The most important battles of the Second World War. Bloody battles of the Second World War

Russian schoolchildren know the Second World War primarily from such key events like the Battle of Stalingrad or tank battle on the Kursk Bulge. However, the naval battles, the story of which we present, became no less large-scale.

As a result of defeat in the 1940 campaign, France entered into an agreement with the Nazis and became part of the occupied territories of Germany with a formally independent, but controlled by Berlin, Vichy government.

In 1940, the French government became controlled by Berlin

The allies began to fear that the French fleet could cross over to Germany and already 11 days after the French surrender they carried out an operation that would long become a problem in the allied relations of Great Britain and that France that resisted the Nazis. It was called "Catapult". The British captured ships stationed in British ports, forcing French crews from them, which did not happen without clashes. Of course, the allies perceived this as a betrayal. Even more terrible pictures unfolded in Oran; an ultimatum was sent to the command of the ships stationed there - to transfer them to the control of the British or to sink them. They were eventually sunk by the British. All of France's newest battleships were disabled, killing more than 1,000 Frenchmen. The French government broke off diplomatic relations with Great Britain.

The naval battles of World War II differ from previous ones in that they were no longer purely naval battles.

The naval battles of World War II were not purely naval battles

Each of them was combined - with serious aviation support. Some of the ships were aircraft carriers, which made it possible to provide such support. The attack on Pearl Harbor in the Hawaiian Islands was carried out with the help of carrier-based aircraft from Vice Admiral Nagumo's carrier force. Early in the morning, 152 aircraft attacked the US Navy base, taking the unsuspecting military by surprise. Submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy also took part in the attack. American losses were colossal: about 2.5 thousand dead, 4 battleships, 4 destroyers were lost, 188 aircraft were destroyed. The expectation with such a fierce attack was that the Americans would lose heart and most of the US fleet would be destroyed. Neither one nor the other happened. The attack led to the fact that there were no doubts left for the Americans about participating in World War II: on the same day, Washington declared war on Japan, and in response, Germany, which was allied with Japan, declared war on the United States.

A turning point for the US Navy Pacific Ocean. A serious victory against the background of the terrible disaster of the beginning of the war - Pearl Harbor.

The Battle of Midway is a turning point for the American Navy

Midway is a thousand miles from the Hawaiian Islands. Thanks to intercepted Japanese negotiations and intelligence obtained from American aircraft flights, the US command received advance information about the impending attack. On June 4, Vice Admiral Nagumo sent 72 bombers and 36 fighters to the island. The American destroyer raised the signal of an enemy attack and, releasing a cloud of black smoke, attacked the planes with anti-aircraft guns. The battle has begun. US aircraft, meanwhile, headed for Japanese aircraft carriers, and as a result, 4 of them were sunk. Japan also lost 248 aircraft and about 2.5 thousand people. American losses are more modest - 1 aircraft carrier, 1 destroyer, 150 aircraft and about 300 people. The order to stop the operation arrived on the night of June 5.

Leyte is a Philippine island around which one of the heaviest and largest naval battles unfolded.

The Battle of Leyte is one of the most difficult and large-scale naval battles

American and Australian ships began a battle against the Japanese fleet, which, being in a stalemate, carried out an attack from four sides, using kamikaze in its tactics - the Japanese military committed suicide in order to inflict as much damage as possible on the enemy. This is the last one major operation for the Japanese, who by the time it started had already lost their strategic advantage. However, the Allied forces still won. On the Japanese side, 10 thousand people died, but due to the work of the kamikaze, the allies also suffered serious losses - 3500. In addition, Japan lost the legendary battleship Musashi and almost lost another - Yamato. At the same time, the Japanese had a chance to win. However, due to the use of a dense smoke screen, the Japanese commanders could not adequately assess the enemy’s forces and did not dare to fight “to the last man,” but retreated.

Operation Catechism— sinking of the German battleship Tirpitz— November 12, 1944

The Tirpitz was the second Bismarck-class battleship and one of the most powerful and fearsome warships of the German forces.

Tirpitz is one of the most feared warships of the German forces

From the moment it was put into service, the British Navy began a real hunt for it. The battleship was first discovered in September and, as a result of an attack by British aircraft, turned into a floating battery, losing the opportunity to participate in naval operations. On November 12, it was no longer possible to hide the ship; the ship was hit by three Tallboy bombs, one of which led to an explosion in its powder magazine. The Tirpitz sank off Tromsø just a few minutes after this attack, killing about a thousand people. The liquidation of this battleship meant virtually a complete naval victory for the Allies over Germany, which freed up naval forces for use in the Indian and Pacific oceans. The first battleship of this type, the Bismarck, caused much more trouble - in 1941, it sank the British flagship and battle cruiser Hood in the Denmark Strait. As a result of a three-day hunt for the newest ship, it was also sunk.

From the very beginning of World War II, the United States provided England with the maximum possible assistance. Hitler had every reason to declare war on the United States, but he held back for fear of the country entering the war. It is quite possible that the American government would not have been able to find sufficient reasons to enter the war in Europe if the war in the Pacific had not broken out. Conflict in the Pacific had been brewing since the outbreak of the war in Europe. Japan, taking advantage of the weakening of France, penetrated into Indochina. At the same time, she continued the war in China and developed plans to conquer Malaysia, hoping to establish control over the rubber plantations of that country.

