The Berlin operation was an offensive operation of the 1st Belorussian (Marshal G.K. Zhukov), 2nd Belorussian (Marshal K.K. Rokossovsky) and 1st Ukrainian (Marshal I.S. Konev) fronts to capture Berlin and defeat the defending his group April 16 - May 2, 1945 ( The Second World War, 1939-1945). In the Berlin direction, the Red Army was opposed by a large group consisting of Army Group Vistula (generals G. Heinrici, then K. Tippelskirch) and Center (Field Marshal F. Schörner).
The balance of forces is shown in the table.
Source: History of the Second World War: In 12 vols. M., 1973-1 1979. T. 10. P. 315.
The offensive on the German capital began on April 16, 1945, after the completion of the main operations of the Red Army in Hungary, Eastern Pomerania, Austria and East Prussia. This deprived the German capital of support
the most important agricultural and industrial areas. In other words, Berlin was deprived of any possibility of obtaining reserves and resources, which undoubtedly hastened its downfall.
For the strike, which was supposed to shake the German defense, an unprecedented density of fire was used - over 600 guns on 1 km of front. The hottest battles broke out in the sector of the 1st Belorussian Front, where the Seelow Heights, which covered the central direction, were located. To capture Berlin, not only a frontal attack by the 1st Belorussian Front was used, but also a flank maneuver by the tank armies (3rd and 4th) of the 1st Ukrainian Front. Having covered more than a hundred kilometers in a few days, they broke through to the German capital from the south and completed its encirclement. At this time, the troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front were advancing towards the Baltic coast of Germany, covering the right flank of the forces advancing on Berlin.
The culmination of the operation was the battle for Berlin, in which there was a 200,000-strong group under the command of General X. Weidling. Fighting within the city began on April 21, and by April 25 it was completely surrounded. Up to 464 thousand Soviet soldiers and officers took part in the battle for Berlin, which lasted almost two weeks and was characterized by extreme ferocity. Due to the retreating units, the Berlin garrison grew to 300 thousand people.
If in Budapest (see Budapest 1) the Soviet command avoided using artillery and aviation, then during the assault on the capital of Nazi Germany they did not spare fire. According to Marshal Zhukov, from April 21 to May 2, almost 1.8 million artillery shots were fired at Berlin. In total, more than 36 thousand tons of metal were dropped on the city. Fire was also fired at the capital's center by fortress guns, the shells of which weighed half a ton.
Feature Berlin operation One can name the widespread use of large tank masses in the zone of continuous defense of German troops, including in Berlin itself. In such conditions, Soviet armored vehicles were not able to use wide maneuver and became a convenient target for German anti-tank weapons. This led to high losses. Suffice it to say that in two weeks of fighting, the Red Army lost a third of the tanks and self-propelled guns that participated in the Berlin operation.
The battles did not subside either day or night. During the day, the assault units attacked in the first echelons, at night - in the second. The battle for the Reichstag, over which the Victory Banner was hoisted, was especially fierce. On the night of April 30 to May 1, Hitler committed suicide. By the morning of May 2, the remnants of the Berlin garrison were divided into separate groups, which capitulated by 3 p.m. The surrender of the Berlin garrison was accepted by the commander of the 8th Guards Army, General V.I. Chuikov, past the path from Stalingrad to the walls of Berlin.
During the Berlin operation, about 480 thousand German soldiers and officers were captured. The losses of the Red Army amounted to 352 thousand people. In terms of daily losses of personnel and equipment (over 15 thousand people, 87 tanks and self-propelled guns, 40 aircraft), the battle for Berlin surpassed all other operations of the Red Army, where the damage was caused primarily during the battle, in contrast to the battles of the first period of the war, when the daily losses of Soviet troops were largely determined by a significant number of prisoners (see Border battles). In terms of the intensity of losses, this operation is comparable only to the Battle of Kursk.
The Berlin operation dealt the final crushing blow to the armed forces of the Third Reich, which, with the loss of Berlin, lost the ability to organize resistance. Six days after the fall of Berlin, on the night of May 8-9, the German leadership signed the act of unconditional surrender of Germany. A medal “For the Capture of Berlin” was issued for participants in the Berlin operation.
Book materials used: Nikolai Shefov. Battles of Russia. Military-historical library. M., 2002.Wir kapitulieren nie?
Offensive operation of the 2nd Belorussian (Marshal Rokossovsky), 1st Belorussian (Marshal Zhukov) and 1st Ukrainian (Marshal Konev) fronts April 16 - May 8, 1945. Having defeated large German groups in East Prussia, Poland and Eastern Pomerania and reaching the Oder and Neisse, Soviet troops deeply wedged into German territory. On the western bank of the river. Oder bridgeheads were captured, including a particularly important one in the Küstrin area. At the same time, Anglo-American troops were advancing from the west.
Hitler, hoping for disagreements between the allies, took all measures to delay the advance of Soviet troops on the approaches to Berlin and negotiate a separate peace with the Americans. In the Berlin direction, the German command concentrated a large group as part of the Vistula Army Group (3rd Panzer and 9th Armies) of Colonel General G. Heinrici (from April 30, Infantry General K. Tippelskirch) and the 4th Panzer and 17th Armies. th armies of Army Group Center under General Field Marshal F. Scherner (total about 1 million people, 10,400 guns and mortars, 1,530 tanks and assault guns, over 3,300 aircraft). On the western banks of the Oder and Neisse, 3 defensive zones up to 20-40 km deep were created. The Berlin defensive area consisted of 3 defensive rings. All large buildings in the city were turned into strongholds, streets and squares were blocked with powerful barricades, numerous minefields, there were booby traps scattered everywhere.
The walls of the houses were covered with Goebbels' propaganda slogans: "Wir kapitulieren nie!" (“We will never surrender!”), “Every German will defend his capital!”, “Let’s stop the red hordes at the walls of our Berlin!”, “Victory or Siberia!”. Loudspeakers in the streets called on residents to fight to the death. Despite the ostentatious bravado, Berlin was already doomed. The giant city was in a huge trap. The Soviet command concentrated 19 combined arms (including 2 Polish), 4 tank and 4 air armies (2.5 million people, 41,600 guns and mortars, 6,250 tanks and self-propelled artillery units, 7,500 aircraft) in the Berlin direction. From the west, British and American bombers came in continuous waves, methodically, block by block, turning the city into a heap of ruins.
