Artillery and engineering units are understood, for example, as part of the 20th Army, two anti-aircraft artillery regiments, 3 anti-aircraft divisions, seventeen or sixteen separate guards mortar divisions (five divisions were supposed to receive 251, 331, 354 rifle divisions in support, one division each 8th Guards Rifle Corps and, apparently, 82nd Rifle Division). Engineer units of army subordination were represented by fifteen engineer-sapper battalions and two pontoon bridge battalions (separate 50, 291, 214, 127 engineer-sapper battalions, eleven engineer-sapper battalions as part of the 34th engineer brigade, 51 and 9 pontoon bridge battalions) . The head of artillery of the 20th Army in August 1942 was Colonel P.S. Semenov

The battles to defeat the main enemy forces defending the Sychev direction were to unfold in the area bounded by the rivers Derzha, Vazuza, Gzhat. A breakthrough in the zone of action of the troops of the 20th Army was planned to be carried out at a ten-kilometer line from Pogorely Gorodishche to Matyugino. The village of Pogoreloye Gorodishche was located just at the junction of the 20th and 31st armies and was part of the 20th army's zone of action. A breakthrough in the zone of action of units of the 31st Army was carried out at the turn from Kurkovo to Pogorely Gorodishche. On the left flank of the 31st Army, bordering on the left with the right-flank division (251st Rifle Division) of the 20th Army, the 88th Rifle Division was advancing. In the first echelon of the 20th Army, in the direction of the breakthrough, 251, 331, 354 rifle divisions were deployed from north to south, as well as the 26th Guards Rifle Division, 148th and 153rd Rifle Brigades from the 8th Guards Rifle Corps, 17th and 20th Tank Brigades. The 251st Rifle Division was previously part of the 31st Army of the Western Front. The sector occupied by this division was recognized as the most successful for breaking through the enemy defenses in the zone of operations of the 20th Army and the subsequent entry into the mobile group of the 20th Army that formed the breakthrough. Therefore, the division was transferred to the 20th Army. Just before the start of the offensive, its area of ​​​​combat operations decreased along the front, and the vacant place was occupied by other, just arrived, rifle formations. In the direction, which was planned as an auxiliary one, covering the main attack from the south, and then, already during the operation, pulled back large forces, the 150th rifle brigade from the 8th Guards Rifle Corps, the 82nd rifle division and the 40th rifle brigade were supposed to operate in the first echelon . The 312th and 415th Rifle Divisions were in the second echelon of the 20th Army. The mobile group of the 20th army concentrated on the right flank of the army. The 8th Tank Corps and the 2nd Guards Cavalry Corps of the Western Front's mobile group deployed in the 20th Army's zone of operations, the 6th Tank Corps in the 31st Army's zone of operations.

The operation was supposed to begin on July 28, 1942 for the Kalinin Front and on July 31 for the Western Front, but due to the onset of rains, the start of the operation was postponed.

On August 4, 1942, at 06:15, artillery preparation began the offensive of the 20th Army (commander Major General M.A. Reiter, Chief of Staff A.M. Sandalov) and 31st Army (commander Major General V.S. Polenov) of the Western Front ( Commander General of the Army G.K. Zhukov). The artillery preparation ended with a volley of 18 Katyusha divisions.

Fighting on the outskirts of the Vazuz creek in the Sychevsky direction

August 4 . The 251st Rifle Division occupied the regional center Pogoreloye Gorodishche. The defense here was held by 161 infantry divisions and 36 motorized divisions of the enemy. By 4 p.m., the mobile groups of the 20th and 31st armies crossed the Derzha River and entered the gap formed by rifle divisions. The tank brigades in the armies (17th, 20th tank brigades in the 20th army and 34th, 71st, 212th tank brigades in the 31st army) were supposed to support the infantry, and the mobile groups of the 20th and 31st armies, advancing on the lines of attack of their armies, had to complete breakthrough and capture the crossings over the Vazuza River. The 251st Rifle Division (commanded by Colonel B.B. Gorodovikov), the 331st Rifle Division (commanded by Colonel Berestov) and the 17th Tank Brigade, which supported the infantry of the 251st and 331st Rifle Divisions, launched an offensive towards the Vazuza River. The 251st Rifle Division advanced on the village of Ignatovo, and the 331st Rifle Division advanced on the villages of Pechory and Seltso. The offensive began successfully, but it was not possible to complete the assigned tasks. At 20:00, a front-line mobile group began to advance to the site of the breakthrough of the enemy's defenses on the Derzha River. The front mobile group, apparently, was supposed to enter into action already in the operational depth and, having captured Sychevka, cut off the Rzhev grouping of the enemy from the supply.

5th of August . By morning, the front-line mobile group reached the Derzha River. To the north of Pogorely Gorodishche, the 6th Tank Corps came out to the river, to the south - the 8th Tank Corps, and even further south - the 2nd Guards Cavalry Corps. On this day, the mobile group of the Western Front launched an offensive against Sychevka. By the end of August 5, the 6th Panzer Corps and the 8th Panzer Corps were supposed to capture the Gnezdilovo-Khlepen line and the crossings on the Vazuza River, which units of the 20th Army had not yet captured. The 2nd Guards Cavalry Corps was to advance to the river Gzhat. At the same time, the 6th and 8th tank corps were supposed to follow the advancing troops of the 20th Army, which had broken through the enemy defenses in the area of ​​Pogorely Gorodishche and were also striving to reach Vazuza. The advance of parts of the tank corps of the front mobile group took place along the same roads along which 251, 331 rifle divisions and the 17th tank brigade had already passed, and behind them the tank brigades of the army mobile group. Due to the heavy rains that were falling at that time, the roads were badly damaged by the passing troops, the vehicles got stuck in impassable mud, they were pulled out by tanks, the speed of the offensive was reduced.

At this time, the rifle divisions and the tank brigades supporting them reached the approaches to the Vazuza and entered into battle with the enemy troops, who were trying to prevent our troops from crossing the Vazuza. Later, units of the 6th and 8th tank corps came here and entered the battle on the move.

The troops received a directive from the Western Front, according to which the troops of the 31st and 20th armies were to reach the Vyazma-Rzhev railway by August 8. The 8th Panzer Corps was to advance on Sychevka through the village of Khlepen. The German command was alarmed by the situation and decided to launch a counterattack on our troops that had broken through. To do this, infantry and tank units began to arrive at Vazuz and at the Vyazma-Rzhev railway station north of Sychevka. From Sychevka through Khlepen, the 1st Panzer Division was supposed to counterattack, from Osuga through Bukontovo, the 5th Panzer Division. From Karmanovo, threatening the left flank of the advancing 20th Army, the 2nd Panzer Division operated. There was an oncoming tank battle. The literature mentions German units that were supposed to take part in this counterattack, operating from Sychevka through Khlepen - 6th Infantry Division and 1st Tank Division. During the fighting in the Rzhev-Vyazemsky ledge, the 6th Infantry Division was part of the 6th Army Corps for a long time and held the defense northeast of the city of Rzhev. On August 4, 1942, the third division of the 6th artillery regiment of this division was transferred to the Zubtsov area. On August 6, the cavalry squadron of the reconnaissance battalion of the 6th infantry division, according to the memoirs of division commander H. Grossman, was sent to guard the Vyazma-Rzhev railway section north of Osuga station. It is possible that among the prisoners captured in the Sychevsk direction, there were servicemen from these units, and our command considered that the main forces of the 6th Infantry Division were being transferred to this direction. It is possible that other units of the 6th Infantry Division also operated in the Sychevsk direction.

August 6 . The main forces of the 251st Rifle Division, the 8th Tank Corps, and the regiment of the 331st Rifle Division captured the village of Karamzino. The main forces of the 331st Rifle Division and the 17th Tank Brigade advanced on Istratovo. The regiment of the 251st rifle division and units of the 6th tank corps broke into Bukontovo and went to Vazuz.

August 7 . At night, one company of the 31st tank brigade from the 8th tank corps went to the crossing over the Vazuza near the village of Khlepen. The 251st, 331st, 354th Rifle Divisions, together with units of the Frontal Mobile Group, were to cross the Vazuza and advance on Sychevka. This association was headed by the Deputy Commander of the 20th Army, Lieutenant General A.A. Tyurin. The 331st Rifle Division and the 17th Tank Brigade launched an offensive from the village of Istratovo to the villages of Pechory and Seltso, and by evening they began fighting on the opposite bank of the Vazuza from Khlepnya. From Sandalov you can read: “... units of the 331st Rifle Division, with a bold throw into the ford of the Vazuzu River near Pechora and Seltso, and at 7 pm on August 7, started fighting for Khlepen and Klimovo. In the battles during the crossing of the river, the fighters of the 1103rd regiment of the 331st rifle division (commander Major Tatarchuk K.S.) fought heroically, and among the divisions of the regiment, the second battalion (commander captain Koptilov A.Kh.) showed special valor. As you know, there was no 1103 rifle regiment in the 331 rifle division. The 1103rd Rifle Regiment was part of the 328th Rifle Division, which fought on another (Transcaucasian) front. They were indeed commanded by Major Tatarchuk Kondrat Safronovych.

