April 15 is the date marking the end of the Vienna operation in the fight against the German army during the 2nd World War. This operation put an end to fascist tyranny in the lands of Austria, including in its heart - Vienna.
Reference. The Vienna operation (03/16/1945 – 04/15/1945) is a strategically important offensive action by the USSR army against the enemy army during the 2nd World War. The participants in this operation were the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts with the support of the 1st Bulgarian Army. The main objective of the operation was to destroy the invaders in western Hungary and eastern Austria. The main center of Austria was liberated on April 13, 1945.
Dear friends, this event inspired us to create a selection of photographs.
1. USSR Army officers lay flowers. Burial of the Austrian composer Strauss J. Central Cemetery, Vienna, 1945.
2. 6th Tank Army 9th Mechanization Corps 46th Tank Brigade 1st Battalion, Sherman armored vehicles. Vienna street, April 1945
3. 6th Army of Tank 9th Mechanized Corps 46th Tank Brigade 1st Battalion, Sherman armored vehicles. Vienna street, April 1945
4. Vienna, April 1945. 3rd Ukrainian Front. Red Army soldiers in the fight for the Imperial Bridge.
5. Presentation of awards to Red Army soldiers who distinguished themselves in the battles for Vienna. 1945
6. The first to cross the Austrian border were the artillerymen of the Guards self-propelled guns. Shonicheva V.S. on the boulevards of one of the settlements. 1945
7. Red Army soldiers crossing the line. 1945
8. Allied armored vehicles in the vicinity of Vienna. 1945
9. Vienna, 1945. The team of the Sherman M4A-2 vehicle with the commander, who was the first to burst into the city. On the left side is Nuru Idrisov (driver).
10. Vienna, center, 1945. Machine gun squad, battle on one of the boulevards.
11. Vienna, 1945. Red Army soldiers on one of the liberated streets.
12. Vienna, 1945. Red Army soldiers on one of the liberated streets.
13. The Red Army on the streets of liberated Vienna. 1945
14. Boulevard of Vienna after the fighting, 1945
15. Main square. Vienna, 1945. Residents against the backdrop of the ruins of St. Stephen's Church.
16. Vienna, 1945. Victory celebration on one of the boulevards.
17. Vienna vicinity, USSR armored vehicles. April 1945
18. One of the alleys of Vienna, signalmen of the USSR. April 1945
20. Return of residents after the liberation of city streets. Vienna, April 1945
21. Cossack patrol. Vienna street, 1945
22. Celebrating the liberation of the city in one of the squares. Vienna, 1945
23. Soviet armored vehicles on the slopes of the mountains. Austria, 1945
24. USSR combat armored vehicles on the slopes of the Austrian mountains. April 1945
25. Austria, 1945. Guards squad of machine gunners under the leadership of Art. Lt. Gukalov in the battle for the city.
26. Meeting of residents with liberators. Austria, 1945
27. Firing mortars at enemy positions. Detachment of Hero of the USSR Nekrasov. Austria, 1945
28. Conversation between Ser-P. Zaretsky and residents of Lekenhaus. 1945
29. Soviet officer lays flowers at the grave of the Austrian composer Johann Strauss. Central Cemetery. Vienna, 1945
30. A detachment of Red Army mortarmen are moving the battalion’s 82-mm gun. Vienna, 1945
31. Vienna. May 1945 Red Army soldiers passing the Danube Canal.
32. Soviet officers lay flowers at the grave of the Austrian composer Johann Strauss. Central Cemetery. Vienna, 1945
33. Neighborhoods of Vienna. April 1945 USSR traffic controller Klimenko N.
34. Soviet officer at the grave of composer L. Beethovin. Central Cemetery, Vienna
35. USSR traffic controller at a fork in the Viennese roads. May-August 1945
36. Combat vehicles USSR SU-76M on the streets of Vienna. Austria, 1945
37. Red Army mortar men with regimental weapons. Hofburg Winter Palace. Vienna, 1945
38. USSR M3A1 armored vehicles in combat. Vienna, April 1945
39. Soviet armored vehicle T-34. Vienna, 1945
40. The suicide of a fascist in Vienna right on the street, who had previously shot his family in fear of retribution for what he had done in April 1945.
