Analysis of Deep Attack Operations: Operation Bagration, Belorussia, 22 June - 29 August 1944 [Illustrated Edition] by William M. Connor

Author:William M. Connor [Connor, William M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Goodreads: 20698983
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
Published: 2012-03-02T05:00:00+00:00

b. Opening Moves. (See maps at Tab 3 for daily summaries-22 June-13 July 1944,)

Operation BAGRATION did not commence at one time, but rather, developed successively from north to south. The reconnaissance phase of the attack commenced in the 1st Baltic, 3d Belorussian, and 2d Belorussian Front sectors on 22 June. In the 1st Baltic sector, the gains were so impressive that overnight, General Bagramyan, the commander, decided to dispense with his formal attack on 23 June and exploited the gains of his RIF. By then, his assault forces, some fifteen battalions, were already 5 kilometers into the German defenses. The divisions sent out forward detachments on 23 June, which had the mission of reaching the Dvina River as soon as possible. As you can see from the map of 23 June, some of them had reached it by nightfall, and the breach had reached 16 kilometers in depth and 50 kilometers in width. Although Bagramyan ordered 1st Tank Corps forward, the condition of the roads prevented it from entering the battle that day.

The 3d and 2d Belorussian Fronts commenced their offensives on 23 June 1944, with a massive artillery and air barrage followed by the new penetration tactics. In the 3d Belorussian Front sector, the 39th and 5th Armies obtained the greatest success on this day. They penetrated to a depth of 10-11 kilometers on a 50 kilometers front, and, in 39th Army's sector, the tank and assault gun brigades supporting each assault division passed through and commenced their exploitation for the Dvina River and link-up with 43d Army forces. In 5th Army's sector, conditions were ripe for the early commitment of the Oslikovsky CMG the next day. On the Orsha axis, however, things did not go so well. In spite of the numerical superiority of 11th Guards Army, its progress in the selected breakthrough sector was only a few kilometers, but the right flank corps was achieving success. Thus, the army commander, General Galitsky, decided to commit his army mobile group, 2d Guards Tank Corps, to the north, along with four rifle divisions from the south of his sector. Army Group Center committed the two divisions stationed in the Vitebsk and Orsha areas—95th and 14th Infantry Divisions—against the penetrations, but piecemeal.

The 49th Army of the 2d Belorussian Front made the most significant advance of the day, penetrating 10-12 kilometers in its sector, albeit at heavy cost to the attacking infantry. It did, however, cause commitment of the German Feldherrnhalle Panzer Grenadier Division against it. The forward detachments of the assault rifle divisions led this advance.

On 24 June, the most important event of the operation occurred in the southern sector: 1st Belorussian Front opened its offensive northeast and south of Bobruisk. The attack of 3d Army in the north gained only 2 kilometers and bogged down in the designated breakthrough sector, but the northernmost corps of the army had had success, and the army commander

decided to commit his mobile group, 9th Tank Corps, through it the next day. The southern

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