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
East Prussia ; german: Ostpreißen, label=Low Prussian; pl, Prusy Wschodnie; lt, Rytų Prūsija was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 187 ...
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.
Formation
Under ''STAVKA'' of the Supreme High Command order no. 11022 of February 9, 1945 the
43rd,
39th and
11th Guards Armies of
3rd Belorussian Front
The 3rd Belorussian Front () was a Front of the Red Army during the Second World War.
The 3rd Belorussian Front was created on 24 April 1944 from forces previously assigned to the Western Front. Over 381 days in combat, the 3rd Belorussian Fron ...
, which were in action close to the German fortified city of Königsberg, were transferred to
1st Baltic Front
The First Baltic Front (Russian language, Russian: Пéрвый Прибалтийский фронт) was a Front (military formation), major formation of the Red Army during the Second World War. It was commanded by Army General Andrey Yeryomenk ...
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. As of March 1 its main order of battle was as follows:
* 11th Guards Army
**
8th Guards Rifle Corps (
5th
Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five.
Fifth or The Fifth may refer to:
* Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth"
* Fifth column, a political term
* Fifth disease, a contagious rash tha ...
,
26th,
83rd Guards Rifle Divisions)
**
16th Guards Rifle Corps
16 (sixteen) is the natural number following 15 and preceding 17. 16 is a composite number, and a square number, being 42 = 4 × 4. It is the smallest number with exactly five divisors, its proper divisors being , , and .
In English speech, ...
(
1st
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
,
11th
11 (eleven) is the natural number following 10 and preceding 12. It is the first repdigit. In English, it is the smallest positive integer whose name has three syllables.
Name
"Eleven" derives from the Old English ', which is first attested i ...
,
31st Guards Rifle Divisions)
**
36th Guards Rifle Corps (
16th,
18th,
84th Guards Rifle Divisions)
* 39th Army
**
5th Guards Rifle Corps (
17th
17 (seventeen) is the natural number following 16 and preceding 18. It is a prime number.
Seventeen is the sum of the first four prime numbers.
In mathematics
17 is the seventh prime number, which makes seventeen the fourth super-prime, as s ...
,
19th
19 (nineteen) is the natural number following 18 and preceding 20. It is a prime number.
Mathematics
19 is the eighth prime number, and forms a sexy prime with 13, a twin prime with 17, and a cousin prime with 23. It is the third full re ...
,
91st Guards Rifle Divisions)
**
54th Rifle Corps
54 may refer to:
* 54 (number)
* one of the years 54 BC, AD 54, 1954, 2054
* ''54'' (novel), a 2002 novel by Wu Ming
* Studio 54, a New York City nightclub from 1977 until 1981
* ''54'' (film), a 1998 American drama film about the club
* ''54'' ...
(
24th Guards,
126th,
235th Rifle Divisions)
**
94th Rifle Corps (
124th,
358th Rifle Divisions)
**
113th Rifle Corps (
192nd,
221st,
262nd,
338th Rifle Divisions)
* 43rd Army
**
13th Guards Rifle Corps (
33rd Guards,
87th Guards,
182nd,
263rd Rifle Divisions)
**
90th Rifle Corps (
26th,
319th Rifle Divisions)
**
103rd Rifle Corps (
115th,
325th Rifle Divisions)
*
3rd Air Army
3rd Air Army (3 VA) was an Air Army of the Soviet Armed Forces during the Second World War. It was formed May 16, 1942, in accordance with a People's Commissariat for Defence order of 5 May 1942 on the basis of the Air Forces of the Kalinin Front ...
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
The 2nd Guards Army was a field army of the Soviet Union's Red Army that fought in World War II, most notably at Stalingrad.
History
The 2nd Guards Army was formed according to the order of the Staff of the Supreme High Command (Stavka) from Oc ...
**
11th Guards Rifle Corps
11 (eleven) is the natural number following 10 and preceding 12. It is the first repdigit. In English, it is the smallest positive integer whose name has three syllables.
Name
"Eleven" derives from the Old English ', which is first attested i ...
(
2nd
A second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI).
Second, Seconds or 2nd may also refer to:
Mathematics
* 2 (number), as an ordinal (also written as ''2nd'' or ''2d'')
* Second of arc, an angular measurement unit ...
,
3rd
Third or 3rd may refer to:
Numbers
* 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3
* , a fraction of one third
* Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute''
Places
* 3rd Street (d ...
,
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
**
69th Rifle Corps
The 69th Rifle Corps was a corps of the Soviet Red Army. It was part of the 20th Army. It took part in the Great Patriotic War. Organization
* 73rd Rifle Division
* 229th Rifle Division
* 233rd Rifle Division Commanders
* Major General Yev ...
(
110th,
153rd,
324th Rifle Divisions)
**
81st Rifle Corps (
2nd
A second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI).
Second, Seconds or 2nd may also refer to:
Mathematics
* 2 (number), as an ordinal (also written as ''2nd'' or ''2d'')
* Second of arc, an angular measurement unit ...
,
307th,
343rd Rifle Divisions)
Disbandment
On April 26 the Zemland Group was formally disbanded and most of its forces reverted to direct command of 3rd Belorussian Front,
Combat Composition of the Soviet Army, 1945
p. 151 which was led by General Bagramyan for the duration of the war.
References
External links
{{Fronts of the Red Army in World War II
Soviet fronts