Editing Operation Spring Awakening (section)

{{Short description|Last major German offensive on the Eastern Front of World War II}}
{{infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Operation Spring Awakening
| partof            = the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]] of [[World War II]]
| image             = Plattensee-op.png
| image_size        = 300
| caption           = German advances during the operation
| date              = 6–15 March 1945
| place             = [[Lake Balaton]], [[Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946)|Kingdom of Hungary]]
| coordinates       = {{coord|46|59|N|18|21|E|type:event_source:kolossus-elwiki|display=title}}
| result            = Allied victory
| combatant1        = {{flagcountry|Nazi Germany|23px}}<br />{{flagdeco|Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946)}} [[Government of National Unity (Hungary)|Hungary]]
| combatant2        = {{flag|Soviet Union|1936|23px}}<br />{{flagcountry|Kingdom of Bulgaria}}<br />{{flag|Yugoslav Partisans|23px}}
| commander1        = {{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} [[Otto Wöhler]]
* {{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} [[Hermann Balck]]
* {{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} [[Maximilian de Angelis|Max de Angelis]]
* {{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} [[Sepp Dietrich]]
* {{flagdeco|Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946)}} [[József Heszlényi]]
* {{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} [[Otto Deßloch]]
{{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} [[Maximilian von Weichs|Max von Weichs]]
* {{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} [[Alexander Löhr]]
| commander2        = {{flagicon|Soviet Union|1936}} [[Fyodor Tolbukhin]]
* {{nowrap|{{flagicon|Soviet Union|1936}} [[Nikanor Zakhvatayev]]}}
* {{flagicon|Soviet Union|1936}} [[Nikolai Gagen]]
* {{flagicon|Soviet Union|1936}} [[Sergei Trofimenko]]
* {{flagicon|Soviet Union|1936}} [[Mikhail Sharokhin]]
* {{flagicon|Kingdom of Bulgaria}} [[Vladimir Stoychev]]
* {{flagicon|Yugoslav Partisans}} [[Kosta Nađ]]
* {{flagicon|Soviet Union|1936}} [[Vladimir Sudets]]
{{flagicon|Soviet Union|1936}} [[Rodion Malinovsky]]
* {{flagicon|Soviet Union|1936}} Sergei Goryunov
| units1            = {{flagicon|Nazi Germany|1936}} '''[[Army Group South]]''':
* {{flagicon|Nazi Germany|1936}} [[6th Army (Wehrmacht)|6th Army]]
* {{nowrap|{{flagicon|Nazi Germany|1936}} [[6th Panzer Army]]}}
* {{flagicon|Nazi Germany|1936}} [[2nd Panzer Army]]
* {{flagdeco|Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946)}} [[Third Army (Hungary)|3rd Army]]
* {{flagicon|Nazi Germany|1936}} [[Luftflotte 4]]
{{flagicon|Nazi Germany|1936}} '''[[Army Group F]]''':
* {{flagicon|Nazi Germany|1936}} [[Army Group E]]
| units2            = {{flagicon|Soviet Union|1936}} '''[[3rd Ukrainian Front]]''':
* {{flagicon|Soviet Union|1936}} [[4th Guards Army]]
* {{flagicon|Soviet Union|1936}} [[26th Army (Soviet Union)|26th Army]]
* {{flagicon|Soviet Union|1936}} [[27th Army (Soviet Union)|27th Army]]
* {{flagicon|Soviet Union|1936}} [[57th Army (Soviet Union)|57th Army]]
* {{flagicon|Kingdom of Bulgaria}} [[1st Bulgarian Army|1st Army]]
* {{flagicon|Democratic Federal Yugoslavia}} [[3rd Army (Yugoslav Partisans)|3rd Army]]
* {{flagicon|Soviet Union|1936}} [[17th Air Army]]
{{nowrap|{{flagicon|Soviet Union|1936}} '''[[2nd Ukrainian Front]]''':}}
