Across the Dniester River and the Stalin Line - Jul 1941.

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something more, about the Stalin Line. An example of the struggle for breaking through the fortified zone along the Dniester River in the Cosauti-Jampol area......

Dniester Crossing by Cosauti-Jampol on 18 July 1941.

Fortifications.

Mostly there were composed of machine gun bunkers with 2-3 loopholes. Built looking towards the roads leading from the west to the river in the areas of General Poetas (198 ID) and Cosauti (170 ID). The distance between forts stretched from 400 up to 2000 meters. The main line of resistance on the battlefield, especially west of the mouth of the Murafa, was reinforced with field positions (rifle pits and trenches). Taking advantage of the high ground extending to the depth on the east bank of the river, were organized several successive defensive positions with a depth of about 5 kilometers.


Positions due west of Jampol..................

Sources: http://liniastalina.narod.ru/
http://home.arcor.de/chevy.20/Gefallene ... nis-HP.htm
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Cheers. Raúl M .

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Hello to all ; something more......

Dniester Crossing by Cosauti-Jampol on 18 July 1941.

Crossing the Dniester River.

On July 18, 1941, the 170. ID approached up to the river having as its mission: to force the crossing of the Dniester, penetrate through the Stalin Line and establish a bridgehead on the east bank. The division would attack with the IR 401 to the right and the IR 391 to the left. At 03:45 hours would begin the preparation fire. The fortifications and nests of resistance would be beaten for 15 minutes by 88 mm Flak guns, anti-tank weapons and heavy infantry weapons.

Prior to the crossing, the 240 AR unleashed its fire for about 5 minutes on the forward positions and taking advantage of it, the infantry regiments crossed the river.

The destruction of the key positions was performed as follows:

Strong point No. 2: fortification of concrete with three embrasures for heavy machine guns, the main of them facing to the front and other two auxiliary loopholes, facing upstream and downstream. The garrison was 15 men.

Destruction: after getting across the river a Platoon of the 2. / Pi Btl 240 broke through a barbed wire entanglement of about 3 meters wide and with the support of a light machine gun shooting from the shore approached within 150 meters of the bunker. The loophole which faced upstream was rendered useless with flamethrowers and an explosive charge attached to a pole. Even after undermining the door, the garrison did not give up. Only after detonating another explosive charge of nine pounds, eight soldiers came out and were captured, the rest of the crew was destroyed inside.

Sources: http://liniastalina.narod.ru/
http://home.arcor.de/chevy.20/Gefallene ... nis-HP.htm
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Cheers. Raúl M .

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Hello to all ; something more......

Dniester Crossing by Cosauti-Jampol on 18 July 1941.

Crossing the Dniester River.

Strong point No. 5: casemate armed with two guns, one aiming upstream and other downstream.

Destruction: taking advantage of the fire cover provided by aircraft and anti-tank weapons, the assault platoon of the 3rd Company of the 240 Engineer Battalion (3./Pi. Btl 240) moved up the fortification. The explosion of a charge of 12.5 pounds had no effect. The following explosive charges blew up a power plant and set it on fire. Shots with flamethrowers on the loopholes did not neutralize it. Only a few shots of the flamethrower in the ventilation unit, forced the garrison of one officer and 26 men to surrender.

Strong Point No. 6: casemate armed with two loopholes with a heavy machine gun each, oriented downstream and upstream.

Destruction: taking advantage of the fire given by heavy machine guns, anti-tank cannons and assault guns, an assault Platoon of the 3. / Pi Btl 240 went to the fort. The first loophole was damaged with a concentrated explosive charge and then it was destroyed the second with another charge. Finally throwing hand grenades by a ventilation hatch was achieved the surrender of the crew composed of one officer and 12 men.

Sources: http://liniastalina.narod.ru/
http://home.arcor.de/chevy.20/Gefallene ... nis-HP.htm
Denkschrift russische über die Landesbefestigung

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something more......

Dniester Crossing by Cosauti-Jampol on 18 July 1941.

Crossing the Dniester River.

The destruction of the other smaller gun emplacements was following the same method of attack as mentioned before. Particular difficulties offered a fort armed with a machine gun located near the northern outskirts of Yampol with 4 men as its garrison, whose destruction was completed only on July 19, 1941 after 23 hours of fighting.

The garrisons of the bunkers fought fiercely under artillery fire and bombing, repeatedly demonstrating insensitivity to the flanking fires. The Soviets learned to fool the attackers pretending the destruction of crew and momentarily silencing the fortifications, then at the right time resume its fire on the rear of the German troops; for that reason the Germans often did not take prisoners.

From the experience gained in the fighting during the crossing of the Dniester River, resulted that Russian bunkers were destroyed by engineers using flamethrowers and smoke combined with a concentrated explosive charge while receiving fire support from the heavy weapons of the infantry.

Sources: http://liniastalina.narod.ru/
http://home.arcor.de/chevy.20/Gefallene ... nis-HP.htm
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Cheers. Raúl M .

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Hello to all ; something more about this topic..................

The defensive position on the Dniester in the area Rogue - Black Sea.

The sector Rogue - Black Sea along the banks of the Dniester belonged to the fortified area of Tiraspol. We have here an example of a defensive position on the river bank, whose main field of battle consisted of machinegun nests and numerous OP located in towers set in wood and iron which faced directly to the river.

The sector had operational significance as a border position, following the displacement of frontier in 1940, in order to carry out the mobilization and deployment of Russian ground forces. Its goal, after shifting the border, would be to block the opponent attacking from the Balkans, to avoid the river crossing and the assault on a point of strategic importance both military and economic as it was the southern Ukraine and the Black Sea.


http://www.dubossary.ru/kartaAV.jpg

Sources: http://liniastalina.narod.ru/str/library.htm
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Cheers. Raúl M .

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Hello to all ; something more about this topic..................

The defensive position on the Dniester in the area Rogue - Black Sea.

Although Russia, taking into account the initial political situation, could not be attacked here by a more powerful opponent, the positions had been carefully prepared. These were reinforced during the fight on both sides of Dubossary.

The main effort and center of gravity of the defensive effort proved to be oriented in the direction of the watercourse. The observation posts and most powerful barricades were oriented due west of Pogreby and south of Karantin, as well as in the lowlands and swamps in Tiraspol sector that offered good readiness areas with its hilly terrain and dense vegetation.

The deployment was organized in depth considering each particular sector. Not only the first-line defensive positions but also to the rear and had a depth of about 10 kilometers in the areas of greatest threat. The concrete fortifications were improved in terms of firepower and perimeter defense. All around were built small outposts cleverly masked with machine gun nests and foxholes. When attacking the front line positions the enemy could expect to receive harassment fire at longer distances.

Sources: http://liniastalina.narod.ru/str/library.htm
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Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something more about this topic..................

The defensive position on the Dniester in the area Rogue - Black Sea.

The most likely avenues of approach were predicted correctly and countermeasures were logical and well established and although the enemy could break through them would be severely punished and after a hard fight. Thus the 72. ID managed to break through the defensive system only the third day of fighting after crossing the river.

Throughout the fortified line, between Grigoriopol and Rogue, had been masked various forts of concrete or earth. These nests of resistance had the effect of reducing the opponent's offensive capabilities advancing from the west and to avoid the crossing. Actually the German offensive took place but with a longer delay than expected.


Soviet bunker that was part of the fortified line in the sector ...............

Sources: http://liniastalina.narod.ru/str/library.htm
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Cheers. Raúl M .

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Hello to all ; something more about this topic..................

The defensive position on the Dniester in the area Rogue - Black Sea.

In order to block this defensive belt, is noteworthy to mention the field positions built along 20 kilometers in the Cuciurgan estuary. This blocking position was closed northwards in the yagorlikskaya and was designed as a blocking position for Odessa. Given the terrain and types of fortifcación used to build it, the position can be divided into a northern sector: from Rogue to the Cuciurgan estuary and the adjacent sector sur up to the Black Sea. The northern sector with its steep and firm banks was the strongest. The southern sector was however protected by extensive wetlands and floodplains and proved more economical to fortify. The Soviets defended this sector against the Romanians until September 15, 1941, ie about 6-7 weeks after the breakthrough in Dubosary.


After the capture of a bunker .......................

Sources: http://liniastalina.narod.ru/str/library.htm
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Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something more about this topic..................

The defensive position on the Dniester in the area Rogue - Black Sea.

The Soviets fortified heavily the area of Tiraspol, assuming that was the sector most convenient for the crossing of the Dniester. In this sector stretched an area of about 3 km wide with a coverless slope with barbed wire obstacles and an anti-tank ditch of about 2.5 to 3 meters deep with buried tanks and casemates which allowed machine gun fire from the front and flanks. Among them were built field positions cleverly disguised and protected against the view and fire on the plains east of the route Dubossary - Grigoriopol.

