Brest Fortress - the fortress hero. Brest Fortress

Introduction

In June 1941, much indicated that Germany launched preparation for war against the Soviet Union. German divisions pulled up to the border. The preparation of the war became known from the invocation reports. In particular, the Soviet intelligence officer Richard Zorge reported even the exact invasion day and the number of enemy divisions, which will be occupied in the operation. In these difficult conditions, the Soviet leadership sought not to give the slightest reason to start the war. It even allowed "archaeologists" from Germany to search for "the graves of soldiers who died during the First World War". Under this pretext, the German officers openly studied the terrain, outlined ways of the future invasion.

At dawn on June 22, one of the longest days a year, Germany began a war against the Soviet Union. At 3 hours and 30 minutes of the Red Army, the German troops were attacked by the German troops throughout the border. In the early prejudice hour on June 22, 1941, nightlife and doses of border guards, which guarded the western state border of the Soviet country, noticed a strange heavenly phenomenon. There, ahead, behind the border line, over the captured by the Nazis land of Poland, far, in the Western Territory a little brightening the pre-afternoon sky, among the already sweatful stars the shortest summer night Suddenly some new, unprecedented stars appeared. Unusually bright and multicolored, like fireworks - then red, then green, they did not stand motionless, but slowly and unsteadedly sailed here, east, laying their way among the overtaking night stars. They fell away the entire horizon as they saw the eye, and together with their appearance from there, from the West, came the rake of many engines.

On the morning of June 22, the Moscow radio passed the usual Sundays and peaceful music. Soviet citizens learned about the beginning of the war only at noon, when Vyacheslav Molotov spoke on the radio. He said: "Today, at 4 o'clock in the morning, without presenting any claims to the Soviet Union, without declaring the war, German troops attacked our country. Brest Fortress Capture German

Three powerful groups of German armies moved to the East. In the north, Field Marshal Leeb directed his troops through the Baltic States to Leningrad. In the south, Field Marshal Runstedt aimed his troops to Kiev. But the strongest grouping of the enemy's troops deployed its operations in the middle of this huge front, where, starting at the Brest border city, the wide tape of the asphalt highway goes to the east direction - through the capital of Belarus Minsk, through the ancient Russian city of Smolensk, through Vyazma and Mozhaisk to Heart of our Motherland - Moscow. For four days, German mobile connections, acting on narrow fronts, broke through to a depth of 250 km and reached Western Dvina.. Army corps were at 100 - 150 km behind the tanks.

The command of the North-West Front at the direction of the bet made an attempt to organize defense at the turn of the Western Dvina. From Riga to Liepaja was to defend the 8th Army. The 27th army put forward south, whose task was to cover the gap between the internal flanks of the 8th and 11th armies. The pace of the deployment of troops and the classes of defense at the turn of the Western Dvina was insufficient, which allowed the 56th motorized corpus of the enemy with the go to cross the northern bank of the Western Dvina, to master Daugavpils and create a bridgehead on the north bank of the river. The 8th Army, which has lost up to 50% of the personnel and up to 75% of the material part, began to move to the northeast and north, to Estonia.

Due to the fact that the 8th and 27th army retreated at the divergent directions, the path of moving junctions of the enemy on Pskov and the island turned out to be open. The Red Baltic Fleet was forced to leave Liepaja and Ventspils. After that, the defense of the Gulf of Riga Bay was based only on the islands of the Sarema and Hium, which were still held by our troops. As a result of combat operations from June 22 to July 9, the troops of the North-Western Front did not fulfill the tasks faced by them. They left the Baltic States, suffered heavy losses and allowed the enemy to move to 500 km.

Against the Western Front, the main forces of the Center for the Center "Center" occurred. Their closest goal was to bypass the main forces of the Western Front and the surroundings of them with the release of tank groups in the Minsk district. The offensive of the enemy on the right wing of the Western Front in the direction of Grodno was reflected. The most difficult situation was on the left wing, where the enemy struck the 2nd tank group to Brest, Baranavichi. With the beginning of the Brest shelling at dawn on June 22, the 6th and 42nd Rifle divisions were raised in the city of the 6th and 42nd Rifle divisions. At 7 o'clock the opponent broke into the city. Part of our troops moved away from the fortress. The balance of the garrison, which consisted in this time a total of the infantry regiment, organized the defenses of the citadel and decided to fight surrounded to the end. The heroic defense of Brest began, which lasted over a month and was an example of the legendary valor and courage of the Soviet patriots.

1. Defense of the Brest Fortress

The Brest Fortress is one of the 9 fortresses erected in the XIX century. To strengthen the western border of Russia. On April 26, 1842, the fortress came into the number of actors Russian Empire. All Soviet people were well known for the feat of the defenders of the Brest Fortress. As the official version was read - a few garrison for a whole month fought against the whole division of the Germans. But even from the book S.S. Sergeeva "Brest Fortress" can be found that "In the spring of 1941, parts of two small divisions were located on the territory of the Brest Fortress Soviet army. These were persistent, hardened, well-trained troops. One of these divisions is the 6th Orlovsk Red Banner - had a long and glorious combat story. Another - the 42nd Infantry Division - was created in 1940 during the Finnish campaign and had already managed to show himself well in the battles on the Mannerheim line. " That is, in the fortress there were still not several dozen infantrymen, armed with only rifles, as the impression was the impression of many Soviet people who watched art films about this defense. On the eve of the war in the camp, more than half of the divisions were derived from the Brest Fortress - 10 of the 18 rifle battalions, 3 of 4 artpolkov, one of two PTO and air defense divisions, dilutes, and some other units. In the morning, on June 22, 1941, in the fortress, in fact there was an incomplete division - without 1 rifle battalion, 3 spermines and a gobichic shelf. Plus the NKVD battalion and border guards. On average, the divisions were about 9.300 personnel, i.e. 63%. It can be assumed - in total in the fortress was on the morning of June 22, more than 8 thousand fighters and commanders, not counting the staff and patients of the hospital. The German 45th Infantry Division (from the former Austrian army), having combat experience of the Polish and French campaigns fought against the garrison. The staff number of the German division was supposed to be 15-17 thousand. So, the Germans probably had a numerical superiority in a living force, but not 10 times, as Smirnov claimed. It is hardly possible to talk about superiority in artillery. Yes, the Germans had two 600-mm self-propelled Mortira 040 (the so-called "carla"). Camcade of these guns - 8 shells. And the two-meter walls of the caasemates did not pierce the divisional artillery.

The Germans decided in advance that the fortress would have to take only infantry - without tanks. Their use of forests, swamps, river ducts and canals surrounding the fortress prevented them. Based on aerial photography and data obtained in 1939 after taking the fortress from the Poles, a layout of the fortress was made. However, the command of the 45th division of the Wehrmacht did not expect so high losses from the defenders of the fortress. In the divisional report of June 30, 1941, the division took 7,000 prisoners, including 100 officers. Our losses are 482 killed, including 48 officers, and over 1000 wounded. " It should be noted that the medical staff and patients of the district hospital are incompaired, and these are several hundred, if not more, people who physically could not fight. The proportion of commanders (officers) among the prisoners (among the 100 initially considered, the vapors and patients in the hospital were considered. The only senior commander (senior officer) among the defendants was the commander of the 44th regiment Major Gavrilov. The fact is that the art crew in the first minutes of the war was undergoing the commercial houses - naturally, not so durable as the buildings of the Citadel.

For comparison, during the Polish campaign for 13 days the 45th division, passing 400 kilometers, lost 158 \u200b\u200bkilled and 360 wounded. Moreover, the total losses of the German army on the Eastern Front by June 30, 1941 amounted to 8886 killed. That is, the defenders of the Brest Fortress killed more than 5% of them. And the fact that the defenders of the fortress were about 8 thousand, and not at all, "a handful", does not diminish their glory, but on the contrary, it shows that the heroes were a lot. More than for some reason I tried to inspire Sovilist. And still in books, articles and sites about the heroic defense of the Brest Fortress, the words "Little garrison" are constantly found. Another frequent option is 3.500 defenders. 962 Warrha is buried under the plates of the fortress.

From the troops of the first echelon of the 4th Army, those were most affected by those were located in the Citadel of the Brest Fortress, namely: almost the entire 6th Infantry Division (with the exception of the Gaubic Shelf) and the main forces of the 42nd Rifle Division, its 44th and 455th rifle shelves.

