Operation Spring Awakening

Operation Spring Awakening () was the last major German offensive of World War II. The operation was referred to in Germany as the Plattensee Offensive and in the Soviet Union as the Balaton Defensive Operation. It took place in Western Hungary on the Eastern Front and lasted from 6 March until 15 March 1945. The objective was to secure the last significant oil reserves still available to the European Axis powers and prevent the Red Army from advancing towards Vienna. The Germans failed in their objectives.

The operation, initially planned for 5 March, began after German units were moved in great secrecy to the Lake Balaton () area. Many German units were involved, including the 6th Panzer Army and its subordinate Waffen-SS divisions after being withdrawn from the failed Ardennes offensive on the Western Front. The Germans attacked in three prongs: Frühlingserwachen in the Balaton-Lake Velence-Danube area, Eisbrecher south of Lake Balaton, and Waldteufel south of the Drava-Danube triangle. The advance stalled on 15 March, and on 16 March the Red Army and allied units began their delayed Vienna offensive.

Background

On 12 January Hitler received confirmation that the Soviet Red Army had begun a massive winter offensive through Poland, named the Vistula–Oder offensive. Hitler ordered OB West Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt to withdraw the following units from active combat in the Battle of the Bulge: I SS Panzer Corps with 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH) and 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend, along with II SS Panzer Corps with 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich and 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen. The deadline of 30 January proved impossible for refitting to be completed.

As Operation Spring Awakening would be of great importance, lengthy preparation and strategic care was taken to preserve the operation's secrecy. But while the 6th Panzer Army was refitting in Germany, Hitler ordered a preliminary offensive with a similar object to be conducted, Their push resulted in the annihilation of the Soviet 7th Mechanized Corps. This sudden and savage push caused the Soviet command to contemplate an evacuation to the opposite shore of the Danube. This area had the Margit Line running right through it, and would see more fighting in the upcoming Operation Spring Awakening. thumb|Margit Line in Western Hungary (1944–45)|alt=|rightBy mid-February, the Soviet bridgehead across the Garam River north of Esztergom was identified as a threat. This bridgehead would jeopardize the upcoming Spring Awakening's southeastern push past Lake Balaton to secure the southern Hungarian oilfields while also exposing a straight route towards Vienna. Thus, beginning on 17 February, Operation Southwind began the effort to secure the Garam bridgehead from the 2nd Ukrainian Front, and by 24 February the task was successfully achieved, proving to be the very last successful German offensive of the war.

German plan

Creation of Operation Spring Awakening

thumb|right|German units during the operation, March 1945

During a Situation Conference on 7 January 1945, at which both Hermann Göring and Rundstedt were present, Hitler proposed his intention of pulling the 6th SS Panzer Army to reserve due to severe Allied air attacks. Rundstedt received the withdrawal orders on January 8, and the Panzer Army's divisions began preparations to withdraw from the stalled Ardennes Offensive.

On 12 January, the Soviet 1st Ukrainian and 1st Belorussian Fronts began their Vistula–Oder offensive with over 2 million men, placing considerable new pressure on the Eastern Front. When this news reached Hitler, he immediately began to plan a major offensive of his own on this Front. Unfortunately, at the time, Hitler's best remaining panzer forces were still engaged on the Western Front. Almost all support units of the 6th SS Panzer Army were pulled from the Ardennes by 22 January, while the 9th SS Panzer Division was the last to leave on 23 January.