From the memoirs of a resident of the village of Podyablonka

In August 1942, a terrible rattle was heard from the direction of the villages located on the opposite bank. Only later, after the liberation of Khlepny, we found out that our and German tank units had clashed here. After that, the enemy retreated to the other side of the Vazuza, leaving a lot of heavy equipment on the eastern bank. The Germans built two pontoon bridges across the Vazuza near the village of Khlepen. After the retreat, these bridges were destroyed. The Vazuza River was small at that time, and before the war we crossed the ford at Khlepnya to the opposite bank, but in August 1942 it rained very heavily, the river overflowed heavily, and our tanks could not cross the river from the move. We knew that to the north Slapping our units crossed Vazuza and advanced to the village of Nikonovo. In the Khlepnya area, our infantry tried to cross the Vazuza on improvised watercraft, but without the support of tanks and artillery, it was doomed. The incident with our aircraft, which was shot down over this area of ​​​​combat operations, dates back to the same time. He did not reach the territory already occupied by our troops a little and sat down on the field between the villages of Aristovo and Podyablonka. I was an eyewitness to this and I remember that the plane had the inscription "Frunze". The Germans tried to capture the pilot, who was alive. Our pilot, firing back, ran to the village of Holm. Whether he made it to the front line, I don't know.

From the memoirs of a resident of the village Khlepen

In August, the river prevented our people from liberating us. The river then was not the same as it is now. The rains passed, the rivers overflowed, and ours could not cross. When the Germans retreated from across the river, they crossed as best they could. Those who could swim, of course, swam, but many drowned. The Germans did not build bridges across the Vazuza, that's for sure. Both cars and tanks crossed the ford. A rope was also stretched across the river, fixed on our bank and on the opposite bank, and some kind of box was tied to the rope. One or two people were placed in a box. The man in the box turned some kind of handle, and the box was transported across the river by a rope. The Germans then dug a trench along our bank. Until December, the Germans held the defense here.

From the memoirs of a resident of the village of Novoselovo, Kalinin (now Tver) region

In August 1942 our village was liberated from the Germans. Our troops advanced quickly and the retreating enemy soldiers used everything that could swim to cross to the other side. I remember how one German soldier swam to the other side with the help of a wooden chest.

8 August . The fighting to cross the Vazuza continues.

August 9 . This day is considered decisive in the oncoming tank battle. According to historians, on this day, up to 800 tanks participated in it from our side, up to 700 tanks from the German side.

A particularly difficult situation developed in the Karmanovsky direction. There, the enemy attacked with the forces of four divisions - 2 tank, 36 motorized, 78 and 342 infantry. The appearance of a strong enemy grouping in the Karmanov area threatened the left flank of the 20th Army. This also made it difficult to carry out an offensive operation with the participation of the 5th and 33rd armies located to the left. At the end of August 9, the command of the Western Front decided to reinforce the troops advancing in the Karmanov direction in order to defeat the enemy grouping that was opposing there. The 8th tank corps from the front mobile group was also transferred to this direction, which was transferred to the 20th army. He was ordered to concentrate on August 10 near the village of Podberezki and, together with units of the 8th Guards Rifle Corps (commander Major General F.D. Zakharov), strike at the left flank of the enemy’s Karmanov group and liberate the regional center of Karmanovo.

August 10. At night, units of the 8th Panzer Corps handed over their area of ​​operations in the area of ​​the villages of Ignatovo - Golyakovo to units of the 251st Rifle Division, and they themselves began to advance to the area of ​​the village of Karmanovo. The enemy on this day went over to the defensive and began to rapidly strengthen the line of defense.

Over the next three days, the 6th tank corps and 251st rifle divisions advanced in the Sychevsky direction. The 331st and 354th rifle divisions entrenched themselves on the achieved lines.

August 13 . The enemy struck from the area of ​​​​the villages of Vishnakovo (or Vishnevka?) and Kholm-Rogachevsky on the positions of the 88th Infantry Division, located on the left flank of the 31st Army. Its parts were forced to leave the villages of Gardens and Vasilki. The 2nd Guards Cavalry Corps and the 6th Tank Corps were transferred to the 20th Army after the 8th Tank Corps. 6th Panzer Corps and 251st Rifle Divisions were now advancing both to the west and to the southwest. The offensive battles of our troops here continued until August 18.

August 19 – 22 . The enemy launched new counterattacks against the 6th Panzer Corps, 251st, 331st, 354th Rifle Divisions.

August 23 . The 31st Army liberated the city of Zubtsov, and units of the 20th Army, in cooperation with units of the 5th Army, liberated the village of Karmanovo.

This ended the Rzhev-Sychevskaya offensive operation. She did not achieve all her goals, but three regional centers were liberated, and great damage was inflicted on the enemy. The enemy was forced to bring into battle three tank and several infantry divisions destined for the transfer to Stalingrad. It was an operation that proved that our troops could carry out offensive operations in the summer as well.

31st Army(31 A), from July 15, 1941 to May 11, 1945 - an operational military association (Army) as part of the Armed Forces of the USSR during the Great Patriotic War.

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Formation

The Directorate of the 31st Army was formed on July 15, 1941 in the Moscow Military District. The task of the 31st Army was to create a defensive line along the Ostashkov - Selizharovo - Rzhev line. From the north, the defense line bordered on the line of the 27th Army, from the south - the 49th Army.

The initial combat composition of the 31st Army included:

Five days later, the 119th rifle and 110th tank divisions, the 644th corps artillery regiment, the 533rd and 766th anti-tank artillery regiments and the 2nd naval artillery batteries were added to it.

On July 30, 1941, the army was transferred to the Reserve Front and the line of defense was shifted to the Ostashkov-Yeltsy-Tishina line.

The composition of the army is often changed - the 244th and 246th rifle divisions are reassigned, and the 110th tank division is disbanded into separate tank brigades. Instead, they introduce the 5th Rifle Division and the 4th Division of the People's Militia in Moscow.

• control
• 110th Rifle Division (formerly 4th Rifle Division)
• 296 opab (formed according to the staff of NPO No. 09/4)
• 297 opab (formed according to the staff of NPO No. 09/4)
• 9 aPTObr
• 43 cap
• 766 aPTO
• 873 aPTO
• sound intelligence battery

fighting

1941

The army received its baptism of fire on October 2, when the German troops launched an offensive in the direction of Rzhev. By order of October 6, a task force was formed from army units led by Major General Polenov Vitaly Sergeevich with the assistance of the task force Lieutenant General Boldin Ivan Vasilyevich, the purpose of which was to interrupt the enemy’s attack on Volokolamsk and Rzhev. On October 7, having stopped the offensive of the 3rd tank group of Germans, with a counterattack she threw them back and took up defense along the line Zhuravlyovo - Bolshoye Yakovtsevo - Ivashkovo, created a corridor for the retreating units of the Soviet troops, which poured into the task force.

On October 10, the tank group made its way to Sychevka, and by order of the commander, the task force began to retreat to Rzhev in the evening.

The army was squeezed on both sides by enemy troops (from the south - the 3rd Panzer Group; from the north - the 9th Army), which made their way to the city of Rzhev. With heavy fighting and unsuccessful attempts to gain a foothold in the defense, the army retreated to the east. Some of the military personnel retreated without permission, but were detained by detachments.

The formations of the army began to be transferred to the 29th Army, and on October 12, the control of the 31st Army was transferred to the reserve of the Western Front.

On October 17, a decision was made to restore the army as part of the Kalinin Front. Vasily Aleksandrovich Yushkevich took command of the army.

The troops managed to divert large enemy forces onto themselves, which prevented the liberation of the city, but pulled significant forces away from Moscow.

On November 17, another rifle division, the 256th, entered the army.

Order of the commander of the Kalinin Front to the commanders of the 29th, 31st, 30th and 22nd armies on the transition of the front troops to the offensive in order to defeat the enemy's Kalinin grouping. The 20th of October

…2. The troops of the Kalinin Front ... with the main forces to surround and destroy the enemy grouping in the Kalinin area, between the Volga River and the Moscow Sea, and by the end of October 21, capture the city of Kalinin, prevent the enemy from regrouping for an offensive to the southeast, to Moscow. The beginning of the general offensive - 21.10 at 11.00.

…5. The 31st Army (119th, 133rd Rifle Division, 8th Tank Brigade, motorized brigade) advance from the northwest and from the north to Kalinin and, in cooperation with 30A, by the end of October 21st, capture the northwest. and southern part of the city of Kalinin. ... Front Commander Colonel General Konev

On December 5, the Kalinin offensive operation began with the forces of the Kalinin Front. Overcoming the stubborn resistance of the enemy, who repeatedly turned into counterattacks, by the end of December 15, troops 29 and 31A had covered both flanks of the Kalinin enemy grouping, and on December 16, the city of Kalinin was liberated.

Given the favorable situation, the Stavka demanded that the commanders expand the offensive lines.

1942

From January 8 to April 20, 1942, she participated in the Rzhev-Vyazemsky offensive operation. On April 20, the army went on the defensive east of Zubtsov.

From July 23, 1942, the army became part of the Western Front and participated in the Rzhev-Sychevsk offensive operation from July 30 to August 23.

On August 23, the 31st Army liberated the city of Zubtsov.

From November 25 to December 20, 1942, she participated in Operation Mars (Second Rzhev-Sychev Operation).