The United States treated all these Japanese actions with restraint, not wanting to provoke a Japanese attack on Southeast Asia and Indonesia. The Japanese capture of Indochina in July 1941 changed US policy. The United States froze Japanese assets and cut off Japan from oil sources; the British and Dutch did the same. Japan could not continue the war without Indonesian oil and Malaysian rubber and tin.

While Japanese representatives were negotiating in Washington, events took an unexpected turn. On December 7, 1941, a squadron of Japanese aircraft made a surprise raid on the US naval base in Pearl Harbor (Hawaii Islands), where the US Pacific Fleet was concentrated. The results of the attack were horrifying: 4 out of 8 battleships were sunk, 18 warships were disabled, 188 aircraft were destroyed and 128 were damaged, and 3 thousand military personnel were killed. December 8 USA. declared war on Japan. In response, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States, and on the same day the United States declared war on Germany and Italy. The United States became directly involved in the war.

America was not prepared for war. Although universal conscription was introduced in the United States in 1940, the army was small, untrained, and poorly equipped. American industry had not yet been transferred to a war footing, and the Japanese, taking advantage of the weakness of the American fleet, achieved rapid success.

At the first stage of the war main task The Japanese wanted to cut off Southeast Asia from England, so the main blow was dealt to Singapore, which was the most powerful British naval base, which kept everything under control sea ​​routes from Europe to the Pacific Ocean. On the same day as the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese aircraft raided Singapore and landed troops in Kota Bharu, 200 km from Singapore. Japanese troops reached Singapore within two months.
Singapore capitulated on February 15, 1942, offering virtually no resistance. The English garrison, which had powerful fortifications and was well armed, threw out the white flag without a fight. 100 thousand British soldiers surrendered, the Japanese received 740 guns, 2,500 machine guns and 200 tanks.

The fall of Singapore led to the collapse of the entire defensive system in the Pacific. By May 1942, Japan occupied Malaysia, Indonesia, New Guinea, Burma, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Guam, and the Solomon Islands, i.e., a territory inhabited by 400 million people. A real threat arose to India and Australia. However, the German offensive on the Soviet-German front in the summer of 1942 changed the strategic direction of the Japanese offensive. In anticipation of the fall of Stalingrad in November 1942, the best Japanese divisions were transferred to Manchuria. Half of all artillery was concentrated here Japanese army and 2/3 tanks. This was a mistake by the Japanese leadership. The situation in the Pacific Ocean began to gradually change. The United States took advantage of the respite and concentrated its armed forces and re-equipped its air force and navy. Japan switched to defensive actions in the Pacific. The United States seized the initiative and maintained it until the end of the war.

Battle of Stalingrad

In the summer of 1942, the main events of World War II unfolded in Europe. The German army resumed its offensive in the Soviet Union on all fronts, but achieved success only on the Southern Front, where it reached the Caucasus Range and captured oil-bearing areas North Caucasus and went to Stalingrad. Major General Sabir Rakhimov took an active part in the battles in the Caucasus.

The Battle of Stalingrad lasted six months, from July 17, 1942 to February 2, 1943, and marked the beginning of a fundamental change in the course of World War II. As a result of this battle, five armies of Nazi Germany were completely surrounded, and the encircled group was destroyed German troops. The total losses of the Wehrmacht during the Battle of Stalingrad amounted to about 1.5 million people. 91 thousand soldiers, 26 thousand officers, 24 generals led by the commander of the 6th Army, Field Marshal Paulus, were captured. It was a disaster that signaled the beginning of the end of Hitler's Germany. Three days of mourning were declared in Germany.

After the Battle of Stalingrad, the strategic initiative in the war passed to the Red Army. The front rolled non-stop to the west. In the fall of 1944, German troops were expelled from the territory of the Soviet Union. Soviet troops began offensive operations in the countries of Central and South-Eastern Europe occupied by the Nazis.

Liberation of the territory of the USSR

From July 5 to August 23, 1943, the Battle of Kursk took place. The goal was to disrupt the advance of German troops in the Kursk ledge area. After a tank battle near the village of Prokhorovka

On July 12, in which 1,200 tanks took part on both sides, the enemy’s retreat began. In the Battle of Kursk, Wehrmacht losses amounted to about 500 thousand people, 1.5 thousand tanks, over 3.7 thousand aircraft, and more than 3 thousand guns were destroyed.

From August to December 1943, the battle for the Dnieper continued. The Soviet troops were opposed by Army Group Center and the main forces of Army Group South. These two groups formed the Eastern Wall defensive line, the main part of which ran along the banks of the Dnieper. During the Battle of the Dnieper, Soviet troops captured a strategic bridgehead on the Dnieper and liberated over 38 thousand settlements, including 160 cities.

From July 10, 1941 to August 9, 1944, the defense of Leningrad lasted. Army Group North (29 divisions) had the task of defeating Soviet troops in the Baltic states and, interacting with part of the forces of Army Group Center, capturing Leningrad and Kronstadt. On September 8, 1941, German troops cut off Leningrad from land. The blockade of the city began. Only on January 18, 1943 did Soviet troops break through the blockade, and in January 1944 they completely liquidated it. On August 10, 1944, the battle for Leningrad ended.

From June 23 to August 29, 1944, the Belarusian operation to liberate Belarus continued. During this operation, the main forces of Army Group Center were surrounded and destroyed, the liberation of Belarus, parts of Lithuania and Latvia was completed

Offensive in Western Europe

On July 20, 1944, during a meeting held by Hitler at the main headquarters, an explosion occurred, as a result of which four officers were killed. Hitler himself was not injured. The assassination attempt was organized by Wehrmacht officers, and the bomb was planted by Colonel Stauffenberg. A series of executions followed, during which more than 5 thousand people involved in the conspiracy were shot.

