In the new section “Vienna waltz” on the Agency’s website posted materials stored in the Central military archives in Podolsk and were previously available only to a narrow circle of historians. I’m talking about the combat reports and the reports of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts, reports and schemes of the Soviet offensive in the spring of ‘ 45 in Western Hungary and Eastern Austria, premium pages and orders, the memories of soldiers and photographs of the time.
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First of all, these documents refute the myth that the Red army supposedly met on the outskirts of the Austrian capital, serious resistance to the Nazis. Not to destroy the ancient city of heavy artillery on it do not shoot. The battle of Vienna wore a fierce and stubborn character, the fighting was almost every house. Our units were facing the best German forces including Panzer divisions of the Waffen SS, officers of the Vienna military schools and the teams of sailors. Moreover, as archival documents testify, the defense of Vienna, the Nazis hastily mobilized city police force. Under the threat of execution in units of the Volkssturm were rounded up untrained civilians. In one of the regiments of the 6th armored division as reinforcements sent 105 soldiers in the age of 15-16. But to stop the advance on Vienna nothing could.
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Here, for example, stated in the war diary of the 4th guardsiscoe army of the 3rd Ukrainian front: “the Pace of progress of our troops within eight days of the offensive before the nearest outskirts of Vienna in average equal to 20 km and ranged from 15 to 26 km. Decline of up to 15 km at the borders, which had to fight to cross many rivers”. From the front of the documents it is known that for the last day of the battle for the Austrian capital of Soviet troops killed 400 and captured 570 soldiers and officers. 14 tanks were seized 58 guns and 52 machine guns, rifles 820, 116 motorcycles, 347 cars, 19 locomotives, 1211 wagons, and plant and 14 warehouses with various goods.
At 21 o’clock on April 13, 1945, Moscow 24 artillery salvoes from 324 guns saluted liberated Vienna troops of the 3rd Ukrainian front. In the same year June 9 was established the medal “For the capture of Vienna”, which awarded more than 277 thousand soldiers and officers.