At 4 o'clock in the morning, 22.6 was opened hurricane fire on the barracks and on the outputs from the barracks in the central part of the fortress, as well as on the bridges and the entrance gates of the fortress and the houses of Nachsostav. This fallow caused confusion among the Red Army composition, while the commendable, who was attacked in his apartments, was partially destroyed. The surviving part of the Komostava could not penetrate the barracks due to severe barrier fire. As a result, redarmeys and younger commercials, deprived of guidelines and management, dressed and dressed, groups, and one, independently went out of the fortress, overcoming under artillery, mortar and machine-gun fire, the flood canal, the Mukhaver River and the Fortress tree. The loss to take into account was impossible, since the personnel of the 6th division was mixed with the personnel of the 42nd division. Many could not get on the conditional place of collection, since the Germans conducted a concentrated artillery fire on it. Some commanders still managed to get to their parts and units into the fortress, but they could not bring the division and they themselves remained in the fortress. As a result, the personnel of parts of the 6th and 42th divisions, as well as other parts remained in the fortress as its garrison, not because he was delivered to the defense of the fortress, and because it was impossible to go out of it. Almost simultaneously, fierce battles unfolded throughout the fortress. From the very beginning, they acquired the nature of the defense of its individual fortifications without a single headquarters and command, without communication and almost without interaction between the defenders of different fortifications. The defendants were headed by commanders and political workers, in some cases - the commander of ordinary fighters. IN the shortest time They rallied forces and organized a disgrace with fascist invaders. After a few hours of fighting, the command of the German 12th Army Corps was forced to send all available reserves to the fortress. However, as the commander of the German 45th Infantry Division, General Schlipper, this "also did not make changes to position. Where the Russians were discarded or downloaded, after a short period of time from the basements, drains and other shelters appeared new forces that were shot So excellent that our losses increased significantly. " The opponent unsuccessfully passed through the radio installation of calls to the prisoner, sent parliamentaries.

Resistance continued. The defenders of the citadel held almost a 2-kilometer ring of a defensive 2-storey barrage belt in conditions of intense bombardments, an art footer and attacks of opponent's assault groups. During the first day, they beat 8 fierce attacks by enemy infantry, blocked in the citadel, as well as the attacks from the outside, with an opponent of bridgeheads on Terespol, Volynsky, Kobrin fortifications, from where the Nazis rummaged to all 4 gates of the Citadel. In the evening of June 22, the enemy entrenched in a portion of the defensive barrack between the Kholm and Terspotic gates (later used it as a bridgehead in the citadel), captured several barrack compartments at the Brest gate. However, the calculation of the enemy was not justified; Defensive battles, counterattacks of Soviet soldiers fastened the forces of the enemy, caused him great losses. Late in the evening, the German command decided to pull out his infantry from the fortress fortifications, to create a blockade line for the external shafts so that in the morning of June 23 again from the art printing and bombardment to start storming the fortress.

Fights in the fortress took a fierce, protracted character, which did not expect the enemy. The stubborn heroic resistance of the Soviet soldiers was met by the German-fascist invaders on the territory of each serf strengthening. On the territory of the Border Terespol Strengthening, the defense was kept warriors of the chauffeur courses of the Belarusian Border District under the command of the head of the graduate of senior lieutenant F.M. Melnikova and teacher of Leutenanta Zhdanov courses, transport company of the 17th frontier headed led by the commander of the senior lieutenant A.S. Black together with the fighters of cavalry courses, a sapper platoon, strengthened outfits of the 9th frontier, a wind seal, attendance fees. They managed to cleanse the most part of the strengthening of the opponent, but due to the lack of ammunition and large losses in the personal composition they could not. On the night of June 25, the remains of Melnikov's groups who died in battles, and black, forced Western Bug and joined the defenders of the citadel and Kobrin fortification.

At Volyn fortification, the 4th Army and the 28th Rifle Corps of the 6th Infantry Corps were held at Volynsky Strength, the 95th Song of the 6th Rifle Division was located, the 94th Rifle Regiment, outfits of the 84th rifle regiment, were located. B of border shops. On the southern gates of the defense holder held a duty platoon of the regimental school. From the first minutes of the enemy invasion, the defense acquired focal nature. The enemy sought to break through to the Kholm goal and, breaking through, connect with the assault group in the citadel. The warriors of the 84th rifle regiment came to the rescue from the citadel. Battalion commissioner N.S. was organized in the Defense Hospital Bogatyhev, Voirevat 2nd Rang S.S. Babkin (both died). German automatic gunners burst into hospital buildings brutally painted with sick and wounded. The defense of Volyn Strengthening is full of examples of the dedication of fighters and medical staff, fought to the end of the ruins of buildings. Covering the wounded, killed nurses V.P. Horetskaya and E.I. Rovnegin. Capturing the patients, wounded, medical staff, children, on June 23, the Nazis used them as a living fallow, poverty ahead of the attackers of the Kholmmakers. "Shoot, do not regret us!" - shouted Soviet patriots. By the end of the week, the focal defense at the strengthening of the bloodstream. Some fighters joined the ranks of the defenders of the Citadel, few managed to break from the enemy ring. By decision of the consolidated group command, attempts were made to break through the ring of the environment. On June 26, he went to a breakthrough a detachment (120 people, mostly sergeants) led by Lieutenant Vinogradov. For the eastern feature of the fortress, 13 soldiers managed to break through, but they were captured by the enemy. Other attempts to mass breakthrough from the besieged fortress were unsuccessful, only individual small groups were able to break through. The remaining little garrison soviet troops continued to fight unusual persistence and persistence. On the unshakable courage of the fighters say their inscriptions on the fortress walls: "We were five seds, Groats, Bogolyub, Mikhailov, Selivanov V. We took the first fight on June 22, 1941. I will die, but we will not leave here ...", "June 26, 1941 . We were three, it was difficult for us, but we did not fell in spirit and die as heroes, "the remains of 132 soldiers discovered during the excavations of the White Palace of the White Palace of the Warriors and the inscription left on the bricks:" I don't die. "

At the Kobrin fortification from the moment of military operations there were several sections of fierce defense. There were many warehouses, horsewromes, artillery parks in the territory of this largest strengthening area, were located in the barracks, as well as in the camicaseons of the Earth shaft (perimeter to 1, 5 km), in the residential town - families Nachsostav. Through the Northern and North-Western, the Eastern Gate of Strengthening in the first hours of the war went to the provided paragraphs of collecting part of the composition of the garrison, the main forces of the 125th Rifle Regiment (Commander Major A.E. Dulkeite) and the 98th Separate Anti-Tank Artillery Division (Commander Captain N.I. Nikitin).

The hard cover of the exit from the fortress through the north-western gate of the soldiers of the garrison, and then the defense of the barracks of the 125th Rifle Regiment headed the battalion commissar S.V. Derbenev. The enemy managed to transfer from Terespol fortification to the Kobrin pontoon bridge over the Western Bug (on him, disrupting the crossing, the defenders of the western part of the citadel), seize in the western part of the Kobrin fortification of the bridgehead and move the infantry, artillery, tanks there.

Major P. M. Gavrilov, Captain I. N. Zubachev and Regional Commissioner E. M. Fomin. Heroic defenders of the Brest Fortress have successfully reflected the attacks of the German fascist troops for several days. On June 29 - 30, the enemy took the overall assault of the Brest Fortress, he managed to capture many fortifications, defending heavily losses, but continued resistance in incredibly hard conditions (lack of water, food, medicine). For almost a month, the heroes of the Brest Fortress were shot by a whole German division, most of them fell in battle, parties managed to break through to the partisans, part of exhausted and wounded were captured. As a result of bloody battles and losses, the defense of the fortress broke up into a number of isolated foci of resistance. Until July 12, a small group of fighters led to Gavrilov continued to fight in the East Fort, later, in Caponer for the external shaft of fortifications. Heavyly wounded Gavrilov and Secretary of the Komsomol Bureau of the 98th Separate Anti-Tank Artillery Division, Deputy Politruck GD. Doodle July 23 was captured. But later, the 20th of July, Soviet soldiers continued to fight the fortress.

