March 1945

Eastern Front

Lead elements of the 19th Army reach Koslin and take the town after a bitter struggle. The 2nd Belorussian Front now prepares to strike east to pin the Germans against the coast around Danzig. To the west the 47th Army attacks toward Altdamm, inflicting heavy casualties upon the 3rd Panzer Army's right wing. The X SS Corps at Dramberg is fiercely attacked by units of the 3rd Shock Army from the south, west and north and by the 1st Polish Army from the east. The corps commander is wounded and captured during heavy fighting as his forces attempt to break out to the west. Corps Group Tettau, fighting south of Belgard, begins a difficult march northwest toward the coast in an effort to escape destruction. It has around 15,000 troops butr also tries to ensure the safety of 40,000 civilians moving along with the pocket.

The XXIV Panzer Corps recaptures Lauban as it pushes the 3rd Guards back.

Army Group South completes its preparations for Operation FRUHLINGSERWACHEN. Wohler has been reinforced with Dietrich's 6th SS Panzer Army and has managed to stockpile a reserve of fuel. However, the land around Lake Balaton where the attack is to be made is heavily flooded and will prove difficult to negotiate. For the attack the Germans have assembled the 6th SS Panzer Army (I and II SS Panzer Corps and III Panzer Corps totalling 10 armored and 5 infantry divisions), 6th Army (IV SS Panzer Corps and 8th Hungarian Corps comprising 3 infantry and 5 armored divisions) and 2nd Panzer Army (XLIV and LXVII Corps comprising 4 infantry divisions), a force of 430,000 troops, 5,600 arty pieces and 880 panzers and assault guns. The Luftwaffe has 850 aircraft but is short of aviation fuel. North of the Danube bend the 8th Army (9 infantry and 2 armored divisions) and 3rd Hungarian Army (1 armored division and 2 infantry divisions) hold off the 2nd Ukrainian Front in Slovakia.

Against the main attack sector Tolbukhin's 3rd Ukrainian Front has the 4th Guards Army near Lake Velencei and 26th Army near Lake Balaton, the junction of the 2 armies being between the lakes, right at the point where the Germans are going to attack. In reserve behind the junction of the 2 armies is the 27th Army, while the 57th Army is south of Lake Balaton, between the lake and the Drava River. The 1st Bulgarian and 3rd Yugoslav Armies hold the northern bank of the Drava against Army Group E while the 17th Air Army support the ground forces. In all the 3rd Ukrainian front fields 407,000 troops, 7,000 arty pieces , 400 tanks and Su's and 960 aircraft. In Stavka reserve behind the 3rd Ukrainian is the 9th Guards Army. From the junction with the 3rd Ukrainian south of Biscke is Malinovsky's 2nd Ukrainian Front with the 46th Army around Esztergon and the 6th Guards Tank Army to its south, the 7th Guards Army on the line of the Hron, north of the Danube, the 53rd Army, 4th Rumanian and 40th Armies holding the line running northeast along the general line of the Hungarian-Slovak border. The 5th Air Army provides aerial support.

The German intention is for the 6th SS Panzer Army to break through the junction of the 4th Guards and 26th Armies and reach the Danube at Dunapentele in the north and near Baja in the south. The northern wing will then push directly north along the western bank of the river to recapture Budapest and destroy those elements of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts trapped on the west bank. The southern wing meanwhile will link up with Army Group E which is to cross the Drava and reach the Danube near Mohacs. The 2nd Panzer Army will pin the 57th Army down south of Lake Balaton. The scope of the attack is fairly limited and will in no way alter the otherwise disastrous German position on the Eastern Front.