41. A Soviet girl regulates traffic on the streets of Vienna after liberation in May 1945.
42. A Soviet girl regulates traffic on the streets of Vienna after liberation in May 1945.
43. Reich soldier who died in the battle for Vienna in the spring of 1945.
44. First guards mech. frame. American "Sherman" in Vienna in the spring of 1945.
45. The horrors of war on the streets of Vienna after liberation in the spring of 1945.
46. The horrors of war on the streets of Vienna after liberation in the spring of 1945.
47. Liberators on the streets of Vienna in May 1945. The foreground is a seventy-six-millimeter ZiS-3 cannon.
48. Sherman tanks of the 1st battalion of the 46th Guards Tank Brigade of the 9th Guards Mechanized Corps of the 6th Tank Army on the streets of Vienna. 04/09/1945
49. Combat boats of the Danube flotilla in the spring of '45 in Austria.
50. Band of Soviet troops in the village of Donnerskirchen, Austria, May 9, 1945. In the photo on the right is signalman and orchestrator Pershin N.I.
51. Soviet unit of T-34-85 tanks in the city of St. Pölten, Austria, in the victorious spring of 1945.
52. Aircraft repair brigade of the Guards 213th Fighter Aviation Regiment in Stockerau in Austria in 1945
53. A pair of medium armored vehicles Turan II40M of the Hungarian army, left by the retreating on the railway. stations in the vicinity of Vienna in March 1945.
54. In the photo there is a Hero Soviet Union, guardsman, Major General Kozak S.A. - commander of the 21st Guards Motorized Rifle Corps (years of life from 1902 to 1953). Next to him is Yeletskov S.F., guard colonel.
55. The long-awaited connection of two groups of US and USSR troops in the area of the bridge over the Enns River in the spring of 1945 near the city of Liezen in Austria.
56. The long-awaited connection of two groups of US and USSR troops in the area of the bridge over the Enns River in the spring of 1945 near the city of Liezen in Austria.
57. The advance of our infantry, accompanied by British Valentine tanks, in the vicinity of Vienna in April of the victorious forty-fifth year of the last century.
58. Soviet soldiers, against the backdrop of a T-34-85 tank, greet an American division of armored vehicles at a parade near the city of Linz on May 2, 1945.
59. Attack of an Austrian city by troops of the Soviet Union and an armored car M3 Scout Car of the United States in the victorious forty-fifth.
60. Soviet soldiers at a post on the Austrian road from May to August 1945.
61. Sergeant Guards Zudin and his 120 mm mortar fighters.
62. After the fall of the defense of Vienna, guardsmen of the 80th Division in the spring of 1945.
63. Monument to Soviet soldiers-liberators of Vienna. Nowadays.
64. Monument to Soviet soldiers-liberators of Vienna. Nowadays.
Most recently, April 15, marked 70 years since the end of the Vienna offensive operation, during which the Nazi troops Austria was cleared, including its capital, Vienna.
Vienna offensive operation - a strategic offensive operation of the Red Army against German troops during the Great Patriotic War. It was carried out from March 16 to April 15, 1945 by troops of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts with the assistance of the 1st Bulgarian Army (Bulgarian) with the aim of defeating German troops in western Hungary and eastern Austria. Vienna was taken on April 13.
To this event, friends, I dedicate this photo collection.
1. Soviet officers lay flowers at the grave of the Austrian composer Johann Strauss, son, buried in the central cemetery of Vienna. 1945.
2. Sherman tanks of the 1st battalion of the 46th Guards Tank Brigade of the 9th Guards Mechanized Corps of the 6th Tank Army on the streets of Vienna. 04/09/1945.
3. Sherman tanks of the 1st battalion of the 46th Guards Tank Brigade of the 9th Guards Mechanized Corps of the 6th Tank Army on the streets of Vienna. 04/09/1945.
