As a student of a technical school, she wrote a competitive essay on the topic "900 days of the feat of Leningrad", took second place. She shoveled a lot of literature, both documentary and fiction. Pride and horror at the same time.
Thanks for standing up. Everlasting memory.
Valery Tairov
*** To the siegemen of Leningrad, to my mother, Anna Petrovna Tairova, to my grandmothers, Alexandra Vasilievna and Anisya Fedorovna, who in besieged Leningrad saved the life of me, then a child born in March 1941:
To survive is the goal and the usual fate,
To write a story with a pen,
How cowardice died in some,
How conscience awakened in others ...
Only to survive is all that is needed,
Very old, no matter if young...
To them, the blockade. pity Leningrad,
The cold was terrible - internal cold!
Again life here fought with death,
Rising beyond the brink and the threshold of exhaustion
Craving for life whipped like a whip,
Enemies do not beg for indulgence! ...
Died for the motherland companies
And they did not hear reports of laudatory.
Died, crawled to work
For victory and ... bread cards.
Knew the artist, the poet of the gateway
The dark city is not visible from paradise!
On the last of hundreds of canvases
He painted his city, dying ...
The sirens howled with an angry groan -
There are clouds of vultures in the sky again!
How the city was covered with palms
Clouds - as if praying to the cover ...
No water. There will be prayer in the morning
Quiet whisper with dry lips -
Only about the future (every day is a battle)
About the Victory of one's own over enemies.
There is no wine for sad feasts.
Death is habitual. Brutal results -
Life is gone on the Road of their life,
And there is no other way...
On the Fontanka, ice is a frozen crust,
Only black spots in places:
Sledge with a corpse - they are being taken from the morgue
Under bridges blind from grief.
And the blockade press does not know
Who in those sleds is a besieged teenager?
Or maybe the poetess left
Or Master - fell, died just...
No, do not survive, do not dig trenches ...
How many heroes are there in your native land?
Are we victims or are we heroes?
Anyway - everyone is drawn to life! ...
Metronome - the sound of the exact power,
More terrible than heavenly thunder,
And whenever you ask me
Hear, feel the beat of the metronome!
I didn't want to die stupidly
To be killed by a fascist shell...
Bombs fall loudly and blindly -
STILL NEAR IT, I THINK IT'S NEAR...
Don't bomb me! DON'T BOMB!
They say that today is my holiday?!
Lucky ... Here I am - alive, look!
I am called by a terrible word - BLOKADE!
Remember the blockade children
Wounded wounds licked their wounds.
So I remember these days -
The shores of the years of the military Fontanka!
How I wanted to remember all this:
The whole blockade, a terrible story,
Where in some the courage woke up,
And conscience woke up in others!
The strategic offensive operation "Iskra" to break the blockade of Leningrad was carried out by the strike groups of the Leningrad (commander Lieutenant General L. A. Govorov) and Volkhov (commander General of the Army K. A. Meretskov) fronts.
PREPARATION FOR OPERATION
By the end of 1942, the situation near Leningrad was difficult: the troops of the Leningrad Front and the Baltic Fleet were isolated, there was no land connection between the city and the "Great Land". During 1942, the Red Army made two attempts to break through the blockade. However, both the Luban and Sinyavino offensive operations were unsuccessful. The area between the southern coast of Lake Ladoga and the village of Mga (the so-called "bottleneck"), where the distance between the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts was the shortest (12–16 km), was still occupied by units of the German 18th Army.
Under these conditions, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command developed a plan for a new operation. The troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts were ordered to " defeat the enemy grouping in the area of Lipka, Gaitolovo, Moscow Dubrovka, Shlisselburg and, thus, break the siege of Leningrad"And by the end of January 1943, complete the operation and reach the line of the Moika-Mikhailovsky-Tortolovo river.
Almost a month was allotted for the preparation of the operation, during which the troops launched a comprehensive preparation for the upcoming offensive. Particular attention was paid to the organization of interaction between strike groups, for which the command and staffs of the two fronts coordinated their plans, established lines of demarcation and worked out interactions, holding a series of military games based on the real situation.
FORCES OF THE PARTIES
For the offensive, strike groups of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts were formed, which were significantly reinforced by artillery, tank and engineering formations, including those from the reserve of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command. In total, the strike groups of the two fronts numbered 302,800 soldiers and officers, about 4,900 guns and mortars (caliber 76 mm and above), more than 600 tanks and 809 aircraft.
