Operation January Thunder
January 14, 1944 Friday. The Krasnoselsko-Ropshinsky operation "January Thunder", or Operation "Neva-2" began - a major offensive operation of the troops of the Leningrad Front (front commander - Army General L. A. Govorov) as part of the strategic Leningrad-Novgorod operation of Soviet troops against the 18th German army besieging Leningrad.On the night of January 14th. Before the start of the offensive, the rifle units of the 2nd Shock Army move to the neutral zone and dig in 150–350 meters from the enemy’s forward positions, and sappers make passages in minefields and barbed wire obstacles.
Before dawn on January 14 . Long-range aviation carries out 109 sorties, striking enemy defenses in front of the front of the 2nd strike (commander - Lieutenant General I. I. Fedyuninsky) and 42nd armies (commander - Colonel General I. I. Maslennikov) of Leningradsky front.
Early morning January 14 . Simultaneously with night bombers, artillery batteries of the Leningrad Front strike enemy defense centers and artillery positions from the Oranienbaum bridgehead. After 65 minutes of artillery preparation, fierce battles with the enemy immediately ensued.
From the combat log of the 42nd Army: “The troops of the Leningrad Front went on the offensive. At 9.20, the battery opened fire on the enemy’s firing points. The consumption of shells was 400 pieces. The gun crew of Senior Sergeant Andreev, the loader, Apolinsky, especially distinguished himself. January 14, 1944.”
In addition to front-line artillery, naval and coastal artillery of the Baltic Fleet, as well as anti-aircraft artillery of the Leningrad Air Defense Army, take part in the Leningrad Front zone.
From the memoirs of Ivan Ivanovich Fedyuninsky: “The January morning was startled by thunder. It rolled, grew, and turned into a bubbling roar. In the sky, still covered with the twilight of a late winter dawn, crimson lightning shuddered. Leningrad was accustomed to artillery cannonades, but this had never happened before. Everyone understood: it has begun!”
Artillery preparation is also carried out on the front of the 67th Army with the aim of misleading the enemy and creating favorable conditions for the 42nd Army, which will have to break through very strong enemy defenses.
At the same time. Residents of Leningrad heard a powerful roar coming from the southwest. "Began!" - passed from mouth to mouth. In 1 hour 40 minutes, 220 thousand shells are fired at enemy positions.
From the memories of participants in those events:"...The whole city was stunned by a gigantic roar that, like a tornado, swept over Leningrad. Leningraders heard a lot of shooting during the siege, but they had never heard such a stunning, menacing, growing roar. Some pedestrians on the streets began to carefully look sideways, looking for where shells were falling. But the shells did not fall. Then it became clear that it was we who were shooting, it was our shells that were lifting German fortifications into the air.
The whole city went into excitement. People realized that what they had been thinking about incessantly had begun. And the voice of the Leningrad guns spread throughout the entire arc of the front. The guns hit the front line, the heavy guns hit from the depths, the ships hit, the forts hit, Kronstadt said.
The explosions of German shells falling on the southern outskirts of the city were not terrible in these waves of roar, which turned into a storm of retaliation. Tons of metal smashed German pillboxes, turned guns into scrap, tore apart infantry, collapsed dugouts, and leveled trenches. Pieces of broken wire flew into the sky. Mines were exploding in mine fields. Black clouds of smoke covered the horizon..."
10 o'clock 40 min. January 14. The first to go on the offensive was the 2nd Shock Army of the Leningrad Front from the Oranienbaum bridgehead in the direction of Ropsha. Captain Marchenko's rifle company was one of the first to break into enemy trenches.
After powerful artillery preparation, the infantry rose to attack. Oranienbaum bridgehead, January 14, 1944.
That same morning. Simultaneously with the Krasnoselsko-Ropshinskaya operation, the Novgorod-Luga offensive operation of the Soviet troops of the Volkhov Front begins against part of the forces of the 18th German Army besieging Leningrad, which is part of the Leningrad-Novgorod strategic offensive operation. Objectives of the operation: defeat the enemy group in the Novgorod area, liberate the Oktyabrskaya Railway and encircle, together with the troops of the Leningrad Front, the main forces of the 18th Army in the Luga area.