The last days of the struggle are sheaven legends. These days are the inscriptions left on the walls of the fortress by her defenders: "I will die, but I will not leave the fortress", "I'm dying, but I do not give up. Goodbye, Motherland. 20.11.41." None of the banners of military units who fought in the fortress did not get the enemy. The banner of the 393rd separate artillery division was buried in the Eastern Fort Senior Sergeant R.K. Semenyuk, ordinary I.D. Fungalkov and Tarasov. 09/26/1956, it was digested by Semenyuk.

In the basements of the White Palace, Engineering Department, Club, the barracks of the 333rd regiment held the last defenders of the Citadel. In the building of engineering management and the Eastern Fort, the Nazis applied gases, against the defenders of the 333rd regiment barracks and the 98th division, Caponiary in the zone of the 125th regiment - flamets. From the roof of the barracks of the 333rd Rifle Shelf to the windows, explosives were launched, but the Soviet warriors were wounded by explosions continued to shoot until the walls of the building were destroyed and fired with the Earth. The enemy was forced to mention the resistance and heroism of the defenders of the fortress. It is in these black, full bitterness Days of the retreat in our troops were born a legend about the Brest Fortress. It is difficult to tell where it appeared for the first time, but, transmitted from the mouth to the mouth, she soon passed throughout the marenelome front from the Baltic to the Black Sea steppes. It was an exciting legend. They told that hundreds of kilometers from the front, in the deep rear of the enemy, near the city of Brest, in the walls of the old Russian fortress, standing at the very border of the USSR, for many days and weeks are heroicy with the enemy of our troops. Said that the enemy, surrounding the fortress with a dense ring, frying her, but at the same time he carries huge losses that neither bombs nor the shells could break the persistence of a fortress garrison and that Soviet warriors who defended there, gave an oath to die, but not to conquer the enemy and They are responsible for all the proposals of the Nazis about the surrender.

It is not known how this legend originated. Whether the groups of our fighters and commanders were brought with them, which made them from the Brest area on the grounds of Germans and then made through the front. Whether someone from the fascists captured in captivity spoke about it.

They say the pilots of our bombardment aviation confirmed that the Brest Fortress is fighting. Going at night to bomb the rear military objects of the enemy, who were in Polish territory, and flying near Brest, they saw below the outbreak of shealing breaks, trembling fire of shooting machine guns and flowing flows of tracing bullets.

However, all these were only stories and rumors. Are our troops really fight there and what kind of troops, it was impossible to check: there was no radio communication with a fortress garrison. And the legend about the Brest Fortress at the time remained only a legend. But, full of exciting heroes, this legend was very necessary for people. In those serious, harsh days of retreat, she deeply penetrated the hearts of the warriors, inspired them, gave birth to cheerfulness and faith in victory. And many of those who heard this story as a reproach of their own conscience, the question arose: "And we? Do we can't fight the same way as they are there in the fortress? Why do we retreat?"

It happened that in response to such a question, as if looking for an excuse for himself, someone from the old soldiers said: "Still, the fortress! In the fortress to defend more handy. Walls, strengthening, guns, probably a lot. According to the enemy's testimony, "It was impossible to approach here, having only infantry tools, since the perfectly organized rifle and machine-gun fire made of deep trenches and the horseshoe yard made every approaching. There was only one solution - hunger and thirst to force Russians to surrender ... ". The Nazis methodically attacked the fortress. Soviet soldiers had to beat 6-8 attacks per day. Next to the fighters there were women and children. They helped the wounded, drove The cartridges were involved in hostilities. The fascists were put on the course of tanks, flamethos, gases, set fire and rolled the barrels from the external trees with a combustible mixture. Burned and mastered the incapsites, there was nothing to breathe, but when enemy infantry was made in the attack, the hand-to-hand fights were tied. In the short intervals of the relative clutch in the reproductors, calls were given to the capture.

Being in full surroundings, without water and food, with an acute lack of ammunition and medicine, the garrison fought courageously with the enemy. Only for the first 9 days of fighting defenders of the fortress disabled about 1, 5 thousand soldiers and officers of the enemy. By the end of June, the enemy captured most of the fortress, 29 and Just Jun, the Nazis took a continuous two-day fortress assault using powerful (500 and 1800 kilogram) airbabes. June 29 died, covering with several fighters a breakthrough group, twentieth. In the Citadel on June 30, the Nazis grabbed the seriously edged and contuge captain Zubachev and the Regiment Commissioner Fomin, whom the fascists were shot near the Kholm gate. June 30, after a long shelling and bombing, ending with a fierce attack, the Nazis mastered the Hitler large part The facilities of the Eastern Fort, captured the wounded. In July, the commander of the 45th German Infantry Division General Shlipper in the "report on the lesson of Brest-Litovsk" reported: "Russians in Brest-Litovsk fought extremely stubbornly and persistently. They showed excellent infantry learning and proved a wonderful will to resistance." Stories, similar to the protection of the Brest Fortress, would be widely known in other countries. But the courage and the heroism of the defenders of the Brest Fortress remained nonuse. Up to the death of Stalin in the USSR - as if they would not have noticed the fell of the garrison of the Citadel.

The fortress fell, and many of her defenders surrendered to captivity - in the eyes of Stalinists, this was considered a shameful phenomenon. Therefore there was no heroes of Brest. The fortress was simply crossed out of the Annals of Military History, the names of ordinary and commanders. In 1956, the world finally found out who led the defense of the Citadel. Smirnov writes: "From the found combat order No. 1, we know the names of the commander of parts, the defenders of the center: Commissioner Fomin, Captain Zubachev, Art. Lieutenant Semenenko and Lieutenant Vinogradov." The 44th Rifle Regiment commanded Peter Mikhailovich Gavrilov. Commissioner Fomin, Captain Zubachev and Lieutenant Vinogradov were part of the combat group, broken from the fortress on June 25, but it was surrounded by the Warsaw highway and destroyed it.

Three officers were captured. Vinogradov survived the war. Smirnov found him in Vologda, where he, not known for anyone in 1956, worked as Kuznets. According to Vinogradov: "Before going to breakthrough, Commissioner Fomin put on the form of the killed ordinary. In the camp of the commissar, one soldiers gave the Germans, and Fomina was shot. Zubachev died in captivity. Major Gavrilov experienced captivity, despite the difficult wound. He did not want Delivered, threw a grenade and killed a German soldier. " Much time passed before the names of the heroes of Brest were inscribed in Soviet history. They deserved their place there. The way they fought, their unshakable perseverance, dedication to debt, the courage, manifested by them in spite of everything - all this was quite typical of Soviet soldiers.

The defense of the Brest Fortress was an outstanding example of the exceptional durability and courage of Soviet soldiers. It was truly the legendary feat of the sons of the people, infinitely loved their homeland, who gave birth to her. The Soviet people honor the memory of brave defenders of the Brest Fortress: Captain V. V. Shablovsky, Senior Politruck N. V. Nesterchuk, Lieutenantov I. F. Akimochka, A. M. Kizhevatova, A. F. Naganova, Junior Politruck A. P. Kalandadze , Deputy Politrock S. M. Matyevosyan, the pupil of the regiment P. S. Klypi and many others. In memory of the feat of the Heroes of the Brest Fortress on May 8, 1965, she was given the honorary title of the "Fortress Hero" with the presentation of the Order of Lenin and the "Golden Star" medal.

Conclusion

On the protection of the Brest Fortress, as well as about many other exploits of Soviet soldiers in the first days of the war, the country did not know anything for a long time, although it could, it was the same pages of her history who were able to unail faith into the people, which turned out to be in the threshold of deadly danger. In the troops, of course, they talked about border battles on the bug, but the fact of defense itself was perceived, rather as a legend. Surprisingly, the feat of the Brest garrison became known thanks to the same time to report the headquarters of the 45th German division. The entire archive of the division also got into the hands of Soviet soldiers. For the first time on the defense of the Brest Fortress, it became known from the staffing German report captured in the papers of the defeated part in February 1942 in the Krivtsovo area under an eagle while trying to destroy Bolkhovskaya grouping german troops. In the late 1940s. The newspapers appeared the first articles on the defense of the Brest Fortress, based exclusively on rumors; In 1951, the artist P. Krivonogov draws a famous picture of "Defenders of the Brest Fortress". The merit of the memory restoration of the heroes of the fortress largely belongs to the writer and historian S. S. Smirnov, as well as supporting his initiative KM Simonov. The feat of the Heroes of the Brest Fortress was popularized by Smirnov in the Brest Fortress book (1957, an expanded edition of 1964, Lenin Award 1965). After that, the topic of defense of the Brest Fortress has become an important symbol of official patriotic propaganda. Sevastopol, Leningrad, Smolensk, Vyazma, Kerch, Stalingrad - milestones of the history of resistance to the Soviet people Hitler's invasion. The first on this list is the Brest Fortress. She defined the entire mood of this war - uncompromising, stubborn and, ultimately, victorious. And most importantly, probably not in awards, and the orders and medals were awarded about 200 defenders of the Brest Fortress, two became the heroes of the Soviet Union - Major Gavrilov and Lieutenant Andrei Kizhevatov (posthumously), and in what exactly then, in the first days of the war, Soviet warriors proved to the world that courage and duty before their country, the people can resist any invasion. In this regard, it seems that the Brest Fortress is confirmed by the words of Bismarck and the beginning of the end of Hitler's Germany.