The defense of the Shlisselburg-Sinyavino ledge was carried out by the main forces of the 26th and part of the divisions of the 54th army corps of the 18th army, numbering approximately 60,000 soldiers and officers, with the support of 700 guns and mortars and about 50 tanks and self-propelled guns.
In view of the significant superiority of the Soviet army in manpower and equipment, the German command expected to hold positions, primarily due to the power of its defense: most of the villages were strongholds, the front line and positions in the depths of the defense were fenced with minefields, wire barriers and fortified with bunkers.
CHRONOLOGY OF OPERATION "ISKRA":
At 09:30, more than 4,500 guns and mortars from two fronts and the Red Banner Baltic Fleet launched their attack on enemy positions. On the Leningrad front, a fiery tornado raged for 2 hours and 20 minutes. On the Volkhov Front in the 2nd Shock Army, artillery preparation lasted 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Artillery preparation before the operation "Iskra"
At 11:50 a.m., the last volley of guards mortars was fired, and rifle chains of divisions of the first echelon of the Leningrad Front entered the Neva ice.
The greatest success on the first day was achieved by the 136th Rifle Division (commanded by Major General N.P. Simonyak) in the area of the village of Maryino. Having quickly crossed the Neva, units of the division broke into the front line of the enemy defenses and advanced 3-4 kilometers by the end of January 12.
The 268th Infantry Division operated successfully on the first day of the offensive. By the end of the day, the division advanced up to 3 kilometers and created a threat to encircle the Gorodok defense center and the 8th hydroelectric power station.
The situation on the flanks was not so favorable. The 45th Guards Rifle Division, speaking from the bridgehead in the area of Moscow Dubrovka, came under very strong enemy artillery, mortar and machine-gun fire and was able to advance only 500-600 meters. The 86th Rifle Division, operating on the left flank of the army, crossed the Neva in the sector between Maryino and Shlisselburg. Unsuppressed firing points in the semi-basements of the building and on the piers forced her units to lay low on the ice of the Neva.
In the 2nd Shock Army of the Volkhov Front, units of the 327th Rifle Division of Colonel N. A. Polyakov achieved the greatest success on the first day. By the end of the first day of the offensive, the troops of the 2nd shock army advanced 3 kilometers.
Scouts of the Leningrad Front during the battle at the barbed wire.
The photo was taken during the first day of the operation to break the blockade of Leningrad.
In the morning, the fighting took on a particularly stubborn and fierce character. By the end of the second day of the operation, the troops of the 67th Army of the Leningrad Front had almost come close to the line of the planned meeting with the troops of the Volkhov Front. The latter for January 13 had practically no progress.
The commander of the 67th Army, Major General M.P. Dukhanov, brought into battle part of the forces of the second echelon: the 123rd Rifle Division together with the 152nd Tank Brigade, the 102nd Separate Rifle Brigade and one regiment of the 13th Rifle Division.
Trying to hold the Shlisselburg-Sinyavino ledge, the enemy command reinforced the grouping of its troops here with the 96th and 61st infantry divisions the day before and transferred the 5th mountain infantry division to the Sinyavino area. These formations offered fierce resistance to the advance of the 67th and 2nd shock armies and often turned into counterattacks.
On the third day of fighting, it was not possible to break the resistance of the enemy. During the day, the troops of the 67th and 2nd shock armies made little progress. The distance between the advancing groupings of both armies was reduced to 4 kilometers.
On the fourth and fifth days of the offensive, the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts fought for separate strongholds, gradually advancing towards each other.
The 2nd shock army, waging stubborn battles, slowly advanced towards the Leningraders and expanded the breakthrough. Parts of the 128th Infantry Division advanced in cooperation with the 12th Ski Brigade, which made a bold raid on the ice of Lake Ladoga to the rear of the German garrison in the village of Lipka, and captured this settlement.
On the sixth day of the operation, fierce battles flared up again in the main direction. They were led by the 136th, 123rd rifle divisions, the 123rd rifle brigade, and the 61st tank brigade. On the left flank, the 330th regiment and the 34th ski brigade continued to carry out the task of capturing Shlisselburg. The German command feverishly transferred new reserves to the areas of Mgi, Kelkolovo, Mustolovo, Sinyavino.
By January 17, the troops of the Volkhov Front captured Workers' settlements No. 4 and No. 8, Podgornaya station, and came close to Workers' settlements No. 1 and No. 5. The corridor separating the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts became very narrow.
