On 24 January 1945, the 3rd Belorussian Front led by General Chernyakhovsky, surrounded the capital city of East Prussia, Königsberg.
The 3rd Panzer Army and around 200,000 civilians were trapped inside the city.
In response to this, General Georg-Hans Reinhardt, commander of the Army Group Center, warned Hitler of the imminent Soviet threat, but the Führer refused to act.
Due to the rapid approach of the 2nd Belorussian Front led by General Rokossovsky, Nazi authorities in Königsberg decided to send trains full of refugees to Allenstein, without knowing that the town had already been captured by the Soviet 3rd Guards Cavalry Corps.

During the Soviet assault, the Frische Nehrung spit became the last means of escape to the west.
However, civilians who tried to escape along the spit were often intercepted and killed by Soviet tanks and patrols.
Two thousand civilians left Königsberg every day and tried to reach the already crowded town of Pillau.
The final Soviet assault on Königsberg started on 2 April with a heavy bombardment of the city.
The land route to Pillau was once again severed and those civilians who were still in the city died by the thousands.
Eventually, the Nazi garrison surrendered on 9 April, and as Beevor wrote, "the rape of women and girls went unchecked in the ruined city"
On 24 January 1945, the 3rd Belorussian Front led by General Chernyakhovsky, surrounded the capital city of East Prussia, Königsberg. The 3rd Panzer Army and around 200,000 civilians were trapped inside the city. In response to this, General Georg-Hans Reinhardt, commander of the Army Group Center, warned Hitler of the imminent Soviet threat, but the Führer refused to act. Due to the rapid approach of the 2nd Belorussian Front led by General Rokossovsky, Nazi authorities in Königsberg decided to send trains full of refugees to Allenstein, without knowing that the town had already been captured by the Soviet 3rd Guards Cavalry Corps.
During the Soviet assault, the Frische Nehrung spit became the last means of escape to the west. However, civilians who tried to escape along the spit were often intercepted and killed by Soviet tanks and patrols. Two thousand civilians left Königsberg every day and tried to reach the already crowded town of Pillau. The final Soviet assault on Königsberg started on 2 April with a heavy bombardment of the city. The land route to Pillau was once again severed and those civilians who were still in the city died by the thousands. Eventually, the Nazi garrison surrendered on 9 April, and as Beevor wrote, "the rape of women and girls went unchecked in the ruined city"
Evacuation of East Prussia