Counterattack at Lake Balaton. Battles at Lake Balaton. Position before surgery. Plans of the parties
The last offensive of German troops in early 1945. Operations Conrad 1 and Conrad 2, as well as the offensive operation Spring Awakening, ended in complete failure. The losses of the elite units of the Wehrmacht and SS in armored vehicles were so great that G. Guderian called the battles at Lake Balaton the “Grave of the Panzerwaffe.” The German tank forces were never able to recover from such losses.
But the Balaton defensive operation to repel the January and March attacks of the German-Hungarian troops is unique in one more respect: in the entire history of the Great Patriotic War, Soviet troops did not draw up such a detailed and thorough report on the front-line operation. (there were about 2,000 photographs alone).
At the end of the fighting, March 29 - April 10, 1945, the artillery headquarters of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, in the presence of representatives of the NIBTPolygon, the People's Commissariat of Armaments and the GAU KA, again examined damaged German combat vehicles in the area of Lake Balaton, Elusha Canal, Kaposh Canal, Tsetse Canal Sarviz, Szekesfehervar city.
During the work of the commission, 968 burnt, damaged and abandoned tanks and self-propelled guns, as well as 446 armored personnel carriers and off-road vehicles were taken into account and inspected. Just over 400 vehicles of greatest interest were examined, marked and photographed. All heavy tanks, as well as new models of self-propelled artillery and heavy cannon armored vehicles, were subjected to special research. Among the 400 burnt armored vehicles, there were 19 Royal Tiger tanks, 6 Tiger tanks, 57 Panther tanks, 37 Pz-IV tanks, 9 Pz-III tanks (most of which were flamethrowers, command vehicles and advanced artillery tanks). observers), 27 Hungarian-made tanks and self-propelled guns, 140 assault and self-propelled guns, as well as 105 engineering vehicles, armored personnel carriers and armored vehicles. Among the examined samples, those damaged by artillery fire predominated (389 vehicles), and only a small part was blown up by mines or destroyed by other means (for example, one Panther tank, by all indications, was burned by a bottle of KS). According to the main statistics, this study basically repeated the February one. What was new was that the number of shell holes made by 57-mm and 76-mm guns was approximately equal, and the number of holes made by 100-122 mm ammunition increased slightly (by 2.5-3.2%).
Thanks to the February and March-April reports of the commission of the 3rd UV, we can now clearly assess the damage caused to German tank units in the Battle of Balaton. We bring to your attention little-known photographs of destroyed German equipment from the report of the 3rd UV.
Column of Pz tanks. V shot by Soviet artillery from an ambush near the city of Detritz in March 1945. General form.
The first tank destroyer in the column was the Panzer IV/70 (A) (manufactured by Alkett). The vehicle is prepared for evacuation by a captured Soviet team. The number “78” was also applied by our trophy hunters, just to record the damaged and captured German equipment. 
The second car in the column. The number of the Soviet trophy team is "77". Tank Pz.V AusfA "Panther". In total, the photo shows 5 holes, outlined with white paint. 3 calibers 76-85 mm and 2 calibers 100-122 mm. 
The car was traveling in the third column. The number of the Soviet trophy team is "76". The Pz.V AusfG "Panther" tank was disabled by two hits in the mantlet of 100 mm caliber shells. 
The fourth car in the convoy. The number of the Soviet trophy team is "75". The breach in the Ausf G Panther turret was made by a large-caliber projectile. The muzzle brake has been torn off, and there is a spare track at the stern. Since the quality of the armor of German tanks dropped sharply from the second half of 1944, large-caliber shells (even high-explosive ones), without even penetrating the armor of German tanks, often made huge holes in it. 
The fifth car in the column. The number of the Soviet trophy team is "74". The gun's muzzle brake is missing, and the turret roof was torn out by an internal explosion. 
The sixth car in the convoy. The number of the Soviet trophy team is "73". Despite the additional protection of the turret from the tracks, this Panther Ausf G was shot from an ambush by sniper fire.
The last car in the convoy. The number of the Soviet trophy team is "72". Holes from a large-caliber (122–152 mm) projectile hitting the hull and an armor-piercing (57–76 mm) projectile hitting the turret are clearly visible. The holes were circled by trophy hunters in order to assess the effectiveness of Soviet anti-tank artillery fire, accumulate statistics on the destruction of armored vehicles by various types of projectiles, and study the damaging factors of ammunition depending on the type, firing distance and caliber of the projectile. 
The general progress of the battles at Lake Balaton can be found here:
January
431,000 people;
about 6,000 guns and mortars;
877 tanks and assault guns;
900 armored personnel carriers;
about 850 aircraft;
400,000 people;
6800 guns and mortars;
400 tanks and self-propelled guns;
700 aircraft.
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Having defeated at the end of 1944 - beginning of 1945. Debrecen and Budapest enemy groups, Soviet troops entered Western Hungary and created favorable conditions for continuing the offensive. In the current situation, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, by directive of February 17, 1945, set the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts the task of striking in the Vienna direction, defeating the German Army Group South and transferring hostilities to the territory of Southern Germany. A new offensive operation was planned to begin on March 15.
By coincidence, on the day the Headquarters directive was issued, February 17, a strong enemy group, the basis of which was the 1st SS Panzer Corps, attacked formations of the 7th Guards Army of the 2nd Ukrainian Front on the western bank of the river. Gron. As a result of fierce fighting, they suffered heavy losses and were forced to abandon their bridgehead by February 24. At the same time, intelligence agencies of two fronts established a concentration in the lake area. Balaton of enemy tank divisions. It became obvious that the command of Army Group South was preparing a large-scale offensive against the 3rd Ukrainian Front. And indeed, trying to seize the initiative, it planned to defeat his troops on the western bank of the river. Danube and prevent the advance of the Red Army into Austria and the southern regions of Germany. The following were involved in the implementation of this plan: the German 6th SS Panzer Army (transferred from the Ardennes), 6th Army, 2nd Panzer Army and Army Group “E”; Hungarian 3rd Army. They numbered up to 35 divisions, including 11 tank divisions, 431 thousand soldiers and officers, up to 6 thousand guns and mortars, 877 tanks and assault guns, 900 armored personnel carriers and about 850 aircraft.