The operation begins with the actions of the troops of the 59th Army (commander - Lieutenant General I.T. Korovnikov) of the Volkhov Front in difficult conditions of wooded and swampy terrain. After artillery preparation on the main direction north of Novgorod, which lasted 1 hour 50 minutes, using the darkness and the beginning of a snowstorm, the southern group of troops of T. A. Sviklin, deputy commander of the 59th Army, consisting of the 58th separate rifle brigade and the 225th rifle division, reinforced by two snowmobile battalions, secretly crosses Lake Ilmen across the ice on the night of January 14. With a surprise attack, she destroys enemy strongholds on the western bank, capturing a bridgehead. The enemy suffers losses, but his defense is not suppressed. Regardless of losses, the enemy immediately throws reserves into battle, masses artillery and aviation in areas where Soviet troops break through.
The battle is taking place in difficult conditions. Bad weather made it difficult for Soviet artillerymen to observe targets. For the same reason, our aviation does not take part in preparing and supporting the offensive.
The reconstruction of the battle “In the breakthrough zone”, which took place on January 22, 2012 near the village of Porozhki, is dedicated to a small episode of the operation called “Neva-2” - the beginning of the offensive of the Soviet troops.
This Krasnoselsko-Ropshinskaya offensive operation by the troops of the Leningrad Front led to the complete lifting of the blockade of Leningrad in the Great Patriotic War, which is celebrated on January 27.
On January 14, 1944, a massive artillery barrage, which began at 9.35 and continued for an hour, inflicted heavy damage on enemy troops in the Gostilits area.
The offensive began at 10.50, Soviet troops at the front 10.5 km from mark 132.2 Porozhki, attacked the front line of the enemy’s defense in the direction of Dyatlitsy.
It was necessary to cross a bridge on the Chernaya River, and in order to prevent the Nazis from blowing it up, a reconnaissance group was sent. A platoon of the 32nd Infantry Regiment, consisting of 40 men, destroyed a German dugout. The bridge guards were knocked out and retreated to fortified positions.
The Germans opened mortar fire on the bridge.
Image 8: Light Machine Gun DP (Degtyarev Infantry) model 1927 - 7.62 mm, magazine for 47 rounds, 600 rounds per minute. In 1944 it was modernized.
Image 9: You can’t run with such a machine gun; the weight of the fully equipped DP is 11.3 kg.
Image 11
MP-38/40 erroneously called "Schmeisser" due to the use of the bolt mechanism of this designer. (Schmeiser was also the author of the idea of modifying the MP-41 with a wooden butt.) The weapon itself was developed by designer Heinrich Vollmer and put into service in 1938. The machine gun is intended for landing troops, motorized infantry, crews of armored vehicles and commanders of infantry platoons, squads, subunits (one for ten people). And only later, towards the end of the war, it entered service with infantry units en masse.
Image 13: German Army soldier with the Mauser K98k (sniper) carbine, which became the main weapon of the infantry.
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Image 19: Soldiers of Nazi Germany with a machine gun MG-34 (?), and since 1942 it has been an improved MG-42 (caliber 7.92x57mm Mauser).
As a result of the breakthrough of the enemy's defense, Zherebyatki, Perelesye, Zrekino, Gostilitsy, and a storage farm were liberated. Krasnaya Baltika, Novaya, Thresholds.
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Several dozen military history clubs of St. Petersburg and the Region took part in the reconstruction - about 300 reenactors, an armored car, motorcycles, 3 aircraft (one of which was German) and guns.
Image 25: German 88-mm anti-aircraft gun FlaK 18/36/37/41 (or Soviet (?)).
According to the media, more than 10 thousand spectators - adults and children, as well as war veterans witnessed this performance. Who would count them? I noticed on the train that a lot of people were going to the reconstruction site. Transport was organized for the guests - buses from the Old Peterhof station. And the road itself at the entrance to the place is completely clogged with cars.
