| Abstract [eng] |
In 1939 installation works of coastal artillery batteries started in Klaipėda and Liepoja. In case of Klaipėda the works, performed by the German Fleet, were finished the same year, while in Liepoja, the works performed by soldiers of the Soviet Fleet were delayed almost until the beginning of the Soviet–German War. In Klaipėda, apart from coastal artillery batteries, a lot of attention was also paid to anti-aircraft artillery batteries. However during the primary stage of the WW2 no significance was attached to continental defence in this city. Two coastal artillery batteries were built in Liepoja, while anti-aircraft defence functions were carried out by mobile and unfortified anti-aircraft artillery batteries. Differently from Klaipėda, continental defence of Liepoja city was taken into consideration by building the 41st fortified district in 1941. Although the implementation of this plan had started before the beginning of the Soviet–German War, it remained in its initial stage. After occupation of Liepoja by German forces coastal artillery batteries, which had been built during the Soviet period, started to be applied. In the second half of 1944, while both Klaipėda and Liepoja were ports of Germany and the course of war was changing to Germany’s disadvantage, it became clear that the two ports were to be defended not from the sea but from the continental side. Defensive systems consisting of separate defense lines were constructed around the two cities during this period. In the second half of 1944 setting up of defensive lines of Klaipėda and Liepoja by German Army was not limited by common entrenchments. To additionally compensate the lack of manpower and mobile units, which was then prevailing in the German Army, the defensive lines were reinforced with elements of permanent fortification. In the vicinity of Klaipėda this function was fulfilled by so-called Koch’s bunkers and in Liepoja – by Tobruk bunkers. Reinforcement of defensive lines with permanent fortification elements had to provide defending German Army forces with a possibility of stopping the attacking forces of the Red Army while at the same time undergoing minimal losses. Field fortification systems fortified with permanent fortification elements were being arranged taking advantage of geographical features, such as rivers, depressions and elevated areas. Three defensive lines around Klaipėda were named “East Prussian defensive positions\" by the German military command and the Red Army called them “Border engineered fortification field”. A field fortification system, analogous to that of Klaipėda, was constructed in Liepoja. Here, the defensive lines were fortified with elements of permanent fortification, namely Tobruk bunkers. To form a defensive line here the fortress moat and several buildings in the eastern part of the city, that used to belong to the Alexander III fortress used at the end of the 19th c.–beginning of the 20th c., were used. On the 5th of October in 1944, when the Red Army advanced towards the Baltic Sea, German forces faced a powerful onset. The German forces were not able to resist the Read Army’s onslaught. Strong reverse artillery support was missing to hold their positions. Due to these reasons the German forces had to abandon their positions and retreat. Yet, even after retreating to other positions further to the West, the situation remained the same. The German Army dis not have enough power to effectively hold their defensive lines and even if they succeded in defending one area the Red Army forces had already broken through another one. The German forces kept retreating in order to avoid encirclement and defeat. Under such circumstances German defence lines could not play any significant role. Eventually four out of five defence lines from Šiauliai to Klaipėda were broken by the Red Army without receiving any major losses. During the assault of Liepoja in 23–27th of June, 1941, the Red Army concentrated their forces in front of the old city fortifications and this way an improvised defensive line was formed. Meanwhile the fire of coastal artillery batteries, which had to be aimed to any potential targets at sea, was turned round to the continent side and it turned out to be one of the main reasons why the 291st division of the German Army did not succeed in taking Liepoja. The coastal artillery batteries played an important role in defending the city. When on the 9–10th of October, 1944, the Red Army finally stepped over the last but one German defence lines opposite the Minija River, the tank armies of the 43rd and 5th guards got into the engagement area of German Navy anti-aircraft batteries. In the last defence line German soldiers managed to concentrate and distribute their forces along the whole defence line around Klaipėda. These land forces were backed up by anti-aircraft and coastal batteries and navy artillery. The analysis of memories of both German and Red Army‘s soldiers and journals of the Red Army‘s military actions allows drawing conclusions that anti-aircraft the coastal batteries in Klaipėda played an important role in defending the city of Klaipėda. |