On the eve of the capitulation, the city presented a terrible sight. Flames shot out from a damaged gas pipeline, illuminating the smoky walls of houses. The streets were impassable due to piles of rubble. Suicide bombers jumped out of the basements of houses with Molotov cocktails and rushed at Soviet tanks, which had become easy prey in city blocks. Hand-to-hand fighting took place everywhere - on the streets, on the roofs of houses, in basements, in tunnels, in the Berlin subway. Advanced Soviet units competed with each other for the honor of being the first to capture the Reichstag, considered the symbol of the Third Reich. Soon after the Victory Banner was hoisted over the Reichstag dome, Berlin capitulated on May 2, 1945.
Material used from the website Third Reich www.fact400.ru/mif/reich/titul.htm
In the historical dictionary:
BERLIN OPERATION - offensive The Red Army at the final stage of the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945
In January - March 1945, Soviet troops defeated large German fascist groups in East Prussia, Poland and East Pomerania, penetrated deeply into German territory and captured the bridgeheads necessary to capture its capital.
The plan of the operation was to deliver several powerful blows on a wide front, dismember the enemy’s Berlin group, encircle and destroy it piece by piece. To accomplish this task, the Soviet command concentrated 19 combined arms (including two Polish), four tank and four air armies (2.5 million people, 41,600 guns and mortars, 6,250 tanks and self-propelled artillery units, 7,500 aircraft).
The German command concentrated a large group in the Berlin area as part of Army Group Vistula (3rd Panzer and 9th Armies) and Army Group Center (4th Panzer and 17th Army) - about 1 million people, 10 400 guns and mortars, 1,530 tanks and assault guns, over 3,300 aircraft. On the western banks of the Oder and Neisse rivers, three defensive strips up to 20-40 km deep were created; The Berlin defensive area consisted of three defensive rings; all large buildings in the city were turned into strongholds; streets and squares were blocked with powerful barricades.
On April 16, after powerful artillery and air preparation, the 1st Belorussian Front (Marshal G.K. Zhukov.) attacked the enemy on the river. Oder. At the same time, the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front (Marshal I.S. Konev) began to cross the river. Neisse. Despite fierce enemy resistance, especially on the Zelovsky Heights, Soviet troops broke through his defenses. Attempts by the Nazi command to win the battle for Berlin on the Oder-Neisse line failed.
On April 20, troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front (Marshal K.K. Rokossovsky) crossed the river. Oder and by the end of April 25 they broke through the main enemy defense line south of Stettin. On April 21, the 3rd Guards Tank Army (General Ya. S. Rybalko) was the first to break into the northeastern outskirts of Berlin. Troops of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian Fronts, after breaking through enemy defenses from the north and south, bypassed Berlin and on April 25 encircled up to 200 thousand German troops west of Berlin.
The defeat of this group resulted in a fierce battle. Until May 2, bloody battles raged on the streets of Berlin day and night. On April 30, troops of the 3rd Shock Army (Colonel General V.I. Kuznetsov) began fighting for the Reichstag and took it by the evening. Sergeant M. A. Egorov and Lance Sergeant M.V. Kantaria hoisted the Victory Banner on the Reichstag.
The fighting in Berlin continued until May 8, when representatives of the German High Command, led by Field Marshal W. Keitel, signed the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Germany.
Orlov A.S., Georgieva N.G., Georgiev V.A. Historical Dictionary. 2nd ed. M., 2012, p. 36-37.
Battle of Berlin
In the spring of 1945, the Third Reich stood on the verge of final collapse.
By April 15, 214 divisions, including 34 tank and 14 motorized, and 14 brigades, were fighting on the Soviet-German front. 60 German divisions, including 5 tank divisions, acted against the Anglo-American troops.
Preparing to repel the Soviet offensive, the German command created a powerful defense in the east of the country. Berlin was covered to great depth by numerous defensive structures erected along the western banks of the Oder and Neisse rivers.
Berlin itself was turned into a powerful fortified area. Around it, the Germans built three defensive rings - outer, inner and city, and in the city itself (an area of 88 thousand hectares) they created nine defense sectors: eight around the circumference and one in the center. This central sector, which covered the main state and administrative institutions, including the Reichstag and the Reich Chancellery, was prepared especially carefully in engineering terms. There were more than 400 reinforced concrete permanent structures in the city. The largest of them - six-story bunkers dug into the ground - could accommodate up to a thousand people each. The subway was used for covert maneuver of troops.
For the defense of Berlin, the German command hastily formed new units. In January - March 1945, even 16- and 17-year-old boys were called up for military service.
Taking these factors into account, the Supreme Command Headquarters concentrated large forces on three fronts in the Berlin direction. In addition, it was planned to use part of the forces of the Baltic Fleet, the Dnieper Military Flotilla, the 18th Air Army, and three air defense corps of the country.
They were involved in the Berlin operation Polish troops consisting of two armies, tank and aviation corps, two artillery divisions breakthrough and a separate mortar brigade. They were part of the fronts.
On April 16, after powerful artillery preparation and air strikes, the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front went on the offensive. The Berlin operation began. The enemy, suppressed by artillery fire, did not offer organized resistance at the front line, but then, having recovered from the shock, resisted with fierce tenacity.
Soviet infantry and tanks advanced 1.5-2 km. In the current situation, in order to speed up the advance of the troops, Marshal Zhukov brought into the battle the tank and mechanized corps of the 1st and 2nd Guards Tank Armies.
The offensive of the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front developed successfully. At 06:15 on April 16, artillery preparation began. Bombers and attack aircraft dealt heavy blows to resistance centers, communications centers and command posts. The battalions of the first echelon divisions quickly crossed the Neisse River and captured bridgeheads on its left bank.
The German command brought up to three tank divisions and a tank destroyer brigade into the battle from its reserve. The fighting became fierce. Breaking enemy resistance, the combined arms and tank formations of the 1st Ukrainian Front broke through the main line of defense. On April 17, front troops completed the breakthrough of the second line and approached the third, which ran along the left bank of the river. Spree.
