Balaton offensive operation. The failure of the Wehrmacht's last major offensive operation

Balaton operation

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 attacked the Danube tank army The SS, consisting of five tanks, two infantry and two cavalry divisions, as well as the 3rd Tank Corps of the 6th Army, consisting of two tank and one infantry divisions. 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 troops German group"F" of General Weichs was applied 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, VGK rate 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 engineering troops Front L. 3. Kotlyar was completed large volume defensive work to ensure sheltered accommodation of people and equipment, equipping roads to allow reserves to maneuver, and mining dangerous areas. Special attention focused on fighting 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 actions German aviation and spring ice drift, then for uninterrupted supply of the defending troops across the Danube, cable cars and a gas pipeline were additionally built.

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 a price huge 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 promotion Nazi troops 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 of the Soviet troops. Soviet command in turn, it 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. 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.
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. It ended so ingloriously final offensive

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Combat mission

"Defense above all"

Good luck on the battlefields!

Historical reference

From March 6 to March 15, 1945, Red Army troops, together with Bulgarian and Yugoslav allies, repelled the last major offensive Nazi Germany and Hungary. The battle took place in Hungary, near Lake Balaton.

WITH German side The forces of Army Group South took part in the offensive, consisting of the 6th and 2nd Tank Armies, the 6th combined arms army and the 91st Army Corps. The Hungarian 3rd Army also took part in the battle. Air support The offensive was supported by the Luftwaffe's 4th Air Fleet.

Soviet forces were represented by the armies of the 3rd Ukrainian Front: 26th, 27th, 57th, 4th Guards, as well as the 1st Guards fortified area and two air armies: the 5th and 17th. Together with the Soviet troops, the Bulgarian 1st and Yugoslav 3rd armies took part in the battle.

The German command's plan included three simultaneous strikes. The main blow was delivered by the 6th Tank Army in the area between lakes Balaton and Velence. Here the Nazis concentrated a large tank group, armed, among other things, with heavy King Tiger tanks and medium Panther tanks. The German 2nd Panzer Army advanced between the Drava River and Lake Balaton towards Kaposvár and Nagybayom. The third blow by part of the forces of Army Group F was delivered along the southern bank of the Drava in the direction of Pecs.

Thanks to Soviet intelligence upcoming offensive The Nazis were exposed. The command of the Red Army decided to accept the battle, defeat the enemy, and then launch a counter-offensive on Vienna.

The Germans began to act on the night of March 6. They managed to cross the Drava and capture two fairly large bridgeheads in the zone of action of the Bulgarian and Yugoslav armies. To strengthen the defense, additional forces were transferred here. In the direction of Kaposvar, the German 2nd Tank Army was able to break into the defense held by the Bulgarian units. But after fierce fighting and the introduction of a second echelon of troops into the battle, the enemy’s offensive was stopped. On the main site German strike fighting started around 9 o'clock in the morning. The Germans managed to advance to a depth of about 4 kilometers and capture the city of Sheregeyesh.

For several days, in the main attack area, the Germans went on the attack over and over again, throwing into battle a large number of heavy equipment. The battle went on almost around the clock. In night battles German tanks sts used night vision devices. During the ten-day battles, the Germans managed to penetrate the Soviet defenses to a depth of 6-30 km. However, the enemy forces were not enough for more. March 15th German offensive stopped, and on March 16 the Red Army began the Vienna offensive operation.

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 (commander 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 of tanks, was transferred from the Ardennes. Against the 3rd Ukr. 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). Operational structure The front troops were 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 force 3rd Ukrainian 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 Sárviz 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 provided 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 in an artillery 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, 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. took part on both sides. 800 thousand people, more than 12.5 thousand or. and mortars, approx. 1,300 tanks and assault guns and more than 1,800 aircraft. Wide maneuver of reserves and artillery, high durability 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 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. Perfect forms anti-tank defense reached the region, 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. Short story. 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.

Balaton operation

In mid-February, troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front, overcoming enemy resistance in the Carpathians, launched an offensive in Czechoslovakia with the goal of reaching the Moravska-Ostrava industrial region. The 2nd Ukrainian Front, consisting of the 40th, 53rd, 7th Guards, 6th Guards Tank and 5th Air Armies, a cavalry-mechanized group, as well as the 1st and 4th Romanian armies, which were operationally subordinate, fought actions in the southern regions of Slovakia at the border of Brezno, Zvolen, river. Gron to Danube. The troops of his 7th Guards Army occupied a bridgehead on the right bank of the Hron east of Komarno, and the 27th Army was concentrated south of Budapest. The troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front (46th, 4th Guards, 26th, 57th and 17th Air Armies) reached the line east of Esztergom, Lake Velence, Lake Balaton, the Drava River and further down its course to Toryants. The 1st Bulgarian Army and the Danube Military Flotilla were operationally subordinate to the front. To the left along the Drava the 3rd Yugoslav Army operated.

