The finale of World War II was a foregone conclusion after the Battle of Stalingrad, when, at the cost of incredible efforts of the Soviet Army, it was possible not only to discard the Nazis from offensive positions, but also to capture the sixth enemy army, commanded by Friedrich Paulus. And although there was still more than two years before the victory and there were still many great battles ahead, this battle made a turning point in the war. The last major battle of the most terrible war in the history of mankind was the Balaton defensive operation. During her battles were fought at Lake Balaton. January - March 1945 finally determined the Wehrmacht finals.
Balance of power
In the winter of 1945, the troops of the anti-Hitler coalition conducted successful offensive operations, creating a real threat to Berlin. Hitler, sensing a real preponderance of forces was not in his favor, decided on the latter in his military career and "victorious march" across Europe across the East offensive against Soviet forces already united with the second front.
From the side of the Red Army, the main blow was held by units of the third Ukrainian front under the command of Marshal Fedor Tolbukhin. Support was provided from Bulgaria by the First Bulgarian Army, from Yugoslavia by the Third Yugoslav Army.
The offensive was carried out by forces of Army Group South, fortified by the army corps and the fourth air fleet. In addition, from the side of the Nazis, Hungary was represented by the Third Hungarian Army.
Hitler's goals
The Balaton defensive operation, which unfolded on the territory of western Hungary, was determined by quite practical goals. Even under the conditions that Berlin was already under direct threat, Hitler decided to organize a counterattack in Hungary. The headquarters planned to push their opponents beyond the Danube. Thus, it was expected that during the operation, Vienna and the south of Germany would be withdrawn from the attack. However, there was another reason. It was here that the key oil fields were located for the Nazis. The loss of these resources to the fascist army meant the bleeding of armored and air forces.
The operation, code-named "Spring Awakening", was designed for three hits, the purpose of which was to divide the defense of the third Ukrainian front, and then destroy the enemy.
Disclosure of German plans
A group of fascist tank forces in western Hungary by Soviet intelligence was discovered in February. A little later, intelligence obtained information revealing the enemy’s plans for the upcoming offensive operation. Thanks to the data received, the Balaton defensive operation was carefully developed and prepared. The task assigned to the command of the second and third Ukrainian front by the headquarters of the Supreme High Command was to destroy the groups of fascist troops. Precisely because the scouts intercepted, the Balaton defensive operation turned Hitler another nail into the coffin of his world power.
In parallel, the Soviet military leadership continued preparations for the Vienna offensive.
Operation preparation
The Balaton defensive operation was built taking into account the experience of the battle on the Kursk Bulge. In particular, anti-tank defense was carefully developed, shelters for people and equipment were prepared, roads were equipped with the expectation of providing opportunities for maneuvering, in addition, artillery was maximized in particularly dangerous areas - in some directions the density was increased to 60 - 70 units of equipment per kilometer.
The material and technical part was under special control during the preparation. Success largely depended on how well-equipped the front with fuel and ammunition would be. Delivery of goods located on the eastern bank of the Danube was complicated by German air raids and the ice drift that had begun. Therefore, it was decided to install a gas pipeline and aerial ropeways.
The course of hostilities
German troops began the operation on the night of March sixth. Within a few hours, the German units managed to capture two bridgeheads and advance eight kilometers along the front. To strengthen the defensive position, the Soviet command decided to send a reserve rifle regiment. Around nine in the morning, the enemy launched his main blow, which was unfolding on the territory between the lakes of Balaton and Velenz. With the help of powerful attacks by tank forces, he managed to take strong positions in the evening, having gone four kilometers deep into the defense.
The next day, the enemy continued with massive attacks to make continuous attempts to break through the Soviet defense. The maneuvering of the Red Army units did not allow the fascist troops to go further than seven kilometers into the depths of their tactical zone. Aviation in the Balaton defensive operation encountered a number of difficulties caused by natural phenomena, namely, often descending impenetrable fogs.
The battle lasted a total of ten days. During this time, the Nazis managed to advance a maximum of 30 kilometers. The battle was incredibly saturated in terms of the number of vehicles (it follows from the reports that there were up to 60 tanks per kilometer of the front), as well as in the amount of combat time: the Germans launched an offensive almost round the clock using night vision devices. However, the Nazi soldiers failed to break through to the Danube. The losses were too great, and the German command had no choice but to turn off the attack. The operation ended on March 15th. And the Soviet Army almost without respite began an offensive operation in Vienna.
Battle results
Losses of one of the frontier battles were tens of thousands. According to the Soviet side, the Red Army lost about 33 thousand people, of which about 8.5 thousand were killed. The losses of the German side amounted to more than 40 thousand people, as well as 800 units of various heavy equipment and more than 200 aircraft.
From the very beginning, 1945 (including the Balaton Defensive Operation) demonstrated an inexhaustible thirst for the Victory of the people who suffered the most from the Nazi invaders. Fortunately, these terrible days are left behind, but the memory of the exploits of fathers and grandfathers lives in the hearts and souls of people to this day. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Balaton defensive operation - a fierce and furious struggle on the last frontiers. The equipment that participated in it and remained in more or less good shape is now on display as exhibits at the Central Museum of Armored Arms and Equipment in the Moscow Region.