Hitler's reasoning for sending the 6th SS Panzer Army south into Hungary can be understood through the list of main strategic points listed in a Situation in the East conference held on January 23: 1) The Hungarian oil region and Vienna oil region, which made up 80% of remaining reserves, had to be defended and/or retaken, and without which the war effort could not be continued; 2) the defense of the Upper Silesian industrial region, vital for the war economy and coal production. "He [Hitler] accepted the risk of the Russian threat to the Oder east of Berlin". at the Reich Chancellery in Berlin, where he ultimately chose "Lösung C2", disagreeing with the commander of Army Group South, Otto Wöhler. Guderian then ordered Wöhler to increase the daily fuel allowance from 400 to 500 cubic meters of fuel on February 26, and by February 28 the specifics of the operation, now officially named "Operation Frühlingserwachen" (Spring Awakening), were completed. As per "Lösung C2", 3 offensive prongs were planned, with the main attack of the 6th Army and 6th SS Panzer Army, "Frühlingserwachen", being directed towards the Danube through Lakes Velence and Balaton; the 2nd Panzer Army's "Eisbrecher" (Icebreaker) attack directed eastward from the western end of Lake Balaton; and the LXXXXI Corps "Waldteufel" (Forest Devil) attack directed north from the Drava River.

German military structure

OKW was the military command for the German armed forces in WW2, OKH was the high command of the army, subordinate to OKW. Adolf Hitler was the Commander-in-chief of OKH, while also being the supreme commander of OKW. Finding itself issuing more and more direct orders, OKW eventually became responsible for Western and Southern commands, while OKH was responsible for Eastern commands. The chosen course of action on 25 February, "Lösung C2", favored the quicker and farther-reaching joint operation of the 2nd Panzer Army and 6th SS Panzer Army, while "Lösung B" opted to first secure the left flank of the main thrust "Frühlingserwachen" (between Lake Velence and the Danube) before moving south toward the 2nd Panzer Army. Guderian was in favor of "Lösung C2" because this plan would shorten the time the 6th SS Panzer Division would need to stay in Hungary. The OKW and OKH did not use common terminology for parts of the offensive, as OKH referred to the entire offensive as Frühlingserwachen, while OKW referred to the operation attacking north of the Drava as "Waldteufel".

Arrival into the Hungarian theater

When withdrawing from the Western Front, elements of the III. Flak-Korps were tasked with protecting the 6th SS Panzer Army while en route to Zossen south of Berlin. The real plan for the units of 6th SS Panzer Army was to travel south through Vienna to their first Hungarian destination, the city of Győr and its surrounding area. Some units necessary for the major offensive did not arrive in Hungary until just a few days before its start, the last being the 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen arriving in Győr at the beginning of March. Many of the incoming units also received cover names to help further mask the build-up of forces from the enemy.

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"

! colspan="3" |Cover Names

|-

|Unit

|Official name

|Cover name

|-

|6th SS Panzer Army HQ

| HQ

|Higher Pioneer Leader Hungary

|-

|1st SS Panzer Division

|Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler

|SS replacement unit "Totenkopf"

|-

|2nd SS Panzer Division

|Das Reich

|SS training group North

|-

|9th SS Panzer Division

|Hohenstaufen

|SS training group South

|-

|12th SS Panzer Division

|Hitlerjugend

|SS replacement unit "Wiking"

|-

|16th SS Panzer Gren. Division

|Reichsführer-SS

|13th SS Division replacement group

|}

By 7 February, on orders of Hitler, strict secrecy rulings were put into place: death penalty for command infractions, license plates were to be covered, insignia on vehicles and uniforms to be covered, no reconnaissance in forward combat areas, unit movements only by night or overcast conditions, no radio traffic, and the units were not to appear on situation maps.

Prior to these measures, on 30 January, 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte was ordered to follow many of the same secrecy measures, including the temporary removal of their cuff titles.

Objectives of the German forces

As per the selected "Lösung C2", the Germans planned to attack Soviet General Fyodor Tolbukhin's 3rd Ukrainian Front. On 27 February, Army Group South hosted a chiefs-of-staff conference to which the chiefs-of-staff of the 2nd Panzer Army, 6th SS Panzer Army, 6th Army, 8th Army, and Luftflotte 4 attended; here the plans for Operation Spring Awakening were laid out.

