The Allies had landed in Normandy on the morning of June 6th 1944,
as a result, the attention of the Western Allies was focused in
this area. Hitler was expecting the usual Summer Soviet Offensive
to be in the area south of the Pripet Marshes, instead Stalin unleashed
a massive attack on the very cornerstone of the German Army, Armor
Group Center. Operation 'Bagration', was an all-out offensive to crush
the salient of AG Center. The fortified cities of Vitebsk, Orsha,
Mogilev and Bobruysk were all encircled by pincer movements. then the
Soviet armor and mechanized formations swept on towards the west.
Taken by surprise, the majoraty of the German 4th and 9th Armies
were trapped between Minsk and the Berezina River. It was a catastrophic
defeat, wiping 28 of the 34 German divisions from the German order of
battle. So complete was the victory, where the Soviets had amassed
overwhelming superiority particulary in armor and aircraft, that five
weeks later the Soviets were on the banks of the Vistula and the
borders of East Prussia.
Minsk '44