On January 18, after fierce fighting, the 136th Rifle Division, pursuing the enemy, broke into Rabochiy Settlement No. 5, where at about 12 noon it joined units of the 18th Rifle Division of the 2nd Shock Army.
By this time, the advanced units of the 123rd Rifle Brigade of the 67th Army had already met with units of the 372nd Division of the 2nd Shock Army on the eastern outskirts of Workers' Settlement No. 1.
And at the end of the day, the advanced units of the 34th Ski Brigade established contact with the 128th Rifle Division and the 12th Ski Brigade of the 2nd Shock Army, which finally took Lipki.
Pointer at the crossroads. January 1943.
Around midnight on January 18, the radio broadcast that the blockade of Leningrad had been broken. There was general rejoicing in the streets and avenues of the city. Early in the morning of January 19, the hero city was decorated with flags. All its inhabitants took to the streets, as was the case on major national holidays. At crowded rallies, Leningraders expressed their deep gratitude to the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts, who broke through the blockade.
Having formed a common front and entrenched themselves on new lines, the troops of the 67th and 2nd shock armies continued their attack on the Sinyavin Heights. Fierce fighting continued until the end of January, but despite the introduction of new units into battle, it was not possible to break through the enemy defenses.
THE PRICE OF VICTORY
The total losses of the Soviet troops during the operation "Iskra" (January 12-30) amounted to 115,082 people (33,940 - irretrievably), while the Leningrad Front lost 41,264 people (12,320 - irretrievably), and Volkhovsky - 73,818 people (21 620 - irrevocably). According to German data (summary reports of the army headquarters on losses), in January 1943, the 18th Army lost 22,619 people. For the first half of the month, the total losses of the army amounted to 6,406 people (of which 1,543 were killed and missing), and in the period from January 16 to 31, 16,213 people (of which 4,569 were irretrievably).
For courage and heroism shown in the January battles, about 19,000 Soviet soldiers were awarded orders and medals, 12 were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Particularly distinguished units were transformed into guards: the 136th (commander N.P. Simonyak) and 327th (commander N.A. Polyakov) rifle divisions were transformed into the 63rd and 64th guards rifle divisions, and the 61st I am a tank brigade (commander V.V. Khrustitsky) - to the 30th Guards Tank Brigade, the 122nd Tank Brigade was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
RESULTS OF THE OPERATION
As a result of Operation Iskra, the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts broke through the blockade of Leningrad on January 18, 1943. Although the military success achieved was quite modest (the width of the corridor connecting the city with the country was only 8-11 kilometers), the political, material, economic and symbolic significance of breaking the blockade cannot be overestimated. In the shortest possible time, the railway line Polyany - Shlisselburg, the highway and bridges across the Neva were built. On February 7, the first train from the mainland arrived at the Finland Station. As early as mid-February, food supply norms established for other industrial centers of the country began to operate in Leningrad. All this radically improved the situation of the inhabitants of the city and the troops of the Leningrad Front.
Breaking the blockade was a turning point in the battle for Leningrad. Even the theoretical possibility of an assault on Leningrad by German troops was finally removed - the initiative in the North-West direction finally passed to the Soviet troops. In this situation, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command considered it possible not only to build on the success achieved and restore control over the Kirov railway, but also to carry out an even larger-scale operation - to completely lift the blockade of Leningrad and liberate the entire Leningrad region. However, Operation Polaris ended in failure. Soviet troops near Leningrad failed to develop an offensive, defeat the German Mginsko-Sinyavinskaya grouping, ensure a strong railway connection between the city and the country, and also push the enemy back to a distance that excludes artillery shelling.
Only in January 1944, as a result of the Leningrad-Novgorod operation, was it possible to completely defeat the Nazi troops south of Leningrad. And already in June, during another operation - Vyborg-Petrozavodsk - Finnish troops were also defeated in the north of the city. The blockade of Leningrad was lifted.
By the end of 1942, the situation near Leningrad was difficult: the troops of the Leningrad Front and the Baltic Fleet were isolated, there was no land connection between the city and the "Great Land". During 1942, the Red Army made two attempts to break through the blockade. However, both the Luban and Sinyavino offensive operations were unsuccessful. The area between the southern coast of Lake Ladoga and the village of Mga (the so-called "bottleneck"), where the distance between the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts was the shortest (12-16 km), was still occupied by units of the German 18th Army.
