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The hard way to Tallinn. Liberation of the baltics 22 september 1944 tallinn

16.07.2020

A series of offensive operations by Soviet troops in the summer and autumn of 1944, during which Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia were liberated from the German occupiers.

Il-2M3 attack aircraft from the 2nd Squadron of the 566th Assault Aviation Regiment at the airfield.

Female aircraft 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 \u200b\u200bthe Tallinn trade port.

Soviet signalmen 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 self-propelled gun SU-152 is wading the river.

The commander of the Panzer-Grenadier Division "Great Germany" Lieutenant General of the Wehrmacht Hasso von Manteuffel on the Sd.Kfz armored personnel carrier. 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.

SS soldiers in a trench near Narva.

SS soldiers roll out a 75 mm 7,5 cm PaK 97/38 anti-tank gun into position in Lithuania.

Loading of 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 party goes to the Muhu (Moon) island in the Moonsund archipelago. End of September 1944.

Grenadiers of the SS "Narva" battalion wearing 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.

A 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, Guard Senior Lieutenant Pyotr Maksimovich Odnobokov (in the foreground fifth from the right), surrounded by colleagues at the Il-2 aircraft. In the rear cockpit near 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 Poyuschev”. It is inscribed in memory of Odnobokov's friend - the commander of the 2nd squadron of the guard, Captain Alexei Poyuschev, who died on September 22, 1944, the 2nd Baltic Front.

Pilots of the 1st Squadron of the 118th Guards Attack Aviation Regiment at the airfield near the Il-2 aircraft.

The commander of the 297th regiment of the 184th rifle division, Major Georgy Gubkin.

The funeral of the Soviet front-line poet.

A German soldier killed by a Steyr PCO tracked tractor. The area of \u200b\u200bthe Dubisa 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.

Servicemen of the 20th Estonian SS Division Obersturmbannführer Alfons Rebane, Unterscharführer Harald Nugisex and Obersturmbannführer Harald Riipalu in the forest.

Guards machine-gunner, private Yefim Kostin, awarded the Order of the Red Star. Leningrad front.

Column of Soviet 152-mm howitzers ML-20 in liberated Tallinn at the intersection of Kaarli boulevard and Pärnu highway.

Soviet scouts Lieutenant Zanosienko during the assault on Narva.

Calculation of the MG-34 machine gun from the Waffen SS at positions in the Narva area.

Lieutenant General V.T. Obukhov gives the 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 (Ezel) in the Moonsund archipelago in October 1944 at the Virtsu-Kuivastu ferry crossing.

Parade of Soviet troops on the streets of Riga.

A Soviet soldier helps his comrade, wounded in battle, walk.

Commander of the 2nd Baltic Front A.I. Eremenko with officers at the front command post.

A group of staff officers of the 143rd separate tank brigade at the T-34-85 tank.

Servicemen of the 249th "Estonian" division next to a damaged German self-propelled gun based on the Soviet T-26 tank.

A soldier of the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps met his wife on the streets of liberated Tallinn.

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 battles near the city of Daugavpils.

Repair of the German tank Pz.Kpfw VI "Tiger" in the Kurland forest. End of 1944.

Soviet artillerymen climb Mount Toompea in Tallinn. The photo shows the ZiS-5 trucks and the 76-mm ZiS-3 divisional gun.

72 years ago, on September 22, 1944, the Red Army 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 72 years since the liberation of the capital of Estonia from the Nazi invaders. Commemorative events on this day are traditionally held in Tallinn at the Military Cemetery, where the "Bronze Soldier" - a monument to the Soldiers-Liberators - is installed. To honor the memory of the heroes who fell for ridding the world of the brown plague, veterans of the Great Patriotic War, representatives of the Russian Embassy in Estonia, organizations of Russian compatriots, ordinary citizens.

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 the support from the sea by the 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 first to break into the streets of the capital of Soviet Estonia was the advance detachment of the 8th Rifle Corps under the command of Colonel Vasily Vyrk. Almost simultaneously with them, the advance detachments of Major General Yastrebov's 117th Rifle Corps and 152nd tank brigade Colonel A. Kovalevsky. The city was liberated. On September 22, 1944, Lieutenant Johannes Lumiste raised a red flag on the Long Hermann tower.

In honor of the soldiers and officers of the Red Army who died in the battles for Tallinn, on September 22, 1947, a memorial complex was erected in the center of the capital of Estonia, the central part of which was a bronze sculpture of a Red Army soldier grieving for his comrades in arms 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 using heavy construction equipment.

We add that official Tallinn considers September 22, 1944 as the day of the beginning of the "Soviet occupation". In the Estonian calendar of memorable dates, this day is referred to as the Day of the beginning of the resistance. According to Estonian historians, when the German troops were leaving Tallinn, and the Red Army units had not yet entered it, the Estonian tricolor fluttered on the Long German tower.

Soviet soldiers privates 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. In the background is the Orthodox Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky.

It is also argued that at that time Estonia already had an executive branch - the government of Otto Tief. The same Tiif who, during the Nazi occupation of the country, appealed 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:

From the beginning of August 1944, the Headquarters of the Supreme Command began to prepare for the Baltic offensive operation, which in its scale was only slightly inferior to the Belarusian operation. The Leningrad and three Baltic fronts were tasked with completely crushing Army Group North and freeing all three Baltic republics from German troops. As part of the general offensive, the troops of the Leningrad Front were to destroy the Narva task force and liberate the capital of the Estonian SSR, Tallinn.

