This is how the war began
The Ministry of Defense published declassified archival documents about the events of June 22, 1941
On the website of the Russian Ministry of Defense appeared a new section dedicated to the events of June 22, 1941 - the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. It presents archival documents with memories of Soviet military leaders, eyewitnesses of the events of June 22, 1941, and a chronicle of the first days of the USSR war against Germany. All published data was obtained from declassified funds of the Central Archive of the Russian Ministry of Defense. More archives and secrets of the Second World War and
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Previously unpublished archival documents contain information on the progress of the deployment of troops of the Baltic, Kyiv and Belarusian special military districts according to the “1941 State Border Defense Plan” and the degree of readiness of the defensive line along the state border at the start of the war.
In the section on the Ministry of Defense website you can read the declassified memoirs of the marshals of the Soviet Union. In them, in particular, we're talking about on the quality of intelligence provision to the district and front command on the eve of the war.
This is how the war began
In 1952, in the Military Historical Directorate General Staff Soviet army A group was created under the leadership of Colonel General A.P. Pokrovsky, which began to develop a description of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.
For a more complete and objective presentation of the events of the initial period of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, questions were formulated relating to the period of deployment of troops of the Baltic, Kyiv and Belarusian special military districts according to the “State Border Defense Plan of 1941” on the eve of the Great Patriotic War.
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Five main issues were identified:
1. Was the plan for the defense of the state border communicated to the troops as it relates to them? If this plan was communicated to the troops, then when and what was done by the command and troops to ensure the implementation of this plan.
2. From what time and on the basis of what order did the covering troops begin to enter the state border and how many of them were deployed to defend the border before the start of hostilities.
3. When the order was received to bring troops to combat readiness due to an expected attack fascist Germany from the morning of June 22. What and when instructions were given to the troops in pursuance of this order and what was done.
4. Why most of The artillery of the corps and divisions was in training camps.
5. To what extent was the unit’s headquarters prepared for command and control of troops and to what extent did this affect the course of operations in the first days of the war.
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The assignments were sent to the commanders of districts, armies, corps and division commanders who were in charge in the first days of the war.
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— “Grouping of Nazi troops on the eve of the war in the Memel region, in East Prussia and in the Suwalki region in last days before the war was known to the district headquarters quite fully and in a significant part of it and in detail.
The uncovered grouping of fascist German troops on the eve of hostilities was regarded by the intelligence department [of the district headquarters] as an offensive group with a significant saturation of tanks and motorized units.”
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“The command and headquarters of the district had reliable data on the intensive and direct preparation of Nazi Germany for the war against the Soviet Union 2-3 months before the start of hostilities.
Starting from the second week of the war, much attention was paid to the organization of detachments sent behind enemy lines for the purpose of reconnaissance and sabotage, as well as the organization of radio-equipped reconnaissance groups behind enemy lines and radio-equipped points in the territory occupied by our troops, in case of their forced withdrawal.”
“In the following months, the information received from our groups and detachments working behind enemy lines improved all the time and was of great value.
It was reported on the personally observed concentration of Nazi troops in the border areas, starting from the end of February, on the reconnaissance carried out by German officers along the border, the preparation of artillery positions by the Germans, the strengthening of the construction of long-term defensive structures in the border zone, as well as gas and bomb shelters in the cities of East Prussia ."
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— “How unexpectedly the war began for the approaching troops can be judged, for example, by the fact that the personnel of the heavy artillery regiment, moving along railway at dawn on June 22, arriving at the station. Siauliai, having seen the bombing of our airfields, believed that “the maneuvers had begun.”
And at this time, almost all the aviation of the Baltic Military District was burned at the airfields. For example, from the mixed air division, which was supposed to support the 8th Army, by 15:00 on June 22, only 5 or 6 SB aircraft remained.”
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“...at about 10-11 o’clock on June 18, I received an order to withdraw parts of the divisions to their defense sectors by the morning of June 19, and Colonel General Kuznetsov [Commander of the PriOVO troops] ordered me to go to the right flank, and he personally went to Taurage, taking upon himself the responsibility of bringing Major General Shumilov's 10th Rifle Corps to combat readiness.
I sent the chief of staff of the army to the village. Kelgava with the order to withdraw the Army headquarters to the command post.
“During June 19, 3 rifle divisions (10th, 90th and 125th) were deployed. Units of these divisions were located in prepared trenches and bunkers. Long-term structures were not ready.
Even on the night of June 22, I personally received an order from the chief of staff of the front, KLENOV, in a very categorical form - by dawn on June 22, withdraw the troops from the border, withdraw them from the trenches, which I categorically refused to do and the troops remained in their positions.”
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— “The troops directly covering the state border had detailed plans and documentation up to and including the regiment. Field positions were prepared for them along the entire border. These troops represented the first operational echelon.”
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“The covering troops, the first operational echelon, were stationed directly at the borders and began deployment under the cover of fortified areas with the outbreak of hostilities.”
“Their advance entry to prepared positions was prohibited by the General Staff so as not to give a reason for provoking war on the part of Nazi Germany.”
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— “While still in Transbaikalia and receiving intelligence reports, we felt an impending threat, since intelligence quite accurately determined the concentration of Nazi troops. I regarded the sudden appointment as Chief of Staff of the 6th Army in Lvov as a necessity of the pre-war period.
