The medal "For the Capture of Vienna" is awarded to servicemen of the Red Army, the Navy and the NKVD troops who directly participated in the assault and clearing of the German invaders of the capital of Austria - Vienna in March - April 1945.

Description of the medal for the Capture of Vienna

Dimensions 32 mm.
Brass materials.
Artist Zvorykina.
To whom is awarded all participants in the assault and capture of the capital of Austria.
Grounds for awarding Participation in the storming of Vienna.

The price of the medal for the capture of Vienna

To date, prices for the medal For the Capture of Vienna start at 3,000 rubles.
Price updated as of 03/27/2020

Awarded with the medal "For the Capture of Vienna"

The medal was established by the Decree of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces on June 9, 1945. The same Decree approved the description of the medal and its Regulations. Total medal "For the Capture of Vienna" awarded approximately 278,000 people.

Medal for the Capture of Vienna in the award system of the USSR

"For the capture of Vienna" medal of the USSR

The medal for the capture of Vienna was established along with other medals for the capture of the largest European cities, its development was carried out in connection with the decree of the head of the rear of the Red Army Khrulev, from the many works the project of the artist Zvorykina won. The assault on the capital of Austria took place from 03/16/1945 to 04/13/1945. As a result of the Vienna operation, the Reich lost control over Austrian industry in the Vienna region, and also lost one of the last sources of oil in the Nagykanizsa region, which by and large practically paralyzed the German motorized troops. Particularly distinguished parts were called "Viennese". The medal bears the inscription "for the capture of VIENNA" under the inscription a laurel branch, and above it a five-pointed star, the reverse is also decorated with a five-pointed star and the date "APRIL 13, 1945".

Description of other awards of the Second World War of the USSR: Medal for the defense of Sevastopol for the defense of the city of the hero of Sevastopol and a medal for the victory over Japan in honor of the final defeat of the last enemy in World War II.

Capture of Vienna

The capture of the capital of Austria - Vienna was one of the stages of the Vienna Offensive, the purpose of which was the final liberation of Hungary, the capture of the Nagykanizsa oil region and the Vienna industrial regions. The operation was carried out by the forces of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts, and involved the encirclement of the enemy in Vienna, and his destruction.

By the time of the offensive, the city was well prepared for a long-term defense, anti-tank ditches, anti-personnel and anti-tank barriers were dug in dangerous areas, firing points were equipped in all stone buildings in the city. To strengthen the defending group, the Hitlerite command created 4 separate regiments from the Vienna police, numbering about 6,000 people.

The first battles for the capture of Vienna broke out on April 5, 1945, but the fiercely defending German troops did not contribute to the rapid capture of the city. On April 7, 1945, the forces of the Ninth Guards Army, together with the Sixth Guards Tank Army of the USSR Armed Forces, overcame the mountain forest massif of the Vienna Woods, approaching Vienna from the west. As a result of fierce fighting, by April 10, the fascist group was tightly clamped on three sides, for the withdrawal of troops from the German command there was one surviving bridge - the "Imperial".

To capture the bridge, the command of the USSR army landed troops on April 11, 1945, but it did not succeed due to heavy enemy fire, and was forced to lie down, not reaching the bridge only 400 meters. In the current situation, the Soviet command decides on a simultaneous strike by all forces fighting for Vienna, in addition, another landing force is landed in the area of ​​​​the Imperial Bridge, consisting of the 21st Infantry Regiment.

As a result of this attack, by lunchtime on April 13, 1945, the city was cleared of enemy troops, the Imperial Bridge was mined, but the blow of the USSR troops was so swift that the Germans did not have time to blow it up. In order to mark all the fighters who fought for the liberation of the Austrian capital, a Medal "For the Capture of Vienna" established on June 9, 1945.

April 15 is the date marked by the end of the Vienna operation in the fight against the German army during the 2nd World War. This operation put an end to fascist tyranny in the lands of Austria, including in its heart - Vienna.

Reference. The Vienna operation (03/16/1945 - 04/15/1945) is a strategically important offensive action by the USSR army against the enemy army during the 2nd World War. The participants in this operation were the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts with the support of the 1st Army of Bulgaria. The main task of the operation was to destroy the invaders in the west of Hungary and the east of Austria. The main center of Austria was liberated on 04/13/1945.

Dear friends, this event inspired us to create a selection of photos.

1. Soviet army officers lay flowers. Burial of Austrian composer Strauss I. Central Cemetery, Vienna, 1945.

2. 6th Tank Army 9th Mechanization Corps 46th Tank Brigade 1st Battalion, Sherman armored vehicles. Vienna street, April 1945

3. 6th Tank Army 9th Mechanized Corps 46th Tank Brigade 1st Battalion, Sherman armored vehicles. Vienna street, April 1945

4. Vienna, April 1945. 3rd Ukrainian Front. Red Army soldiers in the struggle for the Imperial Bridge.

5. Presentation of awards to the Red Army soldiers who proved themselves in the battles for Vienna. 1945

6. The first to cross the Austrian border of the war were gunners of self-propelled guns guards. Colony Shonicheva V.S. on the boulevards of one of the settlements. 1945

7. Crossing the line by the Red Army. 1945

8. Allied armored vehicles in the vicinity of Vienna. 1945

9. Vienna, 1945. The team of the Sherman M4A-2 vehicle with the commander, who broke into the city first. On the left side - Nuru Idrisov (mechanic driver).

10. Vienna, center, 1945 Machine-gun detachment, battle on one of the boulevards.

11. Vienna, 1945 Red Army soldiers on one of the liberated streets.

12. Vienna, 1945 Red Army soldiers on one of the liberated streets.

13. The Red Army on the streets of liberated Vienna. 1945

14. Vienna Boulevard after the fighting, 1945

15. Main square. Vienna, 1945 Residents against the backdrop of the ruins of the church of St. Stephen.

16. Vienna, 1945 Victory celebration on one of the boulevards.

17. Outskirts of Vienna, armored vehicles of the USSR. April 1945

18. One of the alleys of Vienna, signalmen of the USSR. April 1945

20. The return of residents after the release of city streets. Vienna, April 1945

21. Cossack patrol. Vienna street, 1945

22. Celebrating the liberation of the city on one of the squares. Vienna, 1945

23. Soviet armored vehicles on the slopes of the mountains. Austria, 1945

24. Combat armored vehicles of the USSR on the slopes of the Austrian mountains. April 1945

25. Austria, 1945 Lieutenant Gukalov in the battle for the city.

26. Meeting of tenants with the liberators. Austria, 1945

27. Firing from mortars at enemy positions. Detachment of the Hero of the USSR Nekrasov. Austria, 1945

28. Conversation of sir-that Zaretsky P. with residents of Lekenhaus. 1945

29. A Soviet officer lays flowers at the grave of the Austrian composer Johann Strauss. Central cemetery. Vienna, 1945

30. A detachment of Red Army mortarmen move the 82-mm gun of the battalion. Vienna, 1945

31. Vienna. May 1945. The passage of the Danube Canal by the Red Army.

32. Soviet officers lay flowers at the grave of the Austrian composer Johann Strauss. Central cemetery. Vienna, 1945

33. Outskirts of Vienna. April 1945 USSR traffic controller Klimenko N.

34. Soviet officer at the grave of composer L. Beethovin. Central Cemetery, Vienna

35. The traffic controller of the USSR at the fork in the Vienna roads. May-August 1945

36. Military equipment of the USSR SU-76M on the streets of Vienna. Austria, 1945

37. Red Army mortars with regimental weapons. Winter Palace Hofburg. Vienna, 1945

38. Armored vehicles of the USSR M3A1 in combat. Vienna, April 1945

39. Soviet armored vehicle T-34. Vienna, 1945

40. The suicide of a fascist in Vienna right on the street, who had shot his family before that in fear of retribution for what he had done in April 1945.

41. Soviet girl regulates traffic on the streets of Vienna after liberation in May 1945.

42. Soviet girl regulates traffic on the streets of Vienna after liberation in May 1945.

43. Reich soldier who died in the battle for Vienna in the spring of 1945.

44. First Guards fur. frame. American "Sherman" in Vienna in the spring of 1945.

45. The horrors of war on the streets of Vienna after liberation in the spring of 1945.

46. ​​The horrors of war on the streets of Vienna after liberation in the spring of 1945.