The successful offensive of the 1st Ukrainian Front created a threat for the enemy to bypass his Berlin group from the south. The German command concentrated its efforts in order to delay the further advance of Soviet troops at the turn of the river. Spree. The reserves of Army Group Center and the withdrawn troops of the 4th Tank Army were sent here. But the enemy’s attempts to change the course of the battle were unsuccessful.
The 2nd Belorussian Front went on the offensive on April 18. On April 18-19, front troops crossed the Ost-Oder in difficult conditions, cleared the enemy from the lowland between the Ost-Oder and the West-Oder and took up their starting positions for crossing the West-Oder.
Thus, favorable preconditions for the continuation of the operation have developed on all fronts.
The offensive of the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front developed most successfully. They entered the operational space and rushed towards Berlin, covering the right wing of the Frankfurt-Guben group. On April 19-20, the 3rd and 4th Guards Tank Armies advanced 95 km. The rapid offensive of these armies, as well as the 13th Army, by the end of April 20 led to the cutting off of Army Group Vistula from Army Group Center.
The troops of the 1st Belorussian Front continued the offensive. On April 20, on the fifth day of the operation, the long-range artillery of the 79th Rifle Corps of the 3rd Shock Army of Colonel General V.I. Kuznetsova opened fire on Berlin. On April 21, the advanced units of the front broke into the northern and southeastern outskirts of the German capital.
On April 24, southeast of Berlin, the 8th Guards and 1st Guards Tank Armies of the 1st Belorussian Front, advancing on the left flank of the strike force, met with the 3rd Guards Tank and 28th Armies of the 1st Ukrainian Front. As a result, the enemy's Frankfurt-Guben group was completely isolated from the Berlin garrison.
On April 25, the advanced units of the 1st Ukrainian Front - the 5th Guards Army of General A.S. Zhadov - met on the banks of the Elbe in the Torgau area with reconnaissance groups of the 5th Corps of the 1st American army General O. Bradley. The German front was cut. In honor of this victory, Moscow saluted the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front.
At this time, troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front crossed the West Oder and broke through the defenses on its western bank. They pinned down the German 3rd Panzer Army and prevented it from launching a counterattack from the north against the Soviet forces encircling Berlin.
In ten days of operation, Soviet troops overcame the German defenses along the Oder and Neisse, encircled and dismembered its groups in the Berlin direction and created the conditions for the capture of Berlin.
The third stage is the destruction of the enemy's Berlin group, the capture of Berlin (April 26 - May 8). German troops, despite the inevitable defeat, continued to resist. First of all, it was necessary to eliminate the enemy’s Frankfurt-Guben group, which numbered up to 200 thousand people.
Part of the troops of the 12th Army that survived the defeat retreated to the left bank of the Elbe along bridges built by American troops and surrendered to them.
By the end of April 25, the enemy defending in Berlin occupied a territory whose area was approximately 325 square meters. km. The total length of the front of the Soviet troops operating in the German capital was about 100 km.
On May 1, units of the 1st Shock Army, advancing from the north, met south of the Reichstag with units of the 8th Guards Army, advancing from the south. The surrender of the remnants of the Berlin garrison took place on the morning of May 2 by order of its last commander, artillery general G. Weidling. The liquidation of the Berlin group of German troops was completed.
The troops of the 1st Belorussian Front, moving westward, reached the Elbe by May 7 on a wide front. The troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front reached the coast of the Baltic Sea and the border of the Elbe River, where they established contact with the 2nd British Army. The troops of the right wing of the 1st Ukrainian Front began to regroup in the Prague direction to carry out tasks to complete the liberation of Czechoslovakia. During the Berlin operation, Soviet troops defeated 70 enemy infantry, 23 tank and motorized divisions, captured about 480 thousand people, captured up to 11 thousand guns and mortars, over 1.5 thousand tanks and assault guns, and 4,500 aircraft.
Soviet troops suffered heavy losses in this final operation - more than 350 thousand people, including over 78 thousand - irrevocably. The 1st and 2nd armies of the Polish Army lost about 9 thousand soldiers and officers. (The classification has been removed. Losses of the USSR Armed Forces in wars, combat operations and military conflicts. M., 1993. P. 220.) Soviet troops also lost 2,156 tanks and self-propelled artillery units, 1,220 guns and mortars, 527 aircraft.
The Berlin operation is one of the largest operations of the Second World War. The victory of the Soviet troops in it became decisive factor at the end of the military defeat of Germany. With the fall of Berlin and the loss of vital areas, Germany lost the opportunity for organized resistance and soon capitulated.
Materials used from the site http://100top.ru/encyclopedia/
Many books have been written and many films have been made about the capture of Berlin in the spring of 1945 by the Red Army. Unfortunately, in many of them ideological cliches of Soviet and post-Soviet times prevail, and the least attention is paid to history.
Berlin offensive operation
Magazine: Great Victory (Mysteries of history, special issue 16/C)
Category: The Last Frontier
Marshal Konev’s “maneuver” almost destroyed the Red Army!
At first, Marshal Zhukov, who commanded the 1st Belorussian Front, was going to take Berlin back in February 1945. Then the front troops, having brilliantly carried out the Vistula-Oder operation, immediately seized a bridgehead on the Oder in the Küstrin area.
February false start
On February 10, Zhukov even sent a report to Stalin about the plan for the upcoming Berlin offensive operation. Zhukov intended to “break through the defenses on the western bank of the river. Oder and capture the city of Berlin."
However, the front commander was still smart enough to abandon the idea of ending the war with one blow. Zhukov was informed that the troops were tired and suffered heavy losses. The rear fell behind. In addition, on the flanks the Germans were preparing counterattacks, as a result of which the troops rushing to Berlin could be surrounded.
While the troops of several Soviet fronts liquidated German groups aimed at the flanks of the 1st Belorussian Front and destroyed the remaining German “festungs” in the rear - cities turned into fortresses, the Wehrmacht command made desperate attempts to eliminate the Küstrin bridgehead. The Germans failed to do this. Realizing that the upcoming Soviet offensive would begin here, the Germans began to build defensive structures on this section of the front. The main point of resistance was to be the Seelow Heights.
Castle of the capital of the Reich
The Germans themselves called the Seelow Heights, located 90 km east of Berlin, “the castle of the capital of the Reich.” They were a real fortress, the defensive fortifications of which were built over the course of two years. The garrison of the fortress consisted of the 9th Army of the Wehrmacht, commanded by General Busse. In addition, General Gräser’s 4th Tank Army could launch a counterattack against the advancing Soviet troops.
