Three interesting anecdotes during battle for Belorussia

by

Luka Bilić

Litvanian 16th Division

Among the divisions of 4th Shock Army of Bagramyan’s 1st Baltic Front was 16th Litvanian division. Since Litvania was under German occupation at the time, Litvanian replacements weren’t available, so for political reasons(to have ethnic Litvanian unit in Red Army) this division wasn’t to be exposed to big losses during Bagration and was thus of limited military value. Nevertheless later it faught valiantly for example in Siaulai battle and elsewhere and were awarded Order of Red Banner.Panzer Corps crossing over two ton bridge

General Martinek’s XXXIX Panzer Corps, part of 4th Army consisted of 4 full strength infantry divisions of high quality, with veteran soldiers, elite Feldherrnhalle Panzergrenadier division and 185th assault gun brigade. A powerful formation, assigned to protect Mogilev and precious hard surface, quality road toward Beresino and Minsk. Only a week into Bagration forces of XXXIX Panzer corps were broken and running for their lives. They were streaming west from Drut river hoping to cross Berezina, mixed with masses of other 4th Army units, competing with them for few existing roads in the area, under constant air attacks. At Berezina crossings, chaos. Only bridge left at Berezino was 6 ton bridge not even capable of carrying lightest of tanks. To make things worse, even that bridge was overwhelmed by huge masses trying to get across under non stop air strikes. XXXIX Panzer Corps was thus ordered to cross Berezina on provisional 2 ton bridge to the north. There is certainly irony to be found in order for Panzer Corps (containing among other units a mechanised divisions and assault gun brigade) to cross over 2 ton bridge, which could only carry foot soldiers or horse wagons. Even standard German truck exceeded this weight when empty, not to mention other vehicles. Panzer corps disintegrated on that day and corps commander general Schünemann was killed as was general Martinek whom he replaced when he was killed one day before. All of division commanders but one were captured.

Germans refusing orders

In the first days of July some 53 German army trains were stranded in Minsk as railroads to the west were cut by the units of 5th Guards Tank Army in the northwest and by 65th Army to the southwest. These trains contained among other things 15 000 demoralized stragglers that were on a run for about a week without rest escaping one trap into another, with Red Army breathing behind their necks and under incessant air attacks. Hitler on 30th June proclaimed Minsk a fortress, but there were only about 1800 rear area troops available for defense while other regular units were giving ground under pressure north and south of the city, withdrawing to avoid encirclement. 15 000 stragglers trapped in Minsk were ordered to help defend the city, but they refused the orders thinking only about how to escape. On the night of second of July Model finally left Minsk and troops still inside to their fate and withdrew to the west.