1943

During the day, the army liberates 138 settlements and by March 19 reaches the line of the villages of Yemelyanovo - Pleshcheyevo - Bezmenovo - Zhevlaki.

On March 22, units of the 31st Army tried to continue the offensive in the direction of Safonovo and Yartsevo, but they did not advance beyond the first trenches. At the end of March, it was decided to stop the general offensive and go on the defensive.

On August 7, the offensive of the army troops began during Operation Suvorov. The main forces (36th and 45th rifle corps) entered the battle on August 8, but advanced only 4 km in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bRybok and the Vedosa river. Immediately had to beat off multiple enemy counterattacks. Troop advance was minimal. On August 11, the Moscow-Minsk motorway was not even reached.

On August 16, after the regrouping of troops, the offensive was resumed, but they advanced no more than half a kilometer. Heavy fighting continued for several more days, and on August 20, the offensive was again suspended by order.

The offensive in the sector of the 31st Army resumed on August 30. During the day, the attackers advanced 300-500 meters, and at night the Nazis began to withdraw troops (retreating, the enemy tried to gain a foothold at intermediate lines, but the army troops pursued him, knocked him down from the lines, turning the withdrawal of troops into flight). The pursuit began on August 31 at dawn with the crossing of the Vopets River.

By evening, the troops liberated 90 settlements, including the village of Safonovo.

After a week of retreat, the Nazis managed to gain a foothold at the turn of the Yartsevo - the Vop River, and on September 7, the army troops temporarily went on the defensive. On September 15, the offensive resumed, Vop was forced, and on September 16, the city of Yartsevo was liberated, then, together with the 68th and 5th armies, the troops of the 31st Army captured Smolensk (September 25).

1944

In February - March, she participated in the Vitebsk operation. As part of the 3rd Belorussian Front, he takes part in the Belorussian and Gumbinnen offensive operations.

The main role in the liquidation of the Minsk "boiler" was played by the 31st and 33rd armies. Here is what the commander of the 2nd Belorussian Front, Army General Zakharov, wrote about the first days of liquidation: [ ]

The liquidation of the encircled scattered enemy groups is proceeding outrageously slowly and disorganized. As a result of the lack of initiative and indecisive activity of the army commanders, the enemy, in search of a way out, rushes from side to side, attacks the headquarters of corps and armies, warehouses, convoys, thereby disrupting the uninterrupted operation of the rear and control.

As a result, the 49th and 50th armies were ordered to allocate five divisions to fight the encircled enemy, and the rest of the units to bypass the German groups from the north and south, dismember them and destroy them in the forests north and northeast of Volm.

The liquidation took place, conditionally, in three stages:

• July 5-7 - the dismemberment of the group and the suppression of attempts at an organized breakthrough from the ring (the enemy suffered significant damage. His troops, after the surrender of General Muller, broke up into several groups and were disorganized. The lack of ammunition and fuel forced them to abandon equipment and artillery. Each the group tried to get out of the ring on their own);
• July 8-9 - the defeat of disparate groups hiding in the forests southeast of Minsk and trying to seep through the battle formations of the Soviet troops;
• July 10-13 - Soviet troops combed the forests, catching small groups of the enemy.

In the last days of the summer of 1944, the troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front and, in their composition, the 31st Army, reached the approaches to the borders of East Prussia.

For example, a false concentration of troops of the 11th Guards Army on secondary sectors of the front was imitated, and the appearance of a regrouping of units in the zone of the 31st Army was created.

1945

In early April, the army was withdrawn to the reserve of the front, then transferred to the 1st Ukrainian Front and participated in the Prague operation in 1945 as part of it.

During the war years, for courage, heroism and high military skill, tens of thousands of 31A soldiers were awarded orders and medals, and 32 of them were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Many of its formations and units were awarded orders and honorary titles.

Disbanded in early September 1945

Command staff

Army reports on combat and strength

Kalinin offensive operation (from 12/5/1941) Fighting in the Staritsky direction (12/17/1941 - 01/07/1942)

256 sd, 247 sd, 250 sd, 119 sd, 359 sd, 262 sd, 5 sd, 359 sd, 54 cd, 46 cd,
56 ap, 510 gap, two separate divisions of rocket launchers.

• Rzhev-Vyazemskaya strategic offensive operation (01/08/1942-04/20/1942)

Fighting at the turn of the river. holding . (7.01.1942 - late 07.1942)

From 01/07/1942 the army was reduced to three divisions - 5th Rifle Division, 247th Rifle Division, 250th Rifle Division.

On March 8, 1942

On April 4, 1942

• Rzhev-Sychevskaya offensive operation (07/30/1942 - 08/23/1942)

20 Guards Rifle Division, 88 Rifle Division, 118 Rifle Division, 164 Rifle Division, 239 Rifle Division, 247 Rifle Division, 336 Rifle Division,
six separate tank brigades 34 brigades, 71 brigades, 92 brigades, 101 brigades, 145 brigades, 212 brigades,
nine artillery regiments, two mortar regiments, six separate divisions of BM-13 rocket launchers,
eight separate divisions of BM-31 rocket launchers, a separate anti-aircraft division,
eight separate engineer battalions, an anti-tank destroyer regiment.

• Rzhev-Sychevskaya offensive operation (Operation "Mars") (11/25/1942 - 12/20/1942)

88 sd, 118 sd, 133 sd, 239 sd, 246 sd, 336 sd, 354 sd (in 20A to 1.12.42), 371 sd,
20 gvsd (in 20A by 1.12.42),
two tank brigades - 32 brigade, 145 brigade (from 20A to 1.12.42),
five artillery regiments - 74 gvap, 75 gvap, 392 popes, 644 popes, 1165 popes,
four anti-tank regiments - 6 ptap, 680 ptap, 869 ptap, 873 ptap,
213th separate anti-tank battalion,
two mortar regiments and two mortar battalions - 112 minp, 40 gvminp, 13 gvminb, 67th separate guards heavy mortar battalion,
two anti-aircraft regiments - 1269 zenap, 1270 zenap,
614th separate anti-aircraft battalion,
three separate engineering and sapper battalions - 72 oib, 113 oib, 738th separate mine and sapper battalion.

• Rzhev-Vyazemskaya offensive operation (02.1943 - 03.31.1943)

30 Guards Rifle Division, 88 Rifle Division, 118 Rifle Division, 133 Rifle Division, 251 Rifle Division, 371 Rifle Brigade,
21st division of armored trains, artillery and engineering units,
from 2.03.1943 6th and 20th separate airborne battalions,
from 03/09/1943 42 gvsd,
from 03/13/1943 82 sd, 331 sd, 18th tank brigade.

• Smolensk strategic offensive operation (Operation Suvorov) (08/07/1943 - 10/02/1943)

36 sk - 215 sd, 274 sd, 359 sd, 549 mortar regiment, 873 anti-tank regiment,
36th and 156th separate companies of high-explosive flamethrowers,
45 sk - 331 sd, 88 sd, 220 sd, 646 ap, 41 companies of high-explosive flamethrowers,
71 sk - 251 sd, 133 sd, 82 sd, army ski battalion, 205th company of high-explosive flamethrowers,
42nd Guards Brigade, 2nd Guards Motorcycle Regiment,
other artillery units - the 529th army anti-tank regiment, 542 iptap, 644 paps, 392 caps,
1478 zenap, 341 zenap, 525 back, 28 gvmindn, 201 gvmindn,
engineering units - 90th army pontoon-bridge battalion, 51 opmb, 72nd army engineering battalion, 291 aib.
During the operation, there were regroupings of military units.
After the liberation of Yartsevo, the 152nd fortified area became part of the army.

• Offensive operation in the Orsha direction (10/12/1943 - 12/2/1943)

Offensive operation of the 31st Army in the Babinovichi area (02/22/1943 - 02/27/1943)

36 sc, 71 sc,
army and corps artillery and engineering units.

• Belarusian strategic offensive operation (Operation "Bagration") (06/23/1944 - 08/29/1944)

36 sc - 220 sd, 352 sd,
71 sc - 88 sd, 192 sd, 331 sd,
113 sc - 62 sd, 174 sd,
173 sd of army subordination,
artillery units - 140 pabr, 392 kpap, 570 kpap, 83 gvgap, 43 iptabr, 529 iptap, 549 minp, 74 gvminp,
2 ovpdaan (separate aeronautical division of artillery observation balloons),
66 zenads (1981, 1985, 1989, 1993 zenap), 1275 zenap, 1478 zenap, 525 back,
armored and mechanized units - 213 brigade, 926 sap, 927 sap, 959 sap, 1445 sap, 52nd separate division of armored trains,
engineering units - 31st engineer-sapper brigade, 90th pontoon-bridge battalion,
flamethrower battalions - 14 oob, 15 oob.

• Gumbinnen-Goldap offensive operation (10/16/1944 - 10/30/1944)

71 sc - 88 sd, 62 sd, 331 sd,
36 sc - 352 sd, 173 sd, 174 sd,
220 sd in the army reserve,
140 pabr, 549 minp, 529 iptap, 74 gvminp (rocket launchers), four regiments of self-propelled artillery (sap),
other artillery and engineering units.

