July 1944

Eastern Front

The 1st Shock Army smashes through the German 18th Army to outflank Ostrov. A little to the south the 1st Baltic Front unleashes a new attack toward Siauliai, using the newly committed 51st and 2nd Guards Armies. The 3rd Panzer Army already stretched to breaking point, breaks under this new attack.

The 8th Guards Army reaches the Bug, having smashed the northern wing of the 4th Panzer Army. With the line breached the 2nd Tank Army is committed to the battle.

Counterattacks by the XLVIII Panzer Corps fails to break through to the XIII Corps despite heavy fighting. Rava Russki falls to the 13th Army as the Soviets outflank Lvov from the north.

German generals attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler. While in conference at Rastenburg, Col von Stauffenberg plants a bomb concealed in his briefcase. The subsequent explosion should have killed Hitler but a German office, trying to get closer to the operations table, probably saved the Führer's life. Moving Stauffenberg's briefcase behind a thick wooden beam running along the length of the table, the officer shielded Hitler from the full force of the blast. Hearing the sound of the explosion as he left, Stauffenberg telephones his fellow conspirators in Berlin but their delay gives the Nazis the opportunity to seize the initiative. It is quickly established that Hitler had survived the assassination attempt and the coup quickly collapses. Gen From, the head of the Replacement Army who had planned to take contorl of the Berlin garrison, quickly switches sides and has the conspirators in the War Ministry shot, mainly to cover his own implication in the plot. With total brutality the coup is suppressed across the length and breadth of the Reich. Among those who indirectly lose their lives are Field Marshal Rommel and Field Marshal Kluge.

Reichsfürer Himmler, as well as already been head of the SS, head of the State Police, head of the Interior Ministry and many other departments, is appointed commander of the Replacement Army.