The strongest group, uniting three infantry, two cavalry and nine tank divisions, five separate battalions of heavy tanks, two brigades and one division of assault guns, was concentrated between Lakes Velence and Lake Balaton. It had 147 thousand people, 807 tanks and assault guns and more than 800 armored personnel carriers. The task of this group was to dissect the 3rd Ukrainian Front, reach the Danube and, in cooperation with the 2nd Tank Army and Army Group “E,” which carried out other attacks, complete its defeat piece by piece. Success in the operation was to be achieved through the sudden massive use of armored vehicles, aviation and artillery in narrow areas, breaking through defenses in the shortest possible time, and rapidly developing an offensive in depth in order to stun the Soviet command and troops, paralyze their will and ability to resist.
Timely identification of the enemy’s intentions allowed the Supreme High Command Headquarters to make a decision that was expedient in those conditions: it ordered the 3rd Ukrainian Front to gain a foothold on the achieved line, repel the advance of Army Group South on it, and only after that strike in the Vienna direction. By that time, the front, whose troops were led by Marshal of the Soviet Union F.I. Tolbukhin, included the 4th Guards, 26th, 57th, 27th and Bulgarian 1st Armies, 17th Air Army, two tank, one mechanized and one cavalry corps - a total of 37 rifle, 3 cavalry and 6 infantry (Bulgarian) divisions, more than 407 thousand people, about 7 thousand guns and mortars, 407 tanks and self-propelled artillery units (SPG), 965 aircraft. In the previous battles, the rifle divisions suffered heavy losses, as a result of which their average strength was only 4.7 thousand soldiers and officers. The mobile units were also poorly equipped. The number of armored vehicles in them was in the range of 35-75 units.
In accordance with the decision of the front commander of February 20, the main efforts in defense were concentrated on the right wing and in the center, in the zones of the 4th Guards and 26th Armies of Lieutenant General N.D. Zakhvataeva and N.A. Hagena. The 57th and Bulgarian 1st armies of Lieutenant General M.N. were supposed to operate on the left wing. Sharokhin and V. Stoychev. The second echelon included the 27th Army of Lieutenant General S.G. Trofimenko, and in reserve - the 18th and 23rd Tank, 1st Guards Mechanized and 5th Guards Cavalry Corps.
The essence of F.I., elected Marshal of the Soviet Union. Tolbukhin's method of repelling the enemy's offensive was to stubbornly hold defensive lines, inflicting maximum damage on him during a fire attack, the widespread use of engineering obstacles, and timely prepared maneuvers of combined arms and special reserves in threatened directions. In order to preserve forces and resources, army and front-line counterattacks were not planned, and counterattacks were allowed to be carried out only in exceptional cases, if their success was guaranteed.
On March 6, at 8:47 a.m., after powerful artillery preparation, the 6th SS Panzer Army, with the support of infantry formations, struck in the zone between Lakes Velence and Lake Balaton. During the day, German troops, during fierce fighting, were able to penetrate the defenses of the 26th Army in two small areas. South of Lake Velence, on the adjacent flanks of the 1st Guards fortified area and the 30th Rifle Corps, their advance was 3-4 km, and west of the Sharviz Canal - 1.5-2 km. In order to prevent the enemy from further spreading in depth and expanding the breakthrough, the commander of the front forces, as provided for in the plan of the defensive operation, promoted from the second echelon and reserve one rifle division, two brigades of the 18th Tank Corps (Major General P.D. Govorunenko ) and a tank regiment of the 1st Guards Mechanized Corps (Lieutenant General I.N. Russiyanov).
On the morning of the next day, the enemy resumed the offensive, bringing up to nine infantry regiments and over 170 tanks and assault guns into the battle. The main role in repelling their attacks was played by anti-tank artillery, fire from tanks and self-propelled guns from ambushes, the actions of attack aircraft and a wide maneuver towards the threatened areas of additional forces and means. The 5th Guards Cavalry Corps of Lieutenant General S.I. arrived here and took up defense on the second line of the 26th Army. Gorshkov, parts of three rifle divisions, fighter anti-tank artillery regiments, two regiments of the 208th self-propelled artillery brigade. In two days, Soviet troops destroyed up to 4 thousand German soldiers and officers, about 100 tanks and assault guns. But, despite heavy losses, the enemy persistently tried to make a hole in the formation of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. By the end of March 7, he increased the wedging west of the Sharviz Canal to 7 km.
Trying at all costs to break through to the Danube, the distance to which was 20-30 km, the command of Army Group South brought the 2nd SS Panzer Division into battle on the morning of March 8th. Now over 250 tanks and assault guns were operating simultaneously between lakes Velence and Lake Balaton. In some areas their density reached 40-50 units per 1 km. The next day, when the enemy offensive group was reinforced by the 9th SS Panzer Division, the number of tanks and assault guns increased to 320.
The most dangerous situation developed in the defense zone of the 135th Rifle Corps of the 26th Army, where the German 1st and 12th SS Panzer Divisions broke through the main and second defense lines in a narrow area. Gaps formed in the battle formations of the rifle corps and divisions, which threatened the enemy's entry into the operational depths. In order to streamline the command and control of troops, Marshal of the Soviet Union F.I. Tolbukhin assigned responsibility for the conduct of hostilities in the area from the lake. Velence to the Sharviz Canal to the commander of the 27th Army, and from the Sharviz Canal to Lake. Balaton - for the commander of the 26th Army. At the same time, he strengthened the group at the forefront of the enemy penetration with a tank regiment, the 209th self-propelled artillery brigade and two anti-tank artillery regiments.
