Baltic operation 1944
	the Baltics
	Red Army victory
Opponents
Commanders
A. M. Vasilevsky	F. Schörner
L. A. Govorov
Side forces
900 thousand people, about 17,500 guns and mortars, 3,080 tanks and self-propelled guns, 2,640 combat aircraft	More than 700 thousand people, more than 1200 tanks and assault guns, about 7000 guns and mortars, up to 400 combat aircraft
61,468 killed, 218,622 wounded, daily average of 3,890 people	26 divisions destroyed, 3 completely destroyed

Baltic operation of 1944- a strategic offensive operation of the Soviet troops, carried out from September 14 to November 24, 1944 in the Baltic States in order to liberate Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania from German troops. It included four front-line and inter-front operations: Riga, Tallinn, Moonsund and Memel.

The operation lasted 71 days, the front was 1,000 km wide and 400 km deep.

Side Plans

The German Army Group North created a multi-lane, deep-echeloned defense in advance, making extensive use of the geography of the area - this is an abundance of lakes, rivers and swamps, a rather rare road network, which contributed to the difficulty of offensive operations. Particular importance was attached to the defense of the Riga direction. The strongest enemy grouping, which included 5 tank divisions, was located in the Riga area.

According to the plan of the Soviet General Staff, the troops of the three Baltic fronts should attack a grouping consisting of the 16th and 18th armies in the Riga direction (it was planned to dismember the German troops and defeat them one by one); and with the assistance of the KBF, the Leningrad Front was to launch an attack in the Estonian direction (Task Force Narva). A significant massing of troops was carried out thanks to the allocation of reserves, as a result of which, in some types of equipment, the USSR had a double superiority over Germany. The superiority in people was negligible. National troops, staffed from the natives of the Baltic republics, were involved in the operation. The actions of the Soviet fronts in the Baltic States were coordinated and carried out the overall management of the operation by Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky.

The first stage of the operation (September 14-27, 1944)

During the first stage of the operation, the Tallinn operation was carried out, as a result of which the entire mainland of the ESSR was liberated.

Troops of the Baltic fronts, during the offensive in the Riga direction, reached the Sigulda line, prepared 25-80 km from Riga. Attempts to break through this frontier failed. Stubborn battles ensued to “gnaw through” it with a slow, methodical, but bloody advance. An attempt to take Riga with a sudden strike from the south also failed: although the Soviet strike was unexpected for the enemy, he managed to stop the advance of Soviet troops 30 kilometers south of Riga by hastily taken measures. Under these conditions, a bold decision was made to redirect the main attack from the Riga to the Memel direction.

The second stage of the operation (September 28 - November 24, 1944)

The Riga, Moonsund and Memel operations were carried out to the end. In the Memel area, the main forces of Army Group North were forever cut off from East Prussia. Soviet troops liberated Riga, Lithuania, a significant part of Latvia. The Courland Cauldron was formed.

Riga operation (September 14 - October 24, 1944)

The Riga operation was carried out from September 14 to October 22, 1944 with the aim of liberating Riga and Latvia from Nazi invaders. 119 rifle divisions, 6 tank and 1 mechanized corps, 11 separate tank brigades, 3 fortified areas were involved in the operation from the USSR - the total number of troops was 1351.4 thousand people. The Germans had the 16th and 18th field units of the forces of the 3rd Panzer Army of Army Group North. From October 14 to October 27, the Soviet army launched an offensive but stopped at the Sigulda line, previously fortified by the Germans and replenished with army units that were forced to retreat to the line due to defeat during the Tallinn operation (operational group Narva). After preparations, a second offensive of the Soviet troops began, on October 13 Riga was taken, on October 22 the Riga operation ended with the liberation of Riga and most of Latvia.

Tallinn operation (September 17-26, 1944)

The Tallinn operation is part of the Baltic operation, carried out at its first stage from September 17 to 26, 1944 with the aim of liberating Estonia and its capital, Tallinn (hence the name).

At the beginning of the operation, the 2nd and 8th shock armies had an enveloping position in relation to the army group "Narva" (6 divisions of the army group "North"). It was planned to attack the rear of the Narva grouping with the forces of the 2nd shock army, and then storm Tallinn. And the 8th Army was assigned the role of an offensive against the positions of the Narva Army Group in the event of the retreat of the German troops. On September 17, the Tallinn operation began. The forces of the 2nd Shock Army made a gap in the enemy's defense up to 18 km deep in the area of ​​the Emajygi River. The army group "Narva" began to withdraw. According to the plan, on September 19, the 8th Army went on the attack. On September 20, the city of Rakvere was liberated and units of the 8th Army united with units of the 2nd Army. On September 21, Tallinn was liberated, and by September 26, Estonia was completely liberated (except for some islands). The result was successful for the Soviet troops - the German troops in mainland Estonia suffered a crushing defeat in just 10 days, a significant part of them (over 30,000 people) could not break through to Riga and were captured or destroyed.

According to Soviet data, the Germans lost over 30,000 killed, 15,745 prisoners and 175 tanks and self-propelled guns.

Moonsund operation (September 27 - November 24, 1944)

Moonsund operation - an operation carried out from September 27 to November 24, 1944 on the Moonsund archipelago with the aim of capturing and liberating it from Nazi invaders. The defensive troops were the 23rd Infantry Division and 4 security battalions. From the Soviet side, part of the forces of the Leningrad Front and the KBF were allocated. The bulk of the islands were liberated quickly (unexpected landing sites were chosen, the enemy was not given time to prepare a defense - the landing on the next island was landed immediately after the previous one was liberated). Only on the narrow isthmus of the Syrve peninsula on the island of Saaremaa did the enemy manage to delay the Soviet offensive for a month and a half, having pinned down one rifle corps.

The liberation of the islands took place one by one:

• Vormsi - September 27-28, 1944;
• Muhu - September 29 - October 1, 1944;
• Hiiumaa - October 2-3, 1944;
• Saaremaa - October 5-8, 1944;
• Syrve Peninsula - October 8 - November 23, 1944.

Memel operation (October 5-22, 1944)

The Memel operation is an offensive operation of the Soviet troops of the 1st Baltic and 39th Army of the 3rd Belorussian Fronts, carried out from October 5 to October 22, 1944 with the aim of cutting off the troops of Army Group North from East Prussia. The troops of the 1st Baltic Front reached the approaches to Riga south of the Daugava. There they met strong enemy resistance. The headquarters of the Supreme High Command decided to transfer the main direction of attack to the Memel direction. The forces of the 1st Baltic Front were regrouped in the area of ​​Siauliai. The command of the Soviet troops planned to reach the coast at the turn of Palanga-Memel-the mouth of the Neman River when breaking through the defenses to the west and south-west of the city of Siauliai. The main blow was inflicted on the Memel direction, the auxiliary one - on the Kelmet-Tilsit direction.