• East Prussian strategic offensive operation (01/13/1945 - 04/25/1945)

From 01/29/1945,
44 sc - 62 sd, 174 sd, 331 sd,
71 sc - 54 sd, 88 sd, 220 sd,
152nd fortified area (until February 11, 1945), 140 pabr, 513 tp, 337 sap, 926 sap, 959 sap, 529 iptap,
other divisions.

From 02/06/1945 to 02/12/1945 the army was reinforced with 32 Guards Rifle Division, 334 Rifle Division, 153 Tank Brigade, 1490 SAP

From 02/12/1945,
71 sc - 54 sd, 88 sd, 331 sd,
44 sc - 174 sd, 62 sd, 220 sd,
artillery units - 140 pabr, 62 gvminp, 42 gvminp, 74 gvminp, 549 minp, 529 iptap, 23 iptabr, 46 iptabr, 14 iptabr, 35 iptabr,
flamethrower battalions - 13 oob, 14 oob, 15 oob,
self-propelled artillery regiments - 337 sap, 959 sap, 926 sap,
engineer sapper battalions - 11 isb, 202 isb, 204 isb, 19 assault engineer battalion,
2nd Guards Motorcycle Regiment.

• Relocation to the 1st Ukrainian Front (04/2/1945 - 04/20/1945)
• Berlin strategic offensive operation (04/16/1945 - 05/09/1945)
• Prague Strategic Offensive Operation (05/06/1945 - 05/11/1945)

71 sc - 54 sd, 88 sd, 331 sd,
44 sc - 62 sd, 174 sd, 220 sd,
36 sc - 173 sd, 176 sd, 352 sd,
140 pabr, 549 minp, 51 paws, 926 sap, 529 iptap, 357 iptap,
other divisions.

In August 1942, a little-known but strategically important military operation took place. It was called the Pogorelo-Gorodishenskaya operation.

In the post-Stalinist USSR, they tried not to mention it too much, and there are few essays and works on it left.

The most detailed essay, perhaps the only one, was left by General Leonid Sandalov.

Leonid Sandalov left an essay on a unique military operation of the Red Army

The situation before the operation

In mid-1942, the war took on an ambiguous character.

The front of the Red Army in the south (Timoshenko, Khrushchev) collapsed and retreated to the Volga, the front in the north (Khozin Govorov) confidently held the defense.

And the fronts in the center (Konev, Purkarev, Zhukov) not only defended themselves. But he also carried out offensive operations.

The actions of the Soviet troops took on the character of a methodical "gnawing" defense in depth.

Rifle divisions advanced slowly at 1-2 kilometers a day, recapturing every meter of land at a high price. Tank units often became the main argument of the Red Army.

Tank brigades could not break away from the infantry and acted with it like tanks

G.K., who commanded the western front. Zhukov planned to strike on August 2, but this proved impossible due to heavy rains.

In addition, the results of the combat operations of the Kalinin Front turned out to be very modest, especially at the junction with the 31st Army. Given all this, the command of the Western Front, in agreement with the Headquarters, postponed the start of the offensive to August 4th.

Commander of the Western Front, General of the Army G.K. Zhukov

General Sandalov wrote:

Kalinin Front (commanded by Colonel-General I. S. Konev), with the troops of the left wing, deliver the main blow from the north to Rzhev and an auxiliary blow along the northern bank of the Volga to Zubtsov, clear the northern bank of the Volga from the enemy and capture Rzhev;

To the Western Front (commander General of the Army Zhukov G. K-) - with the forces of two armies, strike from the front Aleshsvo, Vasilyevskoye (the first point is 12 km northwest, and the second point is 12 km southeast of Pogoreloe Gorodishche) in the general direction to Zubtsov. The immediate task of the front is to break through the defenses against nike and, providing himself from the south, go to the Vazuza River and firmly gain a foothold.

Readiness to go on the offensive was established: for the Kalinin Froit - July 28, for the Western - July 31, 1942. To fulfill the task set by the Headquarters, the Kalinin Front attracted the 30th and 29th Armenians, the Western Front - the 31st and 20th armies.

The decision of the commander of the Western Front"

“Commander of the Western Front G.K. Zhukov decided: by a simultaneous strike by the forces of the 31st and 20th armies from the Alyoshevo line. Vasilyevsky to break through the enemy’s defenses on the Derzha River, defeat the Zubtsovsko-Karmanov grouping of Nazi troops and reach the line of the Vazuza and Gzhat rivers. "Then, the 31st Army was to develop an offensive against Zubtsov and, with a blow from the south, assist the Kalinin Front - and the liberation of Rzhev, and the stronger 20th Army - to Sychevka.

To develop success in the Sychev direction, it was planned to introduce a mobile front group consisting of the 6th and 8th tank and 2nd guards cavalry corps, which was supposed to interact with the 20th army, to cut off the Rzhev ledge, which went deep into the location of our troops. enemy.

Three days after the 31st and 20th armies went on the offensive, the 5th army was to launch an offensive, and a few days later, the 33rd army of the Western Front.

To support the offensive of these armies, most of the front-line artillery from the 31st and 20th armies was planned to be regrouped into pre-prepared positions, first in the 5th army strip, and then in the 33rd army strip. "A significant part of the front's aviation was also supposed to be switched to ensure the offensive of these armies "

20th Army

The spearhead of the offensive was to be the 20th Army.

The 20th Army of the Western Front was formed during the Battle of Moscow. On December 6, 1941, from the defense on the outskirts of the capital in the Khimki region, the 20th Army launched a counteroffensive as part of the Western Front in the Solnechnogorsk direction.

Advancing on Krasnaya Polyana, the 20th Army defeated enemy troops in the Krasnaya Polyana area and, pursuing the enemy, captured the cities of Solnechnogorsk and Volokolamsk.

During the offensive of the Western Front in January 1942, the 20th Army broke through the enemy defenses on the Lama River, captured the Shakhovskaya, Sereda line, developing the offensive in the Sychev direction, went out v. at the end of January 1942 to the fortified line Bykovo, Vasilyevskoye, prepared in advance by the enemy.

Commander of the 20th Army of the Red Army, General Max Reiter

Sandalov writes:

“On ordinary days, enemy searches only conducted rare rifle-machine-gun, mortar and artillery fire. During the day, the enemy fired at the troops of the 20th Army an average of 200 to 400 shells per day.

Sometimes, usually after sighting at high gaps, he used artillery raids on various targets. Single enemy planes conducted reconnaissance of our defenses. Small groups of planes took off to bombard our rear points, mainly the areas of the Shakhovskaya and Volokolamsk railway stations.

The troops of the 20th Army improved the army defensive zone to improve the outline of the front edge of the zone and carried out a number of private offensive operations and battles of local importance.

Defensive work in the 20th Army and neighboring armies, both on the main defensive lines and on the newly created army intermediate defensive lines*, developed especially widely in the early summer of 1942. The army troops carried out work on reliable cover approaching Moscow, thereby masking the preparations for an offensive operation.

At the end of June 1942, the 20th Army, with the help of two rifle divisions, four rifle and two tank brigades, defended the strip from Vasilyevskoye to Bykovo with a length of 43 km,

In the first half of July, the commander of the 20th Army, Lieutenant General Reiter M. L., personally received an oral order from the commander of the Western Front to prepare an offensive operation from the band of the 251st Rifle Division of the 31st Army by August 1 with the task

Break through the enemy defenses on the Derzha River in the Pogoreloe Gorodite, Vasilyevskoye sector, in cooperation with the 31st Army (commanded by Major General V. S. Polenov), defeat the enemy Zubio-Karmanov grouping and reach the line of the Vazuza and Gzhat d.chya rivers -offensives from this line to Sychevka (the 251st Rifle Division defended the strip with the forward edge from Christmas - 9 km north-west of Pogoreloye Gora-dishche - to Vasilyevskoye).

The 20th Army was reinforced by a rifle corps (consisting of a rifle division and four rifle brigades), three rifle divisions, three tank brigades, a scooter-motorcycle brigade, artillery, mortar and anti-aircraft units, rocket artillery units, an armored train division and an engineer brigade.

the day before operations in 20th armies must 251st Rifle Division of the 31st Army were to move along with their own sector southeast of Pogoreloe Gorodishche, in exchange for which three left-flank rifle brigades of the 20th Army with their sectors retreated to 5th Army.

For the secrecy of the preparation of the operation, the troops of the 20th Army, including front-line forces and means transferred to strengthen it, were allowed to enter the Pogoreleye Gorodishche area only a few days before the opera stump.

It was strictly forbidden to draw up written documentation for the operation and to correspond about it.

On the night of August 1, the main grouping of the 20th Army began to concentrate in the area of ​​Pogoreleye Gorodishche by night crossings. The units of the 331st and 354th Rifle Divisions intended for the offensive in the first echelon and units of the 8th Guards Rifle Corps, which was advancing from the Shakhovskaya area, began to change the left-flank units of the 251st Rifle Division and occupy the initial areas for the offensive.

By planning the offensive, the Red Army had mobile tank formations, which now made it possible to carry out large-scale offensive operations.

All artillery, excluding rocket artillery and unitsair defense, by the morning of August 1, took up firing positions. The movement of troops and the occupation of the starting areas took place in conditions of rainy weather, heavily soaked soil and even more deteriorated roads. On the night of August 2, the rest of the army troops were supposed to take the starting areas and positions.

