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The battle path of the 67th Army, Leningrad Front. Novgorod-Luga offensive operation. Continuation of the offensive of the Volkhov Front

25.12.1943 - __.07.1945

The 67th Army (second formation) was formed on December 25, 1943 on the basis of the field control of the 55th Army.

From January 14 to March 1, 1944, in the Leningrad-Novgorod operation, army formations, in cooperation with troops of the Volkhov Front, defeated the Mginsk and Luga groups of enemy troops and liberated the cities Mga(January 21) and Meadows(12th of February). Continuing the offensive, by the end of February the army reached Pskov-Ostrovsky fortified area from the enemy.

On April 24, 1944, the army was included in the newly formed 3rd Baltic Front. In its composition, it successfully led fighting in the Pskov-Ostrovsk (July 17-31, 1944) and Tartu (August 10-September 6) operations, liberated Island city(21 July), Võru(August 13), Tartu(25-th of August).

From September 14 to October 22, in the Riga operation, army troops, in cooperation with other armies of the 3rd and 2nd Baltic Fronts, defeated a number of formations and units of the enemy’s 16th and 18th armies. Released on October 13 Riga and went out to coast of the Gulf of Riga.

On October 16, 1944, the army became part of the Leningrad Front and until the end of the war carried out the task of protecting and defending the coast of the Gulf of Riga.

At the beginning of May 1945, its troops were involved in the disarmament and capture of the capitulated enemy Courland group.

The 67th Army was disbanded in June - July 1945.

Army commanders:

  • Lieutenant General Mikhail Pavlovich Dukhanov from October 1942 to December 1943
  • Lieutenant General Sviridov Vladimir Petrovich from December 1943 to March 1944
  • Lieutenant General Romanovsky Vladimir Zakharovichfrom March 1944 to February 1945
  • Lieutenant General Roginsky Sergei Vasilievich from February to March 1945
  • Lieutenant General Nikolai Pavlovich Simonyak from March to May 1945

Compound:

  • 36th collection and transfer point
  • 204th front-line reserve rifle regiment
  • 140th Field Evacuation Point to December 1944

Army composition

since June 1944

Infantry, airborne troops and cavalry

  • 23rd Guards rifle corps - from April 17 to May 6, 1945
  • 110th Rifle Corps - from June to July 1944
    • 168th rifle division - from June to July 1944
    • 265th Rifle Division - from June to July 1944
    • 268th Rifle Division - from June to July 1944
  • 111th Rifle Corps - since September 1944
    • 85th Infantry Division - from September to October 1944
    • 189th Rifle Division - since November 1944
    • 191st Rifle Division - from October to November 1944
    • 196th Rifle Division - since September 1944
    • 377th Infantry Division - from September to November 1944
    • 382nd Rifle Division - since May 1945
  • 112th Rifle Corps - from October to November 1944, from May 1945
    • 44th Infantry Division - since May 1945
    • 98th Infantry Division - from October to November 1944
    • 123rd Infantry Division - since May 1945
    • 189th Rifle Division - from October to November 1944
    • 377th Infantry Division - since May 1945
  • 116th Rifle Corps - from June to September 1944
    • 85th Infantry Division - from June to August 1944
    • 86th Infantry Division - from June to September 1944
    • 291st Rifle Division - from June to September 1944
    • 376th Infantry Division - from August to September 1944
  • 119th Rifle Corps - from June to September 1944
    • 44th Infantry Division - from August to September 1944
    • 128th Infantry Division - from August to September 1944
    • 198th Rifle Division - for June to July 1944
    • 285th Rifle Division - from June to August 1944
    • 326th Infantry Division - from June to September 1944
  • 122nd Rifle Corps - from September 1944 to March 1945
    • 43rd Rifle Division - from August to September 1944
    • 56th Infantry Division
    • 85th Infantry Division - from October 1944 to March 1945
    • 98th Infantry Division - from September to October 1944
    • 189th Rifle Division - from September to October 1944
    • 201st Rifle Division - from October 1944 to March 1945
  • 123rd Rifle Corps - from June to August 1944
    • 56th Infantry Division - from June to August 1944
    • 239th Rifle Division - from June to August 1944
    • 364th Infantry Division - from June to August 1944
  • 130th Rifle Corps - from October to November 1944
    • 43rd Guards rifle division - from November to December 1944
    • 308th Infantry Division - from November to December 1944
  • 14th fortified area - from August to September, from November 1944 to April 1945
  • 155th fortified area - since May 1945
  • 39th separate machine gun and artillery battalion - from July to September 1944, from January to March 1945
  • 40th separate machine gun and artillery battalion - from July to September 1944
  • 72nd separate machine gun and artillery battalion - from January to March 1945

Artillery RVGK, army and corps artillery

  • 2nd Artillery Breakthrough Division - from June to July 1944
    • 20th Light Artillery Brigade
    • 16th Guards cannon artillery brigade
    • 10th Guards howitzer artillery brigade
    • 48th Guards heavy howitzer artillery brigade
    • 121st High Power Howitzer Artillery Brigade
  • 7th Gun Artillery Brigade - since June 1944
  • 141st Cannon Artillery Brigade - from August to September 1944
  • 8th Corps Cannon Artillery Regiment - from June to August, from November 1944 to January 1945
  • 129th Corps Cannon Artillery Regiment - from September to October 1944
  • 37th Guards corps artillery regiment - from October 1944 to February 1945
  • 129th Corps Artillery Regiment - since May 1945
  • 14th Guards cannon artillery regiment - from November 1944 to January 1945
  • 1486th Cannon Artillery Regiment - from June to August, from November 1944 to April 1945
  • 52nd Guards separate heavy cannon artillery battalion - from August to September, from October to November, from December 1944 to January 1945
  • 70th separate reconnaissance artillery battalion - since May 1945
  • 723rd separate reconnaissance artillery battalion - since May 1945
  • 17th separate anti-tank artillery brigade RGK - since April 1945
  • 304th Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment - from August to September 1944
  • 289th Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment - from June to August 1944
  • 509th Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment - from June to August 1944
  • 690th Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment - since June 1944
  • 705th Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment - from August to September 1944
  • 52nd Guards separate high-power cannon artillery division - from November to December 1944
  • 30th Mortar Brigade - from June to July 1944
  • 281st Mortar Regiment - from September to October, from November to December 1944
  • 533rd Mortar Regiment - since June 1944
  • 618th Mortar Regiment - from November to December 1944
  • 18th Guards rocket artillery mortar regiment - from November 1944 to January 1945
  • 39th Guards rocket artillery mortar regiment - since May 1945
  • 40th Guards rocket artillery mortar regiment - from November 1944 to May 1945
  • 85th Guards rocket artillery mortar regiment - since May 1945
  • 319th Guards rocket artillery mortar regiment - from June to August 1944
  • 320th Guards rocket artillery mortar regiment - from October to November 1944
  • 32nd anti-aircraft artillery division - from December 1944 to March 1945
    • 1377th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment
    • 1387th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment
    • 1393rd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment
    • 1413th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment
  • 41st Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division - from August to October, from November 1944 to May 1945
    • 244th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment
    • 245th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment
    • 463rd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment
    • 634th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment
  • 44th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division - since May 1945
    • 508th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment
    • 708th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment
    • 710th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment
    • 1274th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment
  • 45th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division - from June to August, from November 1944 to March 1945
    • 707th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment
    • 737th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment
    • 1465th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment
    • 1466th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment
  • 988th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment - since June 1944
  • 72nd separate anti-aircraft artillery battalion - from July to September, from October 1944
  • 613th separate anti-aircraft artillery battalion - from June to August 1944
  • 116th separate anti-aircraft artillery battalion - from January to April 1945
  • 386th separate anti-aircraft artillery battalion - since May 1945

