The Tartu offensive operation to liberate the Estonian SSR began on August 10 and lasted until September 6, 1944. The troops of the 3rd Baltic Front broke through the insurmountable border declared by the Germans. defensive line 18th german army"Marienburg" and liberated the cities: Petseri (Pechory) - And August, Vyru - August 13, Antsla - August 14 and Tartu - August 25. On September 6, the operation ended. Part of the divisions crossed the river. Emajygi and captured a foothold on its northern shore. The troops, bypassing Tartu from the west, advanced 15 kilometers north of the city on August 26.
On August 27 and 29, the Headquarters assigned the Leningrad Front the task of defeating the fascist group of troops "Narva" in Estonia. The transition of the troops to the offensive was scheduled for September 17th.
The fascist task force "Narva" in the first days of September 1944 took up defenses west of Narva and in the south along the Emajygi River. It included six infantry divisions (11, 200, 87, 207, 205, 300th), the Norland SS Panzergrenadier Division, three SS motorized brigades: Nederland, Langemark, Wollonia. On September 8, the 563rd Infantry Division was delivered from Germany to Tartu.
In line with the general idea Supreme High Command General Govorov decided in the second half of September 1944 to conduct an offensive operation in the Tallinn direction with the forces of the 2nd shock and 8th armies. During the first stage of the operation, it was planned to strike with the forces of the 2nd shock army from the Tartu region in the direction of Rakvere, reach the rear of the main forces of the Narva task force and, together with the 8th army, destroy the Narva group.
The second stage of the operation included turning the main forces of the front to the west and capturing Tallinn.
On August 30, 1944, General Pern was summoned to report to the front commander. Govorov informed the commander of the Estonian corps that in the next few days the corps would be redeployed to the first area and he would have to carry out a difficult maneuver at a distance of up to 400 km. Govorov took up to five to six days to prepare. From the reserve of the front, the corps, Govorov said, will be transferred to the 2nd shock army, whose commander is Lieutenant General I.I. Fedyuninsky and give Pern specific instructions.
On September 4, by order of the commander of the Leningrad Front, the Estonian Corps was included in the 2nd Shock Army as one of its four rifle corps (8th Estonian, 30th Guards Red Banner, 108th and 116th rifle corps).
The army was to deliver a blow to the rear of the main forces of the German task force "Narva" in South Estonia and destroy them. After that, the front was planned to turn to the west, capture Tallinn and go to the Baltic.
According to the plan of the regrouping of troops that began on September 4, the corps, along with other formations of the army, was redeployed from the Narva section to the area east of Tartu, to the line of the Emajygi River. Having begun redeployment from near Narva to Krootuz - Lämmijärve - Mehikorma on the night of September 8, by dawn on September 14, the formations of the corps were completely concentrated in the designated area: Heyzri manor, Vana manor - Piigaste - Veski. The corps headquarters, together with units of the 7th division, was located in the Võnu area. Attention deserves the fact that the regrouping took place in very difficult conditions. The troops of the 2nd shock army with reinforcements had to covertly overcome a distance of 300 kilometers in 10 days with only one railway. All this equally applied to the Estonian Corps.
During the regrouping of troops, the 8th Estonian Corps managed to be transported with part of the light artillery by rail through the Kingisepp station to Gdov. Further, the 8th Estonian and 30th Guards Corps followed their destination in marching order. The corps had to make a difficult march: with artillery, motorized units and horse-drawn baggage, it passed more than 200 km at night in six days along dirt roads washed out by heavy rains. The 25th separate brigade of river boats and the 5th heavy pontoon-bridge regiment transported them across the strait between Lake Peipus and Pskov.
The Tallinn operation of the Leningrad Front developed dramatically.
By September 6, military reconnaissance of Army Group North revealed the beginning of the transfer of troops of the 2nd shock army from positions near Narva to the Emajygi River to the south, to the Tartu direction. Intelligence reported accurately, but the German headquarters did not take these reports into account, not allowing the thought that the 3rd Baltic Front could prepare an offensive near Valga and Tartu. The German command, not knowing about the transfer of the Tartu sector to the Leningrad Front, until September 9 considered the suspension of the offensive a camouflage maneuver to divert German forces from Valga to the north. Following this logic, the German command, not knowing about the transfer of the Turtu sector to the Leningrad Front, withdrew part of the forces from the army group "Narva" and threw them near Valga when the 3rd Baltic Front began to advance there. Thus, the Tartu section turned out to be weakened.
The Estonian corps took part in the Tallinn offensive operation of the 2nd shock and 8th armies of the Leningrad Front, as a result of which the entire mainland of Estonia and its capital, Tallinn, were liberated from September 17 to 26, 1944.
Before the start of the battles for the liberation of Estonia, the personnel of the corps division consisted of: Estonians - 89.5%, Russians - 9.3%, other nationalities - 1%. 82% of the personnel, as of July 1, 1944, used to live on the territory of the Estonian SSR.
In preparation for the offensive, units and formations received reinforcements. The divisions of the 8th Estonian Corps now numbered up to 9 thousand people.
Warriors were overjoyed when they entered their native land. Rallies took place in the units, the soldiers swore to give all their strength, knowledge and combat skills for the speedy expulsion of the enemy. Trucks, guns - everything was covered with slogans: "Forward - to Tallinn!"
On September 10, the commander of the 2nd shock I.I. Fedyuninsky, having gathered the commanders of four army corps, announced at his command post in a grove south of Tartu, the decision to advance the Tallinn offensive.
The idea of the operation involved the meeting of formations of the 8th and 2nd shock armies during the offensive on the Rakvere-Tapa line.
The Estonian corps was given the task of breaking through the enemy’s defenses on the northern bank of the Emajõgi River, on the site of the Kastre manor, the Luunya manor, together with the 30th Guards Corps (commander - Lieutenant General N.P. Simonyak) and advancing on the right flank of the army. The idea of the operation, said Govorov, who was also present here, was to defeat the Narva grouping of the enemy. Only three days were allotted to prepare for the transition to the offensive.
In turn, on September 11, the corps commander at his command post in Võnu announced to the headquarters and commanders the idea of \u200b\u200bhis decision to attack. It boiled down to the fact that the front of the enemy's defense broke through on the left wing of the corps' offensive zone, in the Cavast - Sage sector, by the forces of the 7th division. The 249th division was introduced into the battle from behind the left flank of the 7th division from the line Taavetilauri - Taabbri. By the end of the first day, the main forces of both divisions were to reach the Nina-Vyalga line. False preparations for an offensive on the extreme right flank, in the swamp area, along the lake shore, were demonstrated to misinform the enemy. The enemy "pecked" and moved part of the reserves there.
On the evening of September 15, the commander of the front, Govorov, visited the command post of the corps and checked the progress of preparations for the offensive.
On September 16, the headquarters of the 2nd shock army received a directive to go over to a decisive offensive for tomorrow, September 17.
On the night of September 17, rallies were held in the building, at which the Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party (b) E.N. Karotam and members of the government of the republic. At the rallies, it was emphasized that a quick offensive would help save the cities and villages of Estonia from destruction, and prevent the deportation of the population to Germany.
The strike of the troops of the Leningrad Front from the Tartu region to the north brought the 2nd shock army to the rear of the fascist army group "Narva" and cut it off. The subsequent offensive of the Leningrad Front in Estonia was facilitated by the fact that to the south of it, three Baltic fronts simultaneously broke through the German defenses in six places.
The advance of the 2nd Shock Army turned out to be insurmountable for the enemy. Its power was achieved as a result of the tactics of breaking through the front in different time in several areas. Thus, the enemy had to disperse his forces in an attempt to defend. In addition, the previously captured bridgehead on the river was not used to deliver the main blow. Emajõgi north of Tartu, from where the Germans were just waiting for him. The army went on the offensive from a position east of Tartu, again forcing Emajõgi. Here the 8th Estonian Corps and the 30th Guards Rifle Corps advanced together.
On September 17, 1944, the German defenses north of Tartu were broken through with a strong blow by the troops of the 2nd shock army, which launched a general offensive against Tallinn. On September 19, troops of the 8th Army went on the offensive from near Narva. The Nazis, who put up fierce resistance, had to retreat west across Estonia.
And then the day came when the corps entered the territory of the Estonian SSR - with battles, as part of the 2nd shock army, on its right flank. The corps operated in the first echelon of the army, together with the 30th Guards and 108th Corps (commander - Lieutenant General B.C. Polenov), advancing along the western coast of Lake Peipsi.
