Defense of the Brest Fortress. The first page of the war

Unexpectedly attacking the Soviet Union, the fascist command expected to reach Moscow in a few months. However, the German generals met resistance, barely overstepping the border of the USSR. To take the first outpost of the Soviet army the Germans withdrew for several hours, but the defenders of the Brest Fortress for six days held back the might of the huge fascist army.

The siege of 1941 was For Brest Fortress historical, but it has been attacked before. The fortress was erected by the architect Opperman in 1833 as a military structure. The war did not reach it until 1915, when it was blown up during the retreat of the troops of Nicholas. In 1918, after the signing of the Brest Peace, which took place in the Fortress Citadel, it remained under German control for a while, and by the end of 1918 it was in the hands of the Poles who owned it until 1939.

Real military operations overtook the Brest Fortress in 1939. The second day of World War II began for the garrison of the fortress with bombing. German aviation dropped ten bombs on the citadel, damaging the main building of the fortress - the Citadel, or the White Palace. Then in the fortress stood several random military and reserve units. The first defense of the Brest Fortress was organized by General Plisovsky, who, from his scattered troops, managed to assemble a battle-worthy detachment of 2,500 people and evacuate officer families on time. Against the armored corps of General Heinz Plisovsky was able to oppose only an ancient armored train, several such tanks and a couple of batteries. Then the defense of the Brest Fortress lasted three full days , From 14 to 17 September, while the enemy was stronger than defenders almost six times. On the night of the seventeenth of September, the wounded Plisovsky led the remnants of his detachment to the south, towards Terespol. After that, on September 22, the Germans transferred the Brest and Brest Fortress to the Soviet Union.

Protection of the Brest Fortress in 1941 fell on the shoulders of nine Soviet battalions, two artillery divisions and several separate units. In total, this amounted to about eleven thousand people, excluding three hundred officer families. The fortress was attacked by Major-General Schlierer's infantry division, which was reinforced by additional units. In general, about twenty thousand soldiers submitted to General Schlieper.

The attack began early in the morning. Because of the surprise attack, the commanders did not manage to coordinate the actions of the garrison of the fortress, so the defenders were immediately split into several detachments. The Germans immediately managed to capture the Citadel, but they could not gain a foothold in it - the invaders attacked the remaining Soviet units, and the Citadel was partially liberated. On the second day of defense the Germans proposed Capitulation, which was agreed upon by 1,900 people. The remaining defenders joined together under the command of Captain Zubachev. The enemy's forces, however, were immeasurably higher, and the defense of the Brest Fortress was short-lived. June 24, the Nazis managed to capture 1,250 fighters, 450 more were captured on June 26. The last stronghold of the defenders, the Eastern Fort, was crushed on June 29, when the Germans dropped an 1800 kilogram bomb on it. This day is considered the end of the defense, but the Germans cleared the Brest Fortress until June 30, and the last defenders were destroyed only by the end of August. Only a few managed to escape to the Belovezhskaya Pushcha to the partisans.

The fortress was liberated in 1944, and in 1971 it was mothballed and turned into a museum. At the same time, a memorial was erected, thanks to which the defense of the Brest Fortress and the courage of its defenders will be remembered forever.