Armored and mechanized troops

  • 16th Tank Brigade - from October to November 1944
  • 78th Tank Brigade - since May 1945
  • 3rd Guards heavy tank regiment - since May 1945
  • 33rd Guards separate tank regiment - from June to August, from November to December 1944
  • 51st Separate Tank Regiment - from June to August 1944
  • 221st separate tank regiment - from November 1944 to March 1945
  • 511th Separate Tank Regiment - from July to August, from September to December 1944
  • 326th Guards heavy self-propelled artillery regiment - from September to October 1944
  • 336th Guards heavy self-propelled artillery regiment - since May 1945
  • 361st Guards heavy self-propelled artillery regiment - from October to November 1944
  • 372nd Guards heavy self-propelled artillery regiment - from October to November 1944
  • 377th Guards heavy self-propelled artillery regiment - since May 1945
  • 379th Guards heavy self-propelled artillery regiment - from October to December 1944
  • 371st Guards self-propelled artillery regiment - from November to December 1944
  • 372nd Guards self-propelled artillery regiment - from November to December 1944
  • 750th self-propelled artillery regiment - from June to July 1944
  • 724th self-propelled artillery regiment - from July to August, from October to November 1944
  • 768th self-propelled artillery regiment - from June to August, from September to December 1944
  • 938th self-propelled artillery regiment - from November to December 1944
  • 1038th self-propelled artillery regiment - from November 1944 to March 1945
  • 1047th self-propelled artillery regiment - from June to August, from September to November 1944
  • 1433rd self-propelled artillery regiment - from July to August, from September to October 1944
  • 2nd separate armored battalion - from June to August 1944
  • 285th separate motorized battalion OSNAZ - October 1944
  • 23rd separate division of armored trains - since May 1945
  • 56th separate division of armored trains - since May 1945
  • 57th separate division of armored trains - since May 1945
  • 62nd separate division of armored trains - since May 1945

Corps of Engineers

  • 21st motorized assault engineer brigade RGK - since April 1945
  • 23rd engineer brigade - from June 1944 to April 1945, from May 1945
  • 62nd Pontoon-Bridge Battalion - from June to July 1944

Flamethrower units

  • 8th separate flamethrower battalion - from June to September 1944
  • 45th separate flamethrower battalion - since May 1945

67th Army 1st Formation formed on October 10, 1942 on the basis of the directive of the Supreme Command Headquarters of October 9, 1942 as part of the Leningrad Front on the basis of the Nevsky Operational Group. By the beginning of November, it included the 45th Guards Division, the 46th and 86th Rifle Divisions, the 11th and 55th Rifle Brigades, the 16th fortified area, artillery, tank and other units.
During the battle for Leningrad, the army defended the right bank of the Neva until 1943 -
from Porogi to Lake Ladoga, at the same time holding a bridgehead on the left bank of the river in the area of ​​Moscow Dubrovka (“Nevsky Piglet”) and covering the “Road of Life” across Lake Ladoga.
In January 1943 . participated in the offensive operation carried out with the aim of defeating the main forces of the German 18th Army in the Shlisselburg-Sinyavinsky ledge and restoring land communications connecting blockaded Leningrad with the country. In cooperation with other troops of the front and with the support of artillery and aviation of the Baltic Fleet, she crossed the Neva on ice, broke through the heavily fortified enemy defenses and on January 18 united with the troops of the 2nd Shock Army of the Volkhov Front.
In February - December 1943, the army firmly held its defensive lines and periodically conducted private offensive operations in order to improve its operational position.
At the end of December 143, the army was merged with the 55th Army; its field control was disbanded, control of the troops was transferred to the left control of the 55th Army, renamed the field control of the 67th Army. On December 25, 1943, the new left-wing administration of the 67th Army was also disbanded.
Army Commander - Major General, from August 1943 - Lieutenant General M. P. Dukhanov (October 1942 - December 1943)
Member of the Army Military Council - brigade commissar, from December 1942 - Major General A. E. Khmel (December 1943) Chief of Army Staff - Major General A. S. Tsvetkov (December 1943)

67th Army 2nd Formation formed on December 25, 1943 on the basis of the field control of the 55th Army. As of January 1, 1944, it included the 116th and 118th rifle corps, the 291st rifle division, the 14th fortified area, the 81st cannon artillery brigade, artillery, engineering and other units.
In the Leningrad-Novgorod operation (January 14 - March 1, 1944), army formations, in cooperation with troops of the Volkhov Front, defeated the Mginsk and Luga groups of enemy troops, liberated the cities of Mga (January 21) and Luga (February 12) . Continuing the offensive, by the end of February the army reached the enemy’s Pskov-Ostrovsky fortified area.
On April 24, 1944, the army was included in the newly formed 3rd Baltic Front. As part of it, she successfully conducted combat operations in the Pskov-Ostrovsk (July 17-31, 1944) and Tartu (August 10-September 6) operations, liberated the cities of Ostrov (July 21), Vyru (August 13) , Tartu (25 August).
In the Riga operation (September 14 - October 22), army troops, in cooperation with other armies of the 3rd and 2nd Baltic Fronts, defeated a number of formations and units of the enemy’s 16th and 18th armies. On October 13, Riga was liberated and reached the coast of the Gulf of Riga.
On October 16, the army became part of the Leningrad Front and until the end of the war carried out the task of protecting and defending the coast of the Gulf of Riga.
At the beginning of May 1945, its troops were involved in the disarmament and capture of the enemy’s Kurland group that had capitulated.
The army was disbanded in June - July 1945.
Army commanders: Lieutenant General V.P. Sviridov (December 1943 - March 1944); Lieutenant General Romanovsky V. Z. (March 1944 - February 1945); Lieutenant General S.V. Roginsky (February - March 1945); Lieutenant General Simonyak N.P. (March 1945 - until the end of the war).
Member of the Military Council of the Army - Major General G. P. Romanov (January 1944 - until the end of the war).
Chiefs of Army Staff: Major General Tsvetkov A.S. (December 1943 - April 1945); Major General Sidelnikov N.P. (April - until the end of the war).

Leningrad region, USSR

Victory of the Soviet troops

Opponents

Germany

Commanders

K. A. Meretskov

G. von Küchler

L. A. Govorov

B. Model

G. Lindeman

Strengths of the parties

Volkhov Front in full force, part of the forces of the Leningrad Front

Units of the 18th and 16th Army of Army Group North

Losses of the Volkhov Front alone (including losses of the 1st Shock Army): 55,342 people (of which 13,294 were irretrievable losses). According to other data - 62,723 people (of which 16,542 are irretrievable losses).

According to Soviet data - 82,000 people killed and wounded

Novgorod-Luga offensive operation (January 14 - February 15, 1944)- an operation of the Soviet troops of the Volkhov Front against part of the forces of the 18th German Army, which was besieging Leningrad, with the tasks of defeating the enemy group in the Novgorod region and liberating Oktyabrskaya railway and encircle, together with the troops of the Leningrad Front, the main forces of the 18th Army in the Luga area.

The offensive of the troops of the Volkhov Front, launched simultaneously with the Krasnoselsko-Ropshinsky operation of the Leningrad Front, was part of the Leningrad-Novgorod strategic offensive operation, as a result of which Soviet troops completely liberated Leningrad from the enemy blockade.

Strengths of the parties

USSR

Volkhov Front- com. Army General K. A. Meretskov, Chief of Staff Lieutenant General F. P. Ozerov:

  • 54th Army - com. Lieutenant General S.V. Roginsky.
  • 8th Army - com. Lieutenant General F.N. Starikov.
  • 59th Army - com. Lieutenant General I. T. Korovnikov.
  • 1st Shock Army (as part of the front since 02/02/1944) - com. Lieutenant General G.P. Korotokov.
  • 14th Air Army - com. Lieutenant General of Aviation I. P. Zhuravlev.

