March 1945

Eastern Front

The remnants of the German 4th Army disintegrates on the shores of the Frisches Haff. The remnants of 3 divisions isolated at Laysuhnen are wiped out after a bloody last stand while others are destroyed at Rosenberg. Only a small force continues to resist on the Balga Peninsula.

Gotenhafen falls to the 19th Army as the 8,000 survivors of the garrison withdraw north to the Oxhoft Peninsula. Units of the 2nd Shock and 19th Armies break through to the final German defense line north and south of Danzig. During the night of March 27-28 Gen von Saucken orders the evacuation of his remaining forces inside the port.

Busse's 9th Army counterattacks from Frankfurt with 4 armored divisions in an effort to reach Kustrin. Taking the 8th Guards, Army by surprise the attack initially makes good progress, leading units breaking into Kustrin late in the day. However, strong Soviet counterattacks push the Germans back and Kustrin is once again isolated. After a day of ferocious fighting 8,000 German troops had been lost.

In Silesia the 1st Ukrainian front captures Strehlen (now Strzelin) and Rybnik after a bitter battle.

The bulk of the 3rd Hungarian Army, almost 100,000 men, is isolatee north of Tatabanya as the 46th Army reaches the Danube. Heavy fighting rages along the line of the Raab as the 6th SS Panzer Army tries to stem the Soviet advance toward Austria.