4. Soviet soldiers are fighting for the Imperial Bridge. 3rd Ukrainian Front. Vienna. April 1945
5. Rewarding Soviet soldiers who distinguished themselves in the battles for the capture of Vienna. 1945
6. Artillerymen of self-propelled guns of the Guard Lieutenant Colonel V.S. Shonichev, who were the first to enter Austrian soil, are driving along the street of one of the cities. 1945
7. Soviet self-propelled guns cross the border. 1945
8. Soviet tanks in the Vienna area. 1945.
9. The crew of the M4A-2 "Sherman" tank, the first to break into Vienna, with their commander; on the left is driver-mechanic Nuru Idrisov. 1945
10. Machine gunners are fighting a street battle in the central part of Vienna. 1945
11. Soviet soldiers walk along one of the streets of liberated Vienna. 1945
12. Soviet troops on the street of the liberated city of Vienna. 1945
13. Soviet soldiers on the streets of Vienna. 1945
14. View of one of the streets of Vienna after its liberation. 1945
15. Residents of Vienna on the square in front of the destroyed building of St. Stephen's Cathedral. 1945
16. Dancing on the streets of Vienna on the occasion of Victory Day. 1945
17. Soviet tanks on the outskirts of Vienna. April 1945
18. Soviet military signalmen on one of the streets of Vienna. April 1945
20. Residents of Vienna return to their homes after the end of street fighting and the liberation of the city Soviet troops. April 1945
21. Cossack patrol on one of the streets of Vienna. 1945
22. Folk festival on the occasion of the liberation of Vienna by Soviet troops in one of the city squares. 1945
23. Soviet self-propelled guns on the mountain roads of Austria. 1945
24. Soviet military equipment on the mountain roads of Austria. April 1945
25. Guardsmen-machine gunners of senior lieutenant Gukalov’s unit are fighting for locality. Austria. 1945
26. Meeting of Soviet soldiers with residents of one of the cities in Austria. 1945
27. Mortars of Hero of the Soviet Union Nekrasov fire at enemy positions. Austria. March 31, 1945
28. Sergeant Pavel Zaretsky talks with residents of the Austrian village of Lekenhaus. 1945
29. Soviet officers lay flowers at the grave of the Austrian composer Johann Strauss, son, buried in the central cemetery of Vienna. .
30. Soviet mortarmen carry an 82-mm battalion mortar in Vienna. 1945
31. Soviet soldiers cross the bridge over the Danube Canal in Vienna. May 1945
32. Soviet officers lay flowers at the grave of Johann Strauss's son. April 1945.
33. Soviet traffic controller N. Klimenko on the outskirts of Vienna. April 1945
34. A Soviet officer visits the grave of the German composer Ludwig van Beethoven, buried in the central cemetery of Vienna.
35. Soviet traffic policewoman on the street of Vienna. May-August 1945
36. Soviet self-propelled artillery units SU-76M in Vienna, Austria. 1945
37. Soviet mortar men with a regimental mortar at the Hofburg Winter Palace in Vienna. 1945
38. Soviet armored personnel carrier M3A1 in battle on the streets of Vienna. April 1945
39. Column of Soviet T-34 tanks on the streets of Vienna. 1945
40. Before the arrival of Soviet troops, the Nazi shot his family and committed suicide on the streets of Vienna. April 1945
41. Soviet traffic controller in liberated Vienna. May 1945
42. Soviet traffic controller in liberated Vienna. May 1945
43. Killed German soldier on the streets of liberated Vienna. April 1945
44. Sherman tank of the 1st Guards Mechanized Corps on Vienna Street. April 1945
45. Human remains on the streets of liberated Vienna. 1945
46. Human remains on the streets of liberated Vienna. 1945
48. Sherman tanks of the 1st battalion of the 46th Guards Tank Brigade of the 9th Guards Mechanized Corps of the 6th Tank Army on the streets of Vienna. 04/09/1945.
