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East Prussian Offensive
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The East Prussian Offensive was an offensive by the Red Army in its fight against the German Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front (World War II). It lasted from 13 January 1945 to 25 April 1945. The Battle of Königsberg was part of the offensive. The offensive ended with a total victory for the Red Army, and the surrender of the German defenders (from Army Group Center).
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It should be noted that what is commonly known as the East Prussian Offensive was in fact the Second East Prussian Offensive. The first, known also as the Goldap-Gumbinnen operation took place from 16-30 October 1944, and was carried out by the 3rd Belorussian Front under General I.D. Chernyakhovsky. The Soviet forces took heavy casualties gaining only little territory, and the offensive was postponed until reinforcements could be gathered.
The operation was initially conducted by 3rd Belorussian Front under General I.D. Chernyakhovsky, who was killed in action during the operation. He was succeeded in command by General A.M. Vasilevsky. From 13 January to 10 February 1945 2nd Belorussian Front under Marshal K.K. Rokossovsky was also committed to the offensive, before it switched to conduct the East Pommeranian Offensive together with the 1st Belorussian Front, in a westerly direction. Both fronts together committed almost 1.6 million soldiers, and suffered almost 580,000 losses (killed, wounded, missing) during the operation. From 1 March to 4 April 1st Belorussian Front contributed 360,000 men and suffered 52,000 losses in the East Prussian Operation.
One reason for the heavy losses was the existence of old border and city fortifications which had been brought into use one last time by the Wehrmacht.
- David M. Glantz, The Soviet‐German War 1941–45: Myths and Realities: A Survey Essay
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