unknown war. Battle for Berlin. Summary of the last operation of the Great Patriotic War

On the eve of the 70th anniversary of the portal offers its readers a chapter from the forthcoming book by M. I. Frolov and V. V. Vasilik “Battles and Victories. Great Patriotic War” about the feat of the last days of the war and the courage, steadfastness and mercy of the Soviet soldiers shown by them during the capture of Berlin.

One of the final chords of the Great Patriotic War and the Second World War was the Berlin operation. She led to the occupation of the capital the German Reich, the destruction and capture of almost a million enemy groups and, ultimately, the surrender of Nazi Germany.

Unfortunately, there has been a lot of speculation around it lately. The first is that the 1st Belorussian Front under the command allegedly could take Berlin in January - February 1945 after capturing bridgeheads on the Oder, 70 kilometers from Berlin, and only Stalin's voluntaristic decision prevented this. In fact, there were no real opportunities to capture Berlin in the winter of 1945: the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front fought 500-600 km, suffering losses, and an attack on the German capital without preparation, with bare flanks, could end in disaster.

Much in the post-war order of the world depended on who entered first into Berlin

The operation to take Berlin was carefully prepared and was carried out only after the destruction of the enemy's Pomeranian grouping. The need to destroy the Berlin group was dictated by both military and political considerations. Much in the post-war order of the world depended on who entered first into Berlin - us or the Americans. The successful offensive of the Anglo-American troops in West Germany created the possibility that the Allies would be the first to capture Berlin, so the Soviet military leaders had to hurry.

By the end of March, the Headquarters had developed a plan for an attack on the German capital. The main role was given to the 1st Belorussian Front under the command of G.K. Zhukov. The 1st Ukrainian Front under the command of I. S. Konev was assigned an auxiliary role - “to defeat the enemy grouping (...) south of Berlin”, and then strike at Dresden and Leipzig. However, in the course of the operation, I. S. Konev, wanting to get the glory of the winner, secretly made adjustments to the original plans and redirected part of his troops to Berlin. Thanks to this, a myth was created about the competition between the two military leaders, Zhukov and Konev, which was allegedly organized by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief: the prize in it was supposedly the glory of the winner, and the soldiers' lives were the bargaining chip. In fact, the Stavka's plan was rational and provided for the fastest possible capture of Berlin with minimal losses.

The main thing in Zhukov's plan was to prevent the creation of a strong group in the city and the long-term defense of Berlin

The components of this plan, developed by G.K. Zhukov, were the breakthrough of the front by the forces of tank armies. Then, when the tank armies manage to break out into the operational space, they must go to the outskirts of Berlin and form a kind of "cocoon" around German capital. "Cocoon" would prevent the strengthening of the garrison at the expense of the two hundred thousandth 9th Army or reserves from the west. It was not planned to enter the city at this stage. With the approach of the Soviet combined arms armies, the “cocoon” opened up, and Berlin could already be stormed in accordance with all the rules. The main thing in Zhukov's plan was to prevent the creation of a strong grouping in the city itself and the long-term defense of Berlin, following the example of Budapest (December 1944 - February 1945) or Poznan (January - February 1945). And this plan ultimately succeeded.

Against the German forces, which in total numbered about a million people, a one and a half million strong grouping from two fronts was concentrated. Only the 1st Belorussian Front consisted of 3059 tanks and self-propelled guns, 14038 guns. The forces of the 1st Ukrainian Front were more modest (about 1000 tanks, 2200 guns). The action of the ground forces was supported by the aviation of three air armies (4th, 16th, 2nd), with a total number of 6706 aircraft of all types. They were opposed only by 1950 aircraft of two air fleets (the sixth VF and the VF "Reich"). April 14 and 15 were held in reconnaissance in battle at the Kustrinsky bridgehead. Careful probing of the enemy defenses created the illusion among the Germans that the Soviet the offensive will begin only in a few days. However, at three o'clock in the morning, Berlin time, artillery preparation began, which lasted 2.5 hours. Of the 2,500 guns and 1,600 artillery installations, 450,000 shots were fired.

The actual artillery preparation took 30 minutes, the rest of the time was taken by the "barrage" - fire support for the advancing troops of the 5th shock army (commander N.E. Berzarin) and the 8th Guards army under the command of the hero V.I. Chuikov. In the afternoon, two tank guard armies were sent to the emerging breakthrough at once - the 1st and 2nd, under the command of M. E. Katukov and S. I. Bogdanov, a total of 1237 tanks and self-propelled guns. The troops of the 1st Belorussian Front, including the divisions of the Polish Army, crossed the Oder along the entire front line. The actions of the ground troops were supported by aviation, which on the first day alone made about 5300 sorties, destroyed 165 enemy aircraft and hit a number of important ground targets.

Nevertheless, the advance of the Soviet troops was rather slow due to the stubborn resistance of the Germans and the presence of a large number of engineering and natural barriers, especially channels. By the end of April 16, Soviet troops reached only the second line of defense. Of particular difficulty was overcoming the seemingly impregnable Seelow Heights, which our troops "gnawed through" with great difficulty. The actions of tanks were limited due to the nature of the terrain, and artillery and infantry often performed the tasks of storming enemy positions. Due to unstable weather, aviation could not provide full support at times.

However, the German forces were no longer the same as in 1943, 1944 or even at the beginning of 1945. They turned out to be no longer capable of counterattacks, but only formed "plugs" that, with their resistance, tried to delay the advance of the Soviet troops.

Nevertheless, on April 19, under the blows of the 2nd Tank Guards and 8th Guards Armies, the Wotan defensive line was broken through and a rapid breakthrough to Berlin began; on April 19 alone, Katukov's army traveled 30 kilometers. Thanks to the actions of the 69th and other armies, the "Halb cauldron" was created: the main forces of the German 9th army standing on the Oder under the command of Busse were surrounded in the forests southeast of Berlin. This was one of the major defeats of the Germans, according to A. Isaev, undeservedly left in the shadow of the actual assault on the city.

It is customary in the liberal press to exaggerate the losses on the Seelow Heights, mixing them with the losses in the entire Berlin operation (the irretrievable losses of the Soviet troops in it amounted to 80 thousand people, and the total - 360 thousand people). Really total losses of the 8th Guards and 69th Armies during the offensive in the area of ​​the Seelow Heights amounted to about 20 thousand people. Irretrievable losses amounted to approximately 5 thousand people.

During April 20-21, the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front, overcoming the resistance of the Germans, moved to the suburbs of Berlin and closed the ring of external encirclement. At 6 a.m. on April 21, the advanced units of the 171st division (commander - Colonel A.I. Negoda) crossed the ring Berlin highway and thus began the battle for Greater Berlin.

Meanwhile, the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front crossed the Neisse, then the Spree, entered Cottbus, captured on April 22. By order of I.S. Konev, two tank armies were turned to Berlin - the 3rd Guards under the command of P.S. Rybalko and the 4th Guards under the command of A.D. Lelyushenko. In stubborn battles, they broke into the Barut-Zossen defensive line, captured the city of Zossen, where the General Staff of the German ground forces was located. On April 23, the forward units of the 4th Panzer armies reached the Teltow Canal in the area of ​​Standorf, a southwestern suburb of Berlin.

