, which made it possible to release significant forces of Soviet troops and use them in the offensive in the winter of 1945.

With the loss of the Baltic States, Germany lost a profitable strategic area that provided her fleet with freedom of action in the eastern part of the Baltic Sea, as well as an important industrial, raw materials and food base.

The struggle for the Baltic was long and extremely fierce. The enemy, having a well-developed road network, actively maneuvered with its own forces and means, offered stubborn resistance to the Soviet troops, often turning into counterattacks and inflicting counterattacks. On his part, up to 25% of all forces on the Soviet-German front participated in the hostilities.

The success of such a major strategic operation in the coastal direction was largely ensured by the organization of close interaction between ground forces, aviation and naval forces. The main efforts of the air armies were aimed at supporting the ground forces in the direction of the main attacks of the fronts. Only the 14th, 15th, and 3rd air armies operating as part of the Baltic fronts made 55,000 sorties during the operation.

The Baltic Fleet carried out a wide range of tasks: it landed troops, covered the flanks of the ground forces from enemy attacks from the sea, provided fire support to the troops operating on the islands, carried out military transportation, and disrupted the enemy’s sea communications. Partisans and underground fighters were actively fighting behind enemy lines, closely interacting with the advancing troops. The enemy was forced to divert significant forces from the front to fight against the partisans and protect their communications.

Distinctive features the military art of the Soviet troops in the Baltic operation was the transfer of the main efforts during the offensive from one direction to another, the covert regrouping of large forces over long distances, the preparation of a new offensive operation in a short time during the offensive, blocking enemy groupings in a limited space by pressing them to sea, skillful massive use of artillery, tanks and aircraft in the direction of the main attack. As a result of the Baltic operation, the prerequisites were created for the development of the offensive of the Soviet troops in East Prussia, which was then carried out during the East Prussian offensive operation of 1945.

During the Baltic operation, 112 Soviet soldiers were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, three - the second Gold Star medal, over 332 thousand were awarded orders and medals, 131 units and formations received the honorary titles of Riga, Tallinn, Valga and others, 481 - state awards.

Territory

The fighting by the parties during the operation was carried out throughout the territory of Latvia, Lithuania, the southern part of Estonia, the Pskov region of the RSFSR, the Baltic Sea. The demarcation line of the offensive of the Army Group "North" in the south passed along the Goldap-Kaišiadorys line, to the south, parts of the army group advanced as part of this operation Center, further south, Soviet troops carried out the Belarusian strategic defensive operation. To the north, the line of operation was limited to the coast of the Gulf of Finland, to the north of the gulf, Soviet troops carried out the Vyborg-Kexholm defensive operation and defended the Khanko Peninsula.

Period

Before the operation, there were no hostilities. The direct continuation of the operation, without interruption, was the Leningrad strategic defensive operation.

The plans of the parties for the operation

German plans

German offensive operation armed forces held in the Baltic States was an integral part of the Barbarossa Plan.

In accordance with this plan, the northern grouping of troops was generally ordered to:

... to destroy the enemy forces operating in the Baltic. Only after completing this urgent task, which should be followed by the capture of Leningrad and Kronstadt, should operations begin to take Moscow, an important center of communications and military industry.

In accordance with the troop concentration directive, Army Group North:

... "has the task of destroying the enemy forces operating in the Baltic and capturing ports on the Baltic Sea, including Leningrad and Kronstadt, depriving the Russian fleet of its bases ... Breaks through the enemy's front and, delivering the main blow in the direction of Dvinsk, advances as quickly as possible with its reinforced right flank, throwing forward mobile troops to cross the Western Dvina, enters the area northeast of Opochka in order to prevent the retreat of combat-ready Russian forces from the Baltic to the east and create preconditions for further successful advance to Leningrad.

In addition, Army Group Center took part in the operation with its left wing.

As for the troops of the Army Group Center, they were not faced with the task of destroying the Soviet troops in the north-west of the USSR, however, their blow fell on the left flank of the North-Western Front, which, along with the development of their own offensive, contributed to the development of the German offensive in the Baltic states , and which gives reason to attribute the actions of the left flank of the troops of the "Center" group to the Baltic operation - at least at its initial stage.

In other words, the operation of the German forces in the Baltics was planned according to the following scenario:

Motorized formations strike from the Tilsit region in the general direction of Daugavpils, break through the Soviet defenses and capture the crossings across the Western Dvina. Following the motorized formations and to the south of them, units of the 16th Army advance, while covering the right flank of the motorized units from an attack from the southeast. The left flank of the grouping - the 18th Army - is advancing from the area south of Memel in the direction of Riga, cutting through the Soviet units in the Baltic. One division advances along the coast of the Baltic Sea to the north. The first stage of the operation was to ensure the encirclement of Soviet troops in the area bounded by the Baltic Sea and the border of East Prussia from the west, then along the Western Dvina River to its upper reaches and in the south, the encirclement line was to form parts of the Center group. Then the offensive with the main forces was to be continued in the direction for the 18th Army Riga-Pskov, for the 4th Panzer Group and the 16th Army - Daugavpils - the Opochka region, so that later, turning part of the troops north, along the eastern the shores of Lake Peipsi to the Gulf of Finland completely cut off Soviet troops on the territory of Estonia, while part of the forces advancing across the territory of Estonia from the line of the Western Dvina.

