Siege of Poznan/Posen 1945

[Art]

Following a request in another topic some reference information on Soviet forces involved.

A report by the general Chuikov gives the following Soviet OOB:

29 Guards Rifle Corps (commander - MG Shemenkov):
82 Guards Rifle Division (MG Khetagurov)
74 Guards Rifle Division (MG Bakanov)
27 Guards Rifle Division (MG Glebov)
39 Guards Rifle Division (col Marchenko)

91 Rifle Corps (detached from the 69 Army, LG Volkov):
312 Rifle Division (MG Moiseiskiy)
117 Rifle Division (MG Kobiridze)

182 Light Artillery Brigade (col Kozub)
122 High-Power Howitzer Brigade (col Vinogradov)
184 High-Power Howitzer Brigade (col Prozorov)
311 Guards Mortar Regiment (LC Anashkin)
266 Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment (LC Skvortsov - KIA at Poznan)
189 Heavy Howitzer Brigade (col Shevchenko)
5 Guards Mortar Brigade (col Fantalov)
34 Separate Special Power Artillery Battalion (col Mikhailovskiy)
41 Cannon Artillery Brigade (col Tsarevskiy)

259 Tank Regiment (maj Ivanov)
65 Tank Regiment (col Amel'chenko)
11 Guards Heavy Tank Brigade (col Yeremeyev)
394 Guards Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment (maj Veismann)
1200 Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment (LC Ivanyuk)
371 Guards Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment (maj Kibal')
1504 Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment (LC Luksha)
351 Guards Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment (maj Gertsev)

2 Assault Engineer-Sapper Brigade (MG Voronov)
516 Flame Tank Regiment (LC Lobanov)
41 Flamethrower Battalion (capt Manin)

Also absent in this list is 145 NKVD Rifle Regiment (LC Mazanishvili) which in April 1945 received a honorable name "Poznan" for its actions during the siege.

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A fragment of the Soviet situation map as of 25 January 1945 (start of the siege) with location of units:



The maps also shows 21 Guards Mechanized Brigade/1 Guards Tank Army blocking roads from Poznan to the west. The brigade was withdrawn soon thereafter.

[Art]

Strength of divisions as of 25 January 1945 (from the war diary of the 8 Guards Army):

27 Guards Rifle Division - 4780 men
74 Guards Rifle Division - 5909
82 Guards Rifle Division - 4545
39 Guards Rifle Division - 5854

91 Rifle Corps on 1 February 1945:
117 Rifle Division - 3999 men
312 Rifle Division - 4999
From:
https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=133720266

[mars]

How about causalities breakdown ?

[Laurence Strong]

Strength of divisions as of 25 January 1945 (from the war diary of the 8 Guards Army):

27 Guards Rifle Division - 4780 men
74 Guards Rifle Division - 5909
82 Guards Rifle Division - 4545
39 Guards Rifle Division - 5854

91 Rifle Corps on 1 February 1945:
117 Rifle Division - 3999 men
312 Rifle Division - 4999
From:
https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=133720266

What would the "paper" strength be for a Soviet division?

Thanks

Larry

[Art]

Record of casualties, 8 Guards Army

1-10 February
39 GRD - 134 killed, 429 wounded, 13 sick. Total 576 men
27 GRD - 193 killed, 1016 wounded, 26 sick, 1 other, total 1236
74 GRD - 346 killed, 2 missing, 1041 wounded, 10 sick, 2 others, total 1401
82 GRD - 290 killed, 125 missing, 900 wounded, 22 sick, total 1337
https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=133352602

10-20 February
39 GRD - 35 killed, 4 missing, 113 wounded, 54 sick, total 206
27 GRD - 118 killed, 576 wounded, 39 sick, total 733
74 GRD - 173 killed, 7 missing, 470 wounded, 28 sick, 18 others, total 694
82 GRD - 160 killed, 6 missing, 594 wounded, 34 sick, 28 others, total 822
https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=133352609

20-28 February
27 GRD - 41 killed, 169 wounded, 12 sick, 3 others, total 225
74 GRD - 123 killed, 548 wounded, 12 sick, total 683
82 GRD - 172 killed, 440 wounded, 9 sick, 13 others, total 634
39 GRD - 3 killed, 25 wounded, 16 sick, 1 other, total 45
https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=133352677

91 Rifle Corps, 26 January - 16 February 1945 (entire period when it took part in the siege):
117 Rifle Division - 586 killed, 1099 wounded, 25 sick, total 1790
312 Rifle Division - 489 killed, 1340 wounded, 13 sick, total 1842
https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=156005204

No detailed records for smaller units, no records for the 8 Guards Army 25-31 January 1945, not that I can find at least.