As a result of the measures taken, the losses of German troops on March 9 increased by another 3.5 thousand people, 150 tanks and assault guns. However, continuous four-day battles significantly weakened the 3rd Ukrainian Front. Almost all reserves were brought into the battle, including tank, mechanized, self-propelled formations and units, as well as the second echelon. In addition, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command prohibited the use of the 9th Guards Army transferred to the front during the defensive operation, indicating that it was intended for a subsequent strike in the Vienna direction. Therefore, increasing defensive efforts could only be carried out through maneuver from unattacked areas. So, during March 9, they were transferred from the 4th Guards Army zone and took up defense between the lake. Velence and R. Danube 35th Guards Rifle and 23rd Tank (Colonel A.V. Voronov) Corps.
On the morning of March 10, the enemy command increased the force of the attack in the 27th Army zone by introducing the 3rd Tank Division into the battle north of the village of Sheregelesh. This made it possible to increase the total number of tanks and assault guns in the inter-lake space to 450 units. Despite active opposition from artillery and aviation, the enemy managed to push back Soviet units through the massive use of armored vehicles in narrow areas. Another attack, in the 26th Army zone, was carried out along the western bank of the Charviz Canal with up to five infantry regiments supported by aviation and 170 tanks and assault guns. They began to slowly advance towards the village of Simontornia. In just five days, the 6th SS Panzer Army broke through the main and second defense lines of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, but it was never able to cut it into two isolated parts and reach the Danube.
German troops tried to solve this problem on March 11, when the offensive in the space between Lakes Velence and Lake Balaton was carried out by seven tank, two infantry and two cavalry divisions, numbering over 500 tanks and assault guns. By that time, some formations had already lost more than 60% of people and military equipment, and their replenishment was carried out mainly through individual tank battalions.
The enemy persistently tried to find weak points in the defense of the Soviet troops. First, after thirty minutes of artillery preparation, he launched an attack in the area south of the lake. Velence against the 78th and 163rd rifle divisions of the 35th Guards Rifle Corps, concentrating for this purpose up to three infantry regiments, 50 tanks, 56 artillery and mortar batteries, 12 six-barreled rocket launchers. The first failure did not stop the German units. Until the evening, they tried to break through the defense six more times, but were able to penetrate only 500-600 m deep. The offensive of two tank, two cavalry and one infantry divisions west of the Charviz Canal was also unsuccessful. In the afternoon they captured the Simontornia station, but after a few hours they left it under the influence of formations of the 26th Army.
On March 12, a strong enemy group, having deployed two infantry divisions and 150 tanks from the 1st, 3rd and 23rd tank divisions against the 35th Guards and 30th Rifle Corps of the 27th Army, reached the army zone as a result of fierce battles defense On the same day, developing an offensive in the zone of the 26th Army, the enemy crossed the Elush Canal and captured a small bridgehead on its southern bank.
Subsequently, the main events took place in the area south of the lake. Velence. Throughout the day on March 13, German troops attacked the 35th Guards Rifle Corps formation with 120 tanks and assault guns, but did not achieve significant results. The success of defensive battles was due to the timely maneuver of artillery fire from two armies at once - the 4th Guards and the 27th, as well as the widespread use of mobile barrage detachments. They laid mines on the main directions of movement of enemy armored vehicles and thereby forced them to be drawn into “fire bags”. For another two days, March 14 and 15, without stopping hostilities either day or night, enemy tank divisions (more than 300 tanks and assault guns) struck on the right flank and in the center of the 27th Army zone, but brought a decisive turning point during the battle they were no longer capable.
During the period March 13-15, the German command also did not abandon attempts to develop an offensive in the direction of the greatest penetration of its troops, in the area west of the Charviz Canal. Here they managed to first expand the bridgehead on the Elusha Canal, transporting up to two infantry regiments and several tanks to it, and then cross the Kaposh Canal. To make it difficult for the enemy to build up his forces on the bridgeheads, on the instructions of the commander of the front troops, the locks of the Elusha canal near Lake were raised. Balaton, as a result of which the water level increased by 60 cm. This, together with air strikes of the 17th Air Army, made it possible to finally stop the advance of the 6th SS Panzer Army. As a result of persistent ten-day battles, its formations were able to break through the defenses of the 3rd Ukrainian Front south of Lake. Velence and west of the Charviz canal to a depth of 12 and 30 km, respectively, but the task they faced to reach the Danube was never completed.
Army Group South operated even less successfully in the axes of other attacks. The enemy struck the first of them on the night of March 6 in the zone of the Bulgarian 1st Army. Secretly crossing the river in the dark. Drava, he attacked the Bulgarian and Yugoslav units and captured two bridgeheads on the northern bank, up to 10 km wide and about 5 km deep each. Thus, German troops created a threat of reaching the rear of the 57th Army and capturing the crossings of the 3rd Ukrainian Front across the river. Danube.
To exclude such a development of events, the commander of his troops ordered the 133rd Rifle Corps to be transferred to the subordination of the 57th Army, whose task was to eliminate enemy bridgeheads by the end of March 8 and restore the lost position. Taking into account the fact that the corps was still marching at that time, its formations entered the battle at different times, as they arrived. The 84th Infantry Division was the first to attack the enemy on March 8, but was only able to push it back by 1-1.5 km. The next day, the 122nd Infantry Division began hostilities, but did not achieve tangible results. For almost two weeks the corps fought heavy battles. It was possible to complete the task only by March 22.
The second attack by three German divisions, supported by tanks, was launched from the Nagybajom area in the direction of Kaposvár. On March 6, at 7 a.m., after an hour of artillery preparation, they attacked formations of the 64th Rifle Corps of the 57th Army and during the day penetrated 5 km into the depth of its defense. Army Commander Lieutenant General M.N. Sharokhin deployed nine artillery divisions (136 guns and mortars), mobile barrage detachments and rifle units to the threatened direction. As a result of the counterattack of the 113th Infantry Division, the situation was partially restored, but this did not force the enemy to abandon the continuation of the offensive.
