Maps of the offensive of the Velikiye Luki operations. “Battle of Stalingrad in miniature” This is what the battle for Velikiye Luki was called

(3 Ud. A) Kalinin Front, with the support of the 3rd Air Army.

General situation before the operation

1st Bombardment Corps
1st Assault Aviation Corps
2nd Assault Aviation Corps
1st Fighter Aviation Corps
2nd Fighter Aviation Corps

In total, the army’s strike force consisted of 95,608 people, 743 guns and 1,346 mortars, 46 guards rocket launchers, 390 tanks, of which 160 were light (T-60 and T-70).

During the battle, from the front reserve in 3 Ud. And the following were transmitted:

from December 19 - under the command of Major General L. A. Pern, consisting of:
- 19th Guards Rifle Division (Major General D. M. Barinov, from December 20 Colonel I. D. Vasilyev)
- 7th Estonian Rifle Division (Colonel A. A. Vassil, from 6.01 Colonel K. A. Allikas)
- 249th Estonian Rifle Division (Colonel A.I. Saueselg, from 24.12 Colonel I.Ya. Lombak)
from December 22 - the 360th Rifle Division (Colonel V. G. Poznyak) and the 100th Kazakh Rifle Brigade (Lieutenant Colonel E. V. Voronkov).
from January 9 - 32nd Infantry Division (Colonel I. S. Bezugly)
from January 15 - 150th Infantry Division (Colonel N. O. Guz)

Thus, in the period from November 24, 1942 to January 20, 1943, 13 rifle divisions, 2 rifle, 3 mechanized, 3 tank brigades, and several tank and artillery units of army subordination were involved in the operation. 8th Guards (2nd Guards Rifle Division), 33rd and 117th Rifle Divisions of the 3rd Ud. But they held the defense on the right flank of the Kalinin Front in the area of the city of Kholm and did not take part in the offensive.

Germany

The 83rd Infantry Division under the command of Lieutenant General T. Scherer defended in the Velikiye Luki area. Novosokolniki was defended by the 3rd Mountain Rifle Division. In total, according to Soviet data, on the day the operation began, there were about 50,000 people, although this figure seems somewhat overestimated.

From November 28 to January 8, in order to relieve the encircled Velikiye Luki garrison, the following formations entered the battle:

from November 28 - 291st Infantry, 20th Motorized, 8th Armored Divisions
from December 19 - 6th Air Field Division
from January 4 - 205th Infantry Division
from January 6 - 331st Infantry Division
from January 8 - 708th Infantry Division and units of the 93rd Infantry Division

Progress of the operation

First stage

The plan for the Velikiye Luki operation required the capture of Novosokolniki, an important railway junction connecting Army Groups “Center” and “North”. Therefore, on November 28, the 18th mechanized brigade from the 2nd mechanized corps was brought into battle in this direction. By this time, the 3rd Mountain Rifle Division with reinforcement units had already taken up well-prepared defensive positions on the approaches to the city, into which the 18th Brigade rested. To strengthen the strike group of Soviet troops, by December 1, the 381st Infantry Division was transferred to the Novosokolniki area. Having successfully launched an offensive and captured several settlements, it bypassed the city from the north, cut the Nasva-Novosokolniki railway, but was unable to advance further. Stubborn enemy resistance in Novosokolniki required strengthening the advancing group with the 34th mechanized brigade of the 2nd mechanized corps. Thus, by the morning of December 3, the 18th and 34th mechanized brigades from the south and the 381st Infantry Division from the north and northeast were attacking the city with the task of defeating the defending units of the 3rd Mountain rifle division and take over the city. On the morning of December 3, the enemy launched a strong attack on the right flank of the army in large forces and almost broke through the defenses of the 31st Rifle Brigade. To parry possible breakthrough the 26th was advanced to the right flank of the army rifle brigade, received the day before from the front reserve.

Two days earlier, on the night of December 2, the 9th Guards and part of the forces of the 357th Rifle Division, with the support of the 266th Assault aviation division They began to eliminate the enemy surrounded near Shiripino, and by the end of December 3 they had completely destroyed it.

Having met stubborn enemy resistance on well-prepared defense lines in the Novosokolniki area, formations 3 Ud. And they were forced to go on the defensive.

Second phase

From December 7 to 13, stubborn fighting continued on the right flank of the army and in the Novosokolniki area, where the enemy made repeated attempts to overthrow Soviet units. On December 9, the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps arrived from the front reserve. On December 11, the German command made new attempts to break through to Velikiye Luki, but this time from the southwestern direction. On December 14, in this direction the enemy managed to push back the defenders and capture Gromovo. The 19th Guards Rifle Division of the 8th Estonian Corps was urgently moved to the threatened direction and soon restored the situation. Having regrouped his forces, on December 19 the enemy launched a new attack, this time on the flank of the 19th Guards Division. The threat of a breakthrough of the Soviet defense in the southwest required that this sector of defense be strengthened again, and on December 20, 2 regiments of the 249th Estonian division were sent there. On December 21-22, the enemy launched a series of new attacks. On the evening of December 22, the 360th Infantry Division and the 100th Infantry Brigade arrived from the front reserve and were also used to strengthen the defense in the southwestern direction. This allowed Soviet troops to successfully repel attacks that continued until December 25. The huge losses suffered during the offensive forced the German command to take an operational pause to bring in fresh forces and prepare a new strike.

On January 4, after artillery preparation, German troops resumed their attack on Velikiye Luki from the southwest in the direction of Alekseykovo. In addition to the 20th motorized and 6th airfield divisions operating here, it also involved those deployed from Western Front 205th Infantry Division. By the evening of the next day, the enemy managed to push back units of the 360th Infantry Division and occupy the village of Borshanka. Here, to strengthen the blow, the commander of Army Group Center, Field Marshal von Kluge, decided to transfer the 331st Infantry Division with the task of breaking into the city no later than January 10 and releasing the encirclement. The enemy's numerical superiority and real threat the breakthrough into the city was forced by the command of 3 Ud. And withdraw some of the forces from the battle in Velikiye Luki and focus them on defense. So 2 regiments of the 357th Infantry Division were deployed 180 degrees, with a front to the southwest, and the 47th Mechanized Brigade was withdrawn to the northwest of the city with the task of counterattacking the enemy if necessary. On January 7, German pressure intensified from the north-west, where units of the 8th Tank and 93rd Infantry Divisions managed to advance 1-2 km in the direction of Velikiye Luki in a few days. Further enemy advance in this sector was stopped by units of the 381st Division and 47th Brigade. In the southwestern direction, the 708th Infantry Division entered the battle. Thus, from January 8, with the support of large aviation and artillery forces, 4 infantry and 1 motorized divisions rushed to the city. Carrying out repeated fierce attacks and regardless of losses, the Nazis slowly moved forward. On January 9, fighting broke out 4-5 km from the city in the Donesyevo-Belodedovo area. The 32nd Infantry Division, which arrived from the front reserve, was ordered to take up defensive positions 4 km from the city. On January 10-12, the enemy continued the offensive from two directions: the north-west and south-west, and if in the first he did not achieve noticeable success, then in the second he managed to approach the city to a distance of 3.5 km. Until January 14, fighting continued in the area of the villages of Kopytovo and Lipenka, but the enemy was unable to get further than them. The offensive of German troops to relieve the encircled garrison did not bring the desired success. Despite the introduction of large reserves into battle, on average per day the enemy approached the city by 400 meters.

For a month of fighting the price huge losses The enemy managed to punch a wedge 10 km long and 3 km wide in the direction of Velikiye Luki. In the current situation, it was advisable to strike at the base of the wedge, blocking the advancing German units. However, it was impossible to solve this problem with the existing forces. The 150th Infantry Division, which arrived from the front reserve on January 15, could carry out the plan. She was given the task of striking the center of the wedge and cutting it. On January 16, units of the division went on the offensive and, overcoming stubborn resistance, slowly moved forward. The German command, sensing the threat of encirclement, began to withdraw troops from the top of the wedge. By January 21, during fierce battles, army troops reached the line of Demya, Alekseykovo, Borshchanka, almost completely destroying the enemy wedge. By January 21, the front had stabilized.

Assault on Velikiye Luki

November 28-29 four divisions of 3 Ud. And through joint efforts they reliably closed the ring around the Velikiye Luki garrison, but the current situation did not allow us to begin the immediate liquidation of the encircled enemy. Therefore, the 257th and 357th rifle divisions, numbering approximately 2,500 people each by that time, were given the task of reliably blockading the city, conducting reconnaissance and preparing for the assault, and the 381st division was redeployed to attack Novosokolniki.

On January 15, at 11:25 a.m., after delivering an artillery and air strike on previously reconnoitered enemy firing points, the assault troops launched an attack. Having overcome stubborn resistance, the units attacking on the main, eastern, direction managed to break into the fortress. Acting with the support of artillery and ampoules, the attackers began fighting inside the fortress. By midnight, units entered the battle, breaking into the fortress from the northwest, west and southwest. By 7 o'clock in the morning on January 16, the fortress was completely cleared of the enemy.

Memory

In the center of Velikiye Luki, on the left bank of the Lovat River, an obelisk was erected to the Soviet soldiers who died during the liberation of the city. Many city streets are named after events and participants in the battles: Five Tankers Street, 3rd Shock Army Street and others.

Over the years, warriors and commanders of 3 Ud. And they were awarded the title “ Honorable Sir cities" :

in 1965:

Pern, Lembit Abramovich - commander of the 8th Estonian rifle corps
Dyakonov, Anatoly Alexandrovich - commander of the 257th Infantry Division
Kronik, Alexander Lvovich - commander of the 357th Infantry Division

in 1969:

Galitsky, Kuzma Nikitovich - commander of the 3rd Shock Army
Kariste Albert Aleksandrovich - officer of the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps

in 1975:

Aru, Karl Ivanovich - chief of artillery of the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps

in 1985:

Semenov, Georgy Gavrilovich - head of the operational department of the headquarters of the 3rd shock army
Lisitsin, Fedor Yakovlevich - head of the political department of the 3rd shock army

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Notes

Literature

Galitsky K. N. Years of severe trials. 1941-1944 (notes of the army commander) - M.: Nauka, 1973.

An excerpt characterizing the Velikoluksk offensive operation

And suddenly his voice and expression changed: the commander-in-chief stopped speaking, and a simple man spoke, an old man, it is obvious that he now wanted to tell his comrades the very thing he needed.
There was a movement in the crowd of officers and in the ranks of soldiers to hear more clearly what he would say now.
- Here's what, brothers. I know it’s difficult for you, but what can you do? Be patient; not long left. Let's see the guests out and then rest. The king will not forget you for your service. It’s difficult for you, but you’re still at home; and they - see what they have come to,” he said, pointing to the prisoners. - Worse than the last beggars. While they were strong, we did not feel sorry for ourselves, but now we can feel sorry for them. They are people too. Right, guys?
He looked around him, and in the persistent, respectfully perplexed glances fixed on him, he read sympathy for his words: his face became lighter and lighter from an senile, meek smile, wrinkled like stars in the corners of his lips and eyes. He paused and lowered his head as if in bewilderment.
- And even then, who called them to us? Serves them right, m... and... in g.... - he suddenly said, raising his head. And, swinging his whip, he galloped, for the first time in the entire campaign, away from the joyfully laughing and roaring cheers that upset the ranks of the soldiers.
The words spoken by Kutuzov were hardly understood by the troops. No one would have been able to convey the content of the field marshal’s first solemn and, at the end, innocently old man’s speech; but the heartfelt meaning of this speech was not only understood, but that same, that very feeling of majestic triumph, combined with pity for the enemies and the consciousness of one’s rightness, expressed by this, precisely this old man’s, good-natured curse - this very (feeling lay in the soul of every soldier and was expressed by a joyful cry that did not cease for a long time. When after this one of the generals turned to him with a question about whether the commander-in-chief would order the carriage to arrive, Kutuzov, answering, unexpectedly sobbed, apparently being in great excitement.