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It was not possible to find a place from which everything could be seen. I myself was sitting on a tree in the area of the crossing, and therefore I saw the key moment of the battle - the storming of the bridge.
But with the reenactors on the battlefield there was a photographer - a girl in a white disguise. I regretted not taking my ghillie suit. Then I would have merged with the crowd of military men and would have been in the thick of things.
Image 29: Buckwheat porridge with meat from the field kitchen, which worked throughout the day.
By the way, the porridge turned out to be delicious; I ate two servings myself. Dining outdoors is wonderful!
People were allowed into the battle site only after the end of the battle, when the field was cleared of unexploded pyrotechnics.
Only at such events can you see Soviet sailors of the Baltic Fleet peacefully talking with soldiers of the Wehrmacht army.
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One of the soldiers has a machine gun, similar to a Kalashnikov assault rifle. This is the (Maschinenpistole-43) MP-43, later modernized into the StG 44 (Sturmgewehr 44) or the MP-44 assault rifle - caliber 7.92×33 mm (7.92mm Kurz). It was created by the designer Hugo Schmeisser and borrowed by Kalashnikov.
January 18 was a holiday - 70 years since the breaking of the siege of Leningrad (officials managed to leave the city without fireworks on that day, but this is a completely different and sad story). In honor of this event, on January 20, a grandiose military-historical reconstruction “In the Breakthrough Zone” took place. It took place in the village of “Porozhki”, a place, by the way, also not an easy one - it was from here that the Soviet offensive operation “January Thunder” began, which put an end to the siege of Leningrad. But this was in January 44th, and in January 43rd the blockade was only broken, restoring land communications with the besieged city. The operation was called "Iskra" and began on January 12, 1943. And on January 18, the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts united in the area of Workers' settlements No. 1 and 5. Actually, this episode was reconstructed.
The reconstruction was very large-scale (clubs from many cities took part, before the fight the names of the clubs were listed 5 times, there were participants from St. Petersburg, Moscow, Novosibirsk, Kaluga, Brest, Kiev, Tallinn...), German fortifications were located on a hefty field (those those who arrived early could see how the "Kruts", resembling ants with a worried look, scurried back and forth, dug holes and carried logs), which were attacked from 2 flanks at once - the Leningrad front pierced the German defense on the left, the Volkhov front on the right. But as for the entertainment... it seemed like everything was authentic, large-scale, but firstly, it was very fast, and secondly, there were no bright episodes. For example, there were so many things - a burning house, wounded, captured Red Army soldiers, a damaged tank (aviation - Bosch with it, the weather was not suitable for flying). And this time in Porozhki - the attack began, choked, repeated.... bang-bang and the battle was over. But demanding more in such cold weather (I don’t seem to be freezing, but I managed to get very cold, my hands were especially numb) is even somehow inconvenient. And most importantly, this is not entertainment, but memory, which was honored on January 20 with great dignity.
And I want to end with a fragment of memories of a participant in the events of 70 years ago.
"Due to poor visibility, I had to strain my eyes to the point of tears so as not to lose sight of our advancing chains and support them with fire in time. When the rifle units approached the outskirts of Workers' Village No. 1, I could not believe my eyes: ranks of infantry came out of the smoking village towards them, like ghosts. I quickly began to prepare data for firing in order to provide them with barrage fire. But it was too late: hand-to-hand combat was about to break out.
And suddenly... the converging ranks ran towards each other. Hats with ear flaps flew up. A powerful “hurray!” was heard from both sides. And then everything got mixed up and started spinning.
It's finished!
In one of the clearings, soldiers and commanders hugged and kissed, not holding back tears of joy at the hard-won victory. Soon, fellow countrymen were found among Volkhovsk and Leningrad residents, and intimate conversations began. An accordion with tattered furs appeared from somewhere, the accordion player poured out a Russian...
