įrom 27 January through 15 February, the Soviets conducted numerous successful counter-attacks, forcing the Germans to give up the greater portion of their territorial gains, pushing the front line back to the area between Lake Velence, the village of Csősz, and Lake Balaton. At the height of Operation Konrad III, February 26, the Axis front lines had reached within 20 km of Buda's Southern perimeter, and within about 10 km the Northern perimeter, but their forces were exhausted. Before the end of the 4th day, the Germans had recaptured 400 square kilometers of territory, an achievement comparable to the initial German gains during the Ardennes offensive and the Western Front in December 1944. This sudden and savage push caused the Soviet command to actually contemplate an evacuation to the opposite shore. Their push resulted in the annihilation of the Soviet 7th Mechanized Corps. By 21 January, only 5 days into Operation Konrad III, the Germans had taken the towns of Dunapentele and Adony which are on the Western shore of the Danube. The objectives of Konrad III included relieving besieged Budapest and the recapturing of the Transdanubia region. But while the 6th Panzer Army was refitting in Germany, Hitler ordered a preliminary offensive with a similar object to be conducted, resulting in Operation Konrad III beginning 18 January. The deadline of 30 January proved impossible for refitting to be completed.Īs Operation Spring Awakening would be of great importance, lengthy preparation and strategic care was taken so as to not reveal the offensive. Hitler wanted to secure the extremely vital Nagykanizsa oil fields of southern Hungary, as this was the most strategically valuable asset remaining on the Eastern Front. These units were to be refitted by 30 January and attached to the 6th Panzer Army under the command of Sepp Dietrich for the upcoming Operation Spring Awakening. Hitler ordered OB West Field Marshal Gerd Von Rundstedt to withdraw the following units from active combat in the Battle of the Bulge: I SS Panzer Corps with 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte and 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend, along with II SS Panzer Corps with 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich and 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen. On 12 January Hitler received confirmation that the Soviet Red Army had begun a massive winter offensive through Poland named the Vistula–Oder offensive. 6 Soviet counterattack – Vienna Offensive.4 Order of battle for 6 - 15 March, 1945.3.3 Overarching Soviet military structure.3.1 Interrupted Soviet offensive preparations.2.2 Overarching German military structure.2.1 Creation of Operation Spring Awakening.The advance stalled on 15 March, and on 16 March the Red Army and allied units began their delayed Vienna offensive. The Germans attacked in three prongs: Frühlingserwachen in the Balaton- Lake Velence- Danube area, Eisbrecher south of Lake Balaton, and Waldteufel south of the Drava-Danube triangle. Many German units were involved, including the 6th Panzer Army and its subordinate Waffen-SS divisions after being withdrawn from the failed Ardennes offensive on the Western Front. The operation, initially planned for 5 March, began after German units were moved in great secrecy to the Lake Balaton ( German: Plattensee) area. The objective was to secure the last significant oil reserves still available to the European Axis powers and prevent the Red Army from advancing towards Vienna. It took place in Western Hungary on the Eastern Front and lasted from 6 March until 15 March, 1945. The operation was referred to in Germany as the Plattensee offensive and in the Soviet Union as the Balaton defensive operation. Operation Spring Awakening ( German: Unternehmen Frühlingserwachen) was the last major German offensive of World War II. Soviet counter-offensive (16 March–15 April 1945):ģ0,000 killed 125,000 captured 1,345 tanks/assault guns lost 2,250 guns and mortars lost 446 armour personnel carriers 200+ aircraftģ2,899 8,492 killed or missing 24,407 wounded & sick 152 tracked AFVs destroyed 415 anti-tank guns destroyed ģ8,661 killed 129,279 wounded & sick 167,940 men īulgarian casualties: 9,805 men 2,698 killed 7,017 wounded & sick
25 Divisions -260,000 Men (max) -650 Tanks (376 operational) -3200 Assault Guns and Mortars -850 Aircraft (entire Luftflotte 4 for entire Army Group South)ĥ March: -37 Divisions (discounting Air Armies and Yugoslav 3rd Army) -465,000 men -407 Tanks (398 operational) -6597 Assault Guns and Mortars -293 Rocket Launchers -965 Aircraft (17th Air Army only – 3rd Ukrainian Front)ġ APC destroyed Army Group F: Unknown
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