Steiner's army group was made up of motley and very shabby units, up to a battalion of translators

Anticipating his imminent end, on April 21, Hitler ordered SS General Steiner to assemble a group to release Berlin and restore communications between the 56th and 110th corps. Steiner's so-called army group was a typical "patchwork quilt" made up of motley and very shabby units, up to a battalion of translators. According to the order of the Fuhrer, she was supposed to speak on April 21, but she was able to go on the offensive only on April 23. The offensive was not successful, moreover, under the onslaught of Soviet troops from the east, the German troops had to retreat and leave a bridgehead on the southern bank of the Hohenzollern Canal.

Only on April 25, having received more than modest reinforcements, Steiner's group resumed the offensive in the direction of Spandau. But at Hermannsdorf, it was stopped by Polish divisions, which launched a counteroffensive. Finally, the Steiner group was neutralized by the forces of the 61st Army of P. A. Belov, who on April 29 went to her rear and forced her remnants to retreat to the Elbe.

The other failed savior of Berlin was Walter Wenck, commander of the 12th Army, hastily assembled from new recruits to plug a hole in the Western Front. By order of Reichsmarschall Keitel on April 23, the 12th Army was to leave its positions on the Elbe and go to the release of Berlin. However, although clashes with units of the Red Army began on April 23, the 12th Army was able to go on the offensive only on April 28. The direction to Potsdam and the southern suburbs of Berlin was chosen. Initially, she was accompanied by some success due to the fact that parts of the 4th Guards Tank Army were on the march and the 12th Army managed to somewhat push the Soviet motorized infantry. But soon the Soviet command organized a counterattack by the forces of the 5th and 6th mechanized corps. Near Potsdam, Wenck's army was stopped. Already on April 29, he radioed to the General Staff of the Ground Forces: "The army ... is under such strong pressure from the enemy that an attack on Berlin is no longer possible."

Information about the position of Wenck's army hastened Hitler's suicide.

The only thing that units of the 12th Army could achieve was to hold positions near Beelitz and wait for an insignificant part of the 9th Army (about 30 thousand people) to leave the Halb pocket. On May 2, the Wenck army and units of the 9th Army began to retreat towards the Elbe in order to surrender to the Allies.

The buildings of Berlin were preparing for defense, bridges across the Spree River and canals were mined. Bunkers, bunkers were built, machine-gun nests were equipped

On April 23, the assault on Berlin began. At first glance, Berlin was a fairly powerful fortress, especially considering that the barricades on its streets were built at an industrial level and reached a height and width of 2.5 m. The so-called air defense towers were a great help in the defense. Buildings were being prepared for defense, bridges across the Spree River and canals were mined. Bunkers, bunkers were built everywhere, machine-gun nests were equipped. The city was divided into 9 defense sectors. According to the plan, the number of the garrison of each sector was to be 25 thousand people. However, in reality there were no more than 10-12 thousand people. In total, the Berlin garrison numbered no more than 100 thousand people, the miscalculation of the Vistula army command, which focused on the Oder Shield, as well as the blocking measures of the Soviet troops, which did not allow a significant number of German units to withdraw to Berlin, affected. The withdrawal of the 56th Panzer Corps slightly strengthened the defenders of Berlin, as its strength was reduced to a division. There were only 140 thousand defenders on 88 thousand hectares of the city. Unlike Stalingrad and Budapest, there was no question of any occupation of each house, only the key buildings of the quarters were defended.

In addition, the Berlin garrison was an extremely colorful spectacle, there were up to 70 (!) Types of troops in it. A significant part of the defenders of Berlin was the Volkssturm (people's militia), among them there were many teenagers from the Hitler Youth. The Berlin garrison was in dire need of weapons and ammunition. The entrance to the city of 450,000 battle-hardened Soviet soldiers left no chance for the defenders. This led to a relatively quick assault on Berlin - about 10 days.

However, these ten days, which shook the world, were performed for the soldiers and officers of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts of hard bloody labor. Significant difficulties associated with heavy losses were forcing water barriers - rivers, lakes and canals, fighting enemy snipers and faustpatronniks, especially in the ruins of buildings. At the same time, it should be noted the lack of infantry in the assault detachments, due to both general losses and those suffered before the direct assault on Berlin. The experience of street fighting, starting with Stalingrad, was taken into account, especially during the assault on the German "festungs" (fortresses) - Poznan, Koenigsberg. In the assault detachments, special assault groups were formed, consisting of blocking subgroups (a motorized infantry platoon, a squad of sappers), a support subgroup (two motorized infantry platoons, an anti-tank rifle platoon), two 76 mm and one 57 mm guns. The groups moved along the same street (one on the right, the other on the left). While the blocking subgroup blew up houses, blocked firing points, the support subgroup supported it with fire. Often the assault groups were given tanks and self-propelled guns that provided them with fire support.

Tanks in the conditions of street fighting in Berlin were both a shield for the advancing soldiers, covering them with their fire and armor, and a sword in street battles

The question was repeatedly raised in the liberal press: “Was it worth entering Berlin with tanks?” and even a kind of cliche was formed: tank armies burned by faustpatrons on the streets of Berlin. However, the participants in the battle for Berlin, in particular the commander of the 3rd Panzer Army P. S. Rybalko, have a different opinion: “The use of tank and mechanized formations and units against settlements, including cities, despite the undesirability of restricting their mobility in these battles, as shown by the extensive experience of the Patriotic War, very often becomes inevitable. Therefore, it is necessary to teach our tank and mechanized troops well this type of battle. Tanks in the conditions of street fighting in Berlin were both a shield for the advancing soldiers, covering them with their fire and armor, and a sword in street battles. It is worth noting that the significance of faustpatrons is greatly exaggerated: under normal conditions, the losses of Soviet tanks from faustpatrons were 10 times less than from the actions of German artillery. The fact that in the battles for Berlin half of the losses of Soviet tanks fell on the action of faustpatrons, once again proves the huge level of German losses in equipment, primarily in anti-tank artillery and in tanks.

Often, assault groups showed miracles of courage and professionalism. So, on April 28, soldiers of the 28th Rifle Corps captured 2021 prisoners, 5 tanks, 1380 vehicles, released 5 thousand prisoners of various nationalities from the concentration camp, losing only 11 killed and 57 wounded. The soldiers of the 117th battalion of the 39th rifle division took the building with a garrison of 720 Nazis, destroying 70 Nazis and capturing 650. The Soviet soldier learned to fight not by numbers, but by skill. All this refutes the myths that we took Berlin, filling up the enemy with corpses.

