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 considering 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 was itself a supply base 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 it was already difficult to carry out such an evacuation in this period.
Offensive operations in the Baltic became the so-called. "Stalin's eighth blow." Baltic strategic offensive was carried out from September 14 to November 24, 1944. Her main goal was the defeat of German troops in the Baltic states and the liberation of 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. Baltic operation ended with the defeat of the German army group "North", the formation of the Courland pocket and the liberation of the three Baltic republics from the 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 position of the 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 release 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 contributed to 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.
Destruction of the German task force"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 advanced 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, preparation 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
THE 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.
The landing of Soviet troops on the island of Saaremaa (Ezel) in the Moonsund archipelago
The transfer of Soviet heavy artillery to the island of Saaremaa
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. 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".
Abandoned by the Germans in the area of the trading port of Tallinn 40-mm anti-aircraft gun "Bofors"
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 reveal 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 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.
A soldier of the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps met his wife on the street of liberated Tallinn. Source: http://waralbum.ru/
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 underground passages messages. 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.
Salute to the soldiers of the Red Army, who came to the coast of the Baltic Sea. Autumn 1944
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 the 14th, 15th and 3rd air armies, which supported the Baltic fronts from the air, made 55,000 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.
Soviet soldiers on the square of liberated Riga
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 got into the Courland cauldron, great amount, equipment and ammunition. 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. With considering difficult conditions the terrain 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 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.
Il-2 attack aircraft of the Baltic Fleet Air Force attacks a German ship off the coast of East Prussia
A column of German prisoners of war passes by the railway station in Riga
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Baltic operation
The general situation in the Baltic states at the beginning of the operation was determined by the results of the Belarusian operation carried out by the Red Army: the German Army Group North (Colonel-General F. Schörner) was deeply engulfed from the south and pressed against the Baltic Sea in a relatively small area. At the turn from the Narva Bay to the city of Dobele, the Narva task force, the 18th and 16th armies, defended themselves, from Dobele to the Neman River - the 3rd Panzer Army of the Army Group Center, on September 20 transferred to the Army Group North ". The ground forces of the enemy were supported by aviation of the 1st Air Fleet and part of the forces of the 6th Air Fleet. This grouping consisted of 730 thousand people, 7 thousand guns and mortars, 1216 tanks and assault guns, up to 400 combat aircraft.
The troops of the left wing of the Leningrad (Marshal of the Soviet Union L.A. Govorov), 3rd Baltic (General of the Army I.I. Maslennikov), 2nd Baltic (General of the Army A.I. Eremenko), 1st Baltic (Army General I.Kh. Bagramyan), part of the troops of the 3rd Belorussian (Army General I.D. Chernyakhovsky) fronts, the forces of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet (Admiral V.F. Tributs) and long-range aviation - a total of 900 thousand people , about 17.5 thousand guns and mortars, 3080 tanks and self-propelled artillery mounts, 2640 combat aircraft.
coordination actions of three The Baltic fronts until October 1, 1944 were carried out by the representative of the Supreme Command Headquarters Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky. On October 1, he was entrusted with the leadership of the operations of the 1st Baltic and 3rd Belorussian fronts, and Marshal of the Soviet Union L.A. Govorov (with leaving behind him the duties of commander of the Leningrad Front) - operations of the 2nd and 3rd Baltic fronts.
The plan of the Soviet command provided for cutting off the enemy grouping defending in the Baltic States from East Prussia by strikes of the troops of the Baltic fronts in converging directions to Riga and the troops of the Leningrad Front together with the Red Banner Baltic Fleet in the Tallinn direction, followed by the dismemberment of the Wehrmacht grouping and its destruction in parts.
The Baltic operation included four operations united by a common plan - the Riga, Tallinn, Moonsund landing and Memel operations.
On September 14, the troops of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Baltic fronts launched an offensive. During the Riga operation, Soviet troops forced the enemy to withdraw to the defensive line "Sigulda" (25-60 km from Riga, north of the Daugava River) and jeopardized his communications leading to East Prussia. The German command began to withdraw troops from Estonia, at the same time strengthening the defense on the outskirts of Riga. The enemy troops launched strong counterattacks in the Baldone and Dobele regions. In connection with the fierce resistance of the German troops at this line, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command on September 24 decided to transfer the efforts of the 1st Baltic Front from the Riga to the Memel direction, where the enemy grouping was much weaker. On September 17-26, the troops of the Leningrad Front, in cooperation with the forces of the Baltic Fleet, carried out the Tallinn operation, which ended with the defeat of the Narva task force of the enemy, the liberation of Tallinn and the entire mainland of Estonia.
