Battle of Schwartzgrad (WoLA)

Battle of Schwartzgrad
Part of the Europan Campaign (1950-1975) of the War of Lorican Aggression
Lucian Chieftain tanks approaching Schwartzgrad
Date 16 April - 2 May 1975 Location Schwartzgrad, Autocratic East Europan Imperial Alliance Result Decisive Allied Victory Suicide of Maximillian I and deaths of other high-ranking Imperial officials Maximillian Georg takes over as Emperor Maximillian II and sues for peace and surrenders all Imperial forces across the Empire Unconditional surrender of the Schwartzgrad city garrison on 2 May Capitulation of Imperial forces still fighting the battle outside Schwartzgrad on 8/9 May, following the unconditional surrender of all Schwartzgrad forces End of the War of Lorican Aggression
Belligerents
United Kingdom Gallia-Bruhl Erebonian Empire Rubrum Zanarkand New Akiba Atlantic Federation Maximillian II Loyalists	Autocratic East Europan Imperial Alliance
Commanders and leaders
Regis Lucis Caelum CXIII Eugent Reise Arnor II Army Group Gallia Peter Tachibana David Handel Murasame Susaya Army Group South Franklin Victor Roland Morgan Army Group North Karl L.K Arseid Daidoji Kitagawa Maximillian II Loyalists Maximillian Georg	Maximillian I  † Army Group Norden Heyrich Kornard  Bethold Gregor Sr.  Army Group Steiner Felix Steiner  Army Group Süden Walther Wenck  Army Group West Alfred Held  Schwartzgrad Defence Area Hans Krabs † Rickard Jaeger
Strength
72 combined divisions 1,575,000 troops 5,750 tanks 1,175 artillery 1,250 aircraft	40 divisions 750,000-800,000 troops 1,518 tanks and AFVs 575 artillery 750 aircraft 75,000 troops supplanted by the police force, Maximillian Youth, and the Volkssturm
Casualties and losses
21,750 dead or wounded 250 tanks 75 artillery 100 aircraft	100,000 dead 200,000 wounded or sick 550,000 captured 1,154 tanks 354 artillery 542 aircraft

The Battle of Schwartzgrad, also known as the Fall of Schwartzgrad was the final major offensive of the War of Lorican Aggression.

Following the Paternoster-Elde Offensive of January–February 1945, the Allied Armies had temporarily halted on a line 60 km (37 mi) south of Schwartzgrad and the Allied Armies in the north halted about 50 km north of Schwartzgrad . On 9 March, the East Empire established its defence plan for the city with Operation Tactful. The first defensive preparations at the outskirts of Schwartzgrad were made on 20 March, under the newly appointed commander of Army Group Norden, General Heydrich Konrad.

When the Allied offensive resumed on 16 April, two allied groups attacked Schwartzgrad from the north and south, with the south, consisting of the joint Commonwealth-Federal Armies attacking ahea. Before the main battle in Schwartzgrad commenced, the Allied Army encircled the city after successful battles of the Grausser Heights in the north and the Battle of the Halbe in the south. On 20 April 1975, Maximillian's birthday, the Army Group Gallia led by Commander-in-chief of the Allied Armies Peter Tachibana, advanced from the south, started shelling Berlin's city centre, while Marshal Franklin Victor's Army Group South broke through Army Group West, linked up with Tachibana's Army Group Gallia and advanced towards the western suburbs of Schwartzgrad. On 23 April General Rickard Jaeger assumed command of the forces within Schwartzgrad. The garrison consisted of several depleted and disorganised Kaisermacht and Waffen-SS divisions, along with poorly trained Volksmacht and Maximillian Youth members. Over the course of the next week, the Allied Army gradually took the entire city.

Before the battle was over, Maximillian and several of his followers killed themselves. The city's garrison surrendered on 2 May but fighting continued to the north-west, west, and south-west of the city until the end of the war in Europa on 8 May.