April 13, 1945 liberation of Vienna. Liberation of Vienna from the Nazi invaders

April 13, 2010 marks 65 years since the liberation of Vienna from the Nazi invaders.

On April 13, 1945, after the Vienna offensive operation, the capital of Austria, Vienna, was liberated by the Soviet Army. The Vienna offensive operation was carried out by the troops of the 2nd (commanded by Marshal of the Soviet Union Rodion Malinovsky) and 3rd (commanded by Marshal of the Soviet Union Fedor Tolbukhin) of the Ukrainian fronts.

The German command attached great importance to the defense of the Vienna direction, hoping to stop the Soviet troops and hold out in the mountainous wooded areas of Austria in the hope of concluding a separate peace with Britain and the United States. However, from March 16 to April 4, Soviet troops broke through the enemy defenses, defeated Army Group South and reached the approaches to Vienna.

For the defense of the Austrian capital, the fascist German command created a large grouping of troops, which included 8 tank divisions that had withdrawn from the area of \u200b\u200bthe lake. Balaton, and one infantry and about 15 separate infantry battalions and Volkssturm battalions, consisting of young people 15-16 years old. The entire garrison, including fire brigades, was mobilized to defend Vienna.

The natural conditions of the area favored the defending side. From the west, the city is covered by a ridge of mountains, and from the north and east - by the wide and abundant Danube. On the southern approaches to the city, the Germans built a powerful fortified area, consisting of anti-tank ditches, a well-developed system of trenches and trenches, and many pillboxes and bunkers.

A significant part of the enemy's artillery was set up for direct fire. Artillery firing positions were located in parks, gardens, squares and squares. In the destroyed houses, ambush guns and tanks were disguised. The Hitlerite command intended to make the city an insurmountable obstacle on the way of the Soviet troops.

The plan of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command of the Soviet Army ordered the liberation of Vienna to the troops of the right wing of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. Part of the troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front were to cross from the southern bank of the Danube to the northern one. After that, these troops were to cut off the escape routes of the Vienna enemy grouping to the north.

On April 5, 1945, Soviet troops launched an assault on Vienna from the south-east and south. At the same time, tank and mechanized troops began to bypass Vienna from the west. The enemy with strong fire from all types of weapons and counterattacks by infantry and tanks tried to prevent the breakthrough of Soviet troops into the city. Therefore, despite the decisive actions of the troops of the Soviet Army, they did not manage to break the enemy's resistance during April 5, and they only made little progress.

All day on April 6, stubborn battles took place on the outskirts of the city. By evening, Soviet troops reached the southern and western outskirts of Vienna and broke into the adjacent part of the city. Stubborn battles began within the boundaries of Vienna. The troops of the 6th Guards Tank Army, having made a roundabout maneuver, in difficult conditions of the eastern spurs of the Alps, reached the western approaches to Vienna, and then to the southern bank of the Danube. The enemy grouping was surrounded on three sides.

Wishing to prevent unnecessary casualties among the population, preserve the city and save its historical monuments, the command of the 3rd Ukrainian Front on April 5 appealed to the population of Vienna with calls to stay in their places and help Soviet soldiers, not to allow the Nazis to destroy the city. Many Austrian patriots responded to the call of the Soviet command. They helped the Soviet soldiers in their difficult struggle against the enemy entrenched in fortified districts.

By the evening of April 7, the troops of the right wing of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, part of the forces captured the Vienna outskirts of Pressbaum and began to spread like a fan - to the east, north and west.

On April 8, the fighting in the city became even more intense. The enemy used large stone buildings for defense, erected barricades, blocked the streets, and planted mines and land mines. The Germans widely used "nomadic" guns and mortars, tank ambushes, anti-aircraft artillery, and to fight Soviet tanks - Faust cartridges.

On April 9, the Soviet government issued a statement in which it confirmed its decision to implement the Moscow Declaration of Austrian Independence.
(Military encyclopedia. Chairman of the Main Editorial Commission S. Ivanov. Military Publishing House. Moscow. In 8 volumes -2004. ISBN 5 - 203 01875 - 8)

During April 9-10, Soviet troops fought their way to the city center. For each quarter, and sometimes for a separate house, fierce battles flared up.

The enemy put up especially fierce resistance in the area of \u200b\u200bthe bridges over the Danube, since in the event of Soviet troops reaching them, the entire group defending Vienna would be surrounded. Nevertheless, the force of the blow of the Soviet troops grew continuously.

By the end of April 10, the defending Nazi troops were taken into a vice. The enemy continued to resist only in the center of the city.

Vienna offensive operation, which was completed on April 13, 1945 liberation of the capital of Austria from the Wehrmacht, was one of the brilliant offensive operations that ended the Great Patriotic War. Therefore, at the same time it was quite simple and incredibly heavy. These are the most recent, decisive battles.
Relative ease of capturing the Austrian capital , in comparison with other operations, was due to the fact that the Red Army had already worked out a scheme for the destruction of enemy groupings. In addition, by April 1945, our troops already felt the proximity of Victory, and it was impossible to stop them. Although it was psychologically difficult to fight at that time, people knew “a little more, a little more,” plus deadly fatigue.

It is clear that there was no easy walk : our total losses in this operation are 168 thousand people (of which more than 38 thousand people died). The Germans fiercely resisted, but their forces were already undermined - before that, the Red Army and the Wehrmacht, in alliance with the Hungarian units, fought heavy battles in Hungary. Hitler ordered the holding of the Hungarian oil fields at any cost - the battle for Budapest and the subsequent Balaton operation included some of the bloodiest battles of the Great Patriotic War.

Our troops entered Hungary in October 1944 , having carried out the Belgorod operation before, and only at the end of March 1945 did they reach Austria. The attitude of the population was also different, if the Hungarians for the most part supported the Nazis, were hostile to the Red Army, then the Austrians were neutral. Of course, they did not receive flowers and bread and salt, but there was no hostility.
Preparing for surgery


By 1945 year, both warring parties were already exhausted: morally and physically - the soldiers and logisticians, economically - each country that took part in this bloody struggle. A surge of new energy came when the German counter-offensive near Lake Balaton failed. The forces of the Red Army literally wedged themselves into the defenses of the Nazis, which forced the Germans to rapidly take measures to eliminate such a "hole".

