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4-03-2015, 13:17

Rokossovsky’s advance

In spite of the German 2nd Army’s resistance, the 2nd Belorussian Front's attack began again on January 16, favoured by a bright spell which allowed efficient support by General Vershinin’s planes. Two days later the Russian forward troops were engaged some 21 miles from their point of departure, in the area of Przasnysz and Ciechanow. Forty-eight hours later Rokossovsky took Mlawa and Dzialdowo (Sol-dau), reached the East Prussian frontier, which he then crossed, and launched his 5th Tank Army towards its objective at Elbing. From then on things moved quickly, and Hitler only just had time to blow up the monument to the German victory at Tannenberg and to have the mortal remains of Field-Marshal von Hindenburg and his wife exhumed.

On the same day the 3rd Belorussian Front had overcome the 3rd Panzerarmee, which finally succumbed on January 19. By the 21st, the Russians had taken the fortified position along the Inster, with the little town of Insterburg, and Tilsit, where Lieutenant-General Rein’s 69th Division had held out, almost to the last grenadier. Rein himself sharing the fate of his men. A few days later Chernyakhovsky had his right at Labiau, at the edge of the frozen lagoon of the Kurisches Haff, his centre at Wehlau, on the west bank of the Alle less than 31 miles from Khnigsberg, and his left from Goldap to Lyck in the Masurian Lakes area.



 

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