He resumed it on the morning of March 8, bringing four infantry regiments and up to 50 tanks and assault guns into the battle. The entire artillery of the 64th Rifle Corps and the Bulgarian 12th Infantry Division attached to it, including large calibers (122- and 152-mm), was involved in the fight against them. In the following days, the enemy continuously strengthened his group in the Kaposvár direction and twice tried to make a breakthrough in other areas, but all these measures were in vain. By March 15, his maximum advance in the defense zone of the 57th Army was from 6 to 8 km. Until March 25, there were still isolated battles here, but they could no longer influence the change in the operational situation.
The Balaton operation, carried out by troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front in March 1945, was the last major defensive operation of the Great Patriotic War. During its course, the attempt of the Wehrmacht high command to stop the advance of the Red Army on the southern wing of the German Eastern Front and to restore the defense along the river line was thwarted. Danube in order to retain economically important areas of Western Hungary, especially its oil fields. According to the front headquarters, in the period from March 6 to March 15, the enemy lost up to 45 thousand soldiers and officers killed and captured, over 280 guns and mortars, about 500 tanks and assault guns, 50 aircraft, almost 500 armored personnel carriers, more than 1.3 thousand .cars.
Aviation and artillery played a significant role in achieving the goal of the operation. As a result of powerful strikes by air units and massive artillery fire on tank groups, the enemy suffered heavy losses and was forced to frequently change the directions of his attacks, as a result of which he lost time for regrouping, which negatively affected the overall course of his offensive.
Despite the significant superiority in tanks and assault guns, the German troops were never able to develop the tactical success achieved in certain areas into operational success and reach the river. Danube. The repulsion of their attacks was facilitated by the deep echeloning of defensive zones and lines, their advance engineering preparation, and the timely buildup of defense efforts in threatened areas. During the operation, 45 different artillery units and formations carried out maneuvers, both within the army zones and between them. The maneuver of engineering barriers has found wide application. In the period from March 6 to March 15, the enemy lost 130 tanks and assault guns, over 850 people, and a significant number of armored personnel carriers and vehicles in minefields laid by mobile barrage detachments.
Intense battles with superior enemy forces became a difficult test for the Soviet troops. Reflecting powerful attacks from tank and infantry groups, showing unsurpassed courage and heroism, they lost 32,899 people, of which 8,492 were killed, dead or missing.
Valery Abaturov,
Leading Researcher at the Scientific Research Institute
Institute (military history) of the Military Academy
General Staff of the RF Armed Forces,
Candidate of Historical Sciences
Victory of the Red Army |
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Opponents |
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Germany |
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Yugoslavia |
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Bulgaria |
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Commanders |
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Fedor Tolbukhin |
Otto Wöhler |
Joseph Dietrich |
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Strengths of the parties |
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400,000 people, 6,800 guns and mortars, 400 tanks and self-propelled guns, 700 aircraft |
431,000 people, about 6,000 guns and mortars, 877 tanks and assault guns, 900 armored personnel carriers and about 850 aircraft |
The 3rd Ukrainian Front lost 32,899 people, of which 8,492 were irrevocable |
Soviet data: over 40 thousand people, more than 300 guns and mortars, about 500 tanks and assault guns, over 200 aircraft |
The last major defensive operation of the Red Army against German troops during the Great Patriotic War. It was carried out from March 6 to March 15, 1945 by part of the forces of the 3rd Ukrainian Front with the assistance of the 1st Bulgarian and 3rd Yugoslav armies in the area of Lake Balaton. During the battle, Soviet troops repulsed the Wehrmacht offensive codenamed “Spring Awakening” (German: “Spring Awakening”). Frühlingserwachen), which became the last major offensive operation of the German armed forces in World War II.
Composition and strengths of the parties
Anti-Hitler coalition
USSR
Part of the forces of the 3rd Ukrainian Front (commander F.I. Tolbukhin, chief of staff S.P. Ivanov):
- 4th Guards Army (Lieutenant General Zakhvataev N.D.)
- 26th Army (Lieutenant General N. A. Gagen)
- 27th Army (Colonel General Trofimenko S.G.)
- 57th Army (Colonel General Sharokhin M.N.)
- 17th Air Army (Colonel General of Aviation Sudets V.A.)
- 5th Air Army from the 2nd Ukrainian Front (Colonel General of Aviation Goryunov S.K.)
- 1st Guards fortified area
Bulgaria
Under operational control of the 3rd Ukrainian Front:
- 1st Bulgarian Army (Lieutenant General V. Stoychev)
Total: 400 thousand people, 6,800 guns and mortars, 400 tanks and self-propelled guns, 700 aircraft.
Yugoslavia
- 3rd Yugoslav Army (Lieutenant General Naj K.)
Nazi bloc countries
Germany
Part of the forces of Army Group South (Infantry General Wöhler. O):
- 6th SS Panzer Army (SS Colonel General Dietrich J.)
- 6th Army (General of Tank Forces Balk G.)
- 2nd Tank Army (Artillery General Angelis M.)
91st Army Corps from Army Group E.
Air support was provided by the 4th Air Fleet.
Hungary
- 3rd Hungarian Army
Total: 431 thousand soldiers and officers, about 6,000 guns and mortars, 877 tanks and assault guns, 900 armored personnel carriers and about 850 aircraft
Plans of the parties
Germany
Despite the direct threat to Berlin that emerged during the winter offensive of the Red Army, the German leadership in the spring of 1945 decided to launch a counterattack in Hungary. It planned to push back Soviet troops across the Danube, thereby eliminating the threat to Vienna and the southern regions of Germany. In addition, in the Balaton area there were some of the last oil fields available to the Germans, without which the German air force and armored forces were left without fuel.
The Wehrmacht command developed a plan for an offensive operation, which included delivering three cutting strikes. The main attack from the area between lakes Balaton and Velence was planned to be delivered by the forces of the 6th SS Panzer Army and the 6th Field Army in a southeast direction towards Dunafyldvar. The second blow was to be delivered by the 2nd Tank Army from the Nagykanizsa area in the direction of Kaposvár. The 91st Army Corps from Army Group E was to advance from the Donji Miholyac area north towards the 6th Panzer Army. As a result of the offensive, the German command hoped to fragment and destroy piece by piece the main forces of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. To carry out the offensive, the German group in Hungary was reinforced by the 6th SS Panzer Army, specially transferred from the Western Front (from the Ardennes region), under the command of General Sepp Dietrich. The operation was called Operation Spring Awakening.
USSR
In the second half of February 1945, Soviet intelligence established the concentration of a large German tank group in the western part of Hungary. Soon information was received about the enemy's plans. Having revealed the intentions of the German command, the Supreme High Command Headquarters set the task for the troops of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts to conduct a defensive operation and defeat a group of enemy troops in the area of Lake Balaton. At the same time, the Headquarters directive demanded that preparations for the attack on Vienna continue.
Following the instructions of the Supreme High Command Headquarters, the 3rd Ukrainian Front began to prepare for defense. Using the experience of the Battle of Kursk, a deep-in-depth anti-tank defense was created in the direction of the intended main attack. Under the leadership of the chief of the front engineering troops, L. Z. Kotlyar, a large amount of defensive work was carried out to provide sheltered accommodation for people and equipment, equip roads to allow reserves to maneuver, and mine dangerous areas. Particular attention was paid to the fight against enemy tanks. For this purpose, 66 anti-tank areas were created in the 83-kilometer section from Gant to Lake Balaton and 65% of all front artillery was concentrated. In the most dangerous directions, the artillery density reached 60-70 guns and mortars per kilometer of front. The depth of defense in some areas reached 25-30 km.
The success of defensive actions largely depended on the timely delivery of ammunition and fuel to the troops. Therefore, when preparing the operation, much attention was paid to its logistics. Since front-line warehouses were located on the eastern bank of the Danube, and crossings across the river were disrupted by the actions of German aviation and spring ice drift, additional cableways and a gas pipeline were built across the Danube for uninterrupted supply of the defending troops.
Operational formation of troops
In the direction of the expected main attack, the front troops were formed in two echelons. In the first echelon, two armies defended: the 4th Guards in the Gant-Sheregeyesh sector and the 26th in the Sheregeyesh-eastern tip of Lake Balaton. The 27th Army was in the second echelon of the front. In the secondary direction from the western tip of Lake Balaton to Konya-Etvös, the 57th Army occupied the defense. The 1st Bulgarian Army defended on the left wing of the front. On the left, the 3rd Yugoslav Army adjoined the 3rd Ukrainian Front. The front reserve included the 18th and 23rd Tank, 1st Guards Mechanized and 5th Guards Cavalry Corps, as well as several artillery units and formations.
The 9th Guards Army was intended for a subsequent attack on Vienna and its use in defensive battles was categorically prohibited by the Supreme Command Headquarters.
Progress of hostilities
The German offensive began on the night of March 6 with attacks on the troops of the 1st Bulgarian and 3rd Yugoslav armies. German troops managed to cross the Drava River and capture two bridgeheads, each up to 8 km deep along the front and up to 5 km in depth. To strengthen the defense in this sector, the 133rd Rifle Corps was deployed from the front reserve.
At 7 o'clock in the morning, after an hour of artillery preparation, German troops went on the offensive in the sector of the 57th Army. At the cost of heavy losses, they managed to break into the army's defenses. But the measures taken by the army commander prevented further advance of the enemy.
German troops delivered the main blow between lakes Velence and Lake Balaton at 8:40 a.m. after a 30-minute artillery preparation. The 6th SS Panzer Army and the 6th Field Army went on the offensive in the sector of the 4th Guards and 26th Armies of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. To break through the defenses, the German command used massive tank attacks. On some sections of the front, 1.5-2 km wide, up to 70 tanks and assault guns simultaneously participated in attacks. Fierce fighting broke out. By the end of the day, the attackers advanced to a depth of 4 km and captured the Sheregeyesh stronghold.
The front command advanced the 18th Tank Corps to meet the wedged group.
The next morning, German attacks resumed with renewed vigor. In the zone of the 26th Army, with the support of aviation, about 200 tanks and assault guns advanced. Continuously maneuvering along the front, the German command persistently looked for weak points in the defense of the Soviet troops. The Soviet command, in turn, promptly transferred anti-tank reserves to threatened areas. An extremely difficult situation developed in the zone of the 26th Army, where 2 infantry divisions, supported by 170 tanks and assault guns, attacked the positions of the rifle corps. To strengthen the defense, the front commander moved the 5th Guards Cavalry Corps and the 208th Self-Propelled Artillery Brigade to this direction. In addition, to strengthen the defense, the 27th Army was moved to the second zone. As a result of the stubborn resistance of the Soviet troops and the measures taken to strengthen the defense, the enemy failed to break through the tactical zone in the first two days of the offensive, but only wedged 4-7 km into it. On the morning of March 8, the German command brought the main forces into the battle. Concentrating 40-50 tanks and assault guns per kilometer of front, the enemy tried again and again to break through the Soviet defense.
Thick fogs that often covered the airfields seriously limited the actions of the aviation of the 17th Air Army, therefore, by decision of the Supreme High Command Headquarters, from March 10, the 5th Air Army of the 2nd Ukrainian Front was additionally involved to repel the German offensive.
In the following days, trying to achieve success, the German command used massive tank attacks, in which 100 or more heavy tanks took part in 1-1.5 km sections. The fighting did not subside around the clock. Counting on the low effectiveness of Soviet artillery in the dark, the Germans continued to attack at night, using night vision devices. As a result of fierce fighting, in five days of offensive, German troops managed to break through the main and second lines of defense. However, this did not ensure their success, since the rear army and front lines of defense still lay in front of them.
In ten days of fierce fighting, the attackers managed to advance 15-30 km. The battle was characterized by high intensity and saturation of equipment (up to 50-60 tanks per 1 km of front), the use of heavy and medium tanks “Tiger II”, “Panther”. However, the stubborn resistance of Soviet soldiers and the strong defense they created did not allow German units to break through to the Danube. The Germans did not have the necessary reserves to develop success. Having suffered heavy losses, German troops stopped the offensive on March 15.