Zhukov, planning the Berlin operation, decided to strike from the Kyustrin bridgehead. In order to cut off the troops concentrated in the Seelow Heights area from the enemy capital and prevent them from retreating to Berlin, Zhukov planned “The simultaneous dissection of the entire surrounded Berlin group into two parts ... this facilitated the task of capturing Berlin; for the period of decisive battles directly for Berlin, a significant part of the forces the enemy (i.e. the main forces of the 9th German Army) would not be able to take part in the fight for the city, since it would be surrounded and isolated in the forests southeast of Berlin.”
At 5 o'clock in the morning on April 16, 1945, the 1st Belorussian Front began the Berlin operation. It began unusually - after artillery preparation, which involved 9,000 guns and mortars, as well as more than 1,500 rocket launchers. Within 25 minutes they destroyed the first line of German defense. As the attack began, the artillery shifted its fire deeper into the defense, and 143 anti-aircraft searchlights were turned on in the breakthrough areas. Their light stunned the enemy and at the same time illuminated the way for the advancing units.
But the Seelow Heights turned out to be a tough nut to crack. It was not easy to break into the German defenses, despite the fact that 1,236,000 shells, or 17 thousand tons of metal, were rained down on the enemy’s head. In addition, 1514 tons of bombs were dropped on the German defense center by front aviation, which carried out 6550 sorties.
To break through the German fortified area, two tank armies had to be brought into battle. The battle for the Seelow Heights lasted only two days. Considering that the Germans had been building fortifications for almost two years, the breakthrough of the defense could be considered a great success.
Do you know that…
The Berlin operation is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest battle in history.About 3.5 million people, 52,000 guns and mortars, 7,750 tanks and 11,000 aircraft took part in the battle on both sides.
“And we’ll go north...”
Military men are ambitious people. Each of them dreams of a victory that will immortalize his name. The commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front, Marshal Konev, was just such an ambitious military leader.
Initially, his front was not given the task of capturing Berlin. It was assumed that the front troops, having struck south of Berlin, were supposed to cover Zhukov’s advancing troops. The demarcation line between the two fronts was even marked. It took place 65 km southeast of Berlin. But Konev, having learned that Zhukov had a hitch with the Seelow Heights, tried to go all-in. Of course, this violated the plan of the operation approved by Headquarters, but, as they say, the winner is not judged. Konev’s idea was simple: the 1st Belorussian Front is fighting on the Seelow Heights, and in Berlin itself there are only Volkssturmists and scattered units in need of reorganization, you can try to break through with a mobile detachment to the city and capture the Reich Chancellery and the Reichstag, raising the banner of the 1st over them Ukrainian Front. And then, taking up defensive positions, wait for the main forces of the two fronts to approach. All the laurels of the winner, naturally, in this case will go not to Zhukov, but to Konev.
The commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front did just that. At first, the advance of Konev's troops was relatively easy. But soon the 12th German Army of General Wenck, eager to link up with the remnants of Busse’s 9th Army, struck the flank of the 4th Guards Tank Army, and the advance of the 1st Ukrainian Front towards Berlin slowed down.
The myth of the "faustniks"
One of the most common myths about street fighting in Berlin is the myth about the terrible losses of Soviet tank forces from German “Faustniks”. But the numbers tell a different story. “Faustniks” account for about 10% of all armored vehicle losses. Mostly our tanks were knocked out by artillery.
By that time, the Red Army had already worked out the tactics of action in large populated areas. The basis of this tactic is assault groups, where the infantry covers their armored vehicles, which, in turn, pave the way for the infantry.
On April 25, troops from two fronts closed the encirclement ring around Berlin. The assault on the city began directly. The fighting did not stop day or night. Block after block, Soviet troops “gnawed through” the enemy’s defenses. We had to tinker with the so-called “anti-aircraft towers” - square structures with side dimensions of 70.5 meters and a height of 39 meters, the walls and roofs of which were made of fortification reinforced concrete. The thickness of the walls was 2.5 meters. These towers were armed with heavy anti-aircraft guns, which penetrated the armor of Soviet tanks of all types. Each such fortress had to be taken by storm.
On April 28, Konev made his last attempt to break through to the Reichstag. He sent Zhukov a request to change the direction of the offensive: “According to a report from Comrade Rybalko, the army of Comrade Chuikov and Comrade Katukov of the 1st Belorussian Front received the task of attacking northwest along the southern bank of the Landwehr Canal. So they cut battle formations troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front advancing north. I ask for orders to change the direction of advance of the armies of Comrade Chuikov and Comrade Katukov.” But that same evening the troops of the 3rd Shock Army of the 1st Belorussian Front came to the Reichstag.
On April 30, Hitler committed suicide in his bunker. Early in the morning of May 1, the assault flag of the 150th Infantry Division was raised over the Reichstag, but the battle for the building itself continued all day. Only on May 2, 1945 did the Berlin garrison capitulate.
By the end of the day, the troops of the 8th Guards Army cleared the entire center of Berlin of the enemy. Individual units that did not want to surrender tried to break through to the west, but were destroyed or scattered.
The capture of Berlin was the necessary final point in the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet people.
The enemy, who came to Russian soil and brought incredible losses, terrible destruction, plunder of cultural property and left behind scorched territories, had to not only be expelled.
He must be defeated and defeated on his own soil. during all four bloody years of the war was associated with Soviet people as a lair and stronghold of Hitlerism.
Complete and final victory in this war was to end with the capture of the capital of Nazi Germany. And it was the Red Army that had to complete this victorious operation.
This was demanded not only by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief I.V. Stalin, but it was necessary for the entire Soviet people.
Battle of Berlin
The final operation of World War II began on April 16, 1945 and ended on May 8, 1945. The Germans defended themselves fanatically and desperately in Berlin, which had turned into a fortress city by order of the Wehrmacht.
Literally every street was prepared for a long and bloody battle. 900 square kilometers, including not only the city itself, but also its suburbs, were turned into a well-fortified area. All sectors of this area were connected by a network of underground passages.
