Historic May 9, 1945 photograph by Soviet war correspondent Mikhail Savin documenting the surrender negotiations and capitulation of German forces on the Frisch-Nerung Spit in East Prussia.
Capitulaton of German Forces on the Frisch Haff Spit, East Prussia (May 9, 1945)
This remarkable photograph, captured on May 9, 1945, by renowned Soviet war correspondent Mikhail Savin, records the final capitulation negotiations with German military forces on the Frisch-Nerung Spit (Vistula Spit) in East Prussia.
As World War II in Europe officially came to an end, isolated yet heavily armed enemy groupings in the Baltic and East Prussian coastal pockets formally surrendered to Red Army delegations.
Eyewitness Account by War Correspondent Mikhail Savin
Mikhail Savin recalled the dramatic atmosphere of that historic morning:
“On May 9, I witnessed a grand event. A large grouping of German troops had concentrated on the Frisch-Nerung Spit in East Prussia. Fighting continued throughout the entire day of the 8th. The enemy conducted continuous artillery fire... as I later found out, the artillerymen were given orders to expend all remaining ammunition. And then came the long-awaited day of victory and capitulation. The weary commander of the grouping met us—two colonels from headquarters and myself, a war correspondent—in his spacious dugout. We arrived to give instructions on where and when to march into captivity. The general wished to demonstrate the orderly condition of his units and organized a showcase parade, which our colonels accepted, while I captured it all on film. These were the final frames of the war.”
Historical Significance of the East Prussia Pocket
Following the fierce campaigns of early 1945, several hundred thousand German troops were trapped along the Baltic coast and Courland, as well as the narrow spits of East Prussia. Even after the unconditional surrender signed in Berlin, isolated garrisons on the Frisch-Nerung Spit required formal negotiations and verification by Soviet staff officers before laying down their arms, marking the absolute final shots of the war in Europe.
📍 Location: Frisch-Nerung Spit, East Prussia, Germany
📅 Date: May 9, 1945
📷 Photographer: Mikhail Savin (Red Army War Correspondent)
📰 Primary Source: Soviet State Military Photographic Archives
Recommended reading:
- The East Prussian Offensive (1945): Red Army operations and the reduction of coastal pockets
- Mikhail Savin's WWII Legacy: The iconic photographs of a frontline Soviet war correspondent
- The Surrender of May 1945: How isolated German garrisons laid down arms after V-E Day
- Vistula Spit (Frisch-Nerung): Geography and final military operations in May 1945