His task included: with one division to force the Suur-Emajygi rivers in the Kastre-Kokutaya section, to destroy the forces of the enemy defending on the northern bank of the river. Then, by introducing a division of the second echelon into battle, take control of the Kazepya - Koozy - Alaiye line. Subsequently, develop the offensive in the direction of Kallaste - Järvemoiza, reach the Omedu - Kyuti - Odivere line.
The Germans gave a strong defensive line on Emajõgi great importance, as he covered the path to the central part of Estonia. Reinforcements were constantly brought here.
The 7th division I-13 September 1944 took up the starting positions for the offensive on the southern bank of the river. Emajõgi in the Castre - Kokutaya section, the 249th concentrated in the Viira - Terikste - Sootaga - Alli area.
Together with the 7th division of Emajygi, the 63rd (commander - Major General A.F. Shcheglov) and 45th (commander - Major General S.M. Putilov) guards rifle divisions crossed the Kavastu - Lyynya sector.
On September 17, at 07:30, the artillery of the Estonian Corps opened fire. Artillery preparation lasted 40 minutes. At the same time, aviation attacked the enemy's trenches and bunkers on the left bank of the Emajõgi with the forces of an assault aviation division. This carefully prepared fire effect proved to be very effective.
Soviet command a large artillery density was created in this direction - 220–230 guns and mortars per 1 km of the front. The enemy artillery fire weakened, and then almost completely stopped.
At 08:20 on September 17, the 27th (commander - Colonel Nikolai Trankman) and 354th (commander - Colonel Vasily Vyrk) rifle regiments of the 7th division of General K.A. Allikas began to cross the river. Emajõgi at the site of Kavastu Manor, Saage. Boats, rafts and pontoons for the attackers were launched during artillery preparation.
The platoon of Lieutenant X. Haaviste from the 1st company of the 27th regiment was the first to cross the river in the 7th division. The soldiers immediately broke into the enemy trench. When the company commander was out of action, senior lieutenant Peter Larin took command of the soldiers. He skillfully led the battle, and the company completed the combat mission.
During the first hour of the battle, three pontoon bridges were built, and already at 10 o'clock in the morning artillery and tanks went along them to the northern shore of the Emajõgi, immediately joining the battle. Sweeping away the resisting enemy units (units of the 94th security regiment, 1st SS border regiment, 207th security division of the Tartu omakaitse battalion), they began to successfully develop the offensive supported by tanks, breaking through the first enemy position by 10 o'clock in the morning. By 11.00, the main line of enemy defense was overcome. By noon, a counterattack by the Nazis in the area of \u200b\u200bthe farms of Saya, Kolga and Yatasoo was repulsed by the 300th regiment of Lieutenant Colonel Ilmar Paul brought into battle from the second echelon. The regiments rushed north. At about twelve o'clock in the afternoon, Pern crossed over to the other side with the task force and, following in the battle formations of the advancing regiments, controlled the course of hostilities.
The Nazis hastily retreated also in a northerly direction. Many, stunned by artillery preparation and air attack, surrendered. These minutes decided the success of the offensive that had begun. Divisions of the Estonian Corps, equipped with last word military equipment, with their warriors who have experienced a lot and know the price of victories, seeing their native land in front of them, marched from the coast of Emajõgi in a decisive powerful breakthrough. The enemy made an attempt to hold out in the first line of trenches, then in the second. Without letting him come to his senses, units of the 7th division quickly advanced deep into his defenses, inflicting heavy losses on him.
By four o'clock in the afternoon, the 7th division covered 20 km in one breath and completely broke through the main defensive line of defense. But by this time, the resistance of the German command that had come to its senses began to intensify. It intended, by reinforcing the defense with the summed up reserves, to stop the Estonian regiments at the turn of the Omedu and Käepa rivers. Nevertheless, during the day the 7th division covered a total of 30 km and in the night battle liberated the village and the Alatskivi road junction.
The 249th division began crossing the Emajõgi at 10:45 on September 17 in another sector and completed the crossing by noon.
The 249th division was brought into the battle in the afternoon to build up efforts and increase the pace of the offensive. She operated west of Taavetilauri in the direction of Selguze - Kotri.
During the crossing of Emajõgi, about a hundred soldiers of the Estonian units were killed by the death of the brave, about 300 people were wounded.
During the crossing at 11 o'clock in the morning, the division commander, Colonel Lombak Y.Ya. was injured. The division was commanded by the deputy division commander, Colonel August Feldman.
By 18 o'clock it reached the Taavetilauri-Andressaare area. Then her regiments began pursuing the enemy in the direction of Selguze - Väljaotsa (921st regiment) and Alaiye - Välgi (923rd regiment).
Rapidly advancing through the wooded area and not encountering strong resistance, by midnight the division reached Selguze. At 5 o'clock in the morning, she entrenched herself at the line of Väljaotsa - Välga.
At the end of the day on September 17, the corps commander ordered Feldman to put into action his 921st and 925th rifle regiments, giving them seven artillery regiments. Thus, the plan of the Nazi command to hastily organize defense at intermediate lines was frustrated.
With the onset of darkness, the enemy made the last attempts to organize resistance in Alatskivi, but they were thwarted, while the Nazis suffered heavy losses.
Late in the evening, on September 17, units of the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps reached the line Nina - Alatskivi - Savastvere - Nyva - Veskula - Kogri - Alaiye - Vyalgi. The corps headquarters moved to Taavetilauri.
The 8th Corps achieved the greatest success in the army that day, advancing along the western shore of Lake Peipus with the active support of the 25th separate brigade river boats.
During the first day, the corps advanced 20–25 km with battles. It was no small success.
Further, the enemy had no prepared defensive positions, and he could only resist on natural lines. On the second day, the offensive of the Estonian Corps and other troops of the 2nd shock army to the north went even faster.
The corps fully secured the right flank of the 2nd shock army and eased the position of the left neighbor.
During the day of September 18, 1944, the troops of the 2nd shock army, knocking the enemy down from intermediate lines, expanded the breakthrough front.
Having received information from the corps scouts that the enemy was hastily preparing defenses in the areas of Rana, Nymme, and then on the Omedu and Kyaepa rivers, where the strongholds of Omedu, Ruskavere and Roeda were most strongly prepared, General Pern decided to drive the Nazis out of these positions before How can they get a foothold there? The divisions were ordered to reach the Omedu and Kyaepa rivers during September 18, force them, and break through the defenses on the opposite bank. Fulfilling the order, units of the 7th division moved especially quickly along the shore of Lake Peipus on Mustvee. By noon, the 354th Regiment had liberated Kallaste.
In the afternoon of September 18, units of both Estonian divisions fought their way to the shores of Omedu and Käepa. Here they met hastily organized resistance. The regiments of the 7th division went into battle, knocking out the enemy from his positions on the river by the end of the day. Omed. The 249th Division, in cooperation with the 45th Guards Rifle Division, eliminated a strong enemy defense center near the Saare. Then they, together with the mobile group of Colonel A.N. Kovalevsky reached the Odivere-Roela section. Omeda and Kyaepa were forced in the afternoon. This breakthrough forced the 2nd German Army Corps to leave their positions at night.
The corps was advancing all day on 18 September. Enemy attempts to counterattack on the Ranna-Veskimetsa-Halliku-Vanamõisa-Kose-Kyti-r. Kääpa - Togliase were broken. By the end of the day, the enemy was driven back to the Kuti-Veje-Vaskvere-Raele line.
By the evening of September 18, the 249th division advanced ten kilometers and captured the large stronghold of Ninamyisa. During the first two days of the offensive, the corps advanced more than 50 kilometers with battles. At the same time, the offensive zone in depth expanded more and more.
On September 18, the order of the army commander for the troops of the 2nd shock army on the next day’s actions stated, in particular: “... the 8th Estonian rifle corps - continue to pursue the enemy and by the end of September 19, the main forces of the corps reach the line: Mustvee - Vytikvere - Lilastvere - Altveski…»
Having concluded that the position of the troops of the Narva task force was hopeless, the Nazi High Command on September 16 ordered their withdrawal from Estonia, starting from September 19. They were ordered to retreat to ports for evacuation by sea. The subsequent breakthrough of positions along the Emajõgi, accomplished by the 2nd shock army on September 17, forced the Narva to retreat a day earlier - on the night of September 19.
Part German troops went along the northern route Rakvere - Pärnu - Riga. The other - through Avinurme and Mustavee.