The decision of the Soviet command came as a complete surprise to the enemy, who was waiting for the resumption of attacks in the Riga direction. On the first day of the fighting, Soviet troops began to break through the defenses and by evening had already advanced to a depth of 7-17 km. By October 6, all the troops trained according to the preliminary plan were involved, and by October 10, the Germans were cut off from East Prussia. As a result, between the enemy groupings in East Prussia and Courland, a Soviet defense zone up to 50 kilometers wide was formed, which the enemy could never overcome. By October 22, most of the northern bank of the Neman River was cleared of the enemy. In Latvia, the enemy was forced out to the Courland Peninsula and there it was reliably blocked. As a result of the Memel operation, advancement up to 150 km was achieved, an area of ​​​​more than 26 thousand km² and more than 35 thousand settlements were liberated. 78 Soviet units and formations were awarded orders.

Side forces

Soviet troops
	commanders	Forces, pers.	Losses, pers.
Leningrad Front	L. A. Govorov		6,219 killed, 22,557 wounded
1st Baltic Front	I. Kh. Bagramyan		24,188 killed, 79,758 wounded
2nd Baltic Front	A. I. Eremenko		15,735 killed, 58,000 injured
3rd Baltic Front	I. I. Maslennikov		11,867 killed, 43,621 wounded
Red Banner Baltic Fleet	V. F. Tributs		258 killed, 1532 wounded
			61,468 killed, 218,622 wounded

Operation results

As a result of the Baltic operation, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia were liberated from German occupation (with the exception of the Courland pocket). 26 divisions of Army Group North were defeated and 3 divisions were completely destroyed. The remaining divisions are blocked in Courland.

112 soldiers of the Red Army during the operation were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, three of them - twice, more than 332 thousand people. were awarded medals and orders. 481 units received government awards. 131 units received the honorary name of the liberated cities of Tallinn, Riga, Valgin, and others.

Defensive operation in Lithuania and Latvia (22.06.-09.07) Fighting in the Baltic.

In the direction of the main attack, Army Group North managed to achieve a more favorable balance of forces.

	8th Army	18th Army and 4th Panzer Group	Ratio
divisions	7	16	1:2
Personnel	82010	360060	1:4,4
Guns and mortars	1574	4666	1:2,9
tanks	730	649	1,2:1

On the first day of the offensive, the German 56th Panzer Corps was to advance 80 km in depth in order to capture the bridge over the Dubyssa near Ayrogola. On the Soviet-German border, the Šiauliai direction was covered by the 125th Infantry Division of Major General P.P. Bogaichuk. The main forces of the 56th motorized corps (commanded by Colonel General Erich von Manstein) acted against it. The 125th Rifle Division was unable to repel the massive attack of tanks supported by aviation (up to 30 or more tanks per kilometer of front) and, having suffered heavy losses, began to retreat, leaving the Germans the city of Taurage. German tanks and motorized infantry broke into Taurage. Having mastered it, part of the 8th Panzer Division of General Brandenberger of the 56th MK rushed to Raseiniai. On the outskirts of it, the 48th Rifle Division of Major General P.V. Bogdanov entered the battle on the move. Parts of the division did not have time to turn around and pull up artillery. There was no air cover. The division was able to fight a tense battle for only a few hours. To finally break its resistance, Manstein brought into battle the reserve (3rd motorized) division. After that, the 48th Rifle Division began a retreat, which was extremely disorganized, as a result of which not only Raseiniai was surrendered, but also the bridge to the north of this city across the Dubyssa River near Airogala (Aregala). The attempts made by the main Russian grouping of the army on June 23 to encircle up to three infantry and one tank divisions of the enemy in the area of ​​Shilale, Skaudvile, Vidukle, Kelme did not receive any development. By the end of the first day of the war, the tank formations of the Gepner group were already 60-70 km from the border. Thus, the 56th TC of the 4th Panzer Group crossed the Dubysa and quickly moved to the Western Dvina to reach it in the Daugavpils sector. In connection with the enemy breaking through the center of the 8th Army in the Siauliai direction and the withdrawal of units of the 11th Army, the commander of the North-Western Front decided to withdraw the troops of the 8th and 11th armies to a new line for stubborn defense and putting the units in order. "By June 25, the 8th Army withdraw and occupy for defense, organizing anti-tank areas, the Plateliai, Telsiai, Shaunenai, Shiaulenai, Shushva river line. The main areas of defense are Shauliai, Riga and Panevezys, Dvinsk. Reserves, in addition to those allocated directly by the army, to have: the 23rd tank division - in the Shanimai area, the 28th tank division and the 202nd motorized division - in the Panevezys area.The border on the left: Turmont station (12 km south of Daugavpils), Anikshchiai, Keidany, Sredniki. the army to retreat and take up defense, organizing anti-tank areas, at the turn of Keidany, Art. Ponava, r. Viliya to Skerei, Vievis, Olkeniki. The main direction of defense is Vilnius, Sventsyany. Reserves to have: 3rd mechanized corps in the area of ​​Ukmerge, Podberez, Maletai; The 29th Rifle Corps (179th and 184th Rifle Divisions) - in the Sventsyany area, where to make the final reorganization and mobilization of the corps.

The 41st Tank Corps, advancing on the left flank, was for some time delayed by counterattacks of Russian tanks in the Siauliai direction. In the battles that took place from 24 to 26 June in the Kedainiai region north of Kaunas, he defeated the enemy.

By 2 pm on June 22, the commander of the 8th Army orderedThe 12th mechanized corps, interacting with the 3rd mechanized corps, destroy the enemy advancing in the Siauliai direction. In turn, the commander of the 12th mechanized corps ordered the 28th tank division and the 202nd motorized rifle division, interacting with the 3rd mechanized corps, from the Varniai-Uzhventis line, from the morning of June 23, to strike at the enemy wedged in in the direction of Taurage. The 28th Panzer Division, having made a forced march, went to the starting area for an attack on Varniai - Uzhventis on the morning of June 23. In the Kaltinenai area, the first battle of the 28th Panzer Division with German tanks took place. Parts of the division pushed the enemy back five kilometers and destroyed fourteen tanks and twenty guns. On June 25, the corps was tasked with defeating the enemy southwest of Siauliai. However, due to the delay, the 23rd TD of Chernyakhovsky's division had to fight heavy defensive battles, turning into counterattacks.
During the four hours of battle on June 25, the 28th Panzer Division lost 48 tanks. And in just a day 84 cars. On June 27, units of the 28th TD took up defensive positions on the Musha River. On June 29, the Germans captured a bridgehead on the outskirts of Riga, cutting off the retreat of the 8th Army units. The 28th Panzer Division was ordered to clear the coast of the enemy. With a sudden flank attack, the division crushed the enemy. The danger of a breakthrough arose in the direction of Plavinas, a city on the right bank of the Daugava. The 8th army, covered by formations of the 12th mechanized corps, retreated in the direction of Riga, and the 28th TD, conducting rearguard battles with the troops of the 41st motorized corps of General Reinhardt, retreated in an organized manner to Madona-Pskov.