Time was working for the allies of the Soviet Union. By 1942, the United States transferred industrial production to wartime mode. During the entire war, the United States supplied 300 thousand aircraft, 86 thousand tanks and 2.1 million guns and machine guns to England and the USSR. Deliveries were carried out in accordance with Lend-Lease. The United States supplied England and the USSR with $50 billion worth of products during the war. US supplies and the increase in their own production of military equipment allowed the Allies to achieve superiority in military equipment over Nazi Germany already in 1942. In 1943, US industry was operating at full capacity. New technology and tactics made it possible to destroy almost all of the German submarine fleet in the Atlantic Ocean. American technology moved to Europe in a huge stream.

In November 1942, the Anglo-American landing began on the coasts of Algeria and Morocco. About 450 warships and transport vessels ensured the transfer of people and equipment across the ocean from the USA and England to the ports of Casablanca, Algiers and Oran. French troops, under the command of the Vichy government, offered no resistance. Anglo-American troops under the command of General D. Eisenhower (1890-1969) began an attack on Tunisia.

A little earlier, near the small town of El Atmein. located 90 km from Alexandria, a battle took place in which British troops under the command of Field Marshal B. Montgomery (1887-1976) inflicted a decisive defeat on the Afrika Korps under the command of Field Marshal E. Rommel (1891 - 1944). After Stalingrad, it was one of the most crushing defeats for Germany and Italy in World War II. The Battle of El Alamein began on October 23 and ended on November 4, 1942. Of the 249 tanks, Rommel only had 36 left; he lost 400 guns and several thousand vehicles. 20 thousand German soldiers surrendered to the British. After this battle, the Germans retreated non-stop for 2.5 thousand km. In May 1943, British troops and the Anglo-American Expeditionary Force met in Tunisia and inflicted a new defeat on the Italo-German forces. North Africa was cleared of Nazi troops, and the Mediterranean Sea came completely under Allied control.

Without giving the enemy the opportunity to recover from heavy defeats, Anglo-American troops in July-August 1943 carried out a landing in Sicily. The Italians did not offer serious resistance. In Italy there was a crisis of the fascist dictatorship. Mussolini was overthrown. The new government led by Marshal Badoglio signed an armistice on September 3, 1943, according to which the Italian troops stopped resistance and capitulated.

Saving Mussolini's regime, German troops moved to the center of Italy, captured Rome, disarmed Italian units and established a brutal occupation regime in Italy. Having fled to the protection of the Allied forces, the Badoglio government declared war on Germany on October 13, 1943.

On June 6, 1944, the landing of American-British troops began in northern France, in Normandy. It was practical step in the long-promised opening of a second front by the Allies. By July 24, the number of Allied troops amounted to over 1.5 million people. The Allied forces outnumbered the enemy in personnel and tanks by 3 times, in aircraft by more than 60 times, they completely dominated the sea and air. On August 15, 1944, American and French troops landed in the south of France. On August 25, units of the French Resistance, by agreement with the American command, entered Paris, and the national banner soared over the capital of France.

The opening of the second front became important event during the Second World War. Now Germany had to fight a war on two fronts in Europe, which limited the possibilities for strategic maneuver. American and British aviation completely dominated the air of Western Europe. All roads and communications were controlled by Allied aviation.

The scale of strategic bombing of Germany expanded, in which large forces of Anglo-American aviation began to be involved. During the day, American aircraft carried out raids on industrial facilities, railways, bridges, submarine bases, factories for the production of synthetic gasoline and rubber. At night, British aircraft bombed mainly cities, trying to suppress the morale of the civilian population. As a result of the bombing, most of the defense enterprises located on German territory were destroyed, the air defense system was suppressed, and German aviation did not take active action. Civilians suffered the most from air raids. By the spring of 1945, almost a quarter of Berlin was destroyed by bombing. The transport system and the work of the rear of the fascist troops were practically destroyed and disorganized.

At the beginning of 1943, a turning point came in the war in the Pacific. Economic situation Japan's situation has deteriorated sharply. The food supply to the population first decreased and then stopped completely. Strikes began in the country. Anti-war sentiments were openly expressed. Thus, the military defeat was combined with a deep internal crisis. The political crisis in the country was expressed in a change of government. In July 1944, the Tojo cabinet, which started the war in the Pacific, was dismissed in April
1945 there was a new change in the Japanese government.

• Summary
  December 7, 1941 - Japanese bombing of the US naval base at Pearl Harbor in the Hawaiian Islands. US declaration of war on Japan
  December 11, 1941 - Italy and Germany declare war on the United States
  February 15, 1942 - Japanese capture of the British naval base on the island of Singapore. Collapse of the defense system in the Pacific Ocean
  1942 - Japanese occupation of Malaysia, Indonesia, New Guinea. Burma, Philippines, Hong Kong and other territories
  July 17, 1942 - February 2, 1943 - Battle of Stalingrad - a turning point in the Second World War
  October 23 - November 4, 1942 - defeat of the Italo-German troops at El Apamein (Egypt), transfer of strategic initiative to the British army
  May 1943 - liberation of North Africa from Italian-German troops
  July 5 - August 23, 1943 - Battle of Kursk
  August-December 1943 - Battle of the Dnieper
  September 3, 1943 - the capitulation of Italy marked the beginning of the collapse of the Nazi bloc
  June 6, 1944 - opening of the second front
  July 20, 1944 - unsuccessful attempt on Hitler's life
  August 10, 1944 - end of the Battle of Leningrad

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The main battles of the Second World War in 1941-1944. Updated: January 27, 2017 By: admin

Admiral Graf Spee became the third German “pocket battleship” built after the cruisers Deutschland (Lützow) and Admiral Scheer. In the early months of World War II, she sank British merchant ships with impunity, becoming the most famous ship of her type. And the results of his first and last battle provide rich material for analyzing the effectiveness of artillery weapons and armor protection of German heavy cruisers.Why is the Battle of La Plata and its results still causing such heated debate?