November 8th is the last day of the Krasnensky battles; It was already dark when the troops arrived at their overnight camp. The whole day was quiet, frosty, with light, sparse snow falling; By evening it began to become clear. A black purple starry sky could be seen through the snowflakes, and the frost began to intensify.
The musketeer regiment, which left Tarutino in the number of three thousand, now, in the number of nine hundred people, was one of the first to arrive at the appointed place for the night, in a village on the high road. The quartermasters who met the regiment announced that all the huts were occupied by sick and dead Frenchmen, cavalrymen and staff. There was only one hut for the regimental commander.
The regimental commander drove up to his hut. The regiment passed through the village and placed the guns on the goats at the outer huts on the road.
Like a huge, multi-membered animal, the regiment set to work organizing its lair and food. One part of the soldiers scattered, knee-deep in the snow, into the birch forest that was to the right of the village, and immediately the sound of axes, cutlasses, the crackling of breaking branches and cheerful voices were heard in the forest; the other part was busy around the center of the regimental carts and horses, placed in a pile, taking out cauldrons, crackers and giving food to the horses; the third part scattered in the village, setting up headquarters rooms, selecting the dead bodies of the French lying in the huts, and taking away boards, dry firewood and straw from the roofs for fires and wattle fences for protection.
About fifteen soldiers behind the huts, from the edge of the village, with a cheerful cry, were swinging the high fence of the barn, from which the roof had already been removed.
- Well, well, together, lie down! - voices shouted, and in the darkness of the night a huge fence covered with snow swayed with a frosty crack. The lower stakes cracked more and more often, and finally the fence collapsed along with the soldiers pressing on it. There was a loud, crudely joyful cry and laughter.
- Take two at a time! bring the horn here! that's it. Where are you going?
- Well, at once... Stop, guys!.. With a shout!
Everyone fell silent, and a quiet, velvety pleasant voice began to sing a song. At the end of the third stanza, at the same time as the end of the last sound, twenty voices cried out in unison: “Uuuu!” It's coming! Together! Pile on, kids!..” But, despite the united efforts, the fence moved little, and in the established silence one could hear heavy panting.
- Hey you, sixth company! Devils, devils! Help us... we will also come in handy.
Of the sixth company, about twenty people who were going to the village joined those dragging them; and the fence, five fathoms long and a fathom wide, bending, pressing and cutting the shoulders of the puffing soldiers, moved forward along the village street.
- Go, or what... Fall, Eka... What happened? This and that... The funny, ugly curses did not stop.
- What's wrong? – suddenly the commanding voice of a soldier was heard, running towards the carriers.
- Gentlemen are here; in the hut he himself was anal, and you, devils, devils, swearers. I'll! – the sergeant major shouted and hit the first soldier who turned up in the back with a flourish. – Can’t you be quiet?
The soldiers fell silent. The soldier who had been hit by the sergeant-major began, grunting, to wipe his face, which he had torn into blood when he stumbled upon a fence.
- Look, damn, how he fights! “My whole face was bleeding,” he said in a timid whisper when the sergeant-major left.
- Don’t you love Ali? - said a laughing voice; and, moderating the sounds of voices, the soldiers moved on. Having got out of the village, they spoke again just as loudly, peppering the conversation with the same aimless curses.
In the hut, past which the soldiers passed, the highest authorities had gathered, and over tea there was a lively conversation about the past day and the proposed maneuvers of the future. It was supposed to make a flank march to the left, cut off the viceroy and capture him.
When the soldiers brought the fence, kitchen fires were already flaring up from different sides. Firewood crackled, snow melted, and the black shadows of soldiers scurried back and forth throughout the occupied space trampled in the snow.
Axes and cutlasses worked from all sides. Everything was done without any orders. They hauled firewood for the night's reserves, erected huts for the authorities, boiled pots, and stored guns and ammunition.
The fence dragged by the eighth company was placed in a semicircle on the north side, supported by bipods, and a fire was laid out in front of it. We broke the dawn, made calculations, had dinner and settled down for the night by the fires - some mending shoes, some smoking a pipe, some stripped naked, steaming out lice.

It would seem that in those almost unimaginably difficult conditions of existence in which Russian soldiers found themselves at that time - without warm boots, without sheepskin coats, without a roof over their heads, in the snow at 18° below zero, without even the full amount of provisions, it would not always be possible to keeping up with the army - it seemed that the soldiers should have presented the saddest and most depressing sight.
On the contrary, never, in the best material conditions, has the army presented a more cheerful, lively spectacle. This happened because every day everything that began to despondency or weaken was thrown out of the army. Everything that was physically and morally weak had long been left behind: only one color of the army remained - in terms of strength of spirit and body.
The largest number of people gathered at the 8th company, which bordered the fence. Two sergeants sat down next to them, and their fire burned brighter than others. They demanded an offering of firewood for the right to sit under the fence.
- Hey, Makeev, what are you... disappeared or were you eaten by wolves? “Bring some wood,” shouted one red-haired soldier, squinting and blinking from the smoke, but not moving away from the fire. “Go ahead and carry some wood, crow,” this soldier turned to another. Red was not a non-commissioned officer or a corporal, but he was a healthy soldier, and therefore commanded those who were weaker than him. A thin, small soldier with a pointed nose, who was called a crow, obediently stood up and went to carry out the order, but at that time a thin, beautiful figure stepped into the light of the fire young soldier, carrying a load of firewood.
- Come here. That's important!
They broke the firewood, pressed it, blew it with their mouths and overcoat skirts, and the flames hissed and crackled. The soldiers moved closer and lit their pipes. The young, handsome soldier who had brought the firewood leaned his hands on his hips and began to quickly and deftly stamp his chilled feet in place.
“Ah, mamma, the cold dew is good, and like a musketeer...” he chanted, as if hiccupping on every syllable of the song.
- Hey, the soles will fly off! – the red-haired man shouted, noticing that the dancer’s sole was dangling. - What poison to dance!
The dancer stopped, tore off the dangling skin and threw it into the fire.
“And that, brother,” he said; and, sitting down, took a piece of French blue cloth from his knapsack and began to wrap it around his leg. “We’ve had a couple of hours,” he added, stretching his legs towards the fire.
- New ones will be released soon. They say, we'll beat you to the last ounce, then everyone will get double goods.
“And you see, son of a bitch Petrov, he’s fallen behind,” said the sergeant major.
“I’ve noticed him for a long time,” said another.
- Yes, little soldier...
“And in the third company, they said, nine people were missing yesterday.”
- Yes, judge how your feet ache, where will you go?
- Eh, this is empty talk! - said the sergeant major.
“Ali, do you want the same thing?” - said the old soldier, reproachfully turning to the one who said that his legs were chilling.
– What do you think? - suddenly rising from behind the fire, a sharp-nosed soldier, who was called a crow, spoke in a squeaky and trembling voice. - He who is smooth will lose weight, but the skinny will die. At least I would. “I have no urine,” he suddenly said decisively, turning to the sergeant major, “they told me to send him to the hospital, the pain has overcome me; otherwise you will still fall behind...
“Well, yes, yes,” the sergeant major said calmly. The soldier fell silent and the conversation continued.
“Today you never know how many of these Frenchmen they took; and, to put it bluntly, none of them are wearing real boots, just a name,” one of the soldiers began a new conversation.
- All the Cossacks struck. They cleaned the hut for the colonel and took them out. It’s a pity to watch, guys,” said the dancer. - They tore them apart: so the living one, believe it, babbles something in his own way.
“They’re pure people, guys,” said the first. - White, just like a birch is white, and there are brave ones, say, noble ones.
- How do you think? He has recruited from all ranks.
“But they don’t know anything our way,” the dancer said with a smile of bewilderment. “I say to him: “Whose crown?”, and he babbles his own. Wonderful people!
“It’s strange, my brothers,” continued the one who was amazed at their whiteness, “the men near Mozhaisk said how they began to remove the beaten, where the guards were, so after all, he says, theirs lay dead for almost a month.” Well, he says, it lies there, he says, theirs is how the paper is white, clean, and doesn’t smell of gunpowder.
- Well, from the cold, or what? - one asked.
- You're so smart! By cold! It was hot. If only for the cold, ours wouldn’t have gone rotten either. Otherwise, he says, when you come up to ours, he’s all rotten with worms, he says. So, he says, we’ll tie ourselves with scarves, and, turning our muzzle away, we’ll drag him; no urine. And theirs, he says, is as white as paper; There is no smell of gunpowder.
Everyone was silent.
“It must be from the food,” said the sergeant major, “they ate the master’s food.”
Nobody objected.
“This man said, near Mozhaisk, where there was a guard, they were driven away from ten villages, they carried them twenty days, they didn’t bring them all, they were dead. What are these wolves, he says...
“That guard was real,” said the old soldier. - There was only something to remember; and then everything after that... So, it’s just torment for the people.
- And that, uncle. The day before yesterday we came running, so where they won’t let us get to them. They quickly abandoned the guns. On your knees. Sorry, he says. So, just one example. They said that Platov took Polion himself twice. Doesn't know the words. He’ll take it: he’ll pretend to be a bird in his hands, fly away, and fly away. And there is no provision for killing either.
“It’s okay to lie, Kiselev, I’ll look at you.”
- What a lie, the truth is true.
“If it were my custom, I would have caught him and buried him in the ground.” Yes, with an aspen stake. And what he ruined for the people.
“We’ll do it all, he won’t walk,” said the old soldier, yawning.
The conversation fell silent, the soldiers began to pack up.
- See, the stars, passion, are burning! “Tell me, the women have laid out the canvases,” said the soldier, admiring the Milky Way.
- This, guys, is for a good year.
“We’ll still need some wood.”
“You’ll warm your back, but your belly is frozen.” What a miracle.
- Oh my God!
- Why are you pushing, is the fire about you alone, or what? See... it fell apart.
From behind the established silence, the snoring of some who had fallen asleep was heard; the rest turned and warmed themselves, occasionally talking to each other. A friendly, cheerful laugh was heard from the distant fire, about a hundred paces away.
“Look, they’re roaring in the fifth company,” said one soldier. – And what a passion for the people!
One soldier got up and went to the fifth company.
“It’s laughter,” he said, returning. - Two guards have arrived. One is completely frozen, and the other is so courageous, dammit! Songs are playing.
- Oh oh? go have a look... - Several soldiers headed towards the fifth company.

The fifth company stood near the forest itself. A huge fire burned brightly in the middle of the snow, illuminating the tree branches weighed down with frost.
In the middle of the night, soldiers of the fifth company heard footsteps in the snow and the crunching of branches in the forest.
“Guys, it’s a witch,” said one soldier. Everyone raised their heads, listened, and out of the forest, into the bright light of the fire, two strangely dressed human figures stepped out, holding each other.
These were two Frenchmen hiding in the forest. Hoarsely saying something in a language incomprehensible to the soldiers, they approached the fire. One was taller, wearing an officer's hat, and seemed completely weakened. Approaching the fire, he wanted to sit down, but fell to the ground. The other, small, stocky soldier with a scarf tied around his cheeks, was stronger. He raised his comrade and, pointing to his mouth, said something. The soldiers surrounded the French, laid out an overcoat for the sick man, and brought porridge and vodka to both of them.
The weakened French officer was Rambal; tied with a scarf was his orderly Morel.
When Morel drank vodka and finished a pot of porridge, he suddenly became painfully cheerful and began to continuously say something to the soldiers who did not understand him. Rambal refused to eat and silently lay on his elbow by the fire, looking at the Russian soldiers with meaningless red eyes. Occasionally he would let out a long groan and then fall silent again. Morel, pointing to his shoulders, convinced the soldiers that it was an officer and that he needed to be warmed up. The Russian officer, who approached the fire, sent to ask the colonel if he would take him to warm him up. French officer; and when they returned and said that the colonel had ordered an officer to be brought, Rambal was told to go. He stood up and wanted to go, but he staggered and would have fallen if he had been near him. standing soldier didn't support him.
- What? You will not? – one soldier said with a mocking wink, turning to Rambal.
- Eh, fool! Why are you lying awkwardly! It’s a man, really, a man,” reproaches to the joking soldier were heard from different sides. They surrounded Rambal, lifted him into his arms, grabbed him, and carried him to the hut. Rambal hugged the necks of the soldiers and, when they carried him, spoke plaintively:
- Oh, nies braves, oh, mes bons, mes bons amis! Voila des hommes! oh, mes braves, mes bons amis! [Oh well done! Oh my good ones, good friends! Here are the people! O my good friends!] - and, like a child, he leaned his head on the shoulder of one soldier.
Meanwhile Morel sat on best place surrounded by soldiers.
Morel, a small, stocky Frenchman, with bloodshot, watery eyes, tied with a woman's scarf over his cap, was dressed in a woman's fur coat. He, apparently drunk, put his arm around the soldier sitting next to him and sang a French song in a hoarse, intermittent voice. The soldiers held their sides, looking at him.
- Come on, come on, teach me how? I'll take over quickly. How?.. - said the joker songwriter, who was hugged by Morel.
Vive Henri Quatre,
Vive ce roi vaillanti –
[Long live Henry the Fourth!
Long live this brave king!
etc. (French song) ]
sang Morel, winking his eye.
Se diable a quatre…
- Vivarika! Vif seruvaru! sit-down... - the soldier repeated, waving his hand and really catching the tune.
- Look, clever! Go go go go!.. - rough, joyful laughter rose from different sides. Morel, wincing, laughed too.
- Well, go ahead, go ahead!
Qui eut le triple talent,
De boire, de batre,
Et d'etre un vert galant...
[Having triple talent,
drink, fight
and be kind...]
– But it’s also complicated. Well, well, Zaletaev!..
“Kyu...” Zaletaev said with effort. “Kyu yu yu...” he drawled, carefully protruding his lips, “letriptala, de bu de ba and detravagala,” he sang.
- Hey, it’s important! That's it, guardian! oh... go go go! - Well, do you want to eat more?
- Give him some porridge; After all, it won’t be long before he gets enough of hunger.
Again they gave him porridge; and Morel, chuckling, began to work on the third pot. Joyful smiles were on all the faces of the young soldiers looking at Morel. The old soldiers, who considered it indecent to engage in such trifles, lay on the other side of the fire, but occasionally, raising themselves on their elbows, they looked at Morel with a smile.
“People too,” said one of them, dodging into his overcoat. - And wormwood grows on its root.
- Ooh! Lord, Lord! How stellar, passion! Towards the frost... - And everything fell silent.
The stars, as if knowing that now no one would see them, played out in the black sky. Now flaring up, now extinguishing, now shuddering, they busily whispered among themselves about something joyful, but mysterious.