47. Liberators on the streets of Vienna in May 1945. Foreground - seventy-six-millimeter gun ZiS-3.

48. Sherman tanks of the 1st Battalion of the 46th Guards Tank Brigade of the 9th Guards Mechanized Corps of the 6th Tank Army on the streets of Vienna. 04/09/1945

49. Combat boats of the Danube flotilla in the spring of forty-fifth in Austria.

50. Orchestra of Soviet troops in the village of Donnerskirchen, Austria, May 9, 1945. In the photo on the right, signalman and orchestra member Pershin N.I.

51. The Soviet division of T-34-85 tanks in the city of St. Pölten, Austria, in the victorious spring of forty-fifth.

52. Aircraft repair brigade of the 213th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment in Stockerau in Austria in 1945

53. A pair of medium armored vehicles Turan II40M of the Hungarian army, left by the retreating on the railway. stations near Vienna in March 1945.

54. In the photo, Hero of the Soviet Union, guardsman, Major General Kozak S. A. - commander of the 21st Guards Motorized Rifle Corps (years of life from 1902 to 1953). Next to him is S. F. Yeletskov, a colonel of the guard.

55. The long-awaited connection of two groups of troops of the USA and the USSR in the area of ​​​​the bridge over the Enns River in the spring of 1945 near the city of Liezen in Austria.

56. The long-awaited connection of two groups of troops of the USA and the USSR in the area of ​​​​the bridge over the Enns River in the spring of 1945 near the city of Liezen in Austria.

57. The offensive of our infantry, accompanied by English tanks "Valentine" in the vicinity of Vienna in April of the victorious forty-fifth year of the last century.

58. Soviet military against the background of the T-34-85 tank greet the American division of armored vehicles at the parade near the city of Linz on May 2, 1945.

59. Attack of the Austrian city by the troops of the Soviet Union and the US M3 Scout Car armored car in the victorious forty-fifth.

60. Soldiers of the Soviet troops at the post on the Austrian road from May to August 1945.

61. Guards Sergeant Zudin and his 120-mm mortar mortar fighters.

62. After the fall of the defense of Vienna, the soldiers-guards of the 80th division in the spring of 1945.

63. Monument to the Soviet soldiers-liberators of Vienna. Nowadays.

64. Monument to the Soviet soldiers-liberators of Vienna. Nowadays.

	Western Hungary and Eastern Austria
	USSR victory
Opponents
	Germany
Bulgaria
Commanders
F. I. Tolbukhin
R. Ya. Malinovsky	L. Rendulich
V. Stoichev
Side forces
410,000 men, 5,900 guns and mortars, 700 tanks and assault guns, 700 aircraft	Red Army: 644,700 men, 12,190 guns and mortars, 1,318 tanks and self-propelled guns, 984 aircraft Bulgarian troops: 100,900 men
130,000 prisoners, losses of the Wehrmacht, Luftwaffe, SS, Volksturm, police, Todt organization, Hitler Youth, Imperial Railways Service, Labor Service (700-1,200 thousand people in total) are unknown.	irrevocable 41 359 (including 2698 Bulgarian), sanitary 136 386 (including 7107 Bulgarian)

Strategic offensive operation of the Red Army against German troops during the Great Patriotic War. It was carried out from March 16 to April 15, 1945 by the troops of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts with the assistance of the 1st Bulgarian Army ( Bulgarian) with the aim of defeating German troops in western Hungary and eastern Austria.

Situation

The task of preparing and conducting an offensive operation to capture Vienna was assigned to the commanders of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts on February 17, 1945 in the directive of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command No. 11027. About a month was allotted to prepare the offensive. March 15 was determined as the start date for the operation. Soon the Soviet command became aware that the Wehrmacht was preparing a major counteroffensive in the area of ​​Lake Balaton. In this regard, the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front were ordered, while continuing preparations for the offensive, to temporarily go over to the defensive and wear down the enemy’s tank grouping on pre-prepared defensive lines. Then it was necessary to go on the offensive in the direction of Vienna. Subsequent events confirmed the correctness of the decision. The German offensive, which unfolded in the first half of March near Lake Balaton, was repelled by Soviet troops during the Balaton defensive operation. The goal set by the German high command was not achieved, but in the main direction the German troops managed to penetrate the Soviet defenses to a depth of 30 km. The front line formed as a result of the battle gave the Soviet command the opportunity to surround the wedged enemy tank grouping, and the serious losses suffered by the Wehrmacht changed the overall balance of forces in favor of the Red Army.

Operation plan

The plan of the operation provided for the main attack by the forces of the 4th and 9th Guards Armies from the area north of Szekesfehervar to the southwest in order to encircle the 6th SS Panzer Army. In the future, the main forces were supposed to develop an offensive in the direction of Papa, Sopron and further to the Hungarian-Austrian border, part of the forces to advance on Szombathely and Zalaegerszeg in order to cover the Nagykanizsa enemy grouping from the north. The 26th and 27th armies were supposed to launch an offensive later and contribute to the destruction of the enemy surrounded by that time. 57th and 1st Bulgarian ( Bulgarian) the armies operating on the left wing of the 3rd Ukrainian Front were to go on the offensive south of Lake Balaton with the task of defeating the opposing enemy and capturing the oil-bearing region with a center in the city of Nagykanizha.

The 46th Army of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, reinforced by the 6th Guards Tank Army and two breakthrough artillery divisions, was supposed to launch an offensive south of the Danube on March 17-18, together with the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, break up the opposing enemy grouping and develop the offensive in towards the city of Győr.

The composition and strength of the parties

the USSR

3rd Ukrainian Front (Commander Marshal of the Soviet Union F. I. Tolbukhin, Chief of Staff Colonel General S. P. Ivanov):

• 9th Guards Army (Colonel General V. V. Glagolev)
• 4th Guards Army (Lieutenant General N. D. Zakhvataev)
• 27th Army (Colonel General S. G. Trofimenko)
• 26th Army (Lieutenant General N. A. Hagen)
• 57th Army (Lieutenant General M. N. Sharokhin)
• 6th Guards Tank Army (Colonel-General of Tank Forces A. G. Kravchenko, transferred to the front on the evening of March 16)
• 1st Bulgarian Army ( Bulgarian) (Lieutenant General V. Stoichev)
• 17th Air Army (Colonel-General of Aviation V. A. Sudets)
• 1st Guards Mechanized Corps (Lieutenant General I. N. Russiyanov)
• 5th Guards Cavalry Corps (Lieutenant General S. I. Gorshkov)
• 23rd Tank Corps (Lieutenant General of the Tank Forces A. O. Akhmanov, transferred to the 2nd Ukrainian Front)
• 18th Tank Corps (Major General of Tank Troops P. D. Govorunenko)

Part of the forces of the 2nd Ukrainian Front (commander Marshal of the Soviet Union R. Ya. Malinovsky, chief of staff Colonel General M. V. Zakharov):

• 46th Army (Lieutenant General A.V. Petrushevsky)
• 2nd Guards Mechanized Corps (Lieutenant General K. V. Sviridov)
• 5th Air Army (Colonel-General of Aviation S. K. Goryunov)
• Danube Military Flotilla (Rear Admiral G. N. Kholostyakov)

18th Air Army (Chief Air Marshal A.E. Golovanov) Total: Red Army 644,700 people. 1st Bulgarian Army: 100,900 men, 12,190 guns and mortars, 1,318 tanks and self-propelled guns, 984 aircraft.

Germany

Part of the forces of the Army Group "South" (General of the Infantry O. Wehler, since April 7, Colonel General L. Rendulich):

• 6th SS Panzer Army (Colonel General of the SS Troops J. Dietrich)
• 6th Army (General of Tank Troops G. Balk)
• 2nd Panzer Army (General of Artillery M. Angelis)
• 3rd Hungarian Army (Colonel-General Gauser)

Part of the forces of Army Group F (Field Marshal M. von Weichs), from March 25 Army Group E (Colonel General A. Löhr)

Air support was provided by the 4th Air Fleet.