At the outbreak of World War II, the heavy cruiser Admiral Graf Spee, under the command of Captain Zur See Hans Langsdorff, was in the Central Atlantic. He received the order to open the cruising war only on September 25, 1939 - until that moment, Hitler still hoped to peacefully resolve the conflict with Great Britain. The war was to be fought strictly according to prize rules, so there was no question of unexpected artillery or torpedo attacks.

For almost two and a half months, the Spee and the Deutschland, together with several supply ships, operated with impunity in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. To search for them, the British and French had to allocate 3 battle cruisers, 3 aircraft carriers, 9 heavy and 5 light cruisers. In the end, Commodore Henry Harewood's Group G (heavy cruiser Exeter, light cruisers Ajax and Achilles) intercepted the Spee off the coast South America, near the mouth of the La Plata River.

This battle became one of the few classic artillery battles naval battles World War II, providing a clear illustration of the old debate about what is more effective - the caliber of guns or the weight of the salvo?

"Admiral Graf Spee" passes through the Kiel Canal, 1939
Source – johannes-heyen.de

In terms of total displacement, the three British cruisers were approximately twice as large as the Spee, and more than one and a half times greater in weight per minute salvo. To extol the achievements of their side, some British researchers compared the weight of a single salvo of ships without taking into account the rate of fire - these figures reached the Soviet press and for some time misled fans naval history. According to these data, a ship with a standard displacement of 12,540 tons was twice as powerful as three cruisers with a total standard displacement of 22,400 tons.

Diagram of the heavy cruiser "Admiral Graf Spee", 1939
Source – A. V. Platonov, Yu. V. Apalkov. German warships, 1939–1945. St. Petersburg, 1995

“Spee” carried only six guns, but 283-mm caliber, firing 4,500 kg of metal per minute. In addition, it had eight 150-mm guns in light mounts, placed four per side (another 2,540 kg of metal per minute, 1,270 kg per side).

Aft tower of "Admiral Count Spee"
Source – commons.wikimedia.org

The Exeter also carried six guns, but only 203 mm, as it was originally considered a B-class scout rather than an A-class. The weight of its one-minute salvo was only 2780 kg - more than two times less than that of the enemy. The same type "Ajax" (Harewood's flag) and "Achilles" each had eight 152-mm guns in two-gun turrets and, at the maximum rate of fire (8 rounds per minute), could fire 3,260 kg of metal per minute (more than the flagship). Thus, the total broadside salvo of the British squadron was 9300 kg, that is, it exceeded the salvo of the Spee, if not two, then at least one and a half times (taking into account the fact that the average caliber of the “German” could fire on board only half of the guns) . Undoubtedly, the Spee was much better protected, but had a speed of 5 knots less. Thus, there was classic example“asymmetrical” battle, in which each side had its own advantages.

One against three

The opponents discovered each other on the morning of December 13, 1939, almost simultaneously (about 5:50 GMT), but the Germans quickly realized that in front of them was warships. True, they mistook the light cruisers for destroyers, so the raider willingly moved to approach. In the first minutes, no one opened fire, although the distance was a little more than a hundred cables.

At 6:14 am, Commodore Harewood gave the order to split up to engage the enemy in a pincer movement. The heavy Exeter moved straight towards the German, passing to his left, while both light cruisers moved in a wide arc, bypassing the enemy on the right and keeping a great distance from him. This maneuver looks strange: keeping a distance of a hundred cables, the British had little chance of hitting the enemy, while the enemy 283-mm cannons remained very dangerous for them. On the contrary, the most effective tactic for them was to quickly close the distance and approach to such a distance that 152-mm shells could penetrate the side of the Spee. In addition, this would allow the British to use torpedo tubes - the Germans were afraid of such a possibility (evidence of this is the behavior of “Luttsov” and “Hipper” in the “New Year’s Battle” on December 31, 1942). Exeter actually fired torpedoes at the beginning of the battle, but Ajax used them only at the end of the battle (about 7:30), when the distance was reduced to 50 cabs; a little earlier, Spee fired one torpedo. Even if the torpedoes had not hit the German cruiser, dodging them would, one way or another, reduce the accuracy of its shooting.

English cruisers Ajax and Exeter (in the background). Montevideo, November 1939

In turn, Exeter, with its longer-range guns, had no need to reduce the distance. The only explanation for his maneuver is that the British exaggerated the defense of the Admiral Graf Spee and tried to get closer to him. However, this in no way justifies the division of forces: alone, the heavy cruiser was significantly inferior to the “pocket battleship”. In addition, when entering from different sides, the British allowed the enemy to bring into action all eight 150-mm guns instead of four.