X
The French troops gradually melted away in a mathematically correct progression. And that crossing of the Berezina, about which so much has been written, was only one of the intermediate stages in the destruction of the French army, and not at all a decisive episode of the campaign. If so much has been and is being written about the Berezina, then on the part of the French this happened only because on the broken Berezina Bridge, the disasters that the French army had previously suffered evenly here suddenly grouped together at one moment and into one tragic spectacle that remained in everyone’s memory. On the Russian side, they talked and wrote so much about the Berezina only because, far from the theater of war, in St. Petersburg, a plan was drawn up (by Pfuel) to capture Napoleon in a strategic trap on the Berezina River. Everyone was convinced that everything would actually happen exactly as planned, and therefore insisted that it was the Berezina crossing that destroyed the French. In essence, the results of the Berezinsky crossing were much less disastrous for the French in terms of the loss of guns and prisoners than Krasnoye, as the numbers show.
The only significance of the Berezin crossing is that this crossing obviously and undoubtedly proved the falsity of all plans for cutting off and the justice of the only possible course of action demanded by both Kutuzov and all the troops (mass) - only following the enemy. The crowd of Frenchmen fled with an ever-increasing force of speed, with all their energy directed towards achieving their goal. She ran like a wounded animal, and she could not get in the way. This was proven not so much by the construction of the crossing as by the traffic on the bridges. When the bridges were broken, unarmed soldiers, Moscow residents, women and children who were in the French convoy - all, under the influence of the force of inertia, did not give up, but ran forward into the boats, into the frozen water.
This aspiration was reasonable. The situation of both those fleeing and those pursuing was equally bad. Remaining with his own, each in distress hoped for the help of a comrade, for a certain place he occupied among his own. Having given himself over to the Russians, he was in the same position of distress, but he was on a lower level in terms of satisfying the needs of life. The French did not need to have correct information that half of the prisoners, with whom they did not know what to do, despite all the Russians’ desire to save them, died from cold and hunger; they felt that it could not be otherwise. The most compassionate Russian commanders and hunters of the French, the French in Russian service could not do anything for the prisoners. The French were destroyed by the disaster in which they were Russian army. It was impossible to take away bread and clothing from hungry, necessary soldiers in order to give it to the French who were not harmful, not hated, not guilty, but simply unnecessary. Some did; but this was only an exception.
Behind was certain death; there was hope ahead. The ships were burned; there was no other salvation but a collective flight, and all the forces of the French were directed towards this collective flight.
The further the French fled, the more pitiful their remnants were, especially after the Berezina, on which, as a result of the St. Petersburg plan, special hopes were pinned, the more the passions of the Russian commanders flared up, blaming each other and especially Kutuzov. Believing that the failure of the Berezinsky Petersburg plan would be attributed to him, dissatisfaction with him, contempt for him and ridicule of him were expressed more and more strongly. Teasing and contempt, of course, were expressed in a respectful form, in a form in which Kutuzov could not even ask what and for what he was accused. They didn't talk to him seriously; reporting to him and asking his permission, they pretended to perform a sad ritual, and behind his back they winked and tried to deceive him at every step.
All these people, precisely because they could not understand him, recognized that there was no point in talking to the old man; that he would never understand the full depth of their plans; that he would answer with his phrases (it seemed to them that these were just phrases) about the golden bridge, that you cannot come abroad with a crowd of vagabonds, etc. They had already heard all this from him. And everything he said: for example, that we had to wait for food, that people were without boots, it was all so simple, and everything they offered was so complex and clever that it was obvious to them that he was stupid and old, but they were not powerful, brilliant commanders.
Especially after the joining of armies brilliant admiral and the hero of St. Petersburg, Wittgenstein, this mood and staff gossip reached the highest limits. Kutuzov saw this and, sighing, just shrugged his shoulders. Only once, after the Berezina, he became angry and wrote the following letter to Bennigsen, who reported separately to the sovereign:
“Due to your painful seizures, please, Your Excellency, upon receipt of this, go to Kaluga, where you await further orders and assignments from His Imperial Majesty.”
But after Bennigsen was sent to the army, he came Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, who started the campaign and was removed from the army by Kutuzov. Now the Grand Duke, having arrived at the army, informed Kutuzov about the displeasure of the sovereign emperor for the weak successes of our troops and for the slowness of movement. The Emperor himself intended to arrive at the army the other day.
An old man, as experienced in court affairs as in military affairs, that Kutuzov, who in August of the same year was chosen commander-in-chief against the will of the sovereign, the one who removed the heir and the Grand Duke from the army, the one who, with his power, in opposition the will of the sovereign, ordered the abandonment of Moscow, this Kutuzov now immediately realized that his time was over, that his role had been played and that he no longer had this imaginary power. And he understood this not just from court relationships. On the one hand, he saw that military affairs, the one in which he played his role, was over, and he felt that his calling had been fulfilled. On the other hand, at the same time he began to feel physical fatigue in his old body and the need for physical rest.
On November 29, Kutuzov entered Vilna - his good Vilna, as he said. Kutuzov was governor of Vilna twice during his service. In the rich, surviving Vilna, in addition to the comforts of life that he had been deprived of for so long, Kutuzov found old friends and memories. And he, suddenly turning away from all military and state concerns, plunged into a smooth, familiar life as much as he was given peace by the passions seething around him, as if everything that was happening now and was about to happen in the historical world did not concern him at all.
Chichagov, one of the most passionate cutters and overturners, Chichagov, who first wanted to make a diversion to Greece, and then to Warsaw, but did not want to go where he was ordered, Chichagov, known for his courage in speaking to the sovereign, Chichagov, who considered Kutuzov benefited himself, because when he was sent in the 11th year to conclude peace with Turkey in addition to Kutuzov, he, making sure that peace had already been concluded, admitted to the sovereign that the merit of concluding peace belonged to Kutuzov; This Chichagov was the first to meet Kutuzov in Vilna at the castle where Kutuzov was supposed to stay. Chichagov in a naval uniform, with a dirk, holding his cap under his arm, gave Kutuzov his drill report and the keys to the city. That contemptuously respectful attitude of the youth towards the old man who had lost his mind was expressed to the highest degree in the entire address of Chichagov, who already knew the charges brought against Kutuzov.
While talking with Chichagov, Kutuzov, among other things, told him that the carriages with dishes captured from him in Borisov were intact and would be returned to him.
- C"est pour me dire que je n"ai pas sur quoi manger... Je puis au contraire vous fournir de tout dans le cas meme ou vous voudriez donner des diners, [You want to tell me that I have nothing to eat. On the contrary, I can serve you all, even if you wanted to give dinners.] - Chichagov said, flushing, with every word he wanted to prove that he was right and therefore assumed that Kutuzov was preoccupied with this very thing. Kutuzov smiled his thin, penetrating smile and, shrugging his shoulders, answered: “Ce n"est que pour vous dire ce que je vous dis. [I want to say only what I say.]
In Vilna, Kutuzov, contrary to the will of the sovereign, stopped most of the troops. Kutuzov, as his close associates said, had become unusually depressed and physically weakened during his stay in Vilna. He was reluctant to deal with the affairs of the army, leaving everything to his generals and, while waiting for the sovereign, indulged in an absent-minded life.




	Velikoluksky district, USSR
	Victory of the USSR
Opponents
	Germany
Commanders
Purkaev M. A.	Gunther von Kluge
Galitsky K. N.
Strengths of the parties
95,608 people, 2,089 guns and mortars, 390 tanks	OK. 50 thousand people

104,022 people, of which irrevocable: 31,674, sanitary: 72,348	to. 60 thousand people and 4.5 thousand prisoners. According to other sources, 17 thousand people

Velikolukskaya operation - offensive Soviet troops during the Great Patriotic War with the aim of pinning down German troops in the central sector of the front and liberating the cities of Velikiye Luki and Novosokolniki. It was carried out from November 25, 1942 to January 20, 1943 by the forces of the 3rd Shock Army (3 Ud. A) of the Kalinin Front, with the support of the 3rd Air Army.

General situation before the operation

On November 19, 1942, Operation Uranus began on the southern sector of the Soviet-German front - a counteroffensive of Soviet troops near Stalingrad.

Purpose and plan of operation

Initially, the army and front-line command planned to conduct a short-term offensive operation to capture important railway junctions: the cities of Velikiye Luki and Novosokolniki. However, the representative of the Headquarters, Marshal G.K. Zhukov, who arrived on November 19, clarified the purpose of the operation in the following way: pinning down the enemy on a given section of the front and preventing the transfer of his troops to the south, to the area of the Battle of Stalingrad. Apparently, Zhukov then had in mind not only support for Operation Uranus at Stalingrad, but also Operation Mars, carried out by the Western and Kalinin Fronts, the purpose of which was to encircle the 9th Army of Army Group Center. At the same time, the front-line Velikolukskaya offensive operation was to be carried out in an auxiliary direction and by the forces of one 3rd Shock Army, located on the right wing of the Kalinin Front and not involved in Operation Mars.

In accordance with the operation plan, the 5th Guards Rifle Corps was to deliver the main attack in the northwestern direction with the task of breaking through the enemy defenses south of Velikie Luki, reaching the Ostrian station area and then continuing the attack on Novosokolniki. 381st Rifle Division, advancing from area north of Velikiye Luki, was supposed to strike in a southwestern direction towards Kitovo, Zemlyanichino and, in cooperation with the 257th and 357th divisions, encircle the enemy in the city. The 257th Rifle Division, after breaking through the enemy’s defenses, was supposed to bypass Velikiye Luki from the north and south with two regiments and, in cooperation with the left flank 357th Division of the 5th Guards. sk surround the city. The army's mobile unit, the 2nd Mechanized Corps, was in the army reserve, ready for use depending on the progress of the operation.

Strengths and composition of the parties

USSR

To carry out the operation, the commander of the 3rd Shock Army, Lieutenant General K.N. Galitsky, created a strike force consisting of seven rifle divisions and one rifle brigade, namely:

5th Guards Rifle Corps under the command of Major General A.P. Beloborodov, which included the 9th Guards Rifle Division under Major General I.V. Prostyakov and the 46th Guards Rifle Division under Major General S.I. Karapetyan, reinforced by 357 1st Rifle Division Colonel A.L. Kronik.

In the immediate environment of the 83rd Infantry Division holding Velikiye Luki, the following were to be involved:

381st Rifle Division Colonel B.S. Maslov,
257th Rifle Division (2nd formation) Colonel A. A. Dyakonov.

In auxiliary areas the following were to operate:

31st Rifle Brigade under Lieutenant Colonel A.V. Yakushev, north of the 381st Rifle Division offensive line in general direction to Gorki,
The 21st Guards Rifle Division of the Guard Colonel, from November 27 - the Guard of Major General D.V. Mikhailov, the division struck in the direction of Koshelevo,
The 28th Infantry Division of Colonel S.A. Knyazkov, which struck south of Porechye.

To break through enemy defenses and develop the offensive, the following armored formations and units of the 3rd Shock Army were involved: 184th Separate Tank Brigade of Colonel S.A. Sevastyanov, 27th, 34th (Lieutenant Colonel Kh.Z. Bogdanov), 36th th, 37th (Lieutenant Colonel I. Kh. Portyan), 38th (Lieutenant Colonel K. I. Zheleznov) and 45th separate tank regiments.

The army reserve consisted of the 2nd Mechanized Corps under the command of Major General of Tank Forces I.P. Korchagin, which included:

18th mechanized brigade of Colonel V.K. Maksimov,
34th (2nd formation) mechanized brigade under Lieutenant Colonel N. E. Krasnov,
43rd mechanized brigade of Colonel S. G. Timokhin,
33rd Tank Brigade, Lieutenant Colonel S. L. Gontarev,
36th Tank Brigade of Colonel M.I. Pakhomov.

Aviation support for the offensive was provided by the 3rd Air Army, under the command of Aviation Major General M. M. Gromov:

1st Bombardment Corps

263rd Bombardment Aviation Division
293rd Bombardment Aviation Division

1st Assault Aviation Corps

264th Assault Aviation Division
266th Assault Aviation Division
292nd Assault Aviation Division

2nd Assault Aviation Corps

231st Assault Aviation Division
232nd Assault Aviation Division

1st Fighter Aviation Corps

274th Fighter Aviation Division

2nd Fighter Aviation Corps

209th Fighter Aviation Division
215th Fighter Aviation Division
256th Fighter Aviation Division
222nd Assault Aviation Division

In total, the army’s strike force consisted of 95,608 people, 743 guns and 1,346 mortars, 46 guards rocket launchers, 390 tanks, of which 160 were light (T-60 and T-70).

During the battle, from the front reserve in 3 Ud. And the following were transmitted:

from December 19 - the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps under the command of Major General L. A. Pern, consisting of:

19th Guards Rifle Division (Major General D. M. Barinov, from December 20 Colonel I. D. Vasiliev)
7th Estonian Rifle Division (Colonel A. A. Vassil, from 6.01 Colonel K. A. Allikas)
249th Estonian Rifle Division (Colonel A.I. Saueselg, from 24.12 Colonel I.Ya. Lombak)

from December 22 - the 360th Rifle Division (Colonel V. G. Poznyak) and the 100th Kazakh Rifle Brigade (Lieutenant Colonel E. V. Voronkov).
from January 9 - 32nd Infantry Division (Colonel I. S. Bezugly)
from January 15 - 150th Infantry Division (Colonel N. O. Guz)

Germany

In the Velikiye Luki area, the 83rd Infantry Division under the command of Lieutenant General T. Scherer defended. Novosokolniki was defended by the 3rd Mountain Rifle Division. In total, according to Soviet data, on the day the operation began, there were about 50,000 people, although this figure seems somewhat overestimated.