The main danger for them it was that if the Soviet troops were consolidated on a new frontier, the capture of Hungary could be forgotten for a long time. And if this country is lost, Austria will also soon be under Russian control. At this time, the fighters of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts face the task of defeating the Germans in the area of \u200b\u200bLake Balaton no later than March 16th. At the same time, the forces of the 3rd UV were to inflict a crushing blow on the enemy and, by April 15, reach the line of Tulln, St. Pölten, Neu-Lengbach.
Offensive resources

Since the liberation of Vienna high hopes were pinned not only on the command, but also on ordinary soldiers, then preparations for the operation began immediately. The main blow was to be inflicted by the soldiers of the Third Ukrainian Front. Suppressed, with many casualties among people and equipment, they found the strength to prepare for the offensive. The replenishment of combat vehicles took place not only due to the arrival of new copies, but also thanks to the soldiers who restored weapons as far as possible. At the time when the operation to liberate Vienna began, the arsenal of the 3rd Ukrainian Front included: 18 rifle divisions; about two hundred tanks and self-propelled guns (self-propelled artillery installations); almost 4,000 guns and mortars.

Overall assessment of the operation

As already stated , we cannot speak unequivocally about the ease or complexity of actions. On the one hand, the liberation of Vienna in 1945 is one of the fastest and brightest operations. On the other hand, these are significant human and material losses. To say that the capture of the Austrian capital was simple, one can only discount the fact that most of the other assaults were associated with significantly higher human losses. The almost instantaneous liberation of Vienna is also the result of the experience of the Soviet military, since they already had successful capture schemes. We should not forget about the special elation of our soldiers, which also played a significant role in the successful resolution of the struggle for the Austrian capital. The fighters felt both victory and death fatigue. But the understanding that every step forward is a direction to an early return home raised the spirit.

Tasks before the onset

Liberation of Vienna in fact, it dates back to February, when a variant of cleansing Hungary and then expelling the fascists from Vienna began to be developed. The exact plan was ready by mid-March, and on the 26th of the same month, the Soviet offensive group (Russian and Romanian soldiers) was given the task of attacking and occupying the Veshi-Pozba line.

By the evening of that day the operation was only partially performed. In fierce battles, our army suffered many losses, but even after dark the fire did not stop. The very next day the enemy was driven out across the Nitra River.
Forces of the Red Army

Gradual progress lasted until April 5 (it was on this day that the liberation of Vienna by Soviet troops began). At 7.00 in the morning of that day, the attack on Bratislava started. The 25th Rifle Corps of the Red Army, the 27th Guards Tank Brigade, as well as the 2nd Romanian Tank Regiment took part in it. After a grueling battle, Bratislava was taken by the end of the day.

Parallel Soviet-Romanian troops began to force the Morava River, however, unlike the capture of the city, the task was not completed in the same time frame. Until April 8, local battles were fought on this front, which prevented a relatively calm crossing to the other side. Already on April 9, the crossing was completed. At three o'clock in the afternoon, our troops were able to cross to the other side. The military was assembled in Zwerndorf in order to join up with separate units of the 4th Guards VDD a little later. 10 T-34 tanks, 5 aircraft, SU-76 and Romanian self-propelled guns and 15 tanks were also transferred here.

Forces for the defense of the Austrian capital

For the Red Army opposed by a rather powerful German group. Thus, the liberation of Vienna in 1945 would be possible on condition of victory over:
* 8 tank and 1 infantry divisions;
* 15 infantry battalions for Volkssturm (foot attack);
* the entire staff of the capital military school;
* the police, from which 4 regiments were created (this is over 6,000 people).

Besides , do not forget about the advantage on the fascist side thanks to natural resources. The west of the city was covered with mountains, the east and north sides were washed by the almost insurmountable Danube, and the south was fortified by the Germans with anti-tank ditches, various fortifications, pillboxes, trenches, and bunkers. Vienna itself was literally crammed with weapons hidden in the ruins, the streets were blocked off with barricades, and the old buildings served as a kind of bastions.
Capture plan

Objectively assessing the situation and realizing that the liberation of Vienna by Soviet troops will not be the easiest, F.I.Tolbukhin plans to send strikes from 3 sides, thereby creating panic among the command due to surprise. The three wings of the attack were supposed to look like this: the 4th Guards Army together with the 1st Guards Corps were beating in the southeast. The 6th Guards Army together with the 18th TK would attack the southwest side. The West, as the only escape route, cut off the rest of the forces.

In this way , natural defenses would become a deadly trap. It is also worth noting the attitude of the Soviet military to the city's values: it was planned to minimize the destruction in the capital. The plan was approved instantly. The seizure of position and the clearing of the city would have occurred with lightning speed, if not for the strongest resistance.
Storming of Vienna (5 - 13 April 1945)


Storming the capital of Austria was the final part of the Vienna offensive operation, which went from March 16 to April 15, 1945 by the forces of the 2nd (commanded by Marshal of the Soviet Union Rodion Malinovsky) and the 3rd Ukrainian fronts (commanded by Marshal of the Soviet Union Fyodor Tolbukhin) with the help of the 1st Bulgarian army (Lieutenant General V. Stoichev). Its main goal was to defeat the German troops in western Hungary and eastern Austria.

Our troops were opposed part of the troops of Army Group South (commanded by General of the Infantry O. Wöhler, since April 7, Colonel-General L. Rendulich), part of the troops of Army Group F (commanded by Field Marshal M. von Weichs), since 25 March, Army Group E "(commanded by Colonel General A. Lehr). The German high command attached great importance to the protection of the Vienna direction, planning to stop the Soviet troops on these lines and to stay in the mountainous and wooded regions of Austria, hoping to conclude a separate peace with Britain and the United States. However, on March 16 - April 4, Soviet forces broke through the German defenses, defeated the forces of Army Group South and reached the approaches to Vienna.

