Balaton defensive operation. Battle of Balaton

Balaton operation

After successful completion The German war economy had lost its last serious sources of replenishment of oil raw materials - the insignificant reserves of Austrian oil remaining at its disposal could no longer ensure the normal functioning of tank troops and aviation. And an imminent threat loomed over these last sources: the troops of the 3rd and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts were preparing for offensive operation in the Vienna direction.
Under these conditions, the fascist German high command set itself the goal at all costs is to regain the position lost after the loss of Budapest and protect Austria from the impending attack. In addition, with their offensive actions, the German command hoped to divert part of our forces from Berlin direction and ease the pressure on Breslau.
To achieve these goals, the enemy decided to launch a counteroffensive in the Budapest direction, entrusting this task to the 6th SS Panzer Army, urgently transferred from the Western European theater.
The German counteroffensive plan was to launch three attacks simultaneously. The main blow in the direction between lakes Velence and Balaton The 6th SS Panzer Army, consisting of five tank, two infantry and two cavalry divisions, as well as the 3rd Panzer Corps of the 6th Army, consisting of two tank and one infantry divisions, attacked the Danube. The Nazi command concentrated here up to 1,600 tanks and assault guns, more than 1,600 guns of various calibers.
The auxiliary attack was carried out by the 2nd Tank Army with seven infantry divisions, reinforced by a significant number of assault and anti-tank guns in the area between Lake Balaton and the Drava River in the direction of Nagybajom - Kaposvár.
The third blow by part of the forces of the German group “F” of General Weichs was delivered from the southern bank of the Drava River in general direction on Pech.
Nazi units, especially units of the 6th SS Panzer Army, received reinforcements and were equipped with tanks and self-propelled guns

. A large tank group was concentrated in the direction of the main attack by the enemy, with a density of up to 76 tanks per kilometer of front.

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.
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 cable cars and a gas pipeline were built across the Danube for uninterrupted supply of the defending troops.

German self-propelled gun Ferdinand.

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 under the command of Major General P. A. Artyushchenko and a division of guards mortars were advanced from the front reserve. The soldiers of the 1st Bulgarian Army, fighting shoulder to shoulder with Soviet soldiers, showed exceptional courage, perseverance and endurance.
In the zone of the 57th Army, the enemy launched an attack with the forces of the 2nd Tank Army in the direction of Nagybajom and Kaposvár. At the cost of enormous losses, the enemy managed to penetrate our defenses on a narrow section of the front.
However, Army Commander M.N. Sharokhin brought in the second echelon of the army and counterattacked the enemy from the flanks with the support of massive artillery fire. Further advance of Nazi troops in this direction was also stopped. The enemy command’s calculations that an offensive in the south would be able to divert our attention and weaken the defenses in the inter-lake region were a complete failure.

The enemy struck the third, main blow between lakes Velence and Lake Balaton at 8:40 am. After a 30-minute artillery preparation, the 6th SS Panzer Army went on the offensive. From the very first minutes the defensive battle acquired the character of extreme ferocity. By the end of the day, enemy troops managed to advance to a depth of 4 km and capture the Sheregeyesh stronghold. To eliminate the breakthrough, the 18th Tank Corps was moved to this area.
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 Soviet troops. The Soviet command, in turn, promptly transferred anti-tank reserves to threatened areas.

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. Based on the low effectiveness of Soviet artillery in dark time For days, the Germans continued to advance 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.
On March 10, the Germans threw their last reserves into battle. There were already 450 enemy tanks and assault guns operating between lakes Velence and Lake Balaton. On this day the enemy fought with particular ferocity. It was on March 10, as the prisoners showed, that the fascist German troops, at Hitler’s request, were supposed to reach the Danube and decide the fate of the entire battle.
From March 6 to March 15, the enemy lost up to 45 thousand soldiers and officers, about 500 tanks and assault guns, up to 300 guns and mortars, about 500 armored personnel carriers and over 50 aircraft. The losses suffered forced the Germans to stop attacks. And they had nothing to attack with. Thus ended the last offensive ingloriously

Germany in the Second World War.