Let us briefly touch upon the most remarkable events of the storming of Berlin from April 23 to May 2. The troops that stormed Berlin can be divided into three groups - northern (3rd shock, 2nd guards tank army), southeast (5th shock, 8th guards and 1st guards tank army) and southeast western (troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front). On April 23, the troops of the southeastern group (5th Army) suddenly crossed the Spree River for the enemy, seized a bridgehead and transferred two whole divisions to it. The 26th Rifle Corps captured the Silesian railway station. On April 24, the 3rd shock army, advancing on the center of Berlin, captured the suburb of Reinickendorf. The troops of the 1st Belorussian Front captured a number of bridgeheads on the opposite bank of the Spree River and joined forces with the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front in the Schönefeld area. On April 25, the 2nd Panzer Army launched an offensive from the bridgeheads captured the day before on the Berlin-Spandauer-Schiffarts canal. On the same day, the Tempelhof airfield was captured, thanks to which Berlin was supplied. The next day, April 26, when trying to recapture it, the German Panzer Division Münchenberg was defeated. On the same day, the 9th Corps of the 5th Shock Army cleared 80 enemy quarters of the enemy. On April 27, troops of the 2nd Panzer Army captured the area and Westend station. On April 28, troops of the 3rd shock army cleared the Moabit region and the political prison of the same name from the enemy, where thousands of anti-fascists were tortured, including the great Soviet poet Musa Jalil. On the same day, the Anhalt station was captured. It is noteworthy that it was defended by the SS division Nordland, partly consisting of French and Latvian "volunteers".

On April 29, Soviet troops reached the Reichstag, the symbol of German statehood, which was taken by storm the next day. The first to break into it were the soldiers of the 171st division, led by Captain Samsonov, who at 14.20 hoisted the Soviet flag in the window of the building. After fierce fighting, the building (with the exception of the basement) was cleared of the enemy. At 21.30, according to the traditional point of view, two soldiers - M. Kantaria and A. Egorov hoisted the banner of Victory on the dome of the Reichstag. On the same day, April 30, at 15.50, having learned that the armies of Wenck, Steiner and Holse would not come to the rescue, and the Soviet troops were only 400 meters from the Reich Chancellery, where the possessed Fuhrer and his associates had taken refuge. They tried to delay their end with the help of numerous new victims, including among the German civilian population. To slow down the advance of the Soviet troops, Hitler ordered the opening of the gateways in the Berlin metro, as a result, thousands of Berlin civilians who fled from bombing and shelling died. In his will, Hitler wrote: "If the German people proved unworthy of their mission, then they must disappear." The Soviet troops sought to spare the civilian population as much as possible. As the participants in the battles recall, additional difficulties, including of a moral nature, were the fact that the German soldiers dressed in civilian clothes and treacherously shot our fighters in the back. Because of this, many of our soldiers and officers died.

After Hitler's suicide, the new German government, headed by Dr. Goebbels, wanted to enter into negotiations with the command of the 1st Belorussian Front, and through it - with the Supreme Commander-in-Chief I.V. Stalin. However, G.K. Zhukov demanded unconditional surrender, which Goebbels and Bormann did not agree to. The fighting continued. By May 1, the area occupied by German troops was reduced to only 1 sq. km. The commander of the German garrison, General Krebs, committed suicide. The new commander, General Weidling, commander of the 56th Corps, seeing the hopelessness of resistance, accepted the terms of unconditional surrender. At least 50 thousand German soldiers and officers were taken prisoner. Goebbels, fearing retribution for his crimes, committed suicide.

The assault on Berlin ended on May 2, which in 1945 fell on Holy Tuesday - a day dedicated to the memory of the Last Judgment

The capture of Berlin was, without exaggeration, a landmark event. The symbol of the German totalitarian state was defeated and the center of its administration was struck. It is deeply symbolic that the storming of Berlin ended on May 2, which in 1945 fell on Maundy Tuesday, the day dedicated to the memory of the Last Judgment. And the capture of Berlin truly became the Last Judgment over the occult German fascism, over all its iniquities. Nazi Berlin was quite reminiscent of Nineveh, about which the holy prophet Nahum prophesied: “Woe to the city of blood, the city of deceit and murder!<…>There is no medicine for your wound, your ulcer is painful. All who hear the news of you will clap their hands for you, for to whom has not your malice extended unceasingly?” (Nahum 3:1,19). But the Soviet soldier was much more merciful than the Babylonians and Medes, although the German fascists were no better in their deeds than the Assyrians with their refined atrocities. The nutrition of the two million population of Berlin was immediately established. The soldiers generously shared the latter with their yesterday's enemies.

An amazing story was told by veteran Kirill Vasilyevich Zakharov. His brother Mikhail Vasilyevich Zakharov died in the Tallinn crossing, two uncles were killed near Leningrad, his father lost his sight. He himself survived the blockade, miraculously escaped. And since 1943, when he went to the front, starting from Ukraine, he kept dreaming about how he would get to Berlin and take revenge. And during the battles for Berlin, during a respite, he stopped in the doorway to have a bite. And suddenly I saw how the hatch was rising, an elderly, starving German leaned out of it and asked for food. Kirill Vasilyevich shared his ration with him. Then another German civilian came out and also asked for food. In general, Kirill Vasilyevich was left without lunch that day. So he took revenge. And he did not regret this act of his.

Courage, steadfastness, conscience and mercy - these Christian qualities were shown by a Russian soldier in Berlin in April - May 1945. Eternal glory to him. A deep bow to those participants in the Berlin operation who have survived to this day. For they gave freedom to Europe, including the German people. And they brought the long-awaited peace to the earth.

The Berlin offensive operation is the last operation of the Red Army forces against the forces of the Third Reich. The operation did not stop from April 16 to May 8, 1945 - 23 days. As a result, it led to the unconditional surrender of Germany in World War II.

Purpose and essence of the operation

Germany

The Nazis tried to drag out the fighting as long as possible, while they wanted to achieve peace with the United States and Britain - that is, the split of the anti-Hitler coalition. This would make it possible to keep the Eastern Front against the SRSR with the aim of further counter-offensive with the subsequent defeat of the Soviet Union.

SRSR

The Soviet army was supposed to destroy the Reich forces in the Berlin direction, capture Berlin and unite with the Allied forces on the Elbe River - this would have destroyed all German plans to drag out the war.

Side forces

The SRSR had at its disposal 1.9 million people in this direction, in addition to this, the Polish troops numbered 156 thousand people. In total, the army consisted of 6250 tanks and about 42 thousand guns, as well as mortar guns, more than 7500 military aircraft.

Germany had one million men, 10,400 guns and mortars, 1,500 tanks and 3,300 combat aircraft.
Thus, one can notice a clear superiority of numbers towards the Red Army, which had 2 times as many soldiers, 4 times as many mortar guns, as well as more than 2 times as many aircraft and 4 times as many tanks.

Now it would be wise to analyze in detail the entire course of the Berlin offensive.

Operation progress

The first hours of the operation were more than successful for the soldiers of the Red Army, as in a short time it easily broke through the first line of defense. However, later it met with very fierce resistance from the Nazis.

The Red Army received the greatest resistance at the Zelov Heights. As it turned out, the infantry could not break through the defense either, since the German fortifications were well prepared and they gave this position special importance. Then Zhukov decides to use tank armies.

April 17 began a decisive assault on the heights. Fierce battles were fought all night and day, as a result of which, on the morning of April 18, they nevertheless managed to take defensive positions.