Trying to delay the advance of the enemy on the Neman, the command of the 11th Army threw the 5th Panzer Division into battle. The division commander, Colonel F.F. Fedorov, managed to push only the artillery of the 5th motorized rifle regiment, a separate anti-aircraft artillery division and the 2nd battalion of the 9th tank regiment to the bridge near Alytus. Artillerymen and tankers temporarily detained the tank column of the 39th motorized corps. However, after capturing the second bridge across the Neman, south of Alytus, the enemy launched a swift offensive to the north and soon pinned down the main forces of the 5th Panzer Division on both sides on the eastern bank of the Neman. In an unequal, extremely fierce battle, our formations were defeated, losing 90 combat vehicles.

At this time, the 2nd Russian Panzer Division was advancing in the Tauragen direction and fought a meeting battle near Skaudville with enemy motorized troops. Together with the remnants of the 48th and 125th rifle divisions, she destroyed up to 40 tanks and 40 enemy guns in the Raseiniai area. The heavy losses of the Soviet troops during this counterattack and the lack of supply of fuel and ammunition forced them to start a retreat the next day, which led to the fall of Kaunas and Kedainiai on June 24, and Siauliai on June 25. The enemy took possession of Kaunas and part of the forces rushed to Vilnius, and the main forces of the 56th motorized corps went to the Jonava region, cutting off the 11th army from the 8th. The commander of the 11th Army tried to restore the situation by sending the 84th Motorized Rifle Division to Jonava. But in a fierce battle, this formation, already significantly bled white in the battles near Kaunas, again suffered heavy losses and fell back in scattered units to the location of the retreating units of the 16th Rifle Corps. Thus, advancing on the parallel Daugavpils and Siauliai directions, the enemy outflanked and surrounded the 2nd Panzer Division.

At the same time, already on June 24, the 56th Panzer Corps captured the high road leading to Daugavpils in the Vilkomerz area. On June 26, one tank and one motorized division reached the Western Dvina near Daugavpils and captured a bridgehead on its right bank.

On June 28, an order was received from the commander of the North-Western Front: "27th Army (5th Airborne Corps, combined rifle division, 21st mechanized corps, 110th artillery regiment of the High Command reserve and parts of the 16th rifle corps and the 3rd mechanized corps) withdraw and occupy the northern bank of the Western Dvina river from Livani, Dvinsk, Kraslava for stubborn defense. On the night of 28.6.41, a group of units led by generals Akimov and Belov attack the enemy and capture Dvinsk (Daugavpilsk ), securely securing it behind itself. The 11th Army (128th, 188th and 126th rifle divisions) will form the second echelon of the front and settle down in the Ludza, Opochka, Ostrov area until the units are fully staffed.

Early in the morning of June 28, the corps went on the offensive. Soon the vanguard of the corps collided with the enemy. Two hours after the start of the battle, the 46th Panzer Division, together with the 5th Airborne Corps, broke into Daugavpils. The battle took on a fierce character. The situation required the immediate entry into battle of the 42nd and 185th divisions. But their progress was hampered by German air strikes. The 42nd Panzer Division took the battle with the forward units of the 121st Infantry Division of the 16th German Army. The counterattack on 28.6.41 by a group of troops of the 27th army (21st mechanized corps, combined division, units of the 5th airborne corps) with the aim of capturing Dvinsk did not give positive results, and our units retreated by the morning of 29.6.41 to a new defensive line - Lake Vyrochno, Lake. Luknas-ezers, r. Dubna. The 8th tank, 3rd motorized, SS division "Dead Head", 290th, 121st infantry divisions began to attack the positions of the Russian corps that did not have time to gain a foothold. The 42nd Panzer Division held the line in the Dagda area until the end of the day on July 3. But on the right flank of the 27th Army, large German forces broke through the defenses and captured the city of Rezekne. By evening, an order was received from the commander: immediately begin an organized withdrawal of the corps, take the new Ludza-Lauderi line and hold it until the end of the day on July 4. The 185th and 46th divisions retreated in battle. The 42nd Panzer Division had a particularly hard time. The enemy sought to surround and destroy her at all costs.

The offensive of superior enemy forces forced the corps to leave the Ludza-Lauderi line and retreat with fighting to Sebezh and Opochka. And the next day, General Berzarin ordered that all army troops be withdrawn to the old state border of the USSR, taking up defense along the rivers Lzhe and Sinya in the Pustoshka, Krasnogorodskoye, Mozuli section.

Meanwhile, both German armies, having broken the Russian resistance, which was especially strong in the 16th Army zone in the Kaunas region, advanced behind the mobile formations rushing forward. On June 29, the 18th Army captured Riga. Having pulled up to the Western Dvina and crushed the last resistance, both armies were now advancing behind the 4th Panzer Group. The destruction of large Russian forces was not carried out. While the main forces of the army group were conducting the indicated combat operations, the flank formations of the 18th Army undertook the cleansing of the southern region of the Baltic. Liepaja (Libava) was captured without much resistance on June 28, and Ventspils (Vindava) on July 1. On the opposite bank of the Western Dvina, one army corps launched an offensive with the aim of capturing Estonia and by July 10 reached the line of Tartu, Pärnu.

1944 - 1945: this is how Lithuania was liberated

About 80,000 soldiers and commanders of the Red Army died while liberating the territory of Lithuania from Nazi invaders. For more than half a year, the war rolled its bloody rollers, ruthless towards people, through our cities, towns, villages and farms. The seeds thrown into the ground in the spring by the caring hands of the peasant sprouted together, but were plowed up by the caterpillars of the tanks. Ripened meadow grasses burned from bursts of artillery shells. The fertile lands were surrounded by trenches. Instead of traditional crosses, fortified firing points have grown at the crossroads. The cities were cautiously silent, looking at the world with machine-gun loopholes instead of windows.

It was. And when, if not on Victory Day, to remember the glorious path traveled by the liberating army?

To keep the Baltic States at any cost - the German command did not set any other task for its troops. Covering East Prussia from the northeast, the Baltic states ensured the operations of the German fleet in the eastern part of the Baltic Sea, communication with an ally in the person of Finland, and with Sweden, which supplied Hitler with strategic materials. It was an excellent supply base, since it remained practically the only large part of the USSR occupied, which could still be plundered with impunity. However, hopes for a successful defense were not destined to come true.

The liberation of Lithuania consisted of several operations, namely: the Vilnius-Kaunas offensive, the operations in Dzukia and Suvalkia, the Siauliai offensive, the liberation of Samogitia and the Klaipeda region, the assault on Memel.

