The strength and courage of the Soviet people won the most terrible war of the last century. Their feat was everyday on the front line, in the rear, in the field, in partisan forests and swamps. The pages of the history of the Great Patriotic War are being erased from the memory of people, this is facilitated by peacetime and the gradual departure of that heroic generation. We must remember and pass on to the next generation the lessons of courage and the scale of the tragedy of the people. The blockade of Leningrad, the battle for Moscow, Stalingrad, the Kursk Bulge, the liberation of Voronezh and every battle of that war, which helped to win back an inch of our native land at the cost of our own lives.
The situation at the front
The summer of 1942 was a second chance for the Germans to regain the initiative during the fighting. A large grouping of troops was blocked in the northern direction (Leningrad), huge losses in the battle for Moscow significantly moderated Hitler's ardor and reduced his planslightning-fast capture of the USSR to a minimum. Now each military operation was carefully planned, the troops were regrouped, ways of supplying them and organizing logistics services were being prepared. The atrocities of the Nazis in the occupied territories stirred up a wave of partisan movement and the largest groups of the enemy did not feel completely safe. Interruptions in supply, hundreds of derailed railway cars with manpower and equipment, the complete destruction of small German units, the transfer of intelligence to regular units of the Soviet army greatly interfered with the invaders. Therefore, Operation Blau (on the Eastern Front) was developed taking into account all possible scenarios for the development of events, but even with such a competent strategic approach, the Nazis did not take into account the stubbornness and courage of the defenders of Voronezh. This ancient Russian city stood in the way of Hitler, but its capture and destruction, according to the Germans, did not require a significant amount of time. The more unexpected for them was the final battle in the city of Voronezh. His liberation was fully achieved as a result of active offensive operations in January 1943, but he remained "unconquered".
Hitler's new goals
Due to the large territory of the location of military units, the Germans faced a supply problem. The army was constantly in need of food, uniforms and fuel. For replenishment, resource bases were needed, which at that time were concentrated in the hands of the enemy. The capture of the Caucasus would solve the problem with fuel and energy resources, but the SovietHitler's plans were clear to the command, so significant counter-forces were concentrated in the eastern direction. Forcing the Don River with the subsequent destruction of the armed forces based in Voronezh would enable the Nazis to successfully carry out Operation Blau and develop a full-scale offensive against the city of Stalingrad. Therefore, by the summer of 1942, huge forces of the fascist army were concentrated in the southeastern direction of the front. More than half of all motorized formations and 35-40% of the infantry units involved in the Soviet-German front moved into position to fulfill the Fuhrer's dream of capturing the Caucasus. On June 28, 1942, the Germans launched Operation Blau, which was thwarted by Soviet troops near Stalingrad and in the city of Voronezh. Liberation from the Nazis was waiting for Kursk, Orel, which were captured during the attack on Moscow.
Advance on Voronezh
From the beginning of the war, Voronezh, like all cities of the USSR, was transferred to martial law. Mass mobilization took place, more enterprises were reoriented to military products (more than 100 items: IL-2 aircraft, Katyushas, armored trains, uniforms, etc.), the largest and most important for the economy were evacuated to the rear. Voronezh was preparing to repel a possible Nazi attack from the west. In the spring of 1942, intensive bombardments began, which destroyed the tram tracks. At that moment it was the only functioning mode of transport. The historical center of the old city of Voronezh was badly damaged. Liberation StreetLabor (former Vvedenskaya) with a church and a monastery has lost a significant number of historical monuments. The air defense division was created from girls who lived in the region and the city itself. Most of the men who were not mobilized into the regular army (workers, teachers, students) went to the militia, which took the first blow from the German military machine. In the Voronezh direction, the length of the front line was significant, which is why the German armies broke through the defenses and quickly approached the borders of the city. On July 6, the Nazis crossed the Don and entered the suburbs of Voronezh. At this stage, the German generals cheerfully reported about the capture of the city, they did not assume that they would not succeed in completely capturing it. The liberation of Voronezh on January 25, 1943 will be lightning-fast due to the bridgeheads held all the time by Soviet wars. By the time the Nazis attacked the city, most of it was destroyed by bombing, houses and factories were on fire. Under these conditions, a mass evacuation of the population, hospitals, the most important parts of the property of industrial enterprises, the export of historical and cultural values was carried out.
