August 1944

Eastern Front

Heavy fighting around Lake Peipus forces the 18th Army back into Tartu. The northward thrust by the 67th Army is threatening the rear of the Group Narva, which still holds before teh 2nd Shock, 59th and 8th Armies.

The Soviets complete the encirclement of the German 6th Army as the 37th and 52nd Armies link up between Husi and Leovo. The 4th Guards, 5th Shock, 57th and 37th Armies swing in to destroy the isolated corps, while the 6th Tank, 27th and 52nd Armies of the 2nd Ukrainian Front and 47th Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front continue to push out on the outer ring. German forces inside the pocket rapidly begin to fall apart as the Soviets launch air and arty strikes, inflicting terrible casualties. Kishinev, abandoned on the 23rd, falls to the 5th Shock Army. The XXX Corps, on the southern face of the pocket, attempts to assemble its men for a breakout to the west.

Outside the main encirclement, Group Meith fights to prevent its own isolation in bitter fighting with the 52nd Army around Husi. On the Black Sea coast the isolated 9th Infantry Division surrenders, over 13,000 men being captured as the division ceases to exist.

In Bucharest the Rumanians rise in revolt against German authority, firing on German buildings in the city. Hitler orders punitive action and throws the 5th Flak Division into the fighting in the city. However, the Germans come under heavy fire and has to call upon air support, the Luftwaffe bombing Bucharest. This action spreads the revolt and fighting breaks out around Ploesti.