Uman-Botosani Offensive

Uman-Botoshany Offensive
Part of Dnepr-Carpathian Strategic Offensive
Date 5 March – 17 April 1944 Location 175 km sector of the front between Uman and Kirovograd in western Ukraine Result Soviet victory
Belligerents
Soviet Union	Germany  Romania
Commanders and leaders
Ivan Konev	Erich von Manstein
Strength
2nd Ukrainian Front 691,000 men 670 tanks and assault guns 8,890 artillery pieces	German 8th Army 400,000 men 450 tanks and assault guns 3,500 artillery pieces
Casualties and losses
70,000 killed 200,000 wounded	45,000 Germans killed 25,000 Germans captured 130,000 total German casualties excluding Romanians

The Uman–Botoşani Offensive or Uman-Botoshany Offensive (Уманско-ботошанская наступательная операция) was a part of the Dnieper–Carpathian Offensive, carried out by the Red Army in western Ukrainian SSR against the German Army Group South. The operation was successful, splitting the opposing Army Group in two and allowing the Soviet army to advance to the Dniester and Prut rivers in eastern Romania.

The operation was conducted by the forces of the 2nd Ukrainian Front during World War II, from March 5 to 17 April in 1944. The purpose of the operation was to inflict a crushing defeat on the German "Uman group", split the troops of Army Group South, and capture southwestern Ukraine. After the completion of the Korsun–Shevchenkovsky Offensive, the main forces of 2nd Ukrainian Front (Marshal Konev) were opposed by the 8th Army of Army Group South (Gen.-Feldm. Manstein). At the start of the operation, Soviet troops had achieved a 1.5 to 1 numerical superiority in personnel and armor and 2.5 to 1 in artillery, while maintaining parity in aviation forces against their German adversaries.

The Stavka concept of the operation was to destroy the 8th Army, bisect the front of Army Group South, and cut off withdrawal routes of the 1st Panzer Army in the southern direction, contributing to 1st Ukrainian Front's objective of its defeat.

The main offensive effort was to be delivered from the staging areas at Vinograd, Zvenyhorodka, and Shpola in the direction of Uman by forces of the 27th, 52nd, 4th Guard all arms, 2nd, 5th Guard and 6th Tank armies (415 tanks and 147 SPAs), supported by the 5th Air Army. The 7th and 5th Guard armies delivered supporting attacks from the region of Kirovograd in the direction of Novoukrainka. During preparation for the operation, the military councils of the Front and armies gave considerable attention the mobilisation of personnel and unit composition for overcoming of the difficulties due to rasputitsa, the generally poor weather conditions, and the need for conducting numerous assault river crossings that were expected to hinder operational mobility.

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