Belorussia 1944 : the Soviet General Staff study

321 Pages·2001·10.312 MB·English

by  David M Glantz, Harold S Orenstein

CASS SERIES ON SOVIET (RUSSIAN) MILITARY EXPERIENCE
Series Editor: David M.Glantz
BELORUSSIA 1944
CASS SERIES ON SOVIET (RUSSIAN)
MILITARY EXPERIENCE
Series Editor: David M.Glantz
ISSN: 1462–0944
This series focuses on Soviet military experiences in specific campaigns or operations.
1. David M.Glantz, From the Don to the Dnepr, Soviet Offensive Operations, December
1942 to August 1943 (ISBN 0 7146 3401 8 cloth, 0 7146 4064 6 paper)
2. David M.Glantz, The Initial Period of War on the Eastern Front: 22 June–August
1941 (ISBN 0 7146 3375 5 cloth, 0 7146 4298 3 paper)
3. Carl van Dyke, The Soviet Invasion of Finland, 1939–40 (ISBN 0 7146 4653 5 cloth, 0
7146 4314 9 paper)
4. Leonid Grenkevich, The Soviet Partisan Movement 1941–1944, edited and with a
Foreword by David M.Glantz (ISBN 07146 4874 4 cloth, 07146 4428 5 paper)
5. Tony Le Tissier, Race for the Reichstag: The 1945 Battle for Berlin (ISBN 0 7146
4929 5 cloth, 0 7146 4489 7 paper)
6. Robert Seely, Russo-Chechen Conflict, 1800–2000: A Deadly Embrace (ISBN 0 7146
4992 6 cloth, 0 7146 8060 5 paper)
CASS SERIES ON THE SOVIET (RUSSIAN) STUDY OF WAR
Series Editor: David M.Glantz
ISSN: 1462–0960
This series examines what Soviet military theorists and commanders learned from the
study of their own military operations.
1. Harold S.Orenstein, translator and editor, Soviet Documents on the Use of War
Experience, Volume I, The Initial Period of War 1941, with an Introduction by David
M.Glantz. (ISBN 0 7146 3392 5 cloth)
2. Harold S.Orenstein, translator and editor, Soviet Documents on the Use of War
Experience, Volume II, The Winter Campaign 1941–1942, with an Introduction by
David M.Glantz. ISBN 0 7146 3393 3 cloth)
3. Joseph G.Welsh, translator, Red Armor Combat Orders: Combat Regulations for Tank
and Mechanized Forces 1944, edited and with an Introduction by Richard
N.Armstrong. (ISBN 0 7146 3401 8 cloth)
4. Harold S.Orenstein, translator and editor, Soviet Documents on the Use of War
Experience, Volume III, Military Operations 1941 and 1942, with an Introduction by
David M.Glantz. (ISBN 0 7146 3402 6 cloth)
5. William A.Burhans, translator, The Nature of the Operations of Modern Armies by
V.K. Triandafillov, edited by Jacob W.Kipp, with an Introduction by James
J.Schneider. (ISBN 0 7146 4501 X cloth, 0 7146 4118 9 paper)
6. Harold S.Orenstein, translator, The Evolution of Soviet Operational Art, 1927–1991:
The Documentary Basis, Volume I, Operational Art, 1927–1964, with an Introduction
by David M. Glantz. (ISBN 0 7146 4547 8 cloth, 0 7146 4228 2 paper)
7. Harold S.Orenstein, translator, The Evolution of Soviet Operational Art, 1927–1991:
The Documentary Basis, Volume II, Operational Art, 1954–1991, with an
Introduction by David M. Glantz. (ISBN 0 7146 4548 6 cloth, 0 7146 4229 0 paper)
8. Richard N.Armstrong and Joseph G.Welsh, Winter Warfare: Red Army Orders and
Experiences. (ISBN 0 7146 4699 7 cloth, 0 7146 4237 1 paper)
9. Lester W.Grau, The Bear Went Over the Mountain: Soviet Combat Tactics in
Afghanistan. (ISBN 0 7146 4174 4 cloth, 0 7146 4413 7 paper)
10. David M.Glantz and Harold S.Orenstein, editor and translator, The Battle for Kursk
1943: The Soviet General Staff Study (ISBN 0 7146 4933 3 cloth, 0 7146 4493 5
paper)
11. Niklas Zetterling and Anders Frankson, Kursk 1943: A Statistical Analysis (ISBN 0
7146 5053 8 cloth, 0 7146 8103 2 paper)
12. David M.Glantz and Harold S.Orenstein, editor and translator, Belorussia 1944: The
Soviet General Staff Study (ISBN 0 7146 5102 8)
13. David M.Glantz and Harold S.Orenstein, editor and translator, The Battle for L’vov,
July 1944: The Soviet Staff General Study (ISBN 0 7146 5201 6)
BELORUSSIA 1944
The Soviet General Staff Study
Translated and edited by
DAVID M.GLANTZ
and
HAROLD S.ORENSTEIN

