March 1
Eastern Front, Germany
Marshal Georgi Zhukov's 1st Belorussian Front begins an offensive to destroy the German Third Panzer Army - which has 203,000 men, 700 tanks, 2500 guns, and 100 coastal artillery and fixed anti-aircraft guns - as part of the Red Army's effort to secure its flanks prior to the assault on Berlin itself.

General George Patton's US Third Army on the move
toward the Rhine River at the beginning of March

March 3
Western Front, France
In snow and freezing rain, General George Patton unleashes his US Third Army over the Kyll River toward the Rhine. The attack is spearheaded by the VIII and XII Corps, which make good progress.

Eastern Front, Germany
In an effort to try to recapture the lost defenses on the Oder River, the German Fourth Panzer Army counterattacks from the Lauban area toward Glogau. However, strong Soviet entrenched positions stop the attack in its tracks.

Far East, Burma
General David Cowan's 17th Indian Division and 255th Indian Tank Brigade take the communications center of Meiktila after heavy fighting.

March 4
Pacific, Iwo Jima
The first US B-29 Superfortress bomber lands on the island.

March 6
Eastern Front, Hungary
The Germans launch Operation Spring Awakening, designed to secure the Nagykanizsa oil fields, retake Budapest, and win a prestigious victory on the Eastern Front. The Sixth SS Panzer and Second Panzer Armies make good initial progress despite very poor weather conditions.

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