On May 8, 1965, the Brest Fortress was awarded the title fortress hero. Since 1971 is a memorial complex. A number of monuments were built on the territory of the fortress. Heroes, the Museum of Defense of the Brest Fortress.

"Brest Hero Fortress", Memorial complex, created in 1969-71. On the territory of the Brest Fortress for the perpetuations of the attainment of the participants of the Brest Fortress Defense. General plan He was approved by the Resolution of the BSSR Council of Ministers of November 6, 1996. The memorial was solemnly open on 09/25/1971. The sculpture- architectural ensemble includes surviving buildings, canned ruins, fortress trees and works of modern monumental art. The complex is located in the eastern part of the citadel. Each composite element of the ensemble carries a greater semantic load and has a strong emotional effect. The main entrance was resolved as an opening in the form of a five-pointed star in a monolithic reinforced concrete array based on the shaft and walls of the chamber of the chamsis. Skoli stars crossing, form a complex dynamic form. Wall cutlets are lined with a black labradorite. On the outside of the foundation, the board with the text of the Decision of the Presidium of the Upper Soviet Council of the USSR was strengthened from 08/08/1965 on the assignment of the Brest fortress of the honorary title "Fortress-hero". From the main entrance, the solemn alley leads through the bridge to the square of ceremonials. To the left of the bridge, the sculptural composition of the "thirst" is the figure of the Soviet warrior, which, relying on the machine, stretches with the caisa to water. In the planning and shaped decision of the Memorial, an important role belongs to the area of \u200b\u200bceremonials, where mass celebrations pass. It is adjacent to the building of the Museum of Defense of the Brest Fortress and the Ruins of the White Palace. The composite center of the ensemble is the main monument "courage" - the sulfur sculpture of the warrior (made of concrete, height 33, 5 m), on it back side - Relief compositions telling about the individual episodes of the heroic defense of the fortress: "Attack", "party assembly", "last grenade", "feat of artillery", "machine gunners". Above the extensive space dominates the bayonet-obelisk (all-welded metal structures, lined with titanium; height 100 m, weight 620 tons). In a 3-tier necropolis, compositely connected with the monument, the remains of 850 people are buried, on the memorial plates installed here - the names of 216.

In front of the ruins of the former engineering management In the deepening, lined with black labradorite, the eternal flame of fame is burning. Before him - cast in bronze words: "They stood to death, thank the heroes!". Not far from the eternal fire - the memorial platform of the cities-heroes of the Soviet Union, open 09.05.1985. Under the granite slabs with the image of the medal "Golden Star", capsules were installed with the ground cities of the heroes delivered here by their delegations. On the walls of the barracks, ruins, bricks and stone blocks, memorial plaques are installed in special stands in the form of a tear-off leaflet of the 1941 calendar, which are a kind of chronicle of heroic events.

At the sighting site, artillery weapons of the mid-19th century and the initial period of the Great Patriotic War are presented. The ruins of the Kazarram 333rd Rifle Regiment (former Arsenal) are preserved, the ruins of the defensive barracks, the destroyed building of the club of the 84th rifle regiment. Along the main alley - 2 powder cellars, in the fortress shafts - the income plasters, the placement of the field bakery. On the road to the Northern Gate, East Fort, the ruins of the Sanitary and residential buildings are distinguished. Pedestrian walkways and area in front of the main entrance are covered with a red plaston. Most of the alleys, the area of \u200b\u200bceremonials and partially laid out reinforced concrete slabs. Thousands of roses are planted, walking Willow, Poplar, spruce, birch, maples, thui. In the evening, artistic and decorative illumination is included, consisting of a variety of spotlights and lamps of red, white and green colors. The main entrance is the song of A. Alexandrova "Sacred War" and governments, a message about a treacherous attack on our homeland of German-fascist Germany's troops (reads Y. Levitan), in the eternal flame - Melody R. Shuman "Dreams".

Bibliography

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• 7. Brest. Encyclopedic directory. Mn., 1987.

German soldiers in Brest. Holm gate. 1941 year

What we will not hear from the "liberal" thinking historians and professional fighters with totalitarianism ... It seems that there is already nothing to be surprised, but these figures each time give out "on-mountain" all new and new tons of "truthful" and exposing Stalin materials. Work with Stakhanov methods is the irony of fate .... In the past two years, the defense of the Brest Fortress in June-July 1941 was the subject of their close attention, at the very beginning of the Great Patriotic War. Here, in fact, Stalin is accused of post-war silence of the fell of the garrison of the fortress. Like, for him (Stalin), who fell into captivity, the Red Armyians could not be heroes, they say, there was an order No. 270 of August 16, 1941 by which the servicemen, who, who, in the enemy captivity, were automatically considered "shorts and deserters." And since most of the surviving defenders of the fortress passed through german captivity, then it was forbidden to mention the defense of the Brest Fortress, and he is heroisted - death like .... As always, Boris Sokolov is ahead of the "accusers" and "bellevis": "After all, under Stalin on the surviving defenders lay the stamp of captivity, and the official history of the war was silent about the Brest Fortress."

I have a persistent habit of not believe in all sorts of fighters, but especially Sokolov. Therefore, I will check this truth in the last instance. Stalin died on March 5, 1953, emphasized specifically for the "generation that chose" Pepsi ". Since the archives at hand, unfortunately, there is no, but walking along the libraries and flip-fling the bangs of yellowed newspapers - and, and somehow incurred, I'll find a search in Google books (anyone can repeat), the task is simple to find publications in journals and Books about the Brest Fortress for the period from 1945 to 1953, see what they wrote about the defense, as responded about the defenders of the fortress.

And here, with ease, learn that in the Minsk Theater. I. Kupala puts the playGubarevich "Citadel of Glory" - "O immortal feat and the unsinkable courage of the warriors of the Soviet Army, heroically defended the Brest Fortress "(Magazine" Ogonek "1951) Searching for more, we get:" In 1949, Gubarevich wrote the heroic drama "Citadel Glory", where for the first time he was talking about the defenders of the Brest Fortress ... This play received Wide recognition of viewers in the republic and abroad. About 1000 performances were shown for 36 years. " (Brest theatrical)

More search results

article M. Zlatogorov in "Spark" (1948. NO 8. P. 13-14) "Brest Fortress! Early in the morning of June 22, 1941, the first German shells and bombs were born here. And here the fascists first learned what Soviet resistance and Soviet courage "

Science and Life, 1949:

Neckless glory Covered troops Soviet army, protecting Brest, Gomel, Mogilev and other cities in Belarus. Until July 9, 1941, valiant fighters and commanders deposited from all sides in the Brest Fortress were fighting.

Theater, 1953:

The Brest Fortress in one of the museums of Moscow lies under the glass of a fragment of the Brest fortress wall with the inscription: "Dyrent … These words were written by courageous defenders of the Brest Fortress, until the last breath defended its borders …

Change, 1952:

An inscription-oath of a group of defenders of the Brest Fortress, found in the summer of 1952 on the wall of one of the supporting ... Defenders of the Brest Fortress entered the history of the Great Patriotic War one of bright and unforgettable pages.

New World, 1952:

Many positive responses caused a picture of P. Krivonogov "Defenders of the Brest Fortress". The artist portrayed unforgettable Episode of the Great Patriotic War - heroic Fortress defense Brest in the summer of 1941

Yes, the picture of the artist, a well-deserved artist of the arts of the RSFSR, the Laureate of the Stalinist Prize of the Second Degree (1949), P. Krivonogov "Defenders of the Brest Fortress" was written in 1951.