49. Soviet armored boats of the Danube military flotilla in Austria. April 1945
50. Soviet regimental military band in the Austrian village of Donnerskirchen on Victory Day. On the far right is Private Nikolai Ivanovich Pershin (in addition to playing in the orchestra, he also served as a signalman). 05/09/1945
51. A column of Soviet T-34-85 tanks on the street of the Austrian town of St. Pölten. 1945
52. Aircraft technicians of the 213th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment on the street of the Austrian town of Stockerau. 1945
The assault on the capital of Austria was the final part of the Vienna offensive operation, which lasted from March 16 to April 15, 1945 by the forces of the 2nd (commander Marshal of the Soviet Union Rodion Malinovsky) and 3rd Ukrainian fronts (commander Marshal of the Soviet Union Fedor Tolbukhin) with the help of the 1st th Bulgarian Army (Lieutenant General V. Stoychev). Her main goal There was a defeat of German troops in western Hungary and eastern Austria.
Our troops were opposed by part of the troops of Army Group South (commander General of the Infantry O. Wöhler, from April 7, Colonel General L. Rendulic), part of the troops of Army Group F (commander Field Marshal General M. von Weichs), from March 25 Army Group “E” (commander Colonel General A. Löhr). The German high command attached great importance to the defense of the Vienna direction, planning to stop Soviet troops at these lines and stay in the mountainous and forested regions of Austria, hoping to conclude a separate peace with England and the United States. However, from March 16 to April 4, Soviet forces broke through the German defenses, defeated the forces of Army Group South and reached the approaches to Vienna.
On April 5, 1945, Soviet troops began an operation to capture Vienna from the southeast and south. At the same time, mobile formations, including tank and mechanized units, began to bypass the capital of Austria from the west. The enemy responded with fire and fierce infantry counterattacks with reinforced tanks, trying to prevent the advance of Soviet troops into the city. Therefore, on the first day, despite the decisive actions of the Red Army troops, they were unable to break the enemy’s resistance, and progress was insignificant.
The entire next day, April 6, there were fierce battles on the outskirts of the city. By the evening of this day, Soviet troops were able to reach the southern and western outskirts of the city and broke into the adjacent suburbs of Vienna. Stubborn fighting began within the city limits. The forces of the 6th Guards Tank Army made a roundabout maneuver in the difficult conditions of the eastern spurs of the Alps and reached the western approaches of the city, and after that to the southern bank of the Danube. The German group was surrounded on three sides.
The Soviet command, trying to prevent unnecessary casualties among civilian population, to preserve the beautiful city and its historical heritage, on April 5 addressed the population of the Austrian capital with an appeal to stay in their homes, in their localities and help Soviet soldiers, preventing the Nazis from destroying the city. Many Austrians, patriots of their city, responded to this call from the command of the 3rd Ukrainian Front; they helped Soviet soldiers in their difficult struggle for the liberation of Vienna.
By the end of the day on April 7, the forces of the right wing of the 3rd Ukrainian Front partly took the Vienna outskirts of Pressbaum and continued to move east, north and west. On April 8, stubborn fighting continued in the city itself, the Germans created new barricades, blockages, blocking roads, laid mines, land mines, and transferred guns and mortars to dangerous directions. During April 9-10, Soviet forces continued to fight their way towards the city center. The Wehrmacht offered especially stubborn resistance in the area of the Imperial Bridge across the Danube, this was due to the fact that if Soviet troops reached it, the entire German group in Vienna would be completely surrounded. The Danube Flotilla landed troops to capture the Imperial Bridge, but heavy enemy fire stopped them 400 meters from the bridge. Only the second landing was able to capture the bridge without allowing it to be blown up. By the end of April 10, the defending German group was completely surrounded; its last units offered resistance only in the center of the city.
On the night of April 11, our troops began to cross the Danube Canal, and the final battles for Vienna were underway.
Soviet soldiers on the streets of Vienna. April 1945
Having broken the enemy's resistance in the central part of the capital and in the neighborhoods that were located on the northern bank of the Danube Canal, Soviet troops cut the enemy garrison into separate groups. The “cleansing” of the city began - by lunchtime on April 13, the city was completely liberated. 
Results of the operation.
- As a result of the offensive of Soviet troops in the Vienna offensive operation, a large Wehrmacht group was defeated. The forces of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts were able to complete the liberation of Hungary and occupied the eastern regions of Austria along with its capital, Vienna. Berlin lost control over another major industrial center of Europe - the Vienna industrial region, including the economically important Nagykanizsa oil region. The road to Prague and Berlin from the south was opened. The USSR marked the beginning of the restoration of Austrian statehood. 
