Tuesday 29 December 2009
Friday 27 November 2009
Warsaw falls, Russians cross the Vistula
While the Red army was retreating in Rumania, the constant allied attacks in southern Germany finally forced the Germans to reduce their defence in the east. Russian intelligence reported that elite German units in Poland had been replaced by Rumanians who were understrength and badly motivated. The time had come for a massive Russian assault.
The attack, when it came, shattered the Rumanians in Poland. By the 4th of January Warsaw, now a pile of rubble, had fallen, the Red Army were over the Vistula in strength and heading west. Before them many of the Rumanian forces simply crumbled, and by the 13th of January a swathe of Poland west of the Vistula had fallen before the Russians exceeded their supply capability. German high command now had to decide upon their defence of the core of the Thirda Reich.
The attack, when it came, shattered the Rumanians in Poland. By the 4th of January Warsaw, now a pile of rubble, had fallen, the Red Army were over the Vistula in strength and heading west. Before them many of the Rumanian forces simply crumbled, and by the 13th of January a swathe of Poland west of the Vistula had fallen before the Russians exceeded their supply capability. German high command now had to decide upon their defence of the core of the Thirda Reich.
Red Army beaten out of Rumania
As 1945 began Stalin was frustrated by the progress of the Western allies. Bad weather and strong German defences in the east had prevented an all out Russian attack and the communist leader watched appalled as it appeared the western allies were about to defeat Germany single handed. Stalin made plans to avert this.
While the red army massed in Poland to mount an assault on Berlin - before the British and Americans got their, the Russians had unresolved issues in Rumania. On the 3rd of January they renewed their attack, but found the Germans too had been planning an assault. Many more German units, pulled from Yugoslavia and Hungary massed an armoured force against the Russians in the north of the country, taking the Russians by surprise. By the 15th of January the Germans had secured and armoured breakthrough and reached the Black Sea, trapping five Russian divisions who were forced to surrender.
The victory however was a pyhric one. Despite capturing or destroying seven Russian divisions, almost as many German divisions, especially tank divisions, had been destroyed or reduced to mere Batallion strength. The loss in Panthers was particularly severe, so that the gain of the north of Rumania, strategically unimportant, had cost Hitler badly needed troops and equipment which could have been used in the defence of the homeland.
While the red army massed in Poland to mount an assault on Berlin - before the British and Americans got their, the Russians had unresolved issues in Rumania. On the 3rd of January they renewed their attack, but found the Germans too had been planning an assault. Many more German units, pulled from Yugoslavia and Hungary massed an armoured force against the Russians in the north of the country, taking the Russians by surprise. By the 15th of January the Germans had secured and armoured breakthrough and reached the Black Sea, trapping five Russian divisions who were forced to surrender.
The victory however was a pyhric one. Despite capturing or destroying seven Russian divisions, almost as many German divisions, especially tank divisions, had been destroyed or reduced to mere Batallion strength. The loss in Panthers was particularly severe, so that the gain of the north of Rumania, strategically unimportant, had cost Hitler badly needed troops and equipment which could have been used in the defence of the homeland.
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