From November 28 to January 8, in order to relieve the encircled Velikiye Luki garrison, the following formations entered the battle:

from November 28 - 291st Infantry, 20th Motorized, 8th Tank Divisions
from December 19 - 6th Air Field Division
from January 4 - 205th Infantry Division
from January 6 - 331st Infantry Division
from January 8 - 708th Infantry Division and units of the 93rd Infantry Division

Progress of the operation

First stage

On November 24 at 11 o'clock, after a 30-minute artillery preparation, the vanguard regiments of three divisions of the 5th Guards Rifle Corps went on the attack. Having destroyed the German outposts and advanced 2-3 km in depth, by the end of the day they had reached the enemy’s main line of defense. At 9.30 on November 25, an hour and a half artillery preparation began, after which the main forces of the army went on the offensive. For the day of battles of the formation 3 Ud. And they advanced to a depth of 2 to 12 km, with the 381st Infantry Division, advancing from the north, achieving the greatest success. Over the next two days, the army's troops fought stubbornly, repelling fierce enemy counterattacks, and slowly moved forward.

By the end of November 27, army intelligence had established that the enemy was bringing fresh forces into the battle area: the 8th Tank Division from the north, the 291st Infantry Division and the 20th Motorized Division from the south. This required the command to 3 Ud. And to take urgent measures to strengthen the flanks of the advancing group: the 31st Infantry Brigade was advanced to cover the right flank of the 381st Division, the 28th Infantry Division was aimed at destroying the German 291st Infantry Division, and the 21st Guards Division was tasked with being ready to repel the attack of the 20th Motorized Division. The measures taken made it possible to forestall the enemy and successfully repel his counterattack within 3 days. Meanwhile, the offensive actions of 3 Ud. continued. A.

On the evening of November 28, the 381st and 9th Guards Divisions met near the Ostrian station, closing a ring around the Velikiye Luki garrison. In addition, part of the forces of the 83rd Infantry Division was surrounded southwest of the city, in the area of the settlement of Shiripino.

The plan for the Velikiye Luki operation required the capture of Novosokolniki, an important railway junction connecting Army Groups Center and North. Therefore, on November 28, the 18th mechanized brigade from the 2nd mechanized corps was brought into battle in this direction. By this time, the 3rd Mountain Rifle Division with reinforcement units had already taken up well-prepared defensive positions on the approaches to the city, into which the 18th Brigade rested. To strengthen the strike group of Soviet troops, by December 1, the 381st Infantry Division was transferred to the Novosokolniki area. Having successfully launched an offensive and captured several settlements, it bypassed the city from the north, cut the Nasva-Novosokolniki railway, but was unable to advance further. Stubborn enemy resistance in Novosokolniki required strengthening the advancing group with the 34th mechanized brigade of the 2nd mechanized corps. Thus, by the morning of December 3, the 18th and 34th mechanized brigades from the south and the 381st Infantry Division from the north and northeast were attacking the city with the task of defeating the defending units of the 3rd mountain rifle division and take over the city. On the morning of December 3, the enemy launched a strong attack on the right flank of the army in large forces and almost broke through the defenses of the 31st Rifle Brigade. To fend off a possible breakthrough, the 26th Infantry Brigade, received the day before from the front reserve, was advanced to the right flank of the army.

Two days earlier, on the night of December 2, the 9th Guards and part of the forces of the 357th Rifle Division, with the support of the 266th Assault Aviation Division, began eliminating the enemy encircled near Shiripino, and by the end of December 3, they had completely destroyed it.

Having met stubborn enemy resistance on well-prepared defense lines in the Novosokolniki area, formations 3 Ud. And they were forced to go on the defensive.

Second phase

On January 4, after artillery preparation, German troops resumed their attack on Velikiye Luki from the southwest in the direction of Alekseykovo. In addition to the 20th motorized and 6th airfield divisions operating here, the 205th Infantry Division, transferred from the Western Front, also took part in it. By the evening of the next day, the enemy managed to push back units of the 360th Infantry Division and occupy the village of Borshanka. Here, to strengthen the blow, the commander of Army Group Center, Field Marshal von Kluge, decided to transfer the 331st Infantry Division with the task of breaking into the city no later than January 10 and releasing the encirclement. The enemy's numerical superiority and the real threat of a breakthrough into the city forced the command of 3 Ud. And withdraw some of the forces from the battle in Velikiye Luki and focus them on defense. So 2 regiments of the 357th Infantry Division were deployed 180 degrees, with a front to the southwest, and the 47th Mechanized Brigade was withdrawn to the northwest of the city with the task of counterattacking the enemy if necessary. On January 7, German pressure intensified from the north-west, where units of the 8th Tank and 93rd Infantry Divisions managed to advance 1-2 km in the direction of Velikiye Luki in a few days. Further enemy advance in this sector was stopped by units of the 381st Division and 47th Brigade. In the southwestern direction, the 708th Infantry Division entered the battle. Thus, from January 8, with the support of large aviation and artillery forces, 4 infantry and 1 motorized divisions rushed to the city. Carrying out repeated fierce attacks and regardless of losses, the Nazis slowly moved forward. On January 9, fighting broke out 4-5 km from the city in the Donesyevo-Belodedovo area. The 32nd Infantry Division, which arrived from the front reserve, was ordered to take up defensive positions 4 km from the city. On January 10-12, the enemy continued the offensive from two directions: the north-west and south-west, and if in the first he did not achieve noticeable success, then in the second he managed to approach the city to a distance of 3.5 km. Until January 14, fighting continued in the area of the villages of Kopytovo and Lipenka, but the enemy was unable to get further than them. The offensive of German troops to relieve the encircled garrison did not bring the desired success. Despite the introduction of large reserves into battle, on average per day the enemy approached the city by 400 meters.

Over the course of a month of fighting, at the cost of huge losses, the enemy managed to break through a wedge 10 km long and 3 km wide in the direction of Velikie Luki. In the current situation, it was advisable to strike at the base of the wedge, blocking the advancing German units. However, it was impossible to solve this problem with the existing forces. The 150th Infantry Division, which arrived from the front reserve on January 15, could carry out the plan. She was given the task of striking the center of the wedge and cutting it. On January 16, units of the division went on the offensive and, overcoming stubborn resistance, slowly moved forward. The German command, sensing the threat of encirclement, began to withdraw troops from the top of the wedge. By January 21, during fierce battles, army troops reached the line of Demya, Alekseykovo, Borshchanka, almost completely destroying the enemy wedge. By January 21, the front had stabilized.

Assault on Velikiye Luki

On December 6, having received the order to transfer the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps to the 3rd Ud. And, the army command began to develop a plan for the assault on Velikiye Luki. By this time, the army headquarters (chief of staff, Major General I. S. Yudintsev) had fairly complete information about the nature of the defense and the enemy grouping. The city was defended by units of the 83rd Infantry Division with reinforcement units. The total number of the encircled garrison was 8-9 thousand people, 100-120 artillery pieces, 10-15 tanks and assault guns. The main, continuous line of defense passed through suburban villages, each of which was adapted for all-round defense. All the stone buildings of the city were turned into powerful centers of resistance, filled with heavy weapons: artillery and mortars. The attics of tall buildings were equipped with observation posts and machine gun emplacements. The fortress and railway junction are adapted for long-term defense. In addition, it became known that the commander of the 83rd Infantry Division, T. Scherer, flew out of the city, appointing the commander of the 277th Infantry Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel E. von Sass, as commandant of the garrison.

The assault plan developed at army headquarters provided for two coordinated strikes by the 257th and 357th rifle divisions with the aim of cutting the enemy group into pieces and subsequent separate destruction. The auxiliary strike was to be delivered by the best-equipped, but lacking combat experience, 7th Rifle Division of the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps. The start of the assault was scheduled for December 12, but continuous fog, which prevented effective air action, forced the start of the attack to be postponed by one day.

On December 13 at 10 a.m., 566 guns and mortars opened fire on the front line and defensive structures enemy. At 12.15, with the last salvo of artillery, the assault troops went on the attack. Having broken through the first line of defense and rushed into the city, the attacking units met increasing enemy resistance. And yet, by the end of the day, units of the 257th division, advancing from the north-west, and the 357th division, advancing from the west, reached the Lovat River and captured the bridge to the eastern bank. The entire next day there were stubborn battles in the city, as a result of which the attackers captured almost the entire left bank part of the city with the exception of the fortress. At 14.00 on December 15, the first offer of surrender was made to those surrounded through the parliamentarians. E. von Sass, who had received Hitler’s categorical demand the day before not to surrender the city, refused. Soviet troops had no choice but to continue the assault on the city. There were fierce fire battles in the city for about 10 days.

Since by December 24, the enemy’s attempts to break into the city from the outside had noticeably weakened and then stopped altogether, the command of 3 Ud. And it was possible to regroup forces and resume an active assault on the city. Now the 249th Estonian Infantry Division and the 47th Mechanized Brigade were additionally involved in the capture of Velikiye Luki. At 13.00 on December 25, after artillery preparation, the infantry, supported by tanks, went on the attack. Encouraged by promises of a quick breakthrough of the encirclement from the outside, the Nazis put up desperate resistance. After three days stubborn battles of units of the 257th Infantry Division and the 47th mechanized brigade went to the city center. Large forces German aviation The attacking units were bombed and countered by Soviet fighters. Real air battles took place in the air. At certain times on December 29 and 30, there were up to 300 Soviet and German aircraft in the skies over the city. By the end of December 31, the entire city, with the exception of the railway junction and the fortress, was in the hands of Soviet troops.

Exactly at midnight on January 1, 1943 Soviet command on the radio again addressed the defenders with a proposal to surrender. Having received no answer, the assault on the last centers of defense was continued. By January 4, the attackers took possession of the station building and adjacent buildings. Further advance was stopped by fierce enemy resistance. Attempts to storm the fortress made on January 3-4 by units of the 357th Infantry Division were unsuccessful. Since on January 4, part of the forces of the 357th division was diverted to repel attempts to relieve the encircled garrison, the army command decided to take a break and conduct a second assault after careful preparation. The preparations for the assault were headed by the deputy commander of the 357th division, Colonel M. F. Bukshtynovich.

Two days earlier, on January 14, units of the 257th, 249th and 7th Infantry Divisions began eliminating the remnants of the garrison defending in the area of the railway junction. On the very first day of fighting, the attackers managed to occupy the Kuryanikha area and reach Aligrodovo. On January 15, soldiers of the 249th division drove the Germans out of the building railway station and locomotive depot. By 12 o'clock on January 16, the enemy had only one center of resistance left - the defense headquarters led by Lieutenant Colonel von Sass. At 15.30 special squad The 249th Division of 30 men under the command of Major E. Lemming broke into the basement and captured 52 German soldiers and officers, including E. von Sass himself.

Results

Despite the fact that Soviet troops failed to take Novosokolniki, common goal operation was achieved. with their own active actions troops of the 3rd Shock Army shackled up to 10 enemy divisions, preventing them from being used in other directions, and liberated the ancient Russian city of Velikiye Luki.

Memory

In the center of Velikiye Luki, on the left bank of the Lovat River, an obelisk was erected to the Soviet soldiers who died during the liberation of the city. Many city streets are named after events and participants in the battles: Five Tankers Street, 3rd Shock Army Street and others.

Over the years, warriors and commanders of 3 Ud. And they were awarded the title “Honorary Citizen of the City”:

in 1965:

Pern, Lembit Abramovich - commander of the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps
Dyakonov, Anatoly Alexandrovich - commander of the 257th Infantry Division
Kronik, Alexander Lvovich - commander of the 357th Infantry Division

in 1969:

Galitsky, Kuzma Nikitovich - commander of the 3rd Shock Army
Kariste Albert Aleksandrovich - officer of the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps

in 1975:

Aru, Karl Ivanovich - chief of artillery of the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps

in 1985:

Semenov, Georgy Gavrilovich - head of the operational department of the headquarters of the 3rd shock army
Lisitsin, Fedor Yakovlevich - head of the political department of the 3rd shock army

Velikiye Luki- a city of regional subordination in the Pskov region of Russia. The population as of 2010 is 96.6 thousand people. During the Great Patriotic War the city was captured Nazi occupiers. Despite heroic defense Velikiye Luki, which lasted thirty-three days in July-August 1941, failed to defend the city. On August 25, 1941, Velikiye Luki was occupied by German troops. During the Velikiye Luki operation, which lasted from December 13, 1942 to January 17, 1943, the city was liberated by the advancing units of the Red Army.

The famous Soviet writer Alexander Fadeev became an eyewitness and direct participant in the Velikiye Luki operation as a war correspondent. On January 10, 1943, he published an essay in the Pravda newspaper dedicated to the battles for Velikiye Luki and their liberation.

Here is the text of the essay in its entirety:

Alexander Fadeev.

Velikie Luki.

At the end of November, units of the Red Army broke through the German defenses, which had been heavily fortified over a year and a half, in the area east of Velikiye Luki. In the very first days, they fought 20-30 kilometers deep into the German defense and cut the Velikiye Luki-Nevel and Velikiye Luki-Novosokolniki railways.

Velikie Luki is a large railway junction and airport of international importance not far from the border of the Latvian SSR. During Soviet rule, the city expanded greatly. New enterprises, residential buildings, schools, institutional buildings, an airport, and a military camp were built. The outskirts of the city expanded to include adjacent villages and state farms. All this was turned by the Germans into strong points and fortifications connected by passages and trenches. The German garrison consisted of selected units that had a year and a half of experience of the war in Russia.

Velikiye Luki was taken by units of the Red Army with a decisive blow. Thanks to the exceptional heroism of our soldiers and skillful command, which organized the correct interaction of rifle units and tanks and especially rifle units and artillery, our units broke into the city.