Total: 410,000 men, 5,900 guns and mortars, 700 tanks and assault guns, 700 aircraft

The course of hostilities

Fighting in the zone of the 3rd Ukrainian Front

On March 16, at 15:35, after an hour-long artillery preparation, the troops of the two Guards armies of the right wing of the 3rd Ukrainian Front went on the offensive. Sudden and powerful artillery fire stunned the enemy so that in some areas he initially offered no resistance. However, soon, having restored control of the troops and using favorable terrain conditions, the German command managed to organize resistance at intermediate defensive positions and stop the advance of the Soviet troops. Counterattacks were made in some areas. Before dusk, the troops of the shock group of the front managed to penetrate the German defenses only 3-7 km. To develop the offensive and strengthen the strike on the evening of March 16, the 6th Guards Tank Army was transferred to the front from the neighboring 2nd Ukrainian Front. While the tank corps were regrouping in a new direction, units of the 4th and 9th Guards Armies were fighting to overcome the tactical defense zone. German troops offered fierce resistance to the attackers. In order to prevent the encirclement of the main forces of the 6th SS Panzer Army, the German command began to strengthen the threatened direction with troops from other sectors.

Particularly intense battles flared up for Szekesfehervar, a powerful knot of resistance lying on the way to the flank and rear of the German tank group. By the end of March 18, Soviet troops managed to advance only to a depth of about 18 km and expand the breakthrough to 36 km along the front. By the same time, the 6th Guards Tank Army had concentrated in the designated area, having received from the commander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front the task of entering the gap and, together with the 27th Army, encircling the enemy's Balaton grouping. But the German command by that time had already transferred reinforcements to the combat area: three tank and one infantry divisions. The fighting flared up with renewed vigor. Nevertheless, the introduction of a large tank group into battle accelerated the offensive of the Red Army. During March 19, the troops of the 6th Guards Tank and 9th Guards Armies advanced another 6-8 km. On March 20, they were hit by the 27th and 26th armies. Under the threat of encirclement, the Wehrmacht command began to withdraw its troops from the ledge. By the end of March 22, a corridor about 2.5 km wide remained in his hands, along which units of the 6th SS Panzer Army hurriedly left under the fire of Soviet troops. Timely withdrawal and fierce resistance on the flanks allowed the German troops to avoid another catastrophe.

In the following days, the main forces of the 3rd Ukrainian Front started fighting at the turn of the Bakony mountain range. Soon, under the blows of the Red Army, the German command began to withdraw its troops to a pre-prepared line on the Raba River. Powerful defensive structures along the western bank of the river were supposed to stop the Soviet offensive. However, the rapid advance of the troops of the right wing of the 3rd Ukrainian Front did not allow this plan to be realized. Coming to the river, the Soviet divisions crossed it on the move and continued their offensive towards the Hungarian-Austrian border.

On March 23, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command approved a plan for further actions of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. The front was ordered by the main forces (4th, 9th guards and 6th guards tank armies) to develop an offensive to the north-west in the direction of Papa, Sopron. The 26th Army was to strike at Szombathely, and the 27th at Zalaegerszeg. The 57th and 1st Bulgarian armies received the task of capturing the Nagykanizha region no later than April 5-7.

In the battle near Veszprem, the tank battalion of the 46th Guards Tank Brigade under the command of Senior Lieutenant D.F. Loza knocked out and destroyed 22 enemy tanks. For skillful management of the battalion and courage, Senior Lieutenant D.F. Loza was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

On March 25, the 2nd Ukrainian Front began the Bratislava-Brno offensive operation, thereby depriving the commander of Army Group South of the opportunity to withdraw troops from the area north of the Danube to transfer them against the troops advancing on Vienna.

In order to hold the front south of Lake Balaton, the German command began to reinforce this sector with troops from Army Group E. In addition, the structure of command and control of troops was reorganized with the aim of its centralization. To do this, from March 25, the command of Army Group F was transferred to the commander of Army Group E, General A. Lehr.

On March 29, on the left wing of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, the 57th and 1st Bulgarian armies went on the offensive in the direction of Nagykanizha. To the north, along Lake Balaton, the 27th Army was advancing with the 18th Tank and 5th Guards Cavalry Corps. Its advance threatened the flank and rear of the 2nd German Panzer Army. In order to quickly seize the rich oil-bearing region of Nagykanizsa and save it from destruction, F.I. Tolbukhin on March 30 ordered the 5th Guards Cavalry Corps to advance there. The cavalrymen had to make a 70-kilometer raid through difficult terrain and go to the rear of the defending German group, thereby forcing it to withdraw. This maneuver paid off and soon the Soviet and Bulgarian troops captured the oil-bearing region with the center in the city of Nagykanizsa on the move.

On April 1, the directive of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command clarified the tasks for the offensive. The main forces of the 3rd Ukrainian Front were ordered to capture the capital of Austria and, no later than April 12-15, reach the Tulln, St. Polten, Neu-Lengbach line; The 26th, 27th, 57th and 1st Bulgarian armies - no later than April 10-12, liberate the cities of Glognitz, Bruk, Graz, Maribor from German troops and gain a foothold at the turn of the Mürz, Mur and Drava rivers.

In the first days of April, the offensive of the Soviet troops developed rapidly. The strike force of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, having captured the cities of Sopron, Wiener Neustadt and immediately broke through the fortifications on the Austro-Hungarian border, on April 4 reached the approaches to Vienna.

In connection with the defeat, the commander of Army Group South, General O. Wöhler, was removed from his post. Instead of him, General L. Rendulich was appointed, who was considered a major specialist in the conduct of defense.

Fighting in the zone of the 2nd Ukrainian Front

On the 2nd Ukrainian Front, the offensive in the direction of Vienna began on March 17. The forward detachments of the 46th Army advanced to a depth of 10 km during the day of fighting and reached the enemy's second line of defense. The next day, the main forces of the 46th Army crossed the Altal River and, overcoming stubborn resistance, began to move west. On the morning of March 19, to develop the offensive, the 2nd Guards Mechanized Corps was introduced into the battle, which the next day went to the Danube west of Tovarosh and covered a large enemy grouping from the south-west, numbering more than 17 thousand soldiers and officers. Surrounded were: the 96th and 711th German infantry divisions, the 23rd Hungarian infantry division, the Fegelein cavalry division and the 92nd motorized brigade.

From March 21 to March 25, the enemy command made many attempts to break through to the encircled troops. He almost succeeded on the evening of March 21, when a large group of German infantry, supported by 130 tanks and assault guns, struck from the Tarkani area. As a result, the units of the 18th Guards Rifle Corps, which were defending in this direction, were pushed back. There was a threat of a breakthrough of the outer front of the encirclement. To restore the situation, the Soviet command was forced to send two rifle divisions from the reserve into battle. The measures taken made it possible to stabilize the front. All subsequent attempts to break through the ring were also repulsed by the troops of the 46th Army in cooperation with the paratroopers of the Danube military flotilla. By the end of March 25, the Esztergom-Tovarosh grouping of the enemy was completely eliminated.

Simultaneously with the destruction of the encircled enemy, the 46th Army continued the offensive against Gyor with part of its forces. From March 26, the troops proceeded to pursue the enemy on the entire front and on March 28 captured the cities of Komar and Gyor, clearing the right bank of the Danube from the enemy to the mouth of the Raba River. On March 30, Komarno was taken. In the following days, the 46th Army reached the Hungarian-Austrian border, and then overcame it between the Danube and Lake Neusiedler See. On April 6, in the directive of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command No. 11063, the 46th Army was ordered to cross to the northern bank of the Danube to bypass Vienna from the north. The same task was assigned to the 2nd Guards Mechanized and 23rd Tank Corps. The Danube military flotilla did a great job of crossing troops: within three days it transported about 46 thousand people, 138 tanks and self-propelled guns, 743 guns and mortars, 542 vehicles, 2230 horses, 1032 tons of ammunition. Later, when trying to advance to Vienna, the army encountered stubborn resistance from the German troops. Fearing that the attackers would cut off the last road leading from Vienna, the Wehrmacht command took all measures to prevent this. The defense in this direction was strengthened by the transfer of reserves and additional units from the Austrian capital.

The allies in the anti-Hitler coalition made their contribution to the defeat of the Wehrmacht. In the second half of March 1945, Anglo-American aircraft launched a series of air strikes on important targets in southern Austria, western Hungary and southern Slovakia. A number of airfields, railway junctions, bridges and industrial facilities were bombed. According to the German command, some air raids caused significant damage to the production of fuel. On March 15, the diary of the Wehrmacht's High Command recorded: "As a result of air raids on oil refineries in Komarno, fuel production here ... decreased by 70 percent." And further: "... due to the fact that Army Groups South and Center have so far been supplied with fuel from Komarno, the consequences of air strikes will also affect operational decisions."

