First Battle of Târgu Frumos The First Battle of Târgu Frumos was part of the First Jassy - Kishinev Offensive of World War II , fought between Axis powers commanded by Otto Wöhler and Soviet forces led by Ivan Konev . By early April 1944 , " Stavka " ( Main Command of the Soviet Armed Forces ) ordered its two major units involved in operations in south - western Ukraine to mount a strategic offensive in north - eastern Romania . Konev ' s 2nd Ukrainian Front approached Târgu Frumos and Botoșani regions by 5 April and commenced its offensive towards Târgu Frumos on 8 April . The Romanian 4th Army , charged with the defense of the region , was being reinforced by German panzer elements of the 24th Panzer Division and was preparing to hold an initial Soviet advance . However , these defenses proved to be no match for the Soviet assault on the town and by the next day Târgu Frumos had been secured by two 27th Army rifle divisions . Meanwhile , the German Eighth Army command responded rapidly by ordering Hasso von Manteuffel ' s " Grossdeutschland " Panzergrenadier division to move towards Târgu Frumos and recapture the town . By the evening of 10 April , 48 hours after receiving the initial order , " Grossdeutschland " succeeded in retaking the town and establishing new defensive positions there . Sporadic battles with Soviet elements remaining in the region continued until 12 April , as they were facing the danger of encirclement . Following the end of the battle , the Germans formed a new defensive line northwest and northeast of the town and maintained a tank regiment as reserve near Târgu Frumos proper . Meanwhile , irked by the defeat suffered at Târgu Frumos , Konev ordered the 2nd Tank Army to commence on 12 April an offensive towards the village of Podu Iloaiei . Background . On 5 March 1944 , Colonel General Ivan Konev , commander of the 2nd Ukrainian Front , commenced the Uman – Botoşani Offensive operation in the Ukraine . This operation succeeded in separating Army Group North ' s First Panzer Army from Army Group South 8th Army by 17 March ; by early April Soviet units approached the Romanian border . Starting with early April 1944 , " Stavka " ordered the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Front s to mount a major offensive with strategic implications in western Romania . " Stavka " ' s strategic intentions were to break German and Romanian strategic defenses in northern Romania , capture the key cities of Iași and Chişinău , and afterwards project forces deep into Romanian territory , if possible as deep as Ploiești and Bucharest . By 5 April , Konev ' s front had crossed the upper reaches of Dniester and Prut Rivers , captured Khotyn and Dorohoi , and approached Târgu Frumos and Botoșani regions — – northwest of Iași — facing only light Romanian resistance . On 8 April 1944 , Konev ordered the 27th and 40th Armies to conduct a coordinated offensive southward along the Târgu Frumos axis , in close cooperation with Semyon Bogdanov ' s 2nd Tank Army . While Konev ' s shock group was advancing towards Târgu Frumos , Konstantin Koroteev ' s 52nd Army and elements of Andrei Gravchenko ' s 6th Tank Army , which were operating north of Iași , were conducting operations alongside the Iași axis in order to support Konev ' s main effort . As Konev ' s armies prepared to launch their offensive toward Târgu Frumos , Otto Wöhler ' s German Eighth Army was involved in the heavy fighting taking place in and around the village of Popricani , north of Iași , where two Soviet corps were fighting with armored " kampfgruppen " , distracting the Germans ' attentions and forces away from the critical Târgu Frumos sector . Exploiting the 52nd Army diversionary operations in the Iași region , the three armies of Konev ' s shock group began advancing southwards early in the morning of 8 April . The advance was quite slow due to mud - clogged roads during the " rasputitsa " , as well as crossing to the west bank of the Prut River northwest of Iași . Planning . Konev ' s armies ' initial mission was to reach Târgu Frumos , Pașcani , and Târgu Neamţ regions — – west of Iași — and capture the three towns from their Romanian defenders by surprise . While three divisions of 51st Rifle Corps were ordered to press southward toward Pașcani , another two rifle divisions were protecting their advance in the region north and northwest of Târgu Neamţ . Further to the east , seven rifle divisions assigned to 35th Guards and 33rd Rifle Corps of 27th Army would advance southeastward along the Prut starting on 7 April , forcing the Romanian 8th Infantry Division to retreat towards Hârlău , north of Târgu Frumos . Meanwhile , another two divisions of 33rd Rifle Corps joined by two corps of the 2nd Tank Army would press the Romanian 7th Infantry Division back toward Târgu Frumos . The Romanian 4th Army ' s IV Army Corps , which was responsible for defending the Târgu Frumos sector , was preparing to assemble sufficient forces to man the forward defensive positions in the Ruginoasa – Strunga – Oţeleni defense line , which extended from Târgu Neamţ eastward south of Pașcani and through Târgu Frumos and Podu Iloaiei just south of Iași . As a result , the 6th and 8th Infantry Divisions would be manning defenses stretching from Târgu Neamţ eastward to Pașcani , while the 1st Guards and 7th Infantry Divisions would defend the sector from Pașcani eastward past Târgu Frumos to Podu Iloaiei . The latter units would be reinforced by the end of 