For the defense of the Austrian capital The German command created a fairly strong grouping of troops, in its composition the remnants of the 8 tank and 1st infantry divisions from the 6th SS Panzer Army, which had withdrawn from the Lake Balaton area, and about 15 separate infantry battalions and Volkssturm battalions were formed. The entire staff of the Vienna military school was mobilized to defend Vienna, 4 regiments of 1.5 thousand people each were created from the Vienna police. The natural conditions of the area around the city favored the German side. From the west, Vienna was covered by a ridge of mountains, and from the north and east sides - by a powerful water barrier, the wide and abundant Danube. On the southern side, on the outskirts of the city, the Germans created a powerful fortified area, which consisted of anti-tank ditches, a developed system of fortifications - trenches, pillboxes and bunkers. Ditches were dug, anti-tank and anti-personnel barriers were installed in all tank-hazardous directions along the outer circumference of Vienna.
Substantial part the Germans prepared their artillery for direct fire, to strengthen the anti-tank defense of the city. Artillery firing positions were set up in parks, gardens, squares and city squares. In addition, in the destroyed houses of the city (from air strikes), guns and tanks were disguised, which were supposed to fire from an ambush. The streets of the city were blocked by numerous barricades, many stone buildings were adapted for long-term defense, becoming real bastions, firing points were equipped in their windows, attics, basements. All bridges in the city were mined. The German command planned to make the city an insurmountable obstacle in the path of the Red Army, an impregnable fortress.

Commander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front F.I. Tolbukhin planned to take the city with the help of 3 simultaneous strikes: from the southeast side - by the troops of the 4th Guards Army and the 1st Guards Mechanized Corps, from the south and southwestern sides - by the troops of the 6th Guards Tank Army with assistance by the 18th Panzer Corps and part of the troops of the 9th Guards Army. The rest of the forces of the 9th Guards Army had to bypass Vienna from the west and cut off the Nazis' escape routes. At the same time, the Soviet command tried to prevent the destruction of the city during the assault.

April 5, 1945 Soviet troops began an operation to capture Vienna from the southeast and south. At the same time, mobile formations, including tank and mechanized units, began bypassing the capital of Austria from the west. The enemy responded with fire and fierce infantry counterattacks with reinforced tanks, trying to prevent the advance of Soviet troops into the city. Therefore, on the first day, despite the decisive actions of the Red Army troops, they did not manage to break the enemy's resistance, the advance was insignificant.
All the next day - On April 6, there were fierce battles on the outskirts of the city. By the evening of that day, Soviet troops were able to reach the southern and western outskirts of the city and broke into the adjacent suburbs of Vienna. Stubborn battles began already within the city. The forces of the 6th Guards Tank Army made a roundabout maneuver in the difficult conditions of the eastern spurs of the Alps and reached the western approaches of the city, and then to the southern bank of the Danube. The German group was surrounded on three sides.

Soviet command Trying to prevent unnecessary casualties among the civilian population, to preserve the beautiful city and its historical heritage, on April 5 he addressed the population of the Austrian capital with an appeal to stay in their homes, in the localities and thereby help the Soviet soldiers, preventing the Nazis from destroying the city. Many Austrians, patriots of their city, responded to this call of the command of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, they helped the Soviet soldiers in their difficult struggle for the liberation of Vienna.

By the end of the day on April 7 the forces of the right wing of the 3rd Ukrainian Front partly took the Vienna outskirts of Pressbaum and continued their movement - to the east, north and west. On April 8, stubborn battles continued in the city itself, the Germans created new barricades, blockages, blocking roads, installed mines, land mines, transferred guns and mortars to dangerous directions. During April 9-10, Soviet forces continued to fight their way to the city center. The Wehrmacht put up especially stubborn resistance in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Imperial Bridge over the Danube, this was due to the fact that if Soviet troops reached it, the entire German grouping in Vienna would be completely surrounded. The Danube flotilla landed troops to capture the Imperial Bridge, but heavy enemy fire stopped it 400 meters from the bridge. Only the second landing was able to capture the bridge without letting it blow up. By the end of April 10, the defending German group was completely surrounded, its last units resisted only in the center of the city.

On the night of April 11, our troops began to cross the Danube Canal, the final battles for Vienna were going on. Having broken the enemy's resistance in the central part of the capital and in the districts that were located on the northern bank of the Danube Canal, Soviet troops dissected the enemy garrison into separate groups. The "cleansing" of the city began - by the afternoon of April 13, the city was completely liberated.
Results of the operation

- As a result of the offensive Soviet troops in the Vienna offensive operation, a large group of the Wehrmacht was defeated. The forces of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts were able to complete the liberation of Hungary, occupied the eastern regions of Austria along with its capital, Vienna. Berlin lost control over another large industrial center of Europe - the Vienna industrial region, including the economically important Nagykanizskiy oil region. The road to Prague and Berlin was opened from the south. The USSR laid the foundation for the restoration of Austrian statehood.

- Fast and selfless actions of the Red Army troops did not allow the Wehrmacht to destroy one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Soviet soldiers were able to prevent the explosion of the Imperial Bridge over the Danube River, as well as the destruction of many other valuable architectural structures that the Germans prepared for the explosion or were set on fire by the Wehrmacht units during the retreat, among them St. Stephen's Cathedral and the Vienna City Hall and other structures.

- In honor of the won another brilliant victory Soviet troops on April 13, 1945 at 21.00 in the capital of the USSR - Moscow was given a victorious salute with 24 artillery salvos from 324 guns.

- To commemorate this victory 50 military units that distinguished themselves in the battle for Vienna received the honorary title "Vienna". In addition, the Soviet government instituted a medal "For the capture of Vienna", which was awarded to all participants in the battles for the Austrian capital. In Vienna, in August 1945, a monument was erected in honor of the Soviet soldiers who died in the battles for the liberation of Austria on the Schwarzenbergplatz square.
Losses for Nazi Germany

As for the losses for Berlin , so this is the loss of control over the largest industrial center of Western Europe - the Vienna industrial region, as well as the lost battle for the Nagykanizsko oil field. Without it, nearby fuel plants were left without raw materials. Thus, the German equipment lost mobility, and the command was forced to withdraw it deep into the conquered territories, which allowed the Soviet troops to quickly move forward. Resistance was provided only by infantry formations, which could not give a serious rebuff to the enemy, being under artillery fire. There is a direct threat of the defeat of Germany, and, as a consequence, the surrender of the fascist troops.

The behavior of the German command was devoid of honor and dignity. The soldiers showed themselves as a crowd of barbarians and vandals who destroyed the most beautiful and largest cathedrals in the city, and also tried to blow up the maximum number of monuments. And as they left the city, they mined the Imperial Bridge. Remembrance and celebration Since 1945, Vienna has celebrated the Day of Liberation of the city from German invaders every year on April 13th. The Vienna Liberation Museum was established in one of the streets. And on the day when the enemy left the city, 24 volleys of three hundred guns were fired in Moscow.

