June 1944

Eastern Front

The Finns retreat from the Svir, pursued by the 7th Army. The bulk of the Finnish forces have already left this sector in order to cover the Karelian Isthmus.

After the success of the fighting on June 22, the 1st Baltic and 3rd Belorussian Fronts begin full-scale offensive operations. Bagramyan decides to use his arty preparation only where the German defenses remain strong. Both the 6th Guards and 43rd Armies of the 1st Baltic Front break through without arty support, Sirotino falling as the IX Corps is pushed back to the Dvina. Soviet forces succeed in cutting the Polotsk-Vitebsk railway line, severing the road west out of Vitebsk. As these battles rage the Vi Corps suffers a terrible beating. One of the corps' infantry divisions collapses during bitter fighting and another begins to fall back from the northwest. Reinhardt demands that he be allowed to fall back from Vitebsk but Busch, following Hitler's stand and fight order to the letter, categorically refuses. In Vitebsk itself the LIII Corps is only lightly attacke, the 39th Army pinning the corps down as the pincers of the 1st Baltic and 3rd Belorussian smash its flanking units. The XXVII Corps of the 4th Army is also hit by massive blows on the road to Orsha, delivered by 11th Guards, 5th and 31st Armies on the left flank of the 3rd Belorussian Front. In costly defensive fighting the 25th Panzer Division and 78th Sturm Division inflict heavy losses upon 11th Guards Army but the German line then begin to crumble. To aid the exploitation the Stavka moved up the 5th Guards Tank Army from the reserve to deploy.

Overwhelming arty fire and air attacks support the attacks of the 2nd Belorussian Front's 33rd, 49th and 50th Armies toward Orsha and Mogilev. The right wing of the XXXIX Corps of the 4th Army is heavily attacked around Chausy by elements of the 50th Army. One of the German divisions becomes separated during the fighting and suffers heavy losses while the division holding the southern flank collapses, opening the road to the Dniepr and Mogilev. With its combat forces in dire need, the 4th Army has no option but to thro in its small reserve. Feldherrnhalle Panzer Grenadier Division, with only 30 tanks, moves up to aid the ailing XXXIX Corps. This development engangers the XII Corps south of the XXXIX, opening up its northern flank to Soviet attack.

The 1st Belorussian Front begins probing attacks against the 9th Army. Busch reports to OKH that he can see no way of restoring his lines.