|-

!Army Group

!Commander

!Army

!Commander

!Corps

!Commander

!Divisions

|-

| rowspan="4" |Army Group South

| rowspan="4" |Otto Wöhler

| rowspan="3" |6th SS Panzer Army

| rowspan="3" |Sepp Dietrich

|I SS Panzer Corps

|Hermann Priess

|1st and 12th SS Panzer Divisions

|-

|II SS Panzer Corps

|Wilhelm Bittrich

|2nd and 9th SS Panzer Divisions, 23rd Panzer Division, 44th Volksgrenadier Division

|-

|1st Cavalry Corps

|

|3rd and 4th Cavalry Divisions

|-

|6th Army

|Hermann Balck

|III Panzer Corps

|Hermann Breith

|1st and 3rd Panzer Divisions, 356th Infantry Division, 25th Hungarian Infantry Division

|}

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"

! colspan="7" |"Eisbrecher" Attack Force During the first days of March, alarming reports about road and terrain conditions due to the spring thaw flooded Army Group South Headquarters. Such thaws had previously badly affected 3 other operations in the area: planned Operation Spätlese in December, Operation Southwind, and the "Waldteufel" attack forcing a change of location for the attack bridgehead from Osijek to Donji Miholjac. Despite the start of the operation being so close, some additional plans were thought up to help the sluggish assembly speeds of incoming units. On 3 March, the 6th SS Panzer Army suggested that a naval assault across Lake Balaton itself could be implemented to help the 1st Cavalry Corps on the southeastern edge, but this turned out to be impossible as the spring storms had blown the pack ice against the southern shore. On 5 March, the 6th SS Panzer Army took over command of the Hungarian II Corps, along with its 20th Hungarian Division and 9th replacement Division, hereby becoming responsible for the northern shore of Lake Balaton.

The 6th Panzer Army was responsible for the primary thrust of the offensive, "Frühlingserwachen". It was to advance from an area north of Lake Balaton, through the two lakes (Balaton and Velence), and southeast to capture territory from the Sió Channel to the Danube. After reaching the Danube, one part of the army would turn north creating a northern spearhead and move along the Danube River to retake Budapest, which had been captured on 13 February 1945. Another part of 6th SS Panzer Army would then turn south and create a southern spearhead. The southern spearhead would move along the Sió to link up with units from German Army Group E, which was to thrust north through Mohács. However, the commanding staff of Army Group E was pessimistic about the LXXXXI Corps' ability to reach Mohács due to the unfavorable terrain and sole dependence on infantry. Nonetheless, if successful, it was envisioned that the meeting of Army Group E's "Waldteufel" and the 6th SS Panzer Army's "Frühlingserwachen" would encircle both the Soviet 26th Army and the Soviet 57th Army.

Soviet military structure

The Soviet forces, contrary to the Germans, did not have such odd structural complications as the Soviet armies could make independent decisions while the Stavka could intervene when asked or if necessary; a much more straightforward military structure with clear boundaries. This is an example of a de-centralized command. It was not uncommon for the Soviets to actually search out and exploit the boundaries between the OKW and OKH as they knew these areas would suffer from poorer military command; Please note that the units below are subordinate to the commanding structure under which they spent the most time during the offensive. Units during the final months of the war were very prone to location reassignments as the front situation evolved. Reserve units are not included in the list.

