Zemland Group of Forces

The Zemland Group of Forces was a front-sized operational group of the Red Army during the Second World War which saw service for two months in the Sambia Peninsula of East Prussia in 1945. It blockaded the city of Königsberg in March and then took it by storm in early April, after which it mopped up the various isolated German forces in the peninsula until it was disbanded on April 26.

Formation

Under STAVKA of the Supreme High Command order no. 11022 of February 9, 1945 the 43rd, 39th and 11th Guards Armies of 3rd Belorussian Front, which were in action close to the German fortified city of Königsberg, were transferred to 1st Baltic Front which was located to its north and east. By STAVKA order no. 11032 of February 21, 1945 the 1st Baltic was to be redesignated as the Zemland Group of Forces effective February 24. It was under command of Army Gen. I. K. Bagramyan, who had been in command of 1st Baltic, and was to come under control of 3rd Belorussian Front for the final stages of the East Prussian Offensive. As of March 1 its main order of battle was as follows:

By the beginning of April, just prior to the start of the final offensive against the city the Group had been reinforced with an additional two armies:

Disbandment

On April 26 the Zemland Group was formally disbanded and most of its forces reverted to direct command of 3rd Belorussian Front, which was led by General Bagramyan for the duration of the war.