G. Guderian, who at that time held the position of Chief of the General Staff of the Ground Forces, wrote:
The Battle of Balaton was the last major offensive operation of the German armed forces in World War II. Having repelled the German onslaught, units of the 3rd Ukrainian Front went on the offensive towards Vienna with virtually no operational pause.
Losses
USSR
The losses of the 3rd Ukrainian Front amounted to 32,899 people, of which 8,492 were permanent.
Germany
According to Soviet data, during the offensive the Wehrmacht lost over 40 thousand people, more than 300 guns and mortars, about 500 tanks and assault guns, and over 200 aircraft.
results
German troops did not complete the assigned task and, having lost a large number of troops and military equipment, weakened their positions in western Hungary. The Red Army thwarted the enemy's attempt to reach the Danube and restore defenses along its western bank, exhausted his troops with deliberate defense, and thereby created the conditions for a subsequent successful attack on Vienna.
Bulgarian troops, repelling enemy attacks in the Velence-Balaton interlake region, went on the offensive and captured the cities of Drava Szabolc, Drava Polkonya and several other settlements.
70 years ago, on March 6, 1945, the Balaton operation began. This was the last major defensive operation of the Red Army against German troops during the Great Patriotic War. Soviet troops repelled the attack of the German Army Group South (Operation Spring Awakening) and went on the offensive towards Vienna.
The German command hoped to push back the Red Army troops beyond the Danube, thereby eliminating the threat to Vienna and the southern regions of Germany and retaining one of the last oil fields available to the Germans. The offensive of the German 6th SS Panzer Army, the 2nd Panzer Army, the 6th Field Army, and the 3rd Hungarian Army was the last major offensive operation of the Wehrmacht in World War II.
Position before surgery. Plans of the parties
Soviet Union. The offensive of Soviet troops on the southern wing of the strategic Soviet-German front led to liberation from Nazism and pro-fascist forces in South-Eastern and Central Europe. The active offensive of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Ukrainian Fronts in Hungary and Czechoslovakia pulled large forces of German troops from the central, Berlin direction. Soviet troops were approaching the borders of Southern Germany. The defeat of the Third Reich was just around the corner.
Three days after the capture of Budapest, on February 17, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief ordered the troops of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts to carry out an offensive operation with the aim of defeating Army Group South and capturing the area of Bratislava, Brno and Vienna. Soviet troops were supposed to reach the approaches to Southern Germany. The troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front were supposed to strike from the area north of Esztergom in the direction of Bratislava and further to Vienna. The 3rd Ukrainian Front planned a strike from the area north of Lake Balaton, bypassing the capital of Austria from the south. The offensive was scheduled for March 15.
By mid-February, Malinovsky's troops were fighting with the main forces in the southeastern part of Czechoslovakia and liberated part of Slovakia. On February 17, the enemy strike force, numbering about 400 tanks and self-propelled guns (1st SS Tank Corps), attacked Shumilov’s 7th Guards Army, which occupied a bridgehead on the western bank of the Gron River. During the fierce battle, Shumilov's army suffered heavy losses and was forced to leave the bridgehead, retreating to the eastern bank of the river. Malinovsky transferred a number of reinforcements to the fighting area and stabilized the front. The Germans were unable to build on their initial success.
The troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front were located north of the Danube, at the turn of the Gron River. Troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front and the 46th Army of the 2nd Ukrainian Front fought in the western part of Hungary on the line east of Esztergom, the southwestern shore of Lake Velence, Lake Balaton and the northern shore of the Drava. The troops of the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia operated on the left flank of Tolbukhin's front.
However, even before the completion of preparations for a new offensive, in the second half of February, Soviet intelligence received information about the concentration of a powerful German tank group in Western Hungary. Initially, these data were received with distrust by the General Staff. It was surprising that at that moment, when Soviet troops were 60 km from Berlin and were preparing an attack on the German capital, Hitler withdrew the 6th SS Panzer Army from the west and transferred it not to Berlin, but to Hungary.
Soon the data was confirmed, and it became clear that the enemy was preparing a major offensive in the area of Lake Balaton. Therefore, the Soviet Headquarters gave instructions to the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts to go on the defensive, exhaust the enemy’s forces in tough defensive battles and defeat the German strike force. At the same time, Soviet troops had to continue preparing for the Vienna operation in order to immediately go on the offensive in the Vienna direction after the defeat of the enemy group.
Intelligence data on the regrouping of enemy forces made it possible to identify the directions of the impending attacks and, most importantly, the direction of the main attack. The command of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, using the experience of the Battle of Kursk, equipped a defense in depth in the expected direction of the enemy's main attack. In some places its depth reached 25-30 km. Particular attention was paid to anti-tank defense, including the creation of barriers of all types. Dangerous areas were heavily mined. In total, on the 83-kilometer stretch from Lake Balaton to Gant, where the main attack of the enemy’s armored forces was expected, 66 anti-tank areas were prepared and almost two-thirds of the entire front artillery was concentrated. In a number of areas, the density of guns and mortars was increased to 60-70 barrels per kilometer. Shelters were prepared for people and equipment, and anti-tank reserves were allocated. Particular attention was paid to the possibility of carrying out wide maneuver of forces both along the front and from the depths.
In the area where the enemy's main attack was expected, Soviet troops were positioned in two echelons. The first consisted of the 4th Guards Army of Nikanor Zakhvataev and the 26th Army of Nikolai Gagen, in the second - the 27th Army of Sergei Trofimenko, which was transferred from the 2nd Ukrainian Front. In a secondary direction from the western end of Lake Balaton, the troops of the 57th Army of Mikhail Sharokhin were located. On the left flank the 1st Bulgarian Army under the command of Vladimir Stoychev held the defense. The 3rd Yugoslav Army was adjacent to the left flank of the 3rd Ukrainian Front in the Valpovo area. The front reserve included the 18th and 23rd Tank, 1st Guards Mechanized and 5th Guards Cavalry Corps, as well as several artillery and other units and formations.