German Forces – Army Group South

• 6th Army (Army Group Balck)
• III Panzer Corps
• 1st Panzer Division
• I./Pz.Rgt 24 (Panther Ausf. G, e.g. No. 121 at Börgönd)
• Pz.Art.Rgt 73 (Pz.IV, Pz.Beob.Wg.IV)
• 3rd Panzer Division
• Pz.Rgt 6 (Panther Ausf. G, e.g. No. 200, Pz.IV, e.g. No. 723)
• Pz.Art.Rgt 75 (Pz.Beob.Wg. III, Wespe, e.g. No. 508, 510)
• 6th Panzer Division
• s.Pz.Abt 509 (Tiger II.)
• Sturm.Pz.Abt. 219 (Brummbär)
• 356th Infantry Division
• IV SS Panzer Corps
• 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf
• SS-Pz.Rgt 3 (Panther Ausf. G, Pz.IV, Tiger I.)
• SS-Pz.Jg.Abt 3 (Pz.IV L/70(V)
• Heers-Sturm. Art. Brig. 303 (StuG III, e.g. No. 3202, 3212 at Lake Balaton-E)
• 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking
• SS-Pz.Rgt 5 (Panther Ausf. A, -D, Pz.IV Ausf. J, StuG.IV)
• 6th SS Panzer Army
• Beute-Pz. Verband Jaguar (captured T-34/85, e.g. -in diamond- No. A/99)
• I SS Panzer Corps
• 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler
• SS-Pz.Rgt 1 (Panther Ausf. G, e.g. No. 121, 212, 213, Pz.IV Ausf. J)
• SS-Pz.Jg.Abt 1 (Pz.IV L/70(V)
• s.SS-Pz.Abt 501 (Tiger II.)
• 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend
• SS-Pz.Rgt 12 (Panther Ausf. G, Pz.IV Ausf. J, Flakpanzer IV 'Wirbelwind')
• SS-Pz.Jg.Abt 12 (Pz.IV/L70)
• s.H.Pz.Jg.Abt 560 (Jagdpanther, e.g. No. 102 at Tés)
• 25th Hungarian Infantry Division
• 20th Royal Hungarian Sturm. Artillery (Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer, e.g. K-022, K-025 at Balatonszabadi)
• II SS Panzer Corps
• 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich
• SS-Pz.Rgt 2 (Panther Ausf. G, Pz.IV Ausf. J, StuG III.)
• 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen
• SS-Pz.Rgt 9 (Panther Ausf. G, e.g. AJ9 at Vilonya, Pz.IV, StuG III., StuG 40 Ausf. G, e.g. No. 712 at Devecser)
• 23rd Panzer Division
• Pz.Rgt 23 (Panther, Pz.IV, JPz.IV/L70(A), e.g. No. 454 at Szentkirályszabadja)
• Pz.Jg.Abt 128 (Pz.IV/70(V)
• 44th Volksgrenadier Division Reichsgrenadier-Division Hoch- und Deutschmeister
• I Cavalry Corps (Mainly horses)
• 3rd Cavalry Division
• Pz.Jg.Abt 69 (StuH 42)
• 4th Cavalry Division
• 2nd Panzer Army
• LXVIII Corps
• 1st Gebirgs Division
• 13th Waffen-Gebirds der SS Division Handschar
• 16th SS Panzer Grenadier Division Reichsführer-SS
• 71st Infantry Division
• XXII Gebirgs Corps
• 2nd Hungarian Tank Division
• 118th Jäger Division
• Luftflotte 4
• II./JG 51 (Bf 109G)
• II./JG 52 (Bf 109G)
• I./JG 53 (Bf 109G, Bf 108)
• I, III./SG 2 (Fw 190F, Ju 87G – 10.(Pz)/SG 2)
• I, II, III./SG 10 (Fw 190F/G)
• I./NSGr 5 (Go 145A, Ar 66D)
• I./NSGr 10 (Ju 87D)
• I./NAGr 14 (Bf 109G)
• Stab/JG 76
• JGr.101 – Royal Hungarian Air Force (Bf 109G, Fi 156)
• 102 – Royal Hungarian Air Force (Fw 190F)

Army Group E – subordinate to Army Group F until March 25, 1945

• LXXXXI Corps
• 1st Cossack Division
• 11th Luftwaffe Field Division
• 104th Jäger Division
• 297th Infantry Division

Soviet Forces – 3rd Ukrainian Front

• Independent Separate Units (Temporarily transferred from other Fronts)
• 209th Self-prop. Artillery Brigade
• 1951st Self-prop. Artillery Regiment (SU-100, markings: 4xx, e.g. white 415 (Chassis No.: 41195)
• 1952nd Self-prop. Artillery Regiment (SU-100, markings: 4xx)
• 1953rd Self-prop. Artillery Regiment (SU-100, markings: 4xx, e.g. white 480 (Chassis No.: 41184)
• Separate Recce. Company (T48/SU-57, e.g. U.S.A. 4021593 and Harley-Davidson 42WLA motorcycle, e.g. U.S.A. 679183 at Simontornya)
• 4th Guards Army
• 20th Guards Rifle Corps
• 5th Guards Airborne Division
• 13th Guards Airborne Self-prop. Artillery Battalion (SU-76M)
• 7th Guards Airborne Division
• 80th Guards Rifle Division
• 85th Guards Self-prop. Artillery Battalion (SU-76M)
• 84th Rifle Division
• 122nd Separate Self-prop. Artillery Battalion (SU-76M)
• 21st Guards Rifle Corps
• 7th Guards Airborne Division
• 8th Separate Guards Air-landing Self-prop. Artillery Battalion (SU-76M)
• 41st Guards Rifle Division
• 44th Guards Self-prop. Artillery Battalion (SU-76M)
• 62nd Guards Rifle Division
• 69th Guards Self-prop. Artillery Battalion (SU-76M, e.g. No. 140, 142)
• 69th Guards Rifle Division
• 75th Guards Self-prop. Artillery Battalion (SU-76M)
• 252nd Rifle Division
• 310th Separate Self-prop. Artillery Battalion (SU-76M)
• 31st Guards Rifle Corps
• 4th Guards Rifle Division
• 34th Guards Rifle Division
• 40th Guards Rifle Division
• 23rd Tank Corps
• 3rd Tank Brigade (T-34/85, markings: B -in diamond- and xx, e.g. white, new B 28 / old B-143 at Tükröspuszta)
• 39th Tank Brigade (T-34/85, markings: Г -in diamond- and xx, e.g. white Г 67 at Bőnyrétalap)
• 135th Tank Brigade (T-34/85, markings: Д -in diamond- and xx, e.g. white Д 56)
• 207th Self-prop. Artillery Brigade
• 912nd Self-prop. Artillery Regiment (SU-100, ~ e.g. red Г-146 in Vienna)
• 1004th Self-Prop. Artillery Regiment (SU-100)
• 1011th Self-Prop. Artillery Regiment (SU-100)
• 56th Mechanized Brigade
• 1443rd Self-prop. Artillery Regiment (ISU-122)
• 366th Guards Heavy Self-prop. Artillery Regiment (ISU-152, captured Hummels, e.g. white No. 51*, 53* near Balatonaliga)
• 26th Army
• 30th Rifle Corps
• 21st Rifle Division
• 36th Guards Rifle Division
• 68th Guards Rifle Division
• 155th Rifle Division
• 1202nd Self-prop. Artillery Regiment (SU-76M, No. 411083, 411662)
• 104th Rifle Corps
• 66th Guards Rifle Division
• 22nd Separate Training Tank Regiment (T-34, and a single, old KV-1S)
• 93rd Rifle Division
• 151st Rifle Division
• 135th Rifle Corps
• 74th Rifle Division
• 233rd Rifle Division
• 236th Rifle Division
• 18th Tank Corps
• 110th Tank Brigade (T-34/85, markings: 4xx, e.g. red 408, Chassis No.: 412085)
• 170th Tank Brigade (T-34/85, markings: 5xx, e.g. red 545, Chassis No.: 4121591)
• 181st Tank Brigade (T-34/85, markings: 6xx, e.g. red 667, Chassis No.: 4121023)
• 32nd Guards Mechanical Brigade
• 52nd Separate Tank Regiment (T-34)
• 208th Self-prop. Artillery Brigade
• 1016th Self-prop. Artillery Regiment (SU-100)
• 1068th Self-prop. Artillery Regiment (SU-100)
• 1922nd Self-prop. Artillery Regiment (SU-100, markings: C-xx, e.g. red C-47, Chassis No.: 411101)
• 363rd Guards Heavy Self-prop. Artillery Regiment (Markings: Battery No., 0, Gun No. For example: ISU-122S, No. 303, Chassis No.: 41222, or ISU-152, No. 401, Chassis No.: 41264)
• 78th Separate Mechanized Motorcycle Battalion (T-34, motorcycles)
• 1438th Self-prop. Artillery Regiment (SU-76M, e.g. white B-946, Chassis No.: 411591)
