Operation Solstice

Operation Solstice
Part of Eastern Front of World War II
Date 15–18 February 1945 Location Stargard, Pomerania, Germany 53°12′00″N 15°01′12″E / 53.20000°N 15.02000°E / 53.20000; 15.02000 Result See aftermath
Belligerents
Germany	Soviet Union
Commanders and leaders
Walther Wenck Felix Steiner	Georgy Zhukov
Strength
7 panzer and panzergrenadier divisions[1]	1st Belorussian Front[1]

Operation Solstice (German: Unternehmen Sonnenwende), also known as Unternehmen Husarenritt or the Stargard tank battle,^[2] was one of the last German armoured offensive operations on the Eastern Front in World War II.

It was originally planned as a major offensive but was executed as a limited attack, due to hasty planning by the Germans and it being partially compromised by Soviet military intelligence. Intended to relieve the city of Küstrin, Sonnenwende was launched on 15 February 1945 from Stargard, Pomerania. By 18 February, the Soviet 1st Belorussian Front led by Georgy Zhukov had defeated the attack, prompting the Germans to call off the offensive. Despite its failure, the operation had forced Soviet High Command (Stavka) to postpone the planned attack on Berlin from February to April, focusing forces on the East Pomeranian Offensive, launched on 24 February and not concluded until 4 April.