Memorial 411 batteries, Odessa: photo, address, how to get

In the hero-city of Odessa there is a place beloved by all the townspeople and numerous guests, commemorative to our grandfathers, who won freedom in freedom for themselves and their children in terrible battles. Almost on the coast, amidst a beautiful green park, there is an open-air museum, a tribute to the memory of the battles for your beloved city - the Memorial of the 411th battery of Odessa. In the city, every boy from early childhood, all the military buildings of those times. The entrance for all comers is free, all the exhibits can be viewed, touched, twisted. Permitted to inspect everything, no one will make a comment. But visitors also understand the historical importance of military equipment.

Start of construction

After the beginning of the aggressive policy of Germany under the command of Adolf Hitler, the government decided that it was necessary to begin a defense strategy to protect its borders, realizing the real possibility of an attack on the Soviet Union.

To protect the southern borders on the coast of the Odessa Gulf, from 1934 to 1936, a large construction of a defense structure for 411 batteries in Odessa began. Its purpose was to repel attacks by the enemy from the sea, from warships, and they also had to support the ground forces in the ground invasion of the fascists.

Construction of buildings

All reinforced concrete structures were built by prisoners, consisting of 2,000 people, under the strict supervision of the NKVD and with the participation of the Civil Aviation Administration of the Navy. Above each concrete mixer stood an officer of the detachment of internal affairs and watched to properly add the necessary components to the solution. We looked strictly, since the fortifications had to be very strong. Used concrete grade 600 and pebbles from Odessa beaches. General DM Karbyshev applied advanced technologies at the time in the construction of military installations.

Each bunker had a double layer of 3 cm of armored steel, and reinforced concrete structures had a thickness of up to 1 m 75 cm. Huge ditches for power and gun installations were digging. At a depth of 18 m, underground tunnels were dug, connecting artillery positions with a command post located at a distance of 750 meters on the shore of the bay. Above it reinforced armored plate. For the construction was spent 11.6 tons of gold.

Dungeons Batteries

They housed the combat deckhouse of the chief commander of the Odessa battery 411 and the center for monitoring the enemy's actions. The optical device VK-10 increased the object by 20 times. Information about the purpose of the shot was forwarded directly to the post of guidance of large 180-mm guns. The rows of cables and other electrical equipment ran along the underground passage. As the dungeon was tilted, and water could flood the guns, they dug a special gutter and a large reservoir, from where strong water pumps were pumped to the surface.

Also in the dungeons were additional services: a boiler room, a compartment for diesel equipment, serving gun engines, an electric generator. Under the ground were also dug storage rooms for combustible lubricants, several storage tanks, up to 1000 cubic meters. M of water each. In the case of overlapping of the enemy's access to water supplies to the citizens of 411, the Odessa battery could provide them with water for a long period. The tanks from artesian wells were replenished from a depth of more than 30 m.

A complex ventilation system provided huge underground areas with fresh air. And boilers and pipe systems heated the room. The whole important structure of life support was underground. Above the surface were only trunks of huge guns, capable of firing at a distance of up to 40 km.

Artillery guns

For three cannon guns weighing 160 tons, along with a turning device, were dug three underground yards. The guns on the underground elevators were loaded with projectiles weighing 97.5 kg. On a special cart 2 artillerymen brought him to the cannon's cannon. The courtyards were protected from chemical attack. The sleeves that fell out after each shot slid into a special underground tank lined with copper sheets.

From the courtyards led emergency emergency underground exits for the military. During the shot, all the hatches between the rooms were blocked. In case of fire, there was a complex system of automatic water fire extinguishing of all premises. The service of Odessa's 411 battery consisted of 365 personnel.

Around these three main guns at a distance were three 45-mm anti-aircraft guns with a platoon serving them. Also on guard of the battery were three quadruple antiaircraft guns "Maxim", which provided anti-aircraft defense positions. Already during the construction of the protective complex, the artillerymen mastered sophisticated equipment and conducted training sessions under the supervision of experienced specialists.

Masking of structures

During the shooting, the artillery courtyards were covered with camouflage nets and tree branches. After the mission, the building was closed with huge winged doors, on which there was a small village house, several trees and grape bushes. To deceive the enemy near the actual location of the battery, approximately 700 meters, was located a false battery.

From the plywood built towers, from the former lanterns made gun barrels. Farm buildings were built. At a time when the real battery was carrying out a combat mission, on false decorative positions the soldiers lit smoke bombs that completely mimicked the smoke from the gunfire.