To carry out the Memel operation, the 1st Baltic Front carried out a covert regrouping of its troops from the Riga direction to the Siauliai region. The offensive in the Memel direction was provided from the north active actions in the direction of Liepaja by the 4th shock army and from the south - by the blow of the 39th army of the 3rd Belorussian Front from the Raseiniai district in the direction of Taurage. 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. As a result of the Memel operation, Soviet troops reached the Baltic coast, wedged into the territory of East Prussia and cut off Army Group North from it. While the 1st Baltic Front launched an offensive in the Memel direction, the troops of the 3rd and 2nd Baltic Fronts on October 6 proceeded to pursue the enemy, who began a hasty retreat from the Riga sector of the front to the Courland Peninsula. On October 13, Soviet troops liberated Riga. The destruction of the Courland group of Nazi troops 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 Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky. Marshal of the Soviet Union L.A. Govorov remained commander of the troops of the Leningrad Front.
On October 18, the Headquarters pointed out the exceptional importance of the speedy liquidation of German troops northeast of Liepaja and in the area of Memel (Klaipeda), demanding that all the efforts of the troops of the 1st and 2nd Baltic Fronts be directed to defeat them, to attract long-range aviation and the Air Force of the Baltic Fleet, to intensify the actions of submarines on enemy 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, from September 27 to November 24, as a result of the Moonsund landing operation, liberated the islands of the Moonsund archipelago.
As a result of the offensive of the Soviet troops, 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 three 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 offensive actions in the winter of 1944/1945. 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.
Baltic operation 1944 |
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the Baltic States |
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Red Army victory |
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Opponents |
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Commanders |
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A. M. Vasilevsky |
F. Schörner |
L. A. Govorov |
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Side forces |
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900 thousand people, about 17,500 guns and mortars, 3,080 tanks and self-propelled guns, 2,640 combat aircraft |
More than 700 thousand people, more than 1200 tanks and assault guns, about 7000 guns and mortars, up to 400 combat aircraft |
61,468 killed, 218,622 wounded, daily average of 3,890 people |
26 divisions destroyed, 3 completely destroyed |
Baltic operation of 1944- a strategic offensive operation of the Soviet troops, carried out from September 14 to November 24, 1944 in the Baltic States in order to liberate Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania from German troops. It included four front-line and inter-front operations: Riga, Tallinn, Moonsund and Memel.
The operation lasted 71 days, the front was 1,000 km wide and 400 km deep.
Side Plans
The German Army Group North created a multi-lane, deep-echeloned defense in advance, making extensive use of the geography of the area - an abundance of lakes, rivers and swamps, a rather rare road network, which contributed to the difficulty of offensive operations. Special meaning attached to the defense of the Riga direction. The strongest enemy grouping, which included 5 tank divisions, was located in the Riga area.
According to the plan of the Soviet General Staff, the troops of the three Baltic fronts should attack a grouping consisting of the 16th and 18th armies in the Riga direction (it was planned to dismember the German troops and defeat them one by one); and with the assistance of the KBF, the Leningrad Front was to launch an attack in the Estonian direction (Task Force Narva). A significant massing of troops was carried out thanks to the allocation of reserves, as a result of which, in some types of equipment, the USSR had a double superiority over Germany. The superiority in people was negligible. National troops, staffed from the natives of the Baltic republics, were involved in the operation. The actions of the Soviet fronts in the Baltic States were coordinated and carried out the overall management of the operation by Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky.
The first stage of the operation (September 14-27, 1944)
During the first stage of the operation, the Tallinn operation was carried out, as a result of which the entire mainland of the ESSR was liberated.
Troops of the Baltic fronts, during the offensive in the Riga direction, reached the Sigulda line, prepared 25-80 km from Riga. Attempts to break through this frontier failed. Stubborn battles ensued to “gnaw through” it with a slow, methodical, but bloody advance. An attempt to take Riga with a sudden strike from the south also failed: although the Soviet strike was unexpected for the enemy, but hastily measures taken he managed to stop the advance of Soviet troops 30 kilometers south of Riga. Under these conditions, a bold decision was made to redirect the main attack from the Riga to the Memel direction.
The second stage of the operation (September 28 - November 24, 1944)
The Riga, Moonsund and Memel operations were carried out to the end. In the Memel area, the main forces of Army Group North were forever cut off from East Prussia. Soviet troops liberated Riga, Lithuania, a significant part of Latvia. The Courland Cauldron was formed.
Riga operation (September 14 - October 24, 1944)
The Riga operation was carried out from September 14 to October 22, 1944 with the aim of liberating Riga and Latvia from the German fascist invaders. 119 rifle divisions, 6 tank and 1 mechanized corps, 11 separate tank brigades, 3 fortified areas were involved in the operation from the USSR - the total number of troops was 1351.4 thousand people. The Germans had the 16th and 18th field units of the forces of the 3rd Panzer Army of Army Group North. From October 14 to October 27, the Soviet army launched an offensive but stopped at the Sigulda line, previously fortified by the Germans and replenished with army units that were forced to retreat to the line due to defeat during the Tallinn operation (operational group Narva). After preparations, a second offensive of the Soviet troops began, Riga was taken on October 13, and on October 22 the Riga operation ended with the liberation of Riga and most of Latvia.
