2nd Baltic Front


The 2nd Baltic Front was a major formation of the Red Army during the Second World War.

History

The 2nd Baltic Front was formed on October 20, 1943 as a result of the renaming of the Baltic Front, itself a successor of the Bryansk Front 10 days earlier.
From 1 to 21 November 1943, the left wing of the Front took part in the Polotsk–Vitebsk Offensive.

In January-February, the front participated in the Leningrad–Novgorod Offensive of 1944. During the Staraya Russa-Novorzhev Offensive, the Front troops reached Ostrov, Pushkinskiye Gory and Idritsa. In July 1944, the Rezhitsa–Dvinsk Offensive was carried out and the Front advanced 200 km to the west. In August it conducted the Madona Offensive, during which it advanced another 60-70 km along the northern shore of the Daugava River and freed the city of Madona, a major junction of railways and highway roads.
In September-October 1944, during the Baltic Offensive, the front troops took part in the Riga Operation and by October 22 reached the Baltic Sea near the Memel river, blocking together with the troops of the 1st Baltic Front, the German Army Group North in the Courland Pocket. Subsequently, until April 1945, they continued the blockade and fought to destroy Army Group Courland.
On April 1, 1945, the front was abolished and its troops were transferred to the Leningrad Front.

Composition

On 1 October 1944 the 2nd Baltic Front consisted of: