Lake Balaton, Battle of

In World War II, last major German offensive on the Eastern Front 1945 based around a lake in West Hungary to head off a threatened Soviet attack and try and safeguard the Hungarian oilfields. They made some adavances but withdrew after a Soviet counterattack with heavy losses.

The German 2nd Army and 6th SS Panzer Army attacked the Soviet 3rd Ukrainian Front 5 March 1945, advancing some 32 km/20 mi into Soviet lines but a Soviet counterattack 16 March routed the Hungarian 3rd Army which was guarding the Germans' left flank. This left the German units exposed and the operation was hastily halted. The Germans fell back with losses of over 40,000 troops and 500 tanks and assault guns.