I had the opportunity to become closely acquainted with Comrade Vasily Konstantinovich Chesnokov, the commander of one of the units in Comrade Dyakonov’s unit. He is a calm, brave, managerial commander, a modest Russian man. This unit burst into the city and, expanding its zone of action, was the first to cross the Lovat River, which divides the city into two parts - eastern and western.

You need to imagine a system of fortifications in a large city located on hills, minefields, wire fences around it, a continuous shower of automatic, mortar and artillery fire that fell on the heads of our advancing units in order to appreciate the full measure of the heroism of our soldiers and commanders. In battles such as the battle for Velikiye Luki, hundreds and thousands of people reach exceptional heights of spiritual growth and do not spare their lives.

In the unit, where the commander was Comrade Konyshev, a man of great courage, the first to break into the outskirts of the city was an assault group led by Lieutenant Comrade Kulagin. They threw grenades at the German bunker, which was furiously firing machine guns at the advancing units, killed an officer and several soldiers, and now the first outlying house was in their hands. An unprecedented upsurge took possession of their hearts.

Senior Sergeant Comrade Vinatovsky pulled his red tobacco pouch out of his pocket, ripped it open and hoisted it on the first occupied house like a banner.

The city will be ours forever! - he said solemnly, and his four comrades, followed by others, rushed into the depths of the city.

In another section of the city, where a unit under the command of Comrade Kronik was advancing, Comrade Kornienko’s unit also latched onto the outskirts and developed success. German soldiers fled, maneuvering between houses in painted white helmets and white camouflage coats, others fired back from houses. Fighting began for individual houses. Having kicked the Germans out of one house, a group of fighters burst inside it. The soldier lifted the door to the basement and looked to see if there were any Germans there. Out of the darkness suddenly appeared the haggard, terrible face of an old woman, followed by other faces of women and children. The old woman climbed the stairs and suddenly, unable to bear it, hugged the fighter with her shaking, withered arms.

These days we made our way to the western part of the city. Coming towards us along the road from the city were civilians - women, children, old men, old women, dragging their belongings.

Before the war, the city had 80 thousand inhabitants. As the enemy approached, most of the population evacuated inland. Residents, at risk to their lives, continued to leave the city in all sorts of ways throughout the year and a half that the Germans were in the city. Thousands of people were driven into slavery in Germany, thousands were shot, tortured, and starved to death. Quite a few people gave Velikiye Luki partisan detachments. By the time of the assault, about seven thousand inhabitants remained in the city, eking out a slavish, half-starved existence.

From the moment the fighting began on the streets of the city, the population began to go to neighboring villages. Soviet people, freed from the Nazi yoke, helped our commanders clarify the location of German bunkers and artillery points.

The unit commanded by Comrade Starikov had a difficult task - to eliminate the enemy’s fortified points in the monastery, at the distillery and in the military town. This unit captured the mayor of the city, Churilov, who was hiding in one of the basements and was exposed by the population.

Under Soviet power, Mr. Burgomaster was a land surveyor, and then he sold his homeland and himself for German marks and for the right to rule over defenseless people who could be fleeced, punished, and also sold to the Germans.

He was wearing strong chrome boots and the good-quality clothes of a horse dealer, fairly dirty from wandering around the cellars. Apparently, according to the saying “God marks the rogue,” he had exactly the same appearance that posters most often give to provocateurs and traitors - a sharp black goatee and an incredibly meanly curled mustache on his well-fed face.

When we entered the city, fires were smoking in many places, the roar of guns and the crackling of machine guns filled the air. The Germans shelled the western part of the city with mortars and occasionally threw thermite shells. Soldiers from the economic teams were transporting captured goods from the city. German weapons and property. We came across an artillery boy known to the entire unit, leading two stubborn large German horses.

- Egorka, how are the horses? - the soldiers accompanying us called out to him.

- The horses are good, but they don’t understand anything in Russian, whoa, whoa! - Yegorka said contemptuously and cheerfully.

In other places, trenches, bunkers and basements, converted into bunkers, were littered with frozen German corpses, twisted in the positions in which they found death. In some places the corpses of our soldiers were still visible, which they had not yet managed to remove and bury. We stopped at one of them. It was a Kazakh, he was lying on his back, with his wide, dark hands spread out in the snow. He was killed right in the heart. His frozen face with drooping eyelids and black winged eyelashes was calm.

About two hundred meters from the command post of the unit to which we reached, stood a mighty black KV tank and almost point-blank fired a cannon at a large stone building, visible to us only from its corner and roof. From there rang fast and furious machine gun fire. The tank stood alone, motionless and black from combat labor, and, not paying attention to the shower of fire pounding on its armor, methodically did its fair and terrible work.

The Germans hoped that our units would not be able to take the eastern part of the city across the Lovat River with its steep, scarred banks, but our command outwitted the Germans. The eastern part of the city was taken from the north by part of Comrade Dyakonov, who regrouped.

On sunny days, large air battles took place over Velikiye Luki. On some days there were hundreds of sorties from both sides. Fighters fought high in the blue and clear frosty sky. Our fighters pursued German bombers, and enemy Messerschmitts attacked our Ilas. The roar of cars, the sounds of cannon and machine gun fire stood overhead all day, and the haze in the sky did not clear for a long time after the air battle.

But enemy aircraft could no longer stop Comrade Dyakonov’s units, which were entering deeper and deeper into the city - to its very center. It can be said without exaggeration that the main hero of the battle for Velikiye Luki was Soviet artillery. It not only showed the full power of its fire in crushing enemy fortifications, it showed what gigantic successes infantry can achieve if guns and howitzers attack with direct fire along with them. Artillery commanders etc. Melenchuk, Zasovsky, Ponomarev, Udalov showed themselves to be true masters of their craft in this battle. What can we say about the commanders of smaller artillery units and junior artillery commanders - this is the flower of our army? The power of their weapons seemed to melt into the power of their hearts. Under the fire of machine guns and mortars, not noticing how bullets and fragments of mines would cover the skirts of their sheepskin coats and overcoats, powerful and cheerful, sweating in the cold, they truly worked wonders with their guns.

Junior Lieutenant Comrade Aitmukhanbetov, a Kazakh, was in charge of a gun assigned to one of our assault groups. The gun, advancing along with the fighters, suppressed five dugouts. During the battle, the commander of the assault group was killed. Aitmukhanbetov took command of the entire group and broke into the headquarters of one of the enemy units. Having been wounded in the arm, Comrade Aitmukhanbetov continued to command and successfully moved forward with the group.

A group of our artillerymen, led by Senior Lieutenant Comrade Gurin, advancing together with a rifle unit, attacked the enemy’s 150-mm cannon, from which the Germans fired direct fire at the assault guns. An artillery duel began, which became so close that the artillerymen took up hand grenades. The Germans could not stand it, abandoned the cannon and ran away.

The artillerymen instantly turned the captured cannon in the opposite direction and began to fire at the Germans. The gun's sight was damaged, and soldier Comrade Kosolapov aimed it with his eye, lying on the barrel. At this time, enemy bombers flew in, but the crew continued to shoot, not paying attention to the bombing.

The battle took place over one heavily fortified settlement. It was necessary to blow up one decisive fortification, but how to get to it? And so the sapper engineer Comrade Lebedev and captain Comrade Chikanchenko with the soldiers at night, tying a gun shield to the sleigh with ropes as cover, loading 170 kilograms of tola onto the sleigh and pushing the sleigh in front of them, they approached the fortification itself. They set fire to the fuse and ran away. The fortification was blown up and the settlement was taken.

It was taken under the command of senior lieutenant Comrade Nichkov, who had just been appointed battalion commander. The Germans did not expect this fortified point to be taken so much that Nichkov and his soldiers found hot soup neatly poured into plates on the table in the dugout of the German headquarters.

The battles for individual buildings were extremely stubborn. In Comrade Konyashev’s unit there was a case when our fighters, using the fire escape, took possession of the two upper floors of the buildings, and the Germans were sitting in the lower one. Our soldiers knocked out the Germans with grenades.

Breaking the enemy's resistance, taking possession of one building after another, part of Comrade Dyakonov passed through the entire city. And the red banner of the Soviets soared over the long-suffering Velikiye Luki.

The first quarters of the city had barely been occupied when our military units had already allocated, each in their own area, temporary representatives of Soviet power. I was present at the appointment of the first Soviet representative in Comrade Kronik’s unit. It happened deep dark night in a cramped dugout with the chatter of guns and the continuous ringing of field telephones, by the light of a smokehouse.

So, you, Comrade Smetannikov, will be like the first Soviet mayor in the city,” the commanders joked. They joked and laughed, but everyone had a solemn expression on their faces.

A few hours later, the first Soviet mayor of the city reported by phone that Soviet authority started working in the basement of a house on Sadovaya, 29.

Now, as I write these lines, ordinary party and Soviet organizations have begun to operate in liberated Velikiye Luki. The first issue of the newspaper “Velikolukskaya Pravda” was published. Soldiers from railway battalions are repairing access roads. And soon the first Soviet train, with a five-pointed star on the chest of the locomotive, will roar towards Soviet Velikiye Luki.

Velikiye Luki, January.

Pravda page with an essay. German soldiers surrender near Velikiye Luki.

Fadeev’s essay mentions the Velikolukskaya Pravda newspaper, which began publishing during the liberation of the city. This is her second number.

So, on January 17, 1943, the city was liberated. For the first time, Hitler’s troops found themselves, almost simultaneously, in two “cauldrons” of encirclement - near Stalingrad and near Velikiye Luki. The surrounded formations and units were destroyed or surrendered, both at Stalingrad and in Velikiye Luki. The street battles for the liberation of Velikiye Luki were so fierce that the city was nicknamed “Little Stalingrad.”

G.K. Zhukov said about the Velikiye Luki operation: “The battle in the Velikiye Luki region, which is sometimes called the Battle of Stalingrad in miniature, not without reason, entered the annals of the Great Patriotic War as one of the successful operations. By their actions, units and formations of the 3rd Shock Army pulled over and pinned down a rather narrow 50-kilometer front in total up to 10 enemy divisions, not allowing them to be used in other directions.”

The main striking force that liberated Velikiye Luki was the 257th Rifle Division under the command of Hero Soviet Union colonel Dyakonov Anatoly Alexandrovich, also mentioned more than once in Fadeev’s essay.

A.A. Dyakonov with an assistant.

From the memoirs of Lieutenant General of the Reserve, Hero of the Soviet Union A.A. Dyakonov, commander of the 91st Guards Rifle Division and reserve colonel B.L. Krasovsky, deputy head of the political department of the division:

“Having concentrated sufficient forces, after bloody battles for Moscow, on December 3, 1941, Soviet troops launched a counteroffensive. German troops suffered serious losses and were forced to go on the defensive. In the battles near Moscow, the fascist army was first inflicted crushing defeat, which had a huge impact on further move Second World War.

The “blitzkrieg” strategy that underlay the notorious “Barbarossa” plan near Moscow was a final failure.

Nazi Germany was faced with the need to wage a long, exhausting war with the USSR. Hitler’s general Blumentritt wrote about this later: “even at Hitler’s headquarters they suddenly realized that the war in Russia had just begun.”

Continuing to develop the Battle of Moscow, the Kalinin Front also went on the offensive.

The 257th Rifle Division, being part of the 3rd Shock Army, went on the offensive on January 9, 1942 at 4 a.m. The winter was harsh, there were blizzards. The sharp wind pricked the faces of the fighters with icy needles, sweeping the country roads along which the units had to move with snowdrifts. Frosts reached 40-50 degrees. People had difficulty moving through the deep snow. The guns and carts that got stuck every now and then often had to be dragged by hand. During halts, the soldiers warmed themselves by the fires and then rested right there, right in the snow. Not all was well with food supplies. Some units ate food only once a day, but nothing could undermine the truly amazing endurance of the division’s soldiers, their will and determination to overcome the difficulties encountered.”

“During the four days of the offensive, parts of the division, having broken through a heavily fortified enemy zone 10 km along the front and repelling numerous counterattacks of enemy reserves, fought about 40 km and liberated 30 settlements. Some points had to be left in the rear with German garrisons.

With the help of local residents, some units got on skis and took the shortest routes, through impenetrable forests, to the flank of the retreating enemy lines, attacking them day and night.”

In those days, the fame of Sergeant Zaastrov's initiative, resourcefulness and courage spread far beyond the boundaries of the division. He and a small group of fighters, having mounted a heavy machine gun on skis, skillfully organized ambushes more than once, mercilessly destroyed the Nazis, and obtained valuable trophies. Imitating this example, the Komsomol member, Sergeant Panarin, also successfully organized an ambush and recaptured a large convoy of food and ammunition from the Germans in an unequal battle, which greatly replenished the division’s reserves.”

“We were joyfully greeted Soviet soldiers local residents. They helped them with everything they could as their liberators.

Traces of fascist abuse of civilians, robberies and murders were seen by soldiers in villages liberated by units of the division. Here is one example:

We, the undersigned, have drawn up this act of robbery committed by Hitler’s villains in the village of Bilevo.

Having occupied the village, the Nazis burned all 53 houses of collective farmers with all their property. The collective farmers' cattle and bread were taken by the Germans. All sheds, barns, barns, all agricultural equipment were destroyed. Collective farmers - old people, mothers with small children - were driven out into the cold.

Signatures: Political instructor Gushchin, Red Army soldiers - Korneev, Shvedov

Collective farmers of the Lenin collective farm - Solovyova, Aleksandrova, Solovyova and others.

“The division’s offensive continued. And so, through the haze of the frosty morning of January 29, 1942, the division’s soldiers saw the silhouettes of stone buildings, the outlines of straight streets, dark spots of gardens and parks. This was Velikiye Luki, an ancient Russian city, with whose name the guards glory of the 257th Rifle Division is associated.”

