Ekaterinburg Operation of 1919

an offensive operation by the Second Army (Army Commander V. I. Shorin) on July 5–20, 1919, during the Civil War of 1918–1920. Carrying out V. I. Lenin’s order to liberate the Urals before winter, in June the Northern Group of the Eastern Front (the Second and Third armies) drove General R. Gaida’s Siberian Army back from the Viatka and Kama rivers. In response to Lenin’s demand that troops be moved from the Eastern Front to the Southern Front, a plan was worked out for a rapid attack on Ekaterinburg in order to break up the Siberian White Army and take the Central Ural mining region. Two groups were formed from the Second Army: the left group—the 21st Rifle Division (division commander, G. I. Ovchinnikov)—and the right group—the 28th Rifle Division (division commander, V. M. Azin), supported by the 1st Brigade of the 5th Division (brigade commander, V. F. Karpov). Soviet troops met stubborn enemy resistance at the line of the Mikhailovsk, Nizhnie Sergi, and Utka working areas. An assault group was formed that moved along an extremely difficult route to encircle the enemy from the south and cut off the Ekaterinburg-Cheliabinsk railroad by occupying the Mramorskaia railroad station. The main forces broke enemy resistance, and on the evening of July 14 cavalry reconnaissance, followed by units of the 28th and 5th divisions, entered Ekaterinburg. On the morning of July 15 units of the 21st Division approached, and the city was liberated. Soviet troops captured 3,500 prisoners and a great deal of equipment. The White Guard troops fled in a panic to the Tobol River. The Ekaterinburg Operation had a significant influence on the outcome of the struggle to liberate the Urals.