Švenčenis was liberated - the first large settlement on the territory of Lithuania.

Vilnius was liberated - the capital of Soviet Lithuania, which even in official documents the German command called "the gate to Prussia". The retreating units and formations of the 3rd Panzer Army were pulled here. The garrison of the city consisted of about 15 thousand people. Official propaganda never ceased to trumpet: Vilna will be defended by the elite forces of the German army, which is "the best guarantee of the power of German weapons."

Nemenchin. In this area, motorized units of the 3rd Belorussian Front crossed the Neris. Guards regiments from the corps of Lieutenant General Obukhov were the first to approach Vilnius, and already on July 9 the Nazi garrison of Vilnius was blocked.

At the same time, an attempt was made from the areas west of Vevis and Maishegol to break the Soviet encirclement and save those who were in the cauldron. As part of this plan, the enemy dropped an airborne assault to help the besieged, which was almost completely destroyed.

On July 11, the Wehrmacht's counterattacks ceased, and street fighting intensified at the same time. In order to avoid unnecessary sacrifices, the enemy was asked to capitulate, but he rejected this offer.

Street fighting broke out with renewed vigor. Narrow crooked streets and alleys, as well as the courtyards of the old city, were exceptionally convenient for defense and limited the use of Soviet tanks and heavy artillery. But on the relatively straight and wide streets there were real battles. So, for example, on the current Vokechu street, twelve German tanks rushed to the attack. Six were destroyed by anti-tank guns, two were blown up by grenades. On Paupio Street, among the barricades, the Germans camouflaged two machine guns, from which there was literally no life for the attackers. I had to roll the cannon through the yards and openings in the fences, and shoot through the gap in the gate. The guns fell silent...

For two days there were battles for Mount Gediminas and its environs, which were turned into an area of ​​defense in depth. A heated battle flared up for the station and the streets adjacent to it.

Alytus released.

Here, to the Neman, in the areas of Alytus and Grodno, the German command hastily pulled together large reserves. The Neman, wide in the Alytus region, was supposed to become a reliable natural barrier. However, already on July 14, units of the Red Army crossed the river in several places at once, and on July 15 the attackers had a bridgehead 70 kilometers wide in the area of ​​​​the city and to the south of it. Alytus was surrounded by a sudden blow and, after short but fierce street fighting, was occupied.

Advancing north of the Vilnius-Kaunas line, the troops of the 1st Baltic Front liberated the town of Dukshtas on July 12, in the Anyksciai area they reached the banks of the Sventoji, broke through north of Surdegis, and on the evening of July 21 approached Panevezys.

As a result of a swift strike from the north and south, on the morning of July 22, Panevezys was liberated from the Nazi invaders.

The Soviet command expected that with the liberation of Siauliai, favorable conditions would arise for strikes in the Riga and Klaipeda directions. This is how the idea of ​​the operation came into being, which went down in the history of wars as the Šiauliai operation.

In the direction of the main attack, by the end of July 25, Soviet troops reached the line Kamayai - Vabalninkas - Pumpenai - Naujamiestis - Ramigala - Pagiriai. The breakthrough to Siauliai was started by the 3rd Guards Mechanized Corps. On July 27, Baisogala was taken by storm, the Siauliai-Kaunas railway was cut. Crushing the enemy, tankers on his shoulders rushed to the city center. Neither aviation nor tank counterattacks helped the Germans to keep an important transport hub on the way to East Prussia. Šiauliai was released.

The area near Kaunas and on the distant approaches to it is exceptionally favorable for organizing a stubborn defense. The interfluve of the Neris and the Neman, the railway junction turned out to be saturated with infantry and artillery, the city was surrounded by anti-tank and anti-personnel fortifications. Crossroads of streets turned into strongholds, basements - into warehouses of ammunition and food, into shelters. Towers of Kaunas churches - to observation posts and sniper positions.

From Ziežmariai, Soviet troops began to take Kaunas in pincers, and then closed them on the Kaunas-Marijampole highway. The enemy, pressed by infantry and tanks, retreated to the west, using convenient terrain for resistance, mining roads and houses, blowing up bridges and warehouses, burning everything that could burn.

On August 1, troops of the 5th Army, with the assistance of units of the 39th and 33rd armies, liberated Kaunas.
28.01.1945

On the distant approaches to Memel, fighting began as early as October 1944. In the first half of October, Kursenai, Telsiai, Plunge, Seda, Varniai, Mazeikiai, Tauragė, Kretinga, Palanga, Skuodas were liberated. The roads connecting Courland with East Prussia were cut. Parts of the Red Army went to the Baltic Sea.

In the second half of October, fighting began in the Klaipeda region. On October 23, our units occupied Pagegiai, Silute, Prekule, went to the lower reaches of the Neman, cutting off the communications connecting Klaipeda with Tilsit and Prussia.

Klaipeda (Memel) was blocked.

Even before dawn on January 28, the assault on the city began. Street fighting ensued. But the morale of the enemy was already far from the same as in 1941, and not even the same as in 1944.

By the evening of January 28, 1945, the city was taken, and the next day the Curonian Spit was free from the remnants of the Nazi troops. The most distinguished units in the battles were given the honorary title of "Klaipeda".

Soviet Lithuania was cleared of invaders.

Enemy losses:
8,000 killed. 5,000 prisoners. Captured 156 serviceable guns, mortars, tanks, aircraft, 6 railway echelons with various military cargo.

Enemy losses:
Over 8,000 killed. 1,200 prisoners. 36 tanks, 76 guns, 47 mortars, 140 vehicles, 20 armored cars.

Trophies of the Red Army:
17 tanks, 63 guns, 56 mortars, 244 machine guns, 26 warehouses with military equipment.

The Baltics occupied a special place in the plans of the military-political leadership of the Third Reich. Control over the Baltics made it possible to "look after" most of the Baltic Sea, especially taking into account the coast of allied Finland. The Baltic area allowed the German fleet to operate actively in the eastern part of the Baltic Sea and maintain contact with the Scandinavian countries, from where strategic materials and resources came to Germany. The Baltic region not only covered East Prussia from the east, but in itself was a supply base for the German Empire. Thus, oil shale processing enterprises operated in Estonia, which annually supplied the Third Reich with about 500 thousand tons of oil products. The Baltic States were the agricultural base of Germany, supplying a large amount of agricultural raw materials and food.

In addition, we must not forget that the Baltic nationalists supplied the Germans with "cannon fodder." They were especially active in police and punitive units, freeing the Germans for the divisions they needed on the front lines. It is worth recalling the fact that the Baltics were considered the "living space" of the Third Reich. The region was planned to be populated by Germans, the “inferior population” (including Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians) was planned to be evicted deep into Russia, leaving part as service personnel, slaves.