The 3rd SS Panzer Corps moved towards Riga via Rakvere and Pärnu in motor vehicles.
On September 19, the commander of the Leningrad Front, L.A. Govorov, having received information about the withdrawal of enemy troops from the Narva bridgehead, ordered the commander of the 8th Army to strike at Rakvere in order to cut off the escape route to Riga for the Narva group of Germans. The 8th Army was also ordered to strike at Avinurme and link up with the 2nd Shock Army there.
The 3rd SS Panzer Corps moved to Riga via Rakvere and Pern in motor vehicles.
To pursue the retreating enemy, both in the 8th and 2nd shock armies, mobile groups were formed by September 20 with the task of capturing the city of Rakvere by the end of September 20 and then pursuing the enemy in the direction of Tallinn. On the evening of September 20, 1944, Rakvere was completely liberated after the battle by the troops of the 8th Army.
The 8th Army began a frontal pursuit of the retreating German troops on the morning of September 19th. The 2nd shock army took measures to cut the main escape routes - the roads from the Narva Isthmus through Mustvee and Avinurme, as well as northern communications. The armies pursued the enemy in converging directions.
The sons of Estonia fought in these offensive battles with courage and heroism. The wounded remained in the ranks, doing their duty to the end. One of the sappers walking ahead of his unit, Rudolf Oyalo, while clearing mines in the premises of the former German commandant's office, accidentally discovered a book with a "Top Secret" stamp on the cover. It was a "List of persons to be searched and arrested." The sapper opened the little book and found his name in it. The Germans wanted to kill him, the oil shale refinery worker, as they had already killed thousands of other Estonian patriots.
On September 19, parts of the corps went to the Odivere - Karba - Devala area. On the same day, the army commander set the 8th Corps the task of reaching the Mustvee-Lilastvere-Altveski line by the end of the day and creating a mobile forward detachment.
The corps commander ordered the division commanders to capture the Mustvee-Torma line by the end of the day on September 19. According to enemy air reconnaissance, he hastily erected fortifications there and concentrated reserves.
At half past one on the night of September 19, near the village of Kazepäe, the fighters secretly crossed the Omeda River and fought in the dark. Without unnecessary losses, the village was liberated by morning. But near the village of Raya, the 354th regiment met strong resistance and stopped its advance on the outskirts of Mustvee. After an hour-long battle and several attacks, Mustvee was taken. By the end of the day, the regiment advanced to the village of Ninazi.
By the morning of September 19, our troops reached the Mustvee-Jõgeva highway and thereby thwarted the plans of the German command to organize a defense front for the troops retreating from Narva at the Rakvere-Pyltsamaa line.
The 300th regiment, pursuing the Nazis in the direction of Pala - Assikvere - Ruskavere, liberated Vytikvere. By the evening of September 19, he reached the northern bank of the Kyaepa River, drove the Nazis out of the village of Kyuti with an attack and occupied Ruskavere. The capture of Kazepäe and Ruskavere broke the German defenses in the lower reaches of the Omedu and Käepa rivers.
On September 19, the 249th division, without encountering serious resistance, advanced along the road from Tartu to Torma.
An officer of the 925th regiment, a participant in the events, recalled this persecution:
“When retreating, or rather, fleeing, the Germans left local members of the omakaitse (2-3 people) on elevated places. But they never dared to fire on us, and surrendered to our scouts. The chief of staff of the regiment, Major Jaan Ristisoo, after talking with the prisoners, ordered them to go home to their families as soon as possible.
By the end of the day, the 925th regiment captured the Someli region.
In the Torma area, a fierce battle ensued by noon. The 921st regiment, together with the 307th artillery anti-tank battalion, took three tanks as trophies. By the end of the day, the 921st regiment captured the Kyveriku-Konvusaare line.
As a result, the road from Mustvee to Torma was completely in the hands of the 8th Corps. The 7th division entrenched itself at the line of Ninazi - Laekannu. The 249th division, continuing the pursuit of the Nazis, approached Avinurma and stopped at the line of Kyveriku - Aviyygi - Aosilla.
During the Riga Offensive on September 19, the cities of Valga and Tõrva were liberated in southern Estonia. Twelve formations and units of the 1st Shock Army were given the names of Valga.
By the evening of September 19, parts of the corps with battles reached the Ninazi-Kyrvemetsa-Lilastvere line. More than twenty kilometers of the Mustvee-Jõgeva highway were in their hands. For three days, moving north from the river. Emajõgi was 80 kilometers. At the same time, the mobile groups of the army were unable to break through and cut off the escape routes of the enemy forces retreating from Narva.
September 19, having received at noon air reconnaissance data on the movement of columns of enemy troops (over 6 thousand people) to the west and south-west and the possibility of their appearance in the zone of the 7th Estonian division already at dawn on September 20 and hit the 7th division in the flank, the commander of the Estonian corps, L. Pern, decided to defeat these columns in a head-on battle, east of Avinurme, preempt the enemy, block the highway leading through Avinurme to the west.
The right-flank 7th division did not have time to reach this area. The 917th reserve regiment was on the left flank and could not be sent to Avinurme, as it would have to cross the paths of two regiments of the first echelon of its division. It was decided to bring the 27th regiment into action.
By order of the corps commander, the commander of the 7th division, Colonel K. Allikas, immediately formed an advanced detachment under the command of Colonel Nikolai Trankman, commander of the 27th regiment, reinforcing it with tanks and vehicles.
The detachment included the 45th separate tank regiment "For Soviet Estonia", the 952nd self-propelled artillery regiment and the 2nd battalion of the 27th rifle regiment.
Pern formulated the resulting dilemma as follows:
“You will be late with access to the west - the enemy will organize a strong defense on the outskirts of Tallinn and you will have to break through it again in order to reach the coast. If you allocate insufficient forces to destroy the enemy approaching from the east, the advance to the west may be delayed.
The battle of the advanced detachment of the corps with the Nazis somewhere in the Avinurme region on the morning of September 20 was supposed to put an end to this problem.
The detachment of Colonel N. Trankman was given the task of going north, capturing Avinurme, an important junction of roads and railway station and cut off the fascists' escape route to the west. Having received this order, the detachment resolutely pulled ahead late at night, passed the front line. Having outstripped the advancing corps by 20 km, he went to Avinurma, took possession of it on the move and took up all-round defense.
Hitler's troops, united under the command of General R. Höfer (part of the 3rd SS Panzer Corps of the 300th Special Purpose Infantry Division, the 20th SS Infantry Division, and the 285th Security Division) retreated from Narva along the roads. They moved through Mustvee and Avinurme. The 8th Estonian Corps blocked their path.
By the end of September 19 - the third day of the operation - the Estonian corps advanced another 30-50 km and on September 19-20 forward detachments reached the line of Kyveriku - Laekannu - Tullimurru - Veya.
To pursue the retreating enemy, both in the 8th and 2nd shock armies, mobile groups were formed by September 20 with the task of capturing the city of Rakvere by the end of September 20 and then pursuing the enemy in the direction of Tallinn. On the evening of September 20, 1944, Rakvere was completely liberated after the battle by the troops of the 8th Army.
On the night of September 20, intelligence reported to the headquarters of the corps about the approach of German troops withdrawing from Narva with forces no less than a division.
As a result of a successful offensive for three days, the Estonian corps passed the entire western coast of Lake Peipus, leaving it behind. Now his right flank was becoming open, and the retreating troops of the southern wing of the Narva grouping came out on it.
Corps commander L. Pern assumed that soon the corps would be reassigned to the 8th Army, which was already pursuing German troops along the sea coast in the direction of Rakvere - Tallinn. Her command clearly sought to be the first to break into the capital of Estonia. The command of the Estonian corps, aiming for several years at an active role in the liberation of both the republic and its capital, realized that the corps was still quite far from Tallinn. And now there's another one serious complication situation: it is necessary to deal with the destruction fascist troops, retreating from under Narva and threatening the flank and rear of the corps from the east.
On the morning of September 20, 1944, the corps formed the open right flank of the entire 2nd Shock Army. The commander was concerned about the intelligence message about the approach of the German division withdrawing from Narva.
At 3:30 a.m., the advance detachment of the 8th Estonian Corps, under the command of Colonel Nikolai Trankman, started a battle in the Avinurme area with an enemy column retreating from Narva. At about five o'clock in the morning, an even larger column of German troops began to approach from the direction of Tudulinna.