Leningrad Front- com. Army General L.A. Govorov:

  • 42nd Army - com. Colonel General I. I. Maslennikov.
  • 67th Army - com. Lieutenant General V.P. Sviridov.
  • 13th Air Army - com. Colonel General of Aviation S. D. Rybalchenko.

Germany

Army Group North- com. Field Marshal Georg von Küchler, from February 1 Colonel General Walter Model.

  • 18th Army-com. Cavalry General Georg Lindemann.
  • 16th Army - com. General of Artillery H. Hansen.
  • 1st Air Fleet - com. General Kurt Pflugbeil.

The situation in the theater of military operations in the fall of 1943

In September 1943, the command of the German Army Group North, realizing that it would be extremely difficult to repel the next offensive of Soviet troops, began to develop a plan for the withdrawal of its troops from Leningrad to new defensive positions at the line of the Narva River - Lake Peipsi - Pskov - Ostrov - Idritsa (Panther line).

The enemy's intentions quickly became known to the Soviet command. Already on September 29, the troops of the Leningrad, Volkhov and Northwestern Fronts received orders from the General Staff to strengthen the collection of intelligence data, accurately identify the enemy’s intentions and be ready to begin pursuing him at any moment.

However, at the end of 1943, German troops did not begin to retreat from Leningrad. A. Hitler, believing that the Soviet troops at that time did not have the opportunity to launch a major offensive in the northwestern direction, ordered Army Group North to continue to firmly hold its positions and retreat only if the next Soviet offensive forced it to do so.

In September 1943, the military councils of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts presented to the Supreme Command Headquarters a plan for a large-scale joint offensive with the goal of defeating the main forces of the 18th German Army and completely liberating Leningrad from the enemy blockade.

The general idea of ​​the operation was to first, with a simultaneous strike from two fronts, defeat the Peterhof-Strelninsky (Krasnoselsko-Ropshinsky operation) and Novgorod enemy groups located on the flanks of the 18th German Army. Then it was planned, advancing in the Kingisepp and Luga directions, to encircle the main enemy forces. In the future, Soviet troops had to, by striking at Narva, Pskov and Idritsa, completely liberate the Leningrad region and create the preconditions for a further offensive into the Baltic states.

The Military Council of the Volkhov Front planned to conduct its part of the offensive in three stages. At the first stage, it was planned to break through the enemy’s defenses and liberate Novgorod, at the second stage - to advance 30 kilometers and reach Luga, at the third stage - having captured Luga, to develop an offensive towards Pskov and Ostrov. If the first three phases of the operation were successful, it was planned to carry out another stage, designed to directly prepare for the liberation of the Baltic states.

The Supreme Command headquarters soon approved the proposed plan. Since at that time there was still the possibility of German troops retreating, the Soviet command developed two versions of the offensive plan. The first option provided for the immediate transition of Soviet troops to pursue the enemy in the event of his retreat, and the second - a breakthrough of the enemy's layered defense in the event that German troops continued to hold their positions.

By the beginning of 1944, the Volkhov Front occupied the line from Gontovaya Lipka to Lezno and further along the Volkhov River to Lake Ilmen, holding a bridgehead on the left bank of the Volkhov in the Dymno-Zvanki section (captured in 1942 during the Lyuban operation).

From these lines, Soviet troops had to go on the offensive against units of the 18th German Army (3 airfield divisions, 6 infantry divisions and 2 infantry brigades from the 38th, 26th and 28th Army Corps).

The troops of the Volkhov Front had to break through the well-prepared enemy defenses, which relied on a number of powerful resistance centers, of which Mga, Tosno, Lyuban, Chudovo and Novgorod especially stood out. In the direction of the front's main attack in the area north of Novgorod, the main defensive line of German troops was built along the Novgorod-Chudovo highway, and the second along the Kerest River. The immediate approaches to the city were covered by three lines of defense. Many stone buildings in populated areas were turned into long-term firing points.

According to the operation plan, the main blow was delivered by the 59th Army: with the main forces - from a bridgehead on the left bank of the Volkhov, 30 kilometers north of Novgorod, and with part of the forces - south of Novgorod in the area of ​​Lake Ilmen. It was planned to bypass the city on both sides and, advancing in the general direction towards Lyubolyady, encircle the Novgorod enemy group. Having liberated the city, the troops of the 59th Army had to advance in a northwestern direction to Luga and in a southwestern direction to Shimsk. The quick capture of Luga would allow Soviet troops to cut off the enemy's retreat from the areas of Mgi, Tosno, Chudovo and Lyuban, in the direction of which the 8th, 54th armies, as well as the 67th army of the Leningrad Front were advancing. The main task of these three armies was to restore control over the Kirov and Oktyabrskaya railways.

By the beginning of the operation, the Volkhov Front consisted of 22 rifle divisions, 6 rifle brigades, 4 tank brigades, 14 tank and self-propelled artillery regiments and battalions, 2 fortified areas, as well as a large number of artillery and mortar formations in three combined arms armies and in the front reserve. In total, the front troops by January 10, 1944 numbered 297,860 soldiers and officers: 59th Army - 135,040 people, 8th Army - 45,328, 54th Army - 67,417, 14th Air Army - 16,482, as well as 33,593 people in composition of units of front-line subordination. According to other sources, the total number of front troops before the start of the operation was about 260,000 soldiers and officers. The front units had 3,633 guns and mortars, about 400 tanks and self-propelled guns, as well as 257 aircraft of the 14th Air Army. The general offensive of the two fronts was supported by long-range aviation formations - about 330 aircraft in total.

The offensive of the Volkhov and Leningrad fronts was to be supported by the troops of the 2nd Baltic Front, which were tasked with going on the offensive in the Idritsa direction and north of the city of Novosokolniki, pinning down the forces of the 16th German Army and preventing their transfer to Leningrad and Novgorod.

In addition, a large role in the upcoming offensive was assigned to the actions of partisan formations of the Leningrad region (in total about 35,000 fighters and commanders in 13 partisan brigades), who were tasked with “destroying the local governing bodies of the occupation authorities”, “saving the population from destruction and deportation to Germany “and strengthen combat operations on the enemy’s highway and railway communications.

Progress of hostilities, January 14 - 31

Liberation of Novgorod

At 10:50 a.m., after massive artillery bombardment, the defenses of the 38th German Army Corps (1st Air Field, 28th Jaeger Division and 2nd Latvian SS Brigade) were attacked by units of the 59th Army. From the bridgehead on the Volkhov north of Novgorod, two rifle corps crossed the offensive: the 6th (65th, 239th and 310th rifle divisions) and the 14th (191st, 225th and 378th rifle divisions).

On the first day of the offensive, due to snowfall and blizzards, artillery support was ineffective, and aviation operations were completely excluded. In addition, a significant part of the tanks were stuck in swamps and craters and could not support the infantry advance. All this did not allow the 6th and 14th Rifle Corps to immediately achieve significant success. Only the 239th and 378th rifle divisions managed to break through the enemy defenses and move forward.

The “southern group” of the 59th Army under the command of Major General T.A. Sviklin acted more successfully, whose task was, together with the formations of the 6th Rifle Corps, to close the encirclement ring around the Novgorod enemy group. The advance detachment of the group, consisting of the 58th Infantry Brigade, part of the forces of the 225th Infantry Division, as well as the 44th and 34th separate snowmobile battalions, on the night of January 14 bypassed Novgorod from the south along the ice of Lake Ilmen. At dawn, units of the “southern group” on the northwestern shore of the lake attacked units of the 2nd Latvian SS Brigade and by evening captured a bridgehead up to 5 kilometers wide and up to 4 kilometers deep.

Fearing that the group defending Novgorod would be surrounded, the German command sent additional forces to the area. Units of the 290th Infantry Division and the Nord cavalry regiment were tasked with blocking the path of the “southern group” of the 59th Army, and one regiment of the 24th Infantry Division, transferred from the Mgi area, strengthened the defense north of Novgorod.

