User:Esdrasbarnevelt/Osovets Offensive Operation

The Osovets Offensive Operation (Осовецкая наступательная) was part of the third and final phase of the Belorussian Strategic Offensive of the Red Army in summer 1944, commonly known as Operation Bagration.

Osovets is the Russianised version of the Polish name Osowiec / Ossowiec.

Operational goals
The 2nd Belorussian Front was ordered to move on Łomża and Ostrołęka and to secure bridgeheads over the Narew river.

The defenders were aided by substantial border fortifications remaining from previous eras, including several major fortresses at Osowiec.

Wehrmacht

 * Elements of Fourth Army (General Friedrich Hossbach)
 * VI Corps (General Helmuth Weidling)
 * Elements of Second Army (Colonel-General Walter Weiss)
 * LV Corps (General Friedrich Herrlein)

The above units were under the overall command of Army Group Centre (Field-Marshal Walter Model).

Red Army

 * 2nd Belorussian Front (Colonel-General Gyorgy Zakharov)
 * 49th Army (Lieutenant-General Grishin)
 * 50th Army (Lieutenant-General Boldin)
 * 4th Air Army

The offensive
Units of the Front stormed and took the Osowiec fortress on August 14. This date is noted as the end of the offensive in official Soviet historiography, but in fact attempts continued to sieze bridgeheads over the Narew throughout the remainder of August. The 49th Army, however, found that the German defences on the approaches to Lomza were difficult to overcome, sustaining many casualties (even losing a divisional commander, Major-General Iakimovich of the 343rd Rifle Dvision, in their attempt to force the defensive lines). Lomza itself was not taken until mid-September.