Tallinn operation (September 17-26, 1944)
The Tallinn operation is part of the Baltic operation, carried out at its first stage from September 17 to 26, 1944 with the aim of liberating Estonia and its capital, Tallinn (hence the name).
At the beginning of the operation, the 2nd and 8th shock armies had an enveloping position in relation to the army group "Narva" (6 divisions of the army group "North"). It was planned to attack the rear of the Narva grouping with the forces of the 2nd shock army, and then storm Tallinn. And the 8th Army was assigned the role of an offensive against the positions of the Narva Army Group in the event of the retreat of the German troops. On September 17, the Tallinn operation began. The forces of the 2nd Shock Army made a gap in the enemy's defense up to 18 km deep in the area of the Emajygi River. The army group "Narva" began to withdraw. According to the plan, on September 19, the 8th Army went on the attack. On September 20, the city of Rakvere was liberated and units of the 8th Army united with units of the 2nd Army. On September 21, Tallinn was liberated, and by September 26, Estonia was completely liberated (except for some islands). The result was successful for the Soviet troops - the German troops in mainland Estonia suffered a crushing defeat in just 10 days, a significant part of them (over 30,000 people) could not break through to Riga and were captured or destroyed.
According to Soviet data, the Germans lost over 30,000 killed, 15,745 prisoners and 175 tanks and self-propelled guns.
Moonsund operation (September 27 - November 24, 1944)
Moonsund operation - an operation carried out from September 27 to November 24, 1944 on the Moonsund archipelago with the aim of capturing and liberating it from Nazi invaders. The defensive troops were the 23rd Infantry Division and 4 security battalions. From the Soviet side, part of the forces of the Leningrad Front and the KBF were allocated. The bulk of the islands were liberated quickly (selected unexpected places for the landing of troops, the enemy was not given time to prepare the defense - the landing on the next island landed immediately after the liberation of the previous one). Only on the narrow isthmus of the Syrve peninsula on the island of Saaremaa did the enemy manage to delay the Soviet offensive for a month and a half, having pinned down one rifle corps.
The liberation of the islands took place one by one:
- Vormsi - September 27-28, 1944;
- Muhu - September 29 - October 1, 1944;
- Hiiumaa - October 2-3, 1944;
- Saaremaa - October 5-8, 1944;
- Syrve Peninsula - October 8 - November 23, 1944.
Memel operation (October 5-22, 1944)
The Memel operation is an offensive operation of the Soviet troops of the 1st Baltic and 39th Army of the 3rd Belorussian Fronts, carried out from October 5 to October 22, 1944, with the aim of cutting off the troops of Army Group North from East Prussia. The troops of the 1st Baltic Front reached the approaches to Riga south of the Daugava. There they met strong enemy resistance. The headquarters of the Supreme High Command decided to transfer the main direction of attack to the Memel direction. The forces of the 1st Baltic Front were regrouped in the area of Siauliai. The command of the Soviet troops planned to reach the coast at the turn of Palanga-Memel-the mouth of the Neman River when breaking through the defenses to the west and south-west of the city of Siauliai. The main blow was inflicted on the Memel direction, the auxiliary one - on the Kelmet-Tilsit direction.
The decision of the Soviet command came as a complete surprise to the enemy, who was waiting for the resumption of attacks in the Riga direction. On the first day of the fighting, Soviet troops began to break through the defenses and by evening had already advanced to a depth of 7-17 km. By October 6, all the troops trained according to the preliminary plan were involved, and by October 10, the Germans were cut off from East Prussia. As a result, between the enemy groupings in East Prussia and Courland, a Soviet defense zone up to 50 kilometers wide was formed, which the enemy could never overcome. By October 22, most of the northern bank of the Neman River was cleared of the enemy. In Latvia, the enemy was forced out to the Courland Peninsula and there it was reliably blocked. As a result of the Memel operation, advancement up to 150 km was achieved, an area of more than 26 thousand km² and more than 35 thousand hectares was liberated. settlements. 78 Soviet units and formations were awarded orders.
Side forces
Soviet troops |
|||
commanders |
Forces, pers. |
Losses, pers. |
|
Leningrad Front |
L. A. Govorov |
6,219 killed, 22,557 wounded |
|
1st Baltic Front |
I. Kh. Bagramyan |
24,188 killed, 79,758 wounded |
|
2nd Baltic Front |
A. I. Eremenko |
15,735 killed, 58,000 injured |
|
3rd Baltic Front |
I. I. Maslennikov |
11,867 killed, 43,621 wounded |
|
Red Banner Baltic Fleet |
V. F. Tributs |
258 killed, 1532 wounded |
|
61,468 killed, 218,622 wounded |
|||
Operation results
As a result of the Baltic operation, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia were liberated from German occupation (with the exception of the Courland boiler). 26 divisions of Army Group North were defeated and 3 divisions were completely destroyed. The remaining divisions are blocked in Courland.