“For more than three years Soviet Estonia has been subjected to the torments and horrors of the German occupation. The very existence of Estonian statehood was erased by the Germans. Even the name of Estonia does not exist in the German lexicon: the nameless, robbed, insulted in its national feeling, Estonia for the Germans was only a district in the so-called "Ostland". All the activities of the German temporary workers here was reduced to a general plunder of the country and the continuous siphoning of its small resources. Everything that was in the country, everything that was provided by the agriculture of Estonia, was wholly taken to Germany. Even according to our own German "statistical" data, exports from Estonia to Germany exceeded imports by 26 times! In addition, violent "mobilization of labor" - the deportation of Estonians into German slavery, was continuously carried out. The Germans grabbed everyone - women, teenagers, even disabled people. Tallinn's industrial enterprises were pocketed by German "joint stock companies" based in Berlin. The life of the country, the life of the Estonian people under the rule of the occupiers has turned into continuous torture "

The final plan for the Tallinn offensive was formed after August 23, during the Tartu operationconducted by the 3rd Baltic Front, a bridgehead was captured on the western shore of Lake Peipsi near the city of Tartu (Yuryev-Derpt).

The fortifications of this city covered the way to the central regions of Estonia. The battles for Tartu were particularly fierce. On the eve of our offensive, the Hitlerite command brought up new divisions here to stop the advance of the Soviet troops. During only one day, in the sector of one of our formations, German troops launched more than ten counterattacks, but all of them were repulsed with heavy losses for the enemy.

Shock groups of one of the Soviet divisions found a weak spot in the enemy's defense and wedged themselves into it. The main forces of the division rushed into the resulting breakthrough and with a decisive throw cut off the railway and the Tartu-Valga highway, cutting off the northern grouping of the enemy from the southern.

Our troops attacked Tartu on a wide front from several directions at once. To inflict a flank attack, the Soviet command undertook an amphibious operation across the strait connecting the Peipsi and Pskov lakes, as a result of which our troops reached the closest approaches to Tartu.

The enemy created a particularly strong defense north of Tartu, from the side of Narva. Our soldiers had to overcome forests, lakes, rivers, and swampy lowlands. Having broken through along the river that crossed Tartu, into the southern and south-western outskirts of the city, Soviet troops engaged in battles, and soon the second largest city in Estonia was liberated.

By the beginning of September, both armies of the Leningrad Front were concentrated on the Narva Isthmus. On the other side of the Tannenberg line were the main forces of the Narva task force, which was covering Tallinn. Realizing that it would be extremely difficult to break through this well-fortified line with a frontal attack, September 4 front commander Govorov ordered the covert transfer of the 2nd Shock Army to the Tartu region... It was from this sector of the front that it was decided to launch the offensive, striking in the rear of the Narva group.

The maneuver was rather risky. The army was supposed to be transferred to a distance of almost 300 kilometers, after which it was to be transported across Lake Teploe by a special brigade of river ships. More than 100 thousand people and several thousand units of military equipment were supposed to secretly make this maneuver, and the entire redeployment was allotted only ten days. In the event of a weakening of the grouping of our troops on the Narva Isthmus, the Germans could counterattack the 8th Army, which remained alone.

Despite the complexity of the task, the transfer of troops was largely hidden from German intelligence, whose data on maneuvers along Lake Peipsi did not allow the German headquarters to unravel the plan of the Soviet military leadership. This circumstance largely determined the further course of events.

On September 14, 1944, the troops of the 2nd Shock Army completed their concentration in the Tartu region. The start of the attack on Tallinn was scheduled for 17 September. The troops of the Leningrad Front were supposed to start operating three days later than the rest of the frontswhen all the attention of the German command will be focused on the Riga direction, where the main blow was delivered.

On September 17, at 7:30 am, the Tallinn operation began with artillery preparation, after which the troops of the 2nd Shock Army under the command of Lieutenant General II Fedyuninsky went on the offensive. The Emajõgi River was forced on the move. Already on the first day of the fighting, the German defense was broken through, and the depth of the breakthrough reached 20 kilometers. It became obvious that the Germans did not expect a blow of such power in this sector..

The army began to rapidly advance into the rear of the Narva enemy grouping in the direction of Rakvere. Realizing the situation, the German command began a hasty withdrawal of troops from the Tannenberg line.... When the German withdrawal was discovered, the 8th Army of the Leningrad Front also went on the offensive, pursuing the retreating enemy in the same direction.

On September 20, that is, on the second day after the start of the offensive, the 8th Army under the command of Starikov, having overcome almost 70 kilometers, liberated Rakvere, where it united with the 2nd Shock Army. This completed the first stage of the Tallinn operation.

After the liberation of Rakvere, Starikov's army was transferred to the 8th Estonian Corps, which was to liberate Tallinn as part of the 8th Army.

Having received reinforcement, on the morning of September 22, 1944, Starikov's troops reached the capital of the Estonian SSR, making a throw of almost 80 kilometers in two days. By midday the city was completely liberated. In the evening of the same day, in honor of the liberation of Tallinn, a festive fireworks were given in Moscow.