Assault on Vienna

The initial plan of the commander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, F.I. Tolbukhin, to capture Vienna was to deliver simultaneous strikes from three directions: from the southeast - by the forces of the 4th Guards Army and the 1st Guards Mechanized Corps, from the south and southwest - by the forces of the 6th Guards Tank Army with the 18th Tank Corps attached to it and part of the forces of the 9th Guards Army. The remaining part of the forces of the 9th Guards Army was to bypass the city from the west and cut off the enemy's escape routes.

The city itself and the approaches to it were prepared in advance for defense. Anti-tank ditches were dug out along the outer periphery of the city along the tank-prone areas, and anti-tank and anti-personnel barriers were installed. The streets of the city were crossed by numerous barricades, almost all stone buildings were adapted for long-term defense, firing points were equipped in windows, basements, and attics. All bridges were mined. The remnants of eight tank and one infantry divisions from the 6th SS Panzer Army, the personnel of the Vienna military school and up to 15 separate battalions were defending in the city. In addition, four regiments of 1,500 people each were formed by the Nazi command from the Vienna police to participate in street battles.

On April 5, Soviet troops began fighting on the southern and southeastern approaches to Vienna. From the very beginning, the fighting took on an exceptionally fierce character. The defenders offered stubborn resistance, often launching infantry and tank counterattacks. Therefore, on April 5, the 4th Guards Army, advancing on Vienna from the south, did not achieve much success. At the same time, the troops of the 38th Guards Rifle Corps of the 9th Guards Army, advancing southwest of the city, managed to advance 16-18 km. In the current situation, the commander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front decided to use the emerging success and transfer the 6th Guards Tank Army to this direction with the task of bypassing the city and attacking Vienna from the west and northwest.

On April 7, the main forces of the 9th Guards Army and formations of the 6th Guards Tank Army, having overcome the mountain forest massif of the Vienna Woods, reached the Danube. Now the defending troops were covered from three sides: east, south and west. The 46th Army of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, which crossed the Danube and advanced in a northwestern direction, was to complete the complete encirclement of the city. However, on the way to Vienna, the enemy offered her stubborn resistance. To avoid a new encirclement, the German command reinforced its troops operating against the 46th Army by transferring additional forces from the depths and even from the Austrian capital itself.

On April 8, fighting in the city flared up with renewed vigor. For every quarter, often for individual houses, there were fierce fights. During the day of fighting, the troops of the 4th and 9th Guards Armies advanced deep into the city, where they entered into tactical interaction. On the same day, the 1st Guards Mechanized Corps occupied Schweiner Garten in the southern part of the city. In the next two days, the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front continued to advance towards the city center with fighting. The fighting did not stop day or night. By the end of April 10, the enemy garrison was squeezed from three sides, continuing to resist only in the city center. In the current situation, the German command took all measures to keep the only unexploded bridge across the Danube - the Imperial Bridge, which allowed its remaining units to be brought to the northern bank of the river. The Soviet command, in turn, tried to capture the bridge in order to prevent the enemy from withdrawing. To do this, on April 11, in the area of ​​​​the bridge, the Danube military flotilla landed troops as part of a reinforced battalion of the 217th Guards Rifle Regiment. However, after the landing, the paratroopers met strong fire resistance and were forced to lie down, not reaching the target of 400 meters.

After analyzing the current situation, the Military Council of the front decided to conduct a simultaneous assault by all the forces participating in the battles for the city. Particular attention was paid to the suppression of German artillery before and during the assault. Corresponding tasks were assigned to the commander of the artillery of the front, Colonel-General of Artillery M.I. Nedelin and the commander of the 17th Air Army, Colonel-General of Aviation V.A. Sudts.

By the middle of the day on April 13, as a result of a well-prepared assault, Vienna was cleared of German troops. During the battle in the area of ​​​​the Imperial Bridge, the second landing was landed as part of a battalion of the 21st Guards Rifle Regiment of the 7th Guards Airborne Division. The bridge was mined by German troops, but the swift and bold actions of the paratroopers prevented the explosion. After the capture of the city, the commander of the 33rd Guards Rifle Corps, Lieutenant General Lebedenko N.F., was appointed military commandant of the city. Lieutenant General Lebedenko replaced Lieutenant General Blagodatov, who was the first commandant, as commandant of the city of Vienna.

Operation results

As a result of the Soviet offensive, a large enemy grouping was defeated. The troops of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts completed the liberation of Hungary, liberated the eastern regions of Austria with its capital, Vienna. Germany lost control over a large industrial center - the Vienna industrial region, as well as the economically important Nagykanizsa oil region. The beginning of the restoration of the Austrian statehood was laid. Hundreds of settlements were liberated during the offensive. Among them in Austria are the cities: Bruck, Wiener Neustadt, Glognitz, Korneuburg, Neunkirchen, Floridsdorf, Eisenstadt; in Hungary: Bögene, Vasvár, Veszprem, Devecher, Esztergom, Zalaegerszeg, Zirts, Kapuvar, Körmend, Köszeg, Kestel, Komarom, Magyarovar, Mor, Martsali, Nagybayom, Nagykanizsa, Nagyatad, Nesmey, Papa, Szekesfehervar, Szentgotthard, Szombathely, Felsjogalla (now part of the city of Tatabanya), Tata, Chorna, Churgo, Sharvar, Sopron, Enying.

Memory

50 units and formations that distinguished themselves in the battles for Vienna received the honorary title of "Viennese". The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR established the medal "For the Capture of Vienna". In August 1945, a monument to Soviet soldiers who died in the battles for the liberation of the country was erected on Schwarzenbergplatz in Vienna.

Losses

Germany

There is no exact data on the losses of German and Hungarian troops incurred in repelling the Soviet offensive on Vienna. It is known that in 30 days the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front and the 2nd Ukrainian Front, which at the same time was conducting an offensive in Czechoslovakia, captured more than 130,000 people, captured and destroyed over 1300 tanks and assault guns, 2250 field guns.

the USSR

The total losses of the Red Army during the operation amounted to 167,940 people, of which 38,661 people were irretrievable, as well as 600 tanks and self-propelled guns, 760 guns and mortars, 614 combat aircraft. Bulgarian troops lost 9805 people, of which 2698 people were irretrievably lost.

Vienna offensive operation, which was completed on April 13, 1945 liberation of the capital of Austria from the Wehrmacht, was one of the brilliant offensive operations that ended the Great Patriotic War. Therefore, at the same time it was both quite simple and incredibly heavy. These are the last, decisive battles.
Relative ease of capturing the Austrian capital , compared with other operations, was due to the fact that the Red Army had already worked out a scheme for the destruction of enemy groups. In addition, by April 1945, our troops already felt the proximity of the Victory, and it was impossible to stop them. Although it was especially difficult psychologically to fight at that time, people knew “a little more, a little more”, plus deadly fatigue.

It is clear that there was no easy walk : our total losses in this operation are 168 thousand people (of which more than 38 thousand people died). The Germans desperately resisted, but their forces were already undermined - before that, the Red Army and the Wehrmacht, in alliance with the Hungarian units, fought heavy battles in Hungary. Hitler ordered to keep the Hungarian oil fields at any cost - the battle for Budapest and the subsequent Balaton operation were among the bloodiest battles of the Great Patriotic War.

Our troops entered Hungary in October 1944 , having previously carried out the Belgorod operation, and only at the end of March 1945 did they reach Austria. The attitude of the population was also different, if the Hungarians for the most part supported the Nazis, were hostile to the Red Army, then the Austrians were neutral. Of course, they did not meet with flowers and bread and salt, but there was no hostility.
Preparing for the operation


By 1945 In the same year, both warring parties were already exhausted: morally and physically - soldiers and logisticians, economically - every country that took part in this bloody struggle. A surge of new energy appeared when the German counter-offensive near Lake Balaton was failed. The forces of the Red Army literally wedged themselves into the defense of the Nazis, which forced the Germans to quickly take measures to eliminate such a “hole”.

Main danger for them it was that if the Soviet troops were to gain a foothold on the new frontier, the capture of Hungary could be forgotten for a long time. And if this country is lost, Austria too will soon be under the control of the Russians. At this time, the fighters of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts face the task of defeating the Germans in the area of ​​Lake Balaton no later than March 16th. At the same time, the forces of the 3rd UV were to inflict a crushing blow on the enemy and by April 15th reach the Tulln, St. Polten, Neu-Lengbach line.
offensive resources

Since the liberation of Vienna high hopes were placed not only for the command, but also for ordinary soldiers, then preparations for the operation began immediately. The main blow was to be delivered by the fighters of the Third Ukrainian Front. Depressed, with many losses among people and equipment, they found the strength to prepare for the offensive. The replenishment of combat vehicles occurred not only due to the receipt of new copies, but also thanks to the soldiers who restored weapons as far as possible. At the time when the operation to liberate Vienna began, the arsenal of the 3rd Ukrainian Front included: 18 rifle divisions; about two hundred tanks and self-propelled guns (self-propelled artillery mounts); almost 4,000 guns and mortars.