The offensive of the troops was to be carried out in difficult meteorological conditions (thickness, mud). Therefore, on the eve of the operation, a number of special measures had to be taken but the engineering support of the offensive.

Each rifle division of the first echelon was reinforced by two sapper companies, and the 8th Guards Rifle Corps was reinforced by a battalion of the 34th sapper brigade. The army mobile group was assigned to the 214th army engineering battalion, and the 17th and 20th tank brigades - but to the sapper company. To escort artillery groups of divisions, special escort detachments were assigned, consisting of one or two rifle companies and a sapper company with mine detectors.

Start

Three hours before the attack, after all the fighters were familiarized with the order to attack, conversations were held in the troops, and rallies in the second echelon dedicated to the upcoming battles.

6 p.m. August 4th. The so-called artillery dawn came. The troops of the 20th Army were fully prepared for the offensive.

On August 4, the offensive of the 20th Army began in the area of ​​Pogorely Gorodishche. In contrast to the Kalinin Front, here the Soviet troops were successful: in two days of operation, the troops of the 20th Army broke through the defenses of the German 46th Tank Corps on a front of 18 km and to a depth of 30 km and advanced units advanced to the approaches to the rivers Vazuza and Gzhat . The 161st Infantry Division, which opposed the Soviet troops, was defeated. At the same time, the immediate task (taking Zubtsov and Karmanovo) was not completed.

In August 1942, on the right wing of the Western Front, on the Zubtsovo-Rzhevsky and Sychevsky directions, an offensive operation was launched, carried out by the troops of the 32nd and 20th armies. The 20th Army, which was attacking Sychevka, launched an offensive by breaking through the enemy defenses in the Pogoreloe Gorodishche area.

General Leonid Sandalov wrote:

« In August 1942, on the right wing of the Western Front, in the Zubtsovo-Rzhev and Sychev directions, an offensive operation was launched, carried out mainly by the troops of the 31st and 20th armies.

The 31st Army, the right-flank army of the Western Front, advanced south of the Volga in the direction of Zubtsov and Rzhev. This operation was called Zubtsovskaya.

The 20th Army, which was attacking Sychevka, launched an offensive by breaking through the enemy defenses in the area of ​​Pogoreloe Gorodishche (the regional center of the Kalinin Region). The operation was called Pogorelo-Gorodishenskaya"

"It was the first successful Soviet offensive troops in summer conditions.

"At 6 o'clock. 15 minutes. On August 4, 1912, the morning silence in the Pogoreloye Gorodishche area was replaced by a deafening cannonade. Guns, mortars and rocket artillery began artillery preparation. The firestorm hit the enemy and for 10 minutes crushed the front line of his defense.

A fire raid was carried out on observation posts, artillery and mortar positions of the defensive lines of the enemy's 161st Infantry and 36th Motorized Divisions. From the rumble of guns and mortars, from the explosion of shells and mines, the earth and air trembled. From the observation posts one could see how columns of fire and earth were rising up, how fragments of broken equipment were flying in the first trench of the enemy, how dugouts and barbed wire on its front line were being destroyed.

After the first fire raid, the artillery fired for 10 minutes to suppress enemy artillery and its reserves in the depths of the defense, and then proceeded to destroy and suppress the observed targets on the front line and in the depths of the defense with methodical fire that lasted 45 minutes.

“The offensive of the troops of the 20th and 31st armies was one of the first experiments in the preparation of a deep offensive operation.

It contained the basic elements inherent in a deep operation: the creation of a decisive superiority in forces and means in the main strike zone; organizing a breakthrough of enemy defenses in relatively narrow areas; prolonged artillery and aviation training; penetration of the enemy's defensive zone by rifle formations advancing accompanied by a large number of guns and aircraft, with the direct support of tanks; entering a breakthrough to develop the success of mobile army groups and a mobile front group. »

At 6:15 a.m. On August 4, 1942, the morning silence in the Pogoreloye Gorodishche area was replaced by a deafening cannonade. Guns, mortars and rocket artillery began artillery preparation.

A barrage of fire hit the enemy and for 45 minutes crushed the front line of his defense. From the observation posts one could see how columns of fire and earth were rising up, how fragments of broken equipment were flying in the first trench of the enemy, how dugouts and barbed wire on its front line were being destroyed.

At 7 o'clock. 00 min. assault battalions and forward subunits of first-echelon units on assault bridges, on rafts and on ferries, in boats, on improvised crossing facilities and ford crossed the river Derzha and with a swift throw through the passages made by assault detachments and sapper units in wire obstacles and minefields crossed together with attached tanks to attack. One by one, the enemy strongholds passed into our hands or were blockaded.

Leonid Sandalov wrote:

"At 07:45, the assault battalions and advanced units of the first echelon 251, 331 and" 354-II infantry divisions crossed the Derzha River on assault bridges, on rafts, on ferries, in boats, on improvised crossing facilities and ford, and with a swift throw through the passages made by assault detachments and sapper units in wire obstacles and minefields crossed, jointly With attached tanks to attack.

With exclamations of “Hurrah!”, “For the Motherland!”, “For the Communist Party!” our fighters broke into the front line of the enemy's defense. Destroying and capturing the surviving enemy soldiers, units of the 251st, 331st and 354th rifle divisions captured the first trench.

To develop the success of the advancing troops of the 20th Army, at 5 pm on August 4, the mobile group of Colonel Armaia was advanced from the Kuz-Minka region through the Pogoreleye Gorodishche to Kopylovo, Gu-binka and further to Burdevo. The pear advanced along two routes. in a two-tier formation. The 3rd scooter-motorcycle brigade moved in the first echelon. The motorcycle regiment of the brigade followed the right route, and the scooter regiment followed the left.

The regiments were reinforced with tanks. Following the regiments of the scooter-motorcycle brigade, tank brigades moved: two brigades along the right route, and one brigade along with the rifle regiment along the left.

Simultaneously with the 20th Army, the troops of the 31st Army went on the offensive.

Major General Vitaly Polenov, Commander of the 31st Army of the Red Army

251st Rifle Division (commander Colonel B. B. Gorodovikov), which inflicted the main one. a blow on its left flank, bypassing_ Pogoreloe Gorodishche from the south, broke through the 923rd rifle regiment along the thickness of the river Derzha to Zolotilovo, Assault detachment P123-ra of the rifle regiment under the command of Senior Lieutenant Kllmaiov N.F. blocked the fortified stronghold of Zoloti.tovo and a swift blow to the west, destroying the retreating units of the 336th Infantry Regiment of the 161st Infantry Division, at 10 o'clock. 20 min. broke into Konylovo.

By 3 p.m. on August 4, units of the 251st Rifle Division, continuing to carry out their task of destroying the enemy in the Pogoreloe Gorodishe area, advanced units entrenched themselves at the turn of the Sinyaya River.

By the end of August 4, 251. 331 and 354 rifle divisions advanced 8— II km. With the onset of darkness, the 312th Rifle Division began to move out of the second echelon of the army, which during the night was supposed to go into the forests east of Mikhalkino.

There was no wired connection between the army headquarters and rifle divisions, but radio communications, although not sufficiently stable, were not interrupted.

By 20 o'clock in the Burnt Settlement, the enemy's resistance had ceased. The shooting stopped. The inhabitants of the Burnt Gorodishche returned to their pepelish from the forests and nearby populated etunkts.

Partisans returned from the partisan detachment - residents of Pogorely Gorodishche. The secretary of the district party committee Dorochepkov S. G. and the chairman of the executive committee of the district council Petrov K-P. from the first day of the liberation of the district center organized its restoration

On the morning of August 5, after a powerful artillery raid and attacks on enemy positions, units of the 251,331 and 354th rifle divisions broke the resistance of the units of the 161st Infantry and 36th Motorized Divisions and resumed the offensive.

Sandalov writes:

“Fighting unfolded on the enemy’s withdrawal routes - along dirt roads, paths, forest clearings, and direct battles were fought by avant-garde and. advanced units, made up of tank units, machine gunners, rifle and artillery (mainly horse-drawn) units. During the offensive, our troops widely used coverage and detours.

As a result of the successful offensive of the right-flank troops of the 20th Army, enemy units lost their combat capability and, retreating to the west and south-west, abandoned weapons, vehicles, ammunition depots, uniforms and food, motorcycles and other military equipment.

Retreating to the second defensive zone, the enemy repeatedly tried to delay the advance of the troops in order to gain time before the approach of their reserve divisions from the rear and the removal of equipment and depots from the rear.

Clinging to hastily created subunits with three to four heavy machine guns, one to two anti-tank guns and individual mortars for tactically advantageous points and lines, settling down on them in hastily dug trenches, retreating enemy units hastily organized defense.

German soldiers were captured and confessed. Captured corporal of the 8th company of the 304th infantry regiment of the 161st infantry division Yakov Raushek on the interrogation showed:

“They didn’t know about the Russian offensive. Losses yesterday were huge, not many managed to escape. The officers indicated to the soldiers only the points where it was necessary to conduct the boom, and nothing more.

Together with a group of soldiers, he retreated to Lshshno, where they made a stop, fell asleep from fatigue "and overslept until captured."

If, under the onslaught of the 251st, 331st and 354th rifle divisions, scattered units of the Kil-pi infantry division retreated without much resistance, and tried to delay our troops in battle only at some advantageous lines - the outskirts of villages, on forest edges and at road junctions - then units of the 36th Motorized Division, which were defending mainly against the 8th Guards Rifle Corps, retreated with fierce battles and went over to counterattacks in some directions.

