REPORT OF THE REPRESENTATIVE OFFICER OF THE GENERAL STAFF OF THE RED ARMY TO
THE DEPUTY SUPREME COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF ON THE REASONS FOR THE DELAY IN THE
CROSSING OF VISLA RIVER BY THE TROOPS OF 8TH GUARDS ARMY
August 3, 1944
to Comrade ZHAROV
Troops of the 8th gds Army during August 2, 1944, the armies fought an
unsuccessful battle on the western bank of Vistula river and continued to
transport infantry, artillery, ammunition and horses.
I consider the reason for the unsuccessful offensive for the expansion of
the bridgehead on the western bank of Vistula river to be:
-
Indecisive actions of the infantry without appropriate amounts of
reinforcing, namely: absence of tanks and an insufficient amount of
artillery on the western bank of Vistula river and especially in the
morning.
-
The increase of the resistance of the enemy, since the latter had planned,
according to the testimony of the prisoners, to throw off our units from
the occupied bridgehead with the help of aviation. During August 2, 1944,
enemy aircraft had disabled a large number of crossing facilities, which
slowed down the crossing of troops and equipment.
The absence of a built pontoon bridge and an insufficient number of floating
crossing facilities makes it impossible to transfer divisional mechanically
tracted artillery, tanks and other equipment to the western coast in a
timely manner.
By 20.00 2.8.1944, in two days, the following were transported in total:
-
of the 29th gds rifle corps fully: infantry of the 27th and 74th guards
rifle division, 82-mm mortar units and 45-mm guns, 2, 76{mm} regiment
artillery - 7, 76{mm} divisional artillery - 2.
-
of the 28th rifle corps fully: infantry of the 79th, 39th gds rifle
division, 76-mm guns of regiment artillery - 20; 76 mm divisional
artillery - 33; 45 mm - 26; 82-mm mortars - 83; 120-mm mortars - 12;
self-propelled regiment 1061 - 7 guns.
-
In the 4th Guards. sk in full: 57th, 35th gds rifle division, all 45-mm
and 76-mm horse-drawn regiment artillery, 82-mm mortar units and 28 76-mm
divisional artillery guns, self-propelled guns. regiment 1087 - 20 guns.
In addition to infantry and equipment, horses were transported to the
western bank of the Vistula - 2 horses for each gun and the necessary amount
of ammunition.
An attempt to transport tanks to the western bank of the Vistula river under
water did not give any result: the first 2 KV tanks to attempt that remained under water.
After this underwater crossing attempts were stopped. For the crossing of
heavy equipment (tanks, wheeled artillery), it is necessary to speed up the
construction of a heavy pontoon bridge.
General Staff Officer Lieutenant Colonel Drabkin
Source: Печ. по: ЦАМО РФ. Ф. 233. Оп. 178503. Д. 2. Л. 98–99. Подлинник.