On January 15, the Soviet command brought additional forces from the second echelon of the 59th Army into battle north and south of Novgorod. Units of the 239th and 65th Rifle Divisions, as well as the 16th and 29th Tank Brigades strengthened the offensive of the 6th Rifle Corps. As a result of stubborn fighting on January 15-16, Soviet troops advanced significantly, drove back the 28th Jaeger Division and units of the enemy's 24th Infantry Division and cut the Chudovo-Novgorod railway. By January 17, the 6th and 14th Rifle Corps had broken through the enemy's main line of defense along a 20-kilometer front, advancing up to 8 kilometers.

In the following days, overcoming impassable terrain, swamps and forests, the mobile group of the 6th Rifle Corps on January 20 reached the Novgorod-Batetsky railway, 2 kilometers east of the Nashchi junction. Simultaneously with the offensive, the offensive of the “southern group” developed north of Novgorod, which was reinforced by units of the 372nd, 225th rifle divisions and several artillery units. Moving forward, on January 18, units of the 372nd Division firmly took control of the Novgorod-Shimsk highway and railroad and continued their advance towards Staraya Melnitsa and Gorynev.

The successful advance of Soviet troops north and south of Novgorod jeopardized the encirclement of the enemy's 38th Army Corps. The command of the 18th German Army, trying to save the situation, transferred units of the 21st, 121st Infantry and 8th Jaeger Divisions and some other units to this area, but it soon became obvious that it was impossible to save the situation. On January 18, G. Lindeman gave the order to his troops to leave Novgorod and retreat along the only remaining path in the direction of Batetsky.

On the morning of January 20, units of the 191st and 225th Rifle Divisions of the 14th Rifle Corps and the 382nd Rifle Division of the 7th Rifle Corps (from the front reserve) occupied Novgorod without a fight. Units of the 28th Jäger, 1st Air Field Division and the SS Cavalry Regiment "Nord", abandoning their heavy weapons, left the city on the evening of January 19. However, the German troops failed to escape from the encirclement. On January 20, 10 kilometers west of Novgorod in the Gorynev area, units of the 6th Rifle Corps and the 372nd Rifle Division of the “southern group” of the 59th Army united, cutting off the retreat path for the German units. Most of the German group was destroyed, and about 3,000 soldiers and officers were captured.

Fighting on the Oktyabrskaya Railway line

On January 16, the 54th Army went on the offensive with the goal of pinning down enemy forces. Then it was planned, in cooperation with the troops of the 8th and 67th armies, to encircle and destroy units of the 26th and 28th Army Corps, which were occupying defenses in the areas of Mgi, Chudov and Lyuban.

In four days of fierce fighting, by January 20, the 54th Army managed to advance only 5 kilometers and was unable to overcome the resistance of units of the 121st, 21st Infantry, 12th, 13th Air Field Divisions of the enemy. It was extremely important for the German command to hold positions in the Chudovo and Lyuban areas, since an intermediate line of defense ran along the Oktyabrskaya Railway and the Leningrad-Moscow highway, to which German troops began retreating from the Mgi area on January 21.

As soon as reconnaissance discovered the withdrawal of German troops from the “Mginsk-Sinyavinsky ledge,” the 67th Army of the Leningrad Front and the 8th Army of the Volkhov Front received orders to begin pursuing the retreating enemy. By the evening of January 21, Mga was liberated, and soon control over the Kirov Railway was restored. Subsequently, the offensive did not develop so rapidly. The 212th Infantry Division, which covered the withdrawal of the 26th Army Corps from the Mgi area, managed to delay the advance of the Soviet troops, which allowed the main forces to gain a foothold at the line along the October Railway.

The retreat of German troops from the Mgi area forced the command of the Leningrad Front to cancel the planned attack by part of the forces of the 42nd Army on Pushkin, Slutsk and Tosno with the aim, together with the troops of the 67th Army and the Volkhov Front, to encircle parts of the 26th and 28th German army corps in the areas Mgi, Tosno and Lyubani. Now the task of liberating the October Railway was assigned to the 67th Army and the troops of the Volkhov Front, and the 42nd Army launched an attack on Krasnogvardeysk.

On January 22, the Military Council of the Volkhov Front presented to the Supreme Command Headquarters a “development plan for the Novgorod-Luga operation.” The report identified the following tasks as the main goal of the front troops “in connection with the beginning of the enemy’s retreat in the Mga and Lyuban directions and the defeat of the Novgorod group”: the capture of Luga by the forces of the 59th Army, as well as Tosno and Lyuban by joint actions of the 8th and 54th Armies . On the same day, the Supreme Command Headquarters, having made some adjustments, approved the proposed plan with its Directive No. 220013, which stated in particular:

In addition, for more effective actions, the Supreme Command Headquarters allowed the commander of the Volkhov Front to transfer most of the forces of the 8th Army to the 54th Army. At the same time, the headquarters of the 8th Army was transferred “to increase the efficiency of command and control of the advancing troops” to the left flank of the front in the area of ​​Lake Ilmen.

By this time, the German troops, entrenched on the intermediate line of defense along the October Railway, continued to offer fierce resistance, but, at the same time, realizing that it was impossible to hold back the advance of the Soviet troops at this line for a long time, they were preparing to retreat to the west.

On January 25, the 54th Army, which received significant reinforcements from the 8th and 67th armies and front reserves, continued the offensive. On January 26, the forces of the 124th, 364th Infantry Divisions and the 1st Infantry Brigade (transferred to the 54th Army from the 67th Army) captured the village of Tosno. On January 28, the forces of the 80th, 281st, 374th and 177th rifle divisions captured Lyuban, and on January 29, the forces of the 44th rifle division, as well as the 14th and 53rd rifle brigades, took Chudovo. At noon on January 29, the command of the Volkhov Front reported to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief about the complete liberation of the October Railway. The report stated in particular:

Pursuing the fighting retreating enemy, formations of the 54th Army reached the line Sluditsa - Eglino - Apraksin Bor - Glushitsa by January 31. At the same time, troops of the 42nd and 67th armies liberated Krasnogvardeysk, Pushkin and Slutsk. By the end of January, the troops of the 2nd Shock and 42nd Armies of the Leningrad Front reached the Luga River in the areas of Kotlov, Kingisepp and Bolshoi Sabsk, and the 67th Army reached Siverskoye.

The offensive of the Volkhov Front on Luga

After the liberation of Novgorod, the main task of the 59th Army was an immediate attack on Luga. If successful, Soviet troops had the opportunity to encircle most of the German 18th Army. If about 5 German divisions retreated to the west in the direction of Narva, then to the southwest in the direction of Pskov through Luga - about 14 divisions (approximately 3/4 of the entire 18th Army). For this reason, the Supreme Command Headquarters set the task for the front to “capture Luga no later than January 29-30.”

In the direction of the main attack of the 59th Army, the 6th Rifle Corps was advancing, which was to break enemy resistance in the Batetsky area and, together with the 112th Rifle Corps, operating on the right flank of the army, develop an offensive on Luga. At the same time, the 112th Rifle Corps was supposed to strike with part of its forces in the direction of Finev Lug and cut off the withdrawal route of German troops from the Oktyabrskaya Railway line. Two rifle corps were advancing on the left flank of the 59th Army: the 7th was advancing in the direction of the Leningrad-Dno railway, and the 14th was advancing southwest in the direction of Shimsk.

The German command, realizing the seriousness of the situation, was forced to strengthen and regroup its troops operating against the 59th Army. Several combat groups were formed, which were tasked with delaying the advance of Soviet troops on Luga and ensuring the withdrawal of units of the 28th Army Corps from the area of ​​Lyuban and Chudov. By January 21, the combat group "Shulta" (2nd Latvian SS brigade, remnants of the 28th Jaeger, combat groups of the 24th, 121st, 21st infantry divisions) occupied defense in the Spasskaya Polist - Tatino sector, covering the direction to Finev Meadow. The Shpeta group (remains of the 1st airfield division and the Nord cavalry regiment), as well as the 8th Jaeger division, occupied defenses on both sides of the Novgorod-Batetsky railway, and the Ferguta group (parts of the Nord cavalry regiment and 290th Infantry Division) covered the direction to Shimsk.