Therefore, it was very important for Berlin to keep the Baltic states. The loss of this region was a significant blow to the German Empire. East Prussia was under attack. The Baltic Fleet received freedom of action. Germany was losing an important economic base. The German command did not want to withdraw Army Group North from the Baltic states, and it was already difficult to carry out such an evacuation in this period.

Offensive operations in the Baltic became the so-called. "Stalin's eighth blow." The Baltic strategic offensive operation was carried out from September 14 to November 24, 1944. Its main goal was to defeat the German troops in the Baltic and liberate Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The battle for the Baltic included four front-line and inter-front operations: Riga, Tallinn, Moonsund and Memel. The battle lasted 71 days, the front was 1,000 km wide and 400 km deep. The Baltic operation ended with the defeat of the German Army Group North, the formation of the Kurland pocket and the liberation of the three Baltic republics from German occupation.

Column of Soviet 152-mm howitzers ML-20 in the liberated Tallinn

background

A major offensive in the Baltic began to be prepared even at the height of the Belarusian operation (). Until the summer of 1944, a major offensive operation in the Baltic did not have favorable conditions. In the summer of 1944, in the Baltic direction, Soviet troops carried out a series of operations that led to the liberation of important territories and the deterioration of the position of the German army. Participating in the Belarusian operation, the 3rd Belorussian Front crossed the border of the Lithuanian SSR in early July 1944 and liberated Vilnius on July 13. Later, Soviet troops reached the Lithuanian border with East Prussia.

On July 5-31, 1944, the troops of the 1st Baltic Front under the command of Ivan Bagramyan carried out the Siauliai operation (it was part of the strategic Belarusian operation). As a result, Soviet troops defeated the Šiauliai grouping of the enemy, liberated large areas of Latvia and Lithuania. On July 30-31, Soviet troops liberated Tukums and Jelgava and reached the Gulf of Riga. The German Army Group North was temporarily cut off from East Prussia. In August, during heavy fighting, the Germans were able to restore the land connection between the Baltic States and East Prussia.

On July 10-27, 1944, the troops of the 2nd Baltic Front, led by Andrey Eremenko, carried out the Rezhitsko-Dvina operation. As a result, Soviet troops broke through five strong defensive lines of the enemy, advanced 190-200 km, liberated 7 large and 16 small cities, a total of 5261 settlements. Among them are such important centers as Idritsa, Drissa, Opochka, Sebezh, Rezekne (Rezhitsa) and Daugavpils (Dvinsk). The liberation of the Kalinin region was completed and the liberation of Latvia began. In addition, the northern flank of the Soviet offensive in Belarus was secured. Significant German formations were pinned down by battle, and they could not be transferred to Belarus. The German command had to transfer troops from front to front (first to Belarus, then to the Baltic states), as a result, they did not have enough of them anywhere. Exhausted by marches and battles, the German divisions could not hold even strong and pre-equipped defensive lines.

On July 11-31, 1944, the troops of the 3rd Baltic Front under the command of Ivan Maslennikov carried out the Pskov-Ostrov operation. The well-prepared enemy defense (the "Panther" line), which was defended by the troops of the 18th Army, was broken through. Soviet troops occupied the powerful Pskov-Ostrovsky fortified area, liberated Ostrov and the ancient Russian city of Pskov. The operation led to the final liberation of the Leningrad region, and contributed to the offensive of the neighboring Leningrad Front.

On July 24-30, 1944, the troops of the Leningrad Front under the command of Leonid Govorov, with the support of the Baltic Fleet, carried out the Narva operation. As a result, the Narva grouping of the Wehrmacht was defeated. Soviet soldiers liberated the city and fortress of Narva. The Narva bridgehead was significantly expanded, which improved the operational position of the Soviet troops before the strategic Baltic operation. The liberation of Narva contributed to the successful offensive of the 3rd Baltic Front in the Tartu direction.

On August 1 - 28, 1944, the troops of the 2nd Baltic Front under the command of Andrey Eremenko carried out the Lubansko-Madonskaya operation. Soviet troops with heavy fighting overcame the impenetrable wooded and swampy Luban lowland, repelling strong enemy counterattacks. The cities of Livani, Varaklyany, Barkavy, Ligatne, Krustpils and other settlements were liberated. They stormed the powerful center of resistance, the city of Madona. The Germans failed to stop the Soviet offensive, but were able to significantly slow down its pace and, as a result, wear down the advancing Soviet troops. However, Eremenko's troops were able to reach the starting line to strike at Riga, albeit with a strong delay.

August 10 - September 6, the troops of the 3rd Baltic Front carried out the Tartu operation. As a result, Soviet troops advanced 100-130 km, liberated the city of Tartu and defeated the enemy's Tartu grouping. Conditions were created for entering the shores of the Gulf of Riga and attacking the flank and rear of the enemy Narva grouping.

Thus, in the summer of 1944, most of the defensive lines of the Wehrmacht in the Baltic States collapsed, the Soviet troops advanced more than 200 km in some directions. Almost half of the Baltic area was liberated from the Nazis. Soviet operations made it possible to pin down significant forces in the Baltic direction, which contributed to the troops of the Belorussian fronts to complete the defeat of Army Group Center in Belarus and break through to Eastern Poland. Soviet troops reached the approaches to Riga, creating all the conditions for completing the liberation of the Baltic states.

offensive plan

According to the directives of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, it was planned to dismember and destroy the North Army Group with the support of the Baltic Fleet by the troops of the three Baltic Fronts and the Leningrad Front, and finally liberate the Baltic states. The troops of the Baltic fronts delivered converging blows in the direction of Riga. The Leningrad front was advancing in the direction of Tallinn. The main attack was considered in the Riga direction, where the defense was held by the main forces of the German 16th and 18th armies. There were five tank divisions of the Wehrmacht here. This strike was supposed to lead to the defeat of the main forces of the "North" group and the liberation of Riga - the most important political and industrial center, the junction of land and sea communications of the Baltic states.

The destruction of the German operational group "Narva" in Estonia was assigned to the troops of the Leningrad Front and the Baltic Fleet. Govorov's troops were supposed to strike from the Tartu region in the direction of Rakvere. Thus, the troops of the Leningrad Front were supposed to go to the rear of the Narva enemy grouping, surround and destroy it. At the second stage, the troops of the front were to liberate the capital of Estonia - Tallinn, to reach the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Fleet under the command of Admiral Vladimir Tributs received the task of supporting the coastal flank of the Leningrad Front, preventing the landing of reinforcements and the evacuation of enemy forces by sea. Naval aviation received the task of bombing the coastal rear of the enemy.

The 3rd Baltic Front delivered the main blow on its right flank (67th and 1st shock armies) and in cooperation with the 2nd Baltic Front, which advanced along the Madona-Riga line, in order to defeat the enemy’s Riga grouping and liberate the capital Latvia.

