[24], On January 27, Heinz Guderian was tasked by Hitler to stop the 3rd Ukrainian Front in the vicinity on the Margit-Line in order to protect the vital oil fields. G.F. Krivosheyev, 'Soviet Casualties and Combat Losses in the twentieth century', London, Greenhill Books, 1997, G.F. Krivosheyev, 'Soviet Casualties and Combat Losses in the twentieth century', London, Greenhill Books, 1997, p. 156-7, G.F. Krivosheyev, 'Soviet Casualties and Combat Losses in the twentieth century', London, Greenhill Books, 1997, p.156-7, CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (, 16th SS Panzer Grenadier Division Reichsführer-SS, Military history of Bulgaria during World War II, "Hitler's Last Offensive: Operation Spring Awakening", https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/wwii/hitlers-last-offensive-operation-spring-awakening/, "New achievements in WW II. [23][63][64][65][66][67] Please note that the units below are subordinate to the commanding structure under which they spent the most time during the offensive. The Soviet's Vienna Offensive ended with the fall of the city on 13 April. It was to advance from an area north of Lake Balaton, through the two lakes (Balaton and Velence), and southeast to capture territory from the Sió Channel to the Danube. red, 170th Tank Brigade (T-34/85, markings: 5xx, e.g. Find what to do today, this weekend, or in January. It has an area of 231 square miles (598 square km) and extends for 48 miles (77 km) along the southern foothills of the Bakony Mountains of Hungary. [35], The planning of Operation Spring Awakening is as interesting as the offensive itself, due to the chaotic nature of German military command this late in the war. The Zala River provides the largest inflow of water to the lake, and the canalised Sió is the only outflow.. The butte bears witness to the original level of the basalt layer that formed at the end of the Pliocene Epoch (i.e., about 5.3 to 2.6 615th Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik), e.g. IL-2m3. Prisoners taken during Operation Southwind testified that the Germans were in fact preparing to gather a large offensive force. [24], On January 12, the Soviet 1st Ukrainian and 1st Belorussian Fronts began their Vistula-Oder Offensive with over 2 million men[25][circular reference] placing considerable new pressure on the Eastern Front. [37] The chosen course of action on February 25, "Lösung C2", favored the quicker and farther-reaching joint operation of the 2nd Panzer Army and 6th SS Panzer Army, while "Lösung B" opted to first secure the left flank of the main thrust "Frühlingserwachen" (between Lake Velence and the Danube) before moving south toward the 2nd Panzer army. [55] The 3rd Ukrainian Front worked on digging in, creating extensive trench networks ideal for anti-tank defenses, along with defensive earthworks for the artillery and infantry. (2004) A Pallas nagy lexikona; Pazynych V.G. Chassis No. [53] To ensure sufficient supply of war materials and fuel, stockpiles were set up on either side of the Danube, a ferry was put into use, while additional temporary bridges and gas pipelines were also built on the Danube River. Szolnok: Self-Published. Artillery Regiment (SU-100, markings: 4xx, e.g. [69], The last major German offensive on the Eastern Front of World War II, Interrupted Soviet offensive preparations, Units involved in Offensive (March 6–15, 1945). [56] The 4th Guards Army's three Guards Rifle Corps and one Guards Fortified District would be spread out over a 39 km front and reach 30 km deep, broken into two belts with one behind the other. Artillery Regiment (ISU-122), 366th Guards Heavy Self-prop. [60], Because of the serious tank losses of January–February along the Margit line, Marshal Tolbukhin ordered that no Front/Army level counter-attacks were to take place, and local tactical attacks should be very limited; the only objective was to hold the Front and grind down the German offensive. The southern spearhead would move along the Sió to link up with units from German Army Group E, which was to thrust north through Mohács. H). Units during the final months of the war were very prone to location reassignments as the front situation evolved. Wikipedia: Instance of: conflict: Part of: World War II: Location: Lake Balaton : Point in time: 15 April 1945: Start time: 6 March 1945: End time: 16 March 1945: 46° 58′ 48″ N, 18° 21′ 00″ E [40] Other units from other armies