After some time, it was decided to institute a new award for the participants in these events - medal "For the Liberation of Vienna" ... Today, in addition to the museum, these fierce battles are reminded of the monument to the fallen soldiers on the Schwarzenbergplatz square, which was installed in the same 1945 at the very beginning of the restoration of the city and the entire country. It is made in the form of an even standing fighter. In one hand, the soldier holds a banner, the other he put on a shield in the form of the coat of arms of the USSR. Modern craftsmen painted some details yellow. In commemoration of this victory, 50 military units that distinguished themselves in the battle for Vienna were given the honorary name "Vienna".
Memories of Ivan Nikonovich Moshlyak , became a soldier of the Red Army in 1929. For thirty-eight years of service, he went from private to general. For the heroism and courage shown in the battles on Lake Khasan, I.N. Moshlyak received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. During the Great Patriotic War I.N. Moshlyak commanded the 62nd Guards Rifle Division. Under his command, the soldiers of the division participated in the crossing of the Dnieper, in the Korsun-Shevchenko and Yassy-Kishinev operations, in the liberation of Hungary and Austria from the Nazi invaders. All this - about the hard work of his headquarters, about the feats of soldiers, commanders, political workers of the division - and tells Major General I. N. Moshlyak in his book.

Liberation of Vienna


In autumnWhen the division freely crossed the Danube and began to advance rapidly to the northwest, many of us thought that the enemy was broken and was no longer capable of seriously opposing us. But life has shown the opposite. The closer our troops approached the borders of the Reich, the more stubborn the enemy's resistance became.
In two weeks offensive the division was worn out by the rapid marches and intense fighting. But despite this, the offensive impulse of the troops increased every day, the morale of the guardsmen was unusually high.
... It was warm April days ... The sky is solid blue, not a cloud. It got cooler at night: the snows from the nearby Eastern Alps made themselves felt.
Departed from Sopron the enemy was pursued by two regiments of the division along two parallel roads. The 186th regiment had the task of not letting the Nazis break away from us and organize the defense of the town of Eisenstadt. The 182nd regiment was marching towards this town, hurrying to bypass it and cut off the escape route for the Germans. On the shoulders of the enemy, Kolimbet's regiment burst into the first Austrian city that lay in its path, and captured it. The enemy infantry regiment was defeated by a blow from the front and rear. More than three hundred German soldiers and officers were killed, up to two hundred Nazis, including the wounded, surrendered.
Inspired by the first successes on Austrian soil, the regiments of the division rushed forward. But the enemy had already managed to cover the approaches to Vienna with defensive lines.
On the way of the division there was a heavily fortified defense center - the town of Schwechat, which was a southern suburb of Vienna. After intensive artillery barrage, all three regiments attacked the enemy and wedged into his defenses for three kilometers. To the west of the breakthrough site was the town of Ebepfurt. I ordered Mogilevtsev and Kolimbet to bypass the city from the north and block all roads. Grozov's regiment advanced on the town from the east.
And now Kolimbet reported, that his regiment with the battle captured the town of Verbach northeast of Ebepfurt. The enemy, sensing the threat of encirclement, began to withdraw. By evening, Ebepfurt was in our hands.
... Ahead, along the heights , - defensive bypass of Schwechat, a suburb of Vienna. At eleven o'clock, after a powerful artillery preparation, the 186th and 182nd regiments - the first echelon of the division - with the support of the self-propelled guns division, moved on the offensive. Our artillery continued to fire at the enemy positions, covering the attacking infantry with fire. The first and second trenches were taken after a short hand-to-hand combat. The opposing regiment of the 252nd German Infantry Division could not withstand the pressure of the guards and began to hastily withdraw. In the afternoon, the regiments of Kolimbet and Grozov, having seized several strong points on the move, advanced eight kilometers, breaking through the enemy's defenses to the full depth. The 7th Rifle Division, our right neighbor, also successfully advanced.
Everything seemed to be going well. But by the end of the day, the Nazis pulled up the SS unit and counterattacked the 182nd regiment, pushing its right flank.
There was no time to hesitate: enemy tanks could break through at the junction of the 182nd and 186th regiments. The Mogilevtsev regiment, which was in the second echelon, had to be thrown into battle. And I really wanted to keep it fresh for the assault on Schwechat. At midnight, I learned: the 184th regiment stopped the enemy, in cooperation with the 186th regiment, struck the Germans in the flank and forced them to retreat. During the night, all three regiments advanced seven kilometers and reached Schwechat.
In the morning I brought out the 184th regiment from the battle and ordered Mogilevtsev to make a deep roundabout maneuver, cut the roads north of the city, bring up artillery and hold the occupied line, thereby blocking the enemy's path to retreat.
The battle for Schwechat began in the morning. The city was surrounded by two lines of trenches, houses were turned into firing points. Under the cover of tanks and self-propelled guns, the 182nd and 186th regiments went on the attack. The Germans fired intensively, especially in the sector of the 182nd Regiment. The first two attempts to approach the enemy trenches failed. After a short fire raid, the 182nd regiment began its offensive again. Major Danko personally led the attack of his battalion, and his fighters were the first to break into the trench.
In this battle he distinguished himself again - for the umpteenth time! - the commander of a squad of machine gunners Tretyakov. The fighters of his squad, having got out of the first trench, firing on the move from machine guns, with rapid dashes reached the second trench. Meanwhile, a private Voronets sent by Tretyakov ahead crawled to the bunker and threw a grenade into the embrasure. The machine gun fell silent. The machine gunners overcame the last ten meters to the second trench and drove the Germans out of there. Soon a platoon under the command of Lieutenant Mamedov and a platoon of anti-tank guns approached. The guards managed to capture a village near the outskirts of the city. However, the Germans counterattacked the village and surrounded the units that had rushed forward. Mamedov ordered to take up a perimeter defense.
And at this time, the main forces of the regiment , having occupied the first trench, they came across a powerful defense center that covered the city from the east. The offensive stalled. I went to Grozov. When he arrived at the NP of the regiment, Grozov reported that he had moved the 3rd battalion bypassing the defense unit. But from the east the road was covered by a trench with machine-gun nests. From the NP of the regiment, it was seen how the companies, pressed by the dense fire of machine guns and mortars, lay down.
Grozov, always calm and self-possessed, bit his lip ... Without looking up from the stereo tube, he threw to the liaison: - Lieutenant Krapivinsky, live!
"Familiar surname" - I thought. A tall, ruddy lieutenant descended into the trench. Well, of course, the one who was once taken care of by the elderly Sergeant Ivanov near Korsun-Shevchenkovsky. On the lieutenant's chest were two stripes for wounds, the Order of the Patriotic War II degree and the Order of the Red Star. In the face of Krapivinsky there was no longer that youthful roundness, and the fuzz from the upper lip disappeared under the razor, only a blush and an embarrassed smile remained.
Introducing himself to me , the lieutenant reported to Grozov that he had arrived. The lieutenant colonel invited him to look through the stereo tube and, while he was looking, explained to him the situation in a nutshell. - Take a platoon of machine gunners, go to the rear of the enemy, covering the road, and destroy him. He put the last reserve into action ... - Grozov sighed.
Soon we saw like the submachine gunners led by Krapivinsky - he stood out for his height - went out to the road and, firing from machine guns, threw grenades into the trench. Immediately the 3rd battalion occupied the road and attacked the defense center from the rear, the 1st battalion attacked from the front. Half an hour later, the Nazis defending the stronghold laid down their arms.
Department of Tretyakov, Artillery platoon and Mamedov's platoon, having occupied a perimeter defense, fought surrounded until they were unblocked by Danko's battalion. By noon, the 182nd regiment broke into the eastern outskirts of Schwechat. At this time, the 184th regiment, bypassing the city, blocked the roads and began to create a strong defense on the occupied line.
All day and all night the soldiers pounded the stubborn dry ground. And at dawn the next day, enemy columns with tanks and self-propelled guns retreating from Schwechat and other towns under the blows of our and neighboring divisions were forced to stop in front of the defensive positions of the regiment, which met them with destructive fire. Immediately, the Nazis turned into battle formation and attacked, trying to break through the regiment's defenses on the move. They did not succeed. But the enemy attacks continued all day. The Germans were throwing more and more tanks and armored personnel carriers with infantry into battle. Despite the numerical superiority of the enemy, the guards stood firm. The artillery hit the tanks with direct fire and scattered the enemy infantry with rapid fire. After making sure that nothing could be achieved with frontal blows, the next day the enemy began to cover the positions of the 184th regiment from the flanks and closed the encirclement around it. The guards took up a perimeter defense. They perfectly understood their task: to bind enemy units in battle.
By the evening of the second day the encircled ran out of ammunition. Mogilevtsev decided to break out of the enemy ring with a fight. At night, with an unexpected attack, the regiment broke through the positions of the Nazis and left the encirclement. In the morning, the divisions of the regiment linked up with the main forces of the division.