• The 18th field army (from north to south the 26th army corps, 207th security division, 1st army corps) occupied the offensive zone from Memel to the area slightly north of Tilsit, approximately coinciding with the zone of the 10th rifle corps, 4 -I tank group (from north to south 41st motorized corps, 56th motorized corps) in the Tilsit area and a little southwest, approximately coinciding with the strip of the 11th rifle corps, 16th field army (from north to south 27th Army Corps, 2nd Army Corps) south to Goldap, approximately coinciding with the strip of the 16th Rifle Corps, the 9th Field Army and the 3rd Panzer Group (6th Army Corps, 39th Motorized Corps, 5th Army Corps, 8th Army Corps)

Fighting during the operation

On June 24, 1941, the command of the North-Western Front decided to withdraw the troops of the front to the line of the rivers Venta, Shushva, Viliya, but on June 25, 1941, they changed their mind and launched a counterattack on Kaunas with the forces of the 16th Rifle Corps, which was a private success, but then Soviet units were forced to retreat to their previous positions.

The separately operating 291st Infantry Division fought for Libava and advanced on Ventspils. The main forces of the 18th field army advanced through Jelgava to Riga. The 41st motorized corps advanced through Panevezys to Jekabpils, the 56th motorized corps, which, covering from the right, were catching up with units of the 16th field army, to Daugavpils. South of Kaunas, in fact, there was no longer a blow as such: scattered units of the 11th Soviet Army retreated to the east there. Parts of the 8th Army, by order, retreated beyond the Western Dvina to the north, with the organization of intermediate defense lines Auce - Vashkai and Bilaste - Krumins, in order to occupy the line of defense from Riga to Lebanon along the Western Dvina.

Meanwhile, on June 25, 1941, the Headquarters of the Civil Code demanded that a new defense front be organized along the line of the Western Dvina River, for which the 27th Army was advanced to the line to the left of the retreating units of the 8th Army, which was supposed to take up defense from the line along the line Gulbene - Livani . In addition, the 21st Mechanized Corps and the 5th Airborne Corps were transferred to the line of defense. However, mobile German motorized corps did not allow organizing a full-fledged defense front along the river: on June 26, 1941, the 56th motorized corps crossed the Western Dvina near Daugavpils on the move, on June 29, 1941, the 41st motorized corps - near Krustpils (another 26 June 1941), and on June 30, 1941 - near Riga.

With the release of German troops to the line of the Western Dvina, the border battle in the Baltic ended, the operation entered the second phase. The German command took an operational pause, which was due to the fact that the motorized formations that had escaped far ahead for a further offensive had to wait for the infantry units, organize a more or less continuous front along the Western Dvina, and finally, clear the area south and west of the Western Dvina, where they fought actions and separate groups of Soviet troops tried to break out across the river.

The main events unfolded in the zone of the 27th Army. Parts of the army continued to retreat - on July 3, 1941, the motorized units of the Wehrmacht resumed the offensive, now along the entire front. German troops took Gulbene, cutting off the escape routes of the 8th Army across the Velikaya River and parts of the 8th Army were forced to retreat north to Estonia. Now the Northwestern Front was finally cut into two halves.

The 56th motorized corps, having crossed the Velikaya, launched an offensive in the direction of Shimsk.

On July 9, 1941, with the breakthrough of the Soviet defense along the line of the Velikaya River, the Baltic defensive operation ended, which without a pause passed into the Leningrad defensive operation.

Losses of the ground forces of the Red Army

Personnel losses

Northwestern Front

Losses of tank and mechanized formations

• 1st Mechanized Corps

• 3rd Mechanized Corps

• 12th Mechanized Corps

• 21st Mechanized Corps

Losses of the ground forces of the Wehrmacht and the SS

The number of casualties of the personnel of the Army Group North on August 2, 1941 is reliably known: 42 thousand people, however, it seems that the losses of the group were mainly losses after July 10, 1941.

The actions of the air force during the operation

With the loss of Libava and Riga, the Baltic Fleet moved more and more to the north, eventually concentrating in Tallinn, and thus its participation in the Baltic operation was limited, due to the fact that the southern part of the Baltic Sea was under the control of the German Navy. Nevertheless, separate private fleet operations were carried out, in particular, mines were laid in the Gulf of Riga, on July 6, 1941, a battle took place between two German minesweepers and a detachment consisting of the destroyers Angry, Strong, Engels, patrol boats Sneg and "Cloud" at the entrance to the Gulf of Riga, which ended, in general, with nothing.

In general, given the plans of both sides, the tasks were completed by both sides: the German fleet did not enter the Gulf of Finland (which it did not aspire to at this stage of the war), on the other hand, secured control of the southern part of the Baltic, which in turn ensured the reliability of sea communications. The incomplete fulfillment by the Baltic Fleet of its tasks was due to the current situation on land, the loss of the Riga and Libau bases. Later, already in the second half of July 1941, the Baltic Fleet became more active.

Naval casualties

Losses on both sides during the operation were relatively small.

Losses of ships of the Baltic Fleet:

Losses of personnel of the Baltic Fleet (including the KBF Air Force):

Kriegsmarine losses: On July 2, 1941, the enemy minesweeper M-3134 was blown up by mines. On July 10, 1941, the submarine hunter UJ-113 was blown up by mines.

The actions of naval aviation during the operation

The composition of the naval aviation of the Baltic Fleet included one bomber, fighter and mixed aviation brigade, three separate regiments, 13 separate squadrons, which included 707 combat aircraft.

German naval aviation was represented by the Ostsee aviation group as part of the 806th bomber group and the 125th naval reconnaissance group, which included 36 bombers and three naval reconnaissance squadrons.

Since the beginning of the operation, the naval aviation of the Baltic Fleet mainly supported the actions of the ground forces, although it made a number of sorties against enemy shipping, but without achieving any significant results. At the same time, a considerable number of fighters were used to barrage over the sea, where absolutely nothing happened.

So, on June 24, 1941, the 1st Mine-Torpedo Aviation Regiment and the 57th Bomber Aviation Regiment were to attack the German landing force, landed to the north