were also sent to the Hungarian theater, for example the 16th SS Panzer Grenadier Division Reichsführer-SS who was brought up from Italy through the Brenner straight and sent to the 2nd Panzer Army. [40] The real plan for the units of 6th SS Panzer Army was to travel south through Vienna to their first Hungarian destination, the city of Győr and its surrounding area. It was a failure for Nazi Germany. Cholnoky Jenő: A Balaton jege (1907), A Balaton hidrológiája (1918) Martonné Erdős Katalin: Magyarország természeti földrajza I. Lac lake Balaton Hongrie Hungary Siofolk photo picture image (9643295341).jpg 5,572 × 3,715; 9.67 MB Modern architecture on lake Balaton.JPG 2,580 × 1,720; 980 KB Monotype XV on Lake Balaton, Hungary.jpg 2,521 × 1,681; 1.52 MB BALATON, bŏ'lŏ-tōn, or PLATTENSEE, a lake in the southwest of Hungary, 55 miles southwest of Budapest, extending from lat. [26] Almost all support units of the 6th SS Panzer Army were pulled from the Ardennes by January 22, while the 9th SS Panzer Division was the last to leave on January 23. These are the main units that were a part of the Army Groups/Front which saw combat in Operation Spring Awakening. 17° 14' to 18° 10' E.; area about 400 square miles, including the marshy shores.It receives the waters of more than 30 small streams. red. [23], Tolbukhin's 3rd Ukrainian Front had 5 Armies plus 1 Air Army, in addition it also had the 1st Bulgarian Army[56] with the 3rd Yugoslav Partisan Army also partaking in the defense. Webb, William (2017). It is now a lost film. Artillery Regiment (SU-100, markings: 6xx, e.g. [47] During the first days of March, alarming reports about road and terrain conditions due to the spring thaw flooded Army Group South Headquarters. The operation was referred to in Germany as the Plattensee Offensive and in the Soviet Union as the Balaton Defensive Operation. Järven pituus on 77 ja leveys 14 kilometriä. white, 3rd Guards Mechanized Brigade (BA-64, e.g. There are many places to be visited. SS-Pz.Rgt 3 (Panther Ausf. Company (T48/SU-57, e.g. Approaching and encircling the Austrian capital were the Soviet 4th and 6th Guards Tank, 9th Guards, and 46th Armies.[70]. IL-2m3. Artillery Regiment (SU-100), 1068th Self-prop. 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. Soviet counter-offensive (16 March–15 April 1945): Operation Spring Awakening (German: Unternehmen Frühlingserwachen) was the last major German offensive of World War II. 69th Guards Self-prop. [38] Below are the units under their respective command as discussed on February 27. 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. sfn error: no target: CITEREFSzámvéberNorbert2017 (, sfn error: no target: CITEREFAlekseiIsaevMaksim2014 (, sfn error: no target: CITEREFGreat_Patriotic_War_without_Secracy2010 (, O. Baronov, Balaton Defense Operation, Moscow, 2001, P.82-106. white, 1896th Self-prop. On the 15 March, strength returns on this day show the Hohenstaufen with 35 Panther tanks, 20 Panzer IVs, 32 Jagdpanzers, 25 Sturmgeschützes and 220 other self-propelled weapons and armoured cars. Aleksei Maksim; Isaev Kolomiets (2014). [29][24], Operation Süd was scheduled to start after a path to Budapest had been established. Such thaws had previously badly affected 3 other operations in the area: planned Operation Spätlese in December, Operation Southwind, and the “Waldteufel” attack forcing a change of location for the attack bridgehead from Osijek to Donji Miholjac. From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Balaton is the biggest lake in Hungary. A separate Hungarian-language version The Verdict of Lake Balaton was also made, directed by Paul Fejos. Ennek jelentése, nádas mocsaras. From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Balaton&oldid=6759929, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. [53] This plan, along with the strategic deployment of the Soviet forces, was quite similar to that of the Battle of Kursk, although it utilized experiences learned in 1943. This sudden and savage push caused the Soviet command to actually contemplate an evacuation to the opposite shore. The Hungarian Szent László Infantry Division was still indicated to be attached to the German 2nd Panzer Army as late as 30 April. [32] Gudarian then ordered Otto Wöhler to increase the daily fuel allowance from 400 to 500 cubic meters (400k to 500k liters) of fuel on February 26,[34] and by the February 28 the specifics of the now