Overall assessment of the operation

As already mentioned , we cannot unequivocally speak about the ease or complexity of actions. On the one hand, the liberation of Vienna in 1945 is one of the fastest and brightest operations. On the other hand, these are significant human and material losses. It is possible to say that the capture of the capital of Austria was simple, only with a discount to the fact that most of the other assaults were associated with significantly greater human losses. The almost instantaneous liberation of Vienna is also the result of the experience of the Soviet military, since they already had successful capture schemes. Do not forget about the special high spirits of our soldiers, which also played a significant role in the successful resolution of the struggle for the capital of Austria. The fighters felt both victory and mortal fatigue. But the understanding that each step forward is a direction to a quick return home lifted my spirits.

Tasks before the onset

Liberation of Vienna in fact, it dates back to February, when the option of cleaning up Hungary and then expelling the Nazis from Vienna began to be developed. The exact plan was ready by the middle of March, and already on the 26th of the same month, the Soviet offensive grouping (Russian and Romanian soldiers) was tasked with attacking and occupying the Veshi-Pozba line.

By the evening of that day the operation was only partially completed. In fierce battles, our army suffered many losses, but even with the onset of darkness, the fire did not stop. The very next day, the enemy was forced out across the Nitra River.
Red Army forces

Gradual promotion lasted until April 5 (it was on this day that the liberation of Vienna by Soviet troops began). At 7:00 a.m. that day, the attack on Bratislava began. The 25th Rifle Corps of the Red Army, the 27th Guards Tank Brigade, and the 2nd Romanian Tank Regiment took part in it. After a grueling battle, Bratislava was taken by the end of the day.

In parallel, the Soviet-Romanian troops they began to force the Morava River, however, unlike the capture of the city, the task was not completed in the same time frame. Until April 8, local battles were fought on this front, which prevented a relatively calm crossing to the other side. Already on April 9, the forcing was completed. At three o'clock in the afternoon, our troops were able to cross to the other side. The military was assembled in Zwerndorf, in order to connect with separate units of the 4th Guards Airborne Division a little later. 10 T-34 tanks, 5 aircraft, SU-76 and Romanian self-propelled guns and 15 tanks were also transferred here.

Forces for the defense of the capital of Austria

For the forces of the Red Army opposed by a fairly powerful German group. Thus, the liberation of Vienna in 1945 would have been possible subject to victory over:
* 8 tank and 1 infantry divisions;
* 15 infantry battalions for the Volkssturm (foot attack);
* the entire staff of the capital's military school;
* the police, from which 4 regiments were created (this is over 6,000 people).

Besides , do not forget about the advantage on the fascist side due to natural resources. The west of the city was covered by mountains, the eastern and northern sides were washed by the almost impassable Danube, and the Germans fortified the south with anti-tank ditches, various fortifications, pillboxes, trenches, and bunkers. Vienna itself was literally crammed with weapons hidden in the ruins, the streets were blocked by barricades, and ancient buildings served as a kind of bastions.
Capture plan

Assessing the situation objectively and realizing that the liberation of Vienna by the Soviet troops will not be the easiest, F.I. Tolbukhin plans to direct strikes from 3 sides, thereby creating panic among the command due to surprise. The three wings of the attack were to look like this: the 4th Guards Army, together with the 1st Guards Corps, hit the southeast. The southwestern side would be attacked by the 6th Guards Army along with the 18th TC. The West, as the only escape route, was cut off by the rest of the forces.

Thus , natural protection would turn into a death trap. It is also worth noting the attitude of the Soviet military to the values ​​of the city: it was planned to minimize the destruction in the capital. The plan was approved immediately. The capture of the position and the clearing of the city would have taken place at lightning speed, if not for the strongest resistance.
Storming of Vienna (April 5 - 13, 1945)


Assault on the capital of Austria was the final part of the Vienna offensive operation, which went from March 16 to April 15, 1945 by the forces of the 2nd (commander Marshal of the Soviet Union Rodion Malinovsky) and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts (commander Marshal of the Soviet Union Fyodor Tolbukhin) with the help of the 1st Bulgarian Army (Lieutenant General V. Stoichev). Its main goal was to defeat German troops in western Hungary and eastern Austria.

Our troops opposed part of the troops of Army Group "South" (commander General of the Infantry O. Wehler, from April 7, Colonel General L. Rendulich), part of the troops of Army Group "F" (commander Field Marshal M. von Weichs), from March 25 Army Group " E ”(commander Colonel General A. Lehr). The German high command attached great importance to the defense of the Vienna direction, planning to stop the Soviet troops on these lines and hold out in the mountainous and wooded regions of Austria, hoping to conclude a separate peace with England and the USA. However, on March 16 - April 4, Soviet forces broke through the German defenses, defeated the forces of Army Group South and reached the approaches to Vienna.

For the defense of the capital of Austria the German command created a fairly strong grouping of troops, in its composition the remnants of the 8th Panzer and 1st Infantry Divisions from the 6th SS Panzer Army, which retreated from the Lake Balaton area, were formed and about 15 separate infantry battalions and Volkssturm battalions. The entire composition of the Vienna military school was mobilized to defend Vienna, 4 regiments of 1.5 thousand people were created from the Vienna police. The natural conditions of the area around the city favored the German side. From the west, Vienna was covered by a mountain range, and from the northern and eastern sides by a powerful water barrier, the wide and abounding Danube. On the south side, on the outskirts of the city, the Germans created a powerful fortified area, which consisted of anti-tank ditches, a developed system of fortifications - trenches, pillboxes and bunkers. Ditches were dug in all tank-hazardous areas along the outer bypass of Vienna, anti-tank and anti-personnel barriers were installed.
significant portion the Germans prepared their artillery for direct fire, to strengthen the anti-tank defense of the city. Firing positions for artillery were equipped in parks, gardens, squares and city squares. In addition, in the destroyed houses of the city (from air strikes), guns and tanks were disguised, which were supposed to fire from an ambush. The streets of the city were blocked by numerous barricades, many stone buildings were adapted for long-term defense, becoming real bastions, firing points were equipped in their windows, attics, basements. All bridges in the city were mined. The German command planned to make the city an insurmountable obstacle in the way of the Red Army, an impregnable fortress.

Commander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front F.I. Tolbukhin planned to take the city with the help of 3 simultaneous strikes: from the southeast side - by the troops of the 4th Guards Army and the 1st Guards Mechanized Corps, from the south and southwest sides - by the troops of the 6th Guards Tank Army with a dowry to it in assistance to the 18th Tank Corps and part of the troops of the 9th Guards Army. The rest of the forces of the 9th Guards Army were to bypass Vienna from the west and cut off the Nazis' escape routes. At the same time, the Soviet command tried to prevent the destruction of the city during the assault.

April 5, 1945 Soviet troops began an operation to take Vienna from the southeast and south. At the same time, mobile formations, including tank and mechanized units, began to bypass the Austrian capital from the west. The enemy responded with fire and furious infantry counterattacks with reinforced tanks, trying to prevent the advance of Soviet troops into the city. Therefore, on the first day, despite the decisive actions of the Red Army troops, they failed to break the enemy’s resistance, progress was insignificant.
All next day - On April 6, there were fierce battles on the outskirts of the city. By the evening of that day, Soviet troops were able to reach the southern and western outskirts of the city and broke into the surrounding suburbs of Vienna. Stubborn fighting began already in the city. The forces of the 6th Guards Tank Army made a detour in the difficult conditions of the eastern spurs of the Alps and reached the western approaches to the city, and then to the southern bank of the Danube. The German group was surrounded on three sides.

Soviet command trying to prevent unnecessary civilian casualties, to preserve the beautiful city and its historical heritage, on April 5 he appealed to the population of the capital of Austria with an appeal to stay in their homes, on the ground and thereby help the Soviet soldiers, preventing the Nazis from destroying the city. Many Austrians, patriots of their city, responded to this call from the command of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, they helped the Soviet soldiers in their difficult struggle for the liberation of Vienna.

