Voennoe Delo - Bratislava - Brno offensive! April of '45! - English and Greek subtitles

MILITARY CASE April of '45 is not only Battle of Berlin. One of the last Red Army's offensives in WW II was undergoing from the end of March till the beginning of May - the Bratislava-Brno operation. Those were weeks of the toughest battles in mountain-forest area, among rivers, which got off their river-banks. Battles with enemy, who already hadn't anything to loose. Liberation of Slovakia APRIL of '45 A task was assigned to troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front already in the beginning of 1945, to destroy Armies Group "Centre", and to clean Slovakia and Moravia off German troops. Preparation of the operation was difficult. Our soldiers and officers got tired in 5 months of non-stop advance. They had a need for rest and reinforcements. In the middle of February, the right flank of the 2nd Ukrainian Front had destroyed fascists in the Slovakian Ore Mountains. But they met strong enemy's resistance to the west from towns Abelev and Nemce. Bitter battles were going on for about 3 weeks. Troops were advancing slow, only by 14-20km per day. Front's Command was force to stop fruitless attacks and pass to defence. Suitable conditions for execution of Bratislava-Brno Offensive operation were created only to the middle of March, after regrouping and reinforcing of the units. Germans were not intended to give Slovakia away. A powerful network of defensive fortifications was created, which was based on system of natural obstacles - rivers and mountain ridges. Big cities and populated areas were prepared for a circular defence. Night of March, 25. Twelve strengthened foremost Battalions of the 2nd Ukrainian Front forced the river Hron, surprising the enemy, and captured several bridgeheads on the right bank. The main forces were moved to the bridgeheads right in the first day of attack. After braking the enemy defence, they started advancing the attack following the left bank of Danube river with direction to Bratislava. The Mechanized-Cavalry formation of General Pliyev entered the battle at the 2nd day. Appearance of cavalry was proved a total surprise for Germans. Cossacks mobile units were smashing enemy's rear lines, not allowing him to gather his forces into one fist in order to organize his defences. Another one surprised was prepared for hitlerites. Ships of Danube flotilla conducted a swift raid and landed a big force of Marines deep behind enemy lines. All these disorganized German defence. At 30th of March our troops forced the river Vah, flooded in width for more than 200m. And after another two days, after making a deep flanking maneuver, and right on the move they smashed through powerful line of fortifications and reached Northern and North-Eastern suburbs of Slovakia's capital - Bratislava. Bitter streetfights started. Germans were fighting desperately. Despite that the city was cleared off hitlerites just after 24 hours. Local citizens were meeting our soldiers with flowers and bell ringing. Spontaneous meetings were happening in different parts of the city. Bratislava's citizens were singing Soviet songs and offering to our soldiers and officers wine and home cooking and rocking them on their hands. After defeat in Bratislava, the enemy retreated behind Morava river. At this part of frontline, advance of our troops was stopped by Panzer Corps "Feldherrnhalle" units. At 12th of April the Moravian defences were broke. German units were quickly retreated to the West to the biggest industrial center and capital of Moravia - city of Brno. Soviet forces started persistent battles at Pratzen heights, near to Austerlitz, which is known in history of Napoleonic wars as the Battle of the Three Emperors. 25th of April, the foremost units of the Red Army forced Svitava river and broke in into the city. Streetfights started. The capital of Moravia was liberated at 26th of April. Our forces had advanced for 200km, in one and a half months of battle on this direction. And they destroyed 9 German divisions. Liberation of Slovakia was ended and also part of Moravia was also freed. Red Army troops locked the main forces of the Armies Group "Center" and thus they didn't allowed to Hitler's Command to move reinforcements to Berlin region. "- How did that happened that haven't seen this high sky before? And how happy I am that I finally met it. - Yes. Everything is nothing. Everything is a fraud. Except than this infinite sky." These are chrestomathic words of Prince Bolkonsky, who was wounded in battle of Austerlitz. The Russian Army suffered a defeat from Napoleon here. After 140 years our forces re-wrote the history. Austerlitz became a place of our victory. Military Case says good bye to you for a while. Peace to your home!