• 1694th Anti Aircraft Artillery Regiment (M-17 halftrack)
• 27th Army
• 35th Guards Rifle Corps
• 3rd Guards Airborne Division
• 78th Rifle Division
• 163rd Rifle Division
• 37th Guards Rifle Corps
• 108th Rifle Division
• 316th Rifle Division
• 320th Rifle Division
• 1st Guards Fortified District
• 1st Guards Mechanized Corps
• 1st Guards Mechanized Brigade (BA-64, M3A1 Scout Car, e.g. white 146, Chassis No.: U.S.A. 6089987)
• 18th Guards Tank Regiment (M4A2(76)W Sherman, markings: '1xx', e.g. white 139 (Chassis No.: U.S.A. 3080899)
• 2nd Guards Mechanized Brigade (BA-64, e.g. white No. 249)
• 19th Guards Tank Regiment (M4A2(76)W Sherman, markings: '2xx', e.g. white 223 (Chassis No.: U.S.A. 3080689)
• 3rd Guards Mechanized Brigade (BA-64, e.g. Chassis No.: 74566)
• 20th Guards Tank Regiment (M4A2(76)W Sherman, markings: '3xx' (e.g. Chassis No.: U.S.A. 3080508)
• 9th Guards Tank Brigade (M4A2(76)W Sherman, markings: '9xx', e.g. white 959 (Chassis No.: U.S.A. 30116426)
• 382nd Self-prop. Artillery Regiment (SU-100)
• 1453rd Self-prop. Artillery Regiment (SU-100)
• 1821st Self-prop. Artillery Regiment (SU-100, markings: 6xx, e.g. white No. 603 in Vienna)
• 11th Guards Separate Motorcycle Battalion
• 57th Army
• 6th Guards Rifle Corps
• 10th Guards Airborne Rifle Division
• 20th Guards Rifle Division
• 61st Guards Rifle Division
• 64th Rifle Corps
• 73rd Guards Rifle Division
• 113th Rifle Division
• 299th Rifle Division
• 864th Self-prop. Artillery Regiment (SU-76M)
• 1201st Self-prop. Artillery Regiment (SU-76M)
• 3rd Guards Motorcycle Regiment
• 53rd Motorcycle Regiment
• 5th Guards Cavalry Corps
• 11th Guards Cavalry Division (71st Tank Regiment: T-34, M4A2(75)W Sherman)
• 12th Guards Cavalry Division (54th Tank Regiment: T-34)
• 63rd Cavalry Division (60th Guards Tank regiment: M3 Lee, Valentine Mk. IX., e.g. white No. 213, 221, 231, 232)
• 1896th Self-prop. Artillery Regiment (SU-76M)
• 17th Air Army
• 136th Ground Attack Air Division
• 210th Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik) – 1 long diagonal tail stripe, e.g. IL-2m3, No. 35, S/N: 11926
• 715th Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik) – 1 long, 1 short diagonal tail stripe, e.g. IL-2m3, No. 31, S/N: 18819118
• 989th Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik) – 1 long, 2 short diagonal tail stripes, e.g. IL-2m3, No. 19, S/N: 10586
• 189th Ground Attack Air Division
• 615th Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik), e.g. IL-2m3, No. 35, S/N: 10807
• 639th Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik), e.g. IL-2m3, S/N: 1889403
• 707th Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik), e.g. IL-2m3, No. 1, S/N: 18825124
• 306th Ground Attack Air Division
• 672nd Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik) – White diagonal tail-cap, e.g. IL-2m3, No. 18, S/N: 1875788
• 951st Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik) – White diagonal tail-cap with 1 short diagonal stripe, e.g. IL-2m3, No. 210, S/N: 1874898
• 10th Guards Ground Attack Air Division
• 165th Guards Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik)
• 166th Guards Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik)
• 167th Guards Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik)
• 194th Fighter Air Division
• 56th Fighter Air Regiment (La-5F, La-5FN)
• 530th Fighter Air Regiment (La-5F, La-5FN)
• 848th Fighter Air Regiment (La-5F, La-5FN)
• 236th Fighter Air Division