Despite the undeniable signs of a large concentration of German troops, the commander of the Kyiv Special Military District forbade the deployment of covering units, putting troops on combat readiness, and even more so strengthening them even after the start of shelling of the state border and air raids on the night of June 21-22, 1941. Only during the day. On June 22, this was allowed, when the Germans had already crossed the state border and were operating on our territory.”
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“By dawn on June 22, families of border guards and some residents who had fled from the state border began to appear. In the city, shooting began from some houses and from bell towers along the city streets. Those caught with weapons turned out to be Ukrainian nationalists.
At dawn, information began to arrive about the landing of German troops to the east, southeast and south of the city of Lvov. The reconnaissance groups sent to these areas found nothing in them. Information about landings during all the months of the initial period of the war turned out to be false; they only irritated the troops and scattered our forces on unnecessary reconnaissance. It is possible that such data was transmitted by German agents sent to us in advance. I raised the question of permission to make another attempt to break through in an organized manner in the previously proposed direction.
“... it was decided to cover the signs on the tank with mud and move along the road to Smela during the day with the hatches closed, along with German vehicles that occasionally passed along the road.
This little trick was a success, and during the day we moved from Zvenigorod to Shpola, with German traffic controllers giving us the way.
Hoping to continue to move with the Germans with impunity, we drove out onto the road leading from metro station Smela to Cherkassy.
The tank reached the blown-up bridge along the dam, but was fired at by German artillery with incendiary shells, and when turning, it slid off the dam and half sank.
Together with the crew, we left the tank and an hour later, having crossed the swamp, we joined up with our units in the sector of the 38th Army.”
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— “Before the treacherous attack... I and the commanders of the units of my formation did not know the contents of the mobilization plan, the so-called MP-41.
After its opening, in the first hour of the war, everyone was convinced that the defensive work, command and staff exercises with access to the field, proceeded strictly from the mobilization plan of 1941, developed by the headquarters of the Kyiv Special Military District and approved by the General Staff.”
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“The troops directly covering the state border had detailed plans and documentation up to and including the regiment. Field positions were prepared for them along the entire border. These troops represented the first operational echelon.”
“The covering troops, the first operational echelon, were stationed directly at the borders and began deployment under the cover of fortified areas with the outbreak of hostilities. Their advance entry to prepared positions was prohibited by the General Staff so as not to give a reason for provoking war on the part of Nazi Germany.”
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— “Extracts from the plans for the defense of the state border (...) were kept at the headquarters of corps and divisions in sealed “red” bags.
The order to open the red packets from the district headquarters came on June 21. An enemy air strike (3.50 on June 22) caught the troops at the moment of their advance to occupy the defense.
According to the approved state border defense plan of 1941, in connection with the concentration of large German forces to the state border, an increase in the number of troops included in the plan was provided.”
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“By June 21, 13 rifle divisions were fully concentrated on a 400-kilometer front along the state border (at a distance from 8 to 25-30 km from it), the 14th was on the way in the north-west region. edges of Belovezhskaya Pushcha.
At a depth of 250-300 km there were 6 more rifle divisions, 4 of them were on the move.”
“The divisions were not involved in border defense before the start of hostilities. Radio stations in army headquarters were destroyed by bombing.
Control had to be carried out by liaison officers, communications were maintained by U-2, SB aircraft, armored vehicles and passenger cars.”
“The difficulty of maintaining communications using only mobile means of communication was that these means were very limited. In addition, enemy aircraft destroyed these assets both in the air and on the ground.
It is enough to give the following example: on June 26 it was necessary to transmit a combat order to the armies to withdraw to the river line. Shara and further through Nalibokskaya Pushcha.
To deliver the encrypted order, I sent one U-2 plane to each army with the order to sit near the command post and hand over the order; one SB plane to each army with an order to drop a paratrooper near the command post with a coded order for delivery; and one armored vehicle with an officer to deliver the same encrypted order.
Results: all U-2s were shot down, all armored vehicles were burned; and only at the CP of the 10th Army 2 paratroopers with orders were dropped from the Security Council. To clarify the front line we had to use fighters.”
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— “At one o’clock in the morning on June 22, 1941, the Corps Commander was called to the telephone and received the following instructions: to alert the division headquarters and regiment headquarters and assemble them at their location. Rifle regiments should not be raised on combat alert, why wait for his order.”
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“The division chief of staff ordered to contact the border commandant’s offices and outposts and establish what the Nazi troops were doing and what our border commandant’s offices and outposts were doing on the State Border of the USSR.
At 2.00, the chief of staff of the division reported information received from the Head of the Nurskaya border outpost that fascist German troops were approaching the Western Bug River and were bringing up transportation means.”
“After the report of the division chief of staff at 2:10 a.m. on June 22, 1941, he ordered the “Storm” signal to be given, the rifle regiments to be alerted and a forced march to occupy sectors and areas of defense.
At 2.40 on June 22, I received an order to open the Corps Commander’s package, stored in my safe, from which I learned to raise the division on combat alert and act in accordance with the decision I made and the order for the division, which I did on my own initiative an hour earlier.”
