The Western Carpathian offensive (Russian: Западно-Карпатская наступательная операция) was a successful offensive by the Red Army during World War II, that lasted from January 12 to February 18, 1945.
On January 12, at 8:15 a.m., the 38th Army (Colonel General Kirill Moskalenko) of the 4th Ukrainian Front attacked after heavy artillery preparation with two Rifle Corps (the 101st and 67th). Behind its left flank, the 52nd Rifle Corps was held in reserve for a follow-up attack. On 15 January, the breakthrough through the German XI SS Panzer Corps (General Matthias Kleinheisterkamp) was achieved and could be pursued up to 18 km in the next few days. On January 16, Jasło (in present-day south-eastern Poland) was captured by the 70th Guards and 140th Rifle Division of the 101st Rifle Corps.
On 18 January, to the south, the 1st Guards Army (General Andrei Grechko) opened its offensive against the German XI Army Corps (General von Bünau) over the Ondava river. The 4th Ukrainian Front used about 215 tanks and self-propelled guns, 134 of them with the 38th Army and only 42 tanks in the 1st Guard Army because of the mountainous terrain.
The front of the German 253rd Infantry Division (Lieutenant General Carl Becker), deployed in the area 25 km south of Jasło, from Polany to south of Stropkov, was torn apart by the Soviet 11th and 107th Rifle Corps. The German troops were pushed back up to 22 km and the next day Prešov was captured by Soviet troops.
By the end of January, the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front reached the German defensive lines on the river Soła east of the line Żywiec - Jablonka - Liptovský Hrádok - Liptovský Mikuláš. The advance of the 4th Ukrainian Front was stopped west of Strumień, Żywiec and Jablonka, east of Liptovský Hrádok and Liptovský Mikuláš. The heavily defended town of Bielsko-Biała was captured by the 1st Guards Army and the 38th Army. The 2nd Ukrainian Front continued the fighting until mid-March and reached the Hron River.
Losses and consequences
The Red Army crushed 17 divisions and 1 brigade of the Axis powers, taking 137,000 prisoners, according to its own not always verifiable sources. In addition, it destroyed or captured 2,300 guns, 320 tanks and 65 aircraft, also according to its own data. Large parts of Slovakia and the southern areas of Poland were liberated from the German occupiers. The Red Army puts its own casualties at 78,988 (including 16,337 dead and 62,651 wounded). The Romanian 1st and 4th army lost 12,000 soldiers (2,500 dead) and the 1st Czechoslovak Corps 970 men (260 dead). In addition, 359 tanks, 753 guns and 94 aircraft are said to have been lost on the Soviet side. Germany lost control of the Slovak Ore Mountains, and their strategic resources.