Frontline
The liberation of Voronezh from the Nazi invaders began from the left bank of the river. Advancing from the south and west, the Nazis did not meet with a proper rebuff, so they considered the city captured. The right-bank part of the Voronezh River was not fortified for defensive battles, the regular units of the Soviet army were far away, their transfer required time and bridgeheads for basing. In the townthere were parts of the NKVD, a militia battalion, 41 regiments of border guards and anti-aircraft gunners, who took the brunt of the blow. Most of these formations withdrew to the left bank of the river and began to build fortifications. The task of the rest was to delay the advance of the Nazis. This made it possible to defend crossings across the Voronezh River and slow down the advance of German units until the reserve units approached. In the conditions of urban combat, the Voronezh troops exhausted the enemy and retreated to the left-bank lines. By order of Stalin, a reserve brigade 8, consisting of Siberians, was sent to Voronezh. The Germans managed to gain a foothold on the right bank, but their further advance was stopped by the river, or rather the impossibility of forcing it. The front line stretched from St. Branch to the confluence of the river. Voronezh to Don. The positions of the Soviet soldiers were located in residential areas and factory floors, which provided good camouflage. The enemy did not see the movements of units, command posts, and could only guess from the density of fire about the number of defenders. From the headquarters of the commander-in-chief came an order to detain the Nazis on the Voronezh River, not to give up positions. The Soviet information bureau reported on the conduct of hostilities rather vaguely. Information about heavy fighting in the direction of Voronezh was announced.
Defense
From July 4, 1942, fierce battles were fought in the right-bank part of the city. Several units of Soviet soldiers, officers, militias, parts of the NKVD, anti-aircraft gunners operated in the center of Voronezh. Using as covercity buildings, they crossed to the right bank and destroyed the Nazis. The crossing was carried out with the massive support of artillery, which was entrenched on the left bank. The fighters from the river immediately rushed into battle against superior enemy forces, which had an advantage in location. The right bank was quite steep, which made it difficult for units to move. The desperate courage of these people led to the fact that on July 6-7, fighting took place on the streets: Pomyalovsky, Stepan Razin, Revolution Avenue, Nikitinskaya, Engels, Dzerzhinsky, Emancipation of Labor. Voronezh did not surrender to the invaders, but the offensive had to be stopped, the units suffered too great losses during the crossing. The surviving soldiers returned to the left bank on July 10, their main task was to strengthen the defensive positions and prepare bridgeheads for the next offensive. The liberation of Voronezh began precisely from the moment of this offensive and lasted for seven long months.
Hot spots on the map
The liberation of Voronezh continued, the left-bank defense line held back the enemy from capturing the entire city. Offensive operations did not stop, the reinforcements that came and the Soviet troops based in the city continued to destroy the Nazis. The front line changed several times a day, the struggle was for every quarter, street, house. German tank and infantry divisions repeatedly tried to cross the Voronezh River. The liberation of the left bank from the defenders meant the conquest of the city, its capture. Otrozhensky bridges, Semiluk crossing were subjected toconstant shelling, bombing and tank attacks. The defenders did not just stand to the death, they restored damaged structures under shelling and during raids. After the counterattacks on the Nazis, the Soviet units retreated from the right bank, carrying out the wounded, refugees were walking, at that time the Germans tried to attack or slip behind the marching column. It was not possible to force the Voronezh River on the railway bridge either, the Soviet soldiers, realizing that they would not be able to hold back the enemy’s onslaught for a long time, jammed the bridge with a burning train. At night, the central span was mined and blown up. The liberation of Voronezh from the fascist invaders was due to the created bridgeheads, on which the advancing units of the Soviet army could rely. Holding positions at Chizhovka and near Shilovo at the cost of their own lives, the soldiers destroyed large enemy groups. These bridgeheads were located in the right-bank part of the city, the Germans managed to gain a foothold on them and offered strong resistance. Soldiers called Chizhovka the "Valley of Death", but by capturing and holding it, they deprived the Germans of a strategic advantage and fettered their actions in the central part of the city.