In defensive battles, units of the 36th Motorized Rifle Division, as a rule, were supported by aviation that had intensified its activities, while scattered units of the 161st Infantry Division, lost in the forests, could not establish contact with their aircraft.

Sandalov writes:

“By 6 p.m. on August 5, the forward detachments of the 251st Rifle Division approached the indicated line, but they could not break through it on the move and tied up a brie, which lasted until dark.

At the same time, the forward detachment of the 3131st Rifle Division, sent to Basyutnik, broke through the enemy defenses with a sudden blow. to At 20 o'clock on August 5, I went to the Koptelovkz, Vasyutnikn area. The advanced units of the 354th Infantry Division approached Vishenki and Ramenka by 2000.

As a result of the two days of the operation, the troops of the 20th Army broke through the enemy defenses on a front of 18 km and a depth of up to 30 km and advanced into the approaches to the rivers Vazuza and Gzhat, where they met organized resistance from the advanced units of the enemy operational reserves and the units of the first echelon.

During the battle, the enemy suffered significant losses. In just two days of fighting, more than 2,000 enemy soldiers and officers were killed and 150 prisoners were taken.

Our troops captured 48 guns, 8 tanks, 5 armored vehicles, a lot of small arms and military equipment, several warehouses

towards the middle days On August 6, a critical situation developed at the junction with the 31st Army. However, taking into account the forthcoming exit from this direction of the 6th Panzer Corps, ... the command of the 20th Army, as well as the command of the 31st Army, did not allocate new units to the Bukontovo area.

The 331st Rifle Division with the 17th Tank Brigade, advancing the main forces "from the line of Koptedovka, Vasyutnikn on Istratovo, Pechora, tied oncoming booms on the Bers-Zuyka River with units of the 1st Tank to the 6th Infantry crossing the Vazuza enemy divisions.

In an effort to quickly break through to the Vazuza River and force it, the division commander introduced his second echelon, the 1103rd Rifle Regiment, from behind the left flank in the direction and to Soldo, which by the middle of the day captured Shappneau.

By 1200 on August 6, the 354th Rifle Division drove out the defending units of the 87th Motorized Regiment of the 36th Motorized Division from Pesochnya, Vishenka and, developing an offensive on Skorosovo and Yarygino, captured Afanasovo and Podyablonka by 1500.

Sandalov writes:

“By 3 p.m. on August 6, the corps of the mobile front group, after a 30-50-kilometer march, withdrew most of the troops to designated areas and threw forward units to the crossings on the Vazuza and Gzhat rivers.

Most of the automobile units of the tank corps, especially from the service, engineering and rear units, as well as half of the tanks of the heavy tank brigade of the 8th tank corps, due to the small number of roads and their poor condition, remained east of the Derzha River.

At 5 p.m. on August 6, after putting the materiel in order and refueling the tanks, and also after the end of the big halt of the cavalry, the mobile front group resumed its advance to the Vazuza and Gzhat rivers.

At night, one company of the 31st tank brigade from the 8th tank corps went to the crossing over the Vazuza near the village of Khlepen. The 251st, 331st, 354th rifle divisions, together with parts of the front mobile group, had the task of forcing Vazuza and advancing on Sychevka.

This association was headed by the Deputy Commander of the 20th Army, Lieutenant General A. A. Tyurin. The 331st Rifle Division and the 17th Tank Brigade launched an offensive from the village of Istratovo to the villages of Pechory and Seltso, and by evening they started fighting on the opposite bank of the Vazuza from Khlepnya.

Sandalov writes:

« There was no doubt that the main hostilities were being deployed in the zone of the 20th Army, where a mobile front group took part from our side, and from the "Enemy" side, in addition to the troops of the 9th Army of the Sychev direction, three tank and two infantry divisions Army Group Center reserve.

In the meantime, on August 7, the troops of the 5th Army (Lieutenant General I. I. Fedyuninsky) also went on the offensive with the task of breaking through the enemy defenses south of Karmanovo and developing success in the northwestern direction to Sychevka. However, it was not possible to break through the defenses of the 342nd and 35th German infantry divisions either that day or the next. On August 10, G.K. Zhukov set the 5th Army a more modest task: to direct the main efforts towards capturing Karmanovo.

Even less were the successes of the 33rd Army of Lieutenant General M.S. Khozin, which began to advance later than August 13.

By August 8, the command post of the 20th Army had moved to the Peso Chnya area. Half of the radio stations of the army's communication center and a large part of the radio stations of the formations were out of order or stuck in the mud of the rear roads. From the new command post, wire communications were hastily carried out to the headquarters of the formations. To strengthen the connection with the troops, a cavalry squadron was allocated from the cavalry corps at the disposal of the army headquarters.

The commander of Army Group Center, Colonel General Walter Model, did not expect the Red Army to attack in the area of ​​operations of the 20th and 31st Soviet armies

On the morning of August 8, the troops of the 20th Army, together with parts of the corps of the mobile front group, under heavy rain, resumed the offensive to capture bridgeheads on the western banks of the Vazuza and Gzhat rivers and to defeat the Karmanov group.

Sandalov writes:

« Both sides brought into battle on August 9 almost all the troops intended for action in the Zubtsovsk, Sychev and Karmlnov directions. The total number of tanks that took part in the battles during the oncoming battle, 1 in the troops of the right wing of the Western Front, exceeded 800, and in the troops of the left wing of Army Group Center, there were about 700.

Of this number, 255 tanks of the 20th Army and 334 tanks of the mobile front group operated in the 20th Army zone. The enemy threw over 500 tanks into the zone of the 20th Army. Some advantage of the troops of the Western / Front in tanks was balanced by the fact that in our tank units, about a third of all tanks were small T-60 tanks with a 20-mm gun.

In the Sychevsk direction, the 20th Army and the lower front group were supported by 9 aviation divisions of the Western Front. Approximately the same aviation forces were allocated for operations in this direction at the German Army Group Center.

On the morning of August 9 - on the sixth day of the operation - the oncoming battle of the troops of the right wing of the Western Front at the turn of the Vazuza and Gzhat rivers and in the Karmanovo region reached its climax.

On August 9, both sides brought into battle all the troops intended for operations in the Zubtsovsky, Sychevsky and Karmanovsky directions.

During the day of August 9, the troops of the 8th Guards Rifle Corps, together with the 415th Rifle Division, fought uninterrupted oncoming battles with units of the 2nd Tank, 36th Motorized, 342nd Infantry counterattacking from Shtanino and Ryabinka to the north and northwest. divisions and with new enemy units that appeared - judging by the prisoners - the 78th Infantry Division.

Meanwhile, V. Model, who had returned to command of the 9th Army after being wounded, became convinced of the futility of a counterattack on Pogoreloe Gorodishche and ordered his troops on August 10 to go on the defensive.

Meeting battles at the turn of the Vazuza and Gzhat rivers and fighting in the Karmanovo region deprived the pace of the Soviet offensive. It was decided to focus on the capture of Karmanovo. Thus, the strike group advancing on Sychevka was weakened.

Sandalov writes:

"Within 9 august fighting The actions of the troops in the zone of the 20th Army developed as follows.

The 8th Panzer Corps with the 251st Rifle Division, in stubborn oncoming battles with the 5th Panzer Division and units of the 253rd and 161st Infantry Divisions of the enemy, expanded the bridgehead on the western bank of the Vazuza by 2-3 km - from the Den Tapmonnio to the west to the Osuga River - they defeated the enemy troops on the eastern bank of the Vazuza, north of Pechora "

On the night of August 10, the command of the Western Front, assessing the situation, came to the conclusion that the continuation of the offensive against Sychevka, given the existing balance of forces, would not bring the desired success. The troops of the Kalinin Front had not yet approached Rzhev, and therefore they could not count on their help in the offensive in the Sychev direction.

The situation urgently demanded to create a reliable superiority in forces and means in the Karmanovo area and to accelerate the defeat of the enemy's Karmanov grouping. Subsequent blow parts of the forces 20th Army and south help 5th armies to break the resistance of the enemy and, with the joint forces of both armies, resume the offensive against Sychevka.

The German command, given the importance of the defense of the Karmanovo region, which, covering the flank and rear of the Gzhatsk group, prevented the defense against the 5th Army from being curtailed and, hanging over the left flag of the Soviet troops advancing on Sychevka, created a threat to them, took all measures to transform the Karmanovo forests and settlements surrounding Karmanovo into a single fortified area.

Separate units and subunits of various divisions were transferred from other defense sectors to reinforce the troops defending the Karmanovsky region.

Sandalov writes:

« The commander of the 20th Army, assessing the current

main with the forces of 2"> 1, 331 and 354th rifle divisions, together with the mobile front group (without the 8th tank corps), continue offensive booms behind Vazueoi and Gzhatya and firmly establish a bridgehead along the line of Podyablonka, Chupyatnno, Polovtsy, Star. Osinovi; the rest » Encircle and destroy the enemy's Karmanov grouping with army troops.»

The enemy deployed extensive defensive work in all sectors, which was carried out day and night. A large number of trenches were built.

