Soviet troops advancing on Konigsberg, January 1945

Photograph, World War Two, Eastern Front (1941-1945), 1945.

Following their victorious offensive into East Prussia, the Red Army's 1st Baltic Front and 3rd Belorussian Front had surrounded the port of Konigsberg at the end of January 1945. It was full of civilian refugees but the Germans refused to surrender the city. Over the next two months the garrison continued to resist even though the front line had moved far to the west. An assault on Konigsberg was finally launched on 6 April. After three days of bitter street fighting the garrison surrendered on 9 April 1945.

From a collection of 650 photographs compiled by the Commando Association.