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Defensive operation of the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front in the Great Patriotic War, carried out on March 6-15 in the region of Lake Balaton (Hungary) in order to repel the counter-offensive of Nazi troops. Having completed 13 Feb. 1945 Budapest operation 1944-45, 2nd Ukrainian Front (command. Marshal Soviet Union R.Ya. Malinovsky) and the 3rd Ukrainian Front (commander: Marshal of the Soviet Union F.I. Tolbukhin) began preparing an offensive in the Vienna direction. In mid-Feb. German-fascist The command concentrated large forces in the area of Lake Balaton to launch a counteroffensive. The 6th Panzer, SS Army, equipped with the latest types tanks. Against the 3rd Ukrainian front (4th Guards, 26th, 27th, 57th combined arms and 17th air armies and the operationally subordinate 1st Bulgarian Army) the pr-k concentrated 31 divisions (including 11 tank), 5 combat groups, 1 motorized brigade and 4 brigades of assault guns of Army Groups “South” and “E”, numbering 431 thousand people, 5630 ord. and mortars, 877 tanks and assault guns, 900 armored personnel carriers and 850 aircraft. In terms of tanks and assault guns, the pr-k had an overall superiority over Soviet troops by 2.1 times. The fascist German command hoped to defeat the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Army. front, restore defenses along the Danube River, retain the oil sources of Hungary and eliminate the threat to the industrial sector. districts of Austria and South. Germany. Didn't leave any fash. command and distant politicians. calculations: to use the Balkans as a “bone of discord” between the Soviet Union and England. The Supreme High Command headquarters decided to stubbornly and actively defend the 3rd Ukrainian Army. front to exhaust and bleed the attack group of the pr-ka, and then go on the offensive in the direction of Vienna. The front consisted of 37 riflemen. and 6 infantry. (Bulgarian) divisions, 2 tanks, 1 mech. and 1 cavalry corps (about 407 thousand people, up to 7 thousand troops and mortars, 407 tanks and self-propelled artillery units and 965 aircraft). The operational formation of the front troops was two-echelon. 4th Guards, 26th, 57th Combined Arms and 1st Bolg. The armies defended themselves in the 1st echelon, the 27th army - in the 2nd echelon. In the reserve teams, at the front were the 23rd and 18th Tank, 1st Guards. mech., 5th Guards. Cav. Corps, 84th Infantry. division, six art. brigades The main efforts were concentrated in the defense zones of the 4th Guards. and the 26th armies, where the offensive was expected. strength pr-ka. The defense plan provided for several. options of actions worked out with troops on the ground, taking into account possible attacks by the pr-ka. The defense, including anti-tank, was created to a depth of 25-50 km and included the main, second and army lines, 2 front lines, intermediate lines and cut-off positions. The basis of anti-tank defense were strong anti-tank districts and artillery-anti-tank reserves. Wed. operator the density of anti-tank artillery was 18 op., the density of minefields. reached at dep. areas 2,700 anti-tank and 2,500 anti-personnel mines per 1 km. There were 68 mobile units at the front. barrage detachments. The ground forces were supported by the 17th Air Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Army. and part of the forces of the 5th air. Army of the 2nd Ukrainian fronts. The front was timely and well prepared to repel the attack. The interaction and control of troops was skillfully organized. Party political work was aimed at ensuring the stamina and perseverance of personnel in defense and creating a high offensive capability. impulse to go on a decisive offensive.
German-fascist offensive troops began on the night of March 6 with auxiliary strikes from the region south of the lake. Balaton to Kaposvar and from the border of the river. Drava on S. Ch. The pr-k struck in the morning of this day, as expected, against the troops of the 4th Guards. and the 26th Army, defending between lakes Velence and Lake Balaton. Concentrating a powerful armored fist (in certain directions, 50-60 tanks per 1 km of front), he tried to dismember the owls. troops and reach the Danube. The owls were met with continuous artillery and air strikes. troops onslaught of the strike force pr-ka. For March 6, 17th air. the army carried out 358 sorties, incl. 227 by 6th Panzer, SS Army. As soon as the direction of the chapter was determined. strike pr-ka, commands, front strengthened the defense of the 