March 1945

Eastern Front

Stolp falls to the 19th Army without a fight as the 2nd Belorussian Front pours west toward Danzig and Gotenhafen. The 1st Belorussian hands over its 1st Guards Tank Army to the 2nd for a limited period to aid this attack. Together with 1,500,000 civilians and 100,000 wounded soldiers the Germans have the remnants of the 4th SS Polizei and 4th and 7th Panzer Divisions together with 11 infantry divisions and a Luftwaffe field division.

The German advance in Hungary is far short of expectations, 3 days of bitter fighting having pushed the line forward just 4 miles. In an effort to effect a breakthrough Wohler commits more units to the battle, the II SS Panzer Corps assembling more than 250 panzers and assault guns to smash its way through the 26th Army. Fierce battles rage along both banks of the Sarviz Canal as the I SS Panzer Corps makes progress on the west bank, but the II stalls yet again on the eastern bank. The 2nd Panzer Army also continues its attack but is also becoming bogged down as the 57th Army piles forces up against the narrow attack sector north of Nagyatad.

Army Group E is involved in bitter fighting around Sarajevo as Tito's rebel army harries the retreating Germans.