The German command hastily removed troops from the Western Front and transferred them to Berlin, sending them against the Red Army. Allies Soviet Union By anti-Hitler coalition planned to take Berlin first, this was their priority. But for the Soviet command it was also the most important.
Intelligence provided the Soviet command with a plan of the Berlin fortified area, and on the basis of this a plan was drawn up military operation for the capture of Berlin. Three fronts under the command of G.K. took part in the capture of Berlin. a, K.K. and I.S. Koneva.
With the forces of these fronts, it was necessary to gradually break through, crush and crush the enemy’s defenses, encircle and dismember the main forces of the enemy, and squeeze the fascist capital into a ring. An important point This operation, which was supposed to bring tangible results, was a night attack using searchlights. Previously, the Soviet command had already used a similar practice and it had a significant effect.
The amount of ammunition used for shelling was almost 7 million. A huge number of manpower - more than 3.5 million people were involved in this operation on both sides. It was the largest operation of times. Almost all forces on the German side took part in the defense of Berlin.
Not only professional military personnel, but also militia took part in the battles, regardless of age and physical abilities. The defense consisted of three lines. The first line included natural obstacles - rivers, canals, lakes. Large-scale mining was used against tanks and infantry - about 2 thousand mines per sq. km.
A huge number of tank destroyers with Faust cartridges were used. The assault on Hitler's citadel began on April 16, 1945 at 3 a.m. with a strong artillery attack. After its completion, the Germans began to be blinded by 140 powerful searchlights, which helped to successfully carry out an attack by tanks and infantry.
After just four days of fierce fighting, the first line of defense was crushed and the fronts of Zhukov and Konev closed a ring around Berlin. During the first stage, the Red Army defeated 93 German divisions and captured almost 490 thousand Nazis. A meeting between Soviet and American soldiers took place on the Elbe River.
The Eastern Front joined the Western Front. The second defensive line was considered the main one and ran along the outskirts of the suburbs of Berlin. Anti-tank obstacles and numerous barbed wire barriers were erected on the streets.
Fall of Berlin
On April 21, the second line of defense of the Nazis was crushed and fierce, bloody battles were already taking place on the outskirts of Berlin. German soldiers fought with the desperation of the doomed and surrendered extremely reluctantly, only if they realized the hopelessness of their situation. The third line of defense ran along the circular railway.
All the streets that led to the center were barricaded and mined. Bridges, including the metro, are prepared for explosions. After a week of brutal street fighting, on April 29, Soviet fighters began storming the Reichstag, and on April 30, 1945, the Red Banner was hoisted over it.
On May 1, the Soviet command received news that he had committed suicide the day before. General Krabs, Chief of the German General Staff ground forces, was delivered to the headquarters of the 8th Guards Army with a white flag and negotiations for a truce began. On May 2, the Berlin Defense Headquarters ordered an end to resistance.
The German troops stopped fighting and Berlin fell. More than 300 thousand killed and wounded - such losses were suffered by Soviet troops during the capture of Berlin. On the night of May 8-9, an act of unconditional surrender was signed between defeated Germany and members of the anti-Hitler coalition. The war in Europe was over.
conclusions
By taking Berlin, which symbolized for all progressive humanity the stronghold of fascism and Hitlerism, the Soviet Union confirmed its leading role in the Second World War. The victorious defeat of the Wehrmacht led to complete surrender and the fall of the existing regime in Germany.
The final battle of the Great Patriotic War was the Battle of Berlin, or the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation, which took place from April 16 to May 8, 1945.
On April 16, at 3 o'clock local time, aviation and artillery preparation began in the sector of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts. After its completion, 143 searchlights were turned on to blind the enemy, and infantry, supported by tanks, went on the attack. Without encountering strong resistance, she advanced 1.5-2 kilometers. However, the further our troops advanced, the stronger the enemy’s resistance grew.
The troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front carried out a rapid maneuver to reach Berlin from the south and west. On April 25, troops of the 1st Ukrainian and 1st Belorussian Fronts united west of Berlin, completing the encirclement of the entire Berlin enemy group.
The liquidation of the Berlin enemy group directly in the city continued until May 2. Every street and house had to be stormed. On April 29, battles began for the Reichstag, the capture of which was entrusted to the 79th Rifle Corps of the 3rd Shock Army 1st Belorussian Front.
Before the storming of the Reichstag, the Military Council of the 3rd Shock Army presented its divisions with nine Red Banners, specially made to resemble the State Flag of the USSR. One of these Red Banners, known as No. 5 as the Victory Banner, was transferred to the 150th Infantry Division. Similar homemade red banners, flags and flags were available in all forward units, formations and subunits. They, as a rule, were awarded to assault groups, which were recruited from among volunteers and went into battle with the main task - to break into the Reichstag and plant the Victory Banner on it. The first, at 22:30 Moscow time on April 30, 1945, to hoist the assault red banner on the roof of the Reichstag on the sculptural figure “Goddess of Victory” were reconnaissance artillerymen of the 136th Army Cannon Artillery Brigade, senior sergeants G.K. Zagitov, A.F. Lisimenko, A.P. Bobrov and Sergeant A.P. Minin from the assault group of the 79th Rifle Corps, commanded by Captain V.N. Makov, Assault group artillerymen acted together with the battalion of captain S.A. Neustroeva. Two or three hours later, also on the roof of the Reichstag on the sculpture of an equestrian knight - Kaiser Wilhelm - by order of the commander of the 756th rifle regiment 150th Infantry Division Colonel F.M. Zinchenko erected Red Banner No. 5, which later became famous as the Victory Banner. Red Banner No. 5 was hoisted by scouts Sergeant M.A. Egorov and junior sergeant M.V. Kantaria, who were accompanied by Lieutenant A.P. Berest and machine gunners from the company of senior sergeant I.Ya. Syanova.
The fighting for the Reichstag continued until the morning of May 1. At 6:30 a.m. on May 2, the chief of defense of Berlin, artillery general G. Weidling, surrendered and gave the order to the remnants of the Berlin garrison to cease resistance. In the middle of the day, the Nazi resistance in the city ceased. On the same day, surrounded groups of German troops southeast of Berlin were eliminated.