Read entirely in the photo source:

Somehow strangely "husky" Stalin heroic defense and a fever of garrison. Circulation only the magazine "Spark" in those years was 850000 copies.

Continuing and expanding the search terms I find out that the first publication about the feat of the Garrison of the Fortress - the newspaper "Red Star" dated June 21, 1942 (!) Published by the article by Colonel M.Tolchenov "A year ago in Brest"

The same "Red Star" writes about "Legendary defenders of the Brest Fortress" In the room for November 23, 1951

"Red Star" 11/23/1951

The Red Star newspaper is the central body of the USSR Ministry of Defense, the daily publication, post-war circulation of 400-500 thousand copies. Well, where is the "silence"?

I do not argue that the history of the Great Patriotic War under Stalin was not retouching. But, what happens now does not go any comparison. If we talk about the "silence", then this is true in relation to the Khrushchev times and modernity. There is no that in Nikita Sergeyevich that today the feat of the defenders of the fortress does not degenerate, they are simply silent about the reasons forcing the defense of the fortress. Silence about who drove 4 divisions to a plot of 20 square meters. kilometers away a few hundred meters from the border.

The fact is that no one planned to defend, defend this very citadel. The purpose of the fortress itself is not to let the enemy in-inside makes it and a mousetrap for the garrison. It is also difficult to get out of the fortress, like the enemy get into it.

The garrison of the city of Brest to the beginning of the war consisted of three rifle divisions and one tank, this is not counting parts of the NKVD troops. The approximate number of personnel is 30-35 thousand people. In the very fortress, it was located: the 125th rifle regiment without the 1st battalion and the spernaya company, the 84th rifle regiment without 2 battalions, the 333rd rifle regiment without the 1st battalion and rifle company, 75th separate intelligence Battalion, 98th separate division of PTO, 131 artillery regiment, boat battery, 31st car battalion, 37th separate communication battalion and a number of other compounds of the 6th Infantry Division; The 455th rifle regiment without the 1st battalion and the spernaya company (one battalion was 4 km away. North-west of Brest), 44th rifle regiment without 2 battalions (were 2 km away. South Fortress) 158th car battalion and rear divisions of the 42nd Division. In addition, the headquarters of 33 district engineering regiment was located in the fortress, ½ district military hospital on the island of hospital, border ward and separate 132 NKVD battalion. In total, about 9,000 servicemen were in the fortress.

Naturally, the tasks of protecting the fortress of troops did not have, their task was to take the ruffles of defense and prevent the German breakthrough on the highway to Minsk, three small and one tank divisions could defend the front site of 30-40 kilometers. Protect the Brest Fortress used as winter apartments, the troops began to be because they could not leave the citadel. Now a simple question: who is to blame for the fact that such a lot of troops was bored in a closed space of the fortress? Answer: commander of the Western Special Military District, General Army, DG Pavlov.It cannot be said that no one understood all the danger, hanging over the garrison of Brest. From the memories of General Sandalov, the former head of the headquarters of the 4th Army: "After all, only one rifle battalion with the art drawing was intended for the defense of the fortress in the circumferential plan. The rest of the garrison had to quickly leave the fortress and take the prepared positions along the border in the army strip. But the bandwidth of the fortress gate was too small. To remove the troops and institutions there from the fortress, at least three hours were required ... Of course, such a placement of the corps should be considered a temporary caused by the lack of a housing stock. With the construction of the barracks, this question is reconsided ...
Pavlov probably managed to convince the Chief of the General Staff. A few days later we received an official written order, confirming everything that Pavlov expressed orally. The only "concession" we were permission to put outside the Brest fortress one rifle regiment of the 42nd division and place it in the Zhabinka area.
"Well," Fedor Ivanovich Sllykov sighed heavily, "now we didn't have a second echelon in the army, no reserves need to go east of Kobrina more: there is nothing left there ...
In the spring of 1941, the Brest garrison replenished with a new rifle division. Yes, which was there before the tank brigade, unfolding into a tank division. increased numerically four times. In a word, a huge number of troops accumulated in Brest and the district hospital remained in the fortress.
To accommodate personnel, it was necessary to adapt some of the warehouse premises and even restore some fortress forts blown up in 1915. In the lower floors, the barracks were arranged four-tier Nara.
…
On the night of June 14, I raised the 6th Rifle Division by combat alarm. In the afternoon, he previously spent the same alarm in the 42nd rifle division of the commander of the 28th Rifle Corps General Major V. S. Popov. Summing up these two alarms, we unanimously expressed the wish about the withdrawal of the 42nd Rifle Division to the Zhabinka area and about the device in the walls of the fortress of two - three spare outlets. Later, when our offer was rejected by the commander district, General Popov spoke out for the conclusion of the 42nd division to the camp to the territory of the Brest Artillery Polygon, but the leadership of the district prevented this. ""

General Pavlova, the commander of the 4th Army Koroskova and others shot in July 1941, and after the arrival of N.S. Khrushchev was rehabilitated for the absence of a crime in their actions. It is curious that one of the accusation points was the death of the garrison of the Brest Fortress, moreover, Pavlov himself recognized his guilt:

From protocol

"one. Pavlov's defendant. Presented to me the charge is understandable. I guilty in participation in the anti-Soviet military conspiracy do not recognize. I have never been a member of the anti-Soviet conspiratorial organization.

I recognize myself guilty that I did not have time to check the execution of the commander of the 4th army by the boxing of my order about the evacuation of troops from Brest. In early June, I gave an order about the withdrawal of parts from Brest to the camp. The boxes of my order did not fulfill, with the result that three divisions when leaving the city were defeated by the enemy . «

This is how, it turns out that the order to leave the fortress was given back in early June, which is not surprising because Measures to bring troops in combat readiness began to be taken precisely in early June 1941.

Surprisingly different. General of the boxes denies, that in general received a similar order, it looks like the truth, (see the memories of Sandalov.)

"Defendant. (Boxes) The order for the withdrawal of parts from Brest was not given to anyone. I personally did not see such an order.

Pavlov's defendant. In June, the Commander of the 28th Rifle Corps of Popov, the Commander of the 28th Rifle Corps of Popov, was sent to the task of June 15, all troops to evacuate from Brest to Camp .

Docted boxes. I did not know about it. So, Popova must be criminally responsible for not fulfilled the order of the commander . «

It turned out what happened - General Pavlov was justified with accomplices, presented the victims of Stalin's tyranny, although their wines for the death of four divisions, let them be heroically defended, all the same did not fulfill the task, obvious. But, if you admit that they were shot fairly, it turns out at all, so bad - Stalin arrived correctly ... And this Nikita sergeevich could not allow this Nikita. Defenders of the Brest Fortress began to build monuments and memorials, glorify their feat and attach titanic efforts to avoid a question: who is to blame and how could it happen? And still be afraid to call the perpetrators ... silent, however.

No more victory than a victory over yourself! The main thing is not to fall on your knees in front of the enemy.
D. M. Karbyshev

The defense of the Brest Fortress is the sign of the Third Reich about his further fate, she showed that at the very beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the Germans had already lost. Made a strategic mistake that signed the sentence to the whole project of the Third Reich.

It was necessary to listen to her grand ancestor, Otto Bismarck, who said: "Even the most favorable outcome of the war will never lead to the decomposition of the main force of Russia, which is based on millions of Russian actually ... these last, even if they are dismembered by international treatises, as well Quickly join each other quickly, as particles of a cut piece of mercury. This is an unrealistic state of the Russian nation ... "

To the Second World War, the fortress was no longer a serious obstacle for the modern army, which is in service with powerful artillery systems, aviation, suffering gases, flamethies. By the way, one of the designers of improving the fortress structures of the Brest Fortress in 1913 was headquarters-captain Dmitry Karbyshev, an unreleased Hero of the Great War, which, on February 18, 1945, the Nazis turned into ice blocks. Amazing fate of people - Carbyshev in the German concentration camp met with another hero, Major Peter Gavrilov, who from June 22 until July 23 headed the defense of the defenders of the fortress and seriously wounded also captured. According to the description of his doctor Voronovich, he was captured hard wounded. He was in full commander uniform, but turning into rags. All covered with soot, dust, depleted to the extreme (skeleton, covered leather), He could not even do swallowing movements, doctors to save him, fed with an artificial mixture. The German soldiers, who took him in captivity, said that this barely alive man, when he was found in one of the caasemates, alone accepted the battle, shot the pistol, chose grenades, killed and wounded a few people, before him heavily wounded. Gavrilov survived in the concentration camps of the Nazis, was released in May 1945, restored in the army in the same rank. After the country began to learn about the feat of the defenders of the Brest Fortress, Gavrilov Poper Mikhailovich in 1957 was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.

