March 1944

Eastern Front

The 1st Guards Army renews its attack around Tarnopol and encircles the town for a second time. The main German combat line is pushed back more than 15 miles to the west, leaving Group Neinhoff isolated. Gen Neinhoff, commandant of the Tarnopol fortress, has just 4,600 men.

To prevent the isolation of the 1st Panzer Army on the Dniestr and its retreat into Rumanian, Manstein warns Hube of possible Soviet intentions and orders him to pull his forces back to the west if threatened with encirclement, However, under intense attack, Hube continues to fall back to the south.