August, September 42
Violent clashes took place on the hospital grounds and on campus. The area of the city park and agricultural institute is riddled with bullets and shells, every piece of land is saturated with the blood of Soviet soldiers who fought for the liberation of Voronezh. Photos of places of military glory have preserved the scale and cruelty of the battles. A witness and monument of those days is the Rotunda (showroom of the surgicalDepartment), this is the only surviving building on the territory of the regional hospital. The Germans turned each corps into a fortified firing point, which made it impossible for Soviet soldiers to capture this strategically important object. The fights continued for a month, their result was the stabilization of the front line, the Nazis were forced to retreat. The liberation of Voronezh, its right-bank part, lasted 212 days and nights. Fighting took place in the city, on its outskirts, in settlements along the entire length of the river.
Liberation of Voronezh from Nazi invaders
Operation Little Saturn was carefully planned and prepared by the Soviet command. In the history of military affairs, it is often called "Stalingrad on the Don", it was carried out by outstanding military leaders: P. S. Rybalko, G. K. Zhukov, Vasilevsky A. M., K. S. Moskalenko, I. D. Chernyakhovsky, F. I. Golikov. For the first time, offensive actions were carried out from bridgeheads, which served to regroup units and remained full-fledged rear structures during the fighting. The liberation of Voronezh on January 25 was the result of the Voronezh-Kastornensky operation (January 24, 1943 - February 2). The 60th Army under the command of I. Chernyakhovsky captured the city and cleared it completely of enemy units. The actions of the Soviet military forced the Nazis to flee the city, leaving their positions, in front of the possibility of encirclement, the Nazis tried to preserve the combat-ready units of the army. Long, exhausting battles in urban areas significantly reduced the number of Germangroups and undermined its morale. In the reports of the information bureau of 26.01.43, the following message was heard: as a result of the offensive operation of the Soviet troops by the forces of the Voronezh and Bryansk fronts, Voronezh was liberated on January 25, 1943. Photos and videos of that day show an unprecedented scale of destruction. The city was completely destroyed, its inhabitants either left or were killed by the Nazis. It was so quiet in the ruins of the remaining houses that people flinched at the sound of their own footsteps.
Destruction
Hitler needed Voronezh as a convenient springboard for further offensive operations in the east. The fascists were not able to capture the city, therefore, when leaving the right-bank part, they received an order to mine all the surviving high buildings. Museums, churches, the Palace of Pioneers, administrative buildings were destroyed by powerful explosions. All valuables left in the city were taken to the west, including the bronze monument to Peter 1 and Lenin. The housing stock was destroyed by 96%, tram tracks and power lines were destroyed, communications did not function. The historical center of the city with its wooden buildings burned down during the bombing, stone and brick buildings, factory workshops turned into ruins, fortified for defense. Hitler wrote that Voronezh had been wiped off the face of the earth, its incomplete restoration would take 50-70 years, he was pleased with this result. The civilians returning from the evacuation rebuilt the city literally brick by brick, many buildings were mined, which led to civilian casu alties.population. Voronezh was among the 15 most destroyed cities during the Great Patriotic War. Funds and construction materials were allocated for its restoration by a special decree. Voronezh did not surrender to the Germans and devastation, it is saturated with the spirit of that war, covered with the mass graves of its defenders, but it lives and develops.
Value for front
The units defending Voronezh performed several important tasks simultaneously. They tied up a large group of enemy troops, which included not only German units, but also their allies in this war. The Italian, Hungarian armies were defeated during an offensive operation in the Voronezh direction. After such a defeat, Hungary (which had not known such large-scale defeats until that day) withdrew from the alliance with Germany and the war on the eastern front. The defenders of Voronezh covered Moscow in the southern direction and defended the transport network necessary for the country. The defenders of the city did not give Hitler the opportunity to capture it with one blow and pulled back part of the group, which was supposed to go to Stalingrad. In the Voronezh direction, 25 German divisions were destroyed, more than 75 thousand soldiers and officers surrendered. During the occupation of the region and the city by the Nazis, mass brutal reprisals against the civilian population led to the formation of a partisan movement. After liberation, these detachments joined the regular units of the Soviet army. The Liberation Day of Voronezh became for many millions of people not only a holiday, but also the beginning of a great creative work. City rebuildingdemanded new exploits from its inhabitants, but by 1945 life in the "unconquered" was in full swing.