Gavrilov, Peter Mikhailovich.

Defense

In the fortress there were approximately 7-8 thousand fighters from different parts: 8 Rifle battalions, intelligence and artillery shelves, two artillery divisions (anti-tank and air defense), units of the 17th Red Brest Brest border detachment, 33rd separate engineering regiment, part of the 132th battalion of the Konvoy troops of the NKVD and some other parts.

They were attacked by the 45th German Infantry Division (about 17 thousand people) with the help of units of the neighboring 31st and 34th infantry divisions, it was supposed to master the fortress for 12 o'clock on June 22nd. At 3.15, the Wehrmacht opened the artillery fire, as a result of Artudar, the garrison raised large losses, warehouses, water supply were destroyed, interrupted. In 3.45 began the assault, the coordinated resistance of the garrison could not have been able and was immediately dissected for several parts. Strong resistance was provided on Volyn and in Kobrin fortifications. Our organized several counterattacks. By the evening of the 24th Wehrmacht suppressed resistance at Volyn and Terespol fortifications, two large focus of resistance remained - in Kobrin Strengthening and Citadel. In Kobrin Strengthening, the defense was kept at Eastern Fort to 400 people led by Major Gavrilov, they were charged a day to 7-8 Wehrmacht's attacks. On June 26, the last defender of the Citadel was killed, on June 30 after the general assault - the East Fort fell. Major Gavrilov with the last 12 fighters, having 4 machine guns, disappeared in the caasemates.

Latest defenders

After that, individual fighters and small foci of resistance resisted. We do not know exactly how much they kept: so, in the barracks of the 132nd individual battalion of the convoy troops of the NKVD of the USSR, the inscription dated July 20 was found: "I'm dying, but I do not surrender! Goodbye, Motherland. " On July 23, Major Gavrilov was captured in battle. One of the main problems of the defenders of the fortress was the lack of water, if at first an ammunition and canned food were, then access to the Russian river was blocked almost immediately.

Resistance continued after the captivity of Gavrilov, the Germans were afraid to approach the dungeons of the fortress, there were shadows from there at night, the grenades sounded. According to local residents, the shooting was heard up to August, and in German sources, the last defenders were killed only in September, when Kiev, Smolensk, Wehrmacht were preparing for the sturm of Moscow.

The inscription made by an unknown defender of the Brest Fortress on July 20, 1941.

The writer and researcher Sergei Smirnov spent a huge work, in many ways thanks to him the Union and found out about the feat of the defenders of the fortress, about who became the last defender. Smirnov found a striking news - the story of the Jewish musician of the stake (the Nazis shoot him). He told the foreman of Durassov, who was injured in Brest, taken captive and left to work at the hospital. In April 1942, the violinist was late for about 2 hours, when she came, told the striking. On the way to the hospital, the Germans were stopped and taken into the fortress, there was a hole among the ruins, which went underground. There was a group of German soldiers around. Staby ordered to go down and offer to the Russian fighter to surrender. In response, he promises life, the violinist went down, a depleted man came out to him. He said that he had long over the food and cartridges and he would come out to see his eyes to see the powerlessness of the Germans in Russia. The German officer then said to the soldiers: "This person is a real hero. Learn from him how to defend your land ... ". It was April 1942, the further fate and the name of the hero remained unknown, like many hundreds of hundreds, thousands of unknown heroes, whom the German military car broke down.

The feat of the defenders of the Brest Fortress shows that the Russians can be killed, although it is very difficult, but to win, it is impossible to break them ...

Sources:
Heroic defense / / Sat. Memories of the defense of the Brest Fortress in June -Iel 1941. Mn., 1966.
Smirnov S. Brest Fortress. M. 2000.
Smirnov S.S. Stories about unknown heroes. M., 1985.
http://www.fire-of-war.ru/brest-fortress/gavrilov.htm.

The garrison of the Brest Fortress is one of the first to hit the German army during the start.

The courage and heroism of her defenders forever inscribed in analogs of world history that it is impossible to forget or translate.

Verger assault

The unexpected storming of the fortress began at 4 o'clock early in the morning of June 22, 1941 with hurricane artillery fire.

Aimicious and crushing fire destroyed the warehouses of the ammunition and damaged the link. The garrison immediately suffered a significant loss of alive.

The result of this attack was destroyed plumbing, which further complicated the situation of the defenders of the fortress. Water was required not only for fighters who were ordinary live people, but also for machine guns.

Defense of the Brest Fortress 1941

After the half-hour artillery attack, the Germans threw three battalions into attack, which were part of the 45th Infantry Division. The number of attackers was one and a half thousand people.

The German command considered this amount is quite sufficient to cope with the garrison of the fortress. And at first, the Nazis did not meet serious resistance. The effect of surprises did its job. The garrison stopped being one, but it turned out to be divided into several non-coordinated resistance foci.

The Germans, bursting into the fortress through Terespol fortification, have passed quite quickly through the Citadel and went to Kobrin fortification.

Unexpected red

The greater surprise for them was the counterattack of the Soviet fighters, who were in their rear. The fighters of the garrison, who survived after the art crew, were grouped under the command of the remaining commanders, and the Germans received a tangible rebuff.

The inscription of the defenders of the Brest Fortress on the wall photo

In some places of the attackers, rigid bayonet attacks were met, which were complete surprise to them. The attack began to choke. And not just choking, and the Nazis had to keep the defense themselves.

Having quickly come to himself after what happened from the unexpected and treacherous attack of the enemy, the part of the garrison, which was in the rear of the upcoming, were able to dismember and even partially destroy the enemy. The enemy met the strongest resistance at Volyn and Kobrin fortification.

A small part of the garrison was able to break through and leave the fortress. But most of it remained inside the rings, which the Germans closed for 9 o'clock in the morning. Inside the rings of the environment left from 6 to 8 thousand people. In the citadel, the Germans were able to keep only some sites, including the dominant club, re-equipped from the former church, which are dominant over the rest of fortress facilities. In addition, the houses of the Germans were at the disposal of the premises of the Komostava and part of the barracks at the Brest Gate, which survived after the art crew.

For the capture of the fortress, the German command took only a few hours, but it became clear to noon that this plan failed. During the day, the Germans had to introduce additional forces left in the reserve. Instead of the initial three battalions, the grouping of the storming fortress increased to two regiments. Artillery Germans could not fully apply to not destroy their own soldiers.

Defense of the Brest Fortress

By night, on June 23, the German command was withdrawn its troops and the art crew began. In the intervals sounded a sentence to surrender. It responded about 2 thousand, but the main part of the defenders chose resistance. On June 23, the united groups of Soviet fighters under the command of Lieutenant Vinogradov, Captain Zubachev, the Regiment Commissioner Fomin, Senior Lieutenant Shcherbakov and Private Schugurova, knocked out the Germans from the rings of the Brest Gate busy and planned to organize a long defense of the fortress, hoping to obtain reinforcements.

Brest Fortress, July 1941 Photo

It was planned to create a defense headquarters and even a draft order No. 1 was written about creating a consolidated combat group. However, on June 24, the Germans were able to break into the Citadel. A large group of garrison tried to accumulate through Kobrin fortification and, although they were able to break out for the outside of the fortress, their most was destroyed or captured. On June 26, the last 450 fighters of the citadel were captured.

The feat of the defenders of the "Eastern Fort"

Defenders of the Eastern Fort lasted the longest. There were about 400 people. Commanded this grouping Major P.M. Gavrilov. The Germans walked into the attack on this site up to 10 times per day, and each time killed back, meeting fierce resistance. And only on June 29, after the Germans dropped an airbab at the Fort by weight of 1800 kg, Fort fell.

Defense of the Brest Fortress Photo

But before August, the Germans could not carry out a total sweeping and feel like full owners. Now and then there were local foci of resistance when the shooting of still living fighters was heard from the ruins. They preferred death to captivity. Among the most recent captured, the wounded Major Gavrilov was seriously obtained and it happened on July 23.

