February 1944

Eastern Front

Nationalist partisans in the Ukraine attack a convoy in the rear of the 60th Army. Marshal Vatutin is in one of the vehicles and is wounded. Zhukov takes over command of the 1st Ukrainian Front. Vatutin eventually succumbs to his wounds on April 15, dying in the hospital.

German strength in the east stands at 23 panzer, 10 panzer grenadier and 134 infantry divisions, 8 infantry divisions having left the line and 3 joining.

Manstein believes that the next Russian offensive will hit the left flank of the army group once again. The 4th Panzer Army is reinforced with units of the 1st Panzer and 8th Armies covering the Vinnitsa and Uman sectors. Raus' 4th Panzer (8 infantry, 1 police and 9 panzer or panzer grenadier divisions) deploy the LIX Corps on its left wing around Kovel, XIII Corps around Brody, XLVIII Panzer Corps in reserve at Proskurov and III Panzer Corps at Tarnopol. Hube's 1st Panzer Army (8 infantry, 1 arty and 1 panzer division) is between Starokonstantinovka and Vinnitsa with its VII Corps, XXIV and XLVI Panzer Corps, the 1st Hungarian Army being behind the main German front line in this sector while Wohler's 8th Army (5 infantry and 4 panzer or panzer grenadier divisions) is falling back to the Bug between Vinnitsa and Kirovograd. Hollidt's 6th Army (8 infantry and 3 panzer or panzer grenadier divisions) is on the Ingulets and Dniepr on the southern wing. Behind the 6th Army, a new 3rd Rumanian Army is forming.

Following a number of transfers toward the end of the month, Vatutin's 1st Ukrainian Front deploys the 1st Tank and 3rd Guards Tank Armies in reserve behind its northern wing, the 4th Tank Army in reserve behind its center, 13th 60th and 1st Guards Armies on the long northern wing and the 18th Army in the center and 38th Army on the left flank. Koniev's 2nd Ukrainian Front deploys the 2nd and 6th Tank and 5th Guards Tank Armies in mobile reserve, 40th and 27th Armies on the right wing, 52nd and 4th Guards in the center and 53rd and 5th Guards and 7th Guards on the left wing. Malinovsky's 3rd Ukrainian Front completes the main front line to the Black Sea coast. Its 57th and 37th Armies hold the left wing, 46th, 8th Guards and 5th Shock hold between the Ingulets and Dniepr and the 28th Army hold the right wing on the east bank of the Dniepr. Group Pliev is in mobile reserve. Tolbukhin's 4th Ukrainian Front has been reduced in frontage to the Crimean periphery. The 2nd Guards and 51sth Armies hold the Perekop and Zivash sectors and the Independent Coastal Army hold the Kerch sector.

Realizing the Germans expect the 1st Ukrainian to continue its westward drive, the Stavka plan to unbalance Manstein by throwing the front southwest, against the junction of the 4th and 1st Panzer Armies. This will sever the 1st Panzer, 8th and 6th Armies from the main combat line and force them back into Rumania, leaving the road to Lvov and southern Poland open. Meanwhile, as this attack develops, the 2nd Ukrainian Front will attack the 8th Army and 3rd Ukrainian the junction of the 8th and 6th Armies and pin the 6th Army frontally.