Fort No. 5a "Lendorf" is one of three small lettered forts that were part of the defensive belt known as the "Night Quilt of Königsberg." Built in 1888-1889, it was named after the Prussian general, Count Karl von Lendorf (1770–1854), a participant in the Napoleonic Wars. It is a monument of 19th-century fortification art.
Within the system of Königsberg’s defensive structures, the fort served as an intermediate position and played an auxiliary role. Compared to the main forts, it is smaller and has a much simpler design—four single-story casemates (three ground-level, one gorge), with no combat caponiers. Above the central entrance remain the construction dates and a fragment of the coat of arms. It is surrounded by a water-filled moat.
During the assault on Königsberg by Soviet troops in April 1945, "Lendorf" was subjected to heavy artillery bombardment (according to available data, more than 350 shells of 203 and 280 mm caliber were fired at it), but it did not suffer significant damage. By 18:00 on April 6, it was blockaded by units of the 262nd Guards Rifle Regiment of the 87th Guards Rifle Division. The firing points on the fort’s surface were suppressed, but the garrison sheltered in the casemates continued to resist. By the end of the day, the Soviet command issued an ultimatum to the fort’s commander demanding immediate surrender, threatening to blow up the fort otherwise. On the night of April 7, the garrison of 197 men capitulated.
The fort was located in the direction of the main strike of the 43rd Army, commanded by Afanasy Pavlantyevich Beloborodov. This small, unremarkable structure found itself at the heart of an event marked by three Heroes of the Soviet Union.
Situation as of April 1, 1945, on the outskirts of Königsberg on the eve of the assault.
Weather was rainy, visibility limited, muddy conditions.
The enemy showed no activity.
261st Guards Rifle Regiment, 87th Red Banner Rifle Division.
April 5, 1945. During the night, the enemy conducted methodical rifle and machine-gun fire on combat formations. The sapper company of the 20th Separate Engineer-Sapper Battalion worked throughout the night to create passages. During the mission, the sappers engaged in combat and eliminated six Germans.
April 6, 1945
By 2:00, units advanced and took up starting positions. At 10:00, a powerful artillery preparation began, lasting three hours. Afterwards, as artillery fire shifted deeper, infantry and accompanying tanks began attacking the front line. In the first minutes of battle, units drove the enemy out of the trenches. The enemy put up strong resistance, especially from Fort "Lendorf," which remained impervious to our artillery and aviation. Fire from the fort delayed the advance of our units.
The enemy was mostly knocked down and stunned; it was necessary at all costs, without losing a minute, to strike the enemy, not allowing them to recover and organize new resistance. The fort was blockaded by the 2nd rifle battalion; the 1st bypassed it and continued the advance.
Despite our units fighting on the outskirts of Königsberg, the enemy in Fort No. 5a did not surrender. Two captured German soldiers were sent into the fort with an offer to cease pointless resistance and surrender. The returning soldiers reported that the fort’s command requested an officer for negotiations. An officer was sent. After that, the enemy laid down arms, lined up the personnel, and surrendered.
Enemy losses during the day of fighting:
Over 100 Hitlerites killed and wounded, 7 guns of various calibers captured, 50 bicycles seized, 120 enemy soldiers taken prisoner.
Fedosov was with a detachment as part of assault groups, acting during the breakthrough of fortifications and the assault on the fortress city of Königsberg.
From the northwest, Fort No. 5A covered Königsberg and was in the direction of the assault groups’ actions.
On April 6, 1945, Fedosov made passages through enemy mine and wire obstacles under heavy fire in the attack sector. With three soldiers, he stealthily crawled close to a German pillbox (DOT). The pillbox covered approaches to the fort. The group set a charge and blew up the enemy pillbox along with its garrison. As a result, the infantry was able to continue the advance unhindered and move forward, bypassing the fortification from the rear. The enemy repeatedly tried counterattacks against the assault group. Suffering heavy losses, the enemy lost positions one after another. Having captured the enemy’s defensive positions near the fort, they left the fort’s garrison without fire support. The fort surrendered. The group continued the advance. In this battle, the Germans left more than 75 bodies on the battlefield. Under heavy enemy fire, Fedosov defused 7 charges.
More than 100 German soldiers and officers were destroyed, 60 taken prisoner, and a large ammunition depot captured.
Fedosov’s feat was of great importance for the success of the assault on Königsberg.
Together with the assault group, he blew up the pillbox covering the approaches to Fort No. 5A. After that, under heavy enemy fire, together with four sappers, he crawled to the anti-tank ditch, where they removed 62 anti-tank and anti-personnel mines. Thus, they cleared the area for building a bridge over the anti-tank ditch. Thanks to this, the bridge was successfully constructed, and tanks, infantry, and artillery were able to cross.
Further, Egorov fought on the approaches to Königsberg; at one strongpoint alone, the Germans lost over 160 soldiers and officers, with a large number of prisoners and three large military depots captured.
In the battles for Königsberg, Egorov showed great military skill and heroism.
Guards Sergeant Golibin
Wounded and severely concussed on January 13, 1945, not fully recovered, he led a sapper platoon. He acted in battle under swampy conditions, showing military skill and heroism.
On April 6, 1945, Golibin’s sapper group performed the task of making passages through minefields and wire obstacles near the fort. They blockaded it by destroying the pillbox. This allowed infantry and other sappers to bypass and encircle the fort. This maneuver, in which the sappers played an important role, decided the outcome of the battle for the fort. In these battles, Golibin personally removed over 30 charges.
In the postwar years, the fort belonged to the Ministry of Defense. In the early 2000s, it was in a cluttered and neglected state. Since February 2017, the fort has been leased by the military-patriotic club "Vityazi."
Sources:
https://day-off39.ru/otdykh-v-kaliningrade-i-oblasti/kaliningrad/6052-fort-5a-lendorf
https://gid39.su/fort-5a/