The Tartu offensive operation for the liberation of the Estonian SSR began on August 10 and lasted until September 6, 1944. The troops of the 3rd Baltic Front broke through the Marienburg, declared by the Germans as insuperable defensive line of the 18th German army, and liberated the cities: Petseri (Pechory) - August 13, Vyru - August 13, Antsla - August 14 and Tartu - August 25. The operation ended on September 6. Part of the divisions crossed the river. Emajõgi and seized a bridgehead on its northern shore. On 26 August, troops that bypassed Tartu from the west advanced 15 kilometers north of the city.

On August 27 and 29, the General Headquarters assigned the Leningrad Front the task of crushing the Nazi group of troops "Narva" in Estonia. The transition of troops to the offensive was scheduled for September 17.

In early September 1944, the fascist task force "Narva" took up defenses west of Narva and in the south along the Emajõgi River. It consisted of six infantry divisions (11, 200, 87, 207, 205, 300), an SS tank grenadier division "Norland", three motorized SS brigades: "Nederland", "Langemark", "Wollonia". On September 8, the 563rd Infantry Division was delivered from Germany near Tartu.

In accordance with the general plan of the Supreme High Command, General Govorov decided in the second half of September 1944 to carry out 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 envisaged to strike by the forces of the 2nd Shock Army from the Tartu area in the direction of Rakvere, go to 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 the turn of the main forces of the front to the west and the capture of Tallinn.

On August 30, 1944, General Pern was summoned to report to the front commander. Govorov told the commander of the Estonian corps that in the coming days the corps would be redeployed to the first region 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 front reserve, the corps, said Govorov, will be transferred to the 2nd Shock Army, the commander of which is Lieutenant General I.I. Fedyuninsky and will 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 strike in the rear of the main forces of the German operational group "Narva" in South Estonia and destroy them. After that, it was planned to turn the front to the west, capture Tallinn and reach the Baltic.

According to the plan of the regrouping of troops that began on September 4, the corps, along with other army formations, was redeployed from the Narva sector to the area east of Tartu, to the border of the Emajõgi River. Starting redeployment from near Narva to Krootuse - Lammijarve - Mehikorma on the night of September 8, the corps' formations by dawn on September 14 fully concentrated in the designated area: Kheizri manor, Vana manor - Piigaste - Veski. The corps headquarters, together with units of the 7th division, was located in the Võnu area. Noteworthy is the fact that the regrouping took place in very difficult conditions. The troops of the 2nd Shock Army with the means of reinforcement had to covertly cover a distance of 300 kilometers in 10 days with only one railway. All of this applied equally 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 Kingisepp station to Gdova. Further, the 8th Estonian and 30th Guards Corps followed to their destination in marching order. The corps had to make a difficult march: it passed with artillery, motorized units and a horse train over 200 km at night in six days on dirt roads washed out by heavy rains. The 25th separate brigade of river boats and the 5th heavy pontoon bridge regiment transported them through the strait between the Peipsi and Pskov lakes.

The Tallinn operation of the Leningrad Front developed dramatically.

By September 6, the military reconnaissance of Army Group North had uncovered the beginning of the transfer of troops of the 2nd Shock Army from positions near Narva to the Emajõgi River to the south, to the Tartu direction. Intelligence reported accurately, but the German headquarters did not take these messages into account, not admitting 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 as 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 sector was 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 17 to 26 September 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, previously lived in the territory of the Estonian SSR.

In preparation for the offensive, units and formations received replenishment. The divisions of the 8th Estonian Corps now numbered up to 9 thousand people.

The warriors, upon entering their native land, were seized with jubilation. Rallies took place in the units, the soldiers vowed to give all their strength, knowledge and combat skills for the speedy expulsion of the enemy. Trucks, cannons - 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 corps of the army, announced at his command post in a grove south of Tartu a decision to advance the Tallinn offensive operation.

The idea of \u200b\u200bthe operation was to meet the formations of the 8th and 2nd shock armies during the offensive on the Rakvere-Tapa line.

The Estonian corps was tasked with breaking through the enemy's defenses on the northern bank of the Emajõgi River, in the sector of Kastre manor, Luunja manor together with the 30th Guards Corps (commanded by Lieutenant General N.P.Simonyak) and attacking on the right flank of the army. The idea of \u200b\u200bthe operation, Govorov, who was present here, emphasized, was to defeat the enemy's Narva group. It took only three days to prepare for the offensive.

In turn, on September 11, the corps commander at his command post in Vynu announced to the headquarters and commanders the idea of \u200b\u200bhis decision to attack. It boiled down to the fact that the enemy's defensive front broke through on the left wing of the corps' offensive zone, in the Kavastu-Sage sector by the forces of the 7th division. The 249th division entered the battle from behind the left flank of the 7th division from the Taavetilauri-Taabbri line. By the end of the first day, the main forces of both divisions were to reach the Nina-Vyalgi line. To misinform the enemy, false preparations for an offensive were demonstrated on the extreme right flank, in the area of \u200b\u200bswamps, along the shore of the lake. The enemy "pecked" and moved part of the reserves there.

On the evening of September 15, the front commander, Govorov, visited the corps command post and checked the preparations for the offensive.

On September 16, the headquarters of the 2nd Shock Army received a directive to launch a decisive offensive on tomorrow, September 17.