First phase of the battle: a crushing blow to Exeter

At 6:18, the Spee opened fire on the Exeter from the main caliber bow turret from a distance of approximately 90 kb. Exeter responded at 6:20 - first from two bow turrets, then, turning slightly to the left, brought the stern turret into operation. At 6:21, Ajax began firing, at 6:23, Achilles. All British ships fired semi-armor-piercing shells (“common”) - for 203 mm guns this was quite justified, but 152 mm shells had no chance of penetrating the “German’s” armor. It would have been more logical to use high-explosive shells, which had a greater damaging effect, but at the beginning of the war the British simply did not have enough of them.

The Germans fired in a “ladder” pattern - they fired the next salvo without waiting for the previous one to fall - but for greater accuracy, they first fired from the towers one by one, and switched to full six-gun salvoes only after they achieved the first coverage. At first, the Spee fired semi-armor-piercing shells, but after the first hits it switched to high-explosive instantaneous shells: the chief gunner of the German cruiser, Paul Ascher, hoped to achieve maximum damage, considering the Exeter’s defense weak and incomplete.

Heavy cruiser Exeter in 1941

The Exeter was hit by the third salvo, receiving significant shrapnel damage to unprotected equipment (in particular, the plane on the catapult was destroyed). The fourth salvo gave one hit in the bow, but the semi-armor-piercing 283-mm shell pierced the hull without having time to explode. The next hit was equally ineffective - perhaps the Germans noticed this and therefore switched to firing high-explosive shells.

The first 283-mm high-explosive shell that hit the Exeter (at 6:25) exploded, hitting the second turret - its light 25-mm armor was not penetrated, but the turret was still out of action until the end of the battle. The shrapnel killed the people on the bridge (the ship's commander, Captain Frederick Bell, miraculously survived), and the cruiser lost control for some time, and most importantly, the artillery fire control system failed. It is unlikely that even an armor-piercing shell could have caused more damage.

After this, the Spee divided the fire, redirecting the bow turret towards the light cruisers - especially since after 6:30 the Exeter was covered with a smoke screen. Distance to new goal at this moment there were about 65 cabs. At 6:40 a.m., a 283-mm shell exploded at the Achilles's stem, damaging the command and rangefinder post and wounding the ship's commander, Edward Perry (some sources write about the injury of an artillery officer), as well as disabling the radio station, which disrupted communication with the spotter aircraft . Soon after this, the Exeter was hit by two more shells: one of them disabled the first turret (and the charge caught fire in the breaker, and in order to avoid an explosion the British had to flood its cellars), and the second pierced the hull above the belt, destroyed the radio room and exploded under deck on the port side. The second hit disabled the 102 mm gun and caused a fire in the fenders of the first shots.

Battle of La Plata December 13, 1939
Source – S. Roskill. Fleet and war. Volume 1. M.: Voenizdat, 1967

At 6:42, the last shell hit the Exeter - the location of the hit is unknown, but, apparently, it was in the bow near the waterline, since by the end of the battle the cruiser had a meter trim on the bow and a list to the left side, and its the speed dropped to 17 knots, although the vehicles remained undamaged. Finally, at 7:30, the water shorted the power cables of the aft tower and put it out of action - the cruiser lost all of its artillery.

In response, the Spee received only two 203-mm shells from the Exeter. One of them pierced through the high tower-like superstructure and did not explode. But the second, from a distance of about 65 cabs, entered the side almost at a right angle (at that moment the Spee turned sharply to the left, from 6:22 to 6:25 changing course by almost 90°), pierced 100 mm of the armor of the upper part of the belt above the armor deck, then pierced the 40-mm upper longitudinal bulkhead and at a very acute angle came into contact with the 20-mm armored deck, where it exploded in the food storeroom. The main fire line was cut off and a local fire broke out, but overall the German ship was lucky: the damage was minor. The “spaced” reservation system worked - it can be argued that it provided protection from 203-mm armor-piercing shells at a distance of at least 65 kb and when hit at angles close to 90°.

Second phase of the battle: "Spee" against light cruisers

At approximately 6:45, the Spee transferred all its fire to the light cruisers, which had already been firing at it for a long time and scored several hits (though causing virtually no damage). At that moment there were about 90 cabs before them, and this distance increased as the Spee left the British exactly abeam. Seeing this, Harewood, who was on the Ajax, ordered his ships to turn around and catch up with the enemy, still keeping to his right.

At 06:55, Harewood's ships swung 30° to port to engage all of their turrets. At this point, the distance between the opponents was 85–90 cab. According to the British, after this the second salvo produced hits, but the German ship began to maneuver, knocking down the sight. After 7:10, “Spee” again fired for some time at the “Exeter” that appeared from the smoke from a distance of 70 cabs, but did not achieve any hits.

The actions of the German commander were extremely unsuccessful - by maneuvering, Langsdorff prevented not only the enemy from shooting, but also his own gunners. At the same time, Harewood, taking advantage of his speed advantage, was steadily closing the distance, and this brought more benefits to the light cruisers, all of whose 152 mm guns were now in action.

Light cruiser Ajax in 1939
Source – S. Patyanin, A. Dashyan, K. Balakin. All cruisers of World War II. M.: Yauza, Eksmo, 2012

Thanks to the high rate of fire and the presence of a spotter aircraft, the British began to achieve an increasing number of hits from a distance of 80 cabs. By 7:10, the Spee was hit by 4 to 6 shells. One hit the 150-mm installation No. 3, destroying it along with the crew, the other hit the stern behind the armored citadel, killed two people, but did not explode (according to English data, it was a training blank). Two more shells hit the tower-like superstructure: one exploded above the upper director of the main caliber (three people were killed, but the damage was again minimal), the other destroyed the right rangefinder and caused damage to the directors of the anti-aircraft and main calibers (the connection of the latter with the towers was disrupted for some time) . The explosion disabled the poorly protected system for supplying shells to the bow group of 150-mm guns.

