View source for Battle of Bertenau

{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict    = Battle of Bertenau
| width       = 
| partof      = the [[WVFGWV|West Vierz Front]] of the [[Great War (Vasarden)|Great War]]
| image       = Ministry of Information Second World War Press Agency Print Collection HU102736.jpg
| image_size  = 280
| alt         =
| caption     = Apelian troops in a village outside Bertenau
| date        = X X 1943 – X X 1943
| place       = [[Bertenau]], [[Hauvel]], [[Vierz Empire]]
| coordinates = <!--Use the {{coord}} template -->
| map_type    = 
| map_relief  = 
| map_size    = 
| map_marksize = 
| map_caption = 
| map_label   = 
| territory   = 
| result     =Vierz victory
* Failure of [[Operation TBD]]
* Stabilization of the frontline in Vierzland
* Renewal of the [[Battle of Borland|Apelian offensive in Borland]]
| status      = 
| combatants_header = 
| combatant1  = {{flagicon|Second Apelian Republic}} [[Second Apelian Republic|Apelia]]
| combatant2  = {{flag|Vierz Empire}}
| combatant3  = 
| commander1  = [[Abel Mallaire]]
| commander2  = [[Hermann Eschau]]<br>Reinhold Tausche<br>Gotthard Auspitz<br>Jürgen Streicher<br>Georg Dannecker
| commander3  = 
| units1      = 
| units2      = '''[[Army Group West (Vierzland)|Army Group West]]:'''<br>5th Army<br>6th Army<br>7th Army<br>3rd Armoured Corps
| units3      = 
| strength1   = 
| strength2   = '''Total:'''<br>710,000 men<br>1,570 tanks<br>480 aircraft
| strength3   = 
| casualties1 = 
| casualties2 = '''Total:'''<br>89,056 missing or killed<br>300–400 tanks damaged or destroyed<br>112 aircraft destroyed
| casualties3 = 
| notes       = 
| campaignbox = 
}}
{{Vasarden Great War Campaignbox}}

The '''Battle of Bertenau''' was a military engagement of the [[Great War (Vasarden)|Great War]] between [[Second Apelian Republic|Apelia]] and [[Vierz Empire|Vierzland]] on a 200 kilometer-front on the outskirts of [[Bertenau]], then the third-largest Vierz city. It occurred between MONTH and MONTH 1943. No fighting occurred in Bertenau itself, but large confrontations happened in nearby settlements such as [[Lettern]] and [[Oppitz]]. 

Bertenau was a primary political and military focus of Apelia and the [[Socialist International Coalition|SIC]]. The Apelian {{wp|strategic offensive}}, [[Operation TBD]], saw the capture of the Vierz cities of [[Salzdorf]] and [[Tillena]] and the near-encirclement of the [[Borish Republic|Borish]] capital [[Anderveld]]. Apelian forces rapidly moved towards Bertenau through seemingly-undefended territory.

Vierz {{wp|Strategic defense|defensive operations}} frustrated Apelian efforts, as [[Army Group West (Vierzland)|Army Group West]] was able to secure additional divisions from the [[East Vierz Front of the Great War|Eastern Front]] and slow the Apelian advance. Apelian forces were split between simultaneous offensives in Borland and Vierzland and became unable to break past Vierz defensive belts. The Apelian offensive totally froze on X X 1943 and resulted in the end of Operation TBD as an operational failure. The battle was a significant blow to the SIC offensive against Vierzland as a whole and resulted in Apelia shifting its overall strategic focus towards the ongoing [[Battle of Borland]].