March 1945

Eastern Front

The fighting north of Lake Balaton intensifies as leading elements of the II SS Panzer Corps attacks between the I SS to its south and III Panzer to the north. The 26th Army is hit by upwards of 170 panzers and assault guns but fights doggedly in the waterlogged ground, holding up the German spearheads long enough for Tolbukhin to reinforce the battered army with his remaining reserves. To the south the 2nd Panzer Army and Army Group E join the offensive, the 2nd Panzer managing to penetrate the 57th Army's forward positions after hard fighting. Along the Drava Army Group E also attack but only manage to establish small bridgeheads on the north bank in the face of determined resistance by the 1st Bulgarian and 3rd Yugoslav Armies near Donji Miholjac and Valprovo.