- The quick and selfless actions of the Red Army troops did not allow the Wehrmacht to destroy one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Soviet soldiers were able to prevent the explosion of the Imperial Bridge over the Danube River, as well as the destruction of many other valuable architectural structures that the Germans had prepared for the explosion or were set on fire by Wehrmacht units during the retreat, including St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Vienna City Hall and other buildings.
80th Guards rifle division on the streets of liberated Vienna
- In honor of the next brilliant victory of the Soviet troops, on April 13, 1945 at 21.00 in the capital of the USSR - Moscow, a victorious salute was given with 24 artillery salvoes from 324 guns.
- To commemorate this victory, 50 military formations that distinguished themselves in the battle for Vienna received the honorary name “Viennese”. In addition, the Soviet government established the medal “For the Capture of Vienna,” which was awarded to all participants in the battles for the capital of Austria.
April 13, 2010 marks the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Vienna from the Nazi invaders.
On April 13, 1945, after the Vienna offensive operation, the capital of Austria, Vienna, was liberated by the Soviet Army. The Vienna offensive operation was carried out by troops of the 2nd (commander Marshal of the Soviet Union Rodion Malinovsky) and 3rd (commander Marshal of the Soviet Union Fyodor Tolbukhin) Ukrainian fronts.
The German command attached importance to the defense of the Vienna direction great importance, hoping to stop Soviet troops and hold out in the mountainous and forested regions of Austria in the hope of concluding a separate peace with England and the United States. However, on March 16 - April 4, Soviet troops broke through the enemy defenses, defeated Army Group South and reached the approaches to Vienna.
To defend the Austrian capital, the fascist German command created a large group of troops, which included 8 tank divisions that withdrew from the lake area. Balaton, and one infantry and about 15 separate infantry battalions and Volkssturm battalions, consisting of youth 15-16 years old. The entire garrison, including fire brigades, was mobilized to defend Vienna.
The natural conditions of the area favored the defending side. From the west the city is covered by a ridge of mountains, and from the north and east by the wide and high-water Danube. On the southern approaches to the city, the Germans built a powerful fortified area, consisting of anti-tank ditches, a widely developed system of trenches and trenches, and many pillboxes and bunkers.
A significant part of the enemy artillery was installed for direct fire. Artillery firing positions were located in parks, gardens, squares and squares. In the destroyed houses, guns and tanks were camouflaged, intended for firing from an ambush. Hitler's command intended to make the city an insurmountable barrier to the Soviet troops.
Plan of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command Soviet army ordered the liberation of Vienna to the troops of the right wing of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. Part of the troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front was supposed to cross from the southern bank of the Danube to the northern. After which these troops were supposed to cut off the retreat routes for the enemy’s Viennese group to the north.
On April 5, 1945, Soviet troops began an assault on Vienna from the southeast and south. At the same time, tank and mechanized troops began to bypass Vienna from the west. The enemy, with heavy fire from all types of weapons and counterattacks by infantry and tanks, tried to prevent the Soviet troops from breaking through into the city. Therefore, despite the decisive actions of the troops of the Soviet Army, they failed to break the enemy’s resistance on April 5, and they only advanced slightly.
All day on April 6 there were stubborn battles on the outskirts of the city. By evening, Soviet troops reached the southern and western outskirts of Vienna and broke into the adjacent part of the city. Stubborn fighting began within Vienna. The troops of the 6th Guards Tank Army, having completed a roundabout maneuver in the difficult conditions of the eastern spurs of the Alps, reached the western approaches to Vienna, and then to the southern bank of the Danube. The enemy group was surrounded on three sides.
Wanting to prevent unnecessary casualties among the population, preserve the city and save it historical monuments, the command of the 3rd Ukrainian Front on April 5 appealed to the population of Vienna to stay in place and help the Soviet soldiers, and not allow the Nazis to destroy the city. Many Austrian patriots responded to the call of the Soviet command. They helped Soviet soldiers in their difficult struggle against the enemy entrenched in fortified areas.
