January 1945

Eastern Front

Heavy fighting rages around Konigsberg as 39th Army penetrates to the Frisches Haff, west of the city. This lates gain severs communications between the Germans in Samland and those in the city.

The German 4th Army manages to reach to within 6 miles of Elbing but has shot its bolt. The 2nd Belorussian Front has successfully slowed the German attack by piling more and more forces into the line, gradually wearing down the weaker Germans in a battle of attrition. During heavy fighting Marienwerder falls, In Pomerania Schonlake and Woldenberg fall.

Upper Silesia has largely fallen to the 1st Ukrainian Front. Despite some heavy fighting the Russians have captured the German industrial infrastructure without causing significant damate. However, the German 17th Army has managed to escape annihilation in the Kattowitz pocket by the narrowest of margins as the Soviet forces concentrate on the capture of territory rather than the destruction of the enemy field army.

The capture of the Silesian industrial region dealt a body blow to the German war effort. The loss of crucial coal production areas and armaments factories left a massive hole in the ability of German industry to continue to supply the field armies. With the Ruhr under intense Allied bombardment, the loss of Silesia effectiviely brought the end of the Third Reich within reach. The German struggle to replace their massive equipment losses became acute, Speer's considerable achievements in productive efficiency during 1944 being destroyed by the loss of this vital industrial region.

A German and Hungarian counterattack along the Varosmajor Grange in Buda fails to drive the Soviets back. The attackers suffer very heavy casualties.