On May 9 at 0:43 Moscow time, Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, as well as representatives of the German Navy, who had the appropriate authority from Doenitz, in the presence of Marshal G.K. Zhukov, on the Soviet side, signed the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Germany. A brilliantly executed operation, coupled with the courage of Soviet soldiers and officers who fought to end the four-year nightmare of war, led to a logical result: Victory.
Capture of Berlin. 1945 Documentary
PROGRESS OF THE BATTLE
The Berlin operation of the Soviet troops began. Goal: complete the defeat of Germany, capture Berlin, unite with the allies
The infantry and tanks of the 1st Belorussian Front began the attack before dawn under the illumination of anti-aircraft searchlights and advanced 1.5-2 km
With the onset of dawn on the Seelow Heights, the Germans came to their senses and fought with ferocity. Zhukov brings tank armies into battle
16 Apr 45 The troops of Konev's 1st Ukrainian Front encounter less resistance on the path of their advance and immediately cross the Neisse
The commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front, Konev, orders the commanders of his tank armies, Rybalko and Lelyushenko, to advance on Berlin
Konev demands that Rybalko and Lelyushenko not get involved in protracted and frontal battles, and move forward more boldly towards Berlin
In the battles for Berlin, Hero of the Soviet Union, commander of a tank battalion of the Guards, died twice. Mr. S. Khokhryakov
The 2nd Belorussian Front of Rokossovsky joined the Berlin operation, covering the right flank.
By the end of the day, Konev’s front completed the breakthrough of the Neissen defense line and crossed the river. Spree and provided conditions for the encirclement of Berlin from the south
Troops of the 1st Belorussian Front Zhukov spend the whole day breaking the 3rd line of enemy defense on the Oderen on the Seelow Heights
By the end of the day, Zhukov’s troops completed the breakthrough of the 3rd line of the Oder line on the Seelow Heights
On the left wing of Zhukov’s front, conditions were created to cut off the enemy’s Frankfurt-Guben group from the Berlin area
Directive of the Supreme High Command Headquarters to the commander of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian Fronts: “Treat the Germans better.” , Antonov
Another directive from Headquarters: on identification marks and signals when meeting Soviet armies and Allied troops
At 13.50, the long-range artillery of the 79th Rifle Corps of the 3rd Shock Army was the first to open fire on Berlin - the beginning of the assault on the city itself
Apr 20 45 Konev and Zhukov send almost identical orders to the troops of their fronts: “Be the first to break into Berlin!”
By evening, formations of the 2nd Guards Tank, 3rd and 5th Shock Armies of the 1st Belorussian Front reached the northeastern outskirts of Berlin
The 8th Guards and 1st Guards Tank Armies wedged into the city defensive perimeter of Berlin in the areas of Petershagen and Erkner
Hitler ordered the 12th Army, previously aimed at the Americans, to be turned against the 1st Ukrainian Front. It now has the goal of connecting with the remnants of the 9th and 4th Panzer armies, making their way south of Berlin to the west.
3rd Guards Tank Army Rybalko broke into the southern part of Berlin and by 17.30 was fighting for Teltow - Konev’s telegram to Stalin
Hitler in last time refused to leave Berlin while there was such an opportunity. Goebbels and his family moved to a bunker under the Reich Chancellery (“Fuhrer’s bunker”)
Assault flags were presented by the Military Council of the 3rd Shock Army to the divisions storming Berlin. Among them is the flag that became the banner of victory - the assault flag of the 150th Infantry Division
In the area of Spremberg, Soviet troops eliminated the encircled group of Germans. Among the destroyed units was the tank division "Fuhrer's Guard"
Troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front are fighting in the south of Berlin. At the same time they reached the Elbe River northwest of Dresden
Goering, who left Berlin, turned to Hitler on the radio, asking him to approve him at the head of the government. Received an order from Hitler removing him from the government. Bormann ordered Goering's arrest for treason
Himmler unsuccessfully tries, through the Swedish diplomat Bernadotte, to offer the Allies surrender on the Western Front.
Shock formations of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts in the Brandenburg region closed the encirclement of German troops in Berlin
German 9th and 4th tank forces. armies are surrounded in the forests southeast of Berlin. Units of the 1st Ukrainian Front repulse the counterattack of the 12th German Army
Report: “In the Berlin suburb of Ransdorf there are restaurants where they “willingly sell” beer to our fighters for occupation stamps.” The head of the political department of the 28th Guards Rifle Regiment, Borodin, ordered the owners of Ransdorf restaurants to close them until the battle was over.
In the area of Torgau on the Elbe, Soviet troops of the 1st Ukrainian fr. met with the troops of the 12th American Army Group of General Bradley
Having crossed the Spree, the troops of Konev's 1st Ukrainian Front and Zhukov's 1st Belorussian Front are rushing towards the center of Berlin. Nothing can stop the rush of Soviet soldiers in Berlin
Troops of the 1st Belorussian Front in Berlin occupied Gartenstadt and Görlitz station, troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front occupied the Dahlem district
Konev turned to Zhukov with a proposal to change the demarcation line between their fronts in Berlin - the center of the city should be transferred to the front
Zhukov asks Stalin to honor the capture of the center of Berlin by the troops of his front, replacing Konev's troops in the south of the city
The General Staff orders Konev's troops, who have already reached Tiergarten, to transfer their offensive zone to Zhukov's troops
Order No. 1 of the military commandant of Berlin, Hero of the Soviet Union, Colonel General Berzarin, on the transfer of all power in Berlin to the hands of the Soviet military commandant's office. It was announced to the population of the city that the National Socialist Party of Germany and its organizations were dissolved and their activities were prohibited. The order established the order of behavior of the population and determined the basic provisions necessary to normalize life in the city.
Battles began for the Reichstag, the capture of which was entrusted to the 79th Rifle Corps of the 3rd Shock Army of the 1st Belorussian Front
When breaking through the barriers on the Berlin Kaiserallee, N. Shendrikov’s tank received 2 holes, caught fire, and the crew was disabled. The mortally wounded commander, gathering his last strength, sat down at the control levers and threw the flaming tank at the enemy gun.
Hitler's wedding to Eva Braun in a bunker under the Reich Chancellery. Witness - Goebbels. In his political will, Hitler expelled Goering from the NSDAP and officially named Grand Admiral Dönitz as his successor.
Soviet units are fighting for the Berlin metro
The Soviet command rejected the attempts of the German command to begin negotiations on the time. ceasefire. There is only one demand - surrender!