By the end of April 19, the Red Army repulsed the fierce German counterattacks and was already able to develop an offensive against Berlin. Hitler ordered to hold the defense at any cost.

On April 20, the first air strikes were carried out on the city of Berlin. On April 21, paramilitary units of the Red Army invaded the outskirts of the city of Berlin. Already on April 23 and 24, the actions acquired a particularly fierce character, as the Germans stood resolutely to the death. On April 24, the pace of the offensive practically stopped, but the Germans failed to stop it completely. The 5th Army, waging fierce, bloody battles, broke through to the center of Berlin.

The offensive in this direction developed more successfully than that of the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front.

The Red Army successfully crossed the Neisse River and transported troops for further advance.

Already on April 18, an order was given to send the 3rd and 4th Panzer Army to the aid of the Belorussian Front, which met with determined resistance.

On April 20, the forces of the Red Army divided the forces of the armies "Vistula" and "Center". Already on April 21, a battle began for the outer defensive positions of Berlin. And on April 22, the defensive positions were broken through, but then the Red Army met strong resistance, and the attack was stopped.

On April 22, the ring around Berlin was practically closed. On this day, Hitler makes the last decision that could have an impact on the course of military operations. He considered Berlin's last hope to be W. Wenck's 12th Army, which was obliged to transfer from the Western Front and break through the ring.

On April 24, the Red Army was able to capture the defensive positions of the southern bank of the Teltow Canal, where the Germans decisively fortified themselves and only the most powerful artillery salvos made it possible to force.

Also on April 24, Wenck's army launched an offensive with tank armies, but the Red Army managed to hold them back.

On April 25, Soviet soldiers met with the Americans on the Elbe.

(April 20 - May 8) 2nd Belorussian Front

On April 20, the crossing of the Oder began, which took place with varying success. As a result, the Red Army forces froze the 3rd Panzer Army in action, which could help Berlin.

On April 24, the power of the 1st Ukrainian and 2nd Belorussian fronts surrounded Busse's army and cut it off from Berlin. So more than 200 thousand German soldiers were surrounded. However, the Germans not only organized a powerful defense, but also tried to carry out counterattacks right up to May 2 in order to unite with Berlin. They even managed to break through the ring, but only a small part of the army was able to reach Berlin.

On April 25, the ring around the capital of Nazism, Berlin, finally closed. The defense of the capital was carefully prepared and consisted of a garrison of at least 200 thousand people. The closer the Red Army advanced to the center of the city, the denser the defense became. The streets became barricades - serious fortifications with thick walls, behind which the Germans fought to the death. Numerous tanks of the Soviet Union in urban conditions suffered from German faustpatrons. Before launching the next offensive, the Soviet army carried out heavy artillery shelling of the enemy’s combat positions.

The fighting went on continuously, both during the day and at night. Already on April 28, the soldiers of the Red Army reached the Reichstag area. And on April 30, the path to it was completely open.

On April 30, his decisive assault began. In a short time, almost the entire building was captured. However, the Germans stood on the defensive so stubbornly that they had to fight fierce battles for rooms, corridors, etc. On May 1, the flag was raised over the Reichstag, but the battles for it continued right up to May 2, only at night the garrison capitulated.

As of May 1, only the state quarter and the Tiergarten remained in the clutches of the German soldiers. Here was Hitler's headquarters. An offer of surrender reached Zhukov as Hitler committed suicide in the bunker. However, Stalin refused and the offensive continued.

On May 2, the last commander of the defense of Berlin surrendered and signed a surrender pact. However, not all units decided to surrender and continued to fight to the death.

Losses

Both warring camps suffered colossal losses in human strength. According to the data, the Red Army lost over 350 thousand people, wounded and killed, more than 2 thousand tanks, about 1 thousand aircraft and 2 thousand guns. However, these data should not be trusted blindly, since the SRSR kept silent about the real numbers and gave false data. The same applies to the assessment of German losses by Soviet analysts.
Germany, on the other hand, lost (according to Soviet data, which may have greatly exceeded real losses) 400 thousand soldiers killed and wounded. 380 thousand people were taken prisoner.

Results of the Berlin operation

- The Red Army defeated the largest grouping of German troops, and also captured the top leadership (military and political) of Germany.
- The capture of Berlin, which finally broke the spirit of the German troops and influenced their decision to end the resistance.
– Hundreds of thousands of people were released from German captivity.
The battle for Berlin went down in history as the largest battle in history, in which more than 3.5 million people took part.

In the Berlin direction, the troops of the Vistula Army Group under the command of Colonel General G. Heinrici, and the Center Army Group under the command of Field Marshal F. Scherner took up the defense. In total, Berlin was defended by 48 infantry, 6 tank and 9 motorized divisions, 37 separate infantry regiments, 98 separate infantry battalions, as well as a large number of separate artillery and special units and formations, numbering about 1 million people, 10,400 guns and mortars, 1,500 tanks and assault guns and 3,300 combat aircraft. The High Command of the Wehrmacht wanted to keep the defense in the east at all costs, to hold back the offensive of the Red Army, at the same time to try to conclude a separate peace with Great Britain and the USA.

To carry out the Berlin operation, the troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front under the command of Marshal K.K. Rokossovsky, troops of the 1st Belorussian Front under the command of Marshal G.K. Zhukov and the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front under the command of Marshal I.S. Konev. The Dnieper military flotilla, part of the forces of the Baltic Fleet, the 1st and 2nd armies of the Polish Army took part in the operation. In total, the Red Army troops advancing on Berlin numbered 2.5 million people, 41,600 guns and mortars, 6,250 tanks and self-propelled artillery mounts, and 7,500 aircraft.

On April 16, the troops of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts went on the offensive. To speed up the advance of the troops, the command of the 1st Belorussian Front on the very first day brought tank and mechanized corps into battle. However, they were drawn into stubborn battles and could not break away from the infantry. The Soviet troops had to successively break through several lines of defense. In the main areas near the Seelow Heights, it was possible to break through the defenses only on April 17th. The troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front crossed the Neisse River and on the first day of the offensive broke through the enemy's main line of defense.

On April 20, long-range artillery of the Red Army opened fire on Berlin. On April 21, tankers of the 3rd Guards Army of the 1st Belorussian Front were the first to break into the northeastern outskirts of Berlin. The troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front carried out a swift maneuver to reach Berlin from the south and west. On April 25, the troops of the 1st Ukrainian and 1st Belorussian fronts joined up west of Berlin, completing the encirclement of the entire enemy Berlin grouping. On April 25, 1945, in the Torgau area on the Elbe River, the troops of the 5th Guards Army of the 1st Ukrainian Front met with units of the 1st American Army advancing from the west.