Continuing the offensive, formations of the 6th Rifle Corps and the 29th Tank Brigade, advancing directly on Luga, met stubborn resistance and were unable to immediately overcome the enemy’s defenses. Only by January 26, after several days of fierce fighting, parts of the corps, moving along the Novgorod-Batetsky railway, managed to somewhat push back the enemy, liberated Lyuboliady and reached the Luga River.

The formations of the 59th Army operating on the left flank achieved much greater success. Units of the 7th Rifle Corps broke enemy resistance in five days and moved forward 30-35 kilometers in the western and southwestern directions and reached the Luga River near the village of Trebon. At the same time, the 256th Division, with the support of the 7th Guards Tank and 5th Partisan Brigades, took the Peredolskaya station on the Leningrad-Dno railway by January 27, and the 382nd Rifle Division, having thrown back the enemy’s 8th Jaeger Division, occupied the village of Medved and cut the Luga-Shimsk highway. At the same time, the 14th Rifle Corps and the 16th Tank Brigade cleared the northwestern coast of Lake Ilmen from the enemy and by January 26 reached Shimsk, but were unable to capture it. The enemy, in order to maintain connections between the 18th and 16th armies, stubbornly defended the city.

Since the Shim direction was secondary, the command of the Volkhov Front decided to suspend the offensive in this area and concentrate the main forces in the Luga direction. To do this, on January 25, the headquarters of the 8th Army were reassigned to the 7th (256th, 382nd, 372nd rifle divisions) and 14th rifle corps, as well as the 7th Guards, 16th, 122nd tank brigades and some other units of the 59th Army. The formations of the 8th Army were given the task of facilitating the offensive of the 59th Army by striking at Luga from the south and southeast. The left flank of the 8th Army was to be covered by the 150th fortified area, which took up defensive positions in the Shimsk area.

On January 27, the 59th Army, which at that time included only the 6th, 112th Rifle Corps and one tank brigade, continued the offensive, delivering the main attack on Luga along the Novgorod-Batetsky railway. Over several days of fierce fighting, units of the 59th Army were unable to break enemy resistance in this area and achieved only local successes. Units of the 6th Rifle Corps were unable to capture the powerful enemy resistance center of Batetsky, and units of the 112th Rifle Corps failed to capture Oredezh and cut the highway to Luga, which allowed units of the 28th German Army Corps to retreat from the Chudovo area.

The formations of the 8th Army did not achieve significant success either. The German command made every effort to recapture the Peredolskaya station, which was of key importance. Units of the 285th Security and 12th Tank Divisions were thrown into battle. The station changed hands several times. Although Peredolskaya ultimately remained with the Soviet troops, in these battles units of the 8th Army suffered significant losses and were unable to continue the offensive on Luga.

The troops of the Volkhov Front failed to take Luga no later than January 29-30, as ordered by the Supreme Command Headquarters. The German command, trying to hold the “Luga line” at any cost, concentrated all available forces in this area - in early February, units of the 12th Panzer, 4 infantry divisions, 6 combat groups of infantry divisions and the remnants of another 6 divisions and brigades held the defense here. Soviet troops were unable to overcome the resistance of such a group, which allowed most of the German troops of the 18th Army to retreat from Leningrad and at the same time maintain their combat potential.

The reasons for the unsuccessful attack on Luga at the end of January were insufficient concentration of troops in the main attack directions, difficult terrain, extended supply routes, lack of air support due to bad weather and heavy losses in tank units. On January 29, the Supreme Command Headquarters, dissatisfied with this development of events, ordered the troops of the Volkhov Front, without getting involved in the battle for Shimsk and Soltsy, to direct all efforts to quickly capture Luga. To accomplish the task, the front troops received 15,000 marching reinforcements and 130 tanks.

The situation at the beginning of February 1944

By the end of January 1944, the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts, having thrown back German troops, completely liberated Leningrad from the enemy blockade. However, the 18th German Army was not defeated and continued to offer fierce resistance.

In early February, troops from two Soviet fronts continued their offensive. The troops of the Leningrad Front advanced with the forces of the 2nd Shock and 42nd Armies on Narva, and with the forces of the 67th Army - on Luga from the north and northeast. The main task of the Volkhov Front continued to be the capture of Luga by the forces of the 59th, 8th and 54th armies.

Since the troops of the Volkhov Front failed to capture Luga at the end of January, the Supreme High Command Headquarters was forced to conduct a series of regroupings and make some changes to the plan for the further offensive. Thus, at the suggestion of L.A. Govorov, on February 1, the Supreme Command Headquarters decided to slightly change the direction of the main attack of the 42nd Army. Now the army had to, advancing in the direction of Gdov, bypass the enemy’s “Luga group” from the north-west, cut off the enemy’s communications on the Luga-Pskov line and assist the troops of the 67th Army and the Volkhov Front in capturing Luga.

In addition, from February 2, the troops of the Volkhov Front were reinforced by the 1st Shock Army of the 2nd Baltic Front.

Realizing that the current situation could lead to the encirclement and defeat of the main forces of the 18th Army, the commander of Army Group North, G. von Küchler, planned to begin a retreat from the Luga area. However, on January 30, A. Hitler gave the order to hold the “Luga line,” restore contact with the 16th Army and stop the Soviet offensive. G. von Küchler considered the order impossible to implement and was dismissed. V. Model was appointed in his place, who immediately ordered the troops, without orders, not to take a single step back.

The new commander of Army Group North hoped, through active defense and constant counterattacks, to stop the advance of Soviet troops and restore a common front both between the two armies and the main forces of the 18th Army in the Luga area with two army corps fighting separately in the Narva area .

To strengthen the German group, several formations from the 16th Army were transferred to the Luga area. In addition, to ensure communication between the two armies and restore the common front, on February 6, on the basis of the control of the 6th SS Corps, an operational group was formed under the command of General G. Friesner, which included the 38th and 10th Army Corps.

Progress of hostilities, February 1-12

The offensive of the 42nd and 67th armies of the Leningrad Front

On January 31, troops of the 42nd Army crossed the Luga River and continued the offensive, pursuing units of the German 50th Army Corps retreating to Narva. In a few days, Soviet troops, with the support of partisan formations, made significant progress, liberated Lyady, Sara-Gora, Gdov and reached the coast of Lake Peipsi.

At the beginning of February, the front command assigned the 42nd Army a new task - to bypass the Luga group from the west and north-west and assist the troops of the 67th Army and the Volkhov Front in capturing Luga. Taking this into account, army formations continued the offensive with the forces of the 108th from the Yamma region to Pskov, and with the forces of the 123rd and 116th Rifle Corps - from the Lyada region to the southeast with the tasks of taking Plyussa, Strugi Krasnye and cutting the Luga - Pskov road.

The offensive of the 42nd Army threatened the encirclement of the main forces of the 18th German Army. Realizing this, V. Model gave the order to his troops to hold communications between Luga and Pskov at any cost. For this purpose, the 11th, 212th, 215th infantry divisions were left in the Luga area, and the 13th airfield, 24th, 58th, 21st, 207th infantry divisions hastily began to take up defensive positions from the area west of Luga to Lake Peipus. At the same time, units of the 12th Tank, 12th Air Field and 126th Infantry Divisions were supposed to launch a counterattack from the eastern coast of Lake Peipus in a northern direction.