8 April northeast of Podu Iloaiei by a Maximilian von Edelsheim ' s 24th Panzer Division ' s small " kampfgruppe " . Battle . In the vanguard of Trofimenko ' s 27th Army , Lieutenant - General S . G . Goriachev ' s 35th Guards Rifle Corps resumed its advance southward from the Hârlǎu region towards Târgu Frumos during the morning on 9 April , with two rifle divisions deployed from left to right in his first echelon . Soviet riflemen quickly defeated the Romanian troops defending the town and most of the surrounding region , being reinforced by the Corps ' second echelon consisting of one airborne and one rifle divisions before any enemy reaction . Meanwhile , the 42nd Guards Rifle Division captured the town of Pașcani , situated west of Târgu Frumos and defended by the Romanian 6th Infantry Division . At the same time , forward detachments of Bogdanov ' s 2nd Tank Army advancing east of the town attempted to reinforce Trofimenko ' s infantry fighting in the Târgu Frumos region , but were unable to do so due to German defenders . The German Eighth Army reacted promptly realizing the danger to its main defenses west of Iași , by moving Hasso von Manteuffel ' s Grossdeutschland Panzer Grenadier Division towards Târgu Frumos . Elements of the division were ordered to launch a counterattack from the south of the town as soon as possible . Attacking during the rest of the day , that small German force managed to seize and hold only a foothold in the southern part of the town . However , by this time two divisions of Goriachev ' s 35th Guards Rifle Corps reached the region and added their weight to Trofimenko ' s southward thrust . By nightfall , three divisions leading 35th Corps advance passed Târgu Frumos and established a salient to deep within the Romanian defense line south and southeast of the town . Early on 10 April , the " Grossdeutschland " division , consisting of approximately 160 tanks , including 40 Panthers and 40 Tigers , attacked westward along the road from Podu Iloaiei to Târgu Frumos in two columns deployed north and south of the road . Following a heavy bombardment , the Germans broke into the town and engaged the Soviet troops which had taken cover in houses and other buildings . The German thrust cut off a number of Soviet units from their main force and reached the high ground west of the town by launching a concerted counterattack just as the 206th Rifle , 3rd Guards Airborne and 93rd Guards Rifle Divisions were preparing to resume their assault southwards , at a time when only their rear guards and logistical subunits remained behind to defend the Târgu Frumos region . Meanwhile , the Romanian 1st Guard and 7th Infantry Division advanced from the south , pressing the Soviets back to the north . Trapped between the German armour racing into Târgu Frumos from the east and the Romanian infantry counterattacking from the south , the three divisions of 35th Guards Rifle Corps had no choice but to retreat . At about 2200 hours , 48 hours after getting their original order , the German grenadiers had secured Târgu Frumos and the regions west and north of the town . After a desperate two - day struggle by three divisions of 35th Corps to avoid encirclement , the fighting in the Târgu Frumos region quieted down by midday on 12 April . Aftermath . After the end of the battle , the " Grossdeutschland " Division erected a new defensive line to protect Târgu Frumos , which extended in a wide arc from northwest , northeast , and east of the town . Manteuffel ultimately placed " Grossdeutschland " s Panzergrenadier Regiment on the division ' s left wing northwest of the town and the Fusilier Regiment on its right wing northeast and east of the town , but he retained his Panzer Regiment in reserve assembly areas close to Târgu Frumos proper . Meanwhile , throughout the day on 12 April , units from the Panzer Grenadier Regiment cleared Soviet remnants from the 206th Rifle and 3rd Guards Airborne Divisions from a small pocket west of the town and extended the regiment ' s defensive positions several miles forward southwestward of Heleşteni , west of Târgu Frumos , where the " Grossdeutschland " defenses connected with those of the Romanian 1st Guards Division to form a continuous defensive front west of the town . Furthermore , on " Grossdeutschland " ' s right flank , a battlegroup from the 24th Panzer Division continued defending the sector located from north of Podu Iloaiei to the village of Leţcani , west of Iași , where its right flank linked up with the defenses of the 7th Romanian Infantry Division , which was defending the northwestern flank of Iași . After successfully withdrawing the three partially encircled divisions of 35th Corps , Trofimenko reorganized his 27th Army ' s defenses along a line extending from north of Târgu Frumos eastward to north of Podu Iloaiei . By the end of 12 April , Goriachev deployed the 206th , 3rd Guards and 93rd Divisions from left to right in defensive positions stretching from the eastern bank of Siret River near Pașcani , west of Târgu Frumos , eastward to the village of Munteni , northeast of Târgu Frumos , while further to the east , three rifle divisions from 33rd Rifle Corps were placed northwest of Iași . Irritated by the defeat his troops faced at Târgu Frumos , on 12 April Konev ordered Bogdanov , whose 2nd Tank Army concentrated its two corps south of Focuri , north of Podu Iloaiei , to assault the German defenders at Podu Iloaiei . Notes . Explanatory notes Footnotes