Destroyed Rail Line - Winter 1943

[Dann Falk]

Greetings all,

I'm looking for info about the destroyed rail line between Liski and Kupiansk during February or March 1943. The Germans were withdrawing and ripped up the line with a Rail Wolf.

1. When did this take place?
2. Which unit did the damage?
3. Were any other rail lines in that area destroyed during the same time period?
4. How long did it take the Russians to restore rail service along this line...and to what degree?

Thanks for any info

Dann

I should have also said this rail line was East of Kharkov and between the Don and Oskol Rivers.

[GregSingh]

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Most of them.

Ad.4
I've seen data for Liski - Valuyki (162 km), which is 70% of the link Liski - Kupiansk (234 km).
19th Railroad Brigade did the job in 23 days (20.Jan - 12.Feb), fixing 7 km of track per day. 236 people worked per day per kilometer.
Traffic was restored, although outcome was not satisfactory and on the 1st of April it was decided to increase capacity to 18 pairs of trains per day. That was completed in April - May 1943, but I don't have any details.

Sources:
Железнодорожные войска России (Russian Railway Troops, part 3)
Железнодорожники на Курской дуге (Railwaymen at the Kursk Bulge)

BTW
Above sources have restoration data for most of the links in Kursk - Voronezh - Kharkov area from liberation up to the end of March 1943.

[GregSingh]

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You have this on slides 811-816, NARA T311 R264 in details.
That would be 15.01 - 19.01.1943

Liski - Walujki (Valuyki) went first, but "Räumung der Strecke .....nicht restlos geglückt"
Walujki - Kupjansk a day or two later - "Strecke wird planmäßig zerstört"

[Dann Falk]

Thanks for the information and references. I will need to review them thanks!

When the rail line was restored it was only a single track line and could only handle 10-12 pairs of train per day, which was low. Like you said, I guess that is why in April it was decided to increase capacity to 18 pairs of trains per day. (I did not have this info before)

I found out the Rail Wolf (ripper) would work at about 7Km/hour. So with bridge demolitions taking place along the way the entire line (Liski to Kupiansk) could have been destroyed in 3-4 days. My best guess.

Thanks again.... Cheers!

[GregSingh]

When the rail line was restored it was only a single track line

I'm pretty sure one of the sources mentions that second track between Liski and Alexejewka was dismantled by Soviets and material used in other areas, because of shortages early in 1943.

[Art]

4. How long did it take the Russians to restore rail service along this line...and to what degree?

"Railroads were opened to traffic:
a) Liski-Rossosh - 5.2.43; Valuyki-Rossosh - between 6.2 and 9.3.43
b) Liski-Valuyki - 5.2.43; Valuyki-Kupyansk - 18.2.43
c) Stalingrad-Likhaya - 24.4.43"
from "Report on the South-West Front's rear operations in January-February 1943"

[Dann Falk]

Very nice info Art.

With the south route (Stalingrad-Likhaya) blocked until April 24, 1943, this is why half of the 64 Army was transferred as far north as Yelets then to Kastornoe and on to Valuiki for detraining. The other half went via Liski to the Valuiki area.

[Art]

Also a scheme of railroads from the same source:

See page 73 in the doc for original image:
https://pamyat-naroda.ru/dou/?docID=132354654

[Dann Falk]

Wow!...great map, I need to study this one...

Much thanks

[Der Alte Fritz]

Railwaymen at the Kursk bulge can be found here:
http://kurskonb.ru/our-booke/bitva/doc/3.html

and a lengthy article on different types of track destroyers here:
http://fishki.net/1585581-sovetskij-che ... iteli.html

[Dann Falk]

Great Links...I'm translating the Railwaymen at the Kursk bulge right now.

Once again, you provide much needed information.

Thanks