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The materials received by the Military Historical Directorate, authored by famous Soviet military leaders, were carefully studied and analyzed and formed the basis of fundamental scientific works, describing the course of the Great Patriotic War from the point of view of military specialists.
The answers to the first question were mixed. Some commanders reported that the plan was communicated to them in advance as far as it concerned and they had the opportunity to develop their plans with the construction of battle formations and the definition of combat areas. Others responded that they were not familiar with the plan, but received it in sealed packages directly in the first days of the war.
So the chief of staff of the 28th Rifle Corps of the 4th Army of the Belarusian Special Military District Lukin explained that “... to check the reality... of the plan and instructions, before the start of the war, approximately in the period March-May 1941, at least two combat verification alarms were carried out in the presence of representatives of the command of the Western Military District...”
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Commander of the 45th rifle division 5th Rifle Corps of the 5th Army of the Kyiv Special Military Corps Sherstyuk recalled the words of the commander of the 5th Army, conveyed to him by the commander of the 15th Rifle Corps, Colonel I.I. Fedyuninsky: “... The plan for the defense of the state border, the places of the command post and the OP will be received at the right time in a closed package; I prohibit the preparation of mobilization gaps in division garrisons, because this will give rise to panic.”
The commander of the 10th Infantry Division of the Baltic Special Military District, Fadeev, reported: “I knew the plan for the defense of the state border of the Lithuanian SSR in terms of the defense zone of the 10th Infantry Division and the 125th Infantry Division defending on the left behind its right flank.”
The commander of the 8th Army of the Baltic Special Military District, P.P. Sobennikov, recalled: “...having been appointed to a position in March 1941, I, unfortunately, at that time, neither at the General Staff nor upon arrival in Riga at the Headquarters of the Baltic Special Military District, was informed about the “Plan for the Defense of the State Border of 1941.”
Upon arrival at the headquarters of the 8th Army in Jelgava, I also did not find any instructions on this issue. I get the impression that it is unlikely that such a plan existed by this time (March 1941). The division headquarters and regimental headquarters worked out combat documents, orders, combat instructions, maps, diagrams, etc. Units of the division were trained to occupy their defense areas and fire installations from their locations... Artillery fire was planned in directions... Main and reserve command and observation posts from division headquarters to company commanders inclusive were identified and equipped.”
Only on May 28, 1941 (I remember this date very well), when I was called ... to the district headquarters, I was literally hastily familiarized with the “Defense Plan”. All this happened in a great hurry and in a somewhat nervous atmosphere. ... The plan was a rather voluminous, thick notebook, typed. ...My notes, as well as those of my chief of staff, were taken away. ...Unfortunately, after this no instructions were given and we did not even receive our workbooks.
However, the troops stationed on the border... were preparing field fortifications... and were practically oriented about their tasks and areas of defense. Possible options for action were played out during field trips (April-May)..."
If the first question was the same for everyone, then the second question was listed in two versions.
Almost all commanders noted that the units were preparing the defensive lines in advance until June 1941. The degree of readiness of fortified areas varied. Thus, the commander of the 45th Rifle Division of the 5th Rifle Corps of the 5th Army KOVO noted that in May-June 1941, units of the division, subject to great camouflage, built separate machine gun and artillery bunkers near the state border at a distance of approximately 2-5 km , as well as anti-tank ditches... The constructed earthen structures partially ensured the deployment and conduct of combat operations by division units.
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The commander of the 72nd Mountain Rifle Division of the Kyiv Special Military District, Abramidze, reported that: “...the measures taken to strengthen the state border fully ensured the deployment and conduct of combat operations by units of the formation entrusted to me.
All units held the state border in cooperation with the 92nd and 93rd border detachments until June 28, i.e. until we received an order to leave the border..."
In the Baltic Special Military District, a defensive line along the state border on the front of Palanga, Kretinga, Klaipeda Highway and to the south, basically according to the plan, to the depth of the Minia River was prepared.
The defense (forefield) was built by resistance units, strongholds. Wood-earth and stone bunkers were built for all heavy machine guns, as well as regimental and anti-tank artillery.
In the Belarusian Special Military District, the defensive line along the state border consisted of a system of trenches, communication passages and wood-earth defensive structures, the construction of which had not yet been completed at the beginning of the war.
In the fall of 1940, the troops of the 28th Rifle Corps, according to the plan of the commander of the 4th Army, worked on the construction of military filling of the Brest-Litovsk fortified area: bunkers, trenches, and barriers.
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Fortified area along the eastern bank of the river. The Bug was under construction. Individual structures and areas with completed structures were without garrisons and weapons, and the Brest fortified area, according to an eyewitness, due to its small numbers could not even protect against the penetration of unauthorized persons, as it should have been.
In the Belarusian Special Military District, before the enemy attack, no instructions or orders were received from the higher command, including the district headquarters, to raise troops and withdraw them to occupy defensive lines. Before the attack, all units were in their places of deployment. For example, the commander of the 86th Rifle Division received a personal order from the commander of the 5th Rifle Corps to assemble the division headquarters, regimental and battalion headquarters at 1.00 am on June 22. The same order ordered the unit not to raise a combat alert and to wait for a special order. An hour later, he received an order to open the package of the corps commander, stored in his safe, after which he raised the division on combat alert and acted on the decision and order he made for the division.
