KURLAND BOILER
The spring of 1945, the first days of May, was unique. And we are not talking about the intoxicating smell of bird cherry, the mighty breath of green fields, the triumphant ringing morning trills of larks. All this happened. But all this was still crowned with anticipation. The last days, or maybe hours, minutes of the war passed.
The soldiers were waiting, and the marshals were waiting.
At dawn on May 7, in one of the small houses in the Lithuanian town of Mazeikiai, where the command post of the Leningrad Front was located, Marshal L. A. Govorov, member of the Military Council General V. N. Bogagkin and Chief of Staff General M. M. Popov were also waiting for emergency messages.
Leonid Aleksandrovich had just signed the text of the ultimatum to the command of the Courland group of fascist German troops pressed to the sea, and ordered it to be broadcast on the radio wave of an enemy radio station that had long been known to our intelligence.
At that time, the Military Council did not yet know that at approximately the same hours, or more precisely, at 2 hours 41 minutes on May 7, in the agony of fascist Germany, in the city of Reims, the last act of the war was ending. The High Command of the German Armed Forces, represented by Jodl, has already signed the preliminary protocol of surrender. It was also not known that at the same hours at the headquarters of Grand Admiral Doenitz - the successor of Hitler who committed suicide - the remaining leaders of fascism were still feverishly looking for an opportunity to win at least a day to surrender the maximum of their troops not to the Russians, but to the Americans and British.
A few hours later, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, from Moscow, informed all front commanders about the events that had taken place. And that the Chief of the General Staff, Army General A. I. Antonov, handed over to the heads of the British and American military missions in Moscow a letter containing a demand for the signing of an Act of Unconditional Surrender on May 8 in defeated Berlin in place of the temporary act signed by Jodl in Reims.
Immediately upon receiving this message, Govorov and Bogatkin decided to write a short leaflet and drop it over the German positions. The text of the leaflet was immediately translated into German and typed. Soon tens of thousands of red leaves scattered in the air over the entire Courland Peninsula. They set out a demand for Nazi units everywhere to lay down their arms and surrender.
At the same time, Marshal Govorov ordered all army commanders to keep tank and motorized groups in readiness for quick access to the area of the ports of Libau and Vindava. There were reasons for such an event. There were still battles on the Courland Peninsula. More than twenty divisions of the 16th and 18th armies of the former Army Group North (about 200 thousand soldiers and officers), now called the Kurland group, were located here. The troops of the Leningrad Front - units of the 1st Shock, 6th and 10th Guards, 51st and 67th Armies - continued to dismember and crush them in the Tukums, Saldus area. But intelligence data indicated that the command of the Kurland group still had not given up hope of escaping, at least with part of its forces, by sea to Northern Germany. Run. To escape from a terrible meeting with Soviet judges for atrocities on Soviet soil, near Leningrad.
Hours passed. In the houses occupied by various departments and departments of the front headquarters, generals and officers, informed of the latest events, were thinking about organizing the reception of a huge number of prisoners.
A few kilometers from the command post, in a village abandoned by the population, a camp was set up - a collection point for captured fascist generals and officers. According to the calculations of the head of the intelligence department P.P. Evstigneev, the general elite of the Courland group should have been over 40 people. Pyotr Petrovich made a mistake by several people, downwards. And he was also mistaken in one thing: the group was no longer commanded by Colonel General Rendulic, but by Infantry General Gilpert, the former commander of the 16th Army. Hitler's "playing deck of cards" continued to be shuffled until his last days. Both Rendulic and his predecessor Field Marshal Scherner, it turns out, were transferred to the southwest, to Czechoslovakia and Austria, where they led the remnants of the German troops.
Leonid Aleksandrovich called staff officers, checking their preparation for the final act. Some points interested him not only in terms of organizing the procedure for quickly receiving a huge number of capitulating soldiers and officers with all their military equipment. The front artillery commander, Lieutenant General Odintsov, reported that among the prisoners would be those who led the siege artillery that tried to turn Leningrad into ruins.
Now you have the opportunity to personally “get to know” them, Comrade Odintsov,” Leonid Aleksandrovich grinned when Odintsov named the artillery commander of the 18th Army, General Fischer, and the commanders of the special siege groups, Generals Tomashka, Bauermeister. - Do you have any special questions for them?
Of course, it will be interesting to see what they will look like now, Leonid Aleksandrovich,” Odintsov smiled. “I’m only afraid that my hands will itch during such an acquaintance... And my hand is heavy.”
Never mind, pass this test too. Prepare a list of questions in advance. By the way, in recent battles, German self-propelled artillery was very active in cooperation with tanks during maneuvers from line to line. The tactics of defensive actions using this method are of some interest. This is a kind of armor belt for active defense. And very maneuverable.
