February 1945

Eastern Front

Army Group North order the Samland and Konigsberg groups to counterattack and regain contact. Gen Lasch, commanding the Konigsberg garrision, is to push west with the 5th Panzer 1st Infantry and 561st Volksgrenadier Divisions.

With its 2nd Army holding an overextended front in Pomerania, Army Group Vistula request permission to pull the army back west to link up with the 11th SS Panzer Army. Hitler refuses. The 11th SS Panzer Army continues its attack at Stargard. Progress slows as casualties mount. During one of his trips from Berlin to report direct to Hitler, Wenck is wounded. Gen Krebs has to take over co-ordination of the attack.

Renewed attacks along the Bobr by the Grossdeutschland and XXIV Panzer Corps embroil the 4th Tank Army in bitter fighting. The 3rd Guards Tank and 52nd Armies move to support the left and right flanks of the 4th. Against this strengthened force the Germans throw 6 worn-out armored divisions.

The 6th SS Panzer Army begins to deploy with Army Group South. The 1st SS Panzer Corps deploys against the Hron bridgehead and immediately attacks the 7th Guards Army, taking the Soviet force by surprise and pushing them back toward the river. A Soviet counterattack fails to halt the German thrust, the 1st SS striving to destroy the bridgehead and restore the strong front along the Hron.