The liquidation of the Berlin enemy grouping directly in the city continued until May 2. The assault had to take every street and house. On April 29, fighting began for the Reichstag, the possession of which was entrusted to the 79th Rifle Corps of the 3rd Shock Army of the 1st Belorussian Front. Before the assault on the Reichstag, the Military Council of the 3rd Shock Army presented its divisions with nine Red Banners, specially made according to the type of the State Flag of the USSR. One of these Red Banners, known under No. 5 as the Banner of Victory, was transferred to the 150th Infantry Division. Similar self-made red banners, flags and flags were in all advanced units, formations and subunits. They, as a rule, were handed over to assault groups, which were recruited from among volunteers and went into battle with the main task - to break into the Reichstag and install the Banner of Victory on it. The first - at 10:30 pm Moscow time on April 30, 1945, hoisted an assault red banner on the roof of the Reichstag on the sculptural figure "Goddess of Victory" 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, the assault group of artillerymen acted jointly 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 Infantry Regiment of the 150th Infantry Division, Colonel F.M. Zinchenko, the Red Banner No. 5 was installed, which then became famous as the Banner of Victory. 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. Syanov. On May 2, this banner was transferred to the dome of the Reichstag as the Banner of Victory. In total, during the assault and up to the transfer of the Reichstag to the Allied forces, up to 40 red banners, flags and flags were installed on it in different places. On May 9, the Victory Banner was removed from the Reichstag and another red banner was put in its place.

The fighting for the Reichstag continued until the morning of May 1. At 6:30 am on May 2, the head of the defense of Berlin, General of Artillery G. Weidling, surrendered and ordered the remnants of the troops of the Berlin garrison to cease resistance. In the middle of the day, the resistance of the Nazis in the city ceased. On the same day, the encircled groupings of German troops southeast of Berlin were liquidated.

On May 2, 1945, Moscow twice saluted the victors: at 21:00 with volleys from 222 guns, and at 23:00 - from 324 guns.

During the Berlin strategic offensive operation, 70 German infantry divisions, 23 tank and motorized divisions, most of the Wehrmacht aviation were defeated. About 500,000 soldiers and officers were taken prisoner, more than 11,000 guns and mortars, over 1,500 tanks and assault guns, 4,500 aircraft were captured.

During the 23 days of continuous offensive battles, the Red Army and the Polish Army during the Berlin operation lost 81,116 people killed, 280,000 people wounded and sick. The losses of military equipment and weapons amounted to: 1,997 tanks and self-propelled artillery installations, 2,108 guns and mortars, 917 combat aircraft, 216,000 small arms.

The government of the USSR and the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR established the medal "For the Capture of Berlin", which was awarded to more than 1 million 82 thousand soldiers and officers. 187 units and formations of the Red Army, which distinguished themselves most during the assault on the enemy capital, were given the honorary name "Berlin". More than 600 participants in the Berlin operation were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. 13 people were awarded the second Gold Star medal of the Hero of the Soviet Union.

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Side forces Soviet troops:
1.9 million people
6,250 tanks
over 7,500 aircraft
Polish troops: 155,900 people
1 million people
1,500 tanks
over 3,300 aircraft Losses Soviet troops:
78,291 killed
274,184 wounded
215.9 thousand units small arms
1,997 tanks and self-propelled guns
2,108 guns and mortars
917 aircraft
Polish troops:
2,825 killed
6,067 wounded Soviet data:
OK. 400 thousand killed
OK. 380 thousand captured

The Great Patriotic War

Invasion of the USSR Karelia arctic Leningrad Rostov Moscow Sevastopol Barvenkovo-Lozovaya Kharkov Voronezh-Voroshilovgrad Rzhev Stalingrad Caucasus Velikiye Luki Ostrogozhsk-Rossosh Voronezh-Kastornoye Kursk Smolensk Donbass Dnieper Right-Bank Ukraine Leningrad-Novgorod Crimea (1944) Belarus Lviv-Sandomierz Iasi-Chisinau Eastern Carpathians the Baltic States Courland Romania Bulgaria Debrecen Belgrade Budapest Poland (1944) Western Carpathians East Prussia Lower Silesia Eastern Pomerania Upper Silesia Vein Berlin Prague

Berlin strategic offensive operation- one of the last strategic operations of the Soviet troops in the European theater of operations, during which the Red Army occupied the capital of Germany and victoriously ended the Great Patriotic War and World War II in Europe. The operation lasted 23 days - from April 16 to May 8, 1945, during which the Soviet troops advanced westward at a distance of 100 to 220 km. The width of the combat front is 300 km. As part of the operation, the Stettin-Rostock, Seelow-Berlin, Cottbus-Potsdam, Stremberg-Torgau and Brandenburg-Rathen front-line offensive operations were carried out.

The military-political situation in Europe in the spring of 1945

In January-March 1945, the troops of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts during the Vistula-Oder, East Pomeranian, Upper Silesian and Lower Silesian operations reached the line of the Oder and Neisse rivers. According to the shortest distance from the Kustrinsky bridgehead to Berlin, 60 km remained. Anglo-American troops completed the liquidation of the Ruhr grouping of German troops and by mid-April advanced units reached the Elbe. The loss of the most important raw material areas led to a decline in industrial production in Germany. Difficulties increased in replenishing the casualties suffered in the winter of 1944/45. Nevertheless, the German armed forces were still an impressive force. According to the intelligence department of the General Staff of the Red Army, by mid-April they numbered 223 divisions and brigades.

According to the agreements reached by the heads of the USSR, the USA and Great Britain in the autumn of 1944, the border of the Soviet zone of occupation was to be 150 km west of Berlin. Despite this, Churchill put forward the idea of ​​getting ahead of the Red Army and capturing Berlin, and then commissioned the development of a plan for a full-scale war against the USSR.

Objectives of the parties

Germany

The Nazi leadership tried to drag out the war in order to achieve a separate peace with England and the United States and split the anti-Hitler coalition. At the same time, holding the front against the Soviet Union acquired decisive importance.

the USSR

The military-political situation that had developed by April 1945 required the Soviet command to prepare and conduct an operation to defeat the group of German troops in the Berlin direction, capture Berlin and reach the Elbe River to join the Allied forces as soon as possible. The successful fulfillment of this strategic task made it possible to thwart the plans of the Nazi leadership to prolong the war.

• Capture the capital of Germany, the city of Berlin
• After 12-15 days of operation, reach the Elbe River

• Deliver a cutting blow south of Berlin, isolate the main forces of Army Group Center from the Berlin grouping and thereby ensure the main attack of the 1st Belorussian Front from the south
• Defeat the enemy grouping south of Berlin and operational reserves in the Cottbus area
• In 10-12 days, no later, reach the Belitz-Wittenberg line and further along the Elbe River to Dresden

• Deliver a cutting blow north of Berlin, securing the right flank of the 1st Belorussian Front from possible enemy counterattacks from the north
• Press to the sea and destroy the German troops north of Berlin

• Assist the troops of the 5th Shock and 8th Guards Armies with two brigades of river ships in crossing the Oder and breaking through the enemy defenses at the Kustra bridgehead
• The third brigade to assist the troops of the 33rd Army in the Furstenberg area
• Provide anti-mine defense of water transport routes.

• Support the coastal flank of the 2nd Belorussian Front, continuing the blockade of the Kurland Army Group pressed to the sea in Latvia (Kurland Cauldron)

Operation plan

The plan of the operation provided for the simultaneous transition to the offensive of the troops of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts on the morning of April 16, 1945. The 2nd Belorussian Front, in connection with the upcoming major regrouping of its forces, was to launch an offensive on April 20, that is, 4 days later.