After three repulsed attacks, the detachment was surrounded and its position became critical. To help him, the corps commander put forward an artillery division and the Katyusha regiment. Having delivered a fire strike, the tanks and self-propelled guns of the detachment with the landing of shooters on the armor went on the counterattack. The enemy column over five kilometers long was completely defeated, large trophies were captured.
In the battle near Avinurme, the 113th guard regiment, the 45th regiment of the 20th SS infantry division (Estonian) and the battle group of the 300th infantry division, retreating from Narva, suffered a complete defeat, the 46th regiment of the 20th SS division and the 2nd Border Regiment managed to escape by forest roads. But in the following days they were also destroyed by the soldiers of the corps.
During September 20, in other sectors, parts of the corps were subjected to counterattacks - in the areas of Topastiku, Kyveriku, Veskivyalya, Kubya, but these attacks were quickly repelled with heavy losses for the enemy.
On this day, moving forward, the 2nd battalion of the 27th regiment of Major Oscar Andreev liberated the village of Tudulinna at 4 pm. The main forces of the regiment entered Avinurme in the evening. The plans of the German command to create a continuous line of defense at the turn of Kunda - Rakvere - r. Pedia were torn off.
By the end of the day on September 20, east of Avinurme, the troops of the 109th corps of the 8th army connected with the 27th regiment of the 7th division of the 8th Estonian corps. So the united front of the two armies of the Leningrad Front was closed. They began to pursue the enemy in the western and south-western direction. On September 20, the first stage of the Tallinn offensive operation ended with the occupation of Rakvere. In four days of fighting, the 2nd shock army expanded the breakthrough front to 100 km, joined forces with the troops of the 8th army and formed a common offensive front with them.
By the end of September 20, the corps reached the Lohusuu-Avinurme-Muuga-Naovere-Saare-Avanduse-Rahula line.
On the evening of September 20, the order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief No. 190 was transmitted on the radio with gratitude to the troops of the Leningrad Front for the successful breakthrough of the heavily fortified enemy defenses north of Tartu. Among the troops listed in the order, the Estonian corps was mentioned, and among the distinguished corps commanders, Lembit Pern was named first, among the distinguished division commanders, Johan Lombak (249th) and Karl Allikas (7th) were named first.
On this day, in honor of the troops of the Leningrad Front in Moscow, a salute was given with 20 volleys from 224 guns.
On the night of September 21, 1944, L.A. Govorov set the tasks of the second stage of the Tallinn operation: the 2nd shock army attacked Pärnu, the 8th army went to liberate Tallinn.
The 8th Estonian Rifle Corps was transferred from the 21st Army to the 8th (commanded by Lieutenant General F.N. Starikov).
On the morning of September 21, the corps, having deployed battle formations with the front to the west, began pursuing the retreating Nazis. In the area of Lake Porkuni - Tamsalu, on the march, a column of enemy troops numbering 1,500 people was discovered retreating from near Narva - the remnants of the 20th SS division and the 209th infantry division. The 925th regiment of the 249th division surrounded and defeated the group - the Nazis lost up to 500 people killed, about 700 were taken prisoner.
This oncoming battle lasted from 16.00 to 21.00 and was the last serious clash of parts of the corps with the enemy during the operation. These were the remnants of the 20th SS division, the 209th infantry division and the 292nd border battalion.
Having defeated the Nazi column, units of the 249th division liberated Tamsalu. By the end of the day, the main forces of the corps reached the line of the Tapa-Tartu railway.
On September 22, in this area, south of the town of Tapa, near the villages of Nymmkyula and Koigi, units of the 249th division took away weapons from 700 Estonians mobilized into the German army.
Having been fired from the forest near Porkuni, during which the commander of the battalion of the 925th regiment, captain Rudolf Ernesas, was killed, writes Bernard Khomik, by order of the regiment commander, the battery of the 779th regiment turned around and opened fire on the forest. After that, groans and screams began to be heard; cursed in Estonian. On his own initiative, Assistant Chief of Staff Captain Oscar Vannas went into the forest alone, telling those around him that he would lead "those fools" out of the forest. In the forest, the captain met enemy officers; these were the remnants of the Estonian SS division, retreating from Narva, in the amount of more than 1100 people. Vannas told them that if they did not come out themselves, it would be bad. Estonian troops are also standing on the road and have such strength that "they will make a real mess out of them." The soldiers and officers who were in the forest came out of the forest with white flags. The wounded were placed in a barn and were given first aid by the battalion paramedics.
In the conditions of those days, mobile forward detachments made their way to Tallinn, which formed various army formations, including tank and artillery regiments, riflemen, sapper units and even units of guards mortars. Several such powerful detachments marched along different roads to Tallinn: the 8th Estonian Corps, the 117th Rifle Corps (two detachments), the group of Colonel A.N. Kovalevsky, commander of the 152nd tank brigade.
Back on September 10, Pern, returning from a meeting with Fedyuninsky, was very excited. He shared with the corps headquarters commanders his concern that the corps would not have to liberate the Estonian capital. Glancing during the meeting at the map of the Tallinn operation on the table at the commander, he saw that
“The fat red arrow of our corps turns left from Kose, past Tallinn, and the arrows of units of the 8th Army are directed at Tallinn. It's a shame!
Parn at that moment, most likely, pinned his hopes on military happiness:
“Much depended on the outcome of the first days of the battles. If the corps manages to break the enemy defenses on the right bank of the Emajõgi, quickly enter the operational space somewhere in the Avinurme area, then it will even be possible to get ahead of the formations of the 8th Army. With such a turn of affairs, part of the forces of the corps could participate in the liberation of Tallinn.
Arnold Meri, in one of his post-war interviews, suggested that "the participation of the Estonian Corps in the liberation of Tallinn was not supposed at all." He expressed the idea that the corps "together with the entire 8th Army" was supposed to "turn left a hundred kilometers before Tallinn and go to Haapsalu and Pärnu." But when the corps was in the Paidu area, the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Estonian Communist Party, Nikolai Karotamm, came to the troops. He "generally often visited" the corps. And, according to Arnold Meri, it was Karotamm who “played a decisive role in the fact that the corps took part in the liberation of Tallinn. As if he foresaw what might happen in 50 years, and he knew that it was the Estonians themselves who should liberate Tallinn.
At about eight o'clock in the morning on September 21, Pern reported to the commander of the 2nd shock army, General Fedyuninsky, about the actions of the corps over the previous night. The army commander informed Pern that in a day the Estonian Corps would be transferred to the 8th Army.
Returning to the headquarters of the corps, Lembit Pern, who at that moment did not have a permanent connection with the headquarters of the 8th Army, dedicated the chief of staff of the corps, Major General Jaan Lukas, to his plan: by the morning of the next day, September 22, to capture Tallinn, sending there a strong motorized detachment based on the 354th regiment.
The headquarters of the 8th Army learned about the campaign of the Vyrka detachment from front-line aviators. When communication with the army headquarters was established, late in the evening of September 21, Pern sent a corresponding report to the commander of the 8th.
On September 21, at his command post, having returned from the troops and waiting for a meeting with N. Karotamma, Pern announced to the commanders at headquarters: “I decided tonight to send the 354th regiment directly to Tallinn. Tomorrow morning we will go out to the 8th Army. It's a shame if we don't get to Tallinn! The commander of the 2nd shock army approves this raid.
By order of the corps commander on September 21, in the Ambla area, a mobile forward detachment (“landing force”) was urgently formed by 18 o'clock. Colonel Vasily Ivanovich Vyrk (Verk) was appointed to command them. The detachment consisted of: part of the forces of the 7th rifle division (two rifle battalions, a company of machine gunners, a reconnaissance platoon, a platoon of 45-mm anti-tank guns, a company of machine gunners - all from the 354th regiment), the 952nd self-propelled artillery regiment (commander - lieutenant colonel Sergey Denisovich Chesnokov) and the 45th separate tank regiment "Soviet Estonia" (lieutenant colonel Eduard Yanovich Kuslapuu). The detachment was put on motor vehicles, and its commander received the order: “By morning, capture the capital of Soviet Estonia, Tallinn!” The task was: without getting involved in the battle, go through the front line on the move, moving through Mäeri, Väike - Maarja, Ambla, Jagala, Lehtmets, Rooküla, Perila, Aruvalla, Lehmya, by the morning of September 22, the first of the advancing troops to reach Tallinn, set him free, raise the flag Soviet Union on the tower "Long German".
