Page 449 - Le Operazioni Interforze e Multinazionali nella Storia Militare - ACTA Tomo I

449
ActA
Offensive Operation in Belorussia (Operation “Bagration”),
June 23 – August 29, 1944

Victor Gavrilov

s a result of the war operations in winter and spring 1944 on the central part of the
A Soviet-German front there appeared so called Belorussian Protrusion (“Belorus-
sian Balcony”) that was of critical operational and strategic importance for the Wehr-
macht Command. The German Army Group “Center” very well defended the directions
to Eastern Prussia and Warsaw, threatened the flank of the Soviet troops in the Ukraine
and provided the stable positions of the Army Group “North” in the Baltic region.
The German troops in Belorussia had built a deliberately fortified system of defen-
sive lines and areas that were echeloned to the depth of 250-270 km. The primary effort
was focused on holding the tactical zone of defense, 12 – 18 km deep. At tank passable
terrain there were built pillboxes, antitank and antipersonnel obstacles. Garrisons were
stationed at all built-up areas that were specially prepared for defense.
To break through the German defense the Soviet Command planned one of the most
outstanding joint operations of the Second World War that involved the troops of four
st
rd
Fronts (1 Baltic, 1 , 2 and 3 Belorussian Fronts), long range aviation, the Dnieper
nd
st
River Flotilla and Belorussian partisan formations. The operation was given code name
“Bagration” after one of the famous Russian generals during the Napoleon wars.
Table 1. The ratio between Soviet and German strength
Soviet strength German strength
Divisions 160 63
Tank @ Mechanized Corps 12 3 + 2
Cavalry Corps 4 –
Artillery and mortar pieces More than 36,000 9,600
Tanks @ self-propelled guns 5,200 More than 900
Aircraft 5,300 1,400
Personnel 2,4 mln 1,4 mln
The primary idea of the plan was to simultaneously attack the enemy at six separate
sectors located rather far from each other, encircle and destroy the strongest German
flank groupings in the areas of Vitebsk and Bobruisk. After that it was planned to use a
massive strength of the three Belorussian Fronts to attack in the direction of the town
of Minsk, encircle the main force of the Army Group “Center” and shortly after that
destroy it. Then it was planned to continue offensive and reach the western border of
the USSR.
The Operation “Bagration” may be divided in two stages. The first one was from
June 23 till July 4, 1944 and included the breaching of the enemy defense in the zones of