On the night of September 17, rallies were held in the corps, at which the secretary of the Central Committee of the CP (b) E.N. Karotamm and members of the government of the republic. At the rallies, it was emphasized that a quick offensive would help save Estonia's cities and villages from destruction and prevent the deportation of the population to Germany.

A strike by the troops of the Leningrad Front from the Tartu region to the north brought the 2nd shock army to the rear of the Nazi army group "Narva" and cut it off. The subsequent offensive of the Leningrad Front in Estonia was facilitated by the fact that three Baltic fronts south of it simultaneously broke through the German defenses in six places.

The offensive 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 at different times in several sectors. Thus, the enemy had to disperse his forces in attempts to conduct a defense. In addition, the previously captured bridgehead on the river was not used for the main attack. Emajõgi north of Tartu, from where the Germans were just waiting for him. The army launched an offensive from a position east of Tartu, crossing the Emajõgi again. Here the 8th Estonian Corps and the 30th Guards Rifle Corps attacked together.

On September 17, 1944, the German defenses north of Tartu were broken through by the strongest 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 had fiercely resisted, 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 Polenov B.C.), advancing along the western coast of Lake Peipsi.

His task was: to cross the Suur-Emajõgi rivers in the Kastre-Kokutai sector with one division, to destroy the enemy forces defending on the northern bank of the river. Then, having entered into battle a division of the second echelon, to capture the line Kazepya - Koozy - Alaiye. Subsequently, develop the offensive in the direction of Kallaste-Järvemayza, reach the Omedu-Kyuti-Odivere line.

The Germans attached great importance to the strong defensive line on the Emajõgi, as it covered the way to the central part of Estonia. Reinforcements were constantly brought here.

The 7th Division I-13 September 1944 took up its initial positions for the offensive on the southern bank of the river. Emajõgi in the section Kastre - Kokutaya, 249th concentrated in the Viira - Terikste - Sootaga - Alli area.

Together with the 7th division of Emajõgi, the 63rd (commanded by Major General A.F.Scheglov) and 45th (commanded by Major General S.M. Putilov) of the Guards Rifle Divisions crossed the Kavastu-Lynja sector.

On September 17, at 0730 hours, the artillery of the Estonian Corps opened fire. The artillery preparation lasted 40 minutes. At the same time, the air forces attacked the enemy's trenches and bunkers on the left bank of the Emajõgi with the forces of the assault aviation division. This carefully prepared fire attack proved to be very effective.

The Soviet command in this direction created a large artillery density - 220-230 guns and mortars per 1 km of the front. The enemy's artillery fire weakened, and then almost completely stopped.

At 8:20 on September 17, the 27th (commander - Colonel Nikolay Trankman) and 354th (commander - Colonel Vasily Vyrk) rifle regiments of the 7th division of General K.A. Allikas began to cross the river. Emajõgi on the site of Kavastu manor, Saage. Boats, rafts and pontoons for the storming officers were launched during artillery preparation.

The first in the 7th division to cross the river was a platoon of Lieutenant X. Haaviste from the 1st company of the 27th regiment. The soldiers rushed into the enemy trench on the move. When the company commander was out of action, Senior Lieutenant Peter Larin took over the command of the fighters. 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 bank of the Emajõgi, immediately joining the battle. Sweeping away the resisting enemy units (units of the 94th guard regiment, the 1st SS border regiment, the 207th guard division of the Tartu Omakaitse battalion), they began to successfully develop the offensive supported by tanks, breaking through the first enemy position by 10 am. By 11.00, the main zone of the enemy defense was overcome. By noon, the counterattack of the Nazis in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Saya, Kolga and Yatasoo farms was repulsed by the 300th regiment of Lieutenant Colonel Ilmar Paul brought into battle from the second echelon. The regiments rushed north. Pern at about twelve o'clock in the afternoon with the task force crossed to the other side and, following in the battle formations of the advancing regiments, controlled the course of hostilities.

The Nazis also hurriedly retreated in a northern direction. Many, stunned by the artillery preparation and the air attack, surrendered. These minutes decided the success of the offensive that had begun. The divisions of the Estonian Corps, equipped with the latest military equipment, with their warriors who had experienced a lot and who knew the price of victories, who saw their homeland in front of them, marched from the Emajõgi coast in a decisive mighty breakthrough. The enemy made an attempt to stay in the first line of trenches, then in the second. Without giving him time to recover, 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 recovered German command began to intensify. It intended, by reinforcing the defense with the added reserves, to stop the Estonian regiments at the border of the Omedu and Käepa rivers. Nevertheless, during the day, the 7th division covered a total of 30 km and liberated the village and the road junction of Alatskivi in \u200b\u200ba night battle.

The 249th division began to force the Emajõgi at 10:45 on September 17 in another sector and by noon the crossing was completed.

The 249th Division was brought into action in the afternoon to build up efforts and speed up the advance. She operated west of Taavetilauri in the direction of Selguze - Kotri.

During the crossing of the 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 J.Ya. was injured. Colonel August Feldman, deputy division commander, took over command of the division.

By 18 o'clock she reached Taavetilauri - Andressaare region. Then her regiments began pursuing the enemy in the direction of Selguze - Väljaotsa (921st regiment) and Alaiõe - Välgi (923rd regiment).