[Art]

What would the "paper" strength be for a Soviet division?

Tables of organizations issued in December 1942 authorized 9+ thousand men in a rifle division. However, not a single frontline division in 1945 ever attained anything close to these numbers. Provisional sub-TO&Es were applied instead, they were issued ad hoc and in many variants. See a topic here:
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic ... 9&t=112693
Divisions of the 8 Guards Army started the winter campaign having 5500-6000 men, by late January the strength was smaller due to losses suffered.

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Correction: 39 Guards Rifle Division was withdrawn from the battle for Poznan on 3 February and deployed on the Oder bridgehead thereafter. Its casualties in the battle for Poznan (26 January - 2 February) were 379 killed and 1272 wounded according to a divisional war diary.

[Art]

From an NKVD losses record 145 NKVD Rifle Regiment lost 33 men killed in action in January 1945



From a list of casualties, they all happened on 30 January 1945 on the eastern edge of Poznan.

[Laurence Strong]

Thank you


Cheers
Larry

[Art]

Ok, for clarification: timeline for divisions employed:
27 Guards Rifle Divisions - 25.01-23.02.45
74 Guards Rifle Division - 25.01-23.02.45
82 Guards Rifle Division - 25.01-23.02.45
39 Guards Rifle Division - 25.01-02.02.45
117 Rifle Division - 25.01-23.02.45 (only limited actions after 16.02.45)
312 Rifle Division - 25.01-16.02.45

[Art]

Some more docs

Casualties of the 29 Guards Rifle Corps (27, 74, 82 Guards Rifle Divisions) at Poznan 24 January - 9 February 1945:
https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=136067552
1197 killed, 5604 wounded, 128 missing, total 6929 battle casualties

Casualties of the 29 Guards Rifle Corps 24 January - 16 February 1945
https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=136067579
1574 killed, 7009 wounded, 137 missing, total 8720 battle casualties

Strength of 29 GRC' divisions on 18 February 1945 (start of the assault on the Poznan citadel):
https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=136067586
27 Guards Rifle Division - 3281 men
74 Guards Rifle Division - 3371 men
82 Guards Rifle Division - 3610 men

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And approximate count of battle casualties (killed, wounded, missing) in the battle for Poznan:

39 Guards Rifle Division - about 1700 men
27 Guards Rifle Division - 2600
74 Guards Rifle Division - 4700
82 Guards Rifle Division - 3300
117 Rifle Division - 1900
312 Rifle Division - 1800
Total 16 000 battle casualties, not counting smaller units.
Calculated from documents posted above, casualties of the 117 Rifle Division 17-23 February - from divisional daily situation reports.

[Art]

Armored units of the 8 Guards Army involved in the battle for Poznan circa 25 January (start of the siege)

11 Guards Heavy Tank Brigade - 65 IS-2 operational
34 Guards Heavy Tank Regiment - 18 IS-2 operational
65 Tank Regiment - 11 T-34 operational
259 Tank Regiment - 7 T-34 operational
351 Guards Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment - 7 SU-152
371 Guards Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment - 6 SU-76
1200 Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment - 7 SU-76
1504 Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment - 11 SU-76
All numbers - as of evening 24.1.45
Total 132 tanks and SP guns.

[Art]

Additionally committed were 394 Guards Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment (7 (I)SU-152 operational) and 516 Flame Tank Regiment - as a part of the 2 Assault Engineer Brigade (total 21 T-34 and OT-34)

Timeline of armored units employed

11 Guards Heavy Tank Brigade 25.1.-2.2.45
34 Guards Heavy Tank Regiment 25-31.1.45
65 Tank Regiment 25.1-6.2.45
259 Tank Regiment 25.1-23.2.45
516 Flame Tank Regiment 28.1-23.2.45
351 Guards Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment 25.1-6.2.45
371 Guards Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment 25.1-19.2.45
394 Guards Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment 7.2-23.2.45
1200 Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment 25.1-23.2.45
1504 Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment 25.-29.1.45

My count of losses suffered in the battle for Poznan (irreparable or write-offs):
11 Guards Heavy Tank Brigade 8 IS-2
34 Guards Heavy Tank Regiment 3 IS-2
65 Tank Regiment 1 T-34
259 Tank Regiment 8 T-34
516 Flame Tank Regiment 7 T-34
351 Guards Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment 1 SU-152
371 Guards Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment 5 SU-76
394 Guards Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment 1 SU-152
1200 Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment 7 SU-76
1504 Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment 8 SU-76
Total 49 tanks/SP guns