Germany. By order of Adolf Hitler, German-Hungarian troops were to launch a counteroffensive in the area of Lake Balaton. Back in mid-January 1945, the high command gave the order to transfer the 6th SS Panzer Army from the Ardennes region and a number of formations from Italy to Hungary. On January 25, 1945, the Fuhrer stated that at present the oil-bearing areas and oil sources of Hungary are of paramount importance, since without this area, which gives the Third Reich 80% of oil production, it will be impossible to continue the war. Germany has only two oil fields left - in Zittersdorf (Austria) and in the area of Lake Balaton (Hungary). To hold on to the last sources of oil needed for the air force and armored forces, the German High Command transferred the main attack forces from the Western Front to Hungary.
Despite the threat in the Berlin direction and heavy fighting in Eastern Pomerania, where they initially wanted to transfer the 6th SS Panzer Army, the German command decided to launch a counterattack in Hungary. If the operation was successful, the Germans hoped to push back the Red Army troops beyond the Danube, eliminating the threat to Southern Germany and their groups in Austria and Czechoslovakia.
Thus, the German command continued to attach exceptional importance to holding the Hungarian bridgehead, from where there were routes to Austria and South Germany. In Western Hungary and Austria there remained the last oil production areas and oil refineries, the products of which were of key importance for tank and air forces. And Austria was important for the presence of large steel, engineering, automobile and weapons factories, and an ammunition production industry. So, by the beginning of 1945, 600 Austrian enterprises were producing a significant amount of equipment and ammunition every month. Western Hungary and Austria were the last lines of defense from the south. In addition, these areas provided manpower to continue the war.
The German command developed a plan for Operation Spring Awakening. The Wehrmacht delivered three cutting blows. The main blow from the Velence area and the northeastern part of Lake Balaton was delivered by the 6th SS Panzer Army of Joseph (Sepp) Dietrich and the 6th Field Army of Georg Balck. They were supported by Joseph Hezleni's Hungarian 3rd Army. The main strike force of Army Group South attacked in a south-easterly direction towards Dunafyldvar. In some areas, 50-70 tanks and assault guns were concentrated along 1 km of the front.
The second blow is south of the island. Balaton, from the Nagykanizsa area in the direction of Kaposvár, the 2nd Tank Army of Maximilian de Angelis attacked. The third blow was launched by German troops from the Donji Miholyac area to the north, to Pecs and in the Mohac direction towards the 6th SS Panzer Army. It was carried out by the 91st Army Corps from Army Group E.
Three dissecting blows were supposed to destroy the Soviet defense and collapse the front of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. After the German troops reached the Danube, they had to develop part of their forces to the north and recapture Budapest, and part of their forces to turn south. The start of the offensive was scheduled for the morning of March 6, 1945.
Thus, German troops received the task of destroying piecemeal the main forces of the 3rd Ukrainian Front and pushing the remnants of Soviet troops beyond the Danube. This made it possible to restore the front line along the Danube and stabilize the situation along the entire strategic southern sector of the Eastern Front. After the successful completion of the Balaton operation, it was possible to defeat the 2nd Ukrainian Front with a blow to the flank. After this, the released forces, primarily armored formations, were planned to be transferred to Berlin, strengthening its defenses.
Strengths of the parties
THE USSR. The 3rd Ukrainian Front, under the command of Fyodor Tolbukhin, included 37 Soviet rifle, 3 cavalry divisions and 6 Bulgarian infantry divisions, 1 fortified area, 2 tank and 1 mechanized corps. From the air, the ground forces were supported by the 17th Air Army of Vladimir Sudets and the 5th Air Army of Sergei Goryunov from the 2nd Ukrainian Front. In total, more than 400 thousand soldiers and officers, about 7 thousand guns and mortars, 400 tanks and self-propelled guns, about 1 thousand aircraft.
Germany. The troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front were opposed by the forces of Army Group "South" under the command of Otto Wöhler: 6th SS Panzer Army, Army Group "Balk" (6th Army, remnants of the 1st and 3rd Hungarian armies), 2nd I am a tank army; and part of Army Group E. From the air, the German-Hungarian troops were supported by part of the 4th Air Fleet and the Hungarian Air Force.
Together with the 6th SS Panzer Army transferred from the Western Front, German forces consisted of 31 divisions, including 11 tank divisions, 5 battle groups and 1 motorized brigade. In total, more than 430 thousand soldiers and officers, more than 5.6 thousand guns and mortars, about 900 tanks and self-propelled guns, 900 armored personnel carriers and 850 combat aircraft.
Thus, in terms of the number of infantry, the Germans and Hungarians had a slight advantage; in terms of artillery and aircraft, the Red Army had a slight advantage. But the Germans had more than double superiority in tanks and self-propelled guns and pinned their main hope on them.
Heavy tank "Royal Tiger" from the heavy tank battalion "Feldherrnhalle", hit by a mine and thrown into a ditch
Photo source: http://waralbum.ru/
Battle
German troops launched a powerful attack on March 6, 1945. The first attacks were carried out on the southern flank. The positions of the Bulgarian and Yugoslav armies were attacked at night, and the 57th Army was hit early in the morning. In the sector of the 57th Army, the Germans carried out an hour-long artillery barrage and, at the cost of great effort and losses, were able to break into the Soviet defense. However, the army command took a number of retaliatory measures, introducing second-echelon troops and artillery reserves into the battle, which prevented further advance of the enemy. As a result, the Germans advanced only 6-8 km south of Lake Balaton.
In the defense sector of the 1st Bulgarian and 3rd Yugoslav armies, the Germans, despite the brave resistance of the Bulgarian and Yugoslav troops, crossed the Drava and captured two bridgeheads each up to 8 km wide along the front and up to 5 km in depth. However, German troops failed to launch an offensive on Pecs and Mohács. The Soviet command, in order to strengthen the defense in this area, sent the 133rd Rifle Corps and a division of guards mortars to help. This stabilized the situation in this sector of the front. Bulgarian and Soviet troops, with the support of Soviet forces, repelled the attack of Army Group E and launched a counteroffensive. The German bridgeheads were eliminated. Fighting on this section of the front continued until March 22. Thus, the offensive of German troops on the southern flank (Operation Forest Devil) was thwarted.