* {{flagicon|Soviet Union|1936}} [[5th Air Army]]
| strength1         = '''5 March (for the offensive):'''
{{sfn|Frieser|2007|p=930}}{{sfn|Számvéber|2017|pp=567–569}}{{sfn|Maksim|Kolomiets|2014}}
* 25 divisions
* 260,000 men (max)
* 650 tanks (376 operational)
* 3,200 assault guns and mortars
* 850 aircraft (entire Luftflotte 4 for entire Army Group South)
| strength2         = '''5 March:'''{{sfn|Frieser|2007|p=930}}{{sfn|Számvéber|2017|pp=22, 574–575}}
* 37 divisions (discounting air armies and the Yugoslav 3rd Army)
* 465,000 men
* 407 tanks (398 operational)
* 6,597 assault guns and mortars
* 293 rocket launchers
* 965 aircraft (17th Air Army only – 3rd Ukrainian Front)
| casualties1       = '''German offensive (6–15 March 1945):'''<br />{{flagcountry|Nazi Germany|23px}}
* [[Army Group South]]: 12,358 men{{sfn|Frieser|2007|p=941}}<br />31 tracked AFVs destroyed{{sfn|Frieser|2007|p=941}}<br />1 APC destroyed{{sfn|Frieser|2007|p=942}}
* [[Army Group F]]:
{{flagdeco|Kingdom of Hungary (1920–46)}}:<br />'''Soviet counter-offensive (16 March–15 April 1945)''':
* 30,000 killed
* 125,000 captured<ref>{{cite book |last=Tucker-Jones |first=Anthony |date=2016 |title=The Battle for Budapest |publisher=Pen & Sword |location=Barnsley |isbn=978-1473877320}}</ref>
* 1,345 tanks/assault guns lost{{sfn|Frieser|2007|p=953}}{{efn|Many were abandoned due to a lack of fuel.{{sfn|Frieser|2007|p=952}}}}
* 2,250 guns and mortars lost{{sfn|Frieser|2007|p=953}}
* 446 armour personnel carriers<ref>O. Baronov, Balaton Defense Operation, Moscow, 2001, pp. 82–106</ref>
* 200+ aircraft
| casualties2       = '''German offensive (6–15 March 1945)''':
* 32,899
* 8,492 killed or missing
* 24,407 wounded & sick<ref name=KS>G.F. Krivosheyev, 'Soviet Casualties and Combat Losses in the twentieth century', London, Greenhill Books, 1997, {{ISBN|1-85367-280-7}}, p. 110</ref>
* 152 tracked AFVs destroyed{{sfn|Frieser|2007|p=941}}
* 415 anti-tank guns destroyed{{sfn|Frieser|2007|p=941}}
'''Soviet counter-offensive (16 March–15 April 1945)''':
* 38,661 killed
* 129,279 wounded & sick
* 167,940 overall (including {{circa| 135,000}} combat casualties)<ref>G.F. Krivosheyev, 'Soviet Casualties and Combat Losses in the twentieth century', London, Greenhill Books, 1997, pp. 156–167</ref>
'''Bulgarian casualties:'''
* 9,805 men<ref>G.F. Krivosheyev, 'Soviet Casualties and Combat Losses in the twentieth century', London, Greenhill Books, 1997, pp. 156–157</ref>
* 2,698 killed
* 7,017 wounded & sick
| notes             =
| campaignbox       = {{Campaignbox Axis-Soviet War}}<br>{{Campaignbox Hungary 1944-1945}}
}}

'''Operation Spring Awakening''' ({{langx|de|Unternehmen Frühlingserwachen}}) was the last major German offensive of [[World War II]]. The operation was referred to in [[Nazi Germany|Germany]] as the '''Plattensee Offensive''' and in the [[Soviet Union]] as the '''Balaton Defensive Operation'''. It took place in [[Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946)|Western Hungary]] on the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|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]] ({{lang|de|Plattensee}}) area. Many German units were involved, including the [[6th Panzer Army]] and its subordinate [[Waffen-SS]] divisions after being withdrawn from the [[Battle of the Bulge|failed Ardennes offensive]] on the [[Western Front (World War II)|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]].