The problem of quickly clearing the German defensive lines in Courland, their rear areas, and ports on the coast was also discussed at the Military Council. All sorts of surprises could be expected there. Marshal Govorov allowed all the sapper battalions of the surrenderers to be put “for cleaning” - there should be more than twenty of them, if you count by the number of divisions. The engineering service in the Kurland group was headed by General Medem. During the offensive operations of the troops of the Leningrad Front, enemy sappers used not only mass mining of retreat zones, but also savage methods, such as mining the corpses of executed Soviet partisans and residents of surrounding villages.
How do you organize control over the Germans’ work to clear the area? - Leonid Aleksandrovich asked the writer of these lines.
It was indeed quite difficult, but the already well-established organization of mine clearance control by special detachments that had mine-detecting dogs helped. Last year, this method was used to test the work of Finnish sappers who were clearing their minefields on the Karelian Isthmus. If the dogs found at least one mine, the “cleaners” were forced to repeat the search throughout the entire area.
Well, test in this way the so-called “love” of the Germans for order and cleanliness, said the marshal, approving a plan to clear the Kurland Peninsula of mines and all explosive objects.
Hours passed. From time to time Markian Mikhailovich Popov called the army headquarters, the intelligence department, where they listened attentively to the broadcast. There were reports from everywhere: there was sluggish shooting at the front, almost quiet. It was quiet on the air too.
As the further course of events, as well as interviews with captured generals, showed, the reason for the silence all day on May 7 was that at the headquarters of the Kurland group, at the headquarters of its armies and divisions, the surrender was preceded by the hasty destruction of the most important operational documents. This took a day, and Gilpert remained silent, although already on May 7 he knew about the events in Reims.
At dawn on May 8, Marshal Govorov was going to give the order to launch a strong bombing attack on concentrations of Nazi troops in the area of Libau and Vindava. Our surface ships and submarines reliably blocked the coast of the Baltic Sea and had already sunk many transports trying to break through from Courland, but the accumulation of ships in these ports indicated that Gilpert was still clutching at straws.
At 7 o’clock the radio interception station in Mazeikiai finally heard what had been expected all day: “To the Commander of the Second Baltic Front. General surrender accepted. I establish contact and ask on what wavelength it is possible to communicate with the front command. Commander of the troops of the Kurland group Gilpert, general of the infantry.”
The head of the intelligence department, General Evstigneev, immediately reported this radio interception to Leonid Aleksandrovich. The bomb attack was cancelled.
Now the broadcast has come to life. Some time later, Evstigneev placed another intercepted radiogram on Govorov’s desk: “...Circularly. To everyone, everyone... To all naval forces of the East. In view of the acceptance of surrender on May 7, 1945, at 16.00, all military and merchant ships should moor to the shores and lower their flags. Cancel the existing greeting form. Headquarters of the Naval Forces of the East."
Leonid Aleksandrovich ordered a radiogram to be sent to Gilpert with the following content: “Cease all military operations in all subordinate troops and display white flags by 2 p.m. Immediately send your representative to the Ezere point to sign a protocol on the procedure for the surrender of German troops.” At 14:35, Gilpert’s answer came: “To Mr. Marshal Govorov. I confirm receipt of your radiogram. I ordered hostilities to cease at 1400 German time. Troops affected by the order will display white flags. The authorized officer is on his way along the Skrunda - Shompali road.”
It is interesting that at approximately the same hours on May 8, representatives of the German high command, led by Field Marshal Keitel, were brought from Flensburg to the Berlin suburb of Karlshorst to sign the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Germany. The signing ceremony of the Act in Berlin was opened by Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov. The historical document was signed exactly at midnight on May 8th.
By this time, in Courland, the entire front line in the zone of 22 German divisions was dotted with white flags. The Oberquartermaster (chief of the rear) of the Courland group, General Rauser, on the authority of Gilpert, signed at 22:6 a protocol on the procedure for the surrender of fascist units.
Back in the fall of forty-four, after a fleeting operation in Estonia, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command sent Leonid Alexandrovich as its representative to the 2nd and 3rd Baltic fronts operating in the Riga direction. Marshal A.M. Vasilevsky, who had previously performed such a function, was entrusted with coordinating the operations of the 1st Baltic and 3rd Belorussian fronts in the main and decisive direction - Memel. There, Soviet troops had to defeat the enemy's 3rd Tank Army, reach the Baltic Sea and thereby cut off the enemy's route of retreat from the Baltic states to East Prussia by land.
For Govorov, for whom the Headquarters also retained the post of commander of the Leningrad Front, the new mission was unusual and difficult. The operation near Riga developed slowly, the enemy resisted with particular ferocity and tenacity, and counted on maneuvering into East Prussia with part of the forces of Army Group North. In addition to the fact that the breakthrough of heavily fortified positions near Riga was delayed, the offensive zone on the capital of Latvia was narrow for two fronts, and at the same time, each of the commanders, whose actions had to be coordinated, had a strong desire to liberate Riga with the forces of their subordinate troops. The characters of the army generals A.I. Eremenko and I.I. Maslennikov were far from compliant when it came to the combat operations of their fronts.