It was a sunny April day. Even in one tunic it was hot. Probably, the larks are ringing over the arable lands now ... And from my OP I looked at the gentle heights occupied by the enemy, the river valley, the trembling haze over the fields. I was pondering how, without great losses, to take the altitude with the mark 220. Its greenish-red hump clearly loomed against the background of the blue sky. Last night I was summoned by the corps commander, General Kozak. He began the conversation in a joking tone: - Do you want, Ivan Nikonovich, to see Vienna? - Who doesn't want that? The whole army is dreaming. '' So please yourself and the army with such pleasure - tomorrow by nine, zero-zero, take height two hundred and twenty, followed by Vienna. Then, leaving jokes, General Kozak discussed with me the issues of interaction with other units.
And now, glancing now at the height, now at the map, I decide the question: how? Clarity gradually comes. The 184th regiment should bypass the ridge of heights at night and be at the northern foot of the height 220. The plan of the upcoming battle was discussed with Mogilevtsev. We decided that we would send Zubalov's battalion forward. He would have to start a detour in the afternoon. The battalion set out in the afternoon. I was at the NP Mogilevtsev and was looking forward to the first messages. And finally, Zubalov at the radio. - Knocked the enemy out of the settlement, a village looms ahead, I attack ...
Zubalov's battalion one after another, he captured three more settlements along the way. The latter was located on the banks of the river. Retreating, the Germans rushed across the bridge. Zubalov immediately realized that the bridge was mined and would fly up into the air as soon as the Germans were on the other side. Without wasting a second, the battalion commander gave the order to pursue the fleeing Nazis. Having burst into the enemy's location on the opposite bank, the sappers immediately cut the wire and began to clear mines. Leaving a barrier at the bridge, Zubalov led the battalion to a large village, which turned out to be the enemy's stronghold. The appearance of our soldiers on the northern bank of the river was so unexpected, and their onslaught so rapid that the enemy fled. But further progress slowed down. The Nazis threw a company with two tanks on Zubalov's battalion. With four shots, the gunners knocked out both tanks, and the infantry retreated. An hour and a half later, an infantry battalion with a dozen tanks and self-propelled guns moved to the Zubalov's guardsmen. The battle lasted until evening, and again the enemy withdrew, leaving up to a hundred killed and wounded and four burning tanks on the battlefield. Soon the entire regiment came to the aid of the battalion. Meanwhile, the 182nd and 186th regiments, knocking down the enemy's screens, began to advance to the height from the front. By eight o'clock in the morning, altitude 220 was taken, and from the captured height a panorama of the Austrian capital opened in front of us. Heaps of sharp Gothic roofs, cathedral spiers, factory chimneys loomed in a light haze ... The Danube was blue on the right. Light bridges hunched over the canals. To capture Vienna, the Headquarters of the Supreme Command attracted the 46th Army of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, the 4th, 9th Guards Combined Arms and 6th Guards Tank Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. The 9th and 6th Panzer Guards armies bypassed the city from the southwest and west, the 46th Army moved from the east and southeast. Our 4th Guards Army was advancing from the south and southeast.
62nd Guards Rifle Division made her way to Vienna through a narrow valley between the spurs of the Eastern Alps and Lake Neusiedler See. The 1st Guards Mechanized Corps and 20th Guards Rifle Corps were advancing alongside us. Assault groups of our division and neighboring formations, under the cover of tanks and self-propelled guns, rushed into the outskirts of Vienna. Shooting, grenade explosions, shouts of "Hurray!" ...
Factory and factory buildings the Germans left quickly, because between them lay wastelands, inconvenient for defense. And in the narrow streets and lanes they showed strong resistance. An exception, perhaps, was the automobile plant. The Nazis sat down behind the embankment of the railway in the basements of the factory building and fired from there with machine guns, preventing our assault groups from advancing. Major Pupkov went up with machine gunner Luzhansky to the flat roof of a low house on this side of the embankment and saw bulky tanks near the factory building that looked like oil. he shouted to Luzhansky. The machine-gunner set the "maxim" and gave a burst of fire on the tanks. Water splashed out of them. “Hit the tanks,” the battalion commander ordered the machine-gunner, “we will drown the Nazis. When the water rushed into the cellars in a strong stream, the Nazis began to jump out of there and rushed to run. The Germans began to roll back to the center, to densely populated areas.
Assault squads battalion Danko approached a tall building, on the second floor of which a German machine gunner sat down. He kept under fire two streets leading to the center.
Guardsmen decided to outsmart the fascist. While the armor-piercer Kuliev was firing at the machine gunner, they climbed up the fire escape to the roof of the house.