Before visiting the Fortress OM and at the end of August, all the cellars of the fortress were flooded with water. The Brest Fortress - a symbol of the courage and perseverance of Soviet fighters In 1965, Brest was awarded the title of fortress - the hero.

Perhaps the most well-known episode of the beginning Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 - Feat the defenders Brest Fortress . The official version read - "The small garrison has been filmed for the month of the enemy for a month.".

However, this is not quite true. And although the feat defenders of the Brest Fortress A lot of books, films and articles are devoted, I will venture my description of events using both Soviet and German sources.

As written by S.Smirnov in the book :

"In the spring of 1941 in the territory Brest Fortress Parts were placed parts of two rifle divisions of the Soviet Army. These were persistent, hardened, well-trained troops ... One of these divisions - 6th Oryol Red Banner - had a long and glorious combat story ... Other - 42nd Rifle Division - was created in 1940 during the Finnish campaign and has already managed to show well in battles on mannerheim lines."

On the eve of the war in the camp, more than half of the divisions of these two divisions were derived from the Brest Fortress - 10 of 18 rifle battalions, 3 of 4 artpolkov, one of two PTO and air defense divisions, dilutes and some other units. On the morning of June 22, 1941 in the fortress were:

• 84th rifle regiment Without two battalions
• 125th rifle regiment
• 333th rifle regiment without battalion and sperm
• 44th rifle regiment Without two battalions
• 455th rifle regiment without battalion and sperm

according to the state, it was supposed to be - 10.074 personnel, in battalions of 16 anti-tank guns and 120 mortars, in the shelves 50 guns and PTOs, 20 mortars.

• 131th artpolk
• 98th Division of Anti-Tank Defense
• 393th Anti-Armenian Artillery Division
• 75th dilution
• 37th Communication Battalion
• 31st Autob
• 158th Autob

according to state - 2.169 personnel, 42 artillery barrels, 16 light tanks, 13 armored vehicles.

• rear parts of the 33rd engineering regiment and the 22nd Tank Division
• 132nd Konvoy Battalion Troops NKVD
• 3rd border committee of the 17th detachment
• 9th frontier
(in the citadel - the central part of the fortress)
• district Hospital (on the South Island. Most personnel and patients captured in the first hours of war)

States nKVD battalion , border guards and hospital are unknown to me. Of course, cash number in parts was significantly lower than staff . But in the morning on June 22, 1941 in the Brest fortress, there was a total incomplete division - Without 1 rifle battalion, 3 sapper mouth and a gobish shelf. Plus the NKVD battalion and border guards. On average, in the Divisions of Special Woods By June 22, 1941, there were actually about 9.300 personnel, i.e. 63% of the state.

Thus, it can be assumed - in total Brest Fortress On the morning of June 22 was more than 8 thousand fighters and commanders , not counting staff and hospital patients.

In the front of the front, where it was located , as well as the railway line of the north of the fortress and the road of the south of the fortress, should have been the Hermann 45th Infantry Division (from the former Austrian army) of the 12th Army Corps, having combat experience of the Polish and French campaigns.

The common staff number of this division was to be 17.7 thousand, and its combat units (infantry, artillery, sperm, intelligence, connected) was to be 15.1 thousand . Of these, infantrymen, sappers, scouts - 10,5 thousand (along with their own sheds).

So, the Germans had a numerical superiority in a living force (counting the total number of combat units). As for artillery - in the Germans, in addition to the divisional artpolka (the guns of which did not pierce the one and a half-two-meter walls of the caasemates) were two 600-mm self-propelled morti 040 - the so-called "Carla". The overall ammunition of these two guns was 16 shells (one mortist jammed at the first shot). Also, the Germans in the Brest fortress were still 9 Mortira caliber 211 mm . And besides - regiment of reactive multi-mortar (54 six-solid "non-deterals" caliber of 158.5 mm) - and there was not only such a Soviet weapon, but not only in the Brest Fortress, but in the whole of the Red Army ...

The Germans decided in advance that Brest Fortress We'll have to take only infantry - without tanks. Their use of forests, swamps, river ducts and canals surrounding the fortress prevented them. (However, inside the fortress the Germans still had to apply tanks, about it below.)

Nearest task 45th division It was: Taking the Brest Fortress, the railway bridge through the Bug of the North-west of the Fortress and several bridges through the Bug Rivers and the Mughaver inside, south and east of the fortress. In the first echelon division were 135th Infantry Regiment (supported by armored Travel №28.) I. 130th Infantry Regiment (Without one infantry battalion, which was in the reserve of the division). By the end of the day, on June 22, 1941, the division was supposed to reach 7-8 km from the Soviet-German border.

According to the plan, the Germans had to be taken during no more than eight hours.

Germans started fighting June 22, 1941 at 3.15 am on Berlin time - a blow of artillery and reactive mortars. Every 4 minutes, the fire of artillery was transferred to 100 meters east. In 3.19 assault detachment ( infantry company and sappers) on 9 rubber motor boats He headed for the capture of bridges. In 3.30 other German infantry Roth With the support of sappers, a railway bridge was taken through the Bug.

By 4.00 assault detachment, losing two thirds of the personnel, captured two bridges connecting the Western and Southern Islands with Citadel (the central part of the Brest Fortress). These two islands defended only border guards and battalion NKVD , were taken two infantry battalions Also by 4.00.

At 6.23 headquarters 45th division reported the headquarters of the case, which will soon be taken by the North Island Brest Fortress. The report said that the resistance of the Soviet troops increased, with the use of armored vehicles, but the situation was under control.

However, 8.50 battles continued in the fortress. Command 45th division I decided to introduce a reserve into battle - the 133rd infantry regiment. By this time in hostilities were two of the five German battalion commanders were killed and the regiment commander was seriously injured.

At 10.50 headquarters 45th division He reported the command of the corps about large losses and stubborn battles in the fortress. The report said:

"Russians are fiercely resist, especially behind our attackers. In the citadel, the enemy organized defense by infantry parts with the support of 35-40 tanks and armored cars. The fire of enemy snipers led to great losses among officers and nonsense officers."

I remind you that on staff 75th dilution It was supposed to have 16 light T-38 tanks and 13 BA-10 armored cars. Tanks T-38 were armed with only one machine gun of 7.62 mm caliber and had a 9 mm armor (anti-optical). The BA-10 armored cars were armed with a gun of 45 mm caliber and two machine guns of 7.62 mm, 10 mm armor. Against the infantry, these cars could act quite efficiently.

Regarding the total number of Soviet armored vehicles in the Brest Fortress of Soviet data failed. Perhaps the fortress was part of the second dilution armored vehicles or 22nd Tank Division (In the fortress, its rear parts were located, possibly repairs).

IN 14.30 commander 45th Infantry Division Lieutenant-General Schlipper, being on the northern island, partially busy by the Germans, made a decision on the occurrence of darkness to take off the unit, already penetrating the central island, because, in his opinion, it was impossible to take the citadel to the actions of only infantry. General Schlipper decided that in order to avoid in vain losses, the citadel should be taken to an ammore and a constant shelling, since the railway line to the north of the Brest Fortress and the High-south of it could be used by the Germans for the onset of the East.

At the same time, in the center of the citadel, about 70 German soldiers from the 3rd battalion of the 135th Infantry Regiment were surrounded in the former serf church. This battalion in the first half of the day penetrated the citadel from the West Island, captured the church as an important support point, and moved to the eastern tip of the central island, where it was supposed to connect to the 1st battalion of the 135th shelf. However, the 1st battalion failed to break into the citadel from Southern IslandAnd the 3rd battalion, losing, retreated back to the church.

In battles for one day June 22, 1941. 45th Infantry Division At storming Brest Fortress suffered unprecedented loss for her earlier - only killed 21 officer I. 290 Soldier and Unter-Officers.

Meanwhile 31st and 34th Infantry Divisionsadvancing to the left and right 45th division, advanced in the evening June 22, 1941 by 20-25 kilometers.

June 23. From 5.00 the Germans began the art printing of the Citadel, while they had to try not to hit their soldiers surrounded in the church. The art print continued all day. German infantry strengthened positions around the positions of the defenders of the fortress.

For the first time counter Brest Fortress German tanks were applied. More precisely, the trophy French tanks somaa S-35 are an armed with a gun of 47 mm, and a machine gun of 7.5 mm, well armored and speed-free. There were 4 pieces - part of armored Travel №28..