4th Guards. and the 26th Army. Mobile reserves were deployed to a pre-prepared defense line south of Sheregeyesh. Formations of the 27th Army occupied the area from the lake. Velence to the Sarviz canal. To strengthen the south. wing from the front reserve, the 133rd Infantry was concentrated in the Pech region. frame. Only at the cost of huge losses did the enemy succeed on the 1st day of the offensive in the direction of Ch. blow to wedge into our defense. Sharviz channel up to 2 km, in the Sheregeyesh region - up to 3-4 km. The same stubborn resistance was shown to the Nazi troops advancing south of the lake. Balaton and from bridgeheads on the Drava River, 57th Army, troops of the 1st Bolg. and 3rd Yugoslav armies. On March 7, the battle unfolded with renewed vigor. In the zone of the 26th Army, up to 2 infantry were advancing. divisions and St. 170 tanks.
The 5th Guards were sent to strengthen the army. Cav. body and art. connections transferred from other directions. As a result of the maneuver east. Sheregeyesh was concentrated art group consisting of 160 ord. The pace of advance of the war decreased even more. He advanced south of Lake Velence and west. Charviz channel is only 2-3 km. In the following days, German-fascist. the command, regardless of losses, continued to build up its forces. On March 8-10, 3 tanks and divisions (2nd, 9th SS and 3rd) were brought into battle, and on March 14 - the last reserve - the 6th tank, division. The brutality continued for 10 days. battles, in which St. participated on both sides. 800 thousand people, more than 12.5 thousand or. and mortars, approx. 1300 tanks and assault guns and more than 1800 aircraft. Wide maneuver of reserves and artillery, high durability of owls. units and formations, the heroism of soldiers and officers nullified the efforts of the enemy. The pr-ku managed to achieve only tactical results - to break into the Owls' defense. troops south of the lake. Velence at 12 km, and to the west. Sharviz channel - up to 30 km. Having lost over 40 thousand people, approx. 500 tanks and assault guns, 300 ord. and mortars, the fascist German troops were forced to stop the offensive on March 15 and go on the defensive.
Balaton operation was the last major defensive operation of the Soviet Army during the Great Patriotic War. As a result, the attempts of the fascist German command to stop the advance of Soviet troops to the south were completely thwarted. wing of the Soviet-German front. The Balaton operation is an example of high organization and conduct of operational defense by forces of one front on two widely separated directions, bold maneuver by reserves and second echelons. Anti-tank defense reached perfect forms, which included company strong points united into battalion anti-tank units, anti-tank districts echeloned in depth, strong artillery and anti-tank reserves and mobile barrage detachments. in formations and armies. The Balaton operation was characterized by the use of all artillery to combat tanks, incl. anti-aircraft and aviation. Thanks to the maneuver, the artillery density in certain directions exceeded 160-170 ord. at 1 km front. Over 10 days, combat aviation carried out 5277 sorties, of which 50% were attack aircraft. Tanks and self-propelled guns were used, as a rule, in ambushes on likely directions of enemy tank attacks. In addition, tank self-propelled art. units acted as mobile anti-tank reserves. The second echelons of the front and reserves were used to reinforce the troops of the first echelon. in the struggle for tact, the defensive zone. Main, second and arm. The defense lines were occupied by troops in advance. At the same time, part of the front troops intended for the offensive did not participate in the defensive operation. The successful completion of the Balaton operation made it possible to begin the Vienna operation of 1945 on March 16 without a pause.
Lit.: Operations of the Soviet Armed Forces in the Great Patriotic War. 1941-1945. T.4. M., 1959; Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union. 1941-1945. Brief history. Ed. 2nd. M., 1970; The liberation mission of the Soviet Armed Forces in the Second World War. Ed. A.A. Grechko. Ed. 2nd. M., 1974; Budapest - Vienna - Prague. 4 Apr. 1945, April 13 1945, May 9, 1945. Historical memoir work. Ed. R.Ya. Malinovsky. M., 1965; Sharokhin M.H., Petrukhin V.S. The path to Lake Balaton. M., 1966; Liberation of Hungary from fascism. M., 1965; Malakhov M.M. Liberation of Hungary and Eastern Austria. M., 1965; Tarasov. P. Fighting at Lake Balaton. M., 1959. S.P.Ivanov, P.F.Shkorubsky.