officially named “Operation Frühlingserwachen” (G:Spring Awakening) was completed. Artillery Regiment (SU-100), 1821st Self-prop. From Mapcarta, the free map. J, StuG.IV), Beute-Pz. 1202nd Self-prop. Balaton is the biggest lake by surface area in Central Europe and gives its name to this entire Hungarian Lake Balaton region. Operation Spring Awakening (German: Unternehmen Frühlingserwachen) was the last major German offensive of World War II. [31] If Operation Southwind was successful, Operation Süd's start could be deferred by 8–9 days. [23] Knowing that German Panzer divisions were not created for defensive purposes, the Soviet Fronts in Hungary became suspicious of the enemy's intentions. 672nd Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik) - White diagonal tail-cap, e.g. PeKo Publishing. From January 27 through February 15, 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. 20th Royal Hungarian Sturm. [56] The 26th Army, which was expected to take the brunt of the German offensive, arranged its three Rifle Corps along a 44 km front but only 10–15 km deep. The remnants of the German 2nd Panzer Army were south of Graz in the Maribor area, facing the Soviet 57th Army and the Bulgarian First Army. Balaton A freshwater lake in Hungary, the largest lake in Central Europe, and one of the region's foremost tourist destinations. red, 1004th Self-Prop. Dietrich did not relay the order to his troops. By 15 April, the remnants of the 6th SS Panzer Army were north of Vienna, facing the Soviet 9th Guards and 46th Armies. On February 17 of 1945, the Soviet High Command (Stavka) instructed the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts to prepare for an offensive towards Vienna which would begin on March 15. Artillery Regiment (SU-100, ~ e.g. [58] The 27th Army's one Guards Rifle and two Rifle Corps would remain in reserve unless the situation in the 26th Army called for its use. On March 3, the 6th SS Panzer Army suggested that a naval assault across Lake Balaton itself could be implemented to help the 1st Cavalry Corps on the southeastern edge, but this turned out to be impossible as the spring storms had blown the pack ice against the southern shore. [55] The main differences between the Soviet defenses during the Battle of Kursk and the Balaton Defensive Operation (the Russian name for Operation Spring Awakening) was the relative short time frame allowed for defensive preparations (half a month), the smaller number of Soviet forces partaking in the defensive, and a reduced focus on perfecting the defensive lines as after all the 3rd Ukrainian Front would need to start its offensive from these lines. 363rd Guards Heavy Self-prop. This page was last edited on 12 January 2021, at 19:28. Artillery Regiment (SU-76M), 11th Guards Cavalry Division (71st Tank Regiment: T-34, M4A2(75)W Sherman), 12th Guards Cavalry Division (54th Tank Regiment: T-34), 63rd Cavalry Division (60th Guards Tank regiment: M3 Lee, Valentine Mk. [36], For Operation Spring Awakening, the area for the new offensive was set on the borderline between OKW (Army Group F) and OKH (Army Group South), and this would cause troubles. [38] Many of the incoming units also received cover names to help further mask the build-up of forces from the enemy. IL-2m3. The village is located on the southern shore of Lake Balaton by the Somogy County-gate. During a Situation Conference on January 7, 1945 at which both Hermann Göring and OB West Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt were present, Hitler proposed his intention of pulling the 6th SS Panzer Army to form a reserve due to severe Allied air attacks. : U.S.A. 3080508), 9th Guards Tank Brigade (M4A2(76)W Sherman, markings: '9xx', e.g. Drama Between Budapest and Vienna: J.J. Fedorowicz Publishing, Inc. Számvéber, Norbert (2013). If you can improve it, please do. J, StuG III.). Este cel mai mare lac din Europa Centrală și una dintre cele mai importante destinații turistice din regiune. The 2nd Panzer Army's “Eisbrecher” would advance from an area southwest of Lake Balaton and progress towards Kaposvár to enguage the Soviet 57th Army. Some Hungarian units survived the fall of Budapest and the destruction which followed when the Soviets counterattacked after Operation Spring Awakening. Flak-Korps were tasked with protecting the 6th SS Panzer Army while en route to Zossen south of Berlin. The operation, initially planned for March 5, began after