One of these tanks was bridged with manual grenades at the northern gates of the fortress. The second tank broke through to the central courtyard of the citadel, but was bridged with an instrument of the 333rd regiment. Both baked tank Germans managed to evacuate. The third tank was brought down by an anti-aircraft gun in the northern gate of the fortress.

On the same day, departed on the central island found two large arms warehouses - a large number of Machines PAP, cartridges, as well as mortars with a buzz. The defenders of the fortress became massive to fill the position of the Germans to the south of the citadel.

On the North Island, as well as from the South Island, the German cars with loudspeakers began to call the defenders to surrender. At 17.15, the Germans announced the cessation by an hour and a half of the art crew - for those who wish to surrender. Several hundred people came from Ruins, a significant part of them are women and children of families of the Komostava.

With the onset of darkness, several groups of besieged tried to escape from the fortress. As on the eve, all these attempts ended in failure - breaking through or died, or captured, or again occupied defense.

June 24 The Germans sent a combat group that released surrounded in the church, and then they left the Citadel. In addition to the central island, the eastern part of the northern island remained under the control of defenders of the fortress. All day, the Germans continued to the art bra.

At 16.00 June 24 headquarters 45th division He reported that the citadel was taken and a stripping of certain foci of resistance was carried out. At 21.40 in the headquarters of the corps, it was reported about the capture of the Brest Fortress. However, the fighting continued.

The Germans have formed combat groups from sappers and infantry, which methodically eliminated the remaining foci of resistance. For this used subversive charges and flamethos, however June 25. The German sappers remained only one flamethrower (of nine), which they could not use without the support of armored vehicles.

June 26. On the North Island, German sappers blew up the wall of the school building. There was taken 450 prisoners.

Only East Fort remained the main heart rate on the North Island. According to the deferment, 27th of June There defended before 400 fighters and commanders headed by major Gavrilov .

The Germans applied against Fort the two remaining tank from the composition armored Travel №28. - French Tank Somua and Trophy Soviet Tank. These tanks shot forty embrasures, as a result, as stated in the headquarters report. 45th division"Russians began to behave quieter, but continuous shooting of snipers continued from the most unexpected places."

On the central island, the remains of the defenders, focused in the northern barracks of the Citadel, decided to make their way from the fortress June 26. . In the forefront went a detachment from 100-120 fighters Under the command of Lieutenant Vinogradov. The detachment was able to break through the fortress, having lost half of the composition, however, the rest deposited on the central island did not have managed to do - they lost the big losses, they returned back. On the evening of June 26, the remains of the detachment of Lieutenant Vinogradov were surrounded by the Germans and were almost completely destroyed. Vinogradov and several fighters were captured.

Attempts by breakthrough from the Central Island continued on June 27 and 28. They were discontinued due to big losses.

June 28. The same two German tanks and several self-propelled guns returned from repair to the front, continued to firing the East Fort on the North Island. However, this did not bring visible results, and commander 45th division asked support to Luftwaffe. However, due to the low cloudiness, on that day the aircraft was not applied.

June 29 At 8.00, the German bomber threw a 500-kilogram bomb on the Eastern Fort. Then another 500-kg was reset and finally 1800 kg bomb. Fort was practically destroyed. To the occurrence of darkness was captured 389 people .

In the morning 30 June The ruins of the Eastern Fort were searched, a few wounded defenders were found (Major Gavrilov was not found - he was captured by July 23, 1941). Headquarters 45th division He reported on the full capture of the Brest Fortress.

Command 45th division Wehrmacht did not expect it to suffer so high losses from the defenders of the Brest Fortress. In a divisional report from June 30, 1941 says: "The division took 7,000 prisoners, including 100 officers. Our losses are 482 killed, including 48 officers, and over 1000 wounded."

It should be noted that the medical staff and patients of the district hospital are in the number of prisoners, and this is probably several hundred people who physically could not fight. The share of commanders (officers) among the prisoners (among the 100 officers who came to the captivity of officers (commanders) was obviously included in the number of 100 officers in captivity).

The only senior commander (senior officer) among those defended in Brest Fortress Was commander of the 44th Rifle Regiment Major Gavrilov . The fact is that the at the first minutes of war, the commental mortar at the first minutes of the war, were subjected to jet mortars in the first minutes of war, not so durable, as the buildings of the citadel and forts, and as a result of this shelling, a significant number of commanders were declined.

For comparison - during the Polish campaign for 13 days German 45th Division, having passed with battles of 400 kilometers, lost 158 \u200b\u200bkilled and 360 wounded.

Moreover - total losses german army on the Eastern Front, by June 30, 1941 amounted to 8886 killed . That is, the defenders Brest Fortress Killed more than 5% of them.

And the fact that the defenders of the fortress were about 8 thousand , not at all "Handfulness", does not diminish their glory, but on the contrary, it shows that the heroes were a lot. More than for some reason I tried to inspire Soviet power.

And still in books, articles and sites about heroic defense of the Brest Fortress Constantly there are words "little garrison". Another frequent option is 3.500 defenders. But let's listen to the Deputy Director of the Memorial Complex "Brest Fortress-Hero" Elena Vladimirovna Harichkov. To the question of how much of the defenders of the fortress is still alive (in 1998), she replied:

"About 300 people, and on the eve of the war in the Brest Fortress there were up to 8,000 military personnel and 300 families of the officer."

And her words about killed fortress defenders:

"962 buried under the plates of the fortress."

Number 8 thousand Reaffirm the memoirs of General L.M. Sandalova, at that time 4th Army , as part of which were 6th and 42nd Divisions . General Sandalov wrote that in the case of war in the Brest Fortress according to the plan, he should have remained only one battalion All other units according to plan should have been removed from the fortress. But:

"The first echelon troops of the 4th Army were most affected by those that were placed in the Citadel of the Brest Fortress, namely: almost the entire 6th Infantry Division (with the exception of a Gaubic regiment) and the main forces of the 42nd Rifle Division, its 44th and the 455th rifle shelves.

I do not intend to tell here in detail about the heroic battles in the Brest Fortress. It was already told about it quite a few people who were there themselves, as well as writers S. S. Smirnov and K. M. Simonov. I will give only two very interesting documents.

One of them is a brief combat report on the actions of the 6th Rifle Division in the first hours of the fascist attack. The report reports:

"At 4 am 22.6, hurricane fire was opened on the barracks and on the outputs from the barracks in the central part of the fortress, as well as on the bridges and the entrance gates of the fortress and the houses of Nachsostav. This fallow caused confusion among the Red Army composition, while the commendable, who was attacked in his apartments, was partially destroyed. The surviving part of the Komostava could not penetrate the barracks due to severe barrier fire ... As a result, the Red Army and the younger commercial, devoid of leadership and management, dressed and undressed, groups and alone were independently out of the fortress, overcoming under artillery, mortar and machine-gun fire Owlock, River Mughavets and Tree Fortress. The loss to take into account was impossible, since the personnel of the 6th division was mixed with the personnel of the 42nd division. Many could not get on the conditional place of collection, since the Germans conducted a concentrated artillery fire on it.

Some commanders still managed to get to their parts and units into the fortress, but they could not bring the division and they themselves remained in the fortress. As a result, the personnel of the parts of the 6th and 42th divisions, as well as other parts remained in the fortress as its garrison, not because he was delivered to the defense of the fortress, and because it was impossible to go out of it. "

But another document: Report by the Deputy Commander on the political part of the 6th Rifle Division of the Regiment Commissioner M. N. Butin.

"In the concentrations of alarm due to the continuous artillery shelling, suddenly started by the enemy at 4.00 22.6.41, part of the division compactly disabled could not. Soldiers and officers arrived in a single way in a half-way form. From the concentrated you could create a maximum up to two battalions. The first battles were carried out under the leadership of the commanders of the regiments of Comrades of Dorodny (84 SP), Matveev (333 SP), Kovtunenko (125 SP). "

Yes, I foresee the objection - the first passage is written too artistic for military report, and in the second in general, unacceptable terms for 1941 are consumed - "soldiers and officers" against the Red Army and the Commander of the Red Army. If there are complaints - then not to me.

I repeat only one thing - in Brest Fortress Fought not a "handful of fighters", and thousands of heroes . And the fact that many of them have captured, does not detract from them podship .

About 200 defenders of the Brest Fortress were awarded orders and medals, only two received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union - Major Gavrilov and Lieutenant of Kijevats (posthumously) ...