The mobile forward detachments of the front played a particularly important role during the Tallinn operation. Their rapid advance in combat disrupted the plans of the enemy, saved thousands of lives, had real help to the Estonian anti-fascist patriots who rose to fight the invaders, contributed to the prevention of the destruction of villages, cities, industrial enterprises by the fleeing invaders, prepared in advance and in detail by the German troops.
The command of the Estonian corps expected that the Germans would destroy Tallinn during the withdrawal, blowing it up, as they did with Narva.
On the forest road near Triigi Manor, attached armored units entered the column, and a short rally took place. Commander Pern, turning to the fighters waiting for the start of the movement, not informed of the purpose of the raid, said:
The answer was “Hurrah!”. Nikolai Karotmm said a few words to the soldiers about the political, military and historical meaning of their campaign. And the detachment quickly went west.
When the detachment left, Pern, whose corps was reassigned to the 8th Army from 10 p.m. on September 21, informed the army commander about the dispatch of a mobile detachment of the corps to Tallinn, learned from the commander that he had sent other mobile detachments to Tallinn.
Estonian fighters and commanders managed to quickly and quietly get to Tallinn. At the beginning of the movement, the regiment commander Olav Mullas gave the order: “Turn the caps back with stars, address the officers as“ sir ”and not“ comrade ”, disguise themselves as Germans.” The camouflage was successful - not far from Tapa, at one intersection, a detachment column was directed by a German traffic controller.
When the detachment passed the Porkuni-Tamasalu section, the battle had just ended there, which was carried out by the 249th division. In the forest of Koigi, a group of Nazi soldiers tried to stop the advance of the detachment with gunfire, but was dispersed by the vanguard unit of the detachment. In the ensuing darkness, the detachment continued to move with the headlights off. The bridge over the Yagala River in Vetla was destroyed, and two hours had to be lost in search of a ford.
At the Peninga manor, the detachment met a unit of the 152nd tank brigade, which had lost contact with its own, and was also moving towards Tallinn. Let's go together .
The first battle took place 10 km from Tallinn, on the Pirita River in the Vaskyala region. The enemy forces defending themselves (up to 200 soldiers with light weapons) were defeated, the bridge over Pirita was captured.
Having dispersed small enemy groups that tried to impede his advance, parts of the Estonian Corps and a company of the 27th separate tank regiment entered Tallinn at 11:30 on September 22, 1944. The commander's order was carried out.
Almost simultaneously with the mobile group of the Estonian Corps, the advance detachment of the 117th Rifle Corps entered Tallinn, writes L. Pern.
Subdivisions of the Estonian corps and a company of the 27th separate tank regiment were the first to break into Tallinn on September 22.
A strong enemy infantry group with tanks was defending in the city, which was supposed to ensure the evacuation of the remaining troops and various valuables by sea. The enemy's resistance was broken by the decisive actions of tank and rifle units. The corps headquarters received a radiogram from Colonel V. Vyrka: "We are fighting in Tallinn." It was transmitted in plain text. Then a radiogram: "They took the station." Following: "The Red Flag is developing on the Long German." And finally: "The fighting has stopped, we are restoring order."
Rushing through the streets of Tallinn in tanks, the landing fighters sang: "J" a "a vabaks Eesti meri, j" a "a vabaks Eesti pind ..."
The red banner of Victory on the ancient tower "Long German" of the Tallinn castle Toompea was raised by the platoon commander of the 3rd company of the 354th regiment, Lieutenant Johannes T. Lumiste and corporal Elmar Nagelman from the 354th regiment. And the fighters of the 14th regiment of the 72nd rifle Pavlovsk Red Banner, the Order of Suvorov division of the 8th army V. Voyurkov and N. Golovan strengthened the red flag on the building of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR.
Companies of riflemen of the forward detachment of the corps cleared Niine Street, the Baltic Station, the harbor.
By noon, in cooperation with the mobile detachments of the 8th Army that arrived at the same time in the city, the city center was liberated from the enemy. By evening - the whole of Tallinn.
In the battles in Tallinn, Soviet troops destroyed more than 500 enemy soldiers and took more than a thousand prisoners.
From noon on September 22, corps units began to protect government buildings, enterprises, warehouses and engaged in ensuring public order. The forward detachment carried out garrison service until the beginning of October.
On September 23, the commander of the Estonian Corps L. Pern arrived in Tallinn with his operational group. His motorized detachment from the 300th regiment, the Katyusha division, a company of tanks, and five artillery divisions is stronger than that of Vyrk. On Toompea, in front of the government building, a solemn act took place in the form of a regular report: the commander of the regiment, Vasily Vyrk, reported to the commander of the Estonian corps, Lieutenant General Lembit Pern, about the fulfillment of the combat order: Tallinn is free.
On September 22, 1944, in honor of the liberators of Tallinn, the salute of the “first category” thundered in Moscow: 24 artillery volleys from 324 guns. By order of the Supreme Commander No. 191, the troops of the Leningrad Front, including the Estonian Corps, were thanked for the liberation of Tallinn.
The honorary title of Tallinn was given to the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps (commander - Lieutenant General Pern Lenbit Abramovich), the 7th Rifle Division (commander - Colonel Allikas Karl Adamovich), the 45th Separate Tank Regiment (commander - Lieutenant Colonel Kuslapuu Eduard Yanovich) , 952nd self-propelled artillery regiment (commander - lieutenant colonel Chesnokov Sergey Denisovich).
In addition, the 249th Estonian Rifle Division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
The liberation of Tallinn meant the end of the organized resistance of the enemy troops in Northern Estonia.
On September 22, the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps with reinforcements left the subordination of the 2nd shock army and became part of the troops of the 8th army.
After the capture of Tallinn, the troops of the 2nd Shock Army turned their front to the west and southwest and continued the offensive. The main forces of the Estonian corps moved forward just as quickly. By the end of September 22, they reached the Yaneda - Jarva - Jaani line, and by September 23, having covered 25 km, they were already at the line of Khabaya - Ravila - Tuhala. On the morning of September 24, a mobile detachment of the 7th division consisting of a company of machine gunners, a platoon of tanks of the 307th separate anti-tank battalion, the 1st division of the 85th corps artillery regiment and a sapper platoon of the 925th rifle regiment with three tanks under the overall command of a major Vladimir Miller, together with the mobile tank group of the 8th Army, Colonel A.N. Kovalevsky (152nd tank brigade, etc.) began to act. By 5 p.m. on September 24, he liberated the harbors of Haapsalu, and by the end of the day - and Rohuküla. At all these points, several hundred thousand prisoners and large booty were taken.
On September 25, the enemy ceased resistance almost everywhere. The corps advanced another 35 km and by the end of the day reached the Palivere - Kullamaa - Märjamaa - Nissi - Risti line. On September 26, the vanguard of the 7th division under the command of Major Walter Hannula completely captured the port of Virtsu and immediately began to prepare for landing operations to the Moonsund Islands. The main forces of the corps were concentrated in the coastal areas of Lihula, Kazari, Pyari, Sila.
Thus, in ten days of the September battles, by September 26, the Leningrad Front had cleared the entire mainland of the Republic of Estonia (with the exception of the islands of the Moonsund archipelago) from the invaders. The operation was completed in ten days.
Enemy losses amounted to 45,745 people killed and captured, tanks and self-propelled guns - 175, guns of various calibers - 593, aircraft - 35, etc.
In ten-day offensive battles for the liberation of the mainland of the Estonian SSR from September 17 to 23, the corps won a number of victories. They destroyed more than 10 thousand fascist soldiers and officers.
During the period of operations to liberate the mainland of the Estonian SSR from September 17 to September 27, 1944, 3311 fascist soldiers and officers, as well as large trophies, were taken prisoner by units and subunits of the corps.
On average, the corps traveled up to 60 km per day. In the form of trophies in the hands of the corps, there were up to 200 guns and mortars, over 1000 machine guns and machine guns, hundreds of wagons with ammunition and shells. For the successful completion of combat missions, the units of the corps were twice thanked by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief - for breaking through the enemy defenses at the turn of the Emajõgi River and for the liberation of Tallinn. For excellent fighting about 20 thousand soldiers and officers of the corps received military awards.
Row offensive operations Soviet troops in the summer-autumn of 1944, during which Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia were liberated from the German invaders.
Attack aircraft Il-2M3 from the 2nd squadron of the 566th assault aviation regiment at the airfield.
Women aviation technicians of the 188th Bomber Riga Aviation Division. 2nd Baltic Front.
The 40-mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun abandoned by the Germans in the area of the trading port of Tallinn.