The 1st Baltic Front received the task of advancing with the main forces along the left bank of the Western Dvina in the Riga direction. Soviet troops were to reach the coast of the Gulf of Riga in the Riga area, preventing the main forces of Army Group North from withdrawing in the direction of East Prussia. Part of the forces of the 3rd Belorussian Front under the command of Ivan Chernyakhovsky also participated in the operation. Chernyakhovsky's troops advanced in the western direction, with the aim of tying down the enemy forces in East Prussia in battle and preventing them from maintaining a corridor to the Baltic. Marshal of the Soviet Union Alexander Vasilevsky carried out the overall management of the operation and coordination of the actions of the fronts.

The Baltic fronts were supposed to launch an offensive on September 5-7, the Leningrad Front on September 15. However, the preparation of the strategic operation faced a number of difficulties. There was not enough time, so the Headquarters postponed the start of the offensive in the Riga direction for a week. The Leningrad Front was to go on the offensive on 17 September. Thanks to this time, it was possible to better prepare for the offensive, reconnoiter enemy positions, supply ammunition, fuel, and food. The sappers completed the construction of the planned roads and prepared to force water barriers.

Side forces

USSR. The troops of the left wing of the Leningrad, three Baltic, part of the forces of the 3rd Belorussian fronts numbered about 900 thousand people, more than 3 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns, about 17.5 thousand guns and mortars, over 2.6 thousand aircraft. 12 armies participated in the operation, that is, almost three-quarters of the strength of the four Soviet fronts. The offensive was also supported by ships and aircraft of the Baltic Fleet.

Germany. By the beginning of September, Army Group North under the command of Ferdinand Schörner included the 16th and 18th Armies, the 3rd Panzer Army (on September 20 it was transferred from the Army Group Center) and the Narva Task Force. In total, they included about 730 thousand people, over 1.2 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns, about 7 thousand guns and mortars, about 400 aircraft.

The landing of Soviet troops on the island of Saaremaa (Ezel) in the Moonsund archipelago

The transfer of Soviet heavy artillery to the island of Saaremaa

Activities of the German command and the defense system

The success of Operation Bagration sharply worsened the position of Army Group North. German troops were deeply enveloped from the south and pressed to the sea. Over the German grouping in the Baltics, there was a threat to fall into a huge "cauldron". On the other hand, the Baltic foothold allowed the Wehrmacht to launch a flank attack on the Soviet troops. Therefore, it was considered inexpedient to leave the Baltic States. To stabilize the front in the Baltic direction, the German command stepped up engineering work here, erecting additional defensive lines and structures, and also deployed reinforcements.

The strongest grouping was located in the Riga direction, which included 5 tank divisions. The Riga fortified area was considered insurmountable for the Russians. On the approaches to the capital of Latvia from the northeast and east, four defensive lines were equipped.

There was also a very powerful defense in the Narva direction. The relatively narrow isthmus between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Peipsi made it possible to create a well-equipped defense line here. Soviet troops unsuccessfully stormed these positions during the Leningrad-Novgorod operation. Now they are even stronger. In the Narva direction, the Germans had three defensive lines with a total depth of 25-30 kilometers.

Usually, the main strip of the main defensive lines included two or three positions. Wire fences were set up ahead of the positions and minefields with anti-personnel and anti-tank mines were set up. The positions themselves had two or three trenches connected by communication passages. Positions were located at a distance of several kilometers from each other. Between the main defensive lines created intermediate. In order to complicate the actions of the ships of the Baltic Fleet, the Germans installed various barriers in the Gulf of Finland. Both fairways along the southern and northern shores of the Gulf of Finland were covered with mines. Narva Bay and Tallinn Bay were especially densely mined.

In August, several infantry and tank divisions, reinforcements, and a large amount of equipment were transferred from Germany and from sectors of the front that were considered “calm”. Infantry divisions, bled dry in previous battles, on average replenished up to 8 thousand people. For this, personnel from the air and navy, as well as various rear units and institutions, were used. Young men and elderly men were mobilized. To restore the combat effectiveness of Army Group North, Germany spent a significant part of the human and material resources directed to the armed forces.

At the same time, Army Group North maintained a fairly high morale. The most severe discipline was maintained in the troops. To "support" the advanced units, detachments were formed from the SS troops. The propaganda machine continued to convince the soldiers that the war would soon turn to a turning point. It was reported that total mobilization in Germany would allow the formation of new formations, and the Wehrmacht would go on a decisive offensive. Rumors spread about a "wonder weapon".

Abandoned by the Germans in the area of ​​the trading port of Tallinn 40-mm anti-aircraft gun "Bofors"

Operation progress

The greatest success was achieved by the troops of the 1st Baltic Front under the command of Bagramyan. Good reconnaissance made it possible to identify the enemy's fire defense system, and it was almost completely suppressed by artillery and aviation preparation. The shock grouping of the front - the 4th shock army and the 43rd army, advancing from the Bauska region, broke through the enemy defenses and advanced to a depth of more than 50 km in three days. The 35th Tank Brigade of the 3rd Guards Mechanized Corps and the forward detachments of the 43rd Army of General Afanasy Beloborodov made their way to Baldona and Yelgava. There are only about 20 km left to Riga.

Thus, the Soviet troops broke through to the southwestern approaches to Riga and created the threat of encirclement and dissection of the entire Army Group North. For the German command, the first step was to organize strong counterattacks against the troops of the 4th shock and 43rd armies in order to stop them on the outskirts of the capital of Latvia. At this time, other troops were supposed to slip out of the emerging encirclement.

Meanwhile, the troops of the 3rd and 2nd Baltic Fronts tried to break into the powerful enemy defenses. They advanced slightly, but were able to inflict heavy losses on the 18th German Army and tie down its reserves.

The commander of Army Group North, Ferdinand Schörner, fearing that the operational group Narva in the Tallinn direction (6 divisions) would be cut off from the main forces, asked the high command for permission to withdraw it. Usually Hitler's reaction to such proposals was sharply negative. However, this time such permission was given. The Narva group was ordered to withdraw to pre-prepared lines east of Riga. The German command began to withdraw troops from Estonia, which reduced the front by 300 km.

The planned withdrawal of the German troops was hampered by the offensive of the Leningrad Front (Tallinn operation). Govorov's troops struck from the Tartu region. At the same time, part of the forces of the front, in cooperation with the Baltic Fleet, moved along the coast. The troops of the 2nd shock and 8th armies under the command of generals Ivan Fedyuninsky and Philip Starikov successfully advanced. The 8th Estonian Rifle Corps also participated in the liberation of their homeland. September 20 liberated the city of Rakvere, September 22 - Tallinn. On September 23, Soviet troops occupied Pärnu. By September 26, all mainland Estonia was liberated from the Nazis. A significant part of the German troops could not break through to the main forces and died or were captured. The Germans lost more than 45 thousand people killed and captured. Having united with the troops of the 3rd Baltic Front, Govorov's troops joined the battles for the liberation of Latvia. Subsequently, the Leningrad Front carried out the Moonsund operation (September 27 - November 24, 1944) to liberate the Moonsund archipelago. Most of the islands were liberated quickly. Only on the Sõrve peninsula on the island of Saaremaa did the offensive stall for a month and a half. Here the Germans organized resistance on the narrow isthmus of the peninsula. Due to poor organization and lack of ammunition, the Soviet troops could not break the enemy's resistance for a long time.

