Russian Defense Ministry declassified documents for the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Moonsund archipelago

On November 23, the Russian Ministry of Defense published declassified documents for the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Moonsund archipelago from Nazi invaders from the funds of the Central Archive of the Russian Ministry of Defense.

It is noted that this publication is aimed at protecting the historical truth, countering the falsification of history, glorifying the heroic feat of the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War.

According to the department, the Moonsund landing operation (September 27 - November 24, 1944) was carried out by the troops of the Leningrad Front under the command of Marshal of the Soviet Union Leonid Govorov, as well as by the forces of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet under the command of Admiral Vladimir Tributs. The liberation of the Moonsund archipelago became a critical stage in the course of the Great Patriotic War, which opened the way to the liberation of the Baltic States from the Nazi invaders.

At the time of the beginning of the operation the situation in the Baltic was difficult. In the fall of 1944, Soviet troops continued their offensive after the successful completion of the Tallinn offensive operation, which ended with the capture of the capital of Estonia. The Red Army sought to expand its position in the Baltic Sea to create a bridgehead for further action.

"However, significant Wehrmacht forces were concentrated on the Moonsund archipelago, including the islands of Vormsi (Vorms), Muhu (Moon), Hiiumaa (Dago), Saaremaa (Ezel) and the Syrve (Svorbe) peninsula. German troops had well consolidated their positions on the islands, which created serious obstacles for the Soviet command. In addition, the capture of the Moonzund archipelago would allow the USSR to control the sea routes coming from the strategically important port of Tallinn and heading to this region, which would significantly expand the possibilities of offensive actions of the Red Army in the Baltics", - stated in the message of the Defense Ministry of the Russian Federation.

It is reported that the islands of the Moonsund archipelago were of strategic importance for Germany, as they blocked the exit from the Gulf of Riga to the Baltic Sea. In this regard, Hitler ordered Colonel-General Ferdinand Schörner to hold these territories at any cost. From the German side the Moonsund archipelago was defended by the 23rd Infantry Division of the 43rd Army Corps under the command of General of Mountain Rifles Kurt Ferzok and four guard battalions. In total, about 11,500 men. Two destroyers, 22 landing and artillery barges, 14 minesweepers and two torpedo boats were also based here.

In addition, the Ministry published a map of the decision of the commander of the Leningrad Front to capture the Moonzund archipelago (October 1944), plans of interaction between the 13th Air Army and the 8th Army to liberate the islands of Muhu, Dago, Ezel, Syrve Peninsula from September 1944, combat reports of the 249th Guards Estonian Rifle Division for September-October 1944 and others.

The Russian Defense Ministry noted that the operation plan was developed at the headquarters of the Leningrad Front. As follows from the published combat log of the headquarters of the Moonsund landing operation, the sequential capture of the islands provided for the first capture of the islands Vormsi and Moon close to the mainland with the subsequent accumulation of forces on them and striking at the weakest in terms of anti-landing Dago island, and then - the mastery of the island of Ezel, where the main enemy forces were located.

The department also listed the heroes of the operation, published the award lists for granting the title of Hero of the Soviet Union junior sergeant NN Matyashin, Lieutenant Captain AA Obukhov, Guards midshipman IY Larin, Lieutenant AG Repson, senior redcoat MA Orlov and provided a personal file of Lieutenant General FN Starikov.

Earlier, on November 22, the FSB declassified the archive on the crimes of the Nazis convicted in 1947. The materials relate to the events from the moment of arrest of the commander of the 17th Army of the Wehrmacht, Colonel-General Erwin Gustav Jeneke on the territory of Germany liberated from Nazism in 1945, where he was hiding under the alias of retired Stabtsalmeister Anton Gerdes, until the conviction of the Nazi criminal and his subordinates in 1947.

Prior to that, on October 27, it was reported that the Russian Federal Security Service declassified an archival document that testifies to the special unit No. 731 ("part of Kamo"), created in the late 1930s in Japanese-occupied Manchuria for experiments in microbiology, including bacteriological experiments on humans, making preparations for a bacteriological war with the Soviet Union.