The assault on the Reichstag building itself began, which was defended by more than 1000 Germans and SS men from different countries
Several red banners were fixed in different places of the Reichstag - from regimental and divisional to homemade
Scouts of the 150th division Egorov and Kantaria were ordered to hoist the Red Banner over the Reichstag around midnight
Lieutenant Berest from Neustroev's battalion led the combat mission to plant the Banner over the Reichstag. Installed around 3.00, May 1
Hitler committed suicide in the Reich Chancellery bunker by taking poison and shooting himself in the temple with a pistol. Hitler's corpse is burned in the courtyard of the Reich Chancellery
Hitler leaves Goebbels as Reich Chancellor, who commits suicide the next day. Before his death, Hitler appointed Bormann Reich Minister for Party Affairs (previously such a post did not exist)
Troops of the 1st Belorussian Front captured Bandenburg, in Berlin they cleared the areas of Charlottenburg, Schöneberg and 100 blocks
In Berlin, Goebbels and his wife Magda committed suicide, having previously killed their 6 children
The commander arrived at the headquarters of Chuikov's army in Berlin. German General Staff Krebs, reported Hitler's suicide, proposed a truce. Stalin confirmed his categorical demand for unconditional surrender in Berlin. At 18 o'clock the Germans rejected it
At 18.30, due to the refusal of surrender, a fire strike was launched at the Berlin garrison. Mass surrender of Germans began
At 01.00, the radios of the 1st Belorussian Front received a message in Russian: “We ask you to cease fire. We are sending envoys to the Potsdam Bridge."
A German officer, on behalf of the commander of the defense of Berlin Weidling, announced the readiness of the Berlin garrison to stop resistance
At 6.00 General Weidling surrendered and an hour later signed an order for the surrender of the Berlin garrison
Enemy resistance in Berlin has completely ceased. The remnants of the garrison surrender en masse
In Berlin, Goebbels' deputy for propaganda and press, Dr. Fritsche, was captured. Fritsche testified during interrogation that Hitler, Goebbels and Chief of the General Staff General Krebs committed suicide
Stalin's order on the contribution of the Zhukov and Konev fronts to the defeat of the Berlin group. By 21.00, 70 thousand Germans had already surrendered.
The irretrievable losses of the Red Army in the Berlin operation were 78 thousand people. Enemy losses - 1 million, incl. 150 thousand killed
Soviet field kitchens are deployed throughout Berlin, where “wild barbarians” feed hungry Berliners
BATTLE FOR BERLIN - the final strategic offensive operation carried out by Soviet troops on April 16 - May 8 with the aim of defeating the group of German troops defending in the Berlin direction, capturing Berlin and reaching the Elbe River to join the Allied forces.
Balance of power
In the spring of 1945, on German territory there were fighting armed forces of the USSR, USA, Great Britain and France. Soviet army was 60 km from Berlin, and the advanced units of the American-British troops reached the Elbe 100-120 km from the German capital. made attempts to encourage the commander-in-chief of the armies of Western countries to take Berlin before the Red Army. But, fearing major losses, D. Eisenhower said in a telegram on March 28 that the Western allies were not going to take Berlin. The main forces of the Germans were still concentrated against the Soviet forces (214 divisions and 14 brigades), and only 60 divisions acted against the Allies. A total of 1 million people, 10,400 guns and mortars, 1,500 tanks and assault guns, 3,300 combat aircraft. A strategic reserve of 8 divisions was formed in the rear of the German army groups. The defense of the German capital included the Oder-Neissen line 20-40 km deep, which had 3 lanes, and the Berlin defensive area, which included 3 ring lines. The city itself was divided into 9 sectors, the garrison numbered up to 200 thousand people. The metro was widely used for covert maneuver by forces and means. Every street, house, and canal represented a defensive line.
To carry out the Berlin operation, the Soviet army attracted troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front, led by a marshal, led by a marshal, led by a marshal. A total of 2.5 million people, 41,600 guns and mortars, 6,250 tanks and self-propelled guns, 7,500 aircraft. The plan of the Soviet command was to break through the enemy’s defenses along the Oder and Neisse with powerful attacks on three fronts, encircle the main group of German troops, simultaneously dismember it into several parts and destroy it, and then reach the Elbe.
Main stages of the battle
Based on the nature of the tasks performed and the results, the Berlin operation is divided into three stages. On the first (April 16-19), troops of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts broke through the Oder-Neissen defensive line, and the 2nd Belorussian Front completed its regrouping and conducted reconnaissance in force. At the second stage (April 19-25), troops of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian Fronts, at the direction of Headquarters, surrounded and dismembered the Berlin enemy group. At the third stage (April 26 - May 8), the enemy was destroyed. Soviet troops captured Berlin and united with the allies. Germany capitulated.
On April 16, at 3 a.m., aviation and artillery preparation began, after which 143 anti-aircraft searchlights were turned on, and infantry, supported by tanks, attacked the enemy. The closer the Seelow Heights became, the stronger the German resistance was. The German command created on them the most powerful resistance center in the 2nd defense line, which had continuous trenches, a large number of bunkers, machine gun sites, trenches for artillery and anti-tank weapons, anti-tank and anti-personnel barriers. An anti-tank ditch up to 3 meters deep and 3.5 meters wide was dug in front of them, and the approaches to them were mined and shot through with multi-layered cross artillery and rifle-machine gun fire. The equipment could overcome the Zelovsky Heights only along highways that were mined.
The heights were defended by troops of the 9th Army, reinforced by artillery from the Berlin zone. To speed up the advance of the troops, the commander of the 1st Belorussian Front, G. Zhukov, brought the 1st and 2nd Tank Army into the battle. However, they became involved in stubborn fighting and were unable to break away from the infantry. The front troops had to successively break through several lines of defense. In the main areas near the Zelovsky Heights, the troops of the 8th Guards Army (Colonel General V.I. Chuikov), in cooperation with the 1st Tank Army (Colonel General M.E. Katukov), managed to break through it only on April 17. By the end of April 19, they had completed the breakthrough of the 3rd line of the Oder line.
