and 1st Panzer Divisions attacked towards Székesfehérvár with the former advancing on the eastern suburbs while the latter headed for the western outskirts. Elements of the 23rd Panzer Division also attacked towards the town from the direction of Sárkeresztes. Under the circumstances of near-encirclement the impact of more than 150 tanks and assault guns managed to force the 21st Guards Corps back and to capture the town and its suburbs by 1800 hours. The next day the IV SS Panzer Corps again concentrated its attacks on 5th Guards Cavalry Corps intending to finally break through to Budapest although by now it was running very low on fuel. Overnight on January 25/26 the German forces launched a surprise night offensive which made some gains and put 4th Guards Army in a difficult situation. Zakharov reacted by, among other measures, shifting one rifle regiment of the 69th Guards to the area south of Vereb, occupying defensive positions along the Gyula sector; this regiment was reinforced with artillery and a small number of tanks and self-propelled guns. Meanwhile, the Front managed to concentrate sufficient reserves to bring Konrad to a halt on January 27. Apart from a handful that managed to break out the remaining Axis troops in the city were forced to surrender on February 13. On April 5 the 139th Guards Artillery Regiment would be awarded the Order of Suvorov, 3rd Degree, for its part in this victory. Following the defeat of the German Operation Spring Awakening in March the 21st Guards Corps went over to the offensive with the remainder of 4th Guards Army. Crossing the border into Austria on April 1 the division captured the town of Eisenstadt and shortly after entered Vienna where it ended the war. Postwar At the time of the German surrender the men and women of the division held the full official title of 69th Guards Rifle, Zvenigorodka, Order of the Red Banner Division. (Russian: 69-я гвардейская стрелковая Звенигородская Краснознамённая дивизия.) After the war it underwent several reorganizations in the Southern Group of forces before finally becoming the 70th Guards Mechanized Division in 1953. References Citations Bibliography p. 187 pp. 158, 323 External links Kirill Kocheevich Dzhakhua 69th Guards at Pamyat Naroda.ru G069 Military units and formations established in 1943 Military units and formations disestablished in 1953 Military units and formations awarded the Order of the Red Banner 1943 establishments in the Soviet Union