Certain “nuances” of this mission are very vividly described by the former chief of staff of the 2nd Baltic Front, Colonel General A. M. Sandalov in his memoirs. In particular, Sandalov reported to Govorov the opinion of the command and headquarters of the 2nd Baltic Front about the uniqueness of the situation that had developed in the zone of two interacting fronts. We were talking about the obvious expediency of fairly large regroupings of troops throughout the Riga direction in the interests of a common goal: not only to liberate the capital of Latvia, but also to quickly deprive the enemy of the opportunity to transfer formations from near Riga to Klaipeda. General Sandalov proposed replacing units of the 2nd Baltic Front north of the Daugava with units of the 3rd Baltic Front, which, in his opinion, could create better conditions for a joint attack of the two fronts on Riga from the south. Govorov agreed with this option, counting on permission from Headquarters to implement it. And I got it. However, during the operation itself to break through the Sigulda line and liberate Riga, more than once, according to Sandalov’s recollections, he encountered difficulties that were far from easy to overcome.
“It is a hundred times better to command the front than to be a representative of Headquarters! And the Supreme Commander is dissatisfied and so is the front command... I even got sick. Tormented by headaches.
He rubbed his temples with his palms, took out a box of pills from his breast pocket, threw one into his mouth, and washed it down with water.”
After the liberation of Riga, in the assault of which formations of both fronts participated, the 3rd Baltic Front was disbanded. Govorov returned to the Leningrad Front, part of whose forces were finishing off the Nazi troops on the Moonsund Islands. However, in February 1945, when the enemy’s Courland group was finally cut off from the East Prussian one, Headquarters again sent Leonid Aleksandrovich to the 2nd Baltic Front, now as its commander, without releasing him from command of the Leningrad Front. The latter's troops were released and transferred to other fronts.
The Headquarters of the Supreme High Command set the task for the troops of the 2nd Baltic Front, in cooperation with the Red Banner Baltic Fleet, to prevent the blockaded Courland group from leaving. By this time, there were still up to 30 German divisions on the peninsula, numbering about 300 thousand people.
Marshal Govorov transferred additional forces and a significant part of his headquarters from the Leningrad Front to Courland. Under these conditions, the control of the 2nd Baltic Front became unnecessary and was soon abolished, and the front began to be called the Leningrad Front.
During the battles, the front troops gradually dismembered the large and strong Courland group. The front commander did not have enough strength for complete defeat. At the same time, the Nazi command, as Gilpert and the commanders of the 16th and 18th armies, Generals Volkamer and Beghe, later showed, until the last days, hoped to use this powerful grouping in the central part of Germany.
In connection with these features of the fighting at the final stage in Courland, the scope of political propaganda among enemy troops was characteristic, as one of the important factors accelerating the process of decomposition of the enemy.
At one of the meetings of the Military Council of the front, the head of the Political Directorate, Major General A.P. Pigurnov, cited a number of facts and figures that testified to this. Some of them were preserved in the notes of the author who was present at the meeting.
During April 1945, 9,849 thousand leaflets published by the Main Political Directorate of the Red Army, the Political Directorate of the Front and the political departments of the armies were distributed among the soldiers and officers of the Courland group pressed to the sea. Among them were leaflets about the results of the winter offensive of the Red Army and the gigantic losses of the Germans, order of the front commander, Marshal Govorov, No. 24 “On attitude towards capitulating German units and towards German prisoners of war.” In March and April in Courland, about 13 thousand broadcasts were made through sound broadcasting stations and radio for Nazi troops with offers to surrender. About 300 defectors and prisoners took part in such broadcasts, addressing directly the soldiers of their regiments and divisions. In April, German soldiers from 12 different divisions with pass leaflets surrendered in groups.
The successful actions of our bomber aircraft and the ships of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet during this period, as well as the gradual fragmentation of the group in the land sections of the “cauldron,” quite clearly convinced the enemy of his doom.
Gilpert and his headquarters learned that the former 2nd Baltic Front was called Leningrad Front only on May 8, 1945. Judging by the recollections of witnesses of the first meetings of German generals with representatives of Marshal Govorov, this was a most unpleasant surprise for them. Of course, crimes against Leningrad and its population could not be hidden from anyone, but Gilpert, Ferch and other fascist generals considered it the worst option for themselves to appear before the direct representatives of the city of Lenin. Several generals and senior officers, especially from among the SS men, did not show up at the collection point of prisoners, apparently deciding to flee, and the commander of the 50th Army Corps, General Bodenhausen, chose to put a bullet in the forehead.
Surrendering, the generals and headquarters officers of the 16th and 18th armies did not miss the opportunity to deceive representatives of the Soviet command. Recalling those days later, General P.P. Evstigneev and one of his assistants, Colonel L.G. Vinnitsky, talked about how the staff of the headquarters of the Courland group concealed the true number of their troops. Separate groups of Nazis were hiding in the surrounding forests.