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A similar situation arose in the Kiev Special Military District, where the order to put units on combat readiness and leave them in their garrisons was received from the higher command.
And even despite cases of shelling by German planes of Soviet troops and battles with border guards, instructions were received from the headquarters of the 5th Army: “Don’t give in to provocation, don’t shoot at the planes... the Germans in some places started fighting our border outposts.
This is another provocation. Don't go for provocation. Raise the troops, but don’t give them any ammunition.”
How suddenly the war began for the troops can be judged, for example, by the fact that the personnel of the heavy artillery regiment, moving by rail at dawn on June 22, arrived at the station. Siauliai, having seen the bombing of our airfields, believed that “the maneuvers had begun.”
The 48th Infantry Division of the Baltic Special Military District, by order of the Commander of the District Troops, set out from Riga on the night of June 19 and moved towards the border with music and, not being aware of the imminent threat of war, was suddenly attacked from the air and by the German ground forces that had broken through. after which it suffered heavy losses and, before reaching the border, was defeated.
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At dawn on June 22, almost all PriOVO aviation was burned at the airfields. Of the mixed air division attached to the 8th Army of the District, by 15:00 on June 22, 5 or 6 SB aircraft remained.
As for the participation of artillery in the first days of the war, most of it was at district and army gatherings in accordance with orders from district headquarters. As soon as active clashes with the enemy began, artillery units arrived on their own in the combat areas and took up the required positions. The units that remained in the places where their units were deployed took a direct part in supporting our troops as long as there was fuel for tractors. When the fuel ran out, the artillerymen were forced to blow up the guns and equipment.
The conditions in which our troops entered the war are described by all participants in the first battles in one word: “unexpectedly.” The situation was the same in all three districts. In the Belarusian Special Military District, the command staff of the 28th Rifle Corps was supposed to arrive for a demonstration exercise of the commander of the 4th Army at the artillery range in Medyn (Brest region) at 5.00 am on June 22.
At the time of the attack in Brest-Litovsk, electrical and telephone communications immediately stopped working, since the corps headquarters did not have field communications with the divisions, and control was disrupted. Communication was maintained by sending messages in officers' vehicles. In the same Belarusian Special Military District, the commander of the 330th Infantry Regiment of the 86th Infantry Division of the 5th Infantry Corps of the 10th Combined Arms Army reported at 8.00 on the morning of June 22 that he counterattacked the enemy on the move with a force of more than two battalions and in cooperation with a separate reconnaissance battalion of the division, border commandant's office and outposts put the enemy to flight and restored the lost position with frontline border outposts in the Smolekhi, Zaremba section along the state border of the USSR.
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Units of the 99th Infantry Division of the 26th Army of the Kyiv Special Military District were located on the state border, being in constant combat readiness and in a very short time could occupy their harrow sectors, but conflicting orders coming from the high command did not allow our artillerymen to open fire against the enemy until 10.00 am on June 22. And only at 4.00 am on June 23, after a 30-minute artillery barrage, our troops knocked the enemy out of the city of Przemysl they occupied and liberated the city, where there were many Soviet citizens, including families of officers.
Units of the divisions of the 5th Army of the Kyiv Special Military District entered into battle with the Germans in extremely difficult conditions, since fighting began suddenly and came as a surprise, while one third of the troops were at defensive work, and the corps artillery was at the army camp meeting.
In the Baltic Special Military District, the Germans began the war at 4.00 am on June 22 with artillery preparation and direct fire at bunkers, border outposts, and populated areas, creating many fires, after which they went on the offensive.
The enemy concentrated his main efforts in the Palanga-Libava direction, along the coast Baltic Sea we went around the city of Kretinga, along the Klaipeda highway.
Units of the 10th Infantry Division repelled German attacks with fire and repeatedly launched counterattacks and fought stubborn defensive battles throughout the entire depth of the forefield to the river. Miniya, Plungi, Retovas.
In view of the current situation, by the end of June 22, the division commander received an order from the commander of the 10th Rifle Corps to withdraw.
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From June 22 to September 30, 1941, this division retreated and fought in the Baltic states, after which it was loaded onto transport in Tallinn and withdrawn to Kronstadt and Strelno.
In general, all participants in the first days of the war noted the readiness of the headquarters to control troops. Having recovered from the sudden blow, the headquarters took over the leadership of the fighting. Difficulties in command and control of troops were manifested in almost everything: understaffing of some headquarters, lack of the required number of communications equipment (radio and transport), headquarters security, vehicles for movements, broken wire communications. Management of the rear was difficult due to the “district-regiment” supply system that remained from peacetime.
The memories of eyewitnesses and direct participants in the first days of the war are certainly not without subjectivity, however, their stories are proof that the Soviet government and high command, realistically assessing the situation in the period 1940-1941, felt that the country and army were incompletely prepared to repel an attack from side of Nazi Germany - a strong and well-armed enemy due to the robbery of countries Western Europe, with two years of combat experience. Based objective reality At that time, with the order to bring the troops to full combat readiness, the country's leadership did not want to give Hitler a reason to start a war in extremely unfavorable conditions for us, they hoped to delay the war.
