October 1944

Eastern Front

Palanga falls to the 51st Army, isolating the 16th and 18th Armies in the Kurland Peninsula and around Riga. The 5th Guards Tank Army also reaches the Baltic coast near Memel as the 43rd Army strikes the XXVIII Corps inside the town. The 2nd Guards Army pushes toward Tilsit.

The 1st, 2nd and 3rd Baltic Fronts launch concentric attacks upon the German units crammed into the Riga defenses. After costly fighting the Soviets are repulsed, enabling the 18th Army to evacuate the bulk of its units to Kurland. Attacks continue throughout the day and finally pierce the outer defenses.

The isolation of Army Group North in the Kurland Peninsula sever a large group of forces from the German line in the east. Hitler's continued insistence that every yard of ground be held condemns the half million men of this army group to a secondary role for the remainder of the war.

The 40th Army pushes the 8th Army and 2nd Hungarian Army back from the Cluj region. West of Cluj, the 6th Tank Army closes upon Debrecen. However, a ferocious counterattack encircles a large part of the army near the town.

Petrovac falls to units of the 57th Army as it consolidates its hold across the Belgrade-Nis railway.