Marshal Govorov allowed Gilpert to use the radio station for more organized control of troops during the surrender. But on the very first night, Gilpert broke his word to the Soviet marshal and attempted to negotiate with Hitler’s successor Doenitz. Leonid Aleksandrovich ordered the radio station to be immediately confiscated from Gilpert. It also turned out that at the headquarters of armies, corps, and divisions, the destruction of documents on their numbers, weapons, property and deployment continues. Then Govorov gave instructions to transfer all German generals and officers to the position of isolated prisoners of war.
As Colonel Vinnitsky recalls, “Marshal Govorov decided to “comb” the entire Courland Peninsula... In some places our units came across small groups of the German army who tried to resist. Such groups were relatively easy to catch. Those who did not surrender were destroyed. By the end of May 16, the entire Courland Peninsula was cleared of the enemy.
On May 17, the Military Council reported to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Headquarters that as a result of the surrender of German troops and the subsequent combing of the Courland Peninsula, troops of the Leningrad Front captured: the headquarters of the Courland Army Group, the 16th and 18th armies, seven army corps, 22 divisions, two combat groups, a motorized brigade, 50 separate battalions, 28 artillery formations and units, engineering units, communications and others... The front also captured up to 2 thousand guns, over 400 tanks and self-propelled guns, more than 11,200 vehicles, 153 aircraft and much other equipment and weapons." In total, more than 189 thousand soldiers and officers and 42 generals surrendered on the Courland Peninsula.
On May 11, Leonid Aleksandrovich summoned Gilpert, Volkamer, and Beghe. Out of habit, Govorov moved his elbows displeasedly on the table when the German general, sitting in front of him, unnaturally elongated, as if he had swallowed a stick, tried to evade direct answers to clear and precise questions about the composition of his subordinate armies, divisions, and their operational-tactical tasks. Govorov seemed to be examining his former opponents, checking at the same time what he knew during the fighting.
The most characteristic in this regard is the recording of a survey of the commander of the 18th Army, General Beghe. We present only part of it.
« Govorov: Did the army include the 1st, 2nd, 10th Corps?
Run: And the 50th Corps.
Govorov: Did the 50th Corps include divisions, or was it in reserve?
Run: The headquarters of the 50th Corps was sent to the Grobin area with the task of organizing the evacuation of troops through the port of Libau.
Govorov: The 10th Corps included the 30th, 121st Infantry Divisions and the Giese Group?
Run: Yes sir.
Govorov: Did the 1st Corps include the 126th and 132nd divisions?
Run: Yes sir.
Govorov: Was the 14th Panzer Division in your reserve? Were the garrisons of Libau and Vindava under your command?”
The former commander of the former German army could see firsthand how accurately the Soviet marshal knew the composition and tasks of his army as a whole, its individual units, the plan for the evacuation of troops by sea, and defense plans.
This was the commander's interrogation. It was followed by another interrogation - in the tribunal. And other questions to Hitler’s generals, as war criminals responsible for atrocities against civilians in cities and villages during the occupation. The Soviet military tribunal made its fair decision. However, for some of the war criminals who were then in the dock, the lessons taught in 1945 and the years of imprisonment did not benefit them. Released to Germany ten years later, General Foerch in 1958 again decided to put on a uniform and take the post of Deputy Chief of Staff of NATO. On this occasion, Army General Popov, who accepted Ferch’s surrender on behalf of Marshal Govorov in May 1945, reminded the latter of the conversation they had that day.
“- You have become convinced of the futility of all “campaigns against Russia”; now will you finally give up the absurd dream of spaces in the East?..
Even if someday we Germans rise up and become a state again, I will forbid not only myself, but even my children, to think about campaigning against Russia.”
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History is biased. There is especially a lot of speculation surrounding the battles of the Great Patriotic War. The party leadership was interested in information being presented in a light favorable to the country. Only today has the ideological veil that hung over events such as the Courland Cauldron been partially lifted.
As part of the USSR
World War II affected every corner of the world. The war came as a surprise to the common people. But senior management not only knew about the changes that were approaching, but even prepared for hostilities.
Dozens of documents today can show that the authorities of the Union and Germany were aware. One of them is the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which hid the true motives under the official name of the “non-aggression pact.” It signed secret protocols according to which Latvia fell under the influence of the USSR.
In October 1939, more than 20,000 Russian troops stood at the borders of this state. The following year, in June, Foreign Commissioner Molotov set his own conditions for Latvia: the board must voluntarily relinquish its powers. The Soviet military had to suppress attempts at resistance. To avoid bloodshed, the terms were accepted. The new regime held “fair” elections with a single candidate for the People's Seimas.
On August 5, 1940, Latvia entered the Among the territories that were annexed was the region where the Courland Pocket subsequently arose.
On the brink of war
Repression followed of those who defended the independence of the state. On June 22, 1941, the Great Patriotic War began. The fascist invaders also came to these lands. By mid-July the entire republic was occupied. The country remained under the leadership of the new enemy until the summer of 1944.
The course of World War II turned around after the Battle of Since then, the strategic initiative belonged to the Red Army.
