page_title: East Pomeranian Offensive
section_title: Breakthrough
hierarchical_section_title: East Pomeranian Offensive / The offensive / Breakthrough
caption_attribution_description: For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. Pommern, Wollin, Infanterie bei Straßenkämpfen Zentralbild II.Weltkrieg 1939-1945 Dievenew-Front. Kämpfe in Wollin (Pommern) am 17.3.1945. Deutsche Soldaten überqueren eine Strassenkreuzung in der Stadt, die von sowjetischen Scharfschützen eingesehen wird. [Scherl Bilderdienst]
context_page_description: The East Pomeranian Strategic Offensive operation was an offensive by the Soviet Red Army against the German Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front. It took place in Pomerania and West Prussia from 10 February – 4 April 1945.
  The operation happened in four phases:
  Konitz-Köslin Offensive Operation 24 February – 6 March 1945
  Danzig Offensive Operation 7–31 March 1945
  Arnswalde-Kolberg Offensive Operation 1–18 March 1945
  Altdamm Offensive Operation 18 March – 4 April 1945
  It was the East Pomeranian Offensive that prevented Zhukov from reaching Berlin in February, since it became a priority to clear German forces from Pomerania first.
context_section_description: Rokossovsky opened the offensive on 24 February using the fresh troops of Kozlov's 19th Army, but after an initial advance of some 20 km (12 mi) they were halted by intense German resistance. On 26 February, he inserted the 3rd Guards Tank Corps east of Neustettin, where they achieved a penetration of 40 km (25 mi), and relieved Kozlov of command. The 3rd Guards Tank Corps broke through at Baldenburg, while Neustettin on the Front's left flank fell to the 3rd Guards Cavalry Corps on 27 February.
  Weiß had hurriedly assembled the VII Panzer Corps, including the remnants of the 7th Panzer Division, at Rummelsburg to threaten 19th Army's flank. However, after a Soviet breakthrough at Köslin on 2 March, the 2nd Army found itself completely cut off from the rest of its Army Group.
caption: German infantrymen during street fighting in Wollin, March 1945
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