By the end of the day April 7 the forces of the right wing of the 3rd Ukrainian Front partly took the Viennese outskirts of Pressbaum and continued to move - to the east, north and west. On April 8, stubborn battles continued in the city itself, the Germans created new barricades, blockages, blocking roads, set mines, land mines, and transferred guns and mortars to dangerous directions. During April 9-10, Soviet forces continued to fight their way to the city center. The Wehrmacht offered especially stubborn resistance in the area of ​​​​the Imperial bridge across the Danube, this was due to the fact that if the Soviet troops had reached it, the entire German group in Vienna would have been completely surrounded. The Danube Flotilla landed troops to capture the Imperial Bridge, but heavy enemy fire stopped it 400 meters from the bridge. Only the second landing was able to capture the bridge without letting it blow up. By the end of April 10, the defending German group was completely surrounded, its last units offered resistance only in the city center.

On the night of April 11, our troops began to force the Danube Canal, there were final battles for Vienna. Having broken the resistance of the enemy in the central part of the capital and in the quarters that were located on the northern bank of the Danube Canal, the Soviet troops cut the enemy garrison into separate groups. The "cleansing" of the city began - by lunchtime on April 13, the city was completely liberated.
Operation results

- As a result of the onset Soviet troops in the Vienna offensive operation, a large Wehrmacht grouping was defeated. The forces of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts were able to complete the liberation of Hungary, occupied the eastern regions of Austria, along with its capital, Vienna. Berlin lost control over another major industrial center in Europe - the Vienna industrial region, including the economically important Nagykanizsa oil region. The road to Prague and Berlin was opened from the south. The USSR initiated the restoration of the statehood of Austria.

-Quick and selfless actions of the Red Army troops did not allow the Wehrmacht to destroy one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Soviet soldiers were able to prevent the explosion of the Imperial Bridge over the Danube River, as well as the destruction of many other valuable architectural structures that the Germans prepared for the explosion or were set on fire by Wehrmacht units during the retreat, including St. Stephen's Cathedral, and the Vienna City Hall and other structures.

- In honor of another brilliant victory Soviet troops April 13, 1945 at 21.00 in the capital of the USSR - Moscow was given a victorious salute with 24 artillery salvos from 324 guns.

- To commemorate this victory 50 military formations that distinguished themselves in the battle for Vienna received the honorary name "Viennese". In addition, the Soviet government established the medal "For the Capture of Vienna", which was awarded to all participants in the battles for the capital of Austria. In Vienna, in August 1945, a monument was erected on Schwarzenbergplatz in honor of the Soviet soldiers who died in the battles for the liberation of Austria.
Losses for Nazi Germany

As for the losses for Berlin , is the loss of control over the largest industrial center of Western Europe - the Vienna industrial region, as well as the battle for the Nagykanizsa oil field. Without it, nearby fuel plants were left without raw materials. Thus, German equipment lost its mobility, and the command was forced to withdraw it deep into the conquered territories, which allowed the Soviet troops to move forward quickly. Resistance was provided only by infantry formations, which could not give a serious rebuff to the enemy, being under artillery fire. There is a direct threat of the defeat of Germany, and, as a result, the surrender of the Nazi troops.

The behavior of the German command was deprived of honor and dignity. The soldiers showed themselves as a crowd of barbarians and vandals who destroyed the most beautiful and largest cathedrals in the city, and also tried to blow up the maximum number of monuments. And leaving the city, they mined the Imperial bridge. Remembrance and Celebration Since 1945, Vienna has been celebrating the Day of the Liberation of the city from German invaders on April 13 every year. On one of the streets, the Museum of the Liberation of Vienna was established. And on the day when the enemies left the city, 24 volleys from three hundred guns were fired in Moscow.

After some time, it was decided to establish a new award for the participants of these events - Medal "For the Liberation of Vienna" . Today, in addition to the museum, these fierce battles are reminiscent of the monument to the fallen soldiers on Schwarzenbergplatz, which was erected in the same 1945 at the very beginning of the restoration of the city and the whole country. It is made in the form of an evenly standing fighter. In one hand, the soldier holds a banner, the other he put on a shield in the form of the coat of arms of the USSR. Some details were painted yellow by modern masters. To commemorate this victory, 50 combat formations that distinguished themselves in the battle for Vienna were given the honorary name "Vienna".
Memoirs of Ivan Nikonovich Moshlyak , became a soldier of the Red Army in 1929. For thirty-eight years of service, he went from private to general. For heroism and courage shown in the battles on Lake Khasan, I.N. Moshlyak received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. During the Great Patriotic War, I.N. Moshlyak commanded the 62nd Guards Rifle Division. Under his command, the soldiers of the division participated in the crossing of the Dnieper, in the Korsun-Shevchenkovsky and Yassy-Kishinev operations, in the liberation from the Nazi invaders of Hungary and Austria. About all this - about the hard work of his headquarters, about the exploits of the fighters, commanders, political workers of the division - Major General I. N. Moshlyak tells in his book.