In the summer, the Union troops came to the Baltic states. There the decisive stage of liberation began. The western part of Latvia remained occupied until October. The Reds made their way to and stopped near the Lithuanian city of Palanga. The German group "North", consisting of the 16th and 18th armies, was cut off from the rest of the "Center" group. Thus, the first part ended up on the peninsula.
These events created the Courland Pocket. In total, 400,000 Germans were trapped.
The capital is like a trophy
The Nazis were sandwiched between two Soviet fronts. The line stretched for two hundred kilometers from eastern Tukums to western Liepaja.
With great ambitions, the Soviet leadership got down to business. On October 10, 1944, the operation to liberate Riga began. The following took part: 1st Shock, 61st, 67th, 10th Guards Armies. But the Germans fought back. Realizing that it was impossible to hold the city, they carried out an urgent evacuation and moved towards the sea. Three days later, the Soviet military occupied the east of the city. On October 15 they entered its western part.
As soon as the opponents were finally cut off from the Army of the Center, and the capital was retaken, the commanders-in-chief gave the order to eliminate the enemy who occupied the peninsula. The Courland Cauldron was supposed to be an easy and quick trophy with minimal losses.
First attempts at eradication
The USSR leadership launched an offensive operation on October 16. However, the Germans fought. Fierce fighting broke out. Soviet troops remained in their positions and were unable to occupy new territories. The 1st Shock Army showed particular courage. Its soldiers managed to achieve great results.
They managed to occupy the city of Kemeri and approach the walls of Tukums. In total, they walked about 40 km. Then their movement was stopped by the enemy.
The Red Army struck a new blow on October 27. This time the leadership did not want to completely destroy the enemy. The main task was to break through its defenses and split the army into small groups that would not be able to help each other. But the Courland Cauldron did not fall. The battle, which began on the 27th, lasted until October 31, after which the offensive was suspended.
The Foundation of Failure is Inner Guidance
Over the next month, several more attempts were made to dispose of the Nazis, but they successfully counterattacked. In addition, some of the equipment failed. Ammunition partially used. There were heavy losses among the soldiers, many dead and wounded.
In the twentieth of December, the Soviet side resumed the attack. The landmark was the city of Liepaja.
The main reason for the delay in the liberation of the peninsula was the poor leadership of the Red Army marshals. Terrible communication and failure to follow one plan of action led to the long blockade that the Courland Pocket endured. German memoirs, on the contrary, note that Army North worked harmoniously, as a single organism. The commanders established a railway network, which played a decisive role in the development of military operations.
Thus, neighboring troops quickly reached the point where help was needed. And vice versa, they could take out soldiers in a few hours if a threat was imminent. In addition, German territories were well fortified and could provide long-term resistance.
Exorbitant losses and strong resistance
In the fall of 1944, there were 32 divisions and 1 brigade in the peninsula region. In addition to the Germans, Norwegians, Latvians, Dutch and Estonians fought on the side. They were part of the SS. And, although they were not well armed and had not undergone training, they took an active part in the battles.
By the end of the year, the number of troops, according to approximate data, was reduced by 40,000. These were the numbers who died in the Courland Pocket during the first stage of the liquidation attempt. More than five hundred tanks were disabled.
The next, third offensive operation began on January 23. Its goal was to destroy communications that were carried out through the railway tracks. For seven days unsuccessful battles were fought. Then the commanders of the Red Army decided to consolidate the captured territories.
Last attempts
A month later, the fourth wave of attacks on the Courland Pocket began (1945). On February 20, a new task was defined. Its essence is to cross the Vartava River and cut off the Germans from the port of Liepaja.
During the difficult operation, the front line was broken, and Soviet soldiers occupied another 2 km of enemy territory. The Red Army was sorely lacking large-caliber weapons. But, on the other side of the front, the Germans constantly received both material and human assistance.
In March, the last large-scale attempt was made to oust the Germans. Certain groups of Soviet troops achieved success, but were subsequently pushed back.
Losses of domestic troops amounted to more than 30,000 killed and 130,000 wounded.
What did the Germans fight for?
The Courland Cauldron did not calm down for a long time. The last battle of the Great Patriotic War in this region ended literally before half of the troops surrendered on May 9, 1945. The other part tried to hide without any hope.
It is worth noting that they were not driven into a corner. Behind the Nazis stood the Baltic Sea, free from the Soviet military.
The Germans had two small, strategically unimportant ports at their disposal - Liepaja and Ventspils. It was through water spaces that the Nazis could connect with Germany. The military received constant support. They were regularly supplied with food, ammunition and medicine. The wounded were also transported.
Voluntary surrender
The public is increasingly interested in the legends and myths of military history. The Courland Pocket was not an important strategic territory that changed the course of history. It became a unique example of the weakness of the Soviet command in the face of well-tuned enemy actions.
The formation of the Kurland group (this was the name of the Army North since January 1945) was simply a mistake. These troops were supposed to leave Latvia in the fall of 1944. But due to the slowness of General Scherner, the soldiers were cut off from the “Center” and moved back to the sea.