Commander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front

F.I. Tolbukhin

Units of the army group "Heinrici", army group "South" under the command of General O. Wöhler, which included the 8th german army, Army Group "Balk" (6th German and remnants of the 3rd Hungarian Army) and 2nd German Tank Army. The Bulgarian and Yugoslav armies were opposed by units from the German Army Group E.

Otto Wöhler and Ferdinand Schörner (from left to right)

Planning a further offensive on the southern wing of the front, Headquarters Supreme High Command paid great attention to the interaction of troops of the central and southwestern directions. Having advanced to the Oder, Soviet troops were forced to take measures to eliminate the threat of attacks on their flanks from the north and south. Under the current conditions, it was necessary to speed up the start of the offensive in the Vienna direction as much as possible, especially since this was fully favored by the successful actions of the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front. Already on the fourth day after the capture of Budapest, February 17, there were instructions from the Headquarters on the preparation and conduct of an offensive by the forces of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts in the Bratislava-Brnov and Vienna directions. Headquarters ordered the transfer of the 27th Army of the 2nd Ukrainian Front to the 3rd Ukrainian Front, and the 46th Army and the 2nd Guards Mechanized Corps of the 3rd Ukrainian Front to the 2nd Ukrainian Front. From its reserve, it transferred the 9th to the 2nd Ukrainian Front guards army, arriving in the Szolnok area. The Danube Military Flotilla under the command of Rear Admiral G.N. Kholostyakov and the 83rd Separate Naval Rifle Brigade, located in Budapest and Vaca, were transferred to operational subordination to the same front.

G.N. Bachelors

armored boat of the Danube military flotilla

The 2nd Ukrainian Front was ordered with the forces of the 9th and 7th Guards, 53rd and 6th Guards Tank Armies and a cavalry-mechanized group to prepare a strike north of the Danube in the general direction of Nove Zamki, Malacky, Znojmo. At the same time, the 46th Army, reinforced by the 2nd Guards Mechanized Corps, was to advance along the right bank of the Danube. The troops were faced with the task of liberating Bratislava, occupying Brno, Znojmo no later than the 20th day of the operation and, in cooperation with the 3rd Ukrainian Front, capturing Vienna. In the future, it was planned to develop the offensive in the general direction of Pilsen.

The 3rd Ukrainian Front had the task of attacking from the Székesfehérvár area (with the forces of the 4th Guards, 27th and 26th armies) in the general direction of Papa, Szombathely to defeat the enemy group north of Lake Balaton and, no later than the 15th day of the operation, reach Hungarian-Austrian border. At the same time, the troops of the left wing of the front were to go on the offensive in order to capture the oil-bearing region of Nagykanizsa. In the future, it was planned that the main forces of the front would develop an attack in the direction of Wiener-Neustadt, St. Pölten to assist the troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front in capturing Vienna. The Bulgarian army was ordered to be used to support the left wing of the front, deploying it along the left bank of the Drava. The offensive was scheduled for March 15.

Preparations for it began immediately after receiving the Headquarters directive. However, the situation has changed dramatically. On February 17, an enemy group consisting of three infantry and two SS tank divisions, numbering about 400 tanks and assault guns, from the Komarno area launched a surprise attack on the troops of the 7th Guards Army of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, which was defending a bridgehead on the right bank of the Hron River north of Esztergom . On February 24, the army was forced to retreat to the left bank of the Hron. During the battles, it was established that the enemy used two tank divisions of the 6th SS Panzer Army in the offensive. Based on these and other intelligence data, the Soviet command came to the conclusion: the enemy was transferring significant forces here from the western front.