To get closer to the enemy, after 7:10 Harewood changed course, and now only the bow turrets could fire at his cruisers. At this time, the German ship was also strictly stern to the British. As a result, despite the reduction in distance, the hits stopped. However, at 7:16, Spee began to maneuver, bringing both turrets into action and achieving coverage. The distance between the opponents began to quickly decrease.

The British took aim again: one of their shells hit the rear of the Spee and disabled the equipment. remote control torpedo tubes, another disabled the 105-mm universal installation, and the third exploded at the base of the catapult, destroying the aircraft standing on it. Two more shells hit the rear turret without causing any damage. Finally, it is known that one of the 152-mm shells hit the surface part of the armor belt (thickness - 100 mm) in the area of ​​the aft turret, but did not penetrate it.

At 7:25, a German 283-mm shell from a distance of about 50 cabs pierced the barbette of the third Ajax turret and hit the barbette of the fourth turret, disabling both (it is not clear whether an explosion occurred). At the same time, the supply to one of the guns in the second turret failed. There were only three intact guns left on the cruiser, but Harewood did not leave the battle.

Mutual maneuvers again disrupted aiming for both sides for a while, but at 7:34 from a distance of 40 cabs, Spee again achieved coverage: fragments from a close explosion demolished the top of the mast along with the antennas on the Ajax (S. Roskill describes this as a hit and dates to 7:38).

"Admiral Graf Spee" enters the Montevideo roadstead after the battle
Source – V. Kofman, M. Knyazev. Hitler's armored pirates. Heavy cruisers of the Deutschland and Admiral Hipper classes. M.: Yauza, Eksmo, 2012

During this period of the battle, the Spee received three hits at once in the superstructure, which destroyed the galley, but again did not cause serious damage. Another shell hit the bow turret, not penetrating its armor, but, according to some sources, jamming the middle gun - perhaps temporarily.

The ships of both sides began to run out of ammunition, they fired more slowly and more carefully, so no one else scored any hits. On the Ajax there were 7 killed and 5 wounded, on the Achilles there were 4 killed and 7 wounded. At 7:42, Harewood laid a smoke screen, and under its cover the British ships described a zigzag to sharply increase the distance to the enemy. The British tried not to let the German ship out of sight, but at the same time keep a distance of one and a half hundred cables from it, and as a result, they “guided” the enemy almost to Montevideo.

Results of the battle

During the entire battle, “Spee” was hit by two 203 mm and up to eighteen 152 mm shells. The latter is explained big amount and the high rate of fire of six-inch guns: in a minute the British cruisers could fire over a hundred shells and by the end of the battle they had almost exhausted their ammunition. But the Exeter could fire only two dozen 203-mm shells per minute, and it did not participate in the fire battle until the end of the collision.

Not all 152-mm shells had any effect on the Spee. Some of them did not explode, and some simply passed through the high superstructure without much harm to the ship.

Damage received by "Admiral Graf Spee" during the battle of La Plata
Source – V. Kofman, M. Knyazev. Hitler's armored pirates. Heavy cruisers of the Deutschland and Admiral Hipper classes. M.: Yauza, Eksmo, 2012

The locations and consequences of hits from 14 out of 18 shells are known (they are described above). At least one shell (possibly more) hit the main belt without penetrating it. Three shells hit the main caliber turrets, which had a 140-mm front (one in the bow, two in the stern), also without penetrating the armor and only temporarily disabling one 283-mm gun. Only two 152-mm shells had a more or less serious effect: one of them destroyed the 150-mm gun, the other disabled the supply of 150-mm shells and for some time disrupted the fire control of the main caliber. It is known that the Spee had two holes with an area of ​​about 0.5 m2 each (above the waterline and at its level), which were completely removable at sea. Thus, the main impact of six-inch shells affected only the deck and superstructures of the German ship.

The impact of the 203rd shells turned out to be even less significant. One of them also went right through the superstructure, as the British used semi-armor-piercing shells. Another (most likely not a “common”, but a purely armor-piercing one) hit the “Spee” at a very favorable angle, pierced the belt and the internal bulkhead, but exploded on the 20-mm armored deck.

152-mm shells also accounted for most of the German casualties: 36 people were killed (including one officer), another 58 were wounded (albeit, most of them lightly). However, the damage to the ship itself practically did not reduce its survivability and had very little effect on its combat effectiveness. At the same time, the fact that the armor was almost completely penetrated suggests that only 203 mm shells posed a real danger to the survivability of the “pocket battleship” (at least in theory).

The impact of German 283 mm shells on British ships was much more noticeable. Although the Spee, even firing on its entire side, could fire no more than twelve main-caliber shells per minute, the Exeter was hit by six such shells (although two of them pierced the ends and did not explode). As a result, the British heavy cruiser lost all its artillery, slowed down and took on a significant amount of water, and its flow could not be stopped for quite some time. 61 people died on the ship (including 5 officers), and another 34 sailors were injured. If Langsdorff had acted more decisively, had not “pulled” his ship from side to side and had not constantly changed targets, it would not have been difficult for him to overtake and sink the “wounded man” (at least with torpedoes).