The proposal to send divisions to help Berlin was made more than once. Children who had not seen war were sent under the walls of the Reich, while on the Courland Peninsula thousands of soldiers defended a dozen small villages.
Despite the fact that Hitler was infuriated by the mere mention of the surrender of this territory, several divisions were nevertheless delivered to Germany by sea. But it was already too late. Reducing the enemy's numbers is the main reason for the USSR's offensive operations. The enemy forces were significant, the strategy was clever, so it is unknown how the events described above would have ended if not for the surrender of Berlin.
It had been a week since Berlin had been taken, and fighting was still ongoing on the territory of the USSR between the troops of the German Wehrmacht and the Soviet armies. On May 10, 1945, the last major city of Latvia, Ventspils, on the Baltic Sea coast, was finally captured by Soviet troops.
Why did this group of German troops fight so hard and last the longest on the Eastern Front? 
The total area of the Courland Cauldron occupied about 15 thousand square meters. km (about a quarter of the territory of Latvia). The Courland Pocket was not blocked on all sides, thereby allowing those surrounded to communicate with Germany across the Baltic Sea, through the ports of Liepaja and Ventspils.
Thus, it was possible to supply the group with ammunition, food, medicine, the wounded were evacuated by sea, and even entire divisions from the group were transferred directly to German territory.
The Courland army group consisted of two shock armies - the 16th and 18th. In the fall of 1944, it consisted of over 28-30 divisions, including about 3 tank divisions.
With an average of 7,000 people in each division, the total strength of the army group was equal to 210,000. Including special units, aviation and logistics, the army group totaled about 250,000 people.
After 10 divisions were evacuated to Germany by sea, starting from the beginning of 1945, the size of the army group at the time of surrender was approximately 150-180 thousand people.
The German High Command attached special importance to the defense of Courland, defining it as a “Baltic bastion”, “bridgehead”, “breakwater”, “outer eastern fort of Germany”, etc. “The defense of the Baltic states is the best defense of East Prussia,” the order said group commander Field Marshal Scherner.
At the final stage, the entire group was commanded by Infantry General Karl August Gilpert. He had colossal experience; suffice it to say that he had been in army service continuously since October 1907, and was appointed to his position after commanding the same 16th Army.
The troops under the command of Gilpert acted selflessly and caused a lot of trouble and trouble to the Soviet command. Five large and powerful offensives of Soviet troops with the aim of eliminating the Courland group were repulsed by them.
The first attempt to break through the defense line of German troops was made from October 16 to 19, 1944, when immediately after the creation of the “cauldron” and the capture of Riga, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command ordered the 1st and 2nd Baltic Fronts to immediately liquidate the enemy’s Courland group. The 1st Shock Army, advancing on the coast of the Gulf of Riga, was more successful than other Soviet armies. On October 18, it crossed the Lielupe River and captured the settlement of Kemeri, but the next day it was stopped on the approaches to Tukums. The remaining Soviet armies were unable to advance due to the fierce resistance of German units, which launched counterattacks.
The second time the battle for Courland took place from October 27 to October 31, 1944. The armies of the two Baltic fronts fought on the line Kemeri - Gardene - Letskava - south of Liepaja. Attempts by the Soviet armies (6 combined arms and 1 tank army) to break through the German defenses brought only tactical successes. By November 1, a crisis had arrived: most of the personnel and offensive equipment were out of action, and the ammunition was spent.
The third attempt to break through the front line was made from December 21 to 25, 1944. The tip of the attack of the Soviet troops fell on the city of Liepaja. The Soviet side lost up to 40 thousand soldiers, 541 tanks and 178 aircraft in Courland in January.
The fourth combat operation in Courland (Priekul operation) took place from February 20 to 28, 1945.
After strong artillery preparation and bombing by front-line aviation, the front line in the Priekule area was broken through by units of the 6th Guards and 51st armies, which were opposed by the 11th, 12th 121st and 126th infantry divisions of the German 18th th army. On the first day of the breakthrough, we managed to cover no more than 2-3 km with the heaviest fighting. On the morning of February 21, the right-flank units of the 51st Army occupied Priekule, the advance of Soviet troops was no more than 2 kilometers. The basis of the enemy's defense was tanks dug into the ground up to their towers. 
On February 28, formations of the 6th Guards and 51st Armies, reinforced by the 19th Tank Corps, expanded the breakthrough in the enemy’s defenses to 25 kilometers and, having advanced 9–12 kilometers in depth, reached the Vartava River. The immediate task was completed by the armies. But it was not possible to develop tactical success into operational success and break through to Liepaja, which was about 30 kilometers away.
For the fifth and last time, the battle for Courland took place from March 17 to 28, 1945. This is when south of the city of Saldus,
By the morning of March 18, the troops were advancing in two ledges, deep into the enemy’s defenses. Despite the fact that some units achieved significant success, some of them were then withdrawn. This happened due to the beginning of their encirclement by the enemy, as happened with the 8th and 29th Guards Rifle Divisions in the area of the village of Dzeni. 