Moving swiftly through the wooded area and not encountering strong resistance, by midnight the division reached Selguze. At 5 o'clock in the morning, she established herself at the Väliaotsa - Välga line.

At the end of the day on September 17, the corps commander ordered Feldman to bring into operation his 921st and 925th and rifle regiments, giving them seven artillery regiments. Thus, the plan of the Hitlerite command to urgently organize defense at intermediate lines was thwarted.

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 Nina - Alatskivi - Savastvere - Nyva - Vesküla - Kogri - Alaiõe - Välgi line. The corps headquarters moved to Taavetilauri.

The 8th corps that day achieved the greatest success in the army, advancing along the western shore of Lake Peipsi with the active support of the 25th separate brigade of river boats.

During the first day, the corps fought to advance 20-25 km. It was a great success.

Further, the enemy had no prepared defensive positions, and he could only resist on natural lines. On the second day, the advance of the Estonian Corps and other troops of the 2nd Shock Army to the north proceeded at an even faster pace.

The corps fully provided 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 off intermediate lines, expanded the breakthrough front.

Having received information from the corps scouts that the enemy was hastily preparing defense in the Rana, Nõmme areas, and then on the Omedu and Käepa rivers, where the strongholds of Omedu, Ruskavere and Roeda were most strongly prepared, General Pern decided to drive out the Nazis from these positions how they can firmly gain a foothold there. The divisions were ordered to go to the Omedu and Käepa rivers during September 18, force them, and break through the defenses on the opposite bank. Fulfilling the order, units of the 7th division advanced especially quickly along the shore of Lake Peipsi on Mustvee. By noon, the 354th had liberated Kallaste.

On the afternoon of September 18, units of both Estonian divisions fought their way to the shores of Omedu and Kääpa. Here they met hastily organized resistance. The regiments of the 7th division went into battle, immediately 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 Saare. Then they, together with the mobile group of Colonel A.N. Kovalevsky reached the Odivere - Roela section. Omeda and Kääpa were forced into the afternoon. This breakthrough forced the 2nd German Army Corps to leave their positions at night.

The corps led the attack all day on 18 September. Enemy attempts to counterattack on the line Ranna - Veskimetsa - Halliku - Vanamõisa - Koze - Kyuti - r. Käepa - Tolyaze were broken. By the end of the day, the enemy was driven back to the Kyuti - Veye - Vaskvere - Rael line.

By the evening of September 18, the 249th division advanced ten kilometers and captured a large stronghold of Ninamõisa. During the first two days of the offensive, the corps fought for more than 50 kilometers. At the same time, the offensive zone in the depths was expanding more and more.

On September 18, in the order of the commander of the 2nd Shock Army on the next day, it was said, in particular: “... the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps - to continue pursuing the enemy and by the end of September 19 the main forces of the corps to reach the line: Mustvee - Vytikvere - Lilastvere - Altveski ... "

Having concluded that the situation of the troops of the Narva Task Force was hopeless, the Hitlerite High Command on September 16 ordered their withdrawal from Estonia, beginning on September 19. They were ordered to retreat to ports for evacuation by sea. The subsequent breakthrough of the Emajõgi positions by the 2nd Shock Army on September 17 forced the Narva to withdraw a day earlier - on the night of September 19.

Part of the German troops went along the northern route Rakvere - Pärnu - Riga. The other is 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 Narva grouping of Germans from the retreat route to Riga. The 8th Army was also ordered to strike at Avinurma and link up with the 2nd Shock Army there.

The 3rd SS Panzer Corps moved towards Riga via Rakvere and Pernu in motor vehicles.

To pursue the retreating enemy in both 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 by the 8th Army after the battle.

The 8th Army began frontal pursuit of the retreating German troops in the morning of September 19. The 2nd Shock Army took measures to cut off the main withdrawal 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 these offensive battles with courage and heroism. The wounded remained in the ranks, doing their duty to the end. One of the sappers walking in front of his unit, Rudolf Oyalo, neutralizing mines in the premises of the former German commandant's office, accidentally discovered a booklet with the "Top Secret" stamp on the cover. It was the "List of Persons Subject to Search and Arrest." The sapper, opening the little book, found his name in it. The Germans wanted to kill him, a slate distillery worker, as they had already killed thousands of other Estonian patriots.

On September 19, parts of the corps entered the Odivere - Kyarba - Devala area. On the same day, the commander assigned the 8th corps the task: by the end of the day to reach the Mustvee - Lilastvere - Altveski line, create a mobile forward detachment.

The corps commander ordered the division commanders to capture the Mustvee - Torma line by the end of September 19. According to enemy air reconnaissance, he hastily erected fortifications and concentrated reserves there.

At half past one on September 19, near the village of Kazepää, the soldiers secretly crossed the Omeda River and fought in the dark. The village was liberated by morning without unnecessary losses. But near the village of Raya, the 354th regiment met strong resistance and stopped its advance on the approaches to Mustvee. After an hour's 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 on the Rakvere-Põltsamaa line.

The 300th regiment, pursuing the Nazis in the direction of Pala - Assikvere - Ruskavere, liberated Vytikvere. By the evening of September 19, he went to the northern bank of the Kääpa River, knocked out the Nazis from the village of Kyuti by attack and occupied Ruskavere. The capture of Kazepää and Ruskavere broke the German defenses in the lower reaches of the Omedu and Kääpa 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 pursuit:

“When retreating, or rather, fleeing, the Germans left local Omakaitse members (2–3 people) in high places. But they never dared to fire at us, and surrendered to our scouts. The chief of staff of the regiment, Major Jaan Ristisoo, having talked 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 Somel region.