On February 7, German troops, preparing to launch a counteroffensive, were attacked by units of the 42nd Army. In the Yamma area on the Zhelche River, fierce battles broke out between units of the 108th Rifle Corps and the German 207th Infantry Division, and between Luga and the Plyussa River, the 116th and 123rd Rifle Corps, advancing in the direction of Struga Krasny, attacked the positions of the 13th th airfield and 58th infantry divisions.

On February 10, elements of the 12th Panzer Division counterattacked the 196th and 128th Rifle Divisions of the 108th Rifle Corps in the Yamma area, but only slightly delayed the Soviet advance. By February 12, formations of the 108th Rifle Corps, having pushed the enemy to the south, occupied Podborovye, and with the forces of one rifle division, a small bridgehead on the western coast of Lake Peipsi.

At the same time, fighting continued on the line of the Plyussa River, where the defense of the German 58th Infantry Division was defended by the efforts of the 21st and 24th Infantry Divisions, which were transferred to this area to launch a counterattack. Formations of the 116th and 123rd Rifle Corps in the Zarudenye-Berezitsy-Orekhovno area, as a result of fierce battles on February 8-15, broke through the enemy’s defenses and defeated three German divisions. Part of the German 58th Infantry Division was surrounded. The German command threw the 13th Air Field Division and parts of the 12th Tank Division into battle with the task of restoring the situation, but they, having suffered heavy losses, were unable to complete the task. Moreover, the tank-grenadier regiment of the 12th Panzer Division was also surrounded. On February 13, German units, abandoning tanks and artillery, tried to break through in the direction of Struga Krasnykh, crossing Lake Chernoye, but only a few managed to escape from the encirclement. By February 15, the divisions of two rifle corps of the 42nd Army, having destroyed the encircled enemy units, continued the offensive in the directions of Strug Krasny and Plyussa.

Simultaneously with the 42nd Army, formations of the 110th and 117th Rifle Corps of the 67th Army were advancing on Luga from the north and north-east. Having encountered stubborn enemy resistance at the Krasnye Gory - Dolgovka line, the formations of the 67th Army moved forward with great difficulty and only by February 11 reached the approaches to Luga.

The offensive of the 42nd and 67th armies put German troops in the Luga area in a critical situation. The command of Army Group North lost its last opportunity to hold the “Luga line” and stop the advance of the Soviet troops. At the same time, although units of the 123rd and 116th Rifle Corps of the 42nd Army managed to reach the outskirts of Plyussa, they failed to cut the railway to Pskov. Thus, units of the 18th German Army still had the opportunity to retreat from the Luga area.

Continuation of the offensive of the Volkhov Front

At the beginning of February, the troops of the three armies of the Volkhov Front, having regrouped their forces, continued the offensive on Luga. Units of the 54th Army attacked Luga from the northeast, and units of the 59th Army - from the southeast on the Oredezh - Batetsky front. The most difficult task was assigned to the 8th Army, which had part of its forces, advancing in the direction of the Luga-Pskov railway, to assist the advance of the 59th Army, and with the rest of its forces, in cooperation with the 1st Shock Army, to encircle and destroy the German divisions of the right flank 16th Army southwest of Lake Ilmen. The 1st Shock Army, which became part of the front in early February, was tasked with breaking through the enemy’s defenses south of Staraya Russa and advancing towards the Dno station to join forces with the 8th Army.

Since the task assigned to the units of the 8th Army was very difficult, the Soviet command was soon forced to conduct an additional regrouping of troops. So, on February 8, after units of the 54th Army liberated Oredezh, they were transferred to the 67th Army of the Leningrad Front, and the army headquarters was transferred to the left flank of the Volkhov Front. Having taken command of the 111th and 119th Rifle Corps, the 54th Army was given the task, together with the 8th and 1st Shock Armies, to encircle and destroy the enemy in the Staraya Russa area.

Despite the regrouping and significant reinforcements, the offensive on Luga again developed with great difficulty. The formations of the 59th Army, having encountered stubborn resistance from parts of the German 38th Army Corps, managed to advance only 25 kilometers in five days. Only after units of the 54th Army took Oredezh on February 8 did German troops begin to retreat, but until February 12 they continued to hold Batetsky, thereby holding back the advance of the 59th Army.

Initially, units of the 8th Army advancing in the direction of the Luga-Pskov railway achieved greater success. Thus, the 7th Rifle Corps (reinforced by the 256th Rifle Division, 1st Rifle Brigade and two tank battalions) managed to significantly advance and on February 2 cut the Pskov-Luga highway near the village of Yelemtsy. However, the troops of the 59th Army and the main forces of the 14th Rifle Corps of the 8th Army did not move forward so rapidly and exposed the flanks of the 7th Rifle Corps.

In the current situation, the German command, which needed to restore control over the Pskov-Luga highway at any cost, decided to launch a counterattack. Operational group "Frisner" with the forces of the 285th security division and units of the 12th tank division, advancing from the north of Lake Cheremenets, and the 121st infantry division, striking from the south of Utorgoshi, launched a counter-offensive and on February 3 closed the encirclement ring, uniting in the Strashevo area. Units of the 256th and 372nd rifle divisions and one regiment of the 5th partisan brigade were surrounded. Finding themselves in a difficult situation, the Soviet units, united under the general leadership of the commander of the 256th Infantry Division, Colonel A.G. Koziev, were forced to retreat from the Luga-Pskov highway and take up defense in the area of ​​​​the village of Oklyuzhye. The command of the 8th Army was able to quickly organize the air delivery of food and ammunition to the encircled units, which allowed the “A.G. Koziev group” to repel all enemy attacks that were repeatedly launched by German troops on February 6-15.

The front command, concerned about the current situation, immediately tried to organize an offensive with the goal of defeating German troops in the area southwest of Luga, reliably cutting off enemy communications and rescuing “A.G. Koziev’s group” from encirclement. For this purpose, the 99th Rifle Corps (229th, 265th, 311th Rifle Divisions) was allocated from the reserve of the Supreme High Command Headquarters, which was supposed to strike at Utorgosh and Strugi Krasnye. At the same time, reinforced by one division, the 14th Rifle Corps was given the task of attacking Soltsy.

Having launched the offensive on February 7, Soviet troops were unable to fully implement their plan. Meeting fierce resistance from the German 8th Jäger Division, which was supported by tanks and aircraft, elements of two Soviet rifle corps fought fiercely until February 15, but were never successful. At the same time, this offensive significantly eased the situation of the troops surrounded in the Oklyuzhye region. On February 15, units of the 59th Army arrived to help the 8th Army, which on February 16 released the “group of A.G. Koziev.”

Fierce enemy resistance and constant counterattacks did not allow the 8th and 54th armies to adequately contribute to the offensive of the 1st Shock Army, which, having only 4 rifle divisions and one rifle brigade. Formations of the 1st Shock Army, having launched an offensive in early February on a 100-kilometer section of the front, were unable to break the resistance of the 21st Air Field, 30th Infantry and 15th Latvian SS Divisions from the 16th German Army and by mid-February moved forward only a few kilometers.

Liberation of Luga

Despite the fact that Soviet troops failed to encircle German troops either in the Luga area or in the area southwest of Lake Ilmen, the 18th German Army was put in a critical position. Until the last moment, the commander of Army Group North, V. Model, hoped to hold the front line on the line between Lake Ilmen and Lake Peipsi. However, this idea did not find support from A. Hitler and the OKH, who believed that it was better to retreat than to again put the troops at risk of encirclement. Thus, V. Model was forced to give the order to his troops to begin a retreat.

On February 8, the withdrawal of rear and auxiliary units from Luga began, then the main forces of the 18th Army began to retreat in the direction of Pskov. By the evening of February 12, the city of Luga, which continued to be defended by German rearguard detachments, was taken by the 120th, 123rd, 201st and 46th rifle divisions of the 67th Army with the assistance of the 377th Rifle Division of the 59th Army.