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Russian Ministry of Defense, 2017
Ministry of Defence Russian Federation on the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow, June 22, published digitized copies of declassified documents relating to the initial period of the Great Patriotic War. In addition to a large number of various orders and directives of the high military command of the USSR, award lists for personal courage and exploits, documents on military districts and a captured German map with the Barbarossa plan, which provided for the defeat of Soviet Russia during a short-term campaign.
The Russian military department noted that the portal with documents is an “unprecedented information resource” dedicated to the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, and described the role of the project as “a barrier to the growing falsification of history.” The published materials “documentarily debunk many false myths” and become important elements in the system of military-patriotic education of the younger generation, they emphasized.
The search and digitization of documentation was carried out by the Department of Information and Mass Communications of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation together with the Central Archive of the Military Department.
Among the published documents is the 1st directive of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR, which called “not to succumb to provocative actions” in all military districts of the Soviet Union. At the same time, People's Commissar Timoshenko set a task for the troops: to be in full combat readiness and expect a sudden attack from the Germans or their allies.
In addition, the People's Commissar of Defense ordered to secretly occupy the firing points of fortified areas on the state border during the night of June 22 and disperse aviation to field airfields, carefully camouflaging it.
Following Tymoshenko’s order comes combat order number 2 of the drug defense: it was drawn up by the head of the Red Army three hours after the start of hostilities - at 07:15 in the morning.
“German aircraft, without any provocation, raided and bombed our airfields and cities along the western border,” the handwritten order said in blue pencil.
Zhukov, “in connection with the unheard-of impudence of an attack from Germany,” ordered the troops “to attack enemy forces with all their might and means and destroy them in areas where they violated the Soviet border.”
In addition, aviation was ordered to bomb the German cities of Königsberg and Memel, and “not to touch the territory of Romania and Finland.” However, at the end of the order there is a postscript from Zhukov addressed to the first deputy chief of staff: “Bomb Romania.”
In addition, the Ministry of Defense website published a large number of unique documents related to personal destinies war heroes. For example, the history of the 158th fighter regiment, which covered the Pskov region, and the exploits of junior lieutenants Peter Kharitonov and Stepan Zdorovtsev. These aviators were the first to carry out an aerial ramming attack on the Northern Front.
“With a difference of one hour, our young brave pilots in an air battle with German aces They went to ram and, with the propellers of their planes, cut off the tails of Hitler’s machines,” the publication says.
The story is accompanied by color illustrations of air rams. After that battle, both pilots returned alive to their home airfield.
Zdorovtsev died on July 9, the day after receiving the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. On way back in the Pskov area he met a group of enemy fighters and entered into battle with them. The forces turned out to be unequal, and Zdorovtsev died in this battle. The award certificate was presented to his wife.
The fate of Pyotr Kharitonov was less tragic: he went through the entire war, received the title of Hero in 1944, after which he was sent to study at the academy Air Force. He graduated from it in 1952, and in 1955 he was transferred to the reserve.
The hero pilot lived in Donetsk and worked at the headquarters of the city's Civil Defense. Died February 1, 1987. He was also buried in Donetsk.
On the anniversary of the start of the Great Patriotic War, the Ministry of Defense publishedon its website there are more than 100 pages of declassified memoirs of Soviet military leaders, the department said in a statement.Documents from the declassified funds of the Central Archive of the Ministry of Defense include answers from district, army, corps and division commanders to five key questions prepared by the Military Historical Directorate of the General Staff of the Soviet Army.
“The responses of the Soviet commanders contain comprehensive information about the progress of the deployment of troops of the Baltic, Kyiv and Belarusian special military districts according to the 1941 State Border Defense Plan and the degree of readiness of the defensive line along the state border for the start of war,” the department noted.
Pokrovsky group.
A group led by Colonel General Pokrovsky conducted a survey of the high command. It was created in 1952 to develop a description of the Great Patriotic War. Experts asked military leaders to answer whether troops received a defense plan, how many units were deployed on the border and whether they were put on alert on June 22. The commanders also spoke about the first battles with by German troops.
RIA Novosti / Ilya Pitalev
Among those interviewed were Marshal Ivan Bagramyan, Lieutenant Generals Sobennikov and Derevianko, and a number of other military leaders. Their answers later formed the basis of fundamental scientific works on the Great Patriotic War.
Underestimating the threat.
Thus, Lieutenant General Kuzma Derevyanko, who in 1941 served as deputy chief of the intelligence department of the headquarters of the Baltic Special Military District, noted that he had repeatedly reported to the command about the concentration of German troops in the border areas.“However, I formed the convinced opinion that the district command underestimated the impending threat and treated much intelligence with distrust,” he writes.
According to Derevianko, information about the time of the start of the war on the part of Germany, obtained by intelligence, was received by the district headquarters from the first days of June. Moreover, three or four days before the start of the war, they indicated not only the exact date, but also the probable hour of the enemy attack.
Unexpected war.
“The personnel of the heavy artillery regiment, moving by rail on June 22, arriving at Siauliai station and seeing the bombing of our airfields, believed that maneuvers had begun,” he recalls.
According to Sobennikov, even on the night of June 22, he personally received an order from the chief of staff of the front, Klenov, in a very categorical form - to withdraw troops from the border by dawn on June 22. However, he categorically refused to carry it out and the soldiers remained in their positions.