• 267th Fighter Air Regiment (Yak-1b,-3,-9)
• 117th Guards Fighter Air Regiment (Yak-1b,-9)
• 168th Guards Fighter Air Regiment (Yak-1b,-9)
• 288th Fighter Air Division (HQ: Yak-3)
• 611th Fighter Air Regiment (Yak-1b,-3,-9D, DD, M) – White diagonal tail stripe with a wide bar on the rudder
• 659th Fighter Air Regiment (Yak-3, -9D, DD, M, T) – Long white arrow on fuselage
• 866th Fighter Air Regiment (Yak-3)
• 897th Fighter Air Regiment (Yak-1b,-3,-9D, DD, M, T)
• 295th Fighter Air Division
• 31st Fighter Air Regiment (La-5F, La-5FN,-7FN) – Lightning bolt on fuselage, diagonal tail stripe
• 116th Fighter Air Regiment (La-5F, La-5FN) – Lightning bolt on fuselage, diagonal tail stripes
• 164th Fighter Air Regiment (La-5F, La-5FN) – Lightning bolt on fuselage, diagonal tail stripes
• 244th Bomber Air Division (Douglas A-20 Boston)
• 260th Bomber Air Regiment (A-20B, C, G, J, UA-20C Boston) – Lightning emblem on the nose
• 449th Bomber Air Regiment (A-20B, C, G UA-20C Boston) – Bomb dropping seagull emblem on the nose
• 861st Bomber Air Regiment (A-20B, C, G, J UA-20C Boston)
• 262nd Night Bomber Air Division
• 370th Night Bomber Air Regiment (Po-2)
• 371st Night Bomber Air Regiment (Po-2)
• 993rd Night Bomber Air Regiment (Po-2)
• 97th Guards Night Bomber Air Regiment (Po-2)
• 39th Separate Air Reconnaissance Regiment (Pe-2R, Yak-9D, M, R)
• 5th Air Army (Units involved, due to temporary bad weather/fog over some 17th Air Army airfields. Pulled from 2nd Ukrainian Front.)
• 7th Guards Ground Attack Air Division
• 130th Guards Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik)
• 131st Guards Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik)
• 12th Guards Ground Attack Air Division
• 187th Guards Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik)
• 188th Guards Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik)
• 190th Guards Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik)
• 264th Ground Attack Air Division
• 235st Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik) – white tail cap
• 451st Ground Attack Regiment (IL-2m3 Sturmovik)
• 279th Fighter Air Division
• 92nd Fighter Air Regiment (La-5)
• 192nd Fighter Air Regiment (La-5)
• 486th Fighter Air Regiment (La-5)
• 6th Guards Fighter Air Division
• 31st Guards Fighter Air Regiment (Yak-1b, -9)
• 73rd Guards Fighter Air Regiment (Yak-1b, -9)
• 85th Guards Fighter Air Regiment (Yak-1b, -9)
• 14th Guards Fighter Air Division
• 177th Guards Fighter Air Regiment (La-5)
• 178th Guards Fighter Air Regiment (La-5)
• 179th Guards Fighter Air Regiment (La-7)
• 218th Bomber Air Division
• 48th Bomber Air Regiment (A-20G Boston) – red tail cap
• 452nd Bomber Air Regiment (A-20G Boston) – white tail cap
• 453rd Bomber Air Regiment (A-20G Boston) – dark blue tail cap
• 18th Air Army (Unit involved, bombers operated at night. Pulled from former soviet long-range air force.)
• 15th Guards Bomber Air Division
• 14th Guards Bomber Air Regiment (B-25D, J Mitchell)
• 238th Guards Bomber Air Regiment (B-25D, J Mitchell)
• 251st Guards Bomber Air Regiment (B-25D, J Mitchell)
• 53rd Bomber Air Division (Li-2 cargo planes, etc.)
• 1st Bulgarian Army
• 3rd Army Corps
• 8th Infantry Division
• 10th Infantry Division
• 12th Infantry Division
• 4th Army Corps
• 3rd Infantry Division
• 11th Infantry Division
• 16th Infantry Division
• 1st Separate Tank Battalion (Pz.IV Ausf. H)
• 3rd Army (Yugoslav Partisans)
• 12th Army Corps
• 16th Infantry Division
• 51st Infantry Division