A Soviet T-34-85 tank captured and repaired by the Germans in a battle in the Courland forests
On May 9, 1945, Germany capitulated, but Army Group Courland resisted Soviet troops in the Courland Pocket until May 15.
The enemy was stubborn, persistent and selfless, even in a month of fighting after the storming of Königsberg, the Germans were not thrown into the sea, despite all the efforts of the troops of the Leningrad Front and the Baltic Fleet and with all the power and combat experience that the Red Army possessed in 1945.
The mass surrender began at 23:00 on May 8th.
By 8 a.m. on May 10, 68,578 German soldiers and non-commissioned officers, 1,982 officers and 13 generals had surrendered.
Having exemplarily carried out the Vyborg offensive operation, which resulted in the defeat of the main armed forces of Finland and its subsequent exit from the war, Marshal of the Soviet Union L.A. Govorov developed and carried out a number of unique operations from a military point of view: the Narva, Tallinn offensive and Moonsund landing operations. In these operations, Govorov skillfully combined the actions of ground forces, aviation and ships of the Baltic Fleet.
During stubborn battles, the German task force “Narva” was defeated, as a result, in just 10 days, the territory of Estonia was liberated. Interesting fact: the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps successfully fought as part of the Leningrad Front, which was entrusted with the honor of being the first to enter the liberated capital of Estonia, Tallinn, on September 22, 1944. Thousands of local residents then took to the streets of the city with bouquets of flowers to greet the Soviet troops.
An important fact: despite the fierce resistance of the fascist troops, Marshal Govorov prohibited the use of heavy artillery and heavy aerial bombs in the capture of the Baltic cities in order to preserve cultural monuments and the lives of the townspeople.
Starting from October 1, 1944, by order of the Supreme High Command Headquarters, simultaneously with the command of his front, L.A. Govorov coordinated the actions of the 2nd and 3rd Baltic fronts in the Riga operation, the purpose of which was the liberation of the capital of Latvia - Riga. After the capture of Riga by Soviet troops on October 16, 1944, Army Group North found itself cut off from Army Group Center and began retreating to the Courland Peninsula. The remnants of the troops of Army Group North, badly battered by Soviet troops, the same ones that besieged besieged Leningrad for almost 900 days and nights, were transformed into Army Group Courland.
For the successes achieved during the offensive, on January 27, 1945, on the first anniversary of the lifting of the siege of Leningrad, Marshal L. A. Govorov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
Until the end of the war, Marshal L.A. Govorov continued to command the Leningrad Front, and from February to March 1945 also the 2nd Baltic Front. At the same time, the Headquarters entrusted Govorov with coordinating the combat operations of the 1st and 2nd Baltic fronts. On April 1, the 2nd Baltic Front was disbanded, and all its units became part of the Leningrad Front.
Developing the offensive, the troops of the Leningrad Front broke into the deeply echeloned defenses of the enemy, pressing the Courland group of fascist German troops closer to the sea. The Nazis resisted desperately, not giving up hope of breaking through to East Prussia. In addition, they still represent an impressive military force - 32 divisions, numbering over 300 thousand battle-hardened soldiers and officers who have nothing to lose, a large amount of weapons and equipment, including aircraft. How Hitler missed these troops near Berlin!
Marshal L.A. Govorov interrogates captured fascist generals
from Army Group Courland. May 1945
Leading the military operations against the Courland group of German troops, Govorov, in order to minimize his losses at the final stage of the war, convinces Stalin to abandon active offensive combat operations in favor of blockading the enemy trapped on the Courland Peninsula. Taking into account Govorov’s unquestioned authority as a commander during this period, Headquarters gives him the go-ahead.
It seems that the mothers and wives of tens of thousands of our soldiers and officers should have been grateful to Marshal Govorov for this.
At this time, the blocked German divisions were increasingly experiencing food shortages. Their connection by sea with the “mainland” no longer saves them. Fewer and fewer German transport ships manage to make their way to the peninsula. In the end, the Germans themselves had to switch to rations slightly higher than those during the siege of Leningrad. According to intelligence data from the Leningrad Front, more than 47 thousand combat horses were eaten by the encircled Nazis from March 1 to May 1, 1945.
The roles have changed this time. Leningrad was liberated from the blockade, but the occupiers themselves were caught in the blockade. But the Nazis could not stand the Soviet blockade.
Marshal of the Soviet Union L.A. Govorov,
Knight of the Order of Victory.
In his workroom in a wooden house in the town of Mazeikiai, L.A. Govorov drew up his last combat document - an ultimatum to the command of all Wehrmacht units and formations blocked on the Courland Peninsula. On the morning of May 7, 1945, Marshal Govorov’s ultimatum was read to the Germans over the radio. Infantry General Gilpert, commander of Army Group Kurland, was given 24 hours to think; in case of refusal, the Soviet troops were to go on the offensive.