Battles at Lake Balaton. Hungary

Continuing our movement across Yugoslavia, by November 20, 1944, we stopped about 10 km from the city of Sambir. Preparations began for crossing the Danube.

November 26. The day was cloudy and rainy, so work at the crossing went on around the clock - the enemy planes did not show up. The crossing was led by the commander of the guard division, Major General Lozanovich.

The village of Batino began immediately after the crossing. The echoes of battle could be heard in the distance. The front in those days was 10–12 km from Batino in the center and 18–20 km along the flanks. So we found ourselves on the territory of Hungary, the last ally of Nazi Germany, the fourth country from whose territory we expelled the fascist evil spirits.

By December 7, 1944, units of the 187th Guards Rifle Regiment, in which I was a Komsomol organizer at that time, reached the southern shore of Lake Balaton. Advancing along the shore of the lake, we occupied locality Balaton-Kerestur, but could not advance further - the enemy received reinforcements and organized a strong defense.

The fascist German command understood that by occupying Balaton-Kerestur, we were blocking railway, as well as highways connecting central areas Hungary, and Budapest with the rich agricultural regions of southwestern Hungary and, most importantly, with Nagykanizsa - the only source of Hungarian oil, which after the loss of the Romanian oil-bearing region of Ploesti acquired paramount importance. In addition, southwestern Hungary covered areas of Austria where large military-industrial facilities were concentrated, from where there was a direct route to southern Germany.

That is why on December 9, 1944, the enemy went on the offensive. Tanks were moving towards us, motorized infantry were advancing. We were unable to organize a proper response - the regiment began to retreat. At that moment I was at the location of the regimental reconnaissance platoon. Mines and shells are exploding all around, machine guns and machine guns are firing. The regiment wavered, and a panicked retreat began.

One of the scouts told me that there were horses under saddle in the stables. We run there, bring out the horses, jump into the saddles - and gallop along the shore, to the east. So we rode about 5-6 kilometers, on our way there was a bridge over the canal, and on the opposite bank stood the regiment commander G.I. Ivanov, his deputies M.I. Zhdanov and Kholodnyak (I don’t remember what his name was), other officers of the regiment headquarters. They all had weapons in their hands, they stopped the fleeing people and organized a defense along the bank of the canal. The regiment entrenched itself on the eastern bank of the canal, and the Germans were not allowed further.

Leaving Balaton-Kerestur cost us dearly. There were large losses in people, the division commander and regiment commander, and other senior officers were removed from their posts. Subsequent checks revealed that many command posts of companies and battalions were located in wine cellars that many officers abused tasting wines from barrels, of which there were many in each cellar. For this reason, the advanced units missed the start of the attack.

So we stood on the defensive on the eastern bank of the canal until the end of March 1945. We and the enemy often carried out fire raids and various reconnaissance operations. There was no calm at the front.

The situation was especially tense on our sector of the front in February–March 1945, when the enemy launched his last offensive in World War II in the area between Lakes Vilenze and Lake Balaton. Even the headquarters of the 3rd Ukrainian Front was forced to change its location - to retreat beyond the Danube.

If the enemy had then been able to break the resistance of the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front in the area of the city of Székes-Fehérvár, then our 57th Army, which had victoriously passed its battle path from Stalingrad to Hungary, would have been surrounded and what would have happened to us then - alone God knows.

But the enemy troops were literally crushed by units and formations of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. Our army was no longer the same that the Nazi troops faced in the summer of 1941–1942.

We constantly conducted reconnaissance in order to ascertain the enemy’s strength. In mid-January 1945, one of the reconnaissance groups of the 187th Guards Rifle Regiment under the command of Guard Lieutenant K.I. Danilova was sent behind enemy lines for the “tongue”. Shura Globa, a medical instructor, also went with the scouts.

The actions of the scouts were covered by the machine gunners of the Guard, Senior Lieutenant I.N. Udovichenko, mortarmen of mortar companies of battalions, as well as mortarmen of a regimental mortar battery under the command of Guard Captain A.F. Vitvitsky.