In the area of \u200b\u200bTorm by noon, a fierce battle ensued. The 921st regiment together with the 307th anti-tank artillery battalion took three tanks as trophies. By the end of the day, the 921st regiment captured the Kiveriku - Konvusaare line.

As a result, the road from Mustvee to Torma was completely in the hands of the 8th corps. The 7th Division was entrenched on the Ninazi-Laekannu line. The 249th division, continuing the pursuit of the Nazis, approached Avinurma and stopped at the Kyveriku - Avijõgi - Aosilla line.

During the Riga offensive operation on September 19, the cities of Valga and Tõrva were liberated in southern Estonia. Twelve formations and units of the 1st Shock Army were named Valginsky.

By the evening of September 19, units of the corps fought on the line Ninazi - Kırvemetsa - Lilastvere. In their hands were more than twenty kilometers of the Mustvee - Jõgeva highway. 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 the escape routes of the enemy forces retreating from Narva.

On September 19, having received air reconnaissance data at noon on the movement of enemy columns (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 strike the 7th division in the flank, the commander of the Estonian corps L. Pern decided to defeat these columns in an oncoming battle, east of Avinurme, to forestall the enemy, to block the highway leading through Avinurme to the west.

The right-flank 7th division did not have time to reach the area. The reserve 917th regiment was on the left flank, and it could not be sent to Avinurma, since it would have to cross the paths of two regiments of the first echelon of his 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 advance detachment under the command of Colonel Nikolai Trankman, the 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:

“If you are late with the exit to the west, the enemy will organize a strong defense on the approaches to Tallinn and you will have to break through it again to reach the coast. If you select insufficient forces to destroy the enemy approaching from the east, the advance to the west may be delayed. "

The battle of the vanguard of the corps with the Nazis somewhere in the Avinurme area on the morning of September 20 was supposed to end this problem.

The detachment of Colonel N. Trankman was tasked with going north, capturing Avinurme - an important road junction and railway station, and cutting off the Nazis' escape routes to the west. Having received this order, the detachment, late at night, decisively rushed forward, passed the front line. 20 km ahead of the advancing corps, he went to Avinurma, captured it on the move and took up a perimeter defense.

From Narva, Nazi troops retreated along the roads, united under the command of General R. Höfer (which were part of the 3rd SS Panzer Corps of the 300th Special Infantry Division, 20th SS Infantry Division, 285th Security Division). 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 had advanced another 30-50 km and on September 19-20, forward detachments reached the Kiveriku - Laekannu - Tulliimurru - Veija line.

On the night of September 20, intelligence reported to the headquarters of the corps about the approach of German troops retreating from Narva with forces no less than a division.

As a result of a successful offensive within three days, the Estonian Corps passed the entire western coast of Lake Peipsi, leaving it behind. Now its right flank was becoming open, and the retreating troops of the southern wing of the Narva grouping came out onto it.

The 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 Rakvere - Tallinn direction. Its command clearly sought to be the first to break into the capital of Estonia. The command of the Estonian Corps, which had been aiming for an active role in the liberation of both the republic and its capital for several years, realized that the corps was still far enough from Tallinn. And now another serious complication of the situation arises: it is necessary to engage in the destruction of the fascist troops retreating from 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 corps commander was concerned about the intelligence report 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 engaged in a battle in the Avinurme area with an enemy column retreating from Narva. At about five o'clock in the morning from the direction of Tudulinna, an even larger column of German troops began to approach.

After three repulsed attacks, the detachment was surrounded and its position became critical. The corps commander put forward an artillery division and a Katyusha regiment to help him. Having inflicted a fire strike, the tanks and self-propelled guns of the detachment with a landing of riflemen on their armor went over to a counterattack. The enemy column over five kilometers in length was completely defeated, and large trophies were captured.

In the battle at Avinurme, the 113th Security Regiment, the 45th Regiment of the 20th SS Infantry Division (Estonian) and the combat group of the 300th Infantry Division retreating from Narva, the 46th Regiment of the 20th SS Division were completely defeated. and the 2nd border regiment managed to escape by forest roads. But in the following days they were also destroyed by the corps soldiers.

During September 20, in other sectors, units of the corps were counterattacked - in the Topastiku, Kyveriku, Veskivalja, Kubia areas, 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 Oskar Andreev liberated the village of Tudulinna at 16:00. The main forces of the regiment entered Avinurme in the evening. The plans of the German command to create a continuous line of defense on the Kunda - Rakvere - r. The pedias were ripped off.

By the end of the day on September 20, east of Avinurme, the troops of the 109th corps of the 8th Army had linked up with the 27th regiment of the 7th division of the 8th Estonian corps. That is how the united front of the two armies of the Leningrad Front closed. They began to pursue the enemy in the western and southwestern directions. On September 20, the first stage of the Tallinn offensive operation ended with the capture of Rakvere. In four days of fighting, the 2nd Shock Army expanded the breakthrough front to 100 km, joined forces with the 8th Army and formed a common offensive front with them.