Lieutenant General L. A. Govorov Army General K. A. Meretskov
Under these conditions, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command developed a plan for a new operation. The troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts were instructed to "destroy the enemy grouping in the area of Lipka, Gaitolovo, Moscow Dubrovka, Shlisselburg and, thus, break the siege of Leningrad" and by the end of January 1943, complete the operation and reach the line of the Moika-Mikhailovsky-Tortolovo river.
Almost a month was allotted for the preparation of the operation, during which the troops launched a comprehensive preparation for the upcoming offensive. Particular attention was paid to the organization of interaction between strike groups, for which the command and staffs of the two fronts coordinated their plans, established lines of demarcation and worked out interactions, holding a series of military games based on the real situation.
For the offensive, strike groups of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts were formed, which were significantly reinforced by artillery, tank and engineering formations, including those from the reserve of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command. In total, the strike groups of the two fronts numbered 302,800 soldiers and officers, about 4,900 guns and mortars (caliber 76 mm and above), more than 600 tanks and 809 aircraft.
The defense of the Shlisselburg-Sinyavino ledge was carried out by the main forces of the 26th and part of the divisions of the 54th army corps of the 18th army, numbering approximately 60,000 soldiers and officers, with the support of 700 guns and mortars and about 50 tanks and self-propelled guns.
In view of the significant superiority of the Soviet army in manpower and equipment, the German command expected to hold positions, primarily due to the power of its defense: most of the villages were strongholds, the front line and positions in the depths of the defense were fenced with minefields, wire barriers and fortified with bunkers.
At 09:30, more than 4,500 guns and mortars from two fronts and the Red Banner Baltic Fleet launched their attack on enemy positions. On the Leningrad front, a fiery tornado raged for 2 hours and 20 minutes. On the Volkhov Front in the 2nd Shock Army, artillery preparation lasted 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Artillery preparation before the operation "Iskra"
At 11:50 a.m., the last volley of guards mortars was fired, and rifle chains of divisions of the first echelon of the Leningrad Front entered the Neva ice.
The greatest success on the first day was achieved by the 136th Rifle Division (commanded by Major General N.P. Simonyak) in the area of the village of Maryino. Having quickly crossed the Neva, units of the division broke into the front line of the enemy's defenses and advanced 3-4 kilometers by the end of January 12.
The 268th Infantry Division operated successfully on the first day of the offensive. By the end of the day, the division advanced up to 3 kilometers and created a threat to encircle the Gorodok defense center and the 8th hydroelectric power station.
The situation on the flanks was not so favorable. The 45th Guards Rifle Division, speaking from the bridgehead in the Moscow Dubrovka area, came under very strong enemy artillery, mortar and machine-gun fire and was able to advance only 500-600 meters. The 86th Rifle Division, operating on the left flank of the army, crossed the Neva in the sector between Maryino and Shlisselburg. Unsuppressed firing points in the semi-basements of the building and on the piers forced her units to lay low on the ice of the Neva.
In the 2nd Shock Army of the Volkhov Front, units of the 327th Rifle Division of Colonel N. A. Polyakov achieved the greatest success on the first day. By the end of the first day of the offensive, the troops of the 2nd shock army advanced 3 kilometers.
Scouts of the Leningrad Front during the battle at the barbed wire.
The photo was taken during the first day of the operation to break the blockade of Leningrad.
In the morning, the fighting took on a particularly stubborn and fierce character. By the end of the second day of the operation, the troops of the 67th Army of the Leningrad Front had almost come close to the line of the planned meeting with the troops of the Volkhov Front. The latter for January 13 had practically no progress.
The commander of the 67th Army, Major General M.P. Dukhanov, brought into battle part of the forces of the second echelon: the 123rd Rifle Division together with the 152nd Tank Brigade, the 102nd Separate Rifle Brigade and one regiment of the 13th Rifle Division.
Trying to hold the Shlisselburg-Sinyavino ledge, the enemy command reinforced the grouping of its troops here with the 96th and 61st infantry divisions the day before and transferred the 5th mountain infantry division to the Sinyavino area. These formations offered fierce resistance to the advance of the 67th and 2nd shock armies and often turned into counterattacks.
On the third day of fighting, it was not possible to break the resistance of the enemy. During the day, the troops of the 67th and 2nd shock armies made little progress. The distance between the advancing groupings of both armies was reduced to 4 kilometers.