German units were moved in great secrecy around Lake Balaton (German: Plattensee) to secure the last significant oil reserves still available to the Axis powers and prevent the Red Army from advancing towards Vienna. Artillery Regiment (SU-100, markings: C-xx, e.g. Artillery Battalion (SU-76M), 44th Guards Self-prop. This page was last changed on 29 December 2019, at 22:17. Budapest. [30] Army Group South commander Otto Wöhler chose “Lösung B”. [24] A glimpse of the ensuing verbal exchange during this argument was captured in Alfred Jodl's (OKW) post-war interrogation where he states Hitler said: "You want to attack without oil- good, we'll see what happens when you attempt that". Balaton is the biggest lake in Hungary. Plattensee) on Unkarin ja koko Keski-Euroopan suurin järvi pinta-alaltaan (598 km²). Its wonderful world of birds was already famous in the last century; and has survived despite the draining of the marsh started in 1922. [15] These units were to be refitted by January 30 and attached to the 6th Panzer Army under the command of Sepp Dietrich for the upcoming Operation Spring Awakening. At it widest point, Lake Balaton measures about 9 miles (14 km) across. By February 7, on orders of Hitler, strict secrecy rulings were put into place: death penalty for command infractions, license plates were to be covered, insignia on vehicles and uniforms to be covered, no reconnaissance in forward combat areas, unit movements only by night or overcast conditions, no radio traffic, and the units were not to appear on situation maps. Horváth, Gábor (2013). I, III./SG 2 (Fw 190F, Ju 87G - 10. German offensive (6–15 March 1945): Germany. The OKW and OKH did not use common terminology for parts of the offensive, as OKH referred to the entire offensive as Frühlingserwachen, while the OKW referred to the operation attacking north of the Drava as "Waldteufel". Lake Balaton is a lake in Hungary, the largest lake in central Europe . Another part of 6th SS Panzer Army would then turn south and create a southern spearhead. 46° 45' to 47° 5' N., and from long. [15] 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 Coprs 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. Verband Jaguar (captured T-34/85, e.g. OKW (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht) was the overarching military command for the German army in WW2, while the OKH (Oberkommando des Heeres) was officially a high command operating under OKW. Artillery Battalion (SU-76M, e.g. G, Pz.IV Ausf. [71], On 22 March, the remnants of the 6th SS Panzer Army withdrew towards Vienna. [55] The defensive strategy of the 3rd Ukrainian Front was one of anti-tank defense as this was what the Germans were going to use. Páncélosok a Dunantulon - Az Utolsó Páncélosütközetek Magyarországon 1945 Tavaszán. 951st Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik) - White diagonal tail-cap with 1 short diagonal stripe, e.g. 42% of these vehicles were damaged, under short or long-term repair. [18] Their push resulted in the annihilation of the Soviet 7th Mechanized Corps. For example: ISU-122S, 78th Separate Mechanized Motorcycle Battalion (T-34, motorcycles), 1438th Self-prop. IL-2m3, S/N: 1889403. This is an example of a de-centralized command. [26] From here the units' possible de-training locations would seem to be the cities along the Oder River, however this was a calculated misinformation measure to confuse enemy forces who actually attacked these cities. The 57th Army's one Guards Rifle and one Rifle Corps were spread along a 60 km front and 10–15 km deep; the Army would receive another Rifle Corps during the fighting. [18] 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. There is a panorama of the Hill at Somosi, from the Víztükre Lake shores. [36] This operational overlap caused by the centralized command led to disagreements, shortages, waste, inefficiencies, and delays, often escalating to the point where Hitler himself would have to give the final ruling on a matter. It took place in Western Hungary on the Eastern Front and lasted from March 6th until March 15, 1945. The operation was referred to in Germany as the Plattensee Offensive and in the Soviet Union as the Balaton Defensive Operation. Artillery Battalion (SU-76M), 8th Separate Guards Air-landing Self-prop. IX., e.g. 3rd Ukrainian Front marshal Fyodor Tolbukhin ordered his armies to prepare for a German offensive on his entire Front, preparation