The area in the Vienna region was a hollow cut by numerous canals and roads. The capital of Austria lay among mountains and forests, which gave great advantages to the enemy for building a defense system, not only relying on engineering structures, but also using natural conditions.

The German military leadership made every effort to hold the city. By order of Hitler for the defense of the Austrian the capital was formed "Vienna Defense Zone" under the command of General of the infantry R. von Bunau. The grouping that defended Vienna included 9 divisions, 8 of which were tank divisions, including such elite units as the 2nd SS Panzer Division "Reich", 3rd SS Panzer Division "Dead's Head" and 232nd Panzer Division "Tatra. ". Also, training units, Volkssturm and police units were connected to the defense. By order of Dietrich, commander of the 6th SS Panzer Army, the male population of Vienna from 16 to 60 years old was herded into Volkssturm detachments and armed with fauspatrons... The entire city was blocked by barricades and mined heaps, and all bridges across the Danube and Danube Canal were mined. In dilapidated brick and stone buildings, carefully disguised ambushes of self-propelled artillery units and heavy tanks were prepared. Preparing Vienna for defense, the Nazis least of all thought about the destruction of a beautiful city, destroyed monuments of architecture, beautiful Vienna parks.

On the eve of the assault on the Austrian capital, envoys from the 17th mobilization corps of the Austrians arrived at the location of the 9th Guards Army: Senior Feldwebel F. Kez and Corporal I. Raif. They said that an uprising was being prepared in Vienna. The rebels had the following forces: two reserve infantry battalions, an artillery battery, more than a thousand Austrian soldiers in other formations, were ready to join the uprising, according to them, and about twenty thousand inhabitants. The leader of the uprising was a corps officer Karl Sokol. He sent the envoys. The command of the 9th Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front discussed with the parliamentarians their tasks during the operation to capture Vienna. The rebels had to seize bridges across the Danube and tributaries, communications, destroy the institutions of the Nazi party and the police, public utilities. Radio contact was established with the leadership of the rebels. Soon a meeting with Karl Sokol took place, signals for an uprising were agreed with him. The uprising was scheduled for April 6th.

The day before, according to the agreement, a signal was transmitted to the rebels by radio and from an airplane, the signal was received, but the uprising did not start, although it would greatly facilitate the task of Tolbukhin's troops. As it turned out later, the traitors gave the Nazis leaders who were preparing an armed uprising. On the morning of April 6, many of them were arrested and later executed.

Throughout the day on April 5, fierce battles took place on the eastern and southeastern outskirts of the city. German troops withstood the first onslaught of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. After analyzing the first day of the assault, the front commander decided to regroup the 6th Guards Tank Army north-west of Vienna in order to block possible escape routes for German forces, and also to begin the assault on the Austrian capital from the western direction.

On the morning of April 6, the commander of the 1st Guards Mechanized Corps I.N. Russiyanov received an order from the commander of the 4th Guards Army to break into Vienna and occupy Simmering with its industrial enterprises and the Arsenal during the day. For the Arsenal, our soldiers had to cross the Danube Canal. A particularly fierce battle broke out at the bridge over the canal leading to Star Square. From it opened the road to the North Station and the main alley of the Vienna Woods. By the morning of April 11, the right bank was cleared of the enemy. It was imperative to gain a foothold on the other bank, to recapture at least a piece of land, but the bridge was shot through and mined.

The command set the task to break through to the other side of the tank. The first to jump onto the bridge at high speed was the tank of Guard Lieutenant Alexander Kudryavtsev. Several enemy anti-tank guns immediately opened fire on the car. The tank managed to pass half of the bridge, but then a shell damaged the chassis. The car froze. The crew continued to fight the enemy, suppressing enemy firing points from a cannon and machine guns. After the second hit, only Alexander Kudryavtsev survived, he was also wounded, but he continued to fight, allowing other combat vehicles to move forward. A tank of the guard of junior lieutenant Dmitriev went to the aid of Kudryavtsev. On the bridge, his tank was set on fire, but continued to move. The lieutenant ordered to continue the battle and the tank, engulfed in flames, rushed across the bridge, captivating the infantrymen with his example. Kudryavtsev did not have a chance to survive this battle. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to him posthumously.

Stubborn street fighting for the city lasted more than a week... The German command to the last did not lose hope of holding at least part of the city, transferring more and more new units to Vienna, including the Fuehrer's Grenadiers division.

By April 7, Army Group South was disbanded and on its basis the Army Group Austria was created, the command of which was entrusted to the Austrian Lothar Rendulich. However, all the steps taken by the German leadership could not change the situation. Block by block, street by street passed under the control of the Soviet troops.

The battle began in the districts of the Danube city. The battles for Vienna were entering their final stages. Our troops already controlled most of the capital: Simmering, old Vienna, North, East, South stations. The Nazis retreated to the left bank of the Danube, blowing up all the bridges, except one - the Imperial Bridge. It was necessary to protect it from an explosion, otherwise it would be necessary to cross the deep, wide Danube. And these are hundreds of soldiers' lives. The Nazis, realizing the importance of this only crossing, literally stuffed the bridge with mines and explosives: hundreds of kilograms of it were hanging on the piles and bulls of the bridge. The approaches to the bridge were also mined. The Germans fired at the coastal line from cannons and machine guns. Repeated attempts to seize the bridge were crowned with success on April 12 thanks to the feat of the scouts of the 2nd Guards Mechanized Brigade. In the morning, across the saved bridge, our tanks made a dash to the shore, still occupied by the Germans, followed by artillery and infantry.