Soviet signalmen are laying a communication line during street fighting in Tartu (Estonia).
Two Soviet partisans on the street of Vilnius.
Soviet sappers are building a wooden bridge across the river. In the background, a SU-152 self-propelled gun is fording the river.
The commander of the Panzergrenadier Division "Grossdeutschland", Lieutenant General of the Wehrmacht Hasso von Manteuffel on an armored personnel carrier Sd.Kfz. 251/3 in the Baltics.
Officers of the 683rd Assault Aviation Regiment N.I. Alabugin, A.N. Eremin, L.P. Rychkov and S.Ya. Astakhov at the Il-2 attack aircraft at the airfield.
Soviet soldiers on the square of the liberated Riga.
Soldiers of the SS troops in a trench near Narva.
SS soldiers roll out a 75 mm 7.5 cm PaK 97/38 anti-tank gun into a position in Lithuania.
Loading Soviet soldiers on a sailing schooner involved in the landing on the island of Muhu (Moon) in the Moonsund archipelago. End of September 1944.
A sailing schooner with a Soviet landing force goes to the island of Muhu (Moon) in the Moonsund archipelago. End of September 1944.
Grenadiers of the SS Narva battalion on the armor of a captured T-34 tank.
A Soviet soldier holds a submachine gun with a flag attached to it on the tower of the building of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR in Tallinn.
The Soviet amphibious vehicle Ford GPA "Seep" drives along the Muhu (Moon) - Saaremaa (Ezel) dam in the Moonsund archipelago. October 1944.
The flight crew of the 3rd Squadron of the 118th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment of the 2nd Baltic Front listens to political information at an airfield in Latvia.
Deputy commander of the 3rd squadron of the 118th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment, future Hero of the Soviet Union, Guards Senior Lieutenant Pyotr Maksimovich Odnobokov (in the foreground, fifth from the right), surrounded by colleagues at the Il-2 aircraft. In the rear cockpit at the machine gun - air gunner P. Poshekhonov. The picture was taken after the return of the crew of P.M. Odnobokov from the hundredth sortie. On board the attack aircraft there is an inscription "For Lyosha Poyushchev". It was inscribed in memory of Odnobokov's friend, the commander of the 2nd Guards Squadron, Captain Alexei Poyushchev, who died on September 22, 1944 on the 2nd Baltic Front.
Pilots of the 1st Squadron of the 118th Guards Attack Aviation Regiment at the airfield near the Il-2 aircraft.
Commander of the 297th regiment of the 184th rifle division, Major Georgy Gubkin.
The funeral of the Soviet front-line poet.
Killed German soldier at the tracked tractor Steyr PCO. The region of the Dubysa River in Lithuania.
Soviet tanks IS-2 with a tank landing during the attack.
Commander of the 10th guards army M.I. Kazakov attaches the Order of Suvorov to the banner of the 8th Guards Division.
Soldiers of the 20th Estonian SS Division Obersturmbannführer Alfons Rebane, Unterscharführer Harald Nugiseks and Obersturmbannfuehrer Harald Riipalu in the forest.
Guards machine gunner Private Yefim Kostin, awarded the Order of the Red Star. Leningrad front.
A column of Soviet 152-mm howitzers ML-20 in the liberated Tallinn at the intersection of Kaarli Boulevard and Pärnu Highway.
Soviet scouts of Lieutenant Zanosienko during the assault on Narva.
Calculation of the MG-34 machine gun from the SS troops on positions in the Narva region.
Lieutenant General V.T. Obukhov gives an order to the commander of the 35th Guards Tank Brigade A.A. Aslanov to attack the enemy on the outskirts of Vilnius.
Soldiers of the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps walk along the street of the liberated Orissaare on the island of Saaremaa.
Soviet partisan patrol in Vilnius.
The transfer of Soviet heavy artillery to the island of Saaremaa (Esel) in the Moonsund Archipelago in October 1944 at the Virtsu-Kuivastu ferry.
The parade of Soviet troops on the streets of Riga.
A Soviet soldier helps his comrade, wounded in battle, to walk.
Commander of the 2nd Baltic Front A.I. Eremenko with officers at the command post of the front.
A group of officers of the headquarters of the 143rd separate tank brigade at the T-34-85 tank.
Soldiers of the 249th "Estonian" division next to a destroyed German self-propelled guns based on the Soviet T-26 tank.
A soldier of the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps met his wife on the street of liberated Tallinn.
A rally in Tallinn dedicated to the liberation of Estonia from German troops.
Soviet soldiers on the tower of the building of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR in Tallinn.
Soviet infantrymen are fighting on the southern outskirts of the city of Tartu.
Tank "Tiger" of the German 502nd battalion during the fighting near the city of Daugavpils.
Repair German tank Pz.Kpfw VI "Tiger" in the Courland forest. End of 1944.
Soviet gunners climb Mount Toompea in Tallinn. The photo shows ZiS-5 trucks and a 76-mm ZiS-3 divisional gun.
In 2016 the Central Bank Russian Federation plans to put into circulation a series of coins "Cities - capitals of states, liberated by Soviet troops from Nazi German invaders". One of the coins of this series - 5 rubles Tallinn. 09/22/1944.
The operation to liberate Tallinn was carried out by the 2nd and 8th shock armies of the Leningrad Front. Marshal Govorov commanded the front. The Germans built a powerful defense in Estonia. The main, most difficult areas of defense were the Tannenberg line (Narva Isthmus) and the section between Lake Peipsi and Lake Vyrtsjärv. The 2nd shock army was supposed to strike not at the fortified Narva Isthmus, as the Germans expected, but from the Tartu region, for which it was secretly transferred by a brigade of river ships Baltic Fleet. And the 8th Army was supposed to strike from the line of the Narva River in the event of a weakening of the German defense.
On September 17, 1944, units of the 2nd Army launched an offensive and broke through the German defenses. The Germans were forced to begin a retreat from the Narva line. And at that moment the 8th Army entered the battle. Both armies pursued the enemy in a westerly direction. The rapid advance of our armies did not give the Nazis the opportunity to gain a foothold on new frontiers. On September 22, with the support of the forces of the Baltic Fleet, the city of Tallinn was liberated.
As a result of the Tallinn operation, the group of German troops "Narva" was severely defeated, the mainland of Estonia was completely liberated and conditions were created for the Moonsund operation to liberate its island part.
In 1947, in the center of Tallinn, near the Kaarli church, on the mass grave of Soviet soldiers who died during the liberation of Tallinn, a monument was erected, which the people called the "Bronze Soldier" (sculptor Roos). In 1964, a fire was lit in front of the monument. Eternal flame. In the 1990s, when Estonia declared its independence, the Eternal Flame was extinguished. In 2007, the memorial wall with the names of the dead was demolished, the "Bronze Soldier" was dismantled, the remains of Soviet soldiers were dug out of the grave. The relatives of the victims took them away and buried them at home. Those soldiers who had no relatives left were buried in a military cemetery, and the “Bronze Soldier” was also taken there.
Coin 5 rubles Tallinn. 09/22/1944 can become a valuable exhibit of your collection, as well as a wonderful gift to anyone who is interested in the history of the Great Patriotic War.
| A country | Russian Federation |
| coin name | Tallinn. 09/22/1944 |
| Series | Cities - capitals of states liberated by Soviet troops from Nazi invaders |
| Denomination | 5 rubles |
| Obverse | in the center of the disk - the denomination of the coin in two lines: "5 RUBLES", below - the inscription: "BANK OF RUSSIA", below it - the year of minting: "2016", on the left and right - a stylized branch of a plant, on the right near the edge - the trademark of the coin yard |
| Reverse | in the center of the disc is an image of the memorial composition “Monument to the Fallen in World War II”, located at the Military Cemetery in Tallinn, against the background of contour images of the architectural structures of Tallinn, below is a horizontal inscription: “SEPTEMBER 22, 1944”, at the top along the edging – an inscription: "TALLINN" |
| Alloy | Nickel plated steel |
| Circulation, pcs. | 2 000 000 |
| Date of issue | 2016 |
| Catalog number | 5712-0040 |
| Artist | A.A. Brynza |
| Sculptor | E.I. Novikov |
| Chasing | Moscow Mint (MMD) |
| Edge decoration | 12 sites with 5 reefs each |
| Quality | AC |
| Purchase | You can buy such a coin in any online store, or from official dealers. |
| Price | 30-50 rubles |
06.08.2011
Oleg Nazarov
Doctor of Historical Sciences
The British historian E. Roberts, who recently visited Estonia to present his book “War Storm”, stated in an interview with an Estonian newspaper that the Red Army did not liberate Tallinn in 1944, since there were no longer any Germans there and the Estonian flag was flying. Where and why the Germans "evaporated", the Englishman chose not to explain. What actually happened in Estonia during the period Nazi occupation?