In preparing the operation, special attention was paid to issues of camouflage and achieving operational and tactical surprise. The headquarters of the fronts developed detailed action plans for disinformation and misleading the enemy, according to which the preparations for the offensive by the troops of the 1st and 2nd Belorussian fronts were simulated in the area of ​​​​the cities of Stettin and Guben. At the same time, intensified defensive work continued on the central sector of the 1st Belorussian Front, where in reality the main attack was planned. They were carried out especially intensively in sectors that were clearly visible to the enemy. It was explained to all the personnel of the armies that the main task was stubborn defense. In addition, documents characterizing the activities of troops in various sectors of the front were thrown into the enemy’s location.

The arrival of reserves and reinforcements was carefully camouflaged. Military echelons with artillery, mortar, tank units on the territory of Poland were disguised as trains carrying timber and hay on platforms.

When carrying out reconnaissance, tank commanders from the battalion commander to the army commander dressed in infantry uniforms and, under the guise of signalmen, examined crossings and areas where their units would be concentrated.

The circle of knowledgeable persons was extremely limited. In addition to the army commanders, only the chiefs of staff of the armies, the chiefs of the operational departments of the headquarters of the armies and the commanders of artillery were allowed to familiarize themselves with the directive of the Stavka. Regimental commanders received tasks orally three days before the offensive. Junior commanders and Red Army soldiers were allowed to announce the offensive task two hours before the attack.

Troop regrouping

In preparation for the Berlin operation, the 2nd Belorussian Front, which had just completed the East Pomeranian operation, in the period from April 4 to April 15, 1945, was to transfer 4 combined arms armies at a distance of up to 350 km from the area of ​​​​the cities of Danzig and Gdynia to the line of the Oder River and change the armies of the 1st Belorussian Front there. The poor condition of the railways and the acute shortage of rolling stock did not allow the full use of the possibilities of railway transport, so the main burden of transportation fell on motor vehicles. The front was allocated 1,900 vehicles. Part of the way the troops had to overcome on foot.

Germany

The German command foresaw the offensive of the Soviet troops and carefully prepared to repel it. A defense in depth was built from the Oder to Berlin, and the city itself was turned into a powerful defensive citadel. The divisions of the first line were replenished with personnel and equipment, strong reserves were created in the operational depth. In Berlin and near it, a huge number of Volkssturm battalions were formed.

The nature of the defense

The basis of the defense was the Oder-Neissen defensive line and the Berlin defensive area. The Oder-Neissen line consisted of three defensive lines, and its total depth reached 20-40 km. The main defensive line had up to five continuous lines of trenches, and its front line ran along the left bank of the Oder and Neisse rivers. A second line of defense was created 10-20 km from it. It was the most equipped in engineering terms at the Zelov Heights - in front of the Kyustrinsky bridgehead. The third strip was located at a distance of 20-40 km from the front line. When organizing and equipping the defense, the German command skillfully used natural obstacles: lakes, rivers, canals, ravines. All settlements were turned into strong strongholds and were adapted for all-round defense. During the construction of the Oder-Neissen line, special attention was paid to the organization of anti-tank defense.

The saturation of defensive positions with enemy troops was uneven. The highest density of troops was observed in front of the 1st Belorussian Front in a strip 175 km wide, where the defense was occupied by 23 divisions, a significant number of separate brigades, regiments and battalions, with 14 divisions defending against the Kustrinsky bridgehead. In the offensive zone of the 2nd Belorussian Front, 120 km wide, 7 infantry divisions and 13 separate regiments defended. In the strip of the 1st Ukrainian Front, 390 km wide, there were 25 enemy divisions.

In an effort to increase the stamina of their troops on the defensive, the Nazi leadership tightened repressive measures. So, on April 15, in his address to the soldiers of the eastern front, A. Hitler demanded that everyone who gave the order to withdraw or would withdraw without an order be shot on the spot.

The composition and strength of the parties

the USSR

Total: Soviet troops - 1.9 million people, Polish troops - 155,900 people, 6,250 tanks, 41,600 guns and mortars, more than 7,500 aircraft

Germany

Fulfilling the order of the commander, on April 18 and 19, the tank armies of the 1st Ukrainian Front marched irresistibly towards Berlin. The pace of their offensive reached 35-50 km per day. At the same time, the combined-arms armies were preparing to liquidate large enemy groupings in the area of ​​Cottbus and Spremberg.

By the end of the day on April 20, the main strike force of the 1st Ukrainian Front had penetrated deeply into the enemy’s location, and completely cut off the German Army Group Vistula from the Army Group Center. Feeling the threat caused by the rapid actions of the tank armies of the 1st Ukrainian Front, the German command took a number of measures to strengthen the approaches to Berlin. To strengthen the defense in the area of ​​​​the cities of Zossen, Luckenwalde, Jutterbog, infantry and tank units were urgently sent. Overcoming their stubborn resistance, on the night of April 21, Rybalko's tankers reached the outer Berlin defensive bypass. By the morning of April 22, Sukhov's 9th Mechanized Corps and Mitrofanov's 6th Guards Tank Corps of the 3rd Guards Tank Army crossed the Notte Canal, broke through the outer defensive bypass of Berlin, and by the end of the day reached the southern bank of the Teltow Canal. There, having met strong and well-organized enemy resistance, they were stopped.

At 12 noon on April 25, west of Berlin, the advanced units of the 4th Guards Tank Army met with units of the 47th Army of the 1st Belorussian Front. On the same day, another significant event took place. An hour and a half later, on the Elbe, the 34th Guards Corps of General Baklanov of the 5th Guards Army met with American troops.

From April 25 to May 2, the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front fought fierce battles in three directions: units of the 28th Army, 3rd and 4th Guards Tank Armies participated in the storming of Berlin; part of the forces of the 4th Guards Tank Army, together with the 13th Army, repulsed the counterattack of the 12th German Army; The 3rd Guards Army and part of the forces of the 28th Army blocked and destroyed the encircled 9th Army.

All the time from the beginning of the operation, the command of the Army Group "Center" sought to disrupt the offensive of the Soviet troops. On April 20, German troops delivered the first counterattack on the left flank of the 1st Ukrainian Front and pushed back the troops of the 52nd Army and the 2nd Army of the Polish Army. On April 23, a new powerful counterattack followed, as a result of which the defense at the junction of the 52nd Army and the 2nd Army of the Polish Army was broken through and the German troops advanced 20 km in the general direction of Spremberg, threatening to reach the rear of the front.

2nd Belorussian Front (April 20-May 8)

From April 17 to April 19, the troops of the 65th Army of the 2nd Belorussian Front, under the command of Colonel General Batov P.I., conducted reconnaissance in battle and advanced detachments captured the Oder interfluve, thereby facilitating the subsequent forcing of the river. On the morning of April 20, the main forces of the 2nd Belorussian Front went on the offensive: the 65th, 70th and 49th armies. The crossing of the Oder took place under the cover of artillery fire and smoke screens. The offensive developed most successfully in the sector of the 65th Army, in which the engineering troops of the army had a considerable merit. Having built two 16-ton pontoon crossings by 13 o'clock, by the evening of April 20, the troops of this army captured a bridgehead 6 kilometers wide and 1.5 kilometers deep.