German offensive

thumb|German troops at the beginning of Operation Spring Awakening

The offensive units did not start in unison owing to complications, thus the units of the 6th SS Panzer Army began their attack at 04:00 while the 2nd SS Panzer Corps attacked at 18:30. On the 6 March 1945, the German 6th Army, joined by the 6th SS Panzer Army launched a pincer movement north and south of Lake Balaton. Ten armoured (Panzer) and five infantry divisions, including a large number of new heavy Tiger II tanks, struck 3rd Ukrainian Front, hoping to reach the Danube and link up with the German 2nd Panzer Army forces attacking south of Lake Balaton. The attack was spearheaded by the 6th SS Panzer Army and included once elite units such as the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, by now seriously degraded from constant fighting and heavy losses. Dietrich's army made "good progress" at first, but as they drew near the Danube, the combination of the muddy terrain and strong Soviet resistance had ground the German advance to a halt.

On 10 March, the Axis forces fighting under Operation Spring Awakening around Lake Balaton had a total of 230 operational tanks and 167 operational assault guns between their 17 divisions. A single fully equipped late 1944 Panzer division would officially have held no fewer than 136 tanks, meaning that by 10 March the entire offensive immediately surrounding Lake Balaton had enough tanks for only 1.7 Panzer divisions as opposed to the 11 which were in action.

By the 14 March, Operation Spring Awakening was at risk of failure. The 6th SS Panzer Army was well short of its goals. The 2nd Panzer Army did not advance as far on the southern side of Lake Balaton as the 6th SS Panzer Army had on the northern side. Army Group E met fierce resistance from the Bulgarian First Army and Josip Broz Tito's Yugoslav Partisans, and failed to reach its objective of Mohács. German losses were heavy. Heeresgruppe Süd lost 15,117 casualties in the first eight days of the offensive.

On the 15 March, strength returns on this day show the Hohenstaufen Division with 35 Panther tanks, 20 Panzer IVs, 32 Jagdpanzers, 25 Sturmgeschützes and 220 other self-propelled weapons and armoured cars. 42% of these vehicles were damaged, under short or long-term repair. The Das Reich Division had 27 Panthers, 22 Panzer IVs, 28 Jagdpanzers and 26 Sturmgeschützes on hand (the number of those under repair is not available).

Armband order

The failure of the operation resulted in the "armband order" that was issued by Hitler to Dietrich, who claimed that the troops, and more importantly, the Leibstandarte, "did not fight as the situation demanded." As a mark of disgrace, the Waffen-SS units involved in the battle were ordered to remove their cuff titles. Dietrich did not relay the order to his troops. The reason for not relaying this order was twofold; firstly the order had already been partially previously completed as cuff tiles were already removed from the uniforms as per a secrecy measure ordered on 30 January 1945, Hundreds of tanks and armored fighting vehicles were documented.

See also

thumb|right|Soviet memorial today in [[Székesfehérvár]]

• Hungary during the Second World War
• Battle of Budapest (1944/45)
• Battle of the Transdanubian Hills (1945)
• History of Germany during World War II
• Military history of Bulgaria during World War II
• Prague Offensive (1945)

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