Landing at Bornholm

Landing on Bornholm
Part of the Occupation of Denmark
Soviet soldiers at Bornholm.
Date 9 May 1945 Location Bornholm Result Soviet victory Territorial changes Soviet occupation of the island until it was returned to Denmark in 5 April 1946
Belligerents
Nazi Germany	Soviet Union  Denmark
Commanders and leaders
Gerhard von Kamptz	Unknown
Strength
12,000 Troops	Unknown

Soviet occupation of Bornholm
1945–1946
Flag
Location of Bornholm
Status	Military Occupation
Government	Military Occupation
Historical era	WW2, Cold War
• Occupation	9 May 1945
• Returned to Denmark	5 April 1946
Preceded by Succeeded by German occupation of Denmark Denmark
Today part of	Denmark

Bornholm was heavily bombarded by the Soviet Air Force in May 1945, as it was a part of the Eastern Front. The German garrison commander, German Navy Captain Gerhard von Kamptz (1902–1998), refused to surrender to the Soviets, as his orders were to surrender to the Western Allies. The Germans sent several telegrams to Copenhagen requesting that at least one British soldier should be transferred to Bornholm, so that the Germans could surrender to the Western Allied forces instead of the Soviets. When von Kamptz failed to provide a written capitulation as demanded by the Soviet commanders, Soviet aircraft relentlessly bombed and destroyed more than 800 civilian houses in Rønne and Nexø and seriously damaged roughly 3,000 more on 7–8 May 1945. The population had been forewarned of the bombardments, and the towns were evacuated, but 10 local people were killed. Soldiers were also killed and wounded. Some of them were conscripts from the occupied Baltic states fighting in German ranks against the Soviets.

During the Soviet bombing of the two main towns on 7 and 8 May, Danish radio was not allowed to broadcast the news because it was thought it would spoil the liberation festivities in Denmark.^[1] On 9 May Soviet troops landed on the island, and after a short fight, the German garrison (about 12,000 strong^[2]) surrendered.^[3] Soviet forces left the island on 5 April 1946 as part of the post-war division of interests of the Soviet Union and the Western Allies. Denmark was to be Western aligned, and in return the Baltic states were to be kept in the Soviet sphere of influence.^[4]

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