Having completed the task, the scouts returned to their location. During the retreat, the commander of the reconnaissance group, K.I., was seriously wounded. Danilov. Medical examiner Shura Globa provided him with first aid in the neutral zone and then carried him out of the battlefield.

By the end of March 1945, units of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts, after capturing Budapest and defeating German troops in the Székesfehérvár area, rushed west and along the northern shore of Lake Balaton.

Then both units of the 57th Army and our regiment received orders to attack, to break through the enemy’s defenses. It was a echelon line passing along the dominant heights. In the rear of the defense, the enemy relied on Balaton-Kerestur, on the railway and highway. Residential buildings in Balaton-Kerestur, buildings of commercial and industrial enterprises were turned into strongholds of defense, they were surrounded by wire fences and minefields. The shore of Lake Balaton from the mouth of the canal to the enemy's rear was covered with a dense network of wire obstacles and minefields. Machine gun crews were located in bunkers equipped on the shore.

The enemy in this area had significant artillery forces: two batteries of heavy guns and a battery of heavy mortars were stationed on the northern outskirts of Balaton-Uylak, a battery of 105-mm guns was in Balaton-Santdergy. In Balaton-Kerestur itself there were two mortar groups of 81-mm mortars, one of them was located behind the church, the second in the station area. In tank-dangerous directions, the enemy created anti-tank defense nodes, saturated with artillery and faustpatrons.

Officers of the 1st SB 187th Guards SP: Zubenko P.I., Sinyavsky D., Antseliovich L.S., October 1944

Our defense took place in terrain that was extremely unfavorable for us. The right flank rested on the shore of Lake Balaton, from where an enemy landing could always be expected. Along the coast our defense extended for 12 km

to the east and was not continuous, and the first ice had already appeared on the lake. Therefore, machine gun points and patrols were moved from the shore onto the ice of the lake. Insufficient staffing levels in the companies forced the commander of the guard regiment, Lieutenant Colonel A.A. Pronin organized night patrols along the shore of the lake for groups of soldiers and sergeants from economic and transport units.

The left flank of our defense passed through marshy areas, and the center along the canal and a bridgehead on the left bank of the canal. The bridgehead was small - only 350 m along the front and 60 m in depth. Communication with the bridgehead was carried out only in the dark through the bridge over which the highway passed, and later along the assault bridges that were built by our sappers under the leadership of the engineer of the guard regiment, Captain Matveev. The defense of the bridgehead was carried out by the 2nd company of the 1st rifle battalion of the guard of Captain Berezovsky. It was reinforced with heavy machine guns and PTR rifles.

Commander of the 187th Guards Rifle Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel A.A. Pronin. and political officer of the guard regiment, Major Zhdanov A.A.

Guard regiment commander Lieutenant Colonel A.A. Pronin decided to deliver the main blow on the enemy’s right flank, that is, on the southern part of Balaton-Kerestur. At the same time, it was decided to send a landing force of machine gunners in boats across Lake Balaton behind enemy lines with the task of going behind enemy lines and landing northwest of Balaton-Kerestur at Hill 124; advancing behind enemy lines, paralyze his actions, cutting off his escape route, and then connect with the regiment's units and with them develop the further success of the operation.

The landing group consisted of 40 people; volunteers were selected only from among communists and Komsomol members. The deputy regiment commander for the political unit of the guard, Lieutenant Colonel Zhdanov, together with the deputy regiment commander for the combat unit of the guard, Lieutenant Colonel Kholodnyak, talked with each soldier and sergeant selected for the group, and the regiment commander talked with the officers. Party and Komsomol groups were created in the landing party.

The commander of the 3rd Rifle Battalion of the Guard, Captain N.P., was appointed commander of the landing force. Rudensky, his deputy - Guard Lieutenant A.P. Duganov, and deputy for political affairs - Guard Lieutenant A.E. Khmelev, Komsomol organizer of the 3rd Rifle Battalion.

The day before the landing of the guard, Lieutenant Colonel Kholodnyak conducted training with the landing force in conditions similar in terrain and nature of defense to those in which they were to operate.