Having liberated Luga, Soviet troops continued the offensive, pursuing the retreating enemy, who began a general retreat to the Panther line on February 17.

Disbandment of the Volkhov Front

On February 13, 1944, by directive of the Supreme Command Headquarters No. 220023, the Volkhov Front was disbanded. The 54th, 59th and 8th armies were transferred to the Leningrad Front, and the 1st Shock Army was transferred to the 2nd Baltic Front. The front control was sent to the reserve of the Supreme Command Headquarters.

The proposal to disband the Volkhov Front came from L. A. Govorov, who believed that in the interests of unity of command, all troops in the Pskov direction should be transferred to the Leningrad Front. For K. A. Meretskov, who had already outlined a plan for the front’s further offensive into Estonia, Latvia and Belarus, such a decision by the Supreme Command Headquarters came as a complete surprise.

In his memoirs, General S. M. Shtemenko, representative General Staff on the 2nd Baltic Front, regarded this decision as erroneous:

Back in March, we were convinced that the Leningrad Front, which had absorbed the troops and the entire strip of the former Volkhov Front, had become too cumbersome. It included 7 combined arms armies operating in four important operational directions - Vyborg, Tallinn, Pskov and Ostrov. This had a very negative impact on command and control.

Just two months later, on April 18, 1944, a new, 3rd Baltic Front was created, which included the 42nd, 54th and 67th Leningrad Front, and then the 1st Shock Army from the 2nd th Baltic Front.

Results of the operation

The Novgorod-Luga operation ended in a decisive victory for the Soviet troops, which largely predetermined the success of the entire Leningrad-Novgorod strategic offensive operation.

However, the offensive did not develop as quickly as planned before the start of the operation. It was not possible to capture Luga within the time frame planned by the Supreme Command Headquarters and only with the forces of the Volkhov Front. The Soviet command had to use the main forces of the 42nd and 67th armies of the Leningrad Front to accomplish this task, which significantly weakened the offensive in the Narva area. The German troops of the 18th Army, although they suffered a heavy defeat, were still not defeated and retained a significant part of their combat potential, which did not allow Soviet troops to break through the Panther line in the spring of 1944 and begin to liberate the Baltic states.

One of the reasons for this development of events was the extremely unsuccessful actions of the 2nd Baltic Front, which were not properly coordinated with the offensive of the Volkhov Front, which allowed the German command to transfer significant forces from the 16th Army to the Luga area.

The commander of the Volkhov Front, K. A. Meretskov, noted in his memoirs:

As a result, the formations of the Volkhov Front were unable to break the resistance of the main forces of the 18th German Army and take Luga at the end of January. However, German troops only managed to slow down the advance of the armies of the Volkhov and Leningrad fronts. The Soviet command made the necessary adjustments to the offensive plan and quickly carried out a number of regroupings. Continuing the offensive, Soviet troops did not allow the enemy to hold the “Luga line” and establish a new front line between Lake Peipsi and Lake Ilmen. In the second half of February, German troops began a general retreat to the Panther Line.

By February 15, the troops of the Volkhov Front, as well as the 42nd and 67th armies of the Leningrad Front, having thrown the enemy back 50-120 kilometers, reached the line on the southern coast of Lake Peipsi - Plyussa - Utorgosh - Shimsk. 779 cities and towns were liberated, including: Novgorod, Luga, Batetsky, Oredezh, Mga, Tosno, Lyuban, Chudovo.

Of great importance was the restoration of control over the strategically important railways - primarily the Kirov and Oktyabrskaya. Soon, traffic on seven railways from Leningrad was fully restored: to Vologda, Rybinsk, Moscow, Novgorod, Batetsky, Luga and Ust-Luga.

Losses

USSR

According to the statistical study “Russia and the USSR in the Wars of the 20th Century,” the losses of the Volkhov Front during the operation amounted to 50,300 people killed, missing and wounded (of which 12,011 were irretrievable losses, 38,289 were sanitary). In addition, the losses of the 1st Shock Army (from 02/02 to 02/15 as part of the Volkhov Front) for the period from January 14 to February 10 amounted to 5042 people (of which 1283 were irrevocable).

According to the “report on the Novgorod-Luga operation” compiled by the headquarters of the Volkhov Front, the losses of front troops for the period from January 14 to February 11, 1944 (including the losses of the 1st Shock Army in the period from February 1 to 10) were more significant - 62,733 people (of which 16,542 are irretrievable losses, 46,191 are sanitary losses). The greatest losses were suffered by units of the 59th Army, which lost 25,155 people killed and wounded (in the battles for the liberation of Novgorod alone, losses amounted to 14,473 people) and units of the 8th Army, which lost 22,253 people in battles.

In addition, it should be taken into account that units of the 42nd and 67th armies of the Leningrad Front, which actively assisted the troops of the Volkhov Front in the battles for the October Railway and Luga, also suffered significant losses. Apparently, these data are included in the total losses of the Leningrad Front in the Leningrad-Novgorod operation.

Germany

Since at the beginning of 1944, German troops were forced to fight to retreat from Leningrad, the accounting of losses by the headquarters of the 16th and 18th armies was carried out sporadically and it is difficult to accurately indicate the losses of German troops during the operation. However, it can be argued that the German troops of Army Group North retained a significant part of their combat potential.

According to Soviet data, as a result of the operation, troops of the Volkhov Front defeated 8 infantry and 1 tank divisions, and also inflicted heavy defeat on 4 more enemy infantry divisions, whose total losses amounted to about 82,000 people.

"Liberation of Novgorod", bas-relief of the stele "City of Military Glory", Veliky Novgorod.

  • On January 27, 1944, the Military Council of the Leningrad Front issued an order stating the final lifting of the siege of Leningrad. The order also declared gratitude to the troops of the Leningrad Front and the sailors of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet. This order says nothing about the victories of the troops of the Volkhov Front, which made an invaluable contribution to the liberation of Leningrad from the enemy blockade.
  • Soviet troops, having liberated Novgorod on January 20, 1944, found the city practically destroyed and deserted. Of the 2,500 residential buildings, only 40 survived. All architectural monuments, including St. Sophia Cathedral and the Millennium of Russia monument, were severely damaged. By the time of liberation, only 30 residents remained in the city - the rest were either driven to Germany or destroyed by the occupying forces.
  • In 2008, the cities of Luga and Novgorod were awarded the honorary title “City of Military Glory” with the wording “for the courage, fortitude and mass heroism shown by the city’s defenders in the struggle for the freedom and independence of the Fatherland.”

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Anniversary of the 67th Army

At the memorial sign on the site of the headquarters of the 67th Army on the shore of Lake Korkino

October 6 marked the 75th anniversary of the creation of the 67th Army of the Leningrad Front. Front-line veterans came to Koltushi to celebrate the birthday of their army, the fate of which is closely connected with the Koltushi settlement. Here on the shore of Lake Korkinskoye during the war there was a command post of the 67th Army of the Leningrad Front, whose troops fought defensive battles, and in January 1943 they broke the blockade of Leningrad in Operation Iskra. Here, in the park of the village of Pavlovo, the headquarters of the 30th Guards Rifle Corps was located.

Laying flowers at the memorial sign on the shore of Lake Korkino

From right to left: Ivan Nikitich Konev, Mikhail Pavlovich Dukhanov, Nikolai Pavlovich Simonyak

Veterans of the 67th Army and members of their families visited the Museum of Military Glory of the Koltush School named after Academician I.P. Pavlov, where they were greeted by the school director Tatyana Vladimirovna Zakharova and the head of the museum Nikolai Stepanovich Shum. The updated exhibition of the museum caused general delight and approval. It was decided that relics and military rarities kept in the families of veterans would be transferred to the museum to replenish the collection, which would make it possible to create a more comprehensive exhibition dedicated to the 67th Army. After a literary and poetic performance by school students, the veterans went to Lake Korkinskoe, where they laid flowers at the memorial sign at the site of the army command post. Then all those gathered at the memorial were invited to a tea party, which was organized by the administration of the Koltushskoe municipality rural settlement" The head of the local history section of the Koltushskaya TsKS MKU, Sergei Glebovich Medvedev, offered the guests a slide report on the combat path of the 67th Army, after which a veteran of the 67th Army, retired colonel Pavel Mikhailovich Germanov recited his favorite poems.