A soldier of the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps met his wife on the street of liberated Tallinn. Source: http://waralbum.ru/

Meanwhile, the troops of the Baltic fronts continued to fight in the Riga direction (Riga operation). The German 16th, 18th, part of the forces of the 3rd Panzer Army were replenished by the retreating troops of the Narva group and fiercely fought back at the Sigulda line. The fighting took on a particularly stubborn character. Soviet troops had to literally gnaw through the enemy's defenses. The Germans launched furious counterattacks and even pushed the Soviet troops back in places. In particular, in the area of ​​Dobele, the German troops succeeded at the cost of huge losses to push our troops for 5 km. However, near Riga, the Germans were slowly but surely pressed. On September 22, Baldone was taken. The next day, the German command threw into battle two divisions that arrived from Estonia. However, the counterattack was repulsed.

Intense fighting in the Riga direction forced the German command to concentrate its main forces and reserves (33 divisions, including 4 tank divisions) on this narrow strip. This made it possible to temporarily hold Riga and the narrow strip of land along the Gulf of Riga, the last land line that linked Army Group North with East Prussia.

In this situation, the Soviet Headquarters decided to shift the direction of the main attack of the 1st Baltic Front from Riga to the Klaipeda direction, where the defense was held by 7-8 German divisions. The front command received the task of regrouping the troops of four armies with reinforcements from the right flank to the center, in the Siauliai region. Bagramyan's troops were to deliver a powerful blow in the western direction, defeat the troops of the 3rd Panzer Army and break through to the Baltic coast from Liepaja to the Neman River. The implementation of this operation cut off the troops of Army Group North from Prussia. The 39th Army of the 3rd Belorussian Front also participated in this operation. The troops of the 3rd and 2nd Baltic fronts were to continue to put pressure on the enemy in the Riga direction, holding down the main forces of Army Group North in battle, preventing Schörner from regrouping forces.

On October 5, 1944, the Memel operation began. Troops of the 1st Baltic Front launched an offensive against Memel (Klaipeda). The strike force of the front included the forces of the 6th Guards, 43rd and 5th Guards Tank Armies. They were advancing from the Siauliai region. To the south-west of Siauliai, the 2nd Guards Army struck.

Soviet troops successfully broke through the enemy defenses and moved west. The 4th shock and 51st armies also joined the offensive. The German command did not foresee the possibility of a strike in the Klaipeda direction. The offensive of the 1st Baltic Front on Klaipeda was an unpleasant surprise for the Germans, Schörner was waiting for new attacks in the Riga direction. By the fourth day of the offensive, the depth of the breakthrough reached 60-90 km, and the width was 200-260 km. The fierce counterattacks of the German 3rd Panzer Army under such conditions did not lead to success.

On October 10, units of the 5th Guards Tank and 51st Armies of Generals Vasily Volsky and Yakov Kreizer went to the sea. Following them, on a broad front north and south of Memel, other formations of the front came out to the coast of the Baltic Sea. The movement of large forces of Army Group North in the Saldus-Priekule area, which tried to break into East Prussia, was stopped as a result of stubborn fighting. Thus, Schörner's troops lost the last land communication that connected them with Germany.

The siege of Klaipeda-Memel dragged on, and the city was taken only in January 1945. The Soviet 43rd Army was unable to take the fortress city on the move. Memel was defended by powerful defensive structures, fortress-type forts with reinforced concrete fortifications such as pillboxes. They were connected by underground communication passages. In addition, coastal and naval artillery were involved in the defense of the city. Additional troops were transferred by sea to defend Memel. On the Tilsit direction, the troops of the left wing of the front and the 39th Army of the 3rd Belorussian Front liberated the northern bank of the Neman from the enemy and reached the border with East Prussia. Lithuania was liberated from the Germans.

Salute to the soldiers of the Red Army, who came to the coast of the Baltic Sea. Autumn 1944

Taking into account the unfavorable development of the situation in the Klaipeda direction, the German command decided to begin the withdrawal of troops from the Riga region to the territory of the Courland Peninsula. On the night of October 6, the Germans began to evacuate troops from the area northeast of Riga. However, the planned withdrawal did not work. Soviet troops relentlessly pursued the enemy. Having broken through the enemy defenses, the troops of the 3rd and 2nd Baltic Fronts on October 12 started fighting for the capital of Latvia. The next day, Riga was liberated (the western part of the city was liberated only on October 15). By October 22, Soviet troops reached the enemy's Tukums defensive line and blocked the Germans on the Courland Peninsula. So the so-called. Courland boiler. This ended the Riga operation. Most of Latvia was liberated.

It is impossible not to note the great role that Soviet aviation and the Baltic Fleet played in the operation. Only the 14th, 15th and 3rd air armies, which supported the Baltic fronts from the air, made 55,000 sorties during the operation. The Baltic Fleet supported the coastal flanks of the ground forces, landed troops, assisted in the liberation of the islands, disrupted enemy sea communications and carried out important transportation.

Soviet soldiers on the square of the liberated Riga

Results

Army Group North suffered a heavy defeat. However, despite heavy losses (out of 59 formations, 26 were defeated, 3 divisions were completely destroyed), 33 infantry, tank and motorized divisions remained in its composition. About 500 thousand enemy soldiers and officers, a huge amount of equipment and ammunition fell into the Courland cauldron. The German Courland group was blocked and pressed to the sea, between Tukums and Liepaja. The German troops were doomed. There were no forces to break into East Prussia. There was no point in waiting for outside help. Soviet troops quickly developed an offensive against Central Europe. Having abandoned most of the equipment, supplies and suffered serious losses in personnel and ships, the group could be transferred to Germany by sea. However, this decision was abandoned.

The Soviet command was also not going to destroy the German group, isolated from the rest of the Wehrmacht troops and unable to influence the battles in the main directions of the final stage of the war, at any cost. The 3rd Baltic Front was disbanded. The 1st and 2nd Baltic fronts received the task of destroying the German grouping. Taking into account the difficult terrain conditions of the Courland Peninsula (forests and swamps) and the onset of winter, which complicated the advance, the destruction of the German group dragged on until the end of the war. In addition, the Baltic fronts transferred significant forces to the main directions. Several fierce assaults on the Courland Peninsula did not lead to success. The Germans fought to the death, and the Soviet troops experienced a shortage of forces and ammunition. As a result, the fighting in the Kurland pocket ended only on May 15, 1945.