Photo: Tank column "For Soviet Estonia", handed over to the Estonian Rifle Corps
F Ashist Germany captured Tallinn on August 28, 1941. Some Estonians took it as a tragedy, others joyfully.
Such a different reaction can be easily explained: in the 1930s, Estonian society remained split, the elite and the people disagreed on both internal and external issues. foreign policy. This fact is recognized by modern Estonian historians.
Director of the Institute of Estonian History M. Ilmärv states that “since 1935-1936. the Estonian military and political leadership viewed the USSR as the main threat to their sovereignty, while the general population of the country was primarily afraid of Germany.
The departure of the Baltic Germans to Germany, which began after the signing of the Soviet-German non-aggression pact, caused genuine joy among the broad sections of the population of the republic. According to Ilmjärv, ordinary Estonians “considered their evacuation as sweeping away the last remnants of the Teutonic Order.”
Signing of the German-Estonian and German-Latvian non-aggression pacts. Sitting (from left to right): W. Munters, J. von Ribbentrop, K. Selter. 1939 photograph from Federal Archive Germany
Photo: Signing of the German-Estonian and German-Latvian non-aggression pacts. Sitting (from left to right): W. Munters, J. von Ribbentrop, K. Selter. 1939 photograph from the German Federal Archives
Tallinn concluded a non-aggression pact with Germany before Moscow - on June 7, 1939. Immediately after that, Franz Halder, Chief of the General Staff of the German Land Forces, arrived in Estonia on a 4-day (!) visit. He was pleased with the results of negotiations with the Estonian leadership.
The leaders of the Third Reich were already making plans for a war with the USSR. The Baltics were considered by them as an outpost for a throw to the east.
On June 26, the Estonian authorities enthusiastically welcomed the heavy cruiser Admiral Gipper, which arrived at the port of Tallinn.
Despite the unofficial nature of the visit, the captain of the ship G. Heie paid a visit to the President of Estonia K. Päts, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of War, the Commander of the Army, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces and the Commander of the Navy.
All but Päts paid a return visit aboard the ship. A reception was arranged for Heie and representatives of the German embassy at the Viimsi estate.
The general impression of a friendly meeting was spoiled by reports of fights in the streets of Tallinn between the townspeople and German sailors. However, the German ambassador G. Frowijn attributed the clashes to the account of the Estonian communists.
The latter were hardly capable of this: there were just over a hundred Communists, some were in prison.
The flow of distinguished guests from Germany did not stop. Only the conclusion of the Soviet-German non-aggression pact forced Berlin to temporarily reduce its activity in the Baltics. 
Photo: Captain of the German cruiser "Admiral Hipper" Helmut Heiss during a visit to Tallinn on July 16, 1939
Stalin took advantage of this, and on September 28, 1939, a mutual assistance pact between the USSR and Estonia followed.
Commenting on this event, the US envoy to Estonia and Latvia, J.C. Wylie, wrote to Washington on October 3:
“Reliable information confirms the impression that Germany is far from enthusiastic about such a new appearance of the Soviet Union in the Baltics. Indeed, the text of the Mutual Assistance Pact may seem directed primarily against Germany.
Soon, 21,347 Red Army soldiers were stationed at military bases in Estonia. Historian M. Semiryaga noted: "The entry of the contingents of Soviet troops into the Baltic countries took place in a civilized, calm and even friendly environment on the part of the population."
Telegrams from People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs Molotov to the plenipotentiaries in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania contained a directive not to interfere in the internal affairs of the Baltic states.
The Estonian authorities did everything to stop the contacts of the population with the Red Army. The Soviet plenipotentiary K. Nikitin reported that "any Estonian citizen who decided to ask a Red Navy or Red Army soldier any, even the most trifling question" was subjected to fines and expulsion from the locations of the Red Army and Navy.
Tallinn, Riga and Kaunas continued to adhere to the pro-German orientation.
American historians R. Misiunas and R. Taagepera noted that "between December 1939 and April 1940, all three states entered into trade agreements, according to which Germany was to purchase about 70 percent of all Baltic exports."
The victorious blitzkrieg of the Wehrmacht in France radically changed the balance of power in Europe. The Kremlin had to think about the war with Germany. A week before the surrender of France, Molotov officially informed the German ambassador Schulenburg about the entry of Soviet troops into the Baltic states.
On June 21, the authorized representative of the USSR A. Zhdanov and Plenipotentiary Nikitin arrived at President Päts. They demanded a reshuffle in the government and the appointment of Johannes Vares (Barbarus) as prime minister. Päts, having fallen into political isolation and received no help from Germany, capitulated.
The sympathies of the people who took to the streets were not on his side. And the parliament of the republic, which modern Estonian politicians like to praise, was dispersed by Päts back in 1934.
The demonstrators set about seizing the arsenal, post office, telegraph, broke into the prison and the police department.
Explaining in the report the reasons why “a peaceful demonstration suddenly turned to revolutionary actions,” Nikitin pointed out that “for 20 years the hated regime had so embittered the population that it was ready, at the slightest opportunity, to deal with its enslavers.”
The pro-fascist regime of dictator Päts fell. There was no one willing to defend him.
Although on the eve of the war Soviet authority existed in Estonia for only a year, it did not pass without a trace. During this time, both supporters and opponents of Soviet power emerged.
They linked their last plans for gaining independence with Germany.
The events of 1941 clearly demonstrated the illusory nature of their hopes. Germany was not going to give Estonia any, even the most limited, independence.
Already on July 17, to manage the occupied territories of the USSR, the Reich Ministry for the Affairs of the Occupied Eastern Regions was created, headed by A. Rosenberg.
The Baltic States and Belarus entered the Reichskommissariat "Ostland". It was headed by Reichskommissar H. Lohse. Four former Soviet republics received the status of general commissariats.
SA Obergruppenführer K. S. Litzman became the General Commissar of Estonia. The police were subordinate to the Reichsführer SS and the chief of the German police G. Himmler. The position of Higher Fuhrer of the SS and the Ostland Police went to SS Gruppenfuehrer F. Jeckeln.
The invaders also needed Estonian henchmen. The "tender" for the role of the head of local self-government was won by an Abwehr agent, Dr. H. Mäe. He headed the Estonian self-government, which was appointed on September 15 by German General Karl von Rock. The process of "revival of Estonian statehood" was initially held under the watchful control of the Reich Minister for the Occupied Eastern Regions, the Reichskommissar, SA Obergruppenführer, SS Reichsführer and SS Gruppenfuehrer.
Given the direction of internal political processes in modern Estonia, there is no certainty that the monuments to the listed Nazi bosses will one day not decorate the streets of cities.
Estonians who wanted to fight against the USSR were given this opportunity. Some stormed Stalingrad. Some people received awards from fascist Germany for their "exploits" on the banks of the Volga.
On August 28, 1942, the anniversary of the capture of Tallinn, during a solemn ceremony on Freedom Square, Litzmann announced Hitler's consent to create the Estonian SS legion (later it was transformed into the infamous 20th Estonian SS Volunteer Division).
The pro-fascist newspaper Eesti Sona explained to readers that belonging to the SS is a special honor for the people of Estonia. Those who received such an “honor” after three months of training took an oath of allegiance to ... Nazi Germany. This is another "trifle" that is regularly forgotten in Tallinn.
Not all Estonians have embarked on the path of betrayal. The very first days of the war revealed not only Nazi supporters, but also those who, in the ranks of the Red Army, fought against fascism.
Estonians performed feats both at the beginning of the war and at its very end. One of the first to be awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was 22-year-old Arnold Mary. 
Photo: Hero of the Soviet Union, veteran of the Estonian Corps Arnold Meri at the parade on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the liberation of Tallinn from Nazi invaders
On July 17, the Nazis broke through to the rear of the Red Army units that were covering the approaches to the Dno station (Pskov region). When the enemy surrounded the headquarters of the corps, the deputy political officer of the communications battalion Meri took command of the battalion unit. Under his leadership, three dozen fighters repelled the attacks of superior enemy forces for several hours. The corps headquarters was saved, and Mary himself was wounded four times.