Liberation of Vienna


autumn When the division crossed the Danube without hindrance and began to rapidly advance to the northwest, it seemed to many of us that the enemy had been broken and was no longer capable of seriously resisting us. But life has shown the opposite. The closer our troops approached the borders of the Reich, the more stubborn the enemy's resistance became.
Within two weeks of coming the division was exhausted by swift marches and intense battles. But despite this, the offensive impulse of the troops increased every day, the morale of the guards was unusually high.
... There were warm April days . The sky is solid blue, not a cloud. At night it became cooler: snow from the nearby Eastern Alps made itself felt.
Departing from Sopron the enemy was pursued by two regiments of the division along two parallel roads. The 186th regiment had the task of preventing the Nazis from breaking away from us and organizing the defense of the town of Eisenstadt. The 182nd regiment was moving towards this town in a forced march, in a hurry to go around it and cut off the Germans' escape route. On the shoulders of the enemy, the regiment of Kolimbet broke into the first Austrian city that lay in its path and captured it. The enemy infantry regiment was defeated by a blow from the front and from the rear. More than three hundred German soldiers and officers were killed, up to two hundred Nazis, including the wounded, surrendered.
Inspired by the first successes on Austrian soil, the regiments of the division rushed forward. But the enemy had already managed to cover the approaches to Vienna with defensive lines.
On the path of the division there was a heavily fortified defense center - the town of Schwechat, which was a southern suburb of Vienna. After intensive artillery preparation, all three regiments attacked the enemy and penetrated his defenses for three kilometers. To the west of the breakthrough site was the town of Ebepfurt. I ordered Mogilevtsev and Kolymbet to bypass the city from the north and block all roads. Grozov's regiment advanced on the town from the east.
And now Kolymbet reported, that his regiment had captured the town of Werbach northeast of Ebepfurt with a fight. The enemy, sensing the threat of encirclement, began to retreat. By evening, Ebepfurt was in our hands.
...Ahead, on the heights , - the defensive contour of Schwechat, a suburb of Vienna. At eleven o'clock, after a powerful artillery preparation, the 186th and 182nd regiments - the first echelon of the division - with the support of a division of self-propelled guns, went on the offensive. Our artillery continued to bombard enemy positions, covering the attacking infantry with fire. The first and second trenches were taken after a short hand-to-hand fight. The opposing regiment of the 252nd German Infantry Division could not withstand the pressure of the guards and began to hastily retreat. In the afternoon, the regiments of Kolymbet and Grozov, having taken possession of several strongholds on the move, advanced eight kilometers, breaking through the enemy defenses to the full depth. The 7th Rifle Division, our right neighbor, was also successfully advancing.
Everything seemed to be going well. But by the end of the day, the Nazis pulled up the SS unit and counterattacked the 182nd regiment, pushing its right flank.
It was impossible to linger for a minute: enemy tanks could break through at the junction of the 182nd and 186th regiments. I had to throw into battle the regiment of Mogilevtsev, who was in the second echelon. And I so wanted to keep it fresh for the assault on Schwechat. At midnight, I learned: the 184th regiment stopped the enemy, in cooperation with the 186th regiment hit the Germans on the flank and forced them to retreat. During the night, all three regiments advanced seven kilometers and reached Schwechat.
In the morning I brought out the 184th regiment from the battle and ordered Mogilevtsev to make a deep detour maneuver, cut the roads north of the city, pull up artillery and hold the occupied line, thereby blocking the enemy's retreat.
The battle for Schwechat began in the morning. The city was surrounded by two lines of trenches, the houses were turned into firing points. Under the cover of tanks and self-propelled guns, the 182nd and 186th regiments went on the attack. The Germans fired intensely, especially in the sector of the 182nd regiment. The first two attempts to approach the enemy trenches failed. After a short fire raid, the 182nd regiment again launched an offensive. Major Danko personally led the attack of his battalion, and his fighters were the first to break into the trench.
Distinguished again in this fight - for the umpteenth time! - commander of the submachine gunners department Tretyakov. The fighters of his squad, having got out of the first trench, firing on the move from machine guns, quickly reached the second trench. Meanwhile, Private Voronets, sent forward by Tretyakov, crawled up to the bunker and threw a grenade into the embrasure. The gun was silent. The submachine gunners overcame the last ten meters to the second trench and drove the Germans out of there. Soon a platoon under the command of Lieutenant Mammadov and a platoon of anti-tank guns approached. The guards managed to capture a village not far from the outskirts of the city. However, the Germans counterattacked the village and surrounded the units that had pulled ahead. Mammadov ordered to take all-round defense.
And at this time the main forces of the regiment Having occupied the first trench, they came across a powerful defense unit that covered the city from the east. The advance stalled. I went to Grozov. When he arrived at the regiment's NP, Grozov reported that he had advanced the 3rd battalion around the defense center. But from the east, the road was covered by a trench with machine-gun nests. From the NP of the regiment it was visible how the companies, pinned down by the dense fire of machine guns and mortars, lay down.
Grozov, always calm and self-possessed, bit his lip . Without looking up from the stereo tube, he threw to the liaison officer: - Lieutenant Krapivinsky, quick!
"Familiar name" , I thought. A tall, ruddy lieutenant descended into the trench. Well, of course, the same one who was once guarded near Korsun-Shevchenkovsky by an elderly sergeant Ivanov. On the chest of the lieutenant were two stripes for wounds, the Order of the Patriotic War II degree and the Order of the Red Star. In Krapivinsky's face there was no longer that youthful roundness, and the fluff from the upper lip disappeared under the razor, only a blush and an embarrassed smile remained.
Introducing myself to me , the lieutenant reported to Grozov that he had arrived. The lieutenant colonel invited him to look through the stereo tube and, while he was looking, explained the situation to him in a nutshell. - Take a platoon of machine gunners, go to the rear of the enemy covering the road, and destroy him. The last reserve was put into action ... - Grozov sighed.
We soon saw how machine gunners led by Krapivinsky - he stood out for his height - went to the road and, firing from machine guns, threw grenades at the trench. Immediately the 3rd Battalion occupied the road and attacked the defense center from the rear, the 1st Battalion attacked from the front. Half an hour later, the Nazis, who were defending the stronghold, laid down their arms.
Department of Tretyakov, the artillery platoon and Mamedov's platoon, having taken up all-round defense, fought in the encirclement until they were released by Danko's battalion. By noon, the 182nd regiment broke into the eastern outskirts of Schwechat. At this time, the 184th regiment, bypassing the city, blocked the roads and set about creating a solid defense on the occupied line.
All day and all night the soldiers were hollowing out the unyielding dry earth. And at the dawn of the next day, enemy columns with tanks and self-propelled guns, departing from Schwechat and other towns under the blows of our and neighboring divisions, were forced to stop in front of the defensive positions of the regiment, which met them with destructive fire. Immediately the Nazis turned around in battle formation and attacked, trying to break through the regiment's defenses on the move. They failed. But the attacks of the enemy continued all day. The Germans threw into battle more and more tanks and armored personnel carriers with infantry. Despite the numerical superiority of the enemy, the guards held firm. Artillery hit the tanks with direct fire, scattered enemy infantry with rapid fire. Convinced that nothing could be achieved with frontal strikes, the next day the enemy began to cover the positions of the 184th regiment from the flanks and closed the encirclement around it. The guards took up a circular defense. They perfectly understood their task: to tie up enemy units in battle.
By the evening of the second day the besieged ran out of ammunition. Mogilevtsev decided to break out of the enemy ring with a fight. At night, with an unexpected attack, the regiment broke through the positions of the Nazis and left the encirclement. In the morning, the units of the regiment connected with the main forces of the division.

It was a sunny April day. Even in one tunic it was hot. Probably, larks are now ringing over arable land ... And from my NP I looked at the gentle heights occupied by the enemy, the river valley, the trembling haze over the fields. I was thinking about how to take the height with a mark of 220 without great losses. Its greenish-red hump stood out clearly against the blue sky. Last night I was summoned by the corps commander, General Kozak. The conversation began in a joking tone: - Do you want to see Vienna, Ivan Nikonovich? - Who doesn't want that? The whole army is dreaming. - So give yourself and the army such pleasure - tomorrow by nine zero-zero take a height of two hundred and twenty, behind it - Vienna. Then, leaving aside the jokes, General Kozak discussed with me questions of interaction with other units.
And now, glancing first at the height, then at the map, I decide the question: how? Gradually, clarity comes. The 184th regiment was to go around the ridge of heights at night and find itself at the northern foot of height 220. I discussed the plan for the upcoming battle with Mogilevtsev. We decided that Zubalov's battalion would be sent forward. It will have to start a bypass movement in the afternoon. The battalion set out in the afternoon. I was at the Mogilevtsev NP and was looking forward to the first messages. And finally, Zubalov at the radio. - He knocked the enemy out of the settlement, a village looms ahead, attacking ...
Battalion Zubalov one after another captured three more settlements along the way. The latter was located on the banks of the river. Retreating, the Germans rushed across the bridge. Zubalov instantly realized that the bridge was mined and would fly into the air as soon as the Germans were on the other side. Without wasting a second, the battalion commander gave the order to pursue the fleeing Nazis. Breaking into the enemy's position on the opposite bank, the sappers immediately cut off the wire and proceeded to demining. Leaving a barrier at the bridge, Zubalov led the battalion to a large village, which turned out to be an enemy stronghold. The appearance of our soldiers on the northern bank of the river was so unexpected, and their onslaught so swift, that the enemy fled. But further progress slowed down. The Nazis threw a company with two tanks at Zubalov's battalion. With four shots, the artillerymen knocked out both tanks, and the infantry retreated. An hour and a half later, an infantry battalion with a dozen tanks and self-propelled guns moved towards Zubalov's guards. The battle lasted until evening, and again the enemy retreated, leaving up to a hundred dead and wounded and four burning tanks on the battlefield. Soon the entire regiment came to the aid of the battalion. In the meantime, the 182nd and 186th regiments, knocking down enemy barriers, began to move up to the height from the front. By eight o'clock in the morning, Hill 220 was taken. From the captured height, a panorama of the Austrian capital opened before us. Heaps of sharp Gothic roofs, cathedral spiers, factory chimneys loomed in a light haze ... The Danube was blue on the right. Light bridges hunched over the canals. To capture Vienna, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command attracted the 46th Army of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, the 4th, 9th Guards Combined Arms and the 6th Guards Tank Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. The 9th and 6th Tank Guards Armies bypassed the city from the southwest and west, the 46th Army moved from the east and southeast. Our 4th Guards Army advanced from the south and southeast.
62nd Guards Rifle Division made its way to Vienna through a narrow valley between the spurs of the Eastern Alps and Lake Neusiedl. The 1st Guards Mechanized Corps and the 20th Guards Rifle Corps advanced alongside us. The assault groups of our division and neighboring formations, under the cover of tanks and self-propelled guns, rushed into the outlying streets of Vienna. Shooting, grenade explosions, shouts of "Hurray!" ...
Factory and factory buildings the Germans left quickly, because between them lay wastelands, inconvenient for defense. And in the narrow streets and alleys they offered strong resistance. An exception, perhaps, was the automobile plant. The Nazis sat behind the embankment of the railway in the basements of the factory building and fired from there with machine guns, preventing our assault groups from advancing. Major Pupkov, together with machine gunner Luzhansky, climbed onto the flat roof of a low house on this side of the embankment and saw bulky tanks near the factory building, similar to oil tanks. - Well, hit them! he shouted to Luzhansky. The machine gunner set the "maximum" and fired a burst at the tanks. Water splashed out of them. - Hit the tanks, - the battalion commander ordered the machine gunner, - we will drown the Nazis.
Assault squads Danko's battalion approached a tall building, on the second floor of which a German machine gunner sat down. He kept under fire two streets leading to the center.
Guardsmen decided to outwit the fascist. While the armor-piercer Kuliev was firing at the machine gunner, they climbed up the fire escape to the roof of the house.