Exploded and burning "Spee"
Source – Illustrated London News, Dec. 30, 1939

The Spee's shooting at the light cruisers turned out to be much less successful - in fact, the Germans achieved only one hit with the main caliber on the Ajax and two very close falls, mainly causing damage to the control and communication systems of both cruisers (in particular, it was disrupted for some time communication with the spotter). But just one successfully hit 283-mm shell disabled half of the artillery of the flagship Ajax, forcing Harewood to actually stop the artillery battle. It is noteworthy that the 150-mm Spee guns did not make a single hit - partly because their fire control system worked much worse (largely due to the fact that they had limited aiming angles and were forced to constantly change when maneuvering the ship goals).

In general, the Spee spent the second half of the battle (the battle with light cruisers) noticeably worse than the first. The British achieved twice the percentage of direct hits - and this despite the fact that at a distance of 70–80 cabs, German 283 mm guns should have been significantly superior in accuracy to the enemy’s 152 mm guns. Such poor shooting is partly due to unsuccessful and ill-conceived maneuvering. On the other hand, the only German 283-mm shell that hit the target directly caused more damage to the enemy than two dozen British 152-mm shells did to the Spee itself.

The sunken Spee. Photo taken by the British in 1940
Source – V. Kofman, M. Knyazev. Hitler's armored pirates. Heavy cruisers of the Deutschland and Admiral Hipper classes. M.: Yauza, Eksmo, 2012

Langsdorff's mistaken decision to go to Montevideo, which became a deliberate trap, was made not because of losses and damage, but after the Spee commander received a message that 60% of the shells had been spent. Perhaps he played a role psychological effect from the unsuccessful course of the second phase of the battle, which began so promisingly for the Germans. On the evening of December 17, 1939, the Spee was blown up and scuttled by its own crew in neutral waters four kilometers from the Uruguayan coast. The ship's commander, Langsdorff, shot himself. This also indicates the emotional instability of the German commander, which prevented him from adequately leading the battle and achieving victory.

Bibliography:

1. V. Kofman, M. Knyazev. Hitler's armored pirates. Heavy cruisers of the Deutschland and Admiral Hipper classes. M.: Yauza, Eskmo, 2012
2. S. Roskill. Fleet and war. Volume 1. M.: Voenizdat, 1967
3. http://www.navweaps.com

Second World War became the bloodiest and most brutal military conflict in the entire history of mankind and the only one in which nuclear weapons were used. 61 states took part in it. The dates of the beginning and end of this war are among the most significant for the entire civilized world. The causes of the Second World War were the imbalance of power in the world and the problems provoked by the results of the First World War, in particular territorial disputes. The winners of the First World War, the USA, England, and France, concluded the Treaty of Versailles on conditions that were most unfavorable and humiliating for the losing countries, Turkey and Germany, which provoked an increase in tension in the world. At the same time, adopted in the late 1930s by England and France, the policy of appeasing the aggressor made it possible for Germany to sharply increase its military potential, which accelerated the Nazis’ transition to active military action.

The main battles of World War II, which were of great importance for the history of the USSR, are:

By the end of September 1941, the Wehrmacht overcame the resistance of Soviet troops in the Battle of Smolensk. Having secretly concentrated more than half of the troops on the Soviet-German front, the Germans launched an attack on Moscow.

The Center Group began to implement the carefully developed Typhoon plan. The Germans managed to break through the heavily extended defenses of the Soviet troops and, wedged deep into the rear, encircled two Soviet armies near Bryansk and four near Vyazma. More than 660 thousand soldiers were captured.

Every day the situation near Moscow became more and more dramatic. Hitler's troops came close to the city.

By the beginning of December 1941, the Germans managed to reach the Moscow-Volga Canal and, having crossed it, occupy Khimki. From the east, the Germans crossed the Nara River and reached Kashira. On October 8, the State Defense Committee decided to evacuate a significant part of government institutions and enterprises. The creation of a militia began in Moscow, and the city went into a state of siege.

Despite the difficult situation at the front, on November 7, 1941, a military parade took place on Red Square. Stalin made a patriotic speech. This made a tremendous impression on Soviet citizens, instilling in them confidence in victory. From the parade the troops went to the front line.

The troops were tasked with defeating the strike forces of the Army Center and eliminating the threat of the capture of Moscow.

This came as a complete surprise to the German command. During this offensive, German troops were driven back 120-150 km from the capital.

During December, they lost over 120 thousand soldiers and officers killed. The Red Army liberated the cities of Kaluga and Tver.

For the first time in all previous military campaigns, fascist troops suffered such losses. The myth of their invincibility was dispelled before the whole world near Moscow.

The Battle of Stalingrad July 17, 1942 - February 2, 1943, which marked a radical turning point in the war.

Battle of Stalingrad, one of the greatest battles The Great Patriotic War was a turning point during the Second World War. Interest in Stalingrad does not wane, and the debate among researchers continues. Stalingrad is a city that has become a symbol of suffering and pain, which has become a symbol of the greatest courage. Stalingrad will remain for centuries in the memory of mankind. The Battle of Stalingrad is conventionally divided into two periods: defensive and offensive. The defensive period began on July 17, 1942 and ended on November 18, 1942. The offensive period began with a Soviet counteroffensive on November 19, 1942 and ended with victorious salvoes on February 2, 1943. At certain stages, more than 2 million people took part in the battle.

The Battle of Stalingrad surpassed all previous battles in world history in terms of the duration and ferocity of the fighting, the number of people and military equipment involved. It unfolded over a vast territory of 100 thousand km2. At certain stages, more than 2 million people, more than 2 thousand tanks, more than 2 thousand aircraft, 26 thousand guns took part in it on both sides. The results of the battle surpassed all previous ones. During its time, the Soviet armed forces defeated five enemy armies: two German, two Romanian and one Italian. The Nazi troops lost up to 1.5 million soldiers and officers killed, wounded, and captured. a large number of military equipment, weapons and equipment.