Commander of the 187th Guards Rifle Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel A.A. Pronin. and deputy commander of the guard regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Kholodnyak. Lake Balaton, January 1945

Head of the political department of the guard division, Lieutenant Colonel Olenchikov P.I. had a conversation with the landing party, paying special attention to the fact that the landing party included the best Komsomol members and communists of the regiment, they were entrusted with the execution of a responsible task.

The offensive was scheduled for March 29, 1945. At 20.30, with the onset of darkness, the battalions secretly, observing the strictest camouflage, began to reach the starting line, the first line of trenches.

Participants in the breakthrough note with satisfaction the skillful and courageous actions of the regimental artillery crews. As soon as the battalions approached the outermost houses of Balaton-Kerestur, part of the guns of the 45- and 76-mm batteries, commanded by Guard Lieutenant Gorbachev and Guard Lieutenant Nedelin, were transported across the canal and fired direct fire at the revived enemy firing points. Mortarmen from the mortar companies of the battalions and from the regimental battery of 120-mm mortars, commanded by Guard Captain A.F. Vitvitsky, fired continuously at pre-designated targets at the front line and in the depths of the enemy’s defense.

The coherence in the actions of all units participating in the breakthrough, the brave actions of the landing force, the high morale of the soldiers and officers of the regiment ensured the success of the breakthrough, the capture of Balaton-Kerestur and the completion of subsequent tasks. The covert advance to the starting lines and the swiftness of the attack resulted in the regiment's small losses - 28 people.

This is how the 187th Guards Rifle Regiment completed the breakthrough of the enemy defense on Lake Balaton on March 29, 1945.

The capture of Balaton-Kerestur opened the way to the west for us. On April 3, we immediately took Nagykanizsa and approached the borders of Austria. In addition to the gratitude of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief for the liberation of Morozovsk, Slavyansk, Nikopol, Nikolaev, Odessa, Bender, and for crossing the Danube, gratitude was added for the capture of Nagykanizsa.

Political workers of the 187th Guards Rifle Regiment. Sitting: political officer Lieutenant Colonel Zhdanov A.A., party organizer Churaev G.I. Standing: regiment agitator G.I. Serebryany, Komsomol organizer L.S. Antseliovich.

Head of the political department of the 61st Guards Rifle Division, Lieutenant Colonel Olenchikov P.I., 1944–1945.

Ahead was Austria - the fifth country on the glorious battle path of the 61st Guards Slavic Red Banner Rifle Division, which we entered, enriched by the experience of combat operations, confident in our Victory.

Entry of Soviet troops into Austrian territory. April 1945

Medical workers of the 187th Guards Rifle Regiment. Seated: chief of the sanitary service Kenden A.L., commander of the sanitary company Sosonkin N.Z., doctor Maksimova A.N., chief of staff of the regiment Kvashnin; standing: Shkurko, Deryabin. Autumn 1944

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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, 2nd Panzer, 6th Field, and 3rd Hungarian Armies 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 the liberation from Nazism and pro-fascist forces of the 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, February 17, Supreme Commander gave the order to 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 region 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 german capital, Hitler removed 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 on Kursk Bulge, in the expected direction of the main attack, the enemy equipped a defense in depth. 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’s artillery was concentrated. In a number of areas, the density of guns and mortars was increased to 60-70 guns 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 said 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 strike forces from 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 the routes to Austria and South Germany went. In Western Hungary and Austria there remained the last areas of oil production and oil refineries, the products of which were of key importance for tanks and air force. 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 strikes 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

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, the 9th Guards Army of Glagolev, 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. Huge role Artillery, aviation and tanks played a 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 consisting of 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





	Victory of the Red Army
Opponents
	Germany
Yugoslavia
Bulgaria
Commanders
Fedor Tolbukhin	Otto Wöhler
	Joseph Dietrich
Strengths of the parties
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 under code name"Spring Awakening" (German) 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 piecemeal 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

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 river crossings 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

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. Heated up fierce battles. 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, stubborn resistance Soviet soldiers and the strong defense they created did not allow the 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

The German troops did not complete the assigned task and, having lost large number 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, having repelled 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.