March 1945

Eastern Front

The fighting on the lower Oder reaches a climax as the 8th Guards and 5th Shock Armies finally crush the German forces in Kustrin. Around 1,000 survivors break out after a day of ferocious fighting and reach the main German line. Hitler immediately has the garrison commander arrested.

Soviet forces in Hungary continue to advance. Kapuvar falls to the 6th Guards Tank Army, Szombathely to the 26th and Koszeg to the 9th Guards, The 2nd Panzer Army is hit hard by the 57th Army and 1st Bulgarian Army as it fights its way west. However, the 27th Army is deep in the rear of the 2nd Panzer and, together with the 57th Army, isolated the northern wing of the German force just south of Lake Balaton.