The offensive of the 1st Ukrainian Front developed more successfully at this time. By the end of April 18, front troops completed the breakthrough of the Niessen defense line, crossed the Spree River and provided conditions for encircling Berlin from the South. The 2nd Belorussian Front, led by Rokossovsky, crossed the Ost-Oder on April 18-19, crossed the interfluve of the Ost-Oder and West Oder and took the starting position for crossing the West Oder. Further advance was difficult due to the flooding of the river, and difficulties arose with the transfer of artillery and tanks.
On April 20, long-range artillery of the 79th Rifle Corps of the 3rd Shock Army of the 1st Belorussian Front opened fire on Berlin. The next day, the first Soviet units broke into the outskirts of the city.
On April 22, the last operational meeting of the German High Command, led by Hitler, took place. It was decided to withdraw the 12th Army from its positions on the Elbe and send it east to meet the troops of the 9th Army, which was striking at the Soviet troops, from the area southeast of Berlin. In an effort to delay the advance of the 1st Ukrainian Front, the German command launched a counterattack from the Görlitz area to the rear of the strike group of Soviet troops. By April 23, German troops had penetrated their position 20 kilometers, but by the end of the next day the enemy’s advance had been stopped.
Storm of Berlin
On April 24, the armies of the 1st Belorussian Front united with units of the 1st Ukrainian Front to the west, encircling the city. The next day, in the Torgau area on the Elbe River, troops of the 5th Guards Army met with units of the 1st American Army approaching from the west. At this time, the troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front successfully crossed the West Oder, broke through the defenses on the western bank and pinned down the forces of the enemy's 3rd Tank Army. The assault on Berlin began, every house in which was turned into a real fortress. About 200 militia units (Volkssturm) under the overall command of Himmler, armed with carbines and Faustpatrons, consisted of men aged 16 to 60 and women conscripted from the age of 18, took part in the defense of the city.
Each army operated in its own zone, consistently breaking into the city's defenses from house to house. In the underground, underground tunnels hand-to-hand fighting took place. The basis of the combat formations of rifle and tank units during the fighting in the city were assault detachments and groups. Direct fire artillery and aviation were also widely used. The civilian population suffered seriously. At the same time, the feat of Sergeant N.I. went down in history. Masalov, who carried a German girl out from under fire (his feat is immortalized in a monument in Treptower Park).
On April 29, fighting began for the Reichstag (the lower house of parliament in Germany), which the Germans had turned into a powerful defense center; deep ditches were dug around the building, barriers were erected, and firing points were created. Basically, the Reichstag and the Reich Chancellery were defended by SS troops: units of the 11th SS Volunteer Division "Nordland", the SS French battalion Fene from the Charlemagne division and the Latvian battalion of the 15th SS Grenadier Division (Latvian SS Division), as well as the SS security units of the Fuhrer Adolf Hitler (in total there were about 1 thousand people). On the morning of April 30, having broken stubborn resistance, Soviet units broke into the building. On the same day, A. Hitler and his wife committed suicide.
By the end of the day, the Reichstag was taken, the remaining defenders defended themselves in the basement. On its pediment are scouts of the 756th Regiment of the 150th Infantry Division M.A. Egorov and M.V. Kantaria established the Red Banner, which became. With special military honors, on a special flight on a Li-2 plane, it was delivered from Berlin to Moscow, where on June 24, at the Victory Parade, it was solemnly transported in a special equipped vehicle along Red Square in front of the combined regiments of the front.
But the fighting inside the building ended only on the morning of May 1, and individual defenders who were fighting in the basement surrendered only on the night of May 2. On the walls of the Reichstag from the floor to almost the ceiling, Soviet soldiers left their inscriptions and sayings.
Surrender of fascist troops
On May 1, only the Tiergarten park area and the government quarter remained in German hands. The imperial chancellery was located here, in the courtyard of which there was a bunker at Hitler's headquarters. On the night of May 1, by prior arrangement, the headquarters of the 8th Guards Army of General V.I. Chuikov, the Chief of the Wehrmacht General Staff, General Krebs, arrived to report Hitler’s suicide and the proposal of the new German government to conclude an armistice. The message was immediately transmitted to G.K. Zhukov, who himself called Moscow. In the conversation, Stalin confirmed his categorical demand for unconditional surrender. On the evening of May 1, the new German government rejected the demand for unconditional surrender, and Soviet troops resumed the assault with renewed vigor, bringing down all their firepower on the city.
Early in the morning of May 2, the Berlin metro was flooded - a group of sappers from the SS Nordland division blew up the tunnel. Water rushed into the tunnels, where a large number of civilians and wounded were taking refuge. The number of victims is still unknown. At 6:30 a.m. on May 2, the chief of defense of Berlin, General G. Weidling, surrendered and wrote a surrender order, which was duplicated and, with the help of loudspeaker installations and radio, communicated to enemy units defending in the center of Berlin. German troops began to surrender. However, individual detachments continued to resist and fought their way towards the Western allies to surrender. A few managed to break through to the Elbe crossing area and move into the zone of occupation of the American army.
On May 8 at 22:43 (Central European time) in Berlin in Karlshort, in the building of the former military engineering school, it was signed. Present at the signing of the act were: Marshal of the USSR G.K. Zhukov, chief marshal UK Aviation A. Tedder; as witnesses - the commander of the US strategic air forces, General K. Spaats, the commander-in-chief of the French army, General J.M. de Lattre de Tassigny. On behalf of Germany, the act was signed by those who had the appropriate authority to do so from (appointed by Hitler before his death as president German Empire and Minister of War) and delivered to Berlin: the former head of the Wehrmacht High Command, Field Marshal W. Keitel, the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Admiral of the Fleet H. Friedeburg, and Colonel General of Aviation G. Stumpf.
To commemorate the USSR's victory over Nazi Germany, May 9 became Victory Day. On this day, a salute of 30 artillery salvoes from a thousand guns was fired in Moscow.
During the Berlin operation, Soviet troops defeated 70 infantry, 23 tank and motorized divisions, captured about 480 thousand people, captured up to 11 thousand guns and mortars, over 1.5 thousand tanks and assault guns, and 4,500 aircraft. The Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces established the medal “For the Capture of Berlin,” which was awarded to about 1,082 thousand soldiers. The 187 units and formations that most distinguished themselves during the assault on the German capital were given the honorary name “Berlin.” More than 600 participants in the operation were awarded the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