They encircled the Karmanovo region one after another and formed a multi-tiered defense on the outskirts of Karmanovo. Ahead of the forest positions and strongholds, the enemy prepared barrage fires from artillery and mortar units.

The commander of the 20th Army, General Reuter, considered that the 20th Army would cope with the enemy in Karmanovo and he was right

In forest defensive positions and strongholds organized in villages, on hills, in separate groves, the defense was based on anti-tank guns and tanks dug into the ground. In combination with numerous barriers, primarily minefields, such a defense was formidable.

On the morning of August 11, after a half-hour artillery preparation, the offensive of the 20th Army resumed on Karmanovo. Overcoming the resistance of the enemy troops occupying the fortified area, and sending off numerous infantry counterattacks. reinforced by secrets, the troops of the 20th army, advancing during the day, advanced 2-5 km. The 8th Panzer Corps, with the 415th Rifle Division, operationally subordinate to the corps commander, advancing from the line of Cherneyya, Lebs-DkI, broke through the defenses of the enemy’s 2nd Panzer Division, captured Yelnya and started fighting in Saburovo.

The 26th Guards Rifle Division, together with the 150th Rifle Brigade advancing on its left flank and in cooperation with the 11th and 20th Tank Brigades, as a result of fierce battles at the line of Korolsvo, Shtaaiio, defeated enemy strongholds in this area and captured the populated areas points of Mordvino, Pushkino, Ryabinki, the 153rd and 129th arrows of some brigades advancing on Nov. Trembling, by the end of the day I went out the forests east of Ryabinka

Sandalov writes:

“On August 12, the 6th Tank Corps and the Cavalry Corps were transferred to the 20th Army.

Advancing in the interfluve of the Vazuz and Osuga, against the units of the 5th Panzer that organized a strong defense and 25thinfantry divisions, the troops of the 6th tank corps and the 251st rifle division pushed the enemy toif on the left flank of the army in a westerly direction and by the end of August 18, fighting began at the line of Luchkovo, Sady, Zeadlovka, Pechora

Rivers were crossed at two points; -Osuga. The artillery of the 251st Rifle Division began to conduct methodical fire at the Osuga station and at the armored train that was cruising in its area .. "

During the offensive, Soviet troops in fierce and bloody battles broke through the prepared enemy defenses, advanced beyond a depth of 30-45 km and eliminated the enemy bridgehead north of the Volga in the Rzhev region.

Karman offensive

For amplification advancing on Karmanovo troops and to ensure the quickest defeat of units of the 46th tank corps, the army commander allocated the 312th rifle division from his reserve.

Sandalov writes:

“On the evening of August 18, the troops of the 20th Army were assigned the following tasks: the 20th Army, in cooperation with the 5th Army, from the morning of August 20, strike at Karmanovo and destroy the enemy’s Karmanov grouping. 8th Guards Rifle Corps with 11th and 20th Tank Brigades to with the 82nd Infantry Division, which is operationally subordinate to it, the main attack on Karmanovo through Ovsyaniki and the auxiliary one through Myasikovo; defeat the troops defending Karmanovo, and capture this important point of the enemy's defense "

On the morning of August 20, after half an hour of artillery and aviation preparation, the troops of the 20th Army went over to the offensive against the German Karmanov group.

Paul Arman, commander of the 11th Tank Brigade, wrote:

"On the night of August 20, the enemy shelled the forest where the advancing troops were concentrated. Shells exploded, trees fell, cut branches flew. Only at dawn did the enemy artillery calm down, our batteries began to speak. Airplanes crashed.

After half an hour of artillery and aviation preparation, the troops went on the offensive. A new sound mingled with the rumble of cannon shots. He grew, crepe, turned into a rumble. It was the tanks that went into battle.

On August 21 and 22, the troops advancing on Karmanovo squeezed the enemy units defending it into a ring. The assault began on the morning of August 23 and did not weaken. By noon, most of the enemy soldiers and officers were killed, captured, and only small groups managed to break through to the south. At 1 pm, the Red Banner was raised over the building of the district council. An infirmary remained on the outskirts, there lay about two hundred wounded Germans.

It was evening. Mines and shells exploded less and less frequently, machine-gun bursts fell silent. Heaps of ash and burning settled on cratered fields and roads. The sky in the answers of fires. Armand, excited, walked along the Highway. Blackened charred German tanks. He held a leather helmet in his hand, the breeze blowing over his head. The orderly Mitya Zhuravlev followed the colonel like a shadow.

In the battles for Karmanovo, our troops captured large trophies. Forty German tanks destroyed. More than a thousand dead Germans were picked up on the outskirts and streets.

On the evening of the same day, Arman wrote:

"... Today at 11.00 a great joy - they finally rattled a very strong knot of resistance. I'm still covered in dust and powder smoke, but the angels sing in my soul. The bastards made us suffer - but we gave them pepper too! The vaunted German the tactics of resistance and Hitler's invincibility once again failed.

Fascists are great at showing their heels when you hit them hard. They didn’t have time to put turpentine under their tail - they run without it.

The commander of the 11th Tank Brigade of the Red Army, Paul Arman, he died tragically on August 7, 1943 from a sniper's bullet

Paul Arman and the commander of the 20th Army Max Reuter were Latvians by nationality, but today such heroes of modern Latvia are not needed

In heavy forest battles, overcoming numerous obstacles, destroying guns firing direct fire, enemy tanks dug into the ground and destroying enemy trenches one by one, covering Karmanovo, our troops inflicted heavy losses on parts of the 46th tank corps and, squeezing it in a semicircle , advanced in a day to Karmanovo by 2-3 km.

The fresh 312th Rifle Division, reinforced by a combined detachment of the 8th Tank Corps, in cooperation with the 415-j "i Rifle Division, successfully advanced on Karmanovo from the west of Zhulebino and approached Roshchno by late afternoon. To repel the attacks of rifle divisions, the enemy fired overlaid with artillery and mortars.

The 8th Guards Rifle Corps slowly advanced on Karmanovo from the north of Ovsyanika, methodically destroying defensive structures and overcoming various obstacles in the forest area west of the Yauza River. By late afternoon, the troops of the corps were fighting 2-3 km north of Karmanovo.

The 82nd Infantry Division, advancing on Karmanov from the east, approached it 2-3 km during the day and tied up a boom behind Staroselye.

Sandalov writes:

“In pursuing the surviving units of the enemy’s Karmanov grouping, the troops of the 20th Army advanced 4-5 km south of Karmznovo by the end of August 23. The 415th Rifle Division reached the line of Subbotine, Prilepa, Chuikove. The 82nd Rifle Division and the 129th Rifle Brigade captured the Golomazdovo-Trieeli line.

To the left of this line came the right-flank troops of the 5th Army. The 312th Rifle Division cleared the forests surrounding Karma-novo from enemy units. The 8th Guards Rifle Corps was concentrated in an army reserve in the forests north of Karmakovo. »

Tankers are studying the Sd.Kfz armored car captured in full working order. 231. Western Front, Karmanovo region, August 1942

On the day of the liberation of Karmanovo by the 20th Army - August 23 - the troops of the neighboring 31st Army, with the help of the left-flank troops of the Kalinin Front, completely cleared the city of Zubtsov from enemy units and increased the bridgehead across the Vazuza River to 5-8 km in depth.

Operation results

The Pogoreloe-Gorodnschenskaya offensive operation of the 20th Army ended with the cleansing of enemy troops from two regional centers - Pogoreloe Gorodishche and Karmanovo.

During the period of the operation, the troops of the 20th Army liberated 245 settlements of the Kalinin and Smolensk regions from the enemy, cleared 1228 square kilometers of Soviet territory from the Nazi invaders.

This was the first successful offensive of the Soviet troops in summer conditions.

The map shows how the 20th and 31st armies advanced

Residents of Pogorelov Settlement are returning to the liberated city.

In contrast to the Kalinin Front, here the Soviet troops were successful: in two days of operation, the troops of the 20th Army broke through the defenses of the German 46th Tank Corps on a front of 18 km and to a depth of 30 km and advanced units advanced to the approaches to the rivers Vazuza and Gzhat . The 161st Infantry Division, which opposed the Soviet troops, was defeated.

But the operation was of another importance.

The German Army Group Center suffered significant losses during the joint operation of the fronts.

In the battles near Rzhev, Sychevka, Zubtsov and in the Karmanovo region, a large number of troops from the Army Group Center were defeated, as well as formations, units and various detachments transferred in the form of strategic reserves from other directions, including more than two divisions from the south .

During fierce battles at the turn of the Bazuz and Gzhat rivers, the 5th and 1st Panzer divisions, as well as parts of the 6th and 253rd infantry divisions of the 39th. The enemy tank corps lost more than 60 percent of its personnel and military equipment and up to 75 percent of tanks. Especially heavy losses were suffered by the enemy troops, who were in the Karmanov group.

In the 2nd Panzer, 36th Motorized and in parts of the 342nd and 78th Infantry Divisions of the 46th Tank Corps, less than a quarter of the personnel and a single tank remained. The 161st infantry division of the enemy was almost completely destroyed.

From August 4 to August 23, the troops of the 20th Army captured the following trophies: 203 tanks (of which 62 are serviceable), 380 guns, 2Q 9 mortars, 43 armored vehicles, 1430 vehicles, a lot of small arms.