The general also spoke about the defeat of the 48th division. According to Sobennikov, she set out from Riga and “moved with music to the border,” unaware of the threat.
“This good division in the Raiseiniai area, not knowing that the war had begun, was attacked from the air, as well as by the German troops that had broken through, suffered heavy losses and was defeated before reaching the border,” he writes.
In 1952, a group was created in the Military Historical Directorate of the General Staff of the Soviet Army under the leadership of Colonel General A.P. Pokrovsky, which began developing a description of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.
For a more complete and objective presentation of the events of the initial period of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, questions were formulated relating to the period of deployment of troops of the Baltic, Kyiv and Belarusian special military districts according to the “State Border Defense Plan of 1941” on the eve of the Great Patriotic War.
Lieutenant General Pyotr Sobennikov, who led the troops of the 8th Army of the Baltic Special Military District, writes that the war began unexpectedly for everyone.“The personnel of the heavy artillery regiment, moving by rail on June 22, arriving at Siauliai station and seeing the bombing of our airfields, believed that maneuvers had begun,” he recalls.
According to Sobennikov, even on the night of June 22, he personally received an order from the chief of staff of the front, Klenov, in a very categorical form - to withdraw troops from the border by dawn on June 22. However, he categorically refused to carry it out and the soldiers remained in their positions.
The general also spoke about the defeat of the 48th division. According to Sobennikov, she set out from Riga and “moved with music to the border,” unaware of the threat.
“This good division in the Raiseiniai area, not knowing that the war had begun, was attacked from the air, as well as by the German troops that had broken through, suffered heavy losses and was defeated before reaching the border,” he writes.
At the same time, he continues, all aviation of the Baltic Military District was burned at the airfields.Five main issues were identified:
1. Was the plan for the defense of the state border communicated to the troops as it relates to them? If this plan was communicated to the troops, then when and what was done by the command and troops to ensure the implementation of this plan.
2. From what time and on the basis of what order did the covering troops begin to enter the state border and how many of them were deployed to defend the border before the start of hostilities.
3. When the order was received to put troops on alert in connection with the expected attack by Nazi Germany on the morning of June 22. What and when instructions were given to the troops in pursuance of this order and what was done.
4. Why most of the artillery of corps and divisions was in training camps.
5. To what extent was the unit’s headquarters prepared for command and control and to what extent did this affect the course of operations in the first days of the war?
The assignments were sent to the commanders of districts, armies, corps and division commanders who were in charge in the first days of the war.
The materials received by the Military Historical Directorate, authored by famous Soviet military leaders, were carefully studied and analyzed and formed the basis for fundamental scientific works describing the course of the Great Patriotic War from the point of view of military specialists.
DEREVYANKO KUZMA NIKOLAEVICH
lieutenant general
In 1941 - deputy head of the intelligence department of the headquarters of the Baltic Special Military District (North-Western Front)
“The grouping of fascist German troops on the eve of the war in the Memel region, in East Prussia and in the Suwalki region in the last days before the war was known to the district headquarters quite fully and in a significant part of it and in detail.
The uncovered grouping of fascist German troops on the eve of hostilities was regarded by the intelligence department [of the district headquarters] as an offensive group with a significant saturation of tanks and motorized units.”
“The command and headquarters of the district had reliable data on the intensive and direct preparation of Nazi Germany for the war against the Soviet Union 2-3 months before the start of hostilities.
Starting from the second week of the war, much attention was paid to the organization of detachments sent behind enemy lines for the purpose of reconnaissance and sabotage, as well as the organization of radio-equipped reconnaissance groups behind enemy lines and radio-equipped points in the territory occupied by our troops, in case of their forced withdrawal.”
“In the following months, the information received from our groups and detachments working behind enemy lines improved all the time and was of great value.
It was reported on the personally observed concentration of Nazi troops in the border areas, starting from the end of February, on the reconnaissance carried out by German officers along the border, the preparation of artillery positions by the Germans, the strengthening of the construction of long-term defensive structures in the border zone, as well as gas and bomb shelters in the cities of East Prussia ."
SOBENNIKOV PETER PETROVICH
lieutenant general
In 1941 - Commander of the 8th Army of the Baltic Special Military District
(Northwestern Front)
“How unexpectedly the war began for the approaching troops can be judged, for example, by the fact that the personnel of the heavy artillery regiment, moving along the railway to
dawn on June 22, arriving at the station. Siauliai, having seen the bombing of our airfields, believed that
"The maneuvers have begun."
And at this time, almost all the aviation of the Baltic Military District was burned at the airfields. For example, from the mixed air division, which was supposed to support the 8th Army, by 15:00 on June 22, only 5 or 6 SB aircraft remained.”
“...at about 10-11 o’clock on June 18, I received orders to withdraw parts of the divisions to their sectors
defense by the morning of June 19, and Colonel General Kuznetsov [Commander of the PriOVO troops]
Declassified documents about the first days of the war: directives of the People's Commissariat of Defense (NKO) of the USSR (including a copy of Directive No. 1 of June 22, 1941), orders and reports from commanders military units and formations, orders for awards, trophy maps and decrees of the country's leadership.