In the museum of the Koltush school

“Initially, in the fall of 1941, the defense on the banks of the Neva was held by the Neva Operational Group of the First Composition (NOG). It was commanded by Major General Ivan Nikitich Konev. A months-long defense on the Neva River began. It was very difficult because by its nature it was not only defensive. The Neva operational group was engaged in offensive operations. In May-October 1942, the 67th Army was formed - this is the successor to the Neva Operational Group. Major General Mikhail Pavlovich Dukhanov, a participant in the war with the White Finns, was confirmed as commander of the 67th Army, and with the beginning of the Great Patriotic War- commander of a rifle division, then chief of staff, later - commander of the 2nd Nevsky Operational Group and from October 1942 to December 1943 - commander of the 67th Army. The 67th Army held part of the right bank of the Neva and a bridgehead in the Moscow Dubrovka area, and also guarded the “Road of Life” across Lake Ladoga.

Veterans of the 67th Army Yu.G.Belov and P.M.Germanov in the school museum

At certain periods of time, the 67th Army included up to 50 divisions. And they all carried out very active military operations, trying to get to the left bank of the Neva and break the blockade, which they finally succeeded in January 1943. This is Operation Iskra. Our troops crossed the ice of the frozen Neva to the left bank. A narrow corridor was created from Shlisselburg to Mainland. And this subsequently made it possible to launch railway transport, and food began to arrive in the city, Combat vehicles, human reserves and everything necessary for the troops. But still, the city still remained surrounded by German encirclement. For skillful leadership of troops in Operation Iskra, the commander of the 67th Army Dukhanov M.P. was awarded the Order of Kutuzov, 1st degree, and was given the rank of “lieutenant general.”

In this building in the park of the village of Pavlovo there washeadquarters of the 30th Guards Rifle Corps

In December 1943, the breakthrough and final lifting of the blockade of the city began, which ended successfully on January 27, 1944.

The further path of the 67th Army lay through the Leningrad region, through the cities of Siverskaya, Gatchina, Vyritsa, it liberated the cities of Pskov and Novgorod from the German invaders. She completed her military journey in the battles for the liberation of the city of Riga in May 1945. For the courage and heroism shown in battles with the enemy, tens of thousands of soldiers of the 67th Army were awarded orders and medals, more than twenty were awarded high rank Hero Soviet Union. For his participation in breaking the siege of Leningrad, this high rank was awarded to the commander of the 136th Infantry Division, Major General Nikolai Pavlovich Simonyak, who became the commander of the 67th Army from March 1945 until the end of the war.

Breaking the blockade of Leningrad.
Diorama in the museum on the Road of Life, Kirovsk

I would like to say once again about the first commander of the 67th Army - General Mikhail Pavlovich Dukhanov. He was a highly cultured, competent officer, an experienced military man, who began his service in the Russian Imperial Army, participated in civil war, then in the Finnish War. His service to Leningrad is enormous, because he managed not only to save the lives of many residents of the besieged city who were dying of hunger, but also to make a great contribution to the turn of military events: Operation Iskra, like the operations near Moscow and Stalingrad, decided the outcome of the war. And it’s a shame that the memory of General Dukhanov is not commemorated in any way. His comrades - General Galstyan, General Simonyak, Major Garkavy and many others remained in memory in the names of the streets of Leningrad. But there is no street that bears the name of General Dukhanov. Isn't it time to correct this mistake? Maybe this is possible today here, in Koltushi, where active construction is underway and new streets are being born today?

WE, VETERANS OF THE 67th ARMY OF THE LENINGRAD FRONT, ADDRESS THE BUILDERS, THE PUBLIC, AND THE AUTHORITY STRUCTURES WITH A REQUEST TO PERPETUATE THE NAME OF MIKHAIL PAVLOVICH DUKHANOV IN THE NAME OF THE STREET IN KOLTUSHI!”

After the memorial meeting, its participants were taken by bus to convenient metro stations.

Press service of Koltushi Segodnya

direction in order to reduce losses and quickly cut off the enemy’s Baltic group from East Prussia. Having regrouped and continued the offensive, by September 27, Soviet troops reached the strong enemy defense line “Sigulda”, 60 kilometers from Riga. The attack of the 1st Baltic Front in the Memel direction (Memel operation) forced the German command to begin the withdrawal of its troops from the Riga area on October 6. The troops of the 2nd and 3rd Baltic Fronts began to pursue the enemy, breaking through a number of defensive lines on the move, and liberated Riga on October 13. On October 16, the 3rd Baltic Front was disbanded, its troops were transferred to the 1st and 2nd Baltic Fronts, as well as the Leningrad Front. The troops of the 2nd Baltic Front, continuing the offensive, reached the enemy’s Tukum defensive line by October 22, and together with the troops of the 1st Baltic Front blocked the enemy on the Courland Peninsula. Aviation and submarines of the Baltic Fleet, through their actions in the Gulf of Riga, made it difficult to supply, regroup and evacuate enemy forces, forming the so-called Courland Pocket.
Results of the operation
As a result of the operation, Soviet troops defeated the forces of Army Group North, and almost completely liberated the territory of the Latvian SSR from German troops.

Before the start of the Riga offensive operation before 42nd Army The task was to advance in the main attack zone in the direction of Nitaure from the area east of Ergli, overcome the forefield of the enemy’s defensive line, break through the defensive line and, in cooperation with the troops of the 3rd Shock Army, capture Nitaure. At the same time, the army was required, with the forces of one rifle corps, to deliver an auxiliary attack on the right flank, interacting with the troops of the 10th Guards Army. On September 14, 1944, the army went on the offensive, slowly moving forward with heavy fighting, and by September 25, 1944, reaching the Sigulda defensive line in the area from Lake Kalu on the left flank and then in the direction of Madliene, Ogre. For several days he unsuccessfully storms the line, advancing along the right bank of the Daugava towards Riga. On October 6, 1944, German troops, under the threat of encirclement, began to withdraw troops from the Sigulda line, and the 42nd Army went on the offensive, pursuing the enemy and not allowing him to break away, fighting with covering detachments, by the evening of the same day the army troops reached the Birzes line, Suntazhi station, on October 7, 1941, in the afternoon, they reached the eastern bank of the Maza-Yugla River, crossing it with advanced units (48th Infantry Division). This was the end of the army’s participation in the Riga operation: from October 8 to October 15, 1944, the army regrouped on the left wing of the front in the area 60 kilometers southwest of Riga and resumed the offensive only on October 16, 1944, but in the general direction of Libau on Zvarde, Broceni, breaks through the Tukums defensive line, has advanced slightly. With access to the enemy's Tukum defensive line, in cooperation with other armies, the 42nd Army began a blockade (or rather, many unsuccessful attacks) of Army Group North (from January 26, 1945 - Army Group Kurland) on Kurland peninsula.
On the 20th of October 1944, the army handed over its line west of Bonya, along the eastern outskirts of Vigeriai, then west to Kesiai and further along the northern bank of the Venta River almost to Mazeikiai to the 10th Guards Army. From October 27, 1944, it again went on the offensive in the general direction of Saldus, advancing several kilometers by November 5, 1944. Resumes the offensive again on November 14, 1944, with the goal of preempting an enemy counterattack, having advanced somewhat. Again he went on the offensive in the direction of Saldus on December 21, 1944, having managed to advance 1-3 kilometers with the hardest battles, and fought unsuccessful battles to further advance until the end of the year, going on the defensive from December 31, 1944.

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