LONDON • NEW YORK
First published in 2001 by Frank Cass Publishers
Simultaneously printed in the USA and Canada by Frank Cass 29 West 35th Street, New York,
NY 10001
First published in paperback 2004
Frank Cass is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005.
“To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of
thousands of eBooks please go to http://www.ebookstore.tandf.co.uk/.”
© 2001, 2004 D.Glantz and H.Orenstein
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or
by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission
in writing from the publisher
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from
the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data A catalog record for this book has been
requested
ISBN 0-203-30920-0 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN 0-7146-5102-8 (hbk)
ISBN 0-415-35116-2 (pbk)
Contents

List of Illustrations vii
List of Maps ix
Editor’s Foreword xiv
Introduction xvi

1. The situation in Belorussia at the beginning of June 1944: Plan of the Red 1

Army’s Belorussian operation
2. Preparations for the operation 22
3. Beginning of the Soviet offensive: Penetration of the German defense 56
4. The Red Army offensive along the Polotsk-S’ventsiany, Minsk, and Slutsk- 92

Baranovichi axes: Seizure of Minsk and encirclement of German forces
5. Liquidation of encircled German forces at Minsk: Offensive against Dvinsk 116

and westward pursuit of enemy
6. Brief overview of combat operations to the end of July: Restoration of 145

railroads and change in transport conditions
General Conclusions 176

Appendices
1: Soviet order of battle, and unit and formation command cadre, 23 June 1944 194
2: Soviet personnel losses during the Belorussian operation 216
3: Maps 217
Index 272
List of Illustrations
Between pages 178 and 179.

1. Army General I.Kh.Bagramian, Commander of the 1st Baltic Front,

and Lieutenant-General V.V.Kurasov, front Chief of Staff.

2. Army General I.D.Cherniakhovsky, Commander of the 3d
Belorussian Front, and Colonel-General A.P.Pokrovsky, front Chief
of Staff

3. Army General G.F.Zakharov, Commander of the 2d Belorussian
Front, Lieutenant-General N.V.Subbotin, Member of the front’s

Military Council (Commissar), and Colonel-General of Aviation
K.A. Vershin, Commander of the front’s air forces.

4. Senior command cadre of the 1st Belorussian Front: Major-General
I.I.Boikov, Chief of Operations, and Army General
K.K.Rokossovsky, commander; and Lieutenant-General
M.S.Malanin, Chief of Staff, and Lieutenant-General K.F.Telegin,
Member of the Military Council.

5. Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M.Vasilevsky, Stavkarepresentative,
and Marshal of Armored Forces P.A.Rotmistrov, Commander of the
5th Guards Tank Army.

6. Germans taken captive in Belorussia.

7. Red Army soldiers discuss a tactical problem.

8. Soviet bomber aircraft.

9. Red Army infantry in an assault.

10. Red Army troops crossing the state border into East Prussia.
11. Red Army regimental field guns in direct fire.

12. A T-34 tank in the assault.

13. A Red Army infantry desant [assault] on tanks.

14. A Red Army woman sniper circa July 1944.

15. Shturmovik assault aircraft in the attack.

16. Red Army infantry on the march.

17. Red Army recruits (Asiatic) taking the soldier’s oath.

18. Artillery firing.

19. Red Army soldiers on the march in Belorussia.

20. Red Army infantry with submachine guns in the assault.

21. A.M.Vasilevsky, Chief of the Red Army General Staff, and Army
General I.D.Cherniakhovsky, Commander of the 3d Belorussian
Front.

22. Red Army troops overlooking a Belorussian city.

23. Red Army 76mm field guns supporting an infantry assault with

direct fire.

24. Red Army motorized infantry assault on tanks.

25. Soviet partisans participating in the liberation of Minsk.

26. Germans captured in Belorussia being paraded through Moscow.

27. A grenade and submachine-gun assault.

28. A Soviet propaganda poster, stating: ‘We will get to Berlin on foot!’
List of Maps

GENERAL page
1. The situation along the Soviet-German front on 22 June 1944 217

and the Summer-Fall Campaign, June-October 1944.
2. The opposing forces in Belorussia and the Belorussian 218

operation (23 June–29 August 1944).
3. The Stavka offensive concept, Summer 1944. 219

TERRAIN (on a 1:500,000 and 1:250,000 scale)
220
4. Vitebsk-Polotsk
5. Vitebsk (West) 221
6. Vitebsk (South) 222
7. Orsha-Mogilev 223
8. Orsha 224
9. Mogilev 225
10. Bobruisk 226
11. Rogachev-Zhlobin 227
12. Bobruisk (East) 228
13. Bobruisk (South) 229
14. Minsk Approaches 230
15. Dvinsk (Daugavpils) Approaches 231
16. Vilnius-Kaunas-Alytus 231