By the end of September 20, the corps reached the line Lohusuu - Avinurme - Muuga - Naovere - Saare - Avanduze - Rahula.

On the evening of September 20, the order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief No. 190 was transmitted by radio with gratitude to the troops of the Leningrad Front for successfully breaking through 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 the first to be named.

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 deployed its front lines to the west and began pursuing the retreating Nazis. In the area of \u200b\u200bLake Porkuni - Tamsalu, on the march, a column of enemy troops of 1,500 men retreating from Narva was discovered - 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 corps units with the enemy during the operation. These were the remnants of the 20th SS Division, 209th Infantry Division and 292nd Border Battalion.

Having defeated the column of the Nazis, the units of the 249th division liberated Tamsala. By the end of the day, the main forces of the corps reached the Tapa-Tartu railway line.

On September 22, in this area, south of the town of Tapa, in the area of \u200b\u200bthe villages of Nõmmküla and Koigi, units of the 249th division took away weapons from 700 Estonians who had been mobilized into the German army.

Bernard Homik writes, having undergone fire from the forest near Porkuni, in which the commander of the 925th regiment battalion, Captain Rudolf Ernesas, was killed, by order of the regiment commander, the 779th regiment's battery turned around and opened fire in the forest. After that, groans and screams were heard; swore in Estonian. On his own initiative, the assistant chief of staff, Captain Oskar Vannas, went into the forest alone, telling others that he would lead "these fools" out of the forest. In the forest, the captain met the enemy officers; these were the remnants of the Estonian SS division, retreating from near Narva, in the number of more than 1,100 people. Vannas told them that if they didn't come out on their own, it would be bad. There are also Estonian troops on the road and are so powerful 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 shed, and the battalion paramedics provided first aid to them.

In the situation of those days, mobile forward detachments made their way to Tallinn, which formed various formations of the army, including tank and artillery regiments, riflemen, sapper units and even units of guards mortars. Several such powerful detachments went 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.

On September 10, Pern, returning from a meeting at Fedyuninsky's, 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 of the army commander, he saw that

“The fat red arrow of our corps turns from Koze to the left, past Tallinn, and the arrows of the 8th Army units are directed at Tallinn. It's a shame! "

Pern at that moment, most likely, placed his hope on military happiness:

“Much depended on the outcome of the first days of the battles. If the corps manages to break the enemy's defenses on the right bank of the Emajõgi, quickly reach the operational space somewhere in the Avinurme region, then it will be possible to even outstrip the 8th Army formations. With such a turn of affairs, part of the corps forces could participate in the liberation of Tallinn. "

Arnold Meri in one of the post-war interviews suggested that "the participation of the Estonian Corps in the liberation of Tallinn was not at all supposed." He expressed the idea that the corps “together with the entire 8th Army” should have “turned left a hundred kilometers before Tallinn and went 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 "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 had foreseen what could be in 50 years, and knew that Tallinn should be liberated by the Estonians themselves. "

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 for the previous night. The 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 permanent contact 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 Vyrk detachment from the front-line aviators. When communication with the army headquarters was established, then late in the evening of September 21, Pern sent a corresponding report to the commander of army 8.

On September 21 at his command post, returning from the troops and awaiting a meeting with N. Karotamm, Pern announced to the commanders at headquarters: “I decided tonight to send the 354th regiment directly to Tallinn. Tomorrow morning we will join the 8th Army. It's a shame if we don't get to Tallinn! The commander of the 2nd Shock Army approves of this raid. "

By order of the corps commander, on September 21, in the Ambla area, a mobile forward detachment ("landing") was formed urgently by 18 o'clock. Colonel Vasily Ivanovich Vyrk (Werk) was appointed to command it. 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 Sergei Denisovich Chesnokov) and the 45th separate tank regiment "Soviet Estonia" (Lieutenant Colonel Eduard Yanovich Kuslapuu). The detachment was put on vehicles, and its commander received the order: "By morning, take possession of the capital of Soviet Estonia, Tallinn!" The task was: without getting involved in a battle, go straight through the front line, moving through Mäeri, Väike - Maarja, Ambla, Jagala, Lehtmetsa, Rooküla, Perila, Aruvalla, Lehmya, by the morning of September 22, the first of the advancing troops to reach Tallinn, free him, plant the flag of the Soviet Union on the tower "Long German".

During the Tallinn operation, the front's mobile forward detachments played a particularly important role. Their rapid advance in battle violated the enemy's plans of action, saved thousands of lives, provided real assistance to the Estonian anti-fascist patriots who had risen to fight the invaders, helped to prevent the destruction of villages, cities, industrial enterprises by the fleeing invaders, which had been prepared in advance and in detail by the German troops.

The command of the Estonian Corps expected that the Germans would destroy Tallinn as it retreated, blowing it up, as they did with Narva.

On the forest road near the Triigi manor, the attached armored units entered the column, and a short meeting took place. Commander Pern, addressing the soldiers waiting for the start of the movement, who were not informed about the purpose of the raid, said:

In response, "Hurray!" Nikolai Karotamm told the soldiers a few words 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 22:00 on September 21, informing the army commander about sending a mobile corps detachment to Tallinn, learned from the commander that he had sent other mobile detachments to Tallinn.