On the fourth and fifth days of the offensive, the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts fought for separate strongholds, gradually advancing towards each other.
Soviet soldiers on the attack near Leningrad during the beginning of the blockade
The 2nd shock army, waging stubborn battles, slowly advanced towards the Leningraders and expanded the breakthrough. Parts of the 128th Infantry Division advanced in cooperation with the 12th Ski Brigade, which made a bold raid on the ice of Lake Ladoga to the rear of the German garrison in the village of Lipka, and captured this settlement.
On the sixth day of the operation, fierce battles flared up again in the main direction. They were led by the 136th, 123rd rifle divisions, the 123rd rifle brigade, and the 61st tank brigade. On the left flank, the 330th regiment and the 34th ski brigade continued to carry out the task of capturing Shlisselburg. The German command feverishly transferred new reserves to the areas of Mgi, Kelkolovo, Mustolovo, Sinyavino.
By January 17, the troops of the Volkhov Front captured Workers' settlements No. 4 and No. 8, Podgornaya station, and came close to Workers' settlements No. 1 and No. 5. The corridor separating the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts became very narrow.
Soldiers of the Volkhov Front on the offensive during the breakthrough of the blockade of Leningrad
On January 18, after fierce fighting, the 136th Rifle Division, pursuing the enemy, broke into Rabochiy Settlement No. 5, where at about 12 noon it joined units of the 18th Rifle Division of the 2nd Shock Army.
By this time, the advanced units of the 123rd Rifle Brigade of the 67th Army had already met with units of the 372nd Division of the 2nd Shock Army on the eastern outskirts of Workers' Settlement No. 1.
at the end of the day, the advanced units of the 34th Ski Brigade established contact with the 128th Rifle Division and the 12th Ski Brigade of the 2nd Shock Army, which finally took Lipki.
Pointer at the crossroads. January 1943
Around midnight on January 18, the radio broadcast that the blockade of Leningrad had been broken. There was general rejoicing in the streets and avenues of the city. Early in the morning of January 19, the hero city was decorated with flags. All its inhabitants took to the streets, as was the case on major national holidays. At crowded rallies, Leningraders expressed their deep gratitude to the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts, who broke through the blockade.
Having formed a common front and entrenched themselves on new lines, the troops of the 67th and 2nd shock armies continued their attack on the Sinyavin Heights. Fierce fighting continued until the end of January, but despite the introduction of new units into battle, it was not possible to break through the enemy defenses.
Soldiers of the Leningrad Front after a hard battle
The total losses of Soviet troops during Operation Iskra (January 12-30) amounted to 115,082 people (33,940 - irretrievably), while the Leningrad Front lost 41,264 people (12,320 - irretrievably), and Volkhovsky - 73,818 people (21 620 - irrevocably). According to German data (summary reports of the army headquarters on losses), in January 1943, the 18th Army lost 22,619 people. For the first half of the month, the total losses of the army amounted to 6,406 people (of which 1,543 were killed and missing), and in the period from January 16 to 31 - 16,213 people (of which 4,569 were irretrievably).
A destroyed German tank Pz III from the 502nd heavy tank battalion and a dead German on the armor.
For courage and heroism shown in the January battles, about 19,000 Soviet soldiers were awarded orders and medals, 12 were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Particularly distinguished units were transformed into guards: the 136th (commander N.P. Simonyak) and 327th (commander N.A. Polyakov) rifle divisions were transformed into the 63rd and 64th guards rifle divisions, and the 61st I am a tank brigade (commander V.V. Khrustitsky) - to the 30th Guards Tank Brigade, the 122nd Tank Brigade was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
As a result of Operation Iskra, the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts broke through the blockade of Leningrad on January 18, 1943. Although the military success achieved was quite modest (the width of the corridor connecting the city with the country was only 8-11 kilometers), the political, material, economic and symbolic significance of breaking the blockade cannot be overestimated. In the shortest possible time, the railway line Polyany - Shlisselburg, the highway and bridges across the Neva were built. On February 7, the first train from the mainland arrived at the Finland Station. As early as mid-February, food supply norms established for other industrial centers of the country began to operate in Leningrad. All this radically improved the situation of the inhabitants of the city and the troops of the Leningrad Front.