Sepp Dietrich

The appearance of the 6th SS Panzer Army in the Komarno area completely refuted the information American intelligence, which were reported to the Soviet Supreme High Command as a result of mutual exchange of information. February 20 Chief of Staff American army General D. Marshall informed the Chief of the General Staff of the Soviet Army, General A.I. Antonov, that the enemy was creating two groups on the eastern front: one in Pomerania for an attack on Thorn, the other in the Vienna, Moravska-Ostrava region for an offensive in the direction of Lodz. According to Marshall, the southern group was to include the 6th SS Panzer Army. Similar information was received from the British command. However, all this was not confirmed by the subsequent course of events. “The possibility cannot be ruled out,” General A.I. Antonov reported to D. Marshall on March 30, “that some sources of this information were intended to disorient both the Anglo-American and Soviet commands and to divert the attention of the Soviet command from the area where the Germans were preparing the main offensive operation on the eastern front."

Having used part of the forces of the 6th SS Panzer Army against the 7th Guards Army of General M.S. Shumilov, the fascist German command achieved partial success, but at the same time lost such important factor, as a surprise, which ultimately revealed his intentions and plans in Hungary. Didn't help the enemy and Taken measures in order to disguise the concentration of troops in the area of ​​​​Lake Balaton and prepare a counter-offensive. For example, the 6th SS Panzer Army was called in all documents “the headquarters of the senior chief of engineering troops in Hungary,” and the operation itself had the code name “ Spring Awakening».

g/p-k H.V. Guderian and General W. Wenck

Already in the second half of February, the Soviet command had information about the concentration of a large, predominantly tank enemy group in the western part of Hungary and the intentions of the fascist German command to carry out a counter-offensive in the area of ​​Lake Balaton. It was obvious that the enemy was still striving to retain Hungary and Austria. The enemy pursued the goal of destroying the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front in the area of ​​the Danube River, Lake Balaton, and the Drava River and stopping their advance in Hungary. In the future, it was planned to transfer the tank divisions again to the central direction. “The Fuhrer’s decision to throw the 6th SS Panzer Army into Hungary,” is indicated in the military diary of the Wehrmacht High Command, “to protect the oil region, which has crucial for the outcome of the war, it also assumed that in March, together with the forces released here, there would be hit on the central sector of the eastern front."

self-propelled guns“ Hetzer

The enemy's counteroffensive plan provided for three strikes in converging directions. The main blow was planned to be delivered by the forces of the 6th Field Army and the 6th SS Panzer Army between lakes Velence and Balaton in a south-eastern direction with the goal of reaching the Danube and capturing Dunaföldvar and thereby cutting the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front into two parts. Subsequently, the troops of the 6th SS Panzer Army were to advance north and south along the right bank of the Danube. The second blow was planned to be delivered by the 2nd Panzer Army from the Nagykanizsa area in the direction of Kaposvar and to capture it. The third strike was supposed to be carried out by the 91st Army Corps of Army Group E from the Donji Miholyac area to the north, towards the troops of the 6th SS Panzer Army. The fascist German command hoped that as a result of these attacks, the main forces of the 3rd Ukrainian Front would be surrounded and destroyed, and German troops would reach the Danube and seize bridgeheads on the left bank of this river. From the air, the offensive was to be supported by aircraft of the 4th air fleet.

Pz V “Panther”

To carry out a counteroffensive in the Gant area, Lake Balaton, in addition to the 6th SS Panzer Army, the main forces of the army group "Balk" were concentrated. In total, taking into account the units and formations of the 2nd Tank Army, as well as troops from Army Group “E” operating on the right bank of the Drava River, the enemy had 31 divisions here (of which 11 were tank), 5 combat groups and a motorized brigade. This group consisted of over 430 thousand soldiers and officers, more than 5,600 guns and mortars, about 900 tanks and assault guns, and 850 aircraft.

By the beginning of March, the 3rd Ukrainian Front had 5 armies, including 37 rifle and 6 Bulgarian infantry divisions, an air army, 2 tank, mechanized and cavalry corps. At the front there were more than 400 thousand soldiers and officers, about 7 thousand guns and mortars, 400 tanks and self-propelled artillery units, about 1 thousand aircraft.

The overall balance of forces in men, artillery and aircraft was almost equal, but in tanks and self-propelled artillery (assault guns) the enemy was more than twice as superior. In the direction of the main attack, the enemy had a significant superiority in forces and means. Thus, along the entire offensive front, between lakes Velence and Lake Balaton, it had a density of up to 20, and in a breakthrough area 18 km wide - 43 tanks and assault guns per 1 km of front.

