The Zemland Group of Forces was a front-sized operational group of the Red Army during the Second World War which saw service for two months in the Sambia Peninsula of East Prussia in 1945. It blockaded the city of Königsberg in March and then took it by storm in early April, after which it mopped up the various isolated German forces in the peninsula until it was disbanded on April 26.
| Zemland Group of Forces | |
|---|---|
 Königsberg defenses and Soviet attack from April 6 to 9, 1945 | |
| Active | February 24 – April 26, 1945 |
| Country |  Soviet Union |
| Branch |  Red Army |
| Type | Operational Group Command |
| Size | Up to five Combined arms Armies; one Air Army |
| Part of | 3rd Belorussian Front |
| Engagements | Battle of Königsberg Samland Offensive |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Army Gen. Ivan Khristoforovich Bagramyan |
Formation
editUnder STAVKA of the Supreme High Command order no. 11022 of February 9, 1945 the 43rd, 39th and 11th Guards Armies of 3rd Belorussian Front, which were in action close to the German fortified city of Königsberg, were transferred to 1st Baltic Front which was located to its north and east. By STAVKA order no. 11032 of February 21, 1945 the 1st Baltic was to be redesignated as the Zemland Group of Forces effective February 24. It was under command of Army Gen. I. K. Bagramyan, who had been in command of 1st Baltic, and was to come under control of 3rd Belorussian Front for the final stages of the East Prussian Offensive.[1] As of March 1 its main order of battle was as follows:
- 11th Guards Army
- 39th Army
- 43rd Army
- 3rd Air Army[2]
By the beginning of April, just prior to the start of the final offensive against the city the Group had been reinforced with an additional two armies:
- 2nd Guards Army
- 11th Guards Rifle Corps (2nd, 3rd, 32nd Guards Rifle Divisions)
- 60th Rifle Corps (154th, 251st, 334th Rifle Divisions)
- 103rd Rifle Corps (moved from 43rd Army with 182nd Rifle Division from 13th Guards Rifle Corps)
- 50th Army
Disbandment
editOn April 26 the Zemland Group was formally disbanded and most of its forces reverted to direct command of 3rd Belorussian Front,[4] which was led by General Bagramyan for the duration of the war.
References
edit- ^ Soviet General Staff, Prelude to Berlin, ed. & trans. R. W. Harrison, Helion & Co., Ltd., Solihull, UK, 2016, pp. 241, 245
- ^ Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, 1945, p. 80
- ^ Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, 1945, pp. 115-16
- ^ Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, 1945, p. 151