Many units and units of the 20th Army, as well as the 6th and 8th Tank and 2nd Guards Cavalry Corps, distinguished themselves in battles in the operation, in victorious battles to defeat enemy troops and clear our territory from fascist invaders. Hundreds of fighters, commanders and political workers who showed great courage were awarded orders and medals.

Assessing these events, the German historian Tippelskirch writes:

“The breakthrough was prevented only by the fact that three tank and several infantry divisions, which were already preparing for the transfer to the southern fringe, were detained and introduced first to localize the breakthrough, and then to counterattack”

As a result, the German grouping in Stalingrad was deprived of the help of 3 tank and several infantry divisions

General Leonid Sandalov wrote:

“In order to restore the situation in the 9th Army zone, the German command was forced during the tense period of fighting near Stalingrad and in the North Caucasus to hastily transfer up to 12 divisions from its reserve and from other sectors of the Soviet-German front to the Rzhev, Sychevka area.

The active actions of the Soviet troops of the Western and Kalinin fronts in August 1942 had a significant impact on the course and outcome of the defensive battles of our troops in the North Caucasus and near Stalingrad.

It is interesting that it was for this operation that G.K. Zhukov received a new position. He became the first deputy people's commissar of defense I.V. Stalin.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons why they decided to consign the Pogorelo-Gorodischenskaya operation to oblivion.

Liberal historians do not like the fact that the Red Army carried out successful operations in the central direction and that it was carried out by G. Zhukov.

After all, a successful operation under the command of Zhukov somehow does not fit with the image of the “butcher” guilty of the Rzhev meat grinder.”

31st Army of the 1st Formation

Formed in July 1941 in Moscow military district based on the directives of the General Staff of July 6 and July 16, 1941, first as a field command of the 24th Army, and from July 16 as the 31st Army.

July 15, 1941 the army was included in Front of reserve armies and by July 22 is concentrated in the Rzhev area.

From July 30 - as part of Reserve front, took up defense at the turn of Ostashkov - Yeltsy - Zubovka (45 km west of Rzhev) - Silence. In September, she fought heavy defensive battles and in early October as part of Western Front(since October 5), under the blows of superior enemy forces, withdrew to Rzhev.

The army was disbanded on October 12, 1941, its formations and units were transferred to the 29th Army, and the field administration was transferred to the front reserve.

31st Army of the 2nd Formation

Army troops participated in the Kalinin defensive operation (October 10 - December 4, 1941), and with the start of the counteroffensive near Moscow - in the Kalinin offensive operation (December 5, 1941 - January 7, 1942). During the latter, they, in cooperation with the troops of the 29th Army, defeated the main forces of the German 9th Army and liberated Kalinin (December 16).

Developing the offensive on Rzhev, by the end of December 1941, army troops reached the Volga in the area northeast of Zubtsov.

In the winter and spring of 1942, the army took part in the Rzhev-Vyazemskaya strategic offensive operation (January 8 - April 20, 1942). From April 20, the army went on the defensive east of Zubtsov and subsequently, firmly holding the occupied line, waged offensive battles in the Sychev direction in order to improve their position.

From July 23, 1942, the army was part of Western Front and in its composition participated in the Rzhev-Sychevsk offensive operation (July 30 - August 23). During the Rzhev-Vyazemsky operation (March 2-31, 1943), its troops liberated Sychevka (March 8) and by April 1 they left the area east of Yartsevo, where they went on the defensive.

In the Smolensk strategic operation (August 7 - October 1, 1943), formations of the 31st Army, in cooperation with other troops of the front, broke through a number of enemy defensive lines, defeated his main grouping, liberated the cities of Yartsevo (September 16), Smolensk (September 25) and went to the right bank of the Dnieper northeast of Orsha.

In the summer of 1944, an army consisting of 3rd Belorussian Front(since April 24) participated in the liberation of Belarus. In the Vitebsk-Orsha operation (June 23-28), after breaking through the enemy’s defense in depth, in cooperation with the troops of the 11th Guards Army, they captured Orsha (June 27) and at the end of June reached the Berezina River in the Borisov region.

During the Minsk operation (June 29 - July 4, 1944), the army participated in the encirclement and defeat of a large enemy grouping, the liberation of Borisov (July 1) and Minsk (July 3).

In the Vilnius operation (July 5-20, 1944), army troops liberated the city of Druskeninkai (July 14) and, in cooperation with the troops of the 50th Army and the 3rd Cavalry Corps, Grodno (July 16).

In August 1944, army formations reached the Suwalki area and temporarily went on the defensive at the turn of the Wigry-Sukha Zhechka lakes. In October, army troops took part in the offensive operation of the front in the Gumbinnen direction, during which they entered East Prussia.

In the East Prussian strategic operation (January 13 - April 25, 1945), the army, with a blow in the direction of Letzen (Gizhitsko), Rastenburg (Kentszyn), Heilsberg (Lidzbark Warmiński), broke through the Heilsberg fortified area and on March 28 reached the Frisches Haff (Vistula ).

April 2, 1945 the army was withdrawn to Reserve Rates VGK, and on April 21 transferred 1st Ukrainian Front and in its composition participated in the Prague operation (May 6-11).

31st Army of the 1st Formation It was created in July 1941 (directive of the General Staff of July 6, 1941) in the Moscow Military District, first as a field command of the 24th Army, and from July 16 as the 31st Army.

It included the 244th, 246th, 247th and 249th rifle divisions, a number of artillery and other units.

On July 15, it was included in the Front of Reserve Armies and by July 22, as part of the 119th, 245th, 246th, 247th, 249th rifle and 110th tank divisions, it was concentrated in the Rzhev area. From July 30, as part of the Reserve Front, she took up defense at the line of Ostashkov, Yeltsy, Zubovka (45 km west of Rzhev), Tishina. In September, she fought heavy defensive battles and in early October, as part of the Western Front (from October 5), under the blows of superior enemy forces, she retreated to Rzhev.

On October 12, 1941, the army was disbanded, its formations and units were transferred to the 29th Army, the field administration was transferred to the front reserve.

31st Army II Formation It was created on October 21, 1941 as part of the Kalinin Front, its administration united the 133rd, 252nd rifle divisions, the 8th tank brigade and a number of separate units defending in the area north and northwest of Kalinin. Participated in the Kalinin defensive operation, and with the beginning of the counteroffensive near Moscow - in the Kalinin offensive operation of 1941/42. During the latter, in cooperation with the 29th Army, she defeated the main forces of the German 9th Army and liberated Kalinin (December 16). Developing the offensive on Rzhev, by the end of December, the army troops reached the Volga in the area northeast of Zubtsov. In the winter and spring of 1942, she took part in the Rzhev-Vyazemsky strategic offensive operation. On April 20, the army went on the defensive east of Zubtsov and subsequently, firmly holding the occupied line, conducted offensive battles in the Sychev direction in order to improve its positions.

Since July 23, it was part of the Western Front and participated in the Rzhev-Sychevsk offensive operation as part of it. During the Rzhev-Vyazemsky operation of 1943, she liberated Sychevka (March 8) and by April 1 went to the area east of Yartsevo, where she went on the defensive. In the Smolensk strategic operation, units of the 31st Army, in cooperation with other troops of the front, broke through a number of enemy defensive lines, defeated his main grouping, liberated the cities of Yartsevo (September 16), Smolensk (September 25) and reached the right bank of the Dnieper northeast of Orsha . By order of the NPO No. 0157 dated 06/01/1944 and the Directive of the headquarters of the 3rd Belorussian Front No. 003498 dated 06/04/1944, by June 10, 1944, the army control was transferred from state No. 02/158 to state No. 02/404. In the summer of 1944, the army as part of the 3rd Belorussian Front (since April 24) participated in the liberation of Belarus. In the Vitebsk-Orsha operation, after breaking through the enemy’s defense in depth, in cooperation with the 11th Guards Army, she captured Orsha (June 27) and at the end of June reached the river. Berezina near Borisov. During the Minsk operation, she participated in the encirclement and defeat of a large enemy grouping, the liberation of Borisov (July 1) and Minsk (July 3). In the Vilnius operation, army troops liberated the city of Druskeninkai (July 14) and, in cooperation with the 50th Army and the 3rd Cavalry Corps, Grodno (July 16). In August, they went to the Suwalki area and temporarily went on the defensive at the turn of Lakes Wigry, Suha Zhechka. In October, they participated in the offensive operation of the front in the Gumbinnen direction, during which they entered East Prussia.

In the East Prussian strategic operation of 1945, the army, with a blow in the direction of Letzen (Gizhitsko), Rastenburg (Kentszyn), Hejlsberg (Lidzbark Warmiński), broke through the Heilsberg fortified area and on March 28 reached the Frisches-Haff (Vislinsky) bay.

On April 2, the army was withdrawn to the reserve of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, on April 21 it was transferred to the 1st Ukrainian Front and participated in the Prague operation as part of it.

At the beginning of September 1945, the army was disbanded, its field administration was turned to resupplying the administration of the Lvov Military District.

Army command:

• from 05/05/1942 - by Directive of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command No. 170355 of 05/03/1942 transferred to the Western Front.
• from 05/06/1942 - by the Directive of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command No. 170356 of 05/06/1942 transferred to the Kalinin Front