The 24-year-old platoon commander of the 1st company of the 300th regiment of the 7th Estonian division, Lieutenant Jakob Kunder, died on March 18, 1945. In the battle for the Latvian station of Blidene, the seriously wounded Kunder closed the embrasure of the bunker with his body, saving the lives of fellow soldiers.
The same feat on August 7, 1943, in the battles for the Leninsky farm in the Krasnodar Territory, was performed by junior sergeant Joseph Laar.
Only in the ranks of the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps (formed in the autumn of 1942, consisting of 27,311 people, of which 88.5% were Estonians), five heroes of the Soviet Union fought. Orders and medals "For Courage" were awarded to 20,042 soldiers of the corps. And awards at that harsh time were not given just like that.
Corps soldiers participated in the liberation of Tallinn. For this, a mobile motorized detachment was formed under the command of Colonel Vasily Vyrk. He was given the 45th tank regiment of the corps. Arnold Mary recalled:
“We were moving towards Tallinn at a speed of 50-60 km per day. People were exhausted, fell into the ditches, but they were in a hurry - because they knew: we'll be late - the Germans will blow everything up! When there were 120 km left to Tallinn, both we and the guys from the direction of Narva were given special transport, shock groups were formed, and we rushed to the city - we covered the distance in one night. They also beat the Fritz along the road, they snapped, and did not “retreat in a civilized way”, as they lie today in Estonia.
In September 44, the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps was opposed not only by the Wehrmacht, but also by Estonians who served the Nazis.
Photo: Regimental reconnaissance platoon of the 921st Rifle Regiment of the 249th Rifle Division of the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps, Leningrad Front, summer 1944
On the morning of September 21, a detachment of Vyrka captured an airport near Tallinn with 25 aircraft, and then broke into the capital of Estonia. Soon, a radiogram was received at the corps headquarters: "A red flag is fluttering on the Long German."
In recent years, official Estonian propaganda has persistently falsified the events of this significant day. These attempts meet with support in the West. Fresh confirmation - an interview with the English historian E. Roberts to the Estonian newspaper.
In the “bundle” of propaganda cliches he voiced, there is also a statement that warms the soul of official Tallinn that “the use of the word“ liberation ”in the current conditions is incorrect, since when the Red Army entered Tallinn on September 22, 1944, the Germans were no longer there. The Estonian flag was flying.
Tallinn stubbornly propagated the myth of the “revival of national statehood” in September 1944, according to which, by the time the Red Army entered the Estonian capital, power there belonged not to the Germans, but to the national democratic government O. Tifa. The symbol of Estonian independence was the blue-black-and-white tricolor that flew on the Long German Tower.
The authors of this fable pass over in silence two irrefutable facts that destroy the myth of "the revival of national statehood."
The first fact is quite obvious. The Estonian tricolor was side by side on Long German with ... the flag of Nazi Germany with a swastika. Therefore, the Nazis did not oppose such a neighborhood.
The second fact, on the contrary, was hidden from prying eyes. The current Estonian authorities are trying to hush it up even today, but you can’t hide an awl in a bag. After all, the "government of Tifa" was formed by the former chairman of the State Council and prime minister of pre-war Estonia J. Uluots.
In 1941, his political group claimed to lead Estonia, allied to the Third Reich. However, the Nazis chose H. Mäe. During three years Uluots was on the radar of Lohse and Litzmann as an alternative to Mäe. But Myae served the invaders so zealously that he earned himself the reputation of an unsurpassed master of propaganda even from them. The Nazis saw no point in changing him to someone else.
However, Uluots did not sit idle either - the “fighter for Estonian independence” did everything to help the invaders. On February 7, 1944, he appealed to the Estonians to join the collaborationist units formed by the Nazis.
After the liberation of Tallinn, A. Bernadt told how the Estonian guys reacted to the general mobilization and how evading it turned out for them:
“The German military and members of the Estonian organization Omakaitse came to our Lukati estate. They were looking for runaway people. In the morning, two young men said that they, along with 120 prisoners, were brought from the Tallinn prison to the Metsakalmistu cemetery. Here they opened fire from machine guns. These two young men managed to escape. They were mobilized by the Germans to fight the Red Army, but for escaping from the German army they were sentenced to death.”
Modern Estonian politicians prefer not to remember such facts (and there are many of them). As well as the fact that during the years of fascist occupation their homeland was covered with a network of concentration camps guarded by Estonians. People from all over Europe were taken to these concentration camps.
During the retreat, the Nazis and their Estonian henchmen carried out mass executions of prisoners. On September 19, 1944, almost all of the two thousand prisoners in the Klooga concentration camp were destroyed.
Today, just like 70 years ago, the people of Estonia are divided. The ruling elite made a pro-fascist choice. On April 27, 2006, under the cover of night, the Estonian authorities dismantled the monument to Soviet soldiers who fell in the battles for the liberation of Tallinn, located on the Tõnismägi hill.
On July 8, 2006, speaking to the veterans of the 20th Estonian SS division, Estonian Prime Minister A. Ansip said: “I cannot agree with those who consider your struggle senseless. How can it be considered senseless that people did their duty to their people and state?
Ansip understands his duty to the Estonian people like the thugs he addressed. In this regard, the words uttered in 1946 at the trial in Riga by F. Jeckeln are recalled.
He acknowledged that leaders local governments in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania “were guided only by German interests and did not think at all about the fate of their peoples ... These people believed that even if Germany lost the war, it would still be very good, because we would liquidate all Soviet patriots, all communists. And without patriots and communists, it will be much easier for them to sell their peoples to other strong powers.”
You cannot argue with this conclusion of a well-informed Nazi criminal. His words became a prophecy, which was confirmed in the 1990s, when the spiritual heirs of Mäe and Uluots came to power in Estonia.
72 years ago, on September 22, 1944, the Red Army troops liberated Tallinn from the Nazi troops. In modern Estonia, this day is officially recognized as the day of the beginning of the “Soviet occupation”.
Thursday, September 22, marks the 72nd anniversary of the liberation of the Estonian capital from Nazi invaders. Commemorative events this day is traditionally held in Tallinn at the Military Cemetery, where the "Bronze Soldier" - a monument to the Soldiers-Liberators - is installed. Veterans of the Great Patriotic War, representatives of the Russian Embassy in Estonia, organizations of Russian compatriots, ordinary citizens gather at the monument to honor the memory of the heroes who died for ridding the world of the brown plague.
Recall that on September 21, 1944, during the bloody battles for the liberation of Estonia, the troops of the 2nd shock and 8th armies united in the Tapa region and defeated the 3rd SS Panzer Corps, as well as the three infantry divisions attached to it. With support from the sea by formations of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet under the command of Admiral V. Tributs and from the air of the 113th Air Army of General S. Rybalchenko, the liberation of Tallinn from the German invaders began on the same day.
The vanguard of the 8th Rifle Corps under the command of Colonel Vasily Vyrka was the first to break into the streets of the capital of Soviet Estonia. Almost simultaneously with them, the forward detachments of the 117th Rifle Corps of Major General Yastrebov and the 152nd Tank Brigade of Colonel A. Kovalevsky made their way to Tallinn. The city was liberated. On September 22, 1944, Lieutenant Johannes Lumiste raised a red flag on the Long Herman tower.
In honor of the soldiers and officers of the Red Army who fell in the battles for Tallinn, on September 22, 1947, a Memorial Complex, the central part of which was a bronze sculpture of a Red Army soldier mourning for his comrades who gave their lives for the liberation of the city. By order of the Estonian authorities, in April 2007, the monument was moved to the Military Cemetery, and the complex itself was destroyed with the help of heavy construction equipment.
We add that official Tallinn considers September 22, 1944 the day of the beginning of the “Soviet occupation”. In the Estonian calendar anniversaries this day is referred to as "The Day of the Beginning of the Resistance". According to Estonian historians, when the German troops left Tallinn, and the Red Army units had not yet entered it, the Estonian tricolor fluttered on the Long German tower.
Soviet soldiers V. Vyurkov and N. Golovan on the tower of the building of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR in Tallinn. The photo was taken after the liberation of Tallinn from German troops. The Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Cathedral is visible in the background.
It is also claimed that at that time there was already an executive branch in Estonia - the government of Otto Tief. The same Tiifa, who, during the Nazi occupation of the country, turned to Adolf Hitler with a request to recognize the independence of the Republic of Estonia so that Estonia could join the war against the USSR as an independent state.
Video from the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Tallinn:
