June 1944

Eastern Front

The Finns continue their withdrawal east of Lake Ladoga, giving up Petrozavodsk to the advancing 7th Army.

Gollwitzer's LIII Corps breaks out from its lodgement south of Vitebsk and moves 10 miles to the southwest. As it retreats the 39th Army completes the capture of Vitebsk. Gollwitzer reports to army headquarters that the breakout is proceeding well but contact is lost shorthly afterwards. Under ferocious attack the LIII breaks apart and is destroyed. Gollwitzer and 35,000 of his men are killed or captured during the ensuing fighting.

The 4th Army is also breaking up. Its XXVII Corps draws together into a mobile pocket and begins to fight west from Orsha. The XXXIX Corps attempts to rebuild its shattered line as it falls back. On the southern wing the XII Corps falls back. Behind the northern wing of the 4th Army the 5th Guards Tank Army moves rapidly toward Borisov. However, the 5th Panzer Division has begun to deploy its 70 Panthers ans 55 Panzer-IVs to block the Soviet advance to the Berezina and gain time for the 4th Army to fall back. Heavy fighting erupts as leading Soviet tanks run into the panzers.

Farther south the 9th Army is in an increasingly dire situation. The XXXV Corps is isolated east of Bobruisk and the XLI to the south of the town. The LV Corps is falling back to the west along the northern edge of the Pripet Marshes. However, the XLI is ordered to halt its withdrawal and fight its way back toward Bobruisk to support the breakout by the XXXV Corps. Inside the pocket the XXXV launches its first break-out attempt. With nearly 150 panzers in the lead the Germans try to smash their way through the 3rd Army, but a combination of ferocious ground fire and attacks by the 16th Air Army manages to break up the German force, inflicting crippling casualties.

Hitler orders the 3rd Panzer and 4th Armies to establish a line from Polotsk, through Lepel and on to the Berezina, a line that has already been breached by the advancing Soviet forces. In addition, the 12th Panzer Division, released from Army Group North, begins to arrive at Marina Gorka to strengthen 4th Army.