In the morning, after a 30-minute artillery preparation, the German 6th SS Panzer Army and 6th Field Army went on the offensive in the sector of the 4th Guards and 26th Armies. To break through the Soviet defenses, the Germans threw armored vehicles into battle en masse. In some areas, the number of tanks and assault guns reached 70 vehicles per 1-2 km of front. The new heavy and medium tanks “Tiger-2” and “Panther” were used extensively. By the end of the day, the Germans penetrated 4 km into the defenses of the Soviet troops and took the Sheregeyesh stronghold. The Soviet command, in order to strengthen the defense, began to introduce the 18th Tank Corps into the battle. The 3rd Airborne Division of the 35th Guards Rifle Corps from the 27th Army was also sent here. On the same day, stubborn battles took place in the defense zone of the 1st Guards fortified area from the 4th Guards Army.
On March 7, with massive support from the Luftwaffe, German troops resumed their offensive. The situation was especially difficult in the defense zone of Hagen's 26th Army, where up to 200 tanks and self-propelled guns were concentrated. The Germans constantly maneuvered their forces, looking for weak points in the defense of the Soviet army. The Soviet command transferred anti-tank reserves to threatened areas. Hagen's army was reinforced by the 5th Guards Cavalry Corps and the 208th Self-Propelled Artillery Brigade. In addition, to strengthen the defense of the first echelon armies, troops of Trofimenko’s 27th Army began to move into the second line of defense. A major role in repelling the enemy offensive on this day was played by the massive attacks of the 17th Air Army of Sudets on the attacking formations of German tank and infantry divisions.
In two days of stubborn battle, German troops were able to wedge themselves into the Soviet defenses four kilometers south of the island of Velence and seven kilometers west of the Charviz Canal. The Wehrmacht was unable to break through the tactical defense zone of the Soviet troops. Timely measures taken to strengthen the defense and stubborn resistance of the Soviet troops prevented a German breakthrough.
Captured German tank Pz.Kpfw. V "Panther" from the 366th SAP (self-propelled artillery regiment). 3rd Ukrainian Front. Hungary, March 1945
On March 8-9, heavy fighting continued. On March 8, the German command brought its main forces into the battle. The Germans continued to look for weak points, throwing large masses of armored vehicles into attacks in some areas. More than 250 tanks and self-propelled guns operated in the direction of the main attack. The fighting continued day and night. Counting on reducing the effectiveness of Soviet aviation and artillery, the Germans continued attacks at night. On March 9, the German command brought another tank division into battle. As a result, Hagen's army held back the onslaught of up to 320 tanks and self-propelled guns.
As a result, the Wehrmacht broke through the main and second defense lines of the Soviet troops and penetrated 10-24 kilometers in the main direction. However, success was still far away, since it was necessary to break through the rear army and front lines of defense, and the main forces had already been brought into the battle and suffered heavy losses. On March 10, at the direction of the Headquarters, aviation from the 2nd Ukrainian Front - Goryunov's 5th Air Army - joined in repelling the enemy offensive. In addition, by order of the Headquarters, Glagolev’s 9th Guards Army, deployed southeast of the Hungarian capital, was transferred to the 3rd Ukrainian Front. Tolbukhin had large reserves in case the situation worsened.
Particularly stubborn fighting broke out on March 10-14. On March 10, the enemy armored force operating between Lakes Velence and Lake Balaton already had 450 vehicles. There were fierce battles. Artillery, aviation and tanks played a huge role in repelling enemy attacks these days. The German command, trying to break into the Soviet defense at any cost, on March 14 threw its last reserve into battle - the 6th Panzer Division. For two days, only the troops of Trofimenko’s 27th Army resisted a powerful enemy group numbering more than 300 tanks and assault guns. The Germans were able to advance up to 30 km deep into the Soviet defense.
However, the forces of the German divisions were soon exhausted. There were no reserves to continue the offensive. The Germans were never able to completely break through the defenses of the Soviet armies. By the end of March 15, many German formations, including selected SS units, having lost faith in the success of a further offensive, began to refuse to go on the attack. As a result, the counter-offensive of the German troops fizzled out. Under the cover of tank units, which continued to fight stubbornly, the remaining troops began to retreat to their original positions and went on the defensive. Hitler flew into a rage and ordered the personnel of the 6th SS Panzer Army to remove the honorary sleeve ribbons from their uniforms.
German self-propelled gun "Vespe" after being hit by a large-caliber projectile. Hungary, Lake Velence region
Results
The last major German offensive ended in the defeat of the Wehrmacht. Intelligence played a major role in this success of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, which revealed the enemy’s plans in time. Otherwise, the situation could have been much more dangerous.
German troops suffered heavy losses in personnel and equipment - more than 40 thousand people, about 500 tanks and self-propelled guns, more than 300 guns and mortars, about 200 aircraft. But most importantly, the morale of the Wehrmacht, including the elite SS troops, was completely undermined. The positions of the German-Hungarian troops in Western Hungary were weakened, which played a big role in the subsequent Vienna offensive operation. In addition, the weakened 6th SS Panzer Army, which had lost most of its equipment, was unable to help the defense of Berlin.
Soviet troops were able to wear down the enemy with stubborn defense, thwarting the Germans' attempt to restore the front along the Danube, and went on the offensive in the Vienna direction with virtually no operational pause. The losses of the 3rd Ukrainian Front amounted to about 33 thousand people. The Bulgarian-Yugoslav troops were able to repel enemy attacks and, launching a counteroffensive, captured the cities of Drava Szabolc, Drava Polkonya and several other settlements.
Brief in time, but eventful and intense battles, the Balaton operation, along with the battle on the Kursk Bulge, is an example of high organization and skillful conduct of operational defense by the Red Army.
German tanks and self-propelled guns captured by Soviet troops in the city of Székesfehérvár, abandoned due to lack of fuel