Therefore the gorge south of Pogrebi deserves special attention because the 72 ID had to cross this sector heavily fortified and defended tenaciously after crossing the river Dniester.

The breakthrough by the fortified positions within the sector of Rogue - Black Sea took place on July 25, 1941 on both sides of Dubossary. In this case the 50 ID had to force the crossing of the stream in both sides of Kuchira and the 72 ID on both sides of Dnitkani.


Dniester crossing - July 1941......................
http://www.allworldwars.com/Romanian-an ... art-I.html

Sources: http://liniastalina.narod.ru/str/library.htm
Denkschrift russische über die Landesbefestigung

Cheers. Raúl M .

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Hello to all ; something more about this topic..................

The defensive position on the Dniester in the area Rogue - Black Sea.

The 50. ID.

The west bank of the Dniester allowed, in both crossing points, a good chance to reach the starting areas with good cover. The main avenue of approach from Chisinau and the enemy's sector of attack were not visible from the Soviet side. Similarly the steep slope opposite Kuchira, had a flat strip ahead with fruit trees, dense forests and cornfields that provided good cover against observation, and the same happened in front of Gosnity.

On the east bank of the river at Kuchira, lay a marshy lowland terrain about 200 meters wide, protected with field positions. The rising ground on both sides of the crossing point, provided little cover and ascended further in the undulating plateau. In Gosnity, the ravine about 2-3 meters, ran across a flat ground then slowly took a gradient north - south that offered little cover.

The 50. ID launched an attack on both sides of Kuchira on the morning of July 27, 1941. The crossing south of this place was unsuccessful and remained as a distraction. The crossing took place due north on July 25, 1941 and continued in the following days east of Rogue. The intention of the division was to attack the Soviet position from the rear in order to connect with the 72. ID in Dubossary. This action was successful on the evening of July 28, 1941.



Sources: http://liniastalina.narod.ru/str/library.htm
Denkschrift russische über die Landesbefestigung

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something more about this topic..................

The defensive position on the Dniester in the area Rogue - Black Sea.

The 72 ID.

The 72 ID approaching from Chisinau should clear the area between the Dniester and the Reut, a tributary of the Dniester flowing from Dubossary. The division had to force the crossing of the river in Dnitkani. The division was reinforced with antitank and antiaircraft guns in order to neutralize the bunkers of cement and had allocated 34 large rubber boats and 32 small.

Besides it was supported by heavy artillery and two bombing groups in order to attack the fortifications due south and east of Pogrebi and the batteries located due east of Karantin and Lunga.

The operation was split into the following phases:

1. Fast crossing of the Dniester river in rubber boats on both sides of Dnitkani and suppression of enemy observation from the heights located southeast of Pogrebi.
2. Conquest of the counterslopes of the Heights located in the area south of Gosniti.
3. Turn to the Northeast and continuation of the attack by the counterslopes of the hills.
4. Attack towards the counterslopes of the hills located southeast of Pogrebi on both sides of Point 170.
5. Continuation of attack on both sides of Point 173 and the heights located north of Glinnaja.



Sources: http://liniastalina.narod.ru/str/library.htm
Denkschrift russische über die Landesbefestigung

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; last part..................

The defensive position on the Dniester in the area Rogue - Black Sea.

The 72 ID.

The surprise was achieved only at the beginning of the offensive, in the sense that the eastern bank was quickly conquered by the attacking forces. In the first two days of fighting had been reached Point 170 in the northern outskirts of Pogrebi . On the night of July 28, 1941 the connection with the 50th ID was achieved in Dubossary. On July 29, 1941 the offensive continued towards Pavlovka with the task of reaching the heights of Soshe Ostrovs'ke. While there are no detailed reports about the fighting, the available information shows that the German troops captured about 90 fortifications of concrete.

The fact that despite the strength of the garrison, the attack had been successful in such a short time and with relatively few casualties, not only be explained by the quality of German troops but by Soviet weaknesses to mount a defense coordinated between the concrete blockhouses and the field positions located to cover the gaps between them.


At the banks of the Dniester - July 1941......................
http://www.allworldwars.com/Romanian-an ... art-I.html

Sources: http://liniastalina.narod.ru/str/library.htm
Denkschrift russische über die Landesbefestigung

It's all folks. Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; just a little doubt...................

Serebrija - Barbarossa 1941!

Anyone knows which axis unit/units crossed the Dniester River by Serebrija?.


http://liniastalina.narod.ru/mog/serebrija.jpg

TIA. Cheers. Raúl M .

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