112 soldiers of the Red Army during the operation were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, three of them - twice, more than 332 thousand people. were awarded medals and orders. 481 units received government awards. 131 units received the honorary name of the liberated cities of Tallinn, Riga, Valgin, and others.
Baltic operation - military battle, held in the autumn of 1944 in the Baltic States. 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 from the Baltic indigenous people and populate it with their fellow citizens. Thus the loss this region became 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 direction of Riga, as it was supposed to lead to the liberation of Riga - a large industrial and political center, the junction of sea and land communications throughout the Baltics.
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 was tasked to support the coastal flank of the Leningrad troops, as well as to prevent 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 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 full squad 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 foothold, 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 the island of Saaremaa, 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 went deep into 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 developments
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 Courland 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 geographical features 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 to cover ground troops from the Gulf of Riga and the Gulf of Finland. Having recaptured the coast of the Baltic Sea during the Baltic operation of 1944, Soviet army got the opportunity to attack from the flanks the troops of the Third Reich, who 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. For full recovery The Baltic States had to do a lot of work.
RIGA, 13 Oct — Sputnik, Sergey Melkonov. Riga is a beautiful city, and Riga was liberated on October 13, 1944 as a result of a beautiful swift operation of the Soviet troops.
One of the main elements of this swiftness was the crossing of Kish Lake by the soldiers of the 119th Rifle Corps of Major General Nikishin. The crossing started from Jaunsiems on 12 October. The paratroopers on amphibians and boats crossed the two-kilometer expanse of Lake Kish and rushed to Mezhaparks. Amphibians - American Ford JP - were obtained from the United States under Lend-Lease.
Over 3,000 people were transported here overnight. The enemy, fearing the threat of complete encirclement, was forced to urgently withdraw his troops. By the evening of October 13, Riga was free, and Moscow saluted the troops of the 2nd and 3rd Baltic fronts.
As Meir Deutsch, a veteran of the 130th Latvian Rifle Corps, in those days, the commander of a mortar company who participated in the liberation of Riga, recalled: “The advancing units moved in such a way as to cut off the Germans’ path to retreat. The Germans by that time were also experienced warriors and knew well that if the Russians encircle, they will first offer to surrender, but if they refuse, they will destroy everyone. Therefore, as soon as the Germans felt the threat of encirclement, they immediately retreated."
Deutsch's mortar company entered Riga on 16 October. The enemy was no more. The city was mostly whole, not destroyed, only there were many broken houses on the embankments, because the advancing units fired across the Daugava. The center of Riga was practically intact, with clean streets, but there were many mines, and the sappers worked constantly.
The Riga operation became part of the Baltic strategic operation to liberate the Soviet Baltic.
The Baltic operation of 1944 is a strategic offensive operation of the troops of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Baltic, Leningrad Fronts and the forces of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet in September-October 1944 to defeat the Nazi troops in the Soviet Baltic. The Baltic operation includes four front-line and inter-front operations: Riga, Tallinn, Moonsund and Memel.
© Sputnik / Sergey Melkonov
The general management of the operations of the Baltic fronts was carried out by a representative of the Stavka Supreme High Command Marshal of the Soviet Union A. M. Vasilevsky.
On September 14, the troops of the Baltic fronts: 3rd (commander General of the Army I. I. Maslennikov), 2nd (commander General of the Army A. I. Eremenko) and 1st (commander General of the Army I. Kh. Bagramyan) - began the Riga offensive operation.
When today you look at the map of the 1944 military operations in the Baltic states, you see the plan of the Soviet General Staff - with the forces of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Baltic Fronts and the forces of the Leningrad Front, together with the Baltic Fleet, to dismember the enemy’s defenses, surround and destroy his groupings along units and, most importantly, cut off the retreat to East Prussia for Army Group North.
The 8th Estonian and 130th Latvian rifle corps and the 16th Lithuanian rifle division participated in the liberation of the Baltic states.
© Sputnik / Sergey Melkonov
As a result of the Baltic operation, the liberation of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia from fascist occupation was completed, 26 divisions of Army Group North were defeated, three divisions were completely destroyed. The main forces of this group - 27 divisions and 1 brigade - were pressed to the sea on the Courland Peninsula and lost their strategic importance. The encircled Courland group capitulated on May 8, 1945.
For the capture of Riga, by order of the Supreme Commander of October 13, 1944, many soldiers and officers were thanked for their participation in the liberation of the capital of Latvia, the city of Riga, from the Nazi invaders. The most distinguished military units and formations were given the name "Rizhskaya".
