August 1944

Eastern Front

The 6th Army is exhausted and after a last effort to break through Group Meith is destroyed. More than 106,000 men have been captured and 150,000 killed during the fighting, wiping the 6th Army off the German order of battle. Army Group South Ukraine also loses 850 tanks, 3,500 arty pieces and 35,000 motor vehicles during the battle.

Constanta falls to the 57th Army and Buzau to the 46th Army as Soviet forces close upon Bucharest and Bulgaria. The Balkan offensive has cost the 2nd Ukrainian Front 7,000 killed and 32,000 wounded and the 3rd Ukrainian 5,800 killed and 21,000 wounded.

Adm Horthy removes the pro-German Szotaj government from power and appoints the pro-Soviet Lakatos regime. He does not go so far as the break off relations with German though.