German bombers have repeatedly spotted a false battery and fired from the air a wooden props. After the battle, the soldiers completely restored the destroyed props each time, which saved their lives more than once.

Heroic defense of Odessa

In 1941 on August 5 at 9 o'clock in the morning the first volley with 180-mm guns thundered. The Romanian army settled in the Akkerman fortress, and the commander of the battery Ivan Nikolaevich Nikitenko gave the first order to destroy the enemy's large forces. After the high-explosive shells flying up to an altitude of 18 km, reached the enemy positions, the Romanians were filled with horror. They thought they were being fired from planes. Opened in the empty skies artillery return fire. Continuing bombardment, our military inflicted irreparable damage to enemy forces.

Captain IN Nikitenko received a thank-you message from the commander of the 25th Chapayev Division, Major-General Ivan Petrov, who stood guard over the Southern District of the city's defense. The enemy felt all the might of the defensive positions of the Soviet army. More than 200 tons of deadly metal collapsed on the enemy's position.

The shooting was conducted without stopping day and night. Even the huge steel guns did not stand the heat of battle. The cuts in the canals of the trunks were worn. Military masters managed in one night to change the barrels of multi-ton guns, replaceable liners with carvings. During the repair, other guns did not stop firing at enemy positions. What is noteworthy, for the whole period of defense, no fighter of the underground fortress was even wounded.

The order to surrender the city

Three days before the city was delivered to the enemy, explosives were brought into the battery. The soldiers read out the order of October 1 about the surrender of the city and the retreat of the army. They reacted extremely negatively to him, and did not want to surrender the city, but the order is an order, and nothing left to obey. With a heavy heart, the artillerymen prepared the positions of the batteries for undermining. Most of the fighters went on fishing seiners "Typhoon", "Krasin" and "Odessky-1", only 40 people remained on positions.

October 16, 1941 at night the heroic battery covered the withdrawal of the Primorsky Army of Odessa to help in the defense of Sevastopol, having committed 230 shots at the enemies. After that, on the orders of the military authorities, at 4 am the position of the heroic battery was blown up, and personnel through the trading port on ships were sent to defend Sevastopol.

Tribute to heroes

Grateful citizens of Odessa could not but honor the memory of the heroes and leave the remains of the battery without due attention. Therefore, the decision of the Regional Council of July 28, 1971, it was decided to create a memorial 411 batteries Odessa. It is located on the site of its location. On the former courtyards of the blown up huge guns ditches are overgrown with trees. Only one gun, as an exhibit of the memorial, was brought from such a structure in the Soviet harbor of the Far East.

Delivered it on four large railway platforms with a 250-ton crane. Especially for her restored the second gun yard. The first and third were irretrievably razvorochki explosives. Used to create a memorial 411 batteries Odessa photo of those times and historical documents.

Opening of the memorial

The solemn opening of the memorial complex was held at the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Great Victory, on May 9, 1975. A famous poet, former combatant, who visited the battery during the war, Konstantin Simonov made a speech at the festival. He read poetry on military topics. Representatives of the government and military experts spoke.

A variety of military equipment was assembled at that time: the Malyutka submarine, the airplane, anti-aircraft guns, armored train, shells, torpedoes, underwater bombs, a minesweeper, and even a tram that, during the war, cruised along the Zastava 2-Front route and took out the wounded .

Museum of Odessa Battery 411

There is a historical museum of memory for the defenders of the Odessa battery 411 at the address: 150 Kachkalovsky Dacha Street. It works all days except Friday, from 10.00 to 17.00. Excursions, both group and individual, can be ordered by phone to the museum administration.

In the museum there are exhibits belonging to fighters of Odessa battery 411, a photo of those times, photos of commanders and simple artillerymen, their personal belongings, documents and other historical values. Interesting sightseeing tours are conducted, during which visitors learn many facts from the life of Odessa's 411 battery , the history of its creation and the real version of the rescue of fighters, not known to a wide range of ordinary people.

How to get to the memorial?

The complex can be reached by tram No. 19 from the 16th station of the Great Fountain. The final stop is Odessa's 411 battery. How to get there by bus to the memorial? Too simple. There are several of them. From the center of the city from Cathedral Square departs No. 175 and No. 185. From Peresypsky Bridge there is a direct bus No. 191. From Krivobalkovsky cemetery you will take No. 197. You can also walk from the terminal stop of trolley buses No. 12, No. 7, No. 11 on the street Architect.

Anyone from Odessa with joy to tourists and all comers will show the shortest path to the main attraction of the city-hero of Odessa.