70 years ago, on April 13, 1945, Soviet troops liberated the capital of Austria from Nazi invaders

The liberation of Vienna is one of the offensive operations ending the Great Patriotic War. It was part of the Vienna offensive operation of 1945, during which Soviet troops captured the capital of Austria, clearing it of Nazi troops. The operation lasted from 5 to 13 April 1945.

The Vienna offensive operation, which was completed on April 13, 1945 with the liberation of the capital of Austria from the Wehrmacht, was one of the brilliant offensive operations that ended the Great Patriotic War. Therefore, at the same time it was both quite simple and incredibly heavy. These are the last, decisive battles.

The relative ease of capturing the capital of Austria, in comparison with other operations, was due to the fact that the Red Army had already worked out a scheme for the destruction of enemy groups. In addition, by April 1945, our troops already felt the proximity of the Victory, and it was impossible to stop them. Although it was especially difficult psychologically to fight at that time, people knew “a little more, a little more”, plus deadly fatigue.

It is clear that there was no easy walk: our total losses in this operation were 168 thousand people (of which more than 38 thousand people died). The Germans desperately resisted, but their forces were already undermined - before that, the Red Army and the Wehrmacht, in alliance with the Hungarian units, fought heavy battles in Hungary. Hitler ordered to keep the Hungarian oil fields at any cost - the battle for Budapest and the subsequent Balaton operation were among the bloodiest battles of the Great Patriotic War. Our troops entered Hungary in October 1944, having previously carried out the Belgorod operation, and only at the end of March 1945 did they reach Austria. The attitude of the population was also different, if the Hungarians for the most part supported the Nazis, were hostile to the Red Army, then the Austrians were neutral. Of course, they did not meet with flowers and bread and salt, but there was no hostility.

Storming of Vienna (April 5 - 13, 1945)

The assault on the Austrian capital was the final part of the Vienna Offensive, which went from March 16 to April 15, 1945 by the forces of the 2nd (commander Marshal of the Soviet Union Rodion Malinovsky) and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts (commander Marshal of the Soviet Union Fyodor Tolbukhin) with the help of 1- th Bulgarian Army (Lieutenant General V. Stoichev). Its main goal was to defeat German troops in western Hungary and eastern Austria.

Our troops were opposed by part of the troops of Army Group South (commander General of the Infantry O. Wehler, from April 7, Colonel General L. Rendulich), part of the troops of Army Group F (commander Field Marshal M. von Weichs), from March 25 Army Group E (commanded by Colonel-General A. Lehr). The German high command attached great importance to the defense of the Vienna direction, planning to stop the Soviet troops on these lines and hold out in the mountainous and wooded regions of Austria, hoping to conclude a separate peace with England and the USA. However, on March 16 - April 4, Soviet forces broke through the German defenses, defeated the forces of Army Group South and reached the approaches to Vienna.

Soviet soldiers are fighting for the Imperial bridge in Vienna

For the defense of the Austrian capital, the German command created a fairly strong grouping of troops, in its composition the remnants of the 8th Panzer and 1st Infantry Divisions from the 6th SS Panzer Army, which had withdrawn from the Lake Balaton area, were formed and about 15 separate infantry battalions and Volkssturm battalions. The entire composition of the Vienna military school was mobilized to defend Vienna, 4 regiments of 1.5 thousand people were created from the Vienna police. The natural conditions of the area around the city favored the German side. From the west, Vienna was covered by a mountain range, and from the northern and eastern sides by a powerful water barrier, the wide and abundant Danube. On the south side, on the outskirts of the city, the Germans created a powerful fortified area, which consisted of anti-tank ditches, a developed system of fortifications - trenches, pillboxes and bunkers. Ditches were dug in all tank-hazardous areas along the outer bypass of Vienna, anti-tank and anti-personnel barriers were installed.

The Germans prepared a significant part of their artillery for direct fire, to strengthen the anti-tank defense of the city. Firing positions for artillery were equipped in parks, gardens, squares and city squares. In addition, in the destroyed houses of the city (from air strikes), guns and tanks were disguised, which were supposed to fire from an ambush. The streets of the city were blocked by numerous barricades, many stone buildings were adapted for long-term defense, becoming real bastions, firing points were equipped in their windows, attics, basements. All bridges in the city were mined. The German command planned to make the city an insurmountable obstacle in the way of the Red Army, an impregnable fortress.

The commander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, F.I. Tolbukhin, planned to take the city with the help of 3 simultaneous strikes: from the southeast side - by the troops of the 4th Guards Army and the 1st Guards Mechanized Corps, from the south and southwest sides - by troops 6th Guards Tank Army with the 18th Tank Corps and part of the 9th Guards Army attached to help it. The rest of the forces of the 9th Guards Army were to bypass Vienna from the west and cut off the Nazis' escape routes. At the same time, the Soviet command tried to prevent the destruction of the city during the assault.

On April 5, 1945, Soviet troops began an operation to take Vienna from the southeast and south. At the same time, mobile formations, including tank and mechanized units, began to bypass the Austrian capital from the west. The enemy responded with fire and furious infantry counterattacks with reinforced tanks, trying to prevent the advance of Soviet troops into the city. Therefore, on the first day, despite the decisive actions of the Red Army troops, they failed to break the enemy’s resistance, progress was insignificant.

The whole next day - April 6, there were fierce battles on the outskirts of the city. By the evening of that day, Soviet troops were able to reach the southern and western outskirts of the city and broke into the surrounding suburbs of Vienna. Stubborn fighting began already in the city. The forces of the 6th Guards Tank Army made a detour in the difficult conditions of the eastern spurs of the Alps and reached the western approaches to the city, and then to the southern bank of the Danube. The German group was surrounded on three sides.

The Soviet command, trying to prevent unnecessary civilian casualties, to preserve the beautiful city and its historical heritage, on April 5 appealed to the population of the Austrian capital to stay in their homes, on the ground and thereby help the Soviet soldiers, preventing the Nazis from destroying the city. Many Austrians, patriots of their city, responded to this call from the command of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, they helped the Soviet soldiers in their difficult struggle for the liberation of Vienna.

By the end of the day on April 7, the forces of the right wing of the 3rd Ukrainian Front partly took the Viennese outskirts of Pressbaum and continued to move - to the east, north and west. On April 8, stubborn battles continued in the city itself, the Germans created new barricades, blockages, blocking roads, set mines, land mines, and transferred guns and mortars to dangerous directions. During April 9-10, Soviet forces continued to fight their way to the city center. The Wehrmacht offered especially stubborn resistance in the area of ​​​​the Imperial bridge across the Danube, this was due to the fact that if the Soviet troops had reached it, the entire German group in Vienna would have been completely surrounded. The Danube Flotilla landed troops to capture the Imperial Bridge, but heavy enemy fire stopped it 400 meters from the bridge. Only the second landing was able to capture the bridge without letting it blow up. By the end of April 10, the defending German group was completely surrounded, its last units offered resistance only in the city center.

On the night of April 11, our troops began to cross the Danube Canal, the final battles for Vienna were underway. Having broken the resistance of the enemy in the central part of the capital and in the quarters that were located on the northern bank of the Danube Canal, the Soviet troops cut the enemy garrison into separate groups. The "cleansing" of the city began - by lunchtime on April 13, the city was completely liberated.

Light armored car BA-64 moves through the streets of Vienna

Operation results

As a result of the offensive of the Soviet troops in the Vienna Offensive Operation, a large Wehrmacht grouping was defeated. The forces of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts were able to complete the liberation of Hungary, occupied the eastern regions of Austria, along with its capital, Vienna. Berlin lost control over another major industrial center in Europe - the Vienna industrial region, including the economically important Nagykanizsa oil region. The road to Prague and Berlin was opened from the south. The USSR initiated the restoration of the statehood of Austria.

The quick and selfless actions of the Red Army did not allow the Wehrmacht to destroy one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Soviet soldiers were able to prevent the explosion of the Imperial Bridge over the Danube River, as well as the destruction of many other valuable architectural structures that the Germans prepared for the explosion or were set on fire by Wehrmacht units during the retreat, including St. Stephen's Cathedral, and the Vienna City Hall and other structures.