December 1944

Eastern Front

Desperate Hungarian defense in Pest manages to stabalize the line but is not enough to halt the Soviet advance. Hungarian counterattacks in southern Buda make progress but soon come under intense Soviet pressure and have to fall back.

After 2 days of bitter fighting the Soviets offer the Budapest garrison the opportunity to surrender. 2 parties of emissaries from the 2nd Ukrainian Front are sent into no-man's land in both Pest and Buda to offer terms to the German. The Germans kill the Pest emissary on their way into the city but the Buda party manages to get through the front line to deliver their message. The Buda group the return to their own lines but, during the journey across the battlefield, Soviet arty fire hit the German lines. In the ensuing chaos the Buda emissary is killed but others in their party manage to regain their lines.