The Nazi Party placed Soest in Gau Westphalia-South. During World War II, Soest was the target of several allied bomber raids targeted at the marshalling yard, which was one of the biggest in the Reich, and the important battery factory Akku Hagen. Later, Soest suffered major fighting in early April 1945, starting when Allied forces captured the town at the beginning of the month. They were soon evicted by a German counterattack. Destructive front-line combat raged in Soest and its environs at the eastern edge of the Ruhr Pocket through the first week of April until the Allies gained a permanent upper hand.