Zlatoust Operation of 1919

an offensive operation executed by M. N. Tukhachevskii’s Fifth Army of the Eastern Front from June 24 to July 13, during the Civil War (1918–20).

The counteroffensive on the Eastern Front brought the Soviet troops to the foothills of the Urals in June 1919. The Fifth Army faced General M. V. Khanzhin’s White Guards Western Army, with General S. N. Voitsekhovskii’s reserve corps in the second echelon, in the region west of Zlatoust. The plan of the Zlatoust operation called for the main blow to be struck at the weakened Urals Group of the Whites along the Birsk highway and the luriuzan’ River in order to break into the rear of the corps of General V. O. Kappel’, which occupied the nearly inaccessible Asha-Balashev positions near the Samara-Zlatoust railroad. On the night of June 23 two brigades of the 26th Rifle Division crossed the Ufa River, followed a day later by the 27th Division. Since the 27th Division was held up for another day by the enemy on the Birsk highway, the 26th Division rushed forward and, advancing rapidly in difficult conditions along the narrow gorge of the luriuzan’ River (it covered 120 km in three days), un-expectedly reached the position of the Whites’ reserve corps. Between July 2 and 4 it defeated the enemy in fierce battles near Nasibash and occupied Kropachevo, with its railroad station. On July 5 the 27th Division reached the area of Verkhnie Kigi, diverting part of the enemy forces and defeating them in a meeting engagement. Although Kappel’ avoided encirclement, the Whites were thrown back to the near approaches of Zlatoust. On July 10 the Fifth Army brought up the 35th Division and resumed the offensive, supported by detachments of Urals workers. On July 13 units of the 27th Division broke into Zlatoust from the north and units from the 26th Division from the south, liberating the city.