Soviet preparation
By the second half of February Soviet intelligence identified large German tank formations in western Hungary, and soon realized that preparation for a major offensive was underway. Using the experience gained in the battle of Kursk, Soviets built multi-layer anti-tank defense using 65% of available artillery to create 66 anti-tank ambush points over 83 km of front in Lake Balaton area. The depth of the defense zone reached up to 25–30 km. To ensure sufficient supply of war materials and fuel, additional temporary bridges and gas pipelines were built on the Danube River.
German attack
The offensive began on 6 March, spearheaded by the German Sixth SS Panzer Army. The spearhead included elite units like Adolf Hitler’s personal unit, the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler Division.
However, due to well-prepared defense and rapid movement of tank reserves by the Soviets, over a period of 10 days and after suffering heavy casualties, German troops only managed to advance 15–40 km.
By 14 March, Operation Spring Awakening was at risk of failure and Joseph Goebbels wrote in his diary that the offensive would likely fail. The Sixth SS Panzer Army advanced well short of its goals. Second Panzer Army did not advance as far on the southern side of Lake Balaton as the Sixth SS Panzer Army did on the northern side. Army Group E met fierce resistance from the Bulgarian First Army and Josip Broz Tito’s Yugoslavian partisan army, and failed to reach its objective of Mohács.
Images
Advancing german panzer column in Hungary around 6th of March 1945
http://oi58.tinypic.com/28218oz.jpg
Moving german halftrack,a tank and trucks in Hungary around 6th of March 1945
http://oi60.tinypic.com/2lx9eeo.jpg
German column moving trough in a small village in heavy mud in Hungary under Operation Frühlingserwachen
http://oi62.tinypic.com/16kxrnb.jpg
Soviet counterattack and subsequent operations
Soviet counterattack
On 16 March, the Soviets counterattacked in strength. Within 24 hours of the Soviet counterattack, the Germans were driven back to the positions they had held before Operation Spring Awakening began.
On 22 March, out-numbered and with few armoured vehicles remaining, the surviving German forces withdrew to prepared positions elsewhere in Hungary.[citation needed] The Soviet counteroffensive continued and these positions[where?] were soon overrun.
On 30 March, the Soviet 3rd Ukrainian Front crossed from Hungary into Austria.
By 4 April, Sepp Dietrich’s Sixth SS Panzer Army was already in the Vienna area desperately setting up the city’s defenses against the anticipated Soviet Vienna Offensive. Already approaching and encircling the Austrian capital city were the Soviet 4th Guards Tank Army, the Soviet 6th Guards Tank Army, the Soviet 9th Guards Army, and the Soviet 46th Army. The Soviet’s Vienna Offensive ended with the fall of the city on 13 April. By 15 April, the remnants of the Sixth SS Panzer Army were north of Vienna, facing the Soviet 9th Guards Tank Army and 46th Army.
By 15 April, the remnants of the German Sixth Army were north of Graz, facing the Soviet 26th and 27th Armies. The remnants of the German Second Panzer Army were south of Graz in the Maribor area, facing the Soviet 57th Army and the Bulgarian First Army. Between 25 April and 4 May, the Second Panzer Army was attacked near Nagykanizsa during the Nagykanizsa–Körmend Offensive.
Some Hungarian units survived the fall of Budapest and the destruction which followed when the Soviets counterattacked after Operation Spring Awakening. The Hungarian Szent László Infantry Division was still indicated to be attached to the German Second Panzer Army as late as 30 April.Between 16 and 25 March, the Hungarian Third Army was destroyed about 40 kilometres (25 mi) west of Budapest by the Soviet 46th Army which was driving towards Bratislava and the Vienna area.
Aftermath
German casualties
Operation Spring Awakening was a failure for Germany. Given the timing of the offensive and the relative strength of German forces, the notion of pitting weakened German units, especially some returning from the Battle of the Bulge, against larger Soviet forces led the plan to be doomed from the start.
Armband order
The “armband order” was an order issued to the commander of German Sixth SS Panzer Army, Sepp Dietrich, by Adolf Hitler, who claimed that the troops, and, more importantly, the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, “did not fight as the situation demanded.” As a mark of disgrace, the Leibstandarte units involved in the battle were ordered to remove their treasured “Adolf Hitler” cuff titles (German: Armband). In the field, Sepp Dietrich was disgusted by Hitler’s order and did not relay it to his troops
Images
106 image of knocked out German panzer in various Hungarian operations
http://trinixy.ru/66309-balatonskaya-oboronitelnaya-operaciya-106-foto.html
I do enjoy seeing German Armor all Bustimacated like that. :mrgreen:
Images
A soviet submachine gunner in cover at the streets of Budapest 1945
http://www.ww2incolor.com/soviet-union/aBudapest_001.html
Attention dear readers!
New topic started in the “Other Military Units” section called “The First Royal Hungarian University Assault Battallion in the siege of Budapest”
The topic contains the story of students from the hungarian universities who be a volunteer of the hungarian army and made own battallion from the young students and fights along with the german Wehrmacht and Waffen SS to defend the hungarian capitol from the Red Army
Pictures and videos from the period (translation is aviable for the videos)
For the topic please simply click here or visit the Other Military Units section in the Forum main menu
http://www.ww2incolor.com/forum/showthread.php/15166-The-First-Royal-Hungarian-University-Assault-Battalion-in-the-siege-of-Budapest
Newspapers from the western Hungary of the city of Győr 15th of february in 1945
In defense
[i]They continued to fight superhuman, what began in Budapest. The Red Sea liberated us, it’s filthy, terrible floods threatened the elöntéssel Transdanubia as well. It had to lose the whole of Hungary.