We had a chance to observe the work of sappers. Working up to their necks in icy water among explosions of shells and mines, they made a crossing. Every second they were threatened with death, but people understood their soldier's duty and thought of one thing - to help their comrades on the west bank and thereby bring victory closer.

More modest success was achieved in the central sector of the front in the zone of the 70th Army. The left-flank 49th Army met stubborn resistance and was not successful. All day and all night on April 21, the troops of the front, repulsing numerous attacks by German troops, stubbornly expanded their bridgeheads on the western bank of the Oder. In the current situation, the front commander K.K. Rokossovsky decided to send the 49th army along the crossings of the right neighbor of the 70th army, and then return it to its offensive zone. By April 25, as a result of fierce battles, the troops of the front expanded the captured bridgehead to 35 km along the front and up to 15 km in depth. To build up striking power, the 2nd shock army, as well as the 1st and 3rd guards tank corps, were transferred to the western bank of the Oder. At the first stage of the operation, the 2nd Belorussian Front, by its actions, fettered the main forces of the 3rd German tank army, depriving it of the opportunity to help those fighting near Berlin. On April 26, formations of the 65th Army stormed Stettin. In the future, the armies of the 2nd Belorussian Front, breaking the resistance of the enemy and destroying the suitable reserves, stubbornly moved to the west. On May 3, Panfilov's 3rd Guards Tank Corps, southwest of Wismar, established contact with the advanced units of the 2nd British Army.

Liquidation of the Frankfurt-Guben group

By the end of April 24, formations of the 28th Army of the 1st Ukrainian Front came into contact with units of the 8th Guards Army of the 1st Belorussian Front, thereby encircling the 9th Army of General Busse southeast of Berlin and cutting it off from the city. The encircled grouping of German troops became known as the Frankfurt-Gubenskaya. Now the Soviet command was faced with the task of eliminating the 200,000th enemy grouping and preventing its breakthrough to Berlin or to the west. To accomplish the latter task, the 3rd Guards Army and part of the forces of the 28th Army of the 1st Ukrainian Front took up active defense in the path of a possible breakthrough by German troops. On April 26, the 3rd, 69th, and 33rd armies of the 1st Belorussian Front began the final liquidation of the encircled units. However, the enemy not only offered stubborn resistance, but also made repeated attempts to break out of the encirclement. Skillfully maneuvering and skillfully creating superiority in forces in narrow sections of the front, the German troops twice managed to break through the encirclement. However, each time the Soviet command took decisive measures to eliminate the breakthrough. Until May 2, the encircled units of the 9th German Army made desperate attempts to break through the battle formations of the 1st Ukrainian Front to the west, to join General Wenck's 12th Army. Only separate small groups managed to seep through the forests and go west.

Storming of Berlin (April 25 - May 2)

A volley of Soviet Katyusha rocket launchers in Berlin

At 12 noon on April 25, the ring around Berlin was closed, when the 6th Guards Mechanized Corps of the 4th Guards Tank Army crossed the Havel River and connected with units of the 328th Division of the 47th Army of General Perkhorovich. By that time, according to the Soviet command, the Berlin garrison numbered at least 200 thousand people, 3 thousand guns and 250 tanks. The defense of the city was carefully thought out and well prepared. It was based on a system of strong fire, strongholds and centers of resistance. The closer to the city center, the tighter the defense became. Massive stone buildings with thick walls gave it special strength. The windows and doors of many buildings were closed up and turned into loopholes for firing. The streets were blocked by powerful barricades up to four meters thick. The defenders had a large number of faustpatrons, which in the conditions of street fighting turned out to be a formidable anti-tank weapon. Of no small importance in the enemy's defense system were underground structures, which were widely used by the enemy for maneuvering troops, as well as for sheltering them from artillery and bomb attacks.

By April 26, six armies of the 1st Belorussian Front (47th, 3rd and 5th shock, 8th guards, 1st and 2nd guards tank armies) and three armies of the 1st Belorussian Front took part in the assault on Berlin. th Ukrainian Front (28th, 3rd and 4th Guards Tank). Taking into account the experience of capturing large cities, assault detachments were created for battles in the city as part of rifle battalions or companies, reinforced with tanks, artillery and sappers. The actions of the assault detachments, as a rule, were preceded by a short but powerful artillery preparation.

By April 27, as a result of the actions of the armies of the two fronts that had deeply advanced towards the center of Berlin, the enemy grouping in Berlin stretched out in a narrow strip from east to west - sixteen kilometers long and two or three, in some places five kilometers wide. The fighting in the city did not stop day or night. Block after block, Soviet troops advanced deep into the enemy defenses. So, by the evening of April 28, units of the 3rd shock army went to the Reichstag area. On the night of April 29, the actions of the forward battalions under the command of Captain S. A. Neustroev and Senior Lieutenant K. Ya. Samsonov captured the Moltke Bridge. At dawn on April 30, the building of the Ministry of the Interior, adjacent to the parliament building, was stormed at the cost of considerable losses. The way to the Reichstag was open.

April 30, 1945 at 14:25, units of the 150th Infantry Division under the command of Major General V. M. Shatilov and the 171st Infantry Division under the command of Colonel A. I. Negoda stormed the main part of the Reichstag building. The remaining Nazi units offered stubborn resistance. We had to fight literally for every room. In the early morning of May 1, the assault flag of the 150th Infantry Division was raised over the Reichstag, but the battle for the Reichstag continued all day and only on the night of May 2 did the Reichstag garrison capitulate.

Helmut Weidling (left) and his staff officers surrender to Soviet troops. Berlin. May 2, 1945

• Troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front in the period from 15 to 29 April

destroyed 114,349 people, captured 55,080 people

• Troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front in the period from April 5 to May 8:

destroyed 49,770 people, captured 84,234 people

Thus, according to the reports of the Soviet command, the loss of German troops was about 400 thousand people killed, about 380 thousand people captured. Part of the German troops was pushed back to the Elbe and capitulated to the Allied forces.

Also, according to the assessment of the Soviet command, the total number of troops that emerged from the encirclement in the Berlin area does not exceed 17,000 people with 80-90 armored vehicles.

Inflated German casualties

According to combat reports of the fronts:

• Troops of the 1st Belorussian Front in the period from April 16 to May 13: destroyed - 1,184, captured - 629 tanks and self-propelled guns.
• During the period from April 15 to April 29, the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front destroyed - 1,067, captured - 432 tanks and self-propelled guns;
• During the period from April 5 to May 8, the troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front destroyed - 195, captured - 85 tanks and self-propelled guns.

In total, according to the fronts, 3,592 tanks and self-propelled guns were destroyed and captured, which is more than 2 times the number of tanks available on the Soviet-German front before the start of the operation.

During the Great Patriotic War, Soviet troops carried out the Berlin strategic offensive operation, the purpose of which was to defeat the main forces of the German army groups Vistula and Center, capture Berlin, reach the Elbe River and unite with the Allied forces.