Estonian soldiers and commanders managed to quickly and unnoticed reach Tallinn. At the start of the movement, the regiment commander Olav Mullas gave the order: "The pilots turn back with asterisks, address the officers as" lord ", not" comrade ", disguise themselves as Germans." The camouflage was successful - not far from Tapa, at one intersection, the detachment column was directed by a German traffic controller.

When the detachment passed the Porkuni - Tamasalu sector, the battle, which was fought by the 249th division, had just ended there. In the Koigi forest, a group of Nazi soldiers tried to stop the advance of the detachment with cannon fire, but were scattered by the vanguard unit of the detachment. In the ensuing darkness, the detachment continued to move with the headlights off. The bridge over the Jagala River in Vetla was destroyed, and two hours had to be lost in search of the ford.

At the Peningi 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 Vaskjala region. The defending enemy forces (up to 200 soldiers with light weapons) were defeated, the bridge over Pirita was captured.

Having scattered small enemy groups that tried to impede its advance, units 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.

Units of the Estonian corps and the company of the 27th separate tank regiment were the first to break into Tallinn on 22 September.

A strong enemy infantry group with tanks defended 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 decisive actions of tank and rifle units. The corps headquarters received a radiogram from Colonel V. Vyrk: "We are fighting in Tallinn." It was transmitted in clear text. Then a radiogram: "We occupied the station." Followed by: "The Red Flag is flying on the Long Hermann." And finally: "The fighting has stopped, we are putting things in order."

Rushing through the streets of Tallinn on tanks, the airborne soldiers sang: “J ?? vabaks Eesti meri, j ?? vabaks Eesti pind ... "

The red banner of Victory on the ancient tower "Long Herman" of 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 soldiers of the 14th regiment of the 72nd Pavlovsk Red Banner Infantry Regiment, the Order of Suvorov of the 8th Army Division V. Voyurkov and N. Golovan strengthened the red flag on the building of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR.

The companies of the riflemen of the forward detachment of the corps were clearing Niine Street, Baltic Station, and 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 - all of Tallinn.

In the battles in Tallinn, Soviet troops destroyed more than 500 enemy soldiers and took more than a thousand prisoners.

From the afternoon of September 22nd, the corps units began to protect government buildings, enterprises, warehouses and were engaged in ensuring public order. The advance 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 task force. His, more powerful than that of Vyrk, a mechanized detachment from the 300th regiment, the Katyusha battalion, a company of tanks, and five artillery battalions. On Toompea, in front of the government building, a solemn act took place in the form of a usual 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, a "first category" salute thundered in Moscow in honor of the liberators of Tallinn: 24 artillery volleys from 324 guns. By order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief No. 191, the troops of the Leningrad Front, including the Estonian Corps, were grateful 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), 45th separate tank regiment (commander - Lieutenant Colonel Kuslapuu) Eduard Yanovich , 952nd Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment (commander - Lieutenant Colonel Sergei Denisovich Chesnokov).

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 8th Army.

After the capture of Tallinn, the troops of the 2nd Shock Army deployed a front to the west and southwest and continued the offensive. The main body of the Estonian Corps moved forward just as quickly. By the end of September 22, they reached the Yaneda - Jarva - Yaani line, and by September 23, having covered 25 km, they were already at the Habay - Ravila - Tuhala line. On the morning of September 24, a mobile detachment of the 7th division as part of a company of machine gunners, a platoon of tanks of the 307th separate anti-tank destroyer division, the 1st division of the 85th corps artillery regiment and a sapper platoon of the 925th rifle regiment with three tanks under the general command of the major Vladimir Miller, together with the mobile tank group of the 8th Army of Colonel A.N. Kovalevsky (152nd Tank Brigade, etc.) began to operate. By 17 o'clock on September 24, he liberated the Haapsalu harbor, by the end of the day - and Rohuküla. At all these points, several hundred thousand prisoners and large trophies were taken.

On September 25, the enemy stopped resistance almost everywhere. The corps advanced another 35 km and by the end of the day reached the line Palivere - Kullamaa - Myarjamaa - Nissi - Risti. On September 26, the vanguard of the 7th Division, under the command of Major Walter Hannul, completely captured the port of Virtsu and immediately began to prepare for landing operations on the Moonsund Islands. The main forces of the corps were concentrated in the coastal areas of Lihula, Kazari, Päri, Sila.

Thus, in ten days of September battles, by September 26, the Leningrad Front cleared the entire mainland of the Republic of Estonia from the invaders (with the exception of the islands of the Moonsund archipelago). The operation ended in ten days.

The enemy's losses amounted to 45,745 people killed and captured, tanks and self-propelled guns - 175, guns of various calibers - 593, aircraft - 35, etc.

In the 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. He killed more than 10 thousand fascist soldiers and officers.

During the period of operations for the liberation of the mainland of the Estonian SSR from September 17 to September 27, 1944, 3311 fascist soldiers and officers were taken prisoner by corps units and subdivisions, as well as large trophies.

On average, the corps covered up to 60 km per day. In the form of trophies in the hands of the corps were up to 200 guns and mortars, over 1000 machine guns and assault rifles, hundreds of cars with ammunition and shells. For the successful completion of combat missions, corps units were twice commended by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief - for breaking through the enemy's defenses at the Emajõgi River line and for the liberation of Tallinn. For excellent fighting about 20 thousand soldiers and officers of the corps received military awards.

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