“By 10 p.m., units approached the city from the north and northeast and started street battles, cutting off the enemy’s most important communications. Units of the 943rd regiment crossed the Nasva-Luki highway. Another unit reached the village of Lepenka on the Novosokolniki-Velikie Luki road. The division's fighters, exhausted from the long march, fought all night. But by morning an order was received - the division was asked to suspend the offensive and go on the defensive along the Lovat River.

So, as a result of the winter offensive, the division, having broken through the powerful enemy defensive line in the area of Lake Seliger, fought more than 200 kilometers, liberating hundreds of settlements. During this time, the enemy lost more than 2,000 people killed and at least 4,000 thousand wounded. A large amount of enemy equipment was destroyed. As trophies - 4 anti-aircraft guns, 9 mortars, 37 machine guns, more than 100 vehicles, 32 motorcycles, 47 horses and other property - were added to the division's staff to replenish what was lost. Anti-aircraft guns were especially useful. Even if they didn’t shoot down enemy planes, they greatly frightened the vultures. The long period preceding the historical battle for Velikiye Luki is characterized by active defense, study of the enemy, and intensified preparation for a decisive battle with the enemy.”

History of the 257th Infantry Division.

The 257th Infantry Division was formed in July 1941 in the city of Tula. It included the 943rd, 948th, 953rd rifle regiments, the 793rd artillery regiment and special units. Major General Urbanovich was appointed commander.

As a result of the large losses incurred in heavy battles, the division was withdrawn from the first line of defense to the reserve, and its personnel transferred to other units for replenishment.

On November 8, 1941, the commander of the Northwestern Front ordered the division to be formed again. The second formation took place in November 1941 south of the city of Valdai. Major General Zheleznikov was appointed commander of the division. On December 26, 1941, the division became part of the 3rd Shock Army.

Having fought up to 300 kilometers behind enemy lines, liberating hundreds of settlements, the division reached Velikiye Luki on January 29, 1942. The command of the division was taken by Hero of the Soviet Union, Colonel Anatoly Aleksandrovich Dyakonov.

From December 13, 1942 to January 17, 1943, the division took an active part in the liberation of the city. The assault detachments of the 257th Infantry Division were the first to break into the outskirts of Velikiye Luki. From December 15 to 17, 1942, units of the division completely captured the northwestern part of the city and then developed an offensive through the central streets to the railway bridge.

For heroism and courage shown during the liberation of the city of Velikiye Luki, by Order People's Commissar Defense No. 176 of April 18, 1943. The 257th Rifle Division was reorganized into the 91st Guards Division. On July 15, 1943, near the village of Sukhovarino, east of Velikiye Luki, the division was awarded the Guards banner.

From August 12 to September 19, 1943, the division took an active part in the battles for the city of Dukhovshchina. The 91st Guards Rifle Division was given the name Dukhovshchinskaya.

For the liberation of the Baltic states, the division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner and Suvorov II degree, for Königsberg, Pillau, Vithau - the Order of Lenin.

Subsequently, for the defeat of the first Kwantung Army in Manchuria, the division was given the name Khingan.

For heroism and courage shown during the Great Patriotic War, 15,152 soldiers and officers of the division were awarded orders and medals, five were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union: Major V.I. Kozhanov, Colonel V.V. Filimonenkov, Lieutenant Zhestkov, Sergeant Grigoriev , Corporal Karpov.

275/948/guards rifle regiments divisions awarded with orders Red Banner and Suvorov III degree;

277/948/ Guards Rifle Regiment with the Order of Suvorov III degree and Kutuzov III degree;

279/953/ Guards Rifle Regiment - Order of the Red Banner and Order of Suvorov, III degree;

195/793/ artillery regiment - Order of the Red Banner;

103rd Separate Guards Engineer Battalion - Order of the Red Star.

In general, the division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for participation in the Vitebsk offensive operation and the liberation of Belarus, the Order of Lenin for participation in the East Prussian offensive operation, and the Order of Suvorov III degree for participation in the battles for the liberation of Lithuania.

But we have no right to forget what a tragedy the Nazi occupation turned out to be for Velikiye Luki and surrounding settlements.

As the regional emergency commission noted in an act dated December 27, 1944: “... the territory of 12 village councils was turned into a desert, 348 villages and hamlets were burned and destroyed, containing 6,978 residential and outbuildings.” The damage was estimated at one billion seven hundred thirty million rubles. Of those drafted into the Red Army, about 35 thousand people died: 8,650 people died at the fronts, about 200 partisans and 56 underground fighters; 8,325 civilians were shot and tortured (that is, every seventh resident). After the liberation, Velikiye Luki lay in ruins; out of 3,391 houses, 3,083 were destroyed or burned

In honor of the 40th anniversary of liberation, Velikiye Luki was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree, for labor and military merits. In October 2008, Velikiye Luki was awarded the title “City of Military Glory”

Small Stalingrad on Lovat

On January 17, 1943, the city of Velikiye Luki was liberated and the enemy group surrounded in it was eliminated.

In those days when the Battle of Stalingrad was entering its final stage on the Volga, an equally glorious, although smaller-scale, battle took place on the northwestern section of the Soviet-German front. On November 24, 1942, five days after the start of our counteroffensive at Stalingrad, Velikolukskaya operation.

The offensive was carried out by the forces of the 3rd Shock Army under the command of General Galitsky.

To carry it out, a strike force was created in the army consisting of the 5th Guards Rifle Corps and two rifle divisions - the 381st and 257th. The strike force had 95,608 people, 743 guns and 1,346 mortars, 46 guards rocket launchers, 390 tanks, 160 of which were light.

On November 24 at 11 o'clock, after a 30-minute artillery preparation, the vanguard regiments of three divisions of the 5th Guards Rifle Corps went on the attack. Having destroyed the German outposts and advanced 2-3 km in depth, by the end of the day they had reached the enemy’s main line of defense. At 9.30 on November 25, an hour and a half artillery preparation began, after which the main forces of the army went on the offensive. During the day of fighting, formations of the 3rd Shock Army advanced to a depth of 2 to 12 km, with the 381st Infantry Division, advancing from the north, achieving the greatest success. Over the next two days, the army's troops fought stubbornly, repelling fierce enemy counterattacks, and slowly moved forward.

On the evening of November 28, the 381st and 9th Guards Divisions met near the Ostrian station, closing a ring around the Velikiye Luki garrison.

The city was defended by the 83rd Infantry Division Lieutenant General Theodor Scherer.

General Theodor Scherer, who bravely abandoned the defending garrison.

This general at one time became famous for his staunch defense of the encircled city of Kholm, and Hitler hoped that Scherer would also hold Velikiye Luki. However, if then, in the winter of 1941-42, Kholm was supplied by aviation, now there simply were not enough aircraft allocated to supply it - they were used to supply the Stalingrad cauldron. Used and cargo gliders DFS 230.

In the very first days of the encirclement, Scherer’s division was cut into three parts - in addition to the forces encircled in Velikiye Luki, parts of the division located south of the city were also surrounded. They were cut off both from the main forces and from the Velikiye Luki garrison.

In Velikiye Luki itself, the Germans had previously built a perimeter of field fortifications around the city. The encircled garrison consisted of the reinforced 277th Infantry Regiment of the 83rd Division, two artillery battalions, one observation battalion, one engineer company, two construction battalions, an Estonian police battalion, as well as repair and maintenance units. The Velikolukskaya fortress, built back in 1704 according to the design of the famous Russian mathematician Magnitsky, and the railway junction were adapted for long-term defense.

However, this time the hero of the defense of the Hill, General Scherer, left Velikiye Luki at the first opportunity on the plane sent for him, leaving the commander of the 277th Infantry Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel, on the farm Eduard von Sass.

General Scherer and Lieutenant Colonel von Sass are waiting for the plane that will take Scherer out of the encirclement.

On December 1, the Germans made their first attempt to relieve Velikiye Luki with a strike from the southwest. On December 14, in this direction the enemy managed to push back the defenders and capture Gromovo. The 19th Guards Rifle Division of the 8th Estonian Corps was urgently moved to the threatened direction and soon restored the situation. Having regrouped his forces, on December 19 the enemy launched a new attack, this time on the flank of the 19th Guards Division. The threat of a breakthrough of the Soviet defense in the southwest required that this sector of defense be strengthened again, and on December 20, 2 regiments of the 249th Estonian division were sent there. On December 21-22, the enemy launched a series of new attacks. On the evening of December 22, the 360th Infantry Division and the 100th Infantry Brigade arrived from the front reserve and were also used to strengthen the defense in the southwestern direction.

This allowed Soviet troops to successfully repel attacks that continued until December 25. The huge losses suffered during the offensive forced the German command to take an operational pause to bring in fresh forces and prepare a new strike.
On January 4, after artillery preparation, German troops resumed their attack on Velikiye Luki from the southwest in the direction of Alekseykovo. In addition to the 20th motorized and 6th airfield divisions operating here, the 205th Infantry Division, transferred from the Western Front, also took part in it. By the evening of the next day, the enemy managed to push back units of the 360th Infantry Division and occupy the village of Borshanka.

The commander of Army Group Center is also here to strengthen the blow. Field Marshal von Kluge decided to transfer the 331st Infantry Division with the task of breaking into the city no later than January 10 and releasing the encirclement.

The enemy's numerical superiority and the real threat of a breakthrough into the city forced the command of the 3rd Shock Army to withdraw part of its forces from the battle in Velikiye Luki and focus them on defense. So 2 regiments of the 357th Infantry Division were deployed 180 degrees, with a front to the southwest, and the 47th Mechanized Brigade was withdrawn to the northwest of the city with the task of counterattacking the enemy if necessary. On January 7, German pressure intensified from the north-west, where units of the 8th Tank and 93rd Infantry Divisions managed to advance 1-2 km in the direction of Velikiye Luki in a few days. Further enemy advance in this sector was stopped by units of the 381st Division and 47th Brigade. In the southwestern direction, the 708th Infantry Division entered the battle. Thus, from January 8, with the support of large aviation and artillery forces, 4 infantry and 1 motorized divisions rushed to the city.

Carrying out repeated fierce attacks and regardless of losses, the Nazis slowly moved forward. On January 9, fighting broke out 4-5 km from the city in the Donesyevo-Belodedovo area.

The 32nd Infantry Division, which arrived from the front reserve, was ordered to take up defensive positions 4 km from the city. On January 10-12, the enemy continued the offensive from two directions: the north-west and south-west, and if in the first he did not achieve noticeable success, then in the second he managed to approach the city at a distance of 3.5 km, and the Jaeger battalion with nine tanks even broke through to von Sass, but the ring immediately closed again. Until January 14, fighting continued in the area of the villages of Kopytovo and Lipenka, but the enemy was unable to get further than them. The offensive of German troops to relieve the encircled garrison did not bring the desired success. Despite the introduction of large reserves into battle, on average per day the enemy approached the city by 400 meters.

The German command, sensing the threat of encirclement, began to withdraw troops from the top of the wedge. By January 21, during fierce battles, army troops reached the line of Demya, Alekseykovo, Borshchanka, almost completely destroying the enemy wedge.

By January 16, the enemy had only one center of resistance left - the ruins of the fortress, where the defense headquarters was located. A special detachment of the 249th Estonian division of 30 people under the command of Major Eduard Yanovich Lemming.

At 12 o'clock the assault group began an attack and surrounded the bunker in which the head of the Velikiye Luki garrison was located.
A parliamentarian came out to meet the attackers. He conveyed von Sass's request to take in more than 50 wounded German soldiers. With the permission of the commander of the 8th Estonian Corps Lembit Abramovich Perna The Soviet side received the wounded from the 249th Lomban Division.

Von Sass rejected the offer to surrender, saying that help would soon come to him, promised to him personally by Hitler.
The attack resumed. On the roof of the bunker, sappers detonated a charge weighing 200 kg of explosives. After waiting a little, they repeated the explosion - the besieged did not react. They detonated a charge weighing 300 kg - after which a voice was heard from the bunker, still refusing to surrender. The explosion of an explosive charge weighing 700 kg also had no effect - it punched a large hole in the wall of the bunker, and the Nazis opened fire. The night has passed. Zass and the 50 soldiers and 13 officers who remained with him continued to defend themselves. And then Lemming resorted to a trick. Having ordered the sappers to scrape the earth from the bunker ceiling with shovels, he conveyed to von Sass:
“If you don’t surrender in ten minutes, the bunker will be blown up; a three-ton charge has already been planted.”

Baron Eduard von Sass in Russian captivity. In the background is Major Eduard Ludwigovich Lemming.

Apparently, this decided the outcome of the matter. The garrison commander surrendered.

Baron Eduard von Sass was a native of the Estonian province - he was born on the island of Heysel, and when he learned that the Russian major who took him prisoner was an ethnic Estonian, he was very surprised - Zass believed that all Estonians were fighting against the Russians. More than three hundred of them from the 287th police battalion were captured along with the surrendered Germans in Velikiye Luki, and if the Germans were sent to camps, the Estonians were usually shot by the Estonian Red Army soldiers themselves. In 1946, von Sass was publicly hanged in Velikiye Luki.

Velikiye Luki on the day of liberation. Broken in the foregroundPzKpfw IV

Memorial in Velikiye Luki

Turning point 1942. When there was no surprise anymore Isaev Alexey Valerievich

Velikolukskaya operation (11/25/1942 - 01/20/1943)

Sometimes the Velikolukskaya operation is considered as part of Operation Mars. However, this classification is not entirely accurate: there was no clear operational connection between the operations, and three things are common to them: the conduct of the forces of the Kalinin Front, the participation of mechanized formations in the encirclement of Velikiye Luki, originally intended for Mars, and the date of the start of hostilities (November 25) .