The Nazis played for time until the last minute. They knew that they were surrendering to Marshal Govorov, but they did not know which front he commanded at that time. A radiogram with an ultimatum was transmitted from the radio station of the 2nd Baltic Front. Therefore, the Nazis were sure that they were surrendering not to the Leningraders, but to the Baltic soldiers. They really didn’t want to fall into the hands of those whom they starved and shelled in besieged Leningrad.
Finally, on May 8, 1945, at 22.00, the command of Army Group Kurland accepted the terms of the Soviet ultimatum and capitulated. Only after the surrender the “deception” was revealed, but it was too late. The main forces of the group have already begun to surrender. Marshal Govorov, knowing the German language perfectly, himself interrogated the surrendered fascist generals.
Several senior officers, having learned that they were finally surrendering to the Leningraders, committed suicide. A small part of the Germans fled into the forests.
In this regard, Marshal Govorov decided to comb (as they now say “clean up”) the entire Courland Peninsula. Small groups of escaped fascists were caught, and those who resisted were destroyed on the spot. Only by the end of May 16, 1945, the entire peninsula was cleared of the enemy. In total, 189 thousand soldiers and officers and 42 generals were captured. A large number of guns, tanks, aircraft and other equipment and weapons were captured.
The Motherland highly appreciated the merits of L.A. Govorov in the Great Patriotic War. For the defeat of the Nazis near Leningrad and in the Baltic states on May 31, 1945 L.A. Govorov was awarded the highest military order "Victory". During the war, Govorov went from major general of artillery to Marshal of the Soviet Union, and this was in just 4 years and 12 days!
According to historical sources, the Northern Army Group of the Nazis was renamed “Courland” immediately after its withdrawal from the territory of Estonia and the eastern regions of Latvia. Since the fall of 1944, these troops have been squeezed on the Baltic coast in the Kurzeme region. In numbers, the blocked German group outnumbered the encircled Nazis in Stalingrad. According to data from various sources, about 400 thousand Wehrmacht and SS troops ended up in the Courland Pocket, including the notorious Latvian Legion.
The liberation of Riga by the Red Army plunged the Latvian legionnaires into confusion. Massive desertion began, which is noteworthy: many SS men joined the Soviet army, and some joined the Kurzeme partisans “Sarkana Bulta” detachment. The overwhelming number of fugitives successfully passed the test and fought conscientiously until the end of the war in the Red Army. The legion was saved from final collapse by the Germans' firm promise to defend Courland to the end.
However, later, Guderian wrote that the Courland Pocket arose as a result of the erroneous actions of Scherner, who did not carry out a maneuver with armored forces from Riga to Siauliai. Thanks to this, Soviet troops broke through the German defenses west of the city of Siauliai and locked a significant part of the northern group of German troops in the Courland pocket. Two shock armies were concentrated on an area of about fifteen thousand square kilometers. These armies included up to 30 divisions, three of them tank divisions.
This entire group held a two-hundred-kilometer front, where one division had six and a half kilometers of front. Such a dense defense made it possible, with a successful combination of circumstances, to go on a successful offensive. By the way, something similar happened on the defensive lines of the Seelow Heights. There, Soviet troops under the command of Marshal Zhukov, with incredible efforts and at the cost of severe losses, managed to break the enemy’s defenses. At the same time, the Red Army had overwhelming superiority in all branches of the military.
If you can’t argue with the importance of defense on the Seelow Heights. After all, they covered the Berlin direction, then two seaports and fifty farms in the rear of the Courland Pocket could be called the “Kurland Fortress”, the “Baltic Bastion” and the “external eastern front” with a big stretch. Only faith in miracles could give birth in Hitler's fevered imagination to a swift flank attack by a blocked group, which would decide the fate of the entire eastern front. This means that the resistance in the Courland Pocket should have lasted a long time. General Karl Gilpert, who replaced Field Marshal Scherner as commander of the Courland group, caused a lot of trouble for the Soviet troops.
An experienced warrior brought iron order to the cauldron and, as a result, five major offensive operations undertaken by Soviet troops who wanted to liquidate the Courland cauldron did not achieve success. Moreover, the offensive in the second half of March 1945 led to the encirclement of two Soviet divisions, with troops blocked in the cauldron. The divisions escaped the encirclement, but active operations of the Red Army in this sector were stopped from the beginning of April until the end of the war.
Even after the signing of Germany's surrender in Berlin in the Courland Pocket, clashes and the evacuation of personnel on ships and boats continued. More than 20 thousand people were evacuated from the ports of Liepaja and Ventspils on the night of May 9. About three thousand fugitives tried to hide in Sweden, where at first they were warmly received and reassured, but then they were eventually handed over to the Soviet authorities.
The rest began to surrender en masse closer to midnight from May 8th to 9th. By the morning of May 10, over 70 thousand soldiers and officers were captured, including 13 generals led by Gilpert himself. Thus, the story of the Courland Pocket, the last and unnecessary bastion of the Third Reich, ended.