On April 13, 1945, after bloody battles, Vienna was liberated from the Nazi invaders. In the city, Soviet and Austrian flags were waving everywhere, and among them on the parliament building was the largest red flag, which was hoisted by the paratroopers of the 351st Guards Regiment under the command of Lieutenant A.E. Stomakhina.

As a result of the Vienna offensive operation carried out from March 16 to April 15, 1945 by the 9th Guards Army, consisting of the 37th Guards Corps (98th, 99th, 103rd Guards Divisions), the 38th Guards Corps ( 104th, 105th, 106th Guards Divisions), 39th Guards Corps (100th, 107th, 114th Guards Divisions), a large enemy grouping was defeated.

In commemoration of the victory won in the battles for Vienna, and for the massive heroism shown in the Vienna offensive operation, the 100th, 105th, 106th and 107th Guards Divisions were awarded, the 38th and 39th corps were awarded the honorary title "Vienna".

The participation of paratroopers in the capture of Vienna (March-April 1945)

Fighting 9 Guards. armies in the Vienna offensive March-April 1945

After repelling the counter-offensive of the fascists near Lake Balaton, Soviet troops launched an offensive. Artillery preparation began at 14:55. At the same time, our aviation began hostilities, and exactly an hour later the infantry went on the attack. Stunned by an unexpected and powerful fire strike, the Germans were so confused that in a number of sectors they could not offer organized resistance and by the end of March 16, the advanced units of 9th Guards A were able to advance 3, and in some areas up to 7 km. The fighting did not stop at night. On March 17, after fierce battles, units of the army managed to advance 10 km into the depth of the enemy's defense and expanded the breakthrough to 30 km.

In the course of the successful development of the offensive, the formations of the first echelon of the 37th and 38th Guards SC crossed the Sharviz and Gaia rivers and captured the city of Mor, as a result of which the enemy, fearing the encirclement of the main forces of the 6 TA CC, began to urgently bring reinforcements to the breakthrough areas. Under these conditions, the front commander decided to put into battle the 6th Guards TA, which received the task of crossing the Sharviz River, enter the breakthrough on March 19 and, developing a swift offensive, complete the encirclement of the enemy operating southeast, and south and southwest of Szekesfehervar.

Stubborn fighting continued on March 21, 22 and subsequent days. Reflecting repeated counterattacks by German tanks and motorized infantry, the paratroopers recaptured kilometers for kilometers from the enemy and by the end of March 25, in cooperation with the 6th Guards TA, completely overcame the Bakonsky Les mountains. This ended the first stage of the Vienna offensive operation of the Soviet troops.

After the defeat of the main forces of the 6 TA SS, it took an operational build-up of efforts to prevent the enemy from gaining a foothold on the next defensive lines. Therefore, without an operational pause, the Soviet troops moved on to the second stage of the Vienna offensive — pursuing the enemy in the northwestern and western directions. In the first echelon of the front, there were still 6 Guards Tank Guards 9 Guards Army.

The city of Papa, a large industrial and administrative center, lay in the offensive zone of 9 Guards A. The enemy turned it into a heavily fortified defense center. The city was prepared for a perimeter defense, covered with various obstacles and minefields. However, the commander of the army, Colonel-General V.V. Glagolev decided, without slowing down the pace of the offensive, to take this city with a specially selected group from three directions — one division from each corps.

As part of the decision, on March 27, units of 9 Guards A, overcoming enemy resistance on the Marzal Canal, crossed the channel and three mountain streams, and reached a strong enemy stronghold and the industrial center of the city of Sarvar, the approaches to which were covered by the Rab River. The Raba River presented a serious obstacle. Its width in some places reached 45-50 m, its depth was up to 3.5 m, the banks were high and steep. The Germans prepared defensive positions along the coast.

The crossing of the Rab River began on the move, after a short 30-minute artillery preparation. Soldiers and officers on improvised means, and in some places on fishing boats, rushed forward with the help of the enemy. Quickly overcoming the water obstacle, the guards moved on the enemy and engaged in battle in the first trench. When crossing the Rab river, the guards' ingenuity was shown by the artillerymen of the 346th Guards Rifle Division of the 104th Guards Rifle Division. Since the Nazis blew up a railway bridge in the regiment's crossing section, and the sappers had not yet had time to bring it up, the gunners decided to drag their guns along the river bottom with the help of cables. Removing the sights from the guns and hammering the muzzle with rags, the soldiers dragged 24 guns to the opposite bank in four hours.

With their advanced units, 98, 104 and other Guards rifle divisions captured bridgeheads on the opposite bank of the Raba River. On the night of March 28, this water barrier was crossed by all the troops of the front.

Having crossed the Rab River, the 9th Guards A formations continued to successfully pursue the enemy retreating to the Austro-Hungarian border. The high pace of the offensive did not decrease for a single day.

So only on March 28-30, units of 9 Guards A in difficult conditions of mountainous and wooded areas covered 65 km with battles.

On March 29, the 9th Guards A formations entered the territory of Austria. On the territory of Austria, the enemy began to put up even more stubborn resistance, using the spurs of the Alps, heavily rugged inaccessible terrain

The enemy could create serious difficulties even with small forces on the path of the movement of our troops. Particularly stubborn resistance was put up by German units. As for the Hungarian units, with the exit of Soviet troops to the Austrian border, they preferred to surrender. And nevertheless, breaking the resistance of the enemy, the advanced units of the army on March 31 went to the area of \u200b\u200bthe Vienna Lowlands on the direct approaches to the capital of Austria. Thus ended the second stage of the Vienna offensive.

Fighting on the near approaches to Vienna began on April 5, 1945. The enemy offered fierce resistance. The maneuver of our troops was greatly constrained by the rugged and well prepared terrain for defense. Relying on a network of water barriers and densely located settlements, adapted for all-round defense, the enemy tried to prevent Soviet troops from entering the city with strong fire and frequent counterattacks. Therefore, it was not possible to break the resistance of the enemy for several days.

In the same period, on April 15, a maneuvering detachment of 72 people of the 300th Guards Rifle Corps was formed to operate behind enemy lines. under the command of Captain N.A. Belousov. Secretly deepening 30 km. in the position of the enemy, the detachment approached the city of Pernitz and established contact with the Austrian partisans. With their help, the approaches to the city, the deployment of garrisons, military facilities, and the system of enemy firing points were explored. On the night of April 19, N.A. Belousov's group burst into Pernitz, smashed the headquarters of the SS detachment and the local Gestapo, destroyed up to 100 Nazis, blew up a paper mill, which contained an ammunition depot, and mined the approaches to the city, safely left the enemy rear.