The background to the operation in the Velikiye Luki area is quite unusual. This is an example of how intelligence data about the concentration of enemy troops causes a chain reaction. First, one of the opponents receives data on troop movements, supposedly to prepare for a major operation. In response, they begin to transfer their own troops to the threatened direction. The enemy reveals this transfer and so on until one of the sides goes on the offensive.

However, let's try to describe the chain of events in order. After E. von Manstein’s 11th Army was forced to repel the Soviet offensive instead of storming Leningrad, one of the main goals of OKW Directive No. 41 of April 5, 1942 had to be abandoned. Leningrad remained surrounded by the siege, but its assault was postponed indefinitely. At the same time, the German command began to take countermeasures to repel possible Soviet offensive. A strong beat according to Rzhev in August, a new attempt to break through to Leningrad in August - September convinced Hitler that the Red Army had enough forces to carry out a major offensive. Therefore, on October 25, 1942, E. von Manstein was summoned to Hitler's headquarters and, to his surprise, received an order to transfer his army to Army Group Center. The army headquarters, together with the administration of the XXX Army Corps, was sent to the Velikiye Luki region. The troops of Army Group North and Center gathered here. If the Soviet offensive began in the direction of Smolensk, these troops, under the leadership of Manstein, were supposed to strike at Toropets and thereby, in cooperation with Model’s 9th Army, encircle and defeat them. The offensive was supposed to be carried out from the area of Velikiye Luki and Kholm. The operation was codenamed "Dovecote" (Taubenschlag). To carry it out, the 8th and 12th tank divisions, the 20th motorized division, the 93rd and 291st infantry divisions (all from Army Group North), and the 3rd mountain division from the reserve were assembled. A feature of the offensive was to be supported by rocket artillery.

Actually, in the Velikiye Luki area there was the LIX Army Corps. The 83rd Infantry Division of this corps was supposed to, as part of the general offensive according to the Dovecote plan, together with the 291st Infantry Division, carry out an offensive to capture the heights east of Velikiye Luki. This private operation was called “Bird of Passage” (Zugvogel).

All these events were caused by the fact that “in mid-October, German aerial reconnaissance discovered that large Russian forces were concentrating between the cities of Toropets and Kalinin” ( Tippelskirch K. History of the Second World War. M.: 1956. P. 270). In response to this intelligence data, preparations for the Dovecote began. The castling of troops between Army Groups “North” and “Center” was, in turn, noticed by Soviet intelligence. Thus, on November 5, the commander of the Kalinin Front, Lieutenant General M.A. Purkaev, reported to the Supreme Command Headquarters: “The arrival of new tanks has been noted in the Kholm area, apparently the 8th Tank Division is being completed. In the Bezhanitsa area, the presence of vehicles with identification marks 25th motorized division. In the area of Novosokolniki, Velikiye Luki, the presence of new units is noted: the 12th Tank, 3rd Mountain Rifle and 269th Infantry Divisions. The 83rd Infantry Division, which previously occupied the defense in various directions, was concentrated in the Velikiye Luki region. In the Nevel area, more than an infantry division and 40 tanks were noted. In the Olenino area, the work of radio stations of the 14th motorized division, 2nd tank division and 46th tank corps is noted. On October 29, air reconnaissance observed up to 30 tanks and up to an infantry regiment 12 km northeast of Olenino. Repeatedly in the Vasilkovo area, the work of the radio of the SS division “Greater Germany” was noted, and according to the testimony of prisoners, its arrival was expected in the Bely area...” (Galitsky K.N. Years of severe trials 1941–1944. Notes of an army commander. M.: Nauka, 1973. With .166).

Assessing the available data, the commander of the Kalinin Front, in the same report to the Supreme Command Headquarters on November 5, expressed a completely logical assumption that “the enemy is creating groups for a concentric attack from Kholm, Velikiye Luki and Olenino. His immediate goal may be to move these groups to the Toropets and Andreapol area. With such a maneuver the enemy can put in difficult situation the main group of front troops." As we see, the direction of the enemy’s attack was guessed accurately, as well as the approximate locations of the enemy’s strike forces.

Alarming information about the concentration of German troops in the Velikiye Luki direction prompted the Soviet command to actively counter the enemy's plans. In other words, the implementation of the enemy’s impending offensive should have been prevented by a preemptive strike by Soviet troops. The headquarters demanded that the commander of the Kalinin Front conduct a private offensive operation in the Velikiye Luki region. To carry it out, the 5th Guards Rifle Corps, consisting of three divisions, the 21st Guards Rifle Division and the 2nd Mechanized Corps, were transferred to the 3rd Shock Army of Lieutenant General K.N. Galitsky. Thus, the gathering of German formations “just in case” caused the Kalinin Front to prepare and carry out a relatively large offensive operation in a direction auxiliary to “Mars”.

Until November 10, the 257th and 28th rifle divisions, 31st rifle and 184th tank brigades occupied the defense in the Velikiye Luki direction. The troops transferred to the 3rd Shock Army were concentrated in the Velikiye Luki region from November 10 to 24. The first to arrive on November 13 was the 2nd mechanized corps of I.P. Korchagin. The corps had a full staff of 13,620 soldiers and commanders. The corps consisted of 215 tanks, including 112 T-34s. However, the 400-kilometer march in difficult terrain resulted in the failure of 54 of the 215 tanks and 300 of the 650 vehicles of the corps. In the next few days, units and formations of the 5th Guards Rifle Corps of A.P. Beloborodov arrived.

According to the operation plan prepared by the headquarters of the 3rd Shock Army, the main attack was delivered by units of the 5th Guards Rifle Corps (357th Rifle Division and 46th Guards Rifle Division) on a front of 12 km in the general direction of Ostrian. After mastering the border of the lake. Kisloe, Butitino, the main forces were to build on their success at Novosokolniki, and units of the 381st, 257th and 357th Rifle Divisions were to encircle and destroy the enemy in Velikiye Luki.

The 2nd Mechanized Corps, forming the reserve of the army commander, was concentrated in the area of the state farm Ushitsa, Shchergania and was intended to parry enemy attacks from the Velikiye Luki area, and, if necessary, to develop success. The 31st Rifle Brigade provided the right flank of the strike force.

Thus, the formation of the troops of the 3rd Shock Army was envisaged in one echelon. The 2nd Mechanized Corps had to either fulfill the role of a “fire brigade” or enter into a clean breakthrough. As we will see below, this circumstance will significantly affect general progress developments of events.

The main enemy of the troops of the 3rd Shock Army was the 83rd Infantry Division and the 336th Security Battalion. The division defended a front of 125 km, which was covered by a chain of strong points. Since the 83rd Division was soon to advance, its main forces were gathered in the Velikie Luki area. There was also a battery of 210 mm mortars. The division was commanded by Lieutenant General Scherer, who became famous for holding Kholm in the winter of 1942. The 3rd Mountain Division was located in the Novosokolniki region, in the near rear. Also on the way were the 8th Tank, 291st Infantry and 20th Motorized Divisions. In connection with the crisis that arose at Stalingrad, E. von Manstein will be sent to command Army Group Don and will not take part in leading the defense in the Velikiye Luki region.

The operation began on November 24 at 11.00 am, when the forward detachments of the 357th Rifle, 9th, 46th and 21st Guards Rifle Divisions began reconnaissance in force of the enemy's front line. On the morning of November 25, the main forces of the Velikiye Luki group of the 3rd Shock Army went on the offensive. The 5th Guards Rifle Corps successfully advanced in the general direction to the west, turning its right wing (9th Guards, 357th Rifle Division) around Velikiye Luki. The 381st Infantry Division advanced bypassing the city from the north, which already on the first day of the offensive cut the Velikiye Luki-Nasva road. On the night of November 28, the 357th Rifle Division cut the Velikiye Luki - Novosokolniki railway. Advance detachments reached the rear of the Germans and cut communications even earlier. Already at 12.00 on November 27, the command of the 83rd Infantry Division reported to corps headquarters that Velikiye Luki was surrounded. Command of the garrison in Velikiye Luki was taken by the commander of the 277th Infantry Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Eduard Baron von Sass.

Meanwhile, on November 27, the army commander decides to introduce the 18th mechanized brigade of the 2nd mechanized corps into the breakthrough formed in the center of the enemy front. On November 28, the brigade was tasked with capturing Novosokolniki. However, only at 16.00 the brigade managed to approach the Novosokolniki railway junction, where it met resistance from units of the German 3rd Mountain Division. Attempts to capture Novosokolniki on November 29 and 30 were unsuccessful. Having used up ammunition, the brigade went on the defensive. Soon they came to Novosokolniki rifle formations building of A.P. Beloborodov. This is how the outer front of the encirclement was formed.

Street fight in Velikiye Luki, January 1943

On November 28, K.N. Galitsky received information about the advance of the enemy’s 8th Tank Division from the Nasva area to the Velikiye Luki area. According to the operation plan, the 31st Infantry Brigade was deployed to this direction. Thus, by November 28, German troops in the Velikiye Luki area were completely surrounded. The next stage was repelling the enemy's unblocking attacks. The 8th Panzer Division was one of the weakest at the front - only 14 Pz.Kpfw.38(t) and one command tank on November 18, 1942. However, the barrier represented by the 31st Rifle Brigade was also not the strongest enemy. This led to heavy defensive battles that Soviet troops fought in this direction in the first days after the encirclement of Velikiye Luki. By December 4, the advancing units of the 8th Panzer Division managed to reach the area of the villages of Ryadnevo and Timokhny, from which only 10 km in a straight line remained to Velikiye Luki. To fend off this blow, the army commander brought to the rescue of the 31st Rifle Brigade the 26th Rifle Brigade, the 36th Tank Brigade and three regiments from the divisions storming Novosokolniki. By December 10, Ryadnevo and Timokhny were returned by counterattacks from the approaching units, and the dense encirclement ring in this direction was restored.

Another potentially dangerous direction for releasing the encircled garrison was the southwest. Here, in the area of the villages of Shiripino, Shchelkovo, Markovo, Telezhnikovo, the so-called Meyer combat group was surrounded by the adjacent flanks of the 9th Guards and 357th Rifle Divisions. It consisted of three infantry battalions from the 83rd Infantry Division, two batteries of assault guns, and several batteries of artillery and rocket launchers. To the southeast of it was located the 138th mountain infantry regiment, defending against the 5th Guards Rifle Corps, caught on the Velikiye Luki-Nevel railway. The presence of such a chain of troops allowed the Germans, in the event of the arrival of reserves, to break through a corridor to those surrounded along the railway, taking advantage of the “island” of encirclement of Meyer’s battle group. Such “islands” of surrounded garrisons were one of the key elements of German tactics. They held their own even in conditions complete environment, receiving supplies by air and pinning down the attacking forces and preventing their advance. However, such tactics were quite dangerous, since the surrounded garrison in the event of an unsuccessful development of events was simply destroyed. This is precisely the scenario that events unfolded in in this case. The 9th Guards Rifle Division received the task of eliminating the encircled group. The offensive began on the night of December 2 and continued until December 3. As a result, Meyer's group was liquidated. Its remnants, supported by four StuGIII self-propelled guns, made their way to the location of the 3rd Mountain Infantry Division. From the three battalions, 20, 50 and 70 people remained, respectively.

The liquidation of Meyer's group turned out to be very timely. In the first days of December, the 291st Infantry Division arrived from the Nevel area (where it was unloaded from the trains). Concentration proceeded slowly, but already on December 10 the division carried out strong reconnaissance in force, preparing for a powerful relief strike. Tank support from the command of Army Group Center was not promised, since the Red Army's attack on Smolensk was still expected, and tank battalion The 11th Panzer Division remained in the reserve of the 9th Army. Also, the 20th Motorized Division, originally intended for the Dovecote, arrived in the Velikiye Luki area. The army of K.N. Galitsky had to withstand the enemy’s offensive in the coming days.

The result of the first period of the Soviet offensive (November 25 - December 10) was the encirclement of the enemy in the Velikiye Luki area and the repulsion of the first attempts to relieve the blockade. However, the formation of the 3rd Shock Army in one echelon and the lack of reserves did not allow the army commander to develop the success of the offensive further to the west and capture Novosokolniki. This led to the fact that the outer front of the encirclement was moved away from Velikiye Luki to a shallow depth, which created the danger of unblocking the “cauldron”. The 2nd Mechanized Corps was used in brigades and not as a single unit.

On next stage The operation of the 3rd Shock Army had to solve two interrelated problems: repel a counterattack and try to eliminate the encircled enemy. The last task was difficult to implement in a short time, but K.N. Kalitsky’s troops needed to at least tighten the encirclement ring in order to increase the distance between the encirclement and the relief group. The assault on Velikiye Luki was a difficult task in itself, as was the assault on any German stronghold. In the first days of the offensive, only a weak barrier of three infantry regiments was put up against him. Front commander M.A. Purkaev, in an order dated December 10, 1942, persistently recommended the use of assault groups: “Each battalion should have a trained detachment for assault at night. The command staff of this detachment monitors the enemy’s fire system during the day and, at night, carries out an assault on objects that interfere with further actions during the day” (TsAMO, F.213, op.2022, d.88, l.154). In the first days of the encirclement, the garrison was quite strong and did not experience supply problems. The total number of Germans defending in the “Velikiye Luki fortress” was about 7,500 people. On December 7, the encirclement had food for 20 days. The supply of ammunition allowed the Germans to hold out for 20 days if fighting will be conducted with low intensity, and 10 days in case of heavy fighting. Only if the main attack of the Red Army was concentrated against the encircled units would the garrison deplete its ammunition reserves in 4 days. The Germans already had favorable experience in the struggle between Kholm and Demyansk in the winter of 1942. Velikiye Luki occupied an intermediate position between these two “cauldrons”: the territory defended by German troops and the number of its defenders was greater than in Kholm, but much smaller than in Demyansk.