On February 20, the commander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union F. I. Tolbukhin, made a decision on defense, establishing its full readiness by March 3. The essence of the defensive operation plan, submitted to the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command by the Front Military Council, boiled down to stubborn defense on pre-prepared lines, in combination with a wide maneuver of forces, to exhaust and bleed the enemy strike group, and then go on the offensive with the goal of its final defeat and development of success in the Vienna direction. This is not the first time during the war that the Soviet command decided to switch to deliberate defense. This was the case in the summer of 1943 near Kursk. As then, the troops in the area of ​​Lake Balaton had the task of exhausting and bleeding the enemy, and then, going on the offensive, defeating him.

The main efforts of the front troops were concentrated in the defense zones of the 4th Guards and 26th armies, where the main enemy forces were expected to attack. The 27th Army, located in the second echelon of the front, defended the rear zone of the 26th Army: the 57th and 1st Bulgarian armies held the defensive line of Lake Balaton, Babocha and further along the left bank of the Drava River to Toryants. The front commander's reserve included the 18th and 23rd Tank, the 1st Guards Mechanized,

5th Guards Cavalry and 133rd Rifle Corps, several artillery brigades. The 17th Air Army had the task of conducting reconnaissance, striking enemy troops and covering front formations from the air. The Danube Military Flotilla transported goods across the Danube for both fronts and carried out trawling of the river.

To cross the Danube for troops and cargo, front engineering units built floating bridges and equipped ferry crossings with a carrying capacity of 10 to 60 tons. The previously built cable car and pipeline were also intensively used. The cable car transported mainly ammunition, while fuel was pumped through the pipeline. When the Danube began to experience ice drift and then a flood, the troops on the right bank of the river were also supplied by military transport aircraft, which delivered 1,648 tons of various cargo to the bridgehead, including 794 tons of ammunition. By the beginning of the operation, the supply of ammunition to the troops ranged from 1.3 to 2.3 rounds of ammunition, and with fuel - from 1.6 rounds to 7.7 rounds. The onset of the spring thaw created a number of difficulties in organizing the airfield basing of front aviation.

The defensive battle of the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front began on the night of March 6 on the southern sector of the front, where the enemy launched two attacks: the first - from the Donji Miholyac area against the troops of the 1st Bulgarian, the second - from the Valpovo area against units of the 3rd Yugoslav army. Nazi troops managed to cross the Drava River and capture two bridgeheads on its left bank, up to 8 km along the front and up to 5 km in depth each. To strengthen the defense on this section of the front, the commander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front moved the 133rd Rifle Corps from reserve. On his instructions, attack aircraft and bombers of the 17th Air Army attacked enemy concentrations and crossings throughout the day.

In the defense zone of the 57th Army, commanded by General M.N. Sharokhin, and a member of the Military Council was General L.P. Bocharov, the enemy launched an attack from the Nagybayom area in the direction of Kaposvar, trying to develop an offensive to the rear of the 57th and 1st 1st Bulgarian Army. However, neither on this day nor on subsequent ones he was able to complete the task.

On the morning of March 6, between lakes Velence and Balaton, the enemy unleashed the main blow on the front troops. After a 30-minute artillery preparation, large forces of the 6th SS Tank Army and the 6th Army, with aviation support, went on the offensive against formations of the 4th Guards and 26th armies. Fierce fighting broke out. The attacks of enemy motorized infantry and tanks that followed one after another were supported by artillery and aviation. On certain sections of the front 1.5 - 2 km wide, up to 70 or more enemy tanks and assault guns were operating simultaneously.

Pz-VI B Tigr II (Royal Tiger)

The Soviet soldiers met this enemy onslaught with exceptional steadfastness and courage. Front and army commanders, commanders of formations and units and their staffs skillfully and confidently directed the actions of the troops. The defense of rifle formations in the 26th Army zone was strengthened by the 18th Tank and 1st Guards Mechanized Corps under the command of Generals P.D. Govorunenko and I.N. Russiyanov. The pilots of the 17th Air Army, commanded by General V.A. Sudets, carried out 358 sorties during the battle, including 227 sorties to attack enemy tank divisions.

The bloodiest battles took place in the defense zone of the 30th rifle corps. A particularly difficult situation developed in the defense sector of the 436th rifle regiment Lieutenant Colonel I. S. Eroshkin. Enemy tanks, at the cost of heavy losses, managed to break into the regiment's positions. Soviet soldiers showed perseverance and dedication, repelled all enemy attacks and held their defended positions, destroying more than 200 Nazis, 15 tanks and armored personnel carriers. The Army Military Council thanked the personnel of the regiment and the entire division for successful actions in defense. As a result of the stubborn resistance of the front forces, the enemy failed to achieve significant advances - he wedged into the defense to a depth of only 2 to 4 km.