If some soft-hearted commander’s fate is in the hands of Budapest, Pest-Buda it can not protect and you tear across the influx of Russian capital and conquered us.
Not to be denied, because of the treachery that suddenly gained ground against the Bolshevik army ammunition, weapons sufficiently into non-mentally disrupted army could not resist the Russian tide.
I needed a rock, which stops the flood. Armed, brave men were needed who death-defying throws themselves in front of the tide.
Had the Danube Pearl had to Budapest heroic men of inhabitants and buildings, they had this flesh and blood, steel, iron and tear a castle shines city to maintain catch the red wave as long as itself found in West Hungary in Hungarista soul and gave birth to new divisions, which will now run through the ruins and more decisive fight against the ruins of Budapest hero and the heroic dead of hekatombáin red wave crashed over the bows, but this attack cleanses the way for new, more social life in front of the Hungarian Hungarista Hungary.
Since Christmas stormed Pest, Buda and the red tide. Alcazar hero they enter their name from the Spanish defenders of Spanish history. Alcazar commander of the guard when the Reds were called and the phone told: your son shot dead if you do not give up your castle Alcazar commander of the father is not agonizing over whether it is worth it to take the greatest sacrifice!
He said, defending the fort until death. He heard the phone to his son’s life blanking weapon bang, but fought more!
It was worth? Yes! Alcazar has increased the Spanish people’s faith. Alcazar broken strength of Franco and the Reds got the time to prepare for a winning attack.
Budapest, Hungary became Alcazar.
Budapest hero of German and Hungarian defenders is not asked, is it worth it because they knew worth fighting for and from house to house to keep you in the Bolshevik seizure, felőrölni great Bolshevik forces, during which they compose himself during the nearly two-month self-sacrificing struggle of West Hungary and German Hungarian defense.
Faith in rock defenders stopped the red tide. And if the numerical superiority, the alternatively set aside Bolshevik divisions seizure átcsapna also in Buda, had fought Budapest’s defense centuries glowing, iconic their struggle, which saved the Transdanubia and prepared during the fighting German and Hungarian forces in protection of the heroic time and tax önfeláldozásából start to the final, decisive victorious assault.
If the attacking army’s heroism, self-sacrifice is worthy of protection in, it will again be free of suffering, bleeding from Hungary!
At this point, if any number of life, suffering and has also been any number of buildings in shambles, it was worth!
[/i]
In: Győr National Newspapers, 15 February 1945, page 1
Newspapers from the western Hungary of the city of Győr 15th of february in 1945
[i]Military report
… The last chapter of the struggle waged for Budapest received. Despite the desperate resistance of the defenders of the small number of Gellert Hill and Buda part of the city was lost.
The rest of the Hungarian frontline combat activities only a local nature.
A military report communicated to the competent complement to place the Budapest fought Hungarian army corps, volunteer Hungarista groups and voluntary university battalions of the same fighting German ties shoulder to shoulder now 7 th week of steadfast foot the enemy in overwhelming numerical and material predominates between the conceivable worst conditions Renewable attacks of. This fight civilians in his exemplary conduct of this brilliant and effectively supported by evidence of the Hungarian people fighting undiminished dedication. The National Director of the Budapest commanding officers were promoted or honored. The German armed SS commander general of the Hungarian Grand Cross of the Order of Merit bestowed, so as to express the gratitude and appreciation of the entire nation. In addition to the Hungarist legions, the garrison and the civilian population self-sacrificing struggle of the German comrades superhuman struggle protruding from it.
The German troops devoted an unprecedented battle for Budapest. For a city not put a single person in a tough financial empire of blood and sacrifice, for Budapest. The superhuman efforts for the liberation of Budapest is proof of this. How many German comrades sacrificed his life within the walls of the capital and Exemptions battles to get back to the citadel of the Hungarian answer the nation. The historical relations between the two nations has strengthened its empire. This sacred covenant sealed with blood must not break apart the eastern plains beast.
[/i]
In: Győr National Newspapers, 15 February 1945, page 1
Notice the numbers on the crushed panzers . Those numbers were painted by the members of red army booty-comission which counted all the cnocked out enemys panzers. The last number i found was 356a - all of the tanks were heavy Panthers , jagpanters and Tigers1/2 - that makes the battle of budapest fatal for german panzers. Such huge casualties of heavy panzers they had never before
Thanks for all the info Imi, but your english is horrible, it’s almost impossible to understand the memoirs and other things you explain… This is why I would like some kind of sources, or atleast the original text in Hungarian so I can translate it myself…
I read the “debate” about sources and I was shocked to see your explanation for not providing any by basically saying “just trust me”… It’s obvious you have translated these from some kind of original hungarian text (in some memoirs you still have small parts of hungarian left)… I want sources not becasue I don’t trust you, but because your english is so bad its hard to understand, and if we can get the original text, people can atleast use google translate to get a better picture…
Is there any chance you can provide atleast a source for the memoirs? I would love to read them in hungarian.
Hi Ason,and welcome to the Site. IMI hasn’t been around for nearly a year, so you may be waiting awhile for a response. But have a good look around, there may be other threads that interest you while you wait.
Hello Ason. Nice to see new member for Hungary here.
You will be laught, but endeed most of english readers ( and most of non-english) here understand him well enough. We all, wery apreciate the Imi’s participations in this forum and most of us , after the learning his dramatic personal story, can trust him enough.