The troops of the Red Army, having defeated large groupings of Nazi troops in East Prussia, Poland and East Pomerania during January-March 1945, by the end of March reached the Oder and Neisse rivers on a wide front. After the liberation of Hungary and the occupation of Vienna by Soviet troops in mid-April, fascist Germany was under the blows of the Red Army from the east and south. At the same time, from the west, without encountering any organized resistance from the Germans, the Allied troops advanced in the Hamburg, Leipzig and Prague directions.

The main forces of the Nazi troops acted against the Red Army. By April 16, there were 214 divisions on the Soviet-German front (of which 34 were armored and 15 motorized) and 14 brigades, and against the American-British troops, the German command held only 60 poorly equipped divisions, of which five were armored. The Berlin direction was defended by 48 infantry, six tank and nine motorized divisions and many other units and formations (a total of one million people, 10.4 thousand guns and mortars, 1.5 thousand tanks and assault guns). From the air, ground troops covered 3.3 thousand combat aircraft.

The defense of the Nazi troops in the Berlin direction included the Oder-Neissen line 20-40 kilometers deep, which had three defensive lanes, and the Berlin defensive area, which consisted of three ring contours - external, internal and urban. In total, with Berlin, the depth of defense reached 100 kilometers, it was crossed by numerous canals and rivers, which served as serious obstacles for tank troops.

The Soviet Supreme High Command during the Berlin offensive operation provided for breaking through the enemy’s defenses along the Oder and Neisse and, developing the offensive in depth, encircle the main grouping of Nazi troops, dismember it and subsequently destroy it in parts, and then go to the Elbe. For this, the troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front under the command of Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky, the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front under the command of Marshal Georgy Zhukov and the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front under the command of Marshal Ivan Konev were involved. The Dnieper military flotilla, part of the forces of the Baltic Fleet, the 1st and 2nd armies of the Polish Army took part in the operation. In total, the Red Army troops advancing on Berlin numbered over two million people, about 42 thousand guns and mortars, 6250 tanks and self-propelled artillery mounts, 7.5 thousand combat aircraft.

According to the plan of the operation, the 1st Belorussian Front was supposed to capture Berlin and reach the Elbe no later than 12-15 days later. The 1st Ukrainian Front had the task of defeating the enemy in the area of ​​Cottbus and south of Berlin, and on the 10th-12th day of the operation to capture the line of Belitz, Wittenberg and further the Elbe River to Dresden. The 2nd Belorussian Front was to cross the Oder River, defeat the Stettin enemy grouping and cut off the main forces of the German 3rd Panzer Army from Berlin.

On April 16, 1945, after a powerful air and artillery preparation, a decisive attack by the troops of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts of the Oder-Neissen defensive line began. In the area of ​​the main attack of the 1st Belorussian Front, where the offensive was launched before dawn, the infantry and tanks, in order to demoralize the enemy, went on the attack in a zone illuminated by 140 powerful searchlights. The troops of the shock group of the front had to sequentially break through several lanes of defense in depth. By the end of April 17, they managed to break through the enemy defenses in the main areas near the Seelow Heights. The troops of the 1st Belorussian Front completed the breakthrough of the third line of the Oder line of defense by the end of April 19th. On the right wing of the shock group of the front, the 47th Army and the 3rd Shock Army were successfully moving forward to cover Berlin from the north and northwest. On the left wing, conditions were created for bypassing the Frankfurt-Guben enemy grouping from the north and cutting it off from the Berlin area.

The troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front crossed the Neisse River, on the first day they broke through the enemy's main line of defense, and wedged 1-1.5 kilometers into the second. By the end of April 18, the troops of the front had completed the breakthrough of the Neusen line of defense, crossed the Spree River and provided the conditions for the encirclement of Berlin from the south. On the Dresden direction, formations of the 52nd Army repelled an enemy counterattack from the area north of Görlitz.

On April 18-19, the advanced units of the 2nd Belorussian Front crossed the Ost-Oder, crossed the interfluve of the Ost-Oder and West-Oder, and then began crossing the West-Oder.

On April 20, artillery fire of the 1st Belorussian Front on Berlin laid the foundation for its assault. On April 21, tanks of the 1st Ukrainian Front broke into the southern outskirts of Berlin. On April 24, the troops of the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts joined in the Bonsdorf area (southeast of Berlin), completing the encirclement of the Frankfurt-Guben grouping of the enemy. On April 25, tank formations of the fronts, leaving in the Potsdam area, completed the encirclement of the entire Berlin grouping (500 thousand people). On the same day, the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front crossed the Elbe River and joined the American troops in the Torgau region.

During the offensive, the troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front crossed the Oder and, having broken through the enemy's defenses, advanced to a depth of 20 kilometers by April 25; they firmly fettered the German 3rd Panzer Army, depriving it of the opportunity to launch a counterattack from the north against the Soviet troops surrounding Berlin.

The Frankfurt-Gubenskaya grouping was destroyed by the troops of the 1st Ukrainian and 1st Belorussian fronts in the period from April 26 to May 1. The destruction of the Berlin grouping directly in the city continued until May 2. By 3 pm on May 2, enemy resistance in the city had ceased. Fighting with separate groups, breaking through from the outskirts of Berlin to the west, ended on May 5th.

Simultaneously with the defeat of the encircled groupings, the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front on May 7 reached the Elbe River on a wide front.

At the same time, the troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front, successfully advancing in Western Pomerania and Mecklenburg, on April 26 captured the main strongholds of the enemy’s defense on the western bank of the Oder River - Pölitz, Stettin, Gatow and Schwedt and, deploying a swift pursuit of the remnants of the defeated 3rd tank army, on May 3 they reached the coast of the Baltic Sea, and on May 4 they advanced to the line of Wismar, Schwerin, the Elde River, where they came into contact with the British troops. On May 4-5, the troops of the front cleared the islands of Vollin, Usedom and Rügen from the enemy, and on May 9 they landed on the Danish island of Bornholm.

The resistance of the Nazi troops was finally broken. On the night of May 9, in the Berlin district of Karlshorst, the Act of Surrender of the Armed Forces of Nazi Germany was signed.

The Berlin operation lasted 23 days, the width of the front of hostilities reached 300 kilometers. The depth of front-line operations was 100-220 kilometers, the average daily advance rate was 5-10 kilometers. As part of the Berlin operation, the Stettin-Rostock, Zelow-Berlin, Cottbus-Potsdam, Stremberg-Torgau and Brandenburg-Rathen front-line offensive operations were carried out.

During the Berlin operation, Soviet troops surrounded and liquidated the largest grouping of enemy troops in the history of wars.

They defeated 70 infantry, 23 tank and mechanized divisions of the enemy, captured 480 thousand people.

The Berlin operation cost the Soviet troops dearly. Their irretrievable losses amounted to 78,291 people, and sanitary - 274,184 people.

More than 600 participants in the Berlin operation were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. 13 people were awarded the second Gold Star medal of the Hero of the Soviet Union.

(Additional