On the morning of March 7 and in the following days, enemy tank wedges, despite big losses, continued to bite into the defense of the Soviet troops. Between lakes Velence and Lake Balaton, between 170 and 450 tanks and assault guns operated simultaneously, as well as large enemy infantry forces in armored personnel carriers. In order to strengthen the defense on the second lane, south of the lake Velence, on the instructions of the front commander, formations of the 27th Army were advanced, commanded by General S.G. Trofimenko, and General P.V. Sevastyanov was a member of the Army Military Council. The troops of the 4th Guards Army, defending south of Lake Velence, were transferred to its composition. During the ensuing battles, General Trofimenko skillfully supervised the preparation of army troops for defense and ensured firm control of the troops during the defensive battle. Despite the enemy's superiority in strength, especially in tanks, General Trofimenko's army held its position.

East of Sheregeyesh, an artillery group consisting of 160 guns and mortars, created by order of the front artillery commander, General M. I. Nedelin, took up firing positions, which fired in a 3 km wide zone, causing great damage to the enemy. A particularly tense situation that day developed in the defense zone of the 26th Army. Here, 2 infantry divisions, as well as 170 enemy tanks and assault guns, advanced against one right-flank rifle corps. To strengthen this direction, the front commander sent the 5th Guards Cavalry Corps under the command of General S.I. Gorshkov and a self-propelled artillery brigade from his reserve to the line of Shimontornya, Ozor. Tank and mechanized formations and self-propelled artillery regiments, operating in ambush units, were widely used to combat enemy tanks. The attacks were intensified by the aviation of the 17th Air Army and part of the forces of the 5th Air Army of the 2nd Ukrainian Front. Soviet pilots destroyed enemy tanks and assault guns on the battlefield and boldly entered into air battles with enemy aircraft. On March 8, Hero of the Soviet Union Captain A.I. Koldunov and 5 of his comrades entered into an unequal battle with 12 enemy fighters and destroyed 6 of them. The next day, Captain Koldunov’s squadron fought with 26 enemy aircraft. And in this battle, the enemy lost 5 aircraft, and the Soviet pilots returned home safely. By the end of the war, Koldunov had 46 destroyed enemy aircraft, and he was awarded the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union for the second time.

A.I. Sorcerers

Thanks to the measures taken by the front and army commanders, the Nazi troops suffered significant losses. However, despite this, having introduced additional reserves, the enemy continued to persistently move forward. In order to improve troop control, the commander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front entrusted the defense of the area south of Lake Velence and up to the Charviz Canal to the 27th Army. All formations defending in this sector were subordinated to it, as well as the 18th Tank Corps, the 1st Guards Mechanized Corps and the 23rd Tank Corps of General A. O. Akhmanov, transferred from the 4th Guards Army zone. In the army zone, a maneuver was carried out by artillery units, as a result of which the density of artillery increased significantly. The 26th Army, reinforced by front reserves, defended the area from the Charviz Canal to Lake Balaton.

On March 9, the commander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front turned to Headquarters with a request to allow the 9th Guards Army, which the day before was transferred to the front, to enter the battle. Headquarters, believing that the enemy is straining last strength, did not agree to involve army formations in defensive battles and ordered it to be used only to develop a strike and the final defeat of the enemy. This, as events showed, was correct.

Column Pz V (Panther)

In the period from March 9 to 14, the enemy continued to persistently attack the positions of Soviet troops, concentrating the main efforts in the area between Lakes Velence and Lake Balaton. The troops of the 27th and 26th armies repelled six to seven attacks by tanks and infantry per day. The stubborn defense of their positions by rifle troops, a well-thought-out and successfully executed maneuver on the battlefield, mainly by artillery units, effective support ground troops aviation, which carried out about 4,500 sorties from March 8 to 14 by the 5th Air Army alone, negated all the efforts of the Nazis.

Skillful leadership of the combat operations of the troops of the front commander, Marshal of the Soviet Union F.I. Tolbukhin, his personal courage, will to win and extraordinary military leadership talent, as well as the well-organized and coordinated work of the headquarters led by the experienced military leader General S.P. Ivanov, high military the skill of army commanders and commanders of all levels ensured the success of the Soviet troops in the operation.

On March 14, the fascist German command brought its last reserve into battle - the 6th tank division. For two days, over 300 enemy tanks and assault guns dealt blow after blow to the troops of the 27th Army, but all attacks were repulsed by Soviet soldiers.