Of the forces prepared for the Dovecote, some had to be used to fend off Mars. The 12th Panzer Division and the command of the XXX Army Corps Fretter-Picot departed to the Bely area. After the concentration of units of the 291st Infantry Division, on December 9, the German operation began to unblock the “cauldron” in Velikiye Luki. The offensive was carried out on a front of 8 km. Both sides threw into battle all the forces that could be gathered by regrouping from the front and advancing from the depths. In the following days, attacks were repeated with increasing force. The threat of a breakthrough in the defense of the 9th Guards Division, which was rolling back with battles, forced the command of the Kalinin Front to throw its reserve into battle - the 19th Guards Rifle Division of Major General D.M. Barinov. The catastrophic development of “Mars” forced them to cling with their teeth to the “cauldron” in Velikiye Luki, which smoothed out the overall black picture. 15 December 19th guards division restored the situation with a counterattack.

Faced with increasing resistance from Soviet troops, on December 14, the German command nevertheless decided to use the tank battalion of the 11th Panzer Division. On November 18, it consisted of 3 Pz.II tanks, 2 Pz.III tanks with a short gun, 28 Pz.III tanks with a long gun, 3 Pz.IV tanks with a long gun and one command tank. As we can see, despite its small number, the battalion was armed mainly with the latest equipment - the 11th Panzer Division was one of the formations intended to participate in Blau.

Reserves from the troops of Army Groups “Center” and “North” gradually arrived as part of the relief group. On December 17, the 197th Assault Gun Battalion arrived and the concentration of the 20th Motorized Division began. The concentration of the latter ended on December 19. However, the first days of the new offensive did not bring the Germans the desired results.

On December 23, explaining the reasons for the failures, the command of the relief group pointed to the following factors. Firstly, from December 18 to 22, the weather was very bad, which did not allow the use of aviation. Visibility dropped to 300 meters. Accordingly, it was not possible to effectively suppress the fire system of the Soviet troops. Secondly, all the divisions that took part in the battle were already thoroughly battered by the battles, and therefore their combat capabilities were significantly different from fresh formations.

Simultaneously with the regroupings of German troops, formations were transferred for decisive battle on the Kalinin front. On December 22, the 360th Infantry Division of Colonel V.G. Poznyak and the 100th Infantry Brigade were transferred from the 4th Shock Army to the 3rd Shock Army of K.N. Galitsky. On December 24, she launched a counterattack on the German troops that had broken through.

On December 28, the tank battalion of the 18th Tank Division (mainly Pz.III and Pz.IV of old types) was deployed in the role of infantry support.

On December 30, the gathering of forces for a decisive push forward continued. The order to depart was received by the 358th Infantry Regiment of the 205th Infantry Division. On January 1, the commander of the LIX Army Corps, Lieutenant General von der Chevalery, presented to the commander of Army Group Center a plan for the operation to relieve the Velikie Luki, codenamed “Totila” (King of the Ostrogoths). According to the operation plan, the release group was supposed to move in two columns. The right consisted of the 20th Motorized Division with a regiment of the 205th Infantry Division, 21 tanks and 11 assault guns. The left was formed by the 291st Infantry Division with several battalions of the 331st Infantry Division, 22 tanks and 10 assault guns. The start of the operation was scheduled for January 4. The day before the planned start date of the operation, January 3, 1943, Kluge put forward a proposal to postpone the operation due to bad weather, which does not allow the use of aviation. Chevalery responded by pointing out the critical situation of the Velikiye Luki garrison.

The offensive began according to the original plan, at 8.30 on January 4. The weather improved on January 6, leading to a sharp increase in Soviet air force activity against the advancing Germans. whole line air strikes. By January 9, a small detachment with 9 tanks made it to Velikiye Luki. On January 10, the situation was already critical: the relief group was separated from the outskirts of Velikiye Luki by only 4–5 kilometers. However, as early as January 2, the 357th Infantry Division, which took part in the battles for the city before the New Year, was building defenses on its newly liberated outskirts. In addition to defending against the spearhead of the German offensive, the command of the 3rd Shock Army organized a flank counterattack with the forces of the 113th Regiment of the 32nd Infantry Division and the 186th tank brigade who came from the reserve. The 32nd Rifle Division arrived as part of the 3rd Shock Army from the 43rd Army of the Western Front. In the battles of January 10–12, the relief group failed to advance even closer to the city. The narrow corridor, riddled with machine-gun fire, which made its way to Velikiye Luki, soon lost its significance due to the destruction of the city’s garrison.

Soon, the 150th Infantry Division, which participated in Mars, arrived as part of the 3rd Shock Army. With its help, the “gut” stretching towards Velikiye Luki was eliminated and the front line in this direction was stabilized.

The fight for the city of Velikiye Luki. From the moment the encirclement was closed, the Soviet command was preparing an offensive with the goal of dismembering and destroying in parts the group of German troops in the Velikiye Luki area. To fight in the city, special assault detachments were formed from infantrymen, sappers and flamethrowers. Each of the detachments was reinforced with escort guns and tanks. In addition, each battalion had to prepare one reinforced platoon, intended, according to the directive of M.A. Purkaev, exclusively for night operations. The 257th Infantry Division, Colonel A.A. Dyakonov, approached the matter most seriously. As a result of the operation, A.A. Dyakonov will receive a major general; later he commanded a corps. In his division, five assault detachments of up to 100 people were created. Each detachment was divided into five groups: reconnaissance, assault, support, reinforcement and reserve. Each detachment included sappers, machine gunners, mortar men, chemists (for setting up smoke screens), artillerymen and ampulo-throwers (ampoulo-throwers for capsules with incendiary substances). The division's training took place on a model of the German Velikie Luki fortifications, built from snow. Numerous “Verduns” of 1942 led the Red Army to the creation of assault groups, which the Germans came to from the experience of Verdun without quotes. The 357th and especially the 7th Estonian Infantry Divisions were less prepared for battles in the city. Instead of forming assault groups, it was planned to storm the city with simply reinforced battalions.

Glider Go.242. Such gliders were used by the Germans when organizing an “air bridge” for the encircled Velikiye Luki garrison

On December 12, due to continuous fog, the assault did not take place and was postponed to the next day. On December 13 there was fog again, but the 291st Infantry Division rushing from the southwest forced the assault to begin in poor visibility conditions. Due to the fog, neither side had air support. Velikiye Luki was stormed from the west by the 357th and 257th Rifle Divisions, and from the east by the 7th Estonian Rifle Division. The offensive began at 10.00 with a salvo of RS, followed by artillery preparation. Just like on the first day of Mars, artillery fire was ineffective due to poor visibility. The infantry lay down under the fire of unsuppressed machine guns. Only the assault groups of the 257th Infantry Division confidently moved forward and crossed the Lovat River that crossed the city. Infantrymen followed the assault groups, clearing the neighborhoods of remaining enemy resistance centers.

At 14.00 on December 15, Soviet envoys were sent to the commander of the Velikiye Luki garrison with an offer to surrender. However, von Sass refused to accept the package with the ultimatum, citing the order of the Fuhrer. After the return of the envoys, the fighting continued with the same ferocity.

Due to uneven preparations for the assault, the task of taking the city by December 16 was not completed. On December 16, K.N. Galitsky decided to bring the 249th Infantry Division of the Estonian Corps into battle. The 257th Rifle Division was tasked with capturing strongholds on the outskirts of Velikiye Luki, which hung over the flank of the offensive. Also on December 16, Hitler’s radiogram was transmitted to the Velikiye Luki garrison: “To the commander of the battle group Velikiye Luki. I express my admiration to you and your soldiers for your bravery. I am convinced that you will stand like steel, like General Scherer in the Hill, until you are released."

The next stage of the offensive began on December 18. The 257th Infantry Division performed better than others, as in previous days. Estonian units made almost no progress. According to the Germans, a stream of defectors came from the Estonian divisions to their side. The commander of the 3rd Shock Army decided to bring the 47th Mechanized Brigade of the 2nd Mechanized Corps into the battle for Velikiye Luki. The attack of the 257th Infantry Division from the north and the 47th Mechanized Brigade from the south was supposed to break the enemy group in half.

On December 25, tankers and infantrymen began an offensive towards each other. By December 30, the 257th Rifle Division captured the northern half of the central part of the city. The 47th Mechanized Brigade was advancing towards it, with the support of the 13th Tank Regiment of flamethrower tanks. At 20.20 on December 26, the commandant of the Velikiye Luki garrison reported to General Scherer: “We no longer have anti-tank guns with which we could resist Russian heavy tanks. We urgently request that three 75-mm anti-tank guns with ammunition and crews be delivered by gliders.” On the night of December 28-29, the Velikiye Luki garrison was parachuted by eight Heinkel-111 bombers and delivered by five gliders with 13.8 tons of ammunition and medicine, two anti-tank guns with crews. By the evening of December 30, units of Soviet troops advancing from the north and south were separated by only four blocks. On December 31, the most brutal street fighting broke out. The commander of the Velikiye Luki garrison, Lieutenant Colonel von Sass, understood that the loss of contact with the Western group reduced the chances of a successful release. By January 1 most of the city was in the hands of Soviet troops. The united 257th Rifle Division and 47th Mechanized Brigade captured the entire central part city, separating the garrison into two parts - one in the area railway station, and the second - in the area of the old fortress.

Realizing the low effectiveness of the “national” divisions, the Soviet command continued the assault on the city with the forces of battle-tested formations - the 47th mechanized brigade and the 257th rifle division. On January 6, the brigade captured the station, which was the core of the defense of the eastern part of the city. After this, the brigade was taken to the defensive on the western outskirts of the city; the relief group had already made its way too close. Soon the remaining German strongholds were liquidated - Kuryanikha fell on January 13, the military town on January 15, and the railway depot and Aligardovo on January 16. In the latter, the commander of the garrison of the Velikiye Luki Fortress, Lieutenant Colonel von Sass, was captured along with his headquarters. In 1946, von Sass was convicted of war crimes and publicly hanged in Velikiye Luki.

In parallel with the defeat of the main forces of the garrison in the area of the railway station and depot, an assault on the citadel was carried out. The old fortress measuring 250x100 meters was defended by about 400 people on December 31. The high icy slopes of the ramparts of the fortress made its assault impossible for tanks and difficult for infantry. Special ladders were prepared for the assault. Despite the brutal artillery shelling and air strikes, it was not possible to completely suppress the garrison’s fire system, and on January 15, only one assault group from the northeast broke through into the fortress. However, this detachment distracted significant forces of the defenders, which allowed the remaining assault groups to break into the citadel from the north and south. By 7.00 on January 16, the fortress fell. In the citadel, 235 prisoners, 9 tanks (from those that broke through from outside) and a large number of various weapons were captured.

Results of the operation. Stalingrad and Velikiye Luki marked qualitative changes in the position of the encircled German troops. Previously, the shock to the infantrymen was the very fact of encirclement, which was common only for mobile troops pushing forward. In the winter of 1942, large-scale airmobile operations of the Red Army's efforts to encircle large and small groups of German troops were virtually nullified. In the winter of 1943, destruction began to follow the encirclement. If earlier the example of Kholm and Demyansk generated trust in the command and stimulated the retention of important points from an operational point of view, then the example of Stalingrad and Velikie Luki showed the inability of the German command to ensure the stability of both large and small garrisons in the new conditions.

However, it cannot be said that the air supply of Velikiye Luki was ineffective. If Stalingrad, due to its distance from the main forces of Army Groups “B” and Don, as well as due to the large number of encircled troops, could not be fully supplied by air, then the “Velikiye Luki fortress” was separated from the outer front of the encirclement by only tens of kilometers. The number of the garrison was small. With the help of transport gliders it was possible to deliver even heavy anti-tank guns. The Go.242 gliders were towed by Heinkel-111 bombers to the “pocket” area, then they uncoupled and landed on the territory occupied by German troops. The glider pilots for the next flight were picked up on the same day by Fisiler Storch aircraft. For example, on December 28 alone, 560 shells for light field howitzers, 62 thousand 7.92 mm cartridges in belts, 25 thousand rounds in regular packaging for rifles, 42 thousand cartridges for Soviet weapons etc. Even on the penultimate day of the defense of Velikiye Luki, 300 containers were dropped from aircraft, of which the remnants of the garrison were able to collect only seven.

KV tanks are on the offensive. Kalinin Front. Winter 1943

The city of Velikiye Luki was not only surrounded, it was taken by storm. From the theory of assault groups, Soviet troops began to increasingly move to practice. This made it possible to liquidate the garrison before they broke through from the outside. Total losses German troops killed during the battle around Velikiye Luki amounted to about 17,000 people. Of this number, approximately 5,000 were killed in the “cauldron” itself, and 12,000 killed were losses of units and formations trying to break through to the encircled. According to Soviet data, 3,944 prisoners were taken in Velikiye Luki, including 54 officers. The trophies captured in the city were also large: 113 guns, 29 six-barreled rocket mortars, 58 conventional mortars, 20 tanks and assault guns.

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