This went on for about an hour. But then a command was heard, and we, now together with the Leningraders, turned south and moved towards the Sinyavinsky Heights to expand the cut corridor."
From the book “Second Shock in the Battle of Leningrad”: Under the roar of our batteries
V. S. Lalenkov (in 1943, commander of the mortar battery of the 191st mortar regiment)
A few photos: 
Russian chains are moving towards German positions 
the Germans lay down and fire back 
The attackers are followed by a medical team 
on the other side the Leningrad Front is advancing 
first aid 
The Germans also have wounded 
our fighters on motorcycles go behind enemy lines 
the Krauts are surrounded 
melee 
ours pulled up a cannon and are finishing off the Fritz: 
“January Thunder” was an offensive operation of the Soviet troops of the Leningrad Front against the 18th German Army, which took place from January 14 to January 30, 1944. As a result, the troops of the Leningrad Front destroyed the Peterhof-Strelninsky enemy group and, throwing the enemy back to a distance of 60 - 100 km from the city, liberated Krasnoye Selo, Ropsha, Krasnogvardeysk, Pushkin, Slutsk. Together with the troops of the Volkhov Front, they completely liberated Leningrad from the enemy blockade.
“On the first day of the offensive, the greatest success was achieved by units of the 48th, 90th and 131st rifle divisions, whose offensive was supported by the 152nd tank brigade, as well as the 222nd and 204th tank regiments. By the end of the day, Soviet troops advanced forward 4 kilometers, captured the first line of enemy defense, occupied the strongholds of Porozhki and Gostilitsy and in some areas wedged into the second line of German defense"*
On Sunday I went to the Porozhki tract, where the battle reconstruction for a strategically important bridge across the river. In 1944 Thanks to the bold and decisive actions of our advanced units and reconnaissance officers, we managed to prevent the bridge from being undermined, thereby significantly simplifying the task of the offensive of our main strike forces, and primarily tank formations. Three years ago I already went to the reconstruction of “In the Breakthrough Zone”. Then it was opposite the direction of the main attack of the Red Army. Now I decided to look from the headquarters of the German troops. It was a bit far from the places of the hottest battles, but I saw the inner kitchen. A field hospital was set up right next to the headquarters. Military doctors took advantage of rare moments of rest. Soon there will be a new battle, which means lines of wounded will arrive again. Not everyone will be able to be helped, and grave crosses are evidence of this.
The experienced military doctor understood this perfectly and looked sadly in the direction where the battle would soon unfold. The artillery was already beginning to “work” on the positions.
German armored vehicles were hiding in the bushes. Command reserve, soldiers of the elite SS unit "Norland".
And the battle was already underway; the main forces rushed to the aid of the Soviet intelligence officers, who had fortified themselves in the advanced positions captured from the enemy. Marines from the Baltic Fleet were among the first to arrive. The enemy temporarily retreated under the cover of artillery fire.
Feeling that a new wave of attack was coming, the Germans moved some of the auxiliary equipment closer to headquarters. So much so that one of the trucks blocked the view of the spectators. Dark forces, they are dark forces. The audience also regrouped in response.
Both sides were preparing for decisive action. The Germans threw SS units into battle, and ours also brought fresh forces into the battle.
In the sky, aces of both sides fought aerial duels, which were sometimes interrupted by volleys of anti-aircraft guns.
During their last offensive, SS units managed to capture a Soviet anti-aircraft gun crew. They did not take prisoners and immediately shot the female anti-aircraft gunners. For a matter of hours, overcoming the hurricane fire of the enemy, the Soviet soldiers did not have time to help them.
Breaking the desperate resistance of the enemy, Soviet soldiers moved forward. The roar of the plane, the thunder of artillery, the shots and trills of machine guns. and a loud “HURRAY!” The enemy is defeated and driven back. The red banner was hoisted on former enemy fortifications. 
Eternal glory and memory to the victorious soldiers who liberated Leningrad from the siege!