By the evening of April 7, the troops of the right wing of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, part of their forces, captured the Vienna outskirts of Pressbaum and began to fan out - to the east, north and west.
On April 8, the fighting in the city became even more intense. The enemy used large stone buildings for defense, erected barricades, created rubble in the streets, and laid mines and landmines. The Germans widely used “roaming” guns and mortars, tank ambushes, anti-aircraft artillery, and Faust cartridges to fight Soviet tanks.
On April 9, the Soviet government published a statement in which it confirmed its decision to implement the Moscow Declaration of Austrian Independence.
(Military encyclopedia. Chairman of the Main Editorial Commission S.B. Ivanov. Military Publishing House. Moscow. in 8 volumes - 2004 ISBN 5 - 203 01875 - 8)
During April 9-10, Soviet troops fought their way towards the city center. Fierce battles broke out for each block, and sometimes even for a separate house.
The enemy offered especially fierce resistance in the area of the bridges across the Danube, since if Soviet troops reached them, the entire group defending Vienna would be surrounded. Nevertheless, the force of the blow of the Soviet troops continuously increased.
By the end of April 10, the defenders Nazi troops were taken in a vice. The enemy continued to resist only in the center of the city.
Beginning of 1945. Even the most fanatical leaders of Nazi Germany, the outcome of the most terrible war is already obvious.
At the same time, the leadership of the Soviet Union, who perfectly understood that only a few months remained until the end of the war, was faced with only one task - the defeat of the Third Reich and unconditional surrender.
Taking into account the current situation, in February 1945, the Supreme Command Headquarters set the commanders of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts the task of preparing and conducting the Vienna offensive operation.
The Headquarters allocated a month to prepare the operation and set the date for the start of the offensive - March 15, 1945.
By that time, Austria, deprived of its independence after the Anschluss of 1938, found itself in a rather difficult situation: many Austrians considered themselves victims of Nazi Germany. On the other hand, more than six Austrian divisions fought as part of the Wehrmacht.
The defense of the Vienna direction for the Hitlerite command was one of the most important tasks: only by delaying Soviet troops in Austria, the Hitlerite elite could get time to conclude a separate peace with the USA and Great Britain.
Soviet troops began the Vienna operation on March 16, 1945, and by April 4, Soviet troops, having liberated Bratislava and completely liberated Hungary, reached the approaches to Vienna. By that time, a large group of troops had already been created in the capital of Austria, which included one infantry and eight tank divisions, infantry battalions and Volkssturm battalions.
Certain difficulties for the advancing Soviet troops were presented by natural conditions: on one side the city is covered by mountains, on the other it is protected by the deep Danube. Where there were no natural obstacles, the Nazis built a powerful fortified area. Artillery firing positions were also set up in the city itself. In a word, Hitler's command did everything possible to turn Vienna into an impregnable fortress.
On April 5, 1945, the 6th Guards Tank Army, 4th, 9th Guards Armies began an assault on Vienna from three sides at once - fierce battles ensued on the outskirts of the city. Only by the evening of the next day were Soviet troops able to break into the suburbs of Vienna.
At the same time, the troops of the 6th Guards Tank Army, having completed a difficult outflanking maneuver, reached first the western approaches to the city, and then the southern bank of the Danube - the Viennese enemy group was surrounded on three sides.
By the evening of April 7, units of the forces of the 3rd Ukrainian Front were able to occupy the Pressbaum area and began moving in three directions at once.
Block by block, house by house, fighting heavy urban battles, Soviet troops moved towards the city center.
Fierce fighting continued on April 9 and 10: the enemy put up stubborn resistance at the bridges over the Danube, since if they lost control over them, the entire Vienna garrison would be surrounded.
By the end of April 10, the enemy troops found themselves in a vice, and isolated pockets of resistance remained only in the center of the city.
On the night of April 11, Soviet troops began crossing the Danube Canal, and the final phase of the battle for Vienna began.
Soon the enemy garrison was cut into separate groups isolated from each other, which were destroyed by assault troops.