After regrouping units of the 6th Guards TA, which made a difficult maneuver in the eastern spurs of the Alps into the 38th Guards Rifle Corps, the formations reached the western approaches to Vienna, and then to the southern bank of the Danube in the Tulln region, cutting off all routes to the west for the enemy group in Vienna ... Thus, the compound 39 GV SK. Together with the troops of 4th Guards A, by the end of the day on April 6, they reached the southern and western outskirts of Vienna and began an assault on the city. As a result of a week of fierce and bloody battles, by the end of April 13, Vienna was completely cleared of Nazi troops.

More recently, on April 15, 70 years have passed since the end of the Vienna offensive operation, during which the Nazi troops austria was cleared, including its capital - Vienna.

The Vienna Offensive is a strategic offensive operation of the Red Army against German troops during the Great Patriotic War. It was carried out from March 16 to April 15, 1945 by the troops of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts with the assistance of the 1st Bulgarian Army (Bulgarian) with the aim of defeating German troops in western Hungary and eastern Austria. Vienna was taken on April 13th.

Friends, I dedicate this photo collection to this event.

1. Soviet officers lay flowers at the grave of the Austrian composer Johann Strauss's son, buried in the central cemetery in Vienna. 1945 g.

2. Tanks "Sherman" of the 1st battalion of the 46th Guards Tank Brigade of the 9th Guards Mechanized Corps of the 6th Tank Army on the streets of Vienna. 04/09/1945.

3. Tanks "Sherman" of the 1st battalion of the 46th Guards Tank Brigade of the 9th Guards Mechanized Corps of the 6th Tank Army on the streets of Vienna. 04/09/1945.

4. Soviet soldiers are fighting for the Imperial Bridge. 3rd Ukrainian Front, Vienna. April 1945

5. Rewarding Soviet soldiers who distinguished themselves in the battles for the capture of Vienna. 1945 g.

6. Artillerymen of self-propelled guns of the guard of Lieutenant Colonel VS Shonichev, the first to enter the Austrian land, drive along the street of one of the cities. 1945 g.

7. Soviet self-propelled guns cross the border. 1945 g.

8. Soviet tanks in the Vienna area. 1945

9. The crew of the M4A-2 "Sherman" tank, the first to break into Vienna, with its commander; driver-mechanic Nuru Idrisov on the left. 1945 g.

10. Machine gunners are fighting a street fight in the central part of Vienna. 1945 g.

11. Soviet soldiers are on one of the streets of liberated Vienna. 1945 g.

12. Soviet troops on the streets of the liberated city of Vienna. 1945 g.

13. Soviet soldiers on the streets of Vienna. 1945 g.

14. View of one of the streets of Vienna after its liberation. 1945 g.

15. Inhabitants of Vienna on the square in front of the destroyed building of St. Stephen's Cathedral. 1945 g.

16. Dancing on the streets of Vienna on the occasion of the Victory Day. 1945 g.

17. Soviet tanks on the outskirts of Vienna. April 1945

18. Soviet military signalmen on one of the streets of Vienna. April 1945

20. Residents of Vienna return to their homes after the end of street fighting and the liberation of the city by Soviet troops. April 1945

21. Cossack patrol on one of the streets of Vienna. 1945 g.

22. Festivities on the occasion of the liberation of Vienna by Soviet troops in one of the city squares. 1945 g.

23. Soviet self-propelled guns on the mountain roads of Austria. 1945 g.

24. Soviet military equipment on the mountain roads of Austria. April 1945

25. Guards-machine gunners of the unit of senior lieutenant Gukalov are fighting for the settlement. Austria. 1945 g.

26. Meeting of Soviet soldiers with the inhabitants of one of the cities of Austria. 1945 g.

27. Mortar gunners of Hero of the Soviet Union Nekrasov are firing at enemy positions. Austria. March 31, 1945

28. Sergeant Pavel Zaretsky talks with residents of the Austrian village of Lekengauz. 1945 g.

29. Soviet officers lay flowers at the grave of the Austrian composer Johann Strauss's son, buried in the central cemetery in Vienna. ...

30. Soviet mortars carry 82-mm battalion mortar in Vienna. 1945 g.

31. Soviet soldiers cross the bridge over the Danube Canal in Vienna. May 1945

32. Soviet officers lay flowers at the grave of Johann Strauss's son. April 1945

33. Soviet traffic controller N. Klimenko on the outskirts of Vienna. April 1945

34. Soviet officer visits the grave of the German composer Ludwig van Beethoven, buried in the central cemetery in Vienna.

35. Soviet traffic controller on the streets of Vienna. May-August 1945

36. Soviet self-propelled artillery mounts SU-76M in Vienna, Austria. 1945 g.

37. Soviet mortar men with a regimental mortar at the Hofburg Winter Palace in Vienna. 1945 g.

38. Soviet armored personnel carrier M3A1 in battle on the streets of Vienna. April 1945

39. Column of Soviet T-34 tanks on the streets of Vienna. 1945 g.

40. A Nazi, before the arrival of Soviet troops, shot his family and committed suicide on the streets of Vienna. April 1945

41. Soviet traffic controller in liberated Vienna. May 1945

42. Soviet traffic controller in liberated Vienna. May 1945

43. Killed German soldier on the streets of liberated Vienna. April 1945

44. Tank "Sherman" of the 1st Guards Mechanized Corps on Vienna Street. April 1945

45. Human remains on the streets of liberated Vienna. 1945 g.

46. \u200b\u200bHuman remains on the streets of liberated Vienna. 1945 g.

48. Tanks "Sherman" of the 1st battalion of the 46th Guards Tank Brigade of the 9th Guards Mechanized Corps of the 6th Tank Army on the streets of Vienna. 04/09/1945.

49. Soviet armored boats of the Danube military flotilla in Austria. April 1945

50. Soviet regimental military band in the Austrian village of Donnerskirchen on Victory Day. Private Nikolai Ivanovich Pershin on the far right (in addition to playing in the orchestra, he also acted as a signalman). 05/09/1945

51. A column of Soviet tanks T-34-85 on the street of the Austrian town of St. Pölten. 1945 g.

52. Aviation technicians of the 213rd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment on the street of the Austrian town of Stockerau. 1945 g.