*The material used in writing the story was Moshchansky I.B. At the Walls of Leningrad. — M.: Veche, 2011. Thank you!
On January 24, 2016, this reconstruction took place, which conditionally showed the Soviet operation "January Thunder", which began on January 14, 1944 and ended on January 30 of the same year. As a result of the operation, the troops of the Leningrad Front destroyed the Peterhof-Strelninsky group of Germans, threw it back to a distance of 60-100 km from the city, liberated a number of settlements, and, in cooperation with the troops of the Volkhov Front, completely liberated Leningrad from the German blockade.
The day began with arrival at a specially prepared parking lot, where volunteers and police officers worked to regulate traffic. The reconstruction base turned out to be impressive, on the one hand it is Soviet, where everything Soviet is concentrated - equipment, artillery, easel weapons, etc., infantrymen, field kitchens, and on the other hand it is German, but it is noticeably smaller. You could ride for 200 rubles. on SU-76, T-70 and PzKpfw. II Ausf. D (all tracked armored vehicles are replicas, including the Marder II). It was possible to shoot from an impressive arsenal of hand weapons, including even a Maxim heavy machine gun.
In general, the reenactors provided a wealth of material for study, palpation, and enlightenment. The only negative (cold weather doesn’t even count) is the lack of wooden stands for easy viewing of the reconstruction, because there were a lot of people there.
After lunch, I suggested going to the German side, because I believed that from their side it would be closer and better visible beyond the battlefield. It turned out that it was not in vain that we crossed over - exactly where we ended up standing, in the German rear, it was very clearly visible, deafeningly audible and we were practically in the very epicenter of events. This is easy to understand from the video clips, especially the last one, where planes often flew directly above us.
Some spectators wanted to see everything better to such an extent that they literally climbed a tree, creating an almost perfect symmetrical composition:
The pilots of the four aircraft deserved special praise - they were wonderful. Without them, the reconstruction would be incomplete and not as impressive. After the end of the battle, the T-70 and SU-76 turned around and went back to the field to give rides to those who wanted to ride them.
In the link is a playlist with ten video excerpts, almost entirely showing the reconstruction - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwEKKEPBrsbJi9Ep3TcuwLb4yHYVPmmbm
Below are photos with comments.
SU-76 during landing, we were the first to climb: 
I only know about tanks and self-propelled guns, but the rest of the weapons are bad, so I don’t know exactly what kind of howitzer this is, perhaps an M-30: 
37 mm Soviet anti-aircraft gun, like 61-K: 
In the background, just to the left of center, you can see the BTR-60, which the public also rode on: 
You could ride motorcycles, but not ride them, of course: 
Large selection of hand and easel weapons. Even children shot. And in the background it was possible to shoot from the ZIS-3 divisional cannon. By the way, one girl tried a black weapon that looked like an AK-47, so the cartridges flew out a couple of meters to her right, reaching me and the audience. One of them hit my head like this: 
Soviet infantry: 
I wasn’t happy with the view from here, I was worried that it wouldn’t be visible as well and not as close, so I suggested moving to the opposite side: 
Place of the future battle (on a historical site): 
It looks like a German reporter, half dressed in a winter uniform, with colorful German reenactors. By the way, this road connecting the two sides was later closed for crossing, because it was the site of a battle: 
When we arrived, PzKpfw. II Ausf. D was no longer carrying the troops: 
And Marder II simply stood there as an exhibit, because the design features did not allow the self-propelled gun to be ridden (and, like in the SU-76, it was not allowed into the fighting compartment in order to avoid damage to interior parts): 
So the battle began, with the appearance of two of our planes and firing at them by the Soviet 52-K anti-aircraft gun, playing the role of the 88-mm German Flak 18/36/37 anti-aircraft gun: 
The battle was over, we were allowed to walk around the battlefield: 
Marder II: 
There were a lot of people (try to spot a German self-propelled gun!): 
PzKpfw. II Ausf. D, who for some reason turned the turret towards the stern: 
One last look at the battlefield: 
Thank you for your attention!