Breaking the blockade was a turning point in the battle for Leningrad. Even the theoretical possibility of an assault on Leningrad by German troops was finally removed - the initiative in the North-West direction finally passed to the Soviet troops. In this situation, the Supreme Command Headquarters considered it possible not only to build on the success achieved and restore control over the Kirov railway, but also to carry out an even larger-scale operation - to completely lift the blockade of Leningrad and liberate the entire Leningrad region. However, Operation Polaris ended in failure. Soviet troops near Leningrad failed to develop an offensive, defeat the German Mginsko-Sinyavinskaya grouping, ensure a strong railway connection between the city and the country, and also push the enemy back to a distance that excludes artillery shelling.
Only in January 1944, as a result of the Leningrad-Novgorod operation, was it possible to completely defeat the Nazi troops south of Leningrad. And already in June, during another operation - Vyborg-Petrozavodsk - Finnish troops were also defeated in the north of the city. The blockade of Leningrad was lifted.
The fighters and commanders of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts, who broke through the blockade of Leningrad - they are all in the Immortal Regiment of a thousand-year Russian history.
January 1, 1943. 559th day of the war
Rostov operation. The German command decided to inflict two simultaneous strikes against the right and left wing of the Southern Front (A. I. Eremenko) and defeat the shock groups of the front. By January 10, the enemy concentrated a strong mobile group of the 6th and 11th tank, 306th, 336th infantry and 7th airfield divisions against the troops of the 5th shock army, numbering over 200 tanks. At the same time, southwest of Zimovniki, the enemy concentrated a second strong grouping consisting of the 17th and 23rd tank, 16th and SS Viking motorized divisions and several infantry units. The command of the Southern Front decided to turn the main forces of the 2nd Guards Army (R. Ya. Malinovsky) to the south and, together with units of the 51st Army, defeat the enemy southwest of Zimovniki. On January 10, formations of the 2nd Guards and 51st armies delivered a strong blow southwest of Zimovniki in the direction of Proletarskaya and Salsk. At the same time, on the right wing, the troops of the 5th shock and part of the forces of the 2nd guards armies repelled all enemy attacks and reached the lower reaches of the Northern Donets. (p.84)
On January 13, the 2nd Shock Army of the Volkhov Front (K. A. Meretskov) resumed the offensive on the entire front, but, having met stubborn resistance from the enemy everywhere, had little progress.
Soviet Information Bureau. The troops of the Don Front in the battles of January 27-31 completed the liquidation of a group of Nazi troops surrounded to the west of the central part of Stalingrad. During the fighting, as well as the testimonies of captured German generals, it was established that by November 23, 1942, at least 330 thousand enemy troops were surrounded near Stalingrad, if we also count the rear, construction and police units, and not 220 thousand, as reported on this earlier ... Today, our troops captured, along with their headquarters, the commander of a group of German troops near Stalingrad, consisting of the 6th Army and the 4th Panzer Army, Field Marshal Paulus and his chief of staff, Lieutenant General Schmidt ... In total, therefore , 16 generals were captured ...
(192 KB) Wikipedia
On January 18, 1943, one of the most significant events in the Great Patriotic War took place - the blockade of Leningrad was broken. This day is a special date for all residents of the city, regardless of age. Despite the fact that Leningrad after January 1943 remained besieged for a whole year, with the breaking of the blockade, Leningraders had a real chance to survive.
In addition, the liberation of Leningrad from the blockade in January 1943 became a key moment in the defense of the city: having seized the final strategic initiative in this direction, the Soviet troops eliminated the danger of the connection of German and Finnish troops. On January 18, the day the blockade of Leningrad was broken, the critical period of the city's isolation ended.
It should be noted that for the command of the Wehrmacht, the capture of the city on the Neva was not only of great military and strategic importance: in addition to capturing the entire coast of the Gulf of Finland and destroying the Baltic Fleet, far-reaching propaganda goals were also pursued. The fall of Leningrad would have caused irreparable moral damage to the entire Soviet people and would have significantly undermined the morale of the armed forces. Of course, before the fascist troops isolated the city, the Red Army command had an alternative - to withdraw the troops and surrender Leningrad; but then the fate of its inhabitants would have been even more tragic, because Hitler intended to wipe the city off the face of the earth in the literal sense of the word.
The breakthrough of the blockade of Leningrad became possible as a result of the successful military operation called "Iskra", which lasted three weeks - from January 12 to January 30, 1943. The strategic offensive operation "Iskra" to break the blockade of Leningrad was carried out by the strike groups of the Leningrad (commander Lieutenant General L. A. Govorov) and Volkhov (commander General of the Army K. A. Meretskov) fronts.
Preparation for the operation took place as follows. By the end of 1942, the situation near Leningrad was difficult: the troops of the Leningrad Front and the Baltic Fleet were isolated, there was no land connection between the city and the "Great Land". During 1942, the Red Army made two attempts to break through the blockade. However, both the Luban and Sinyavino offensive operations were unsuccessful. The area between the southern coast of Lake Ladoga and the village of Mga (the so-called "bottleneck"), where the distance between the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts was the shortest (12–16 km), was still occupied by units of the German 18th Army.
Under these conditions, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command developed a plan for a new operation. The troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts were instructed to "destroy the enemy grouping in the area of Lipka, Gaitolovo, Moscow Dubrovka, Shlisselburg and, thus, break the siege of Leningrad" and by the end of January 1943, complete the operation and reach the line of the Moika-Mikhailovsky-Tortolovo river.
Almost a month was allotted for the preparation of the operation, during which the troops launched a comprehensive preparation for the upcoming offensive. Particular attention was paid to the organization of interaction between strike groups, for which the command and staffs of the two fronts coordinated their plans, established lines of demarcation and worked out interactions, holding a series of military games based on the real situation.
For the offensive, strike groups of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts were formed, which were significantly reinforced by artillery, tank and engineering formations, including those from the reserve of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command. In total, the strike groups of the two fronts numbered 302,800 soldiers and officers, about 4,900 guns and mortars (caliber 76 mm and above), more than 600 tanks and 809 aircraft.
The defense of the Shlisselburg-Sinyavino ledge was carried out by the main forces of the 26th and part of the divisions of the 54th army corps of the 18th army, numbering approximately 60,000 soldiers and officers, with the support of 700 guns and mortars and about 50 tanks and self-propelled guns.
In view of the significant superiority of the Soviet army in manpower and equipment, the German command expected to hold positions, primarily due to the power of its defense: most of the villages were strongholds, the front line and positions in the depths of the defense were fenced with minefields, wire barriers and fortified with bunkers.
Operation Iskra by day
At 09:30, more than 4,500 guns and mortars from two fronts and the Red Banner Baltic Fleet launched their attack on enemy positions. On the Leningrad front, a fiery tornado raged for 2 hours and 20 minutes. On the Volkhov Front in the 2nd Shock Army, artillery preparation lasted 1 hour and 45 minutes.
At 11:50 a.m., the last volley of guards mortars was fired, and rifle chains of divisions of the first echelon of the Leningrad Front entered the Neva ice.
The greatest success on the first day was achieved by the 136th Rifle Division (commanded by Major General N.P. Simonyak) in the area of the village of Maryino. Having quickly crossed the Neva, units of the division broke into the front line of the enemy defenses and advanced 3-4 kilometers by the end of January 12.
The 268th Infantry Division operated successfully on the first day of the offensive. By the end of the day, the division advanced up to 3 kilometers and created a threat to encircle the Gorodok defense center and the 8th hydroelectric power station.
The situation on the flanks was not so favorable. The 45th Guards Rifle Division, speaking from the bridgehead in the area of Moscow Dubrovka, came under very strong enemy artillery, mortar and machine-gun fire and was able to advance only 500-600 meters. The 86th Rifle Division, operating on the left flank of the army, crossed the Neva in the sector between Maryino and Shlisselburg. Unsuppressed firing points in the semi-basements of the building and on the piers forced her units to lay low on the ice of the Neva.
In the 2nd Shock Army of the Volkhov Front, units of the 327th Rifle Division of Colonel N. A. Polyakov achieved the greatest success on the first day. By the end of the first day of the offensive, the troops of the 2nd shock army advanced 3 kilometers.
Scouts of the Leningrad Front during the battle at the barbed wire. The photo was taken during the first day of the operation to break the blockade of Leningrad.
In the morning, the fighting took on a particularly stubborn and fierce character. By the end of the second day of the operation, the troops of the 67th Army of the Leningrad Front had almost come close to the line of the planned meeting with the troops of the Volkhov Front. The latter for January 13 had practically no progress.
The commander of the 67th Army, Major General M.P. Dukhanov, brought into battle part of the forces of the second echelon: the 123rd Rifle Division together with the 152nd Tank Brigade, the 102nd Separate Rifle Brigade and one regiment of the 13th Rifle Division.
Trying to hold the Shlisselburg-Sinyavino ledge, the enemy command reinforced the grouping of its troops here with the 96th and 61st infantry divisions the day before and transferred the 5th mountain infantry division to the Sinyavino area. These formations offered fierce resistance to the advance of the 67th and 2nd shock armies and often turned into counterattacks.
On the third day of fighting, it was not possible to break the resistance of the enemy. During the day, the troops of the 67th and 2nd shock armies made little progress. The distance between the advancing groupings of both armies was reduced to 4 kilometers.
On the fourth and fifth days of the offensive, the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts fought for separate strongholds, gradually advancing towards each other.
The 2nd shock army, waging stubborn battles, slowly advanced towards the Leningraders and expanded the breakthrough. Parts of the 128th Infantry Division advanced in cooperation with the 12th Ski Brigade, which made a bold raid on the ice of Lake Ladoga to the rear of the German garrison in the village of Lipka, and captured this settlement.
On the sixth day of the operation, fierce battles flared up again in the main direction. They were led by the 136th, 123rd rifle divisions, the 123rd rifle brigade, and the 61st tank brigade. On the left flank, the 330th regiment and the 34th ski brigade continued to carry out the task of capturing Shlisselburg. The German command feverishly transferred new reserves to the areas of Mgi, Kelkolovo, Mustolovo, Sinyavino.
By January 17, the troops of the Volkhov Front captured Workers' settlements No. 4 and No. 8, Podgornaya station, and came close to Workers' settlements No. 1 and No. 5. The corridor separating the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts became very narrow.
On January 18, after fierce fighting, the 136th Rifle Division, pursuing the enemy, broke into Rabochiy Settlement No. 5, where at about 12 noon it joined units of the 18th Rifle Division of the 2nd Shock Army.
By this time, the advanced units of the 123rd Rifle Brigade of the 67th Army had already met with units of the 372nd Division of the 2nd Shock Army on the eastern outskirts of Workers' Settlement No. 1.
And at the end of the day, the advanced units of the 34th Ski Brigade established contact with the 128th Rifle Division and the 12th Ski Brigade of the 2nd Shock Army, which finally took Lipki.
Around midnight on January 18, the radio broadcast that the blockade of Leningrad had been broken. There was general rejoicing in the streets and avenues of the city. Early in the morning of January 19, the hero city was decorated with flags. All its inhabitants took to the streets, as was the case on major national holidays. At crowded rallies, Leningraders expressed their deep gratitude to the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts, who broke through the blockade.
Having formed a common front and entrenched themselves on new lines, the troops of the 67th and 2nd shock armies continued their attack on the Sinyavin Heights. Fierce fighting continued until the end of January, but despite the introduction of new units into battle, it was not possible to break through the enemy defenses.
The total losses of Soviet troops during Operation Iskra (January 12-30) amounted to 115,082 people (33,940 - irretrievably), while the Leningrad Front lost 41,264 people (12,320 - irretrievably), and Volkhovsky - 73,818 people (21 620 - irrevocably). According to German data (summary reports of the army headquarters on losses), in January 1943, the 18th Army lost 22,619 people. For the first half of the month, the total losses of the army amounted to 6,406 people (of which 1,543 were killed and missing), and in the period from January 16 to 31, 16,213 people (of which 4,569 were irretrievably).
For courage and heroism shown in the January battles, about 19,000 Soviet soldiers were awarded orders and medals, 12 were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Particularly distinguished units were transformed into guards: the 136th (commander N.P. Simonyak) and 327th (commander N.A. Polyakov) rifle divisions were transformed into the 63rd and 64th guards rifle divisions, and the 61st I am a tank brigade (commander V.V. Khrustitsky) - to the 30th Guards Tank Brigade, the 122nd Tank Brigade was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
As a result of Operation Iskra, the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts broke through the blockade of Leningrad on January 18, 1943. Although the military success achieved was rather modest (the width of the corridor that connected the city with the country was only 8-11 kilometers), the political, material, economic and symbolic significance of breaking the blockade cannot be overestimated. In the shortest possible time, the railway line Polyany - Shlisselburg, the highway and bridges across the Neva were built. On February 7, the first train from the mainland arrived at the Finland Station. As early as mid-February, food supply norms established for other industrial centers of the country began to operate in Leningrad. All this radically improved the situation of the inhabitants of the city and the troops of the Leningrad Front.