of which would have to be completed no later then March 3. : 74566), 20th Guards Tank Regiment (M4A2(76)W Sherman, markings: '3xx' (e.g. Between 16 and 25 March, the Hungarian Third Army had been destroyed about 40 kilometres (25 mi) west of Budapest by the Soviet 46th Army which was driving towards Bratislava and the Vienna area. [55] Other minor differences included the lack or limited use of barbed wire installations, anti-tank obstacles, and bunkers,[55] although the 4th Guards Army command did suggest to place the burnt out wrecks of 38 previously destroyed German tanks into advantageous positions; it is unclear how many were actually set up. As Operation Spring Awakening would be of great importance, lengthy preparation and strategic care was taken so as to not reveal the offensive. Many were abandoned due to a lack of fuel. IL-2m3, 165th Guards Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik), 166th Guards Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik), 167th Guards Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik), 56th Fighter Air Regiment (La-5F, La-5FN), 530th Fighter Air Regiment (La-5F, La-5FN), 848th Fighter Air Regiment (La-5F, La-5FN), 267th Fighter Air Regiment (Yak-1b,-3,-9), 117th Guards Fighter Air Regiment (Yak-1b,-9), 168th Guards Fighter Air Regiment (Yak-1b,-9), 611th Fighter Air Regiment (Yak-1b,-3,-9D,DD,M) - White diagonal tail stripe with a wide bar on the rudder, 659th Fighter Air Regiment (Yak-3, -9D,DD,M,T) - Long white arrow on fuselage, 897th Fighter Air Regiment (Yak-1b,-3,-9D,DD,M,T), 31st Fighter Air Regiment (La-5F, La-5FN,-7FN) - Lightning bolt on fuselage, diagonal tail stripe, 116th Fighter Air Regiment (La-5F, La-5FN) - Lightning bolt on fuselage, diagonal tail stripes, 164th Fighter Air Regiment (La-5F, La-5FN) - Lightning bolt on fuselage, diagonal tail stripes, 244th Bomber Air Division (Douglas A-20 Boston), 260th Bomber Air Regiment (A-20B,C,G,J, UA-20C Boston) - Lightning emblem on the nose, 449th Bomber Air Regiment (A-20B,C,G UA-20C Boston) - Bomb dropping seagull emblem on the nose, 861st Bomber Air Regiment (A-20B,C,G,J UA-20C Boston), 97th Guards Night Bomber Air Regiment (Po-2), 39th Separate Air Reconnaissance Regiment (Pe-2R, Yak-9D,M,R), 130th Guards Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik), 131st Guards Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik), 187th Guards Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik), 188th Guards Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik), 190th Guards Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik), 235st Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik) - white tail cap, 451st Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik), 31st Guards Fighter Air Regiment (Yak-1b, -9), 73rd Guards Fighter Air Regiment (Yak-1b, -9), 85th Guards Fighter Air Regiment (Yak-1b, -9), 48th Bomber Air Regiment (A-20G Boston) - red tail cap, 452nd Bomber Air Regiment (A-20G Boston) - white tail cap, 453rd Bomber Air Regiment (A-20G Boston) - dark blue tail cap, 14th Guards Bomber Air Regiment (B-25D,J Mitchell), 238th Guards Bomber Air Regiment (B-25D,J Mitchell), 251st Guards Bomber Air Regiment (B-25D,J Mitchell), 53rd Bomber Air Division (Li-2 cargo planes, etc. Artillery (Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer, e.g. 22nd Separate Training Tank Regiment (T-34, and a single, old KV-1S), 110th Tank Brigade (T-34/85, markings: 4xx, e.g. white, new, 39th Tank Brigade (T-34/85, markings: Г -in diamond- and xx, e.g. By 30 March, the Soviet 3rd Ukrainian Front crossed from Hungary into Austria. Lake Balaton (German: Plattensee) is a freshwater lake in the Transdanubian region of Hungary.It is the largest lake in Central Europe, and one of the region's foremost tourist destinations. IL-2m3, 639th Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik), e.g. The 2nd Panzer Army did not advance as far on the southern side of Lake Balaton as the 6th SS Panzer Army had on the northern side. The north part of Balaton is deeper than the south part. [36] Army Group E wanted to assemble its troops north of the Drava River by February 25, but Army Group South was not prepared to start the offensive this early due to the ongoing Operation Southwind; subsequently, the OKW and Hitler grew more impatient. It is the largest thermal lake in the world which is available for swimming (47,500 square metres (511,286 sq ft) in area).