The Motherland highly appreciated the historical feat of Stalingrad. It was awarded the title of hero city. 55 formations and units that distinguished themselves in the Battle of Stalingrad were awarded orders.

The Battle of Stalingrad ended, historical meaning which was recognized by the whole world. Stalingrad lay in ruins. The total material damage exceeded 9 billion rubles. And it was quite understandable that people wanted to see it revived and not just a city for residents, but a city-monument, in stone and bronze, with an edifying lesson in retribution to the enemy, a city eternal memory to his fallen defenders. Every Stalingrad family suffered - 300 thousand civilians were evacuated, 75 thousand people fought in militias and fighter battalions, 43 thousand people died during enemy air raids and artillery shelling, 50 thousand people were wounded, forced into forced labor in 46 thousand people were kidnapped in Germany.

The revival of the hero city became a significant milestone in the history of the people and the country.

Battle of Kursk July 5 - August 23, 1943, during which the largest tank battle of World War II took place near the village of Prokhorovka.

The Battle of Kursk occupies a special place in the Great Patriotic War. It lasted 50 days and nights, from July 5 to August 23, 1943. This battle has no equal in its ferocity and tenacity of struggle.

The general plan of the German command was to encircle and destroy the troops of the Central and Voronezh fronts defending in the Kursk area. If successful, it was planned to expand the offensive front and regain the strategic initiative. To implement his plans, the enemy concentrated powerful strike forces.

The Soviet command decided to first bleed the enemy's strike forces in defensive battles and then launch a counteroffensive. The battle that began immediately took on a grand scale and was extremely tense. Our troops did not flinch. They faced avalanches of enemy tanks and infantry with unprecedented tenacity and courage. The advance of enemy strike forces was suspended. Only at a price huge losses he managed to penetrate our defenses in certain areas. On the Central Front - 10-12 km, on Voronezh - up to 35 km. The largest oncoming tank battle of the entire Second World War near Prokhorovka finally buried Hitler’s Operation Citadel. It happened on July 12. 1,200 tanks and self-propelled guns simultaneously participated in it on both sides. This battle was won by Soviet soldiers. The Nazis, having lost up to 400 tanks during the day of battle, were forced to abandon the offensive.

On July 12, the second stage of the Battle of Kursk began - the counteroffensive of Soviet troops. On August 5, Soviet troops liberated the cities of Orel and Belgorod. On the evening of August 5, in honor of this major success, a victorious salute was given in Moscow for the first time in two years of war. From that time on, artillery salutes constantly announced glorious victories. Soviet weapons. On August 23, Kharkov was liberated. Thus the Battle of the Kursk Arc of Fire ended victoriously. military bloody tank Kursk

The Battle of Berlin - which led to the surrender of Germany.

In the second half of April 1945, the Red Army dealt the final blow to Nazi Germany and its armed forces.

The troops of the Belorussian, Ukrainian 1st and 2nd Belorussian Fronts from the line of the Oder and Neisse rivers launched a grandiose offensive against Army Group Vistula and the left wing of Army Group Center, which was covering Berlin. Troops of the 1st and 2nd Polish armies also took part in the Berlin operation. 41,600 guns and mortars, more than 6,250 tanks and self-propelled guns, and 7,500 aircraft took part in the assault on Berlin from the Soviet side.

The German armies covering Berlin included about a million soldiers and officers, 10,400 guns and mortars, over 1,500 tanks and assault guns and 3,300 aircraft. In the face of a terrible danger, the Nazi command concentrated its forces in the east against the Red Army advancing along the entire front. In addition, the Nazis were looking for ways to avoid disaster diplomatically. To this end, they tried to start negotiations with the United States and England to conclude a separate peace. However, these attempts were not successful. Nothing could save Hitler's Germany and its army from complete defeat.

Troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front reached Berlin from the south and southwest. On the night of April 25, in cooperation with the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front, they completed the complete encirclement of the Berlin enemy group. On the same day, troops of the 5th Guards Army of the 1st Ukrainian Front reached the Elbe River and in the Torgau area came into contact with units of the 1st American army. For ten days there were fierce riots on the streets of the capital of Nazi Germany. 8th Guards Army under the command of General V.I. Chuikov, the troops of the 3rd Shock Army under the command of General V.I. Kuznetsov fought their way towards each other to unite in the Reichstag area.

The Berlin enemy group was divided into four isolated parts. At dawn on April 30, Soviet soldiers, who had captured the central region of Berlin, launched an assault on the Reichstag. The fascist leaders were completely at a loss. Some of them fled from Berlin, others committed suicide. On the afternoon of April 30, Hitler himself committed suicide.

At 18 o'clock on the same day, as a result of a swift attack, Soviet soldiers found themselves at the Reichstag building.

The troops of the 2nd and 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts in early May reached the line Wismar - Schwerin - Wittegburg - Elbe to Meissen, and along its entire length came into contact with the Anglo-American troops advancing from west.

The significance of World War II for the Soviet Union is enormous. The defeat of the fascists determined future history countries. As a result of the conclusion of the peace treaties that followed the defeat of Germany, the USSR noticeably expanded its borders. At the same time, the totalitarian system was strengthened in the Union. Communist regimes were established in some European countries. Victory in the war did not save the USSR from the mass repressions that followed in the 50s.