At the end of the Second World War there was a storm the Seelow Heights, located east of Berlin.This is truly a great battle showed incredible heroism and sacrifice many soldiers and officers of the Soviet Army at the time before the Great Victory was less than a month.
Seelow Heights - a ridge of hills, located 50-60 km to the east of Berlin, on the left bank of the Oder.Their length 20 and width - 10 km.They rise above the valley of the river not more than 50 m.
German fortifications
Seelow Heights in 1945 - is a deeply layered defense forces of Nazi Germany.They were military fortifications, was built almost 2 years.The main task of the German 9th Army is precisely to protect the Seelow Heights.
Fascist command created here the 2nd line of defense, consisting of ditches, trenches for the antitank and artillery, a large number of bunkers and machine-gun platforms and antipersonnel obstacles.Some buildings have served as reference points.Immediately prior to the heights of anti-tank ditch was dug with a width of 3.5, and the depth - 3 m. In addition, all the approaches to the defensive structures have been thoroughly mined, as well as cross-shoots small-arms and artillery fire.
9th German army, which protected the Seelow Heights, consisted of 14 infantry divisions had more than 2.5 thousand. Barrels of artillery and anti-aircraft guns and 600 tanks.
German defense
March 20 Heyndritsi general appointed to command Army Group "Vistula".He was considered one of the best experts on defensive tactics.He knew in advance that the Soviet Army will direct their main blow along the highway, not far from where were located the Seelow Heights.
Hendritsi did not strengthen the river bank.Instead, he used a prime location of heights through which the Oder.Floodplain has always been full of spring floods, so German engineers destroyed the first part of the dam, and then release the water upstream.Thus, the plain has turned into a swamp.Behind it are three lines of defense: first - the system of various fortifications, barricades and trenches;second - Seelow Heights, the battle for who will run from 16 to 19 April;third - line "Wotan", located in the 17-20 km behind the front line itself.
the beginning of the battle of the 56 German Panzer Corps had about 50 thousand. Man.After the battle in Berlin were able to break only 13-15 thousand. Soldiers, who later became the defenders of the Nazi capital.
Location of Soviet troops
April 9 has fallen Konigsberg - the last bastion of East Prussia.Then the 2nd Belorussian Front, commanded by Marshal Rokossovsky, took the eastern bank of the Oder.Then, for two weeks carried relocation of Soviet troops.Meanwhile, the 1st Belorussian Front concentrated his troops in front of heights.South, there are compounds of the 1st Ukrainian led by Marshal Konev.
total area of the Seelow Heights was 2.5 million people, more than 6 thousand. Soviet tanks, and here also included self-propelled artillery, 7.5 thousand. Airplanes, about 3 thousand. "Katyusha" and41 th. barrels of mortars and artillery.
Battle
16 April 1st Belorussian Front went on the offensive and crossed the first line of defense.By the evening of the same day he met with the strongest resistance to the Germans defending the Seelow Heights.The battle was very fierce.On the second line of defense had to come back-division opponent.The density of artillery on both sides of the main road that went along the heights reached about 200 guns per 1 km.
On the first day there was an attempt to accelerate the advance of the Soviet troops.What a fight were introduced two tank armies.But it did not bring the desired result.Mobile Connection and infantry were forced to engage in a grueling battle.It should be noted that almost all the tank battles of World were extremely violent and bloody.Only at the end of the day on April 17 after a powerful artillery barrage and air defenses on the main directions had been broken.
ring around Berlin
Now historians are trying to understand whether you need this bloody battle was properly entered and Marshal Zhukov, abandoning the easier path - the environment of Berlin.Those who hold views on the advisability of taking the German capital into the ring, why do not notice the obvious, namely quantitative and qualitative composition of the defense garrison town.German 9th and 4th Armored Army, occupy a favorable position on the Oder, there were about 200 thousand. Man.It was impossible to give them even the slightest opportunity to move to Berlin, and thus to become its defenders.
plan Zhukova
was invented ingenious in its simplicity plan.According to him, the tank armies were to take up positions on the outskirts of Berlin and form around something like a cocoon.His task was to prevent the strengthening of the garrison of the German capital at the expense of thousands of the 9th Army, as well as reserve forces that could come from the west.
The first stage entrance to the city was not planned.First, it was necessary to await the approach of the Soviet combined arms formations.Then the "cocoon" was open, and only then began to assault on Berlin.
unexpected turn Marshal Konev in the German capital, as noted by historians, led to some changes in the original plan Zhukova.Conceived "cocoon" has become a classic environment with the help of two adjacent flanks are a number of fronts.Almost all the forces of the 9th German army were trapped in a ring in the woods, located to the south-east of the capital.This is one of the biggest defeats of the fascist troops, is so unfairly left in the shadows storming of Berlin.
As a result, the capital of the Third Reich only protects members of the Hitler Youth, the remnants of the broken parts of the Oder and the police.In total there were no more than 100 thousand. Man.Such a number of advocates for the defense of a great city, as history has shown, it was not enough.