As a result of the Baltic operation, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were liberated from the Germans. Soviet power was restored everywhere. Only in a small part of Latvia did the German troops hold out. The Wehrmacht lost an important strategic foothold and raw material base, which it owned for three years. The Baltic Fleet was able to conduct operations on German communications, cover coastal communications and the flanks of ground forces from the Gulf of Finland and Riga. With access to the coast of the Baltic Sea, Soviet troops were able to deliver flank attacks to German troops in East Prussia.

It should be noted that the Baltic States suffered greatly from the German occupation. During the three years of Nazi occupation, the population of the Baltic republics suffered enormous disasters. During this time, the Nazis exterminated about 1.4 million local residents and prisoners of war. The economy of the region, cities and villages was severely destroyed. There was a lot of work to be done to restore the Baltics.

Il-2 attack aircraft of the Baltic Fleet Air Force attacks a German ship off the coast of East Prussia

A column of German prisoners of war passes by the railway station in Riga

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Baltic operation

The general situation in the Baltic states at the beginning of the operation was determined by the results of the Belarusian operation carried out by the Red Army: the German Army Group North (Colonel-General F. Schörner) was deeply engulfed from the south and pressed against the Baltic Sea in a relatively small area. At the turn from the Narva Bay to the city of Dobele, the Narva task force, the 18th and 16th armies, defended themselves, from Dobele to the Neman River - the 3rd Panzer Army of the Army Group Center, on September 20 transferred to the Army Group North ". The ground forces of the enemy were supported by aviation of the 1st Air Fleet and part of the forces of the 6th Air Fleet. This grouping consisted of 730 thousand people, 7 thousand guns and mortars, 1216 tanks and assault guns, up to 400 combat aircraft.

The troops of the left wing of the Leningrad (Marshal of the Soviet Union L.A. Govorov), 3rd Baltic (General of the Army I.I. Maslennikov), 2nd Baltic (General of the Army A.I. Eremenko), 1st Baltic (Army General I.Kh. Bagramyan), part of the troops of the 3rd Belorussian (Army General I.D. Chernyakhovsky) fronts, the forces of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet (Admiral V.F. Tributs) and long-range aviation - a total of 900 thousand people , about 17.5 thousand guns and mortars, 3080 tanks and self-propelled artillery mounts, 2640 combat aircraft.

The coordination of the actions of the three Baltic fronts until October 1, 1944 was carried out by the representative of the Headquarters of the Supreme Command Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky. On October 1, he was entrusted with the leadership of the operations of the 1st Baltic and 3rd Belorussian fronts, and Marshal of the Soviet Union L.A. Govorov (with leaving behind him the duties of commander of the Leningrad Front) - operations of the 2nd and 3rd Baltic fronts.

The plan of the Soviet command provided for cutting off the enemy grouping defending in the Baltic States from East Prussia by strikes of the troops of the Baltic fronts in converging directions to Riga and the troops of the Leningrad Front together with the Red Banner Baltic Fleet in the Tallinn direction, followed by the dismemberment of the Wehrmacht grouping and its destruction in parts.

The Baltic operation included four operations united by a common plan - the Riga, Tallinn, Moonsund landing and Memel operations.

On September 14, the troops of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Baltic fronts launched an offensive. During the Riga operation, Soviet troops forced the enemy to retreat to the defensive line "Sigulda" (25-60 km from Riga, north of the Daugava River) and jeopardized his communications leading to East Prussia. The German command began to withdraw troops from Estonia, at the same time strengthening the defense on the outskirts of Riga. The enemy troops launched strong counterattacks in the Baldone and Dobele regions. In connection with the fierce resistance of the German troops at this line, the Supreme Command Headquarters on September 24 decided to transfer the efforts of the 1st Baltic Front from the Riga to the Memel direction, where the enemy grouping was much weaker. On September 17-26, the troops of the Leningrad Front, in cooperation with the forces of the Baltic Fleet, carried out the Tallinn operation, which ended with the defeat of the enemy task force "Narva", the liberation of Tallinn and the entire mainland of Estonia.

To carry out the Memel operation, the 1st Baltic Front carried out a covert regrouping of its troops from the Riga direction to the Siauliai region. The offensive in the Memel direction was provided from the north by active actions towards Liepaja of the 4th shock army and from the south - by the strike of the 39th army of the 3rd Belorussian Front from the Raseiniai district in the direction of Taurage. In connection with the Moonsund landing operation of the troops of the Leningrad Front and the forces of the Baltic Fleet, which began on September 27, as well as the active operations of the troops of the 3rd and 2nd Baltic Fronts in the Riga region, the enemy was unable to transfer significant forces from the Sigulda line to repel the Soviet offensive troops in the Memel direction. As a result of the Memel operation, Soviet troops reached the Baltic coast, wedged into the territory of East Prussia and cut off Army Group North from it. While the 1st Baltic Front launched an offensive in the Memel direction, the troops of the 3rd and 2nd Baltic Fronts on October 6 proceeded to pursue the enemy, who began a hasty retreat from the Riga sector of the front to the Courland Peninsula. On October 13, Soviet troops liberated Riga. The destruction of the Courland group of Nazi troops was entrusted to the troops of the 2nd and 1st Baltic fronts. The coordination of the actions of the two Baltic and 3rd Belorussian fronts was entrusted to Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky. Marshal of the Soviet Union L.A. Govorov remained commander of the troops of the Leningrad Front.

On October 18, the Stavka pointed out the exceptional importance of the speedy liquidation of German troops northeast of Liepaja and in the area of ​​Memel (Klaipeda), demanding that all the efforts of the troops of the 1st and 2nd Baltic fronts be directed to defeat them, to attract long-range aviation and the Air Force of the Baltic Fleet, to intensify the actions of submarines on enemy sea lanes. Using the offensive of the Baltic fronts in the Riga and Memel directions, the troops of the Leningrad Front, together with the Baltic Fleet, from September 27 to November 24, as a result of the Moonsund landing operation, liberated the islands of the Moonsund archipelago.

As a result of the offensive of the Soviet troops, Army Group North was expelled from almost the entire Baltic and lost communications that connected it by land with East Prussia. Of the 59 divisions, 26 were defeated, and three were completely destroyed. The remaining forces of this group were pressed to the sea in Courland and in the Memel region. The length of the front line in the Baltic sector was reduced to 250 km, which made it possible to release significant forces of Soviet troops and use them in offensive operations in the winter of 1944/1945. With the loss of the Baltic States, Germany lost a profitable strategic area that provided her fleet with freedom of action in the eastern part of the Baltic Sea, as well as an important industrial, raw materials and food base.