In ten days of fierce fighting, fascist German troops broke through the main and second lines of defense and advanced between lakes Velence and Lake Balaton on a narrow section of the front up to 20 - 30 km. However, enemy tanks failed to reach the Danube. On March 15, the exhausted and bloodless strike group of enemy troops stopped the offensive and went on the defensive. On the southern sector of the front, the enemy advanced 6 - 8 km. This essentially ended his attempts to break through the defenses of the 57th, 1st Bulgarian and 3rd Yugoslav armies. From March 15 to 26, the fascist German troops still tried to intensify their actions in some areas, but this had no effect on general progress and the outcome of the operation.

Destroyed Pz-V Panther

The counter-offensive of Nazi troops in the area of ​​Lake Balaton ended in their defeat. The enemy failed to defeat the Soviet troops and eliminate the bridgehead on the right bank of the Danube. Former boss Headquarters of Army Group “E” E. Schmidt-Richberg wrote about this: “This was... the last desperate attempt to politically save the German southeast. If the offensive had been even partially successful, it could have led to a temporary detente in Yugoslavia. The course of operations on the front of Army Group South not only buried the last hopes of restoring the situation in the Danube-Carpathian region, but also diverted new ones necessary forces from the Army Group E area to Hungary."

During the Balaton defensive operation, the enemy lost over 40 thousand soldiers and officers, more than 300 guns and mortars, about 500 tanks and assault guns, over 200 aircraft and, very importantly, lost confidence in retaining the western part of Hungary.

The peculiarity of the Balaton operation was that it was carried out by troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front in preparation for the attack on Vienna. The operation was an example of the skillful use of the experience accumulated by the Soviet Army in preparing and conducting defense in conditions where units and formations were understaffed with people and equipment. In this operation, Soviet troops demonstrated great mobility in action, high moral qualities and combat training. The heroic efforts of soldiers of all types and branches of the military thwarted the offensive of Nazi tanks and infantry.

Balatonskaya defensive operation, short in time, but very intense, required great efforts and high military skill from the Soviet troops. Despite the limited depth of the bridgehead and the enemy's superiority in tanks, the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front successfully completed their task.

Monument to the Liberation in Budapest

See on the website: For advanced - Generals - Liberation of Budapest

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.

German command hoped to push back the Red Army troops beyond the Danube, thereby eliminating the threat to Vienna and southern regions Germany and retaining one of the last oil fields available to the Germans. The offensive of the German 6th SS Panzer Army, 2nd Panzer and 6th Field, 3rd Hungarian armies became 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 delayed great forces 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 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 with south direction. 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. February 17 strike force enemy, numbering about 400 tanks and self-propelled guns (1st SS Tank Corps), struck Shumilov’s 7th Guards Army, which occupied a bridgehead on west bank river Hron. 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 at the line east of Esztergom, the southwestern shore of Lake Velence, Lake Balaton and north shore Dravas. 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. That's why Soviet Headquarters gave instructions to the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts to go on the defensive, to exhaust the enemy’s forces in tough defensive battles and destroy the drums German group. 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 regions 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 latest sources oil needed for the air force and armored forces, the German High Command transferred the main strike forces With 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 still attached exceptional importance to holding the Hungarian bridgehead, from where the routes to Austria and Southern Germany. In Western Hungary and Austria remained last districts oil production 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 produced monthly significant amount, equipment and ammunition. 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 attack from the Velence area and the north-eastern part of Lake Balaton was delivered by the 6th SS Panzer Army of Joseph (Sepp) Dietrich and the 6th field army 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 throughout the strategic southern sector 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 ground troops The forces of the 17th Air Army of Vladimir Sudets and the 5th Air Army of Sergei Goryunov from the 2nd Ukrainian Front were supported. 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.

Battle

German troops inflicted a strong beat March 6, 1945 The first attacks were carried out on the southern flank. Even at night, the positions of the Bulgarian and Yugoslav armies were attacked, early morning hit the 57th Army. 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 promotion 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 was also sent here airborne division 35th Guards Rifle Corps from the 27th Army. 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.

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, launching attacks in some areas large masses armored vehicles. More than 250 tanks and self-propelled guns operated in the direction of the main attack. The fighting continued day and night. Based on reduced efficiency Soviet aviation and artillery, the Germans continued their 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, threw its last reserve into battle - the 6th Panzer Division - on March 14. 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 cover tank units, who 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.

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 its equipment, could not 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.