Today 20 April 2015. On this day during the war.
In 1941:
Joseph Stalin on the table lay report with the data of the Soviet intelligence: since February the number of German troops near the Soviet borders increased by 37 infantry, 3-4 tank divisions and 2 motorized divisions. The edge of the Kiev military district reported on the accelerated preparation of the theater of military operations by the Germans at the frontier of Germany on the territory of Hungary.
Hitler appointed Alfred Rosenberg Minister for the occupied Eastern territories. The reason for this appointment was that Rosenberg was born in Revel, studied in Riga and Moscow and speaks Russian.
In 1942:
For bravery and courage over 36 thousand soldiers and officers were awarded orders and medals, 110 people were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union, about 40 units awarded the title of guards. Total losses of German troops during the battle of Moscow (30 September 1941) amounted to 772 thousand men killed and wounded, the losses of the Soviet troops, according to official data, amounted to 2 228,5 thousand people.
Ended Sychevka-Vyazma and Rzhev operation. Soviet troops threw the enemy back to 80-250 kilometers from Moscow, has released the Moscow and Tula region and many parts of the Kalinin and Smolensk region. But the main problem – the liberation of Vyazma – was not executed.
Occupying the Kiev newspaper published an announcement: "On the occasion of the birthday of the führer Adolf Hitler, loyal to the civilian population will receive a lump sum of 300 grams of flour".
In the USA for the first time demonstrated created by Igor Sikorsky twin helicopter S-47, the world's first rotary-wing machine submitted to large-scale production.
In 1943:
Our ships in the Barents sea sank two transports of the enemy.
In 1944:
The bridgehead South-West of Narva, our troops successfully repulsed attacks by large forces of infantry and enemy tanks. In the battle destroyed up to 2,000 German soldiers and officers. To the East and South of the town of Stanislav, our troops repulsed attacks by large forces of infantry and tanks of enemies.
On the night of 20 April, our long-range aircraft made a RAID on the railway junction and Rezekne railway junction Gulbene and Kantemirovsky plant at the railway station of kiviõli.
In 1945:
Opening the fire of the artillery of the 1st Belorussian front began the assault on Berlin. Troops of the 1st Ukrainian front came to the first ring of defense of Berlin, walked from the West cottbuss the enemy and pinned her to the river spree.
In the area of Berlin from the Western front spanned the 12th German army General Walther Wreath with a hard order at all was to stop the Soviet troops on the approaches to the city.
The allies on the Western front have made a breakthrough via Erfurt, Chemnitz and Nuremberg to the line Karlovy vary – Plzen – Budejovice. Freed almost all the North-Eastern Netherlands.
French troops occupied the German city of Stuttgart.
The Supreme command issued the Directive with the list of signs and signals for recognition during the meeting of Soviet and U.S.-British troops. "Soviet troops identify himself by a series of red rockets. In addition to missiles, the Soviet tanks are marked with one white stripe around the turret in the middle and a white cross on the turret roof.... Anglo-American troops identify himself by a series of green missiles. In addition to the missiles the Anglo-American tanks and armored vehicles are marked with yellow or cherry-red fluorescent night shields and a white five-pointed star surrounded by a circle...".
The Deputy commander of the battalion of the 269 regiment (2nd Belorussian front), 35-year-old captain Pyotr Vasilevsky Lukyanovich with a group of soldiers under constant enemy fire overcame East of the Oder, 2 days held the bridgehead, was wounded, but remained in the ranks, Hero of the Soviet Union.
Commander of division 172-th separate sapper battalion (2nd Belorussian front) 28-year-old petty officer Leonid Dmitrievich Teeth he distinguished himself at the crossing of the river West of the Oder to the South-West of Szczecin. He was transported to the boat landing, removed 27 anti-tank mines and cleared the way for the infantry. The day did 23 flights, ferrying reinforcements, ammunition and wounded soldiers. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union he was awarded June 29, 1945.
24-year-old Sergeant Dmitry Anatolyevich Petrov in battle in Germany crawled to the enemy bunker and threw hand grenades, killing its entire garrison, for which he was awarded the third order of Glory, becoming a full cavalier of this order.
The newspaper "Pravda" reported: "In Tula has resumed production of samovars".