On June 22, 1941, a directive from the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR Semyon Timoshenko was transmitted from Moscow. A few hours earlier, soldiers of the 90th border detachment of the Sokal commandant’s office detained a German soldier of the 221st regiment of the 15th Wehrmacht Infantry Division, Alfred Liskov, who swam across the border Bug River. He was taken to the city of Vladimir-Volynsky, where during interrogation he said that at dawn on June 22, the German army would go on the offensive along the entire length of the Soviet-German border. The information was passed on to higher command.
Directive text:
- “I convey to the commanders of the 3rd, 4th, and 10th armies the order of the People's Commissar of Defense for immediate execution: During June 22-23, 1941, a surprise attack by the Germans on the fronts of the Leningrad Military District (Leningrad Military District - RBC During June 22-23, 1941, a surprise attack by the Germans on the fronts of the Leningrad Military District (Leningrad Military District -), PribOVO (Baltic Special Military District, transformed into the North-Western Front. - During June 22-23, 1941, a surprise attack by the Germans on the fronts of the Leningrad Military District (Leningrad Military District -), ZapOVO (Western Special Military District, transformed into the Western Front. - During June 22-23, 1941, a surprise attack by the Germans on the fronts of the Leningrad Military District (Leningrad Military District -), KOVO (Kiev Special Military District, transformed into the Southwestern Front - During June 22-23, 1941, a surprise attack by the Germans on the fronts of the Leningrad Military District (Leningrad Military District -), OdVO (Odessa Military District -
- The task of our troops is not to succumb to any provocative actions that could cause major complications.
- I order:
- during the night of June 22, 1941, secretly occupy firing points of fortified areas on the state border;
- before dawn on June 22, 1941, disperse all aviation, including military aviation, to field airfields, carefully camouflage it;
- Bring all units to combat readiness without additional increase in assigned personnel. Prepare all measures to darken cities and objects.
No other activities will be carried out without special orders.”
The directive was signed by the commander of the Western Front troops Dmitry Pavlov, the chief of staff of the Western Front Vladimir Klimovskikh, and a member of the Military Council of the Western Front Alexander Fominykh.
In July, Pavlov, Klimovskikh, the chief of communications of the Western Front, Major General Andrei Grigoriev, and the commander of the 4th Army, Major General Alexander Korobkov, were accused of inaction and the collapse of command and control, which led to a breakthrough of the front, and were sentenced Supreme Court USSR to be shot. The sentence was put into effect in July 1941. After Stalin's death they were rehabilitated.
Text of the order:
“To the Military Councils of LVO, PribOVO, ZAPOVO, KOVO, OdVO.
On June 22, 1941, at 4 o'clock in the morning, German aircraft, without any reason, raided our airfields along the western border and bombed them. At the same time, German troops opened artillery fire in different places and crossed our border.
In connection with the unprecedented impudence of the attack by Germany on Soviet Union I order..."<...>
<...>“The troops are to attack enemy forces with all their might and means and destroy them in areas where they have violated the Soviet border.
In the future, until further notice from ground troops, do not cross the border.
Reconnaissance and combat aviation to establish the concentration areas of enemy aircraft and the grouping of their ground forces.”<...>
<...>“Using powerful strikes from bomber and attack aircraft, destroy aircraft at enemy airfields and bomb the main groupings of its ground forces. Air strikes should be carried out to a depth of 100-150 km on German territory.
Bomb Koenigsberg (today Kaliningrad. - During June 22-23, 1941, a surprise attack by the Germans on the fronts of the Leningrad Military District (Leningrad Military District -) and Memel (a naval base and port on the territory of Lithuania. - During June 22-23, 1941, a surprise attack by the Germans on the fronts of the Leningrad Military District (Leningrad Military District -).
Do not carry out raids on the territory of Finland and Romania until special instructions are given.”
Signatures: Timoshenko, Malenkov (Georgy Malenkov - member of the Main Military Council of the Red Army. - During June 22-23, 1941, a surprise attack by the Germans on the fronts of the Leningrad Military District (Leningrad Military District -), Zhukov (Georgy Zhukov - Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army, Deputy People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR. - During June 22-23, 1941, a surprise attack by the Germans on the fronts of the Leningrad Military District (Leningrad Military District -).
“Comrade Vatutin (Nikolai Vatutin - Zhukov’s first deputy. - During June 22-23, 1941, a surprise attack by the Germans on the fronts of the Leningrad Military District (Leningrad Military District -). Bomb Romania."
Trophy card "Plan Barbarossa"
In 1940-1941 Germany developed a plan for an attack on the USSR, involving " lightning war" The plan and operation were named after the King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I "Barbarossa".
From a brief combat history of the 158th Fighter Aviation Regiment with a description of the exploits of junior lieutenants Kharitonov and Zdorovtsev
The first soldiers to be awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union during the war were pilots Pyotr Kharitonov and Stepan Zdorovtsev. On June 28, on their I-16 fighters, for the first time during the defense of Leningrad, they used ramming attacks against German aircraft. On July 8 they were awarded titles.
Kharitonov's action schemes
After the war, Pyotr Kharitonov continued to serve in the Air Force. He graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1953 and went into the reserves in 1955. He lived in Donetsk, where he worked at the headquarters of the city's Civil Defense.
Scheme of action of Zdorovtsev
After receiving the title of Hero of the Soviet Union on July 8, 1941, Zdorovtsev flew out on July 9 for reconnaissance. On the way back, near Pskov, he entered into battle with German fighters. His plane was shot down and Zdorovtsev died.
Western Special Military District. Intelligence report No. 2
On June 22, 1941, the 99th Infantry Division was stationed in the Polish city of Przemysl, which was one of the first to be captured by German troops. On June 23, units of the division managed to recapture part of the city and restore the border.
“Intelligence report No. 2 headquarters (division headquarters. - During June 22-23, 1941, a surprise attack by the Germans on the fronts of the Leningrad Military District (Leningrad Military District -) 99 Boratich forest (village in Lviv region. - During June 22-23, 1941, a surprise attack by the Germans on the fronts of the Leningrad Military District (Leningrad Military District -) 19:30 June 22, 1941
The enemy crosses the San River (a tributary of the Vistula, flowing through the territory of Ukraine and Poland. - During June 22-23, 1941, a surprise attack by the Germans on the fronts of the Leningrad Military District (Leningrad Military District -) in the Barich area, occupied by Stubenko ( locality on the territory of Poland. — During June 22-23, 1941, a surprise attack by the Germans on the fronts of the Leningrad Military District (Leningrad Military District -) to an infantry battalion. Up to the infantry battalion is occupied by Gurechko (a village on the territory of Ukraine. - During June 22-23, 1941, a surprise attack by the Germans on the fronts of the Leningrad Military District (Leningrad Military District -), small equestrian groups at 16:00 appeared in Kruwniki (a settlement in Poland. - During June 22-23, 1941, a surprise attack by the Germans on the fronts of the Leningrad Military District (Leningrad Military District -). At 13:20 the enemy occupied the Przemysl hospital with unknown numbers.
Congestion of up to an infantry regiment on the opposite bank of the San River in the Vyshatce area. Accumulation of infantry/small groups/1 km south of Gurechko.
At 16:00 the artillery battalion was under fire from the Dusovce area (a village in Poland. - During June 22-23, 1941, a surprise attack by the Germans on the fronts of the Leningrad Military District (Leningrad Military District -). At 19:30, up to three battalions of large-caliber artillery fired at the town of Medyka (a village in Poland. - During June 22-23, 1941, a surprise attack by the Germans on the fronts of the Leningrad Military District (Leningrad Military District -) from the districts of Majkovce, Dunkovicky, Vypatce.
Conclusions: on the Grabovets-Przemysl front there is more than one infantry division (infantry division. - During June 22-23, 1941, a surprise attack by the Germans on the fronts of the Leningrad Military District (Leningrad Military District -), reinforced with artillery/unspecified numbers.
Presumably the main enemy group is on the right flank of the division.
It is necessary to establish: enemy action in front of the right [inaudible] division.
Printed in 5 copies."
Signatures: Chief of Staff of the 99th Infantry Division, Colonel Gorokhov, Head of the Intelligence Department, Captain Didkovsky.
On the occasion of the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow, the Ministry of Defense launched a unique historical project. The department has published copies of declassified documents about the beginning of the Great Patriotic War.
Declassified archival documents, directives of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR, orders, reports, award documents with descriptions of the first exploits Soviet soldiers. Unique facts that clearly show what happened in the first hours and days of the Great Patriotic War. The secret encryption, dated June 22, was compiled at 01:45. Sent at half past three. According to which, all units of the Red Army were ordered to be in full combat readiness. A surprise attack by the Germans was expected, including after provocative actions. The task for our troops was not to give in to provocations, but to be prepared. From the combat order of the People's Commissar of Defense No. 2 of June 22, 1941:
“On June 22, 1941, at 04:00 in the morning, German aviation, without any reason, carried out raids on our airfields and cities along the western border and bombed them. In connection with the unheard-of impudence of attacks by Germany on the Soviet Union, I order: troops to attack with all their might and means on enemy forces and destroy them in areas where they violated the Soviet border. Until further notice, ground troops will not cross the border."
And signatures: Timoshenko, Malenkov, Zhukov. The declassified archives contain dozens of memoirs of eyewitnesses and direct participants in the first days of the war. They, of course, are not without subjectivity, but nevertheless show that the high command knew about the impending attack and realistically assessed the situation. But the enemy, who had two years of combat experience, and due to the resources of already captured countries, was much stronger.
A trophy map captured during the fighting on June 22, which shows the main lines of attack by the troops of Nazi Germany. The German command was counting on a quick victory, but, according to an analysis of declassified documents, having recovered from the first swift strike of the Nazis, despite the existing difficulties of the peaceful rather than military principle of supplying troops, the headquarters were still able to properly manage the military operations.
And without a doubt - a feat of ordinary soldiers. On June 25, senior lieutenant Mikhail Borisov met enemy tanks moving along the road. The battery destroyed 6 enemy tanks with direct fire from three guns. Comrade Borisov is worthy of the Order of the Red Banner. A Red Army soldier, comrade Efim Balakar, was on guard guard at points in the city. At the time of the attack, he did not lose his head, occupied the bunker, installed a heavy machine gun, and for a day and a half repelled enemy attacks with machine gun fire and prevented him from crossing the San River. When the danger was over, he took the heavy machine gun and joined his regiment. Worthy of the Order of the Red Star.
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