Last Panzer Battles in Hungary

by Norbert Számvéber

Besides giving a detailed chronological description of the events, the book tries to find answers to these questions.

Last Panzer Battles in Hungary

Author: Norbert Számvéber

Publisher: Peko Publishing

ISBN: 9786155583292

Page:

View: 327

In the last phase of the Second World War the Sixth Panzer Army was the last army available to the German military leadership which was more or less intact and was capable of launching a major offensive. After it had been withdrawn from the Western front in the aftermath of the failed Ardennes counter offensive, it was replenished with men and gears as fully as was possible in the given circumstances, and as a result it almost regained its 1944 autumn strength. It would not have been a surprise if it had been deployed on German territory against the Allied troops advancing to Rhine, or in Silesia or in the Baltics or even if it had been sent as a reinforcement to the Army Group Vistula to defend the distant approaches to Berlin against the advancing Soviet army - reinforcement and fresh troops capable of launching counter offensives were desperately needed everywhere. But it happened otherwise: the Sixth Army was deployed in Hungary and participated in the Operation Spring Awakening, launched in the western part of the country on 6th of March, 1945. This was the last German "big offensive" in the course of the Second World War. Several questions come to mind about the operation. What were the goals originally set to be achieved by this seemingly pointless attack? What role was assigned to the once formidable German Panzer Corps? Is it true that the Soviet command used the same defense directives as had been used during the battle of Kursk in 1943 because they had proved to be viable then? What types of tanks and armored vehicles fight in West Hungary and in what numbers? How did the American made M4A2 tanks manned by Soviet crews fare against the much heavier German Panther and Tiger B tanks on the Hungarian soil? What were the losses on both sides in tanks and armored vehicles? To what extent can be the prompt and powerful response of the Soviet side - the offensive towards Vienna - evaluated as being successful? How did the Germans, the Soviets, the Hungarians and the Bulgarians use their tanks and armored vehicles in this operation? Besides giving a detailed chronological description of the events, the book tries to find answers to these questions. The facts extracted from the operational documents of the fighting sides have been supplemented with excerpts from diaries and memoirs, and even the maps have been drawn on the basis of the original ones. The author has explored some new archival sources kept in Russian archives and also incorporated some published Russian materials into his research that was neglected up until now by other researchers, along with some newly published German memoirs - all this has made possible to create a narrative of the events related to us by the author in hitherto unprecedented detail.

Tomb of the Panzerwaffe

by Aleksei Isaev

This edition is lavishly illustrated with over a hundred rare photographs of destroyed or disabled German armor taken shortly after the battle by a Soviet inspection team, besides other photographs and specially commissioned color maps.

Tomb of the Panzerwaffe

Author: Aleksei Isaev

Publisher:

ISBN: 1912174693

Page: 200

View: 750

In March 1945 the German Wehrmacht undertook its final attempt to change the course of the war by launching a counteroffensive in the area of Lake Balaton, Hungary. Here, the best panzer forces of the Third Reich and the elite of the Panzerwaffe were assembled - the panzer divisions SS Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, Das Reich, Totenkopf, Wiking and others, staffed by ardent believers in Nazism and armed with the most up-to-date combat equipment, including up to 900 tanks and self-propelled guns. At the time, this was considered a secondary axis for the Red Army, and thus the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front had to stop the German counteroffensive with their own forces and could not count upon reinforcements from the Stavka Reserve, which were needed for the decisive storming of Berlin. Relying upon their combat skill and rich combat experience, the Soviet troops carried out this task with honor, stopping the tidal wave of German armor and inflicting a decisive defeat and enormous, irreplaceable losses upon the enemy. The defeat of the Sixth SS Panzer Army became a genuine catastrophe for Germany, and Balaton became the tomb of the Panzerwaffe. In this book, penned by two leading Russian military historians, this major defeat suffered by the Wehrmacht has been described and analyzed for the first time using data from both Soviet and German archives. It focuses not only on Operation Spring Awakening, but also describes the preceding Konrad offensives conducted by the Germans in the effort to come to the aid of the encircled and desperate German and fascist Hungarian defenders of Budapest. This edition is lavishly illustrated with over a hundred rare photographs of destroyed or disabled German armor taken shortly after the battle by a Soviet inspection team, besides other photographs and specially commissioned color maps.

Days of Battle

by Nortbert Számvéber

The book's authoritative text is supported by photographs and color battle maps. This is a very important new study that throws much-needed light on armored warfare on the Eastern Front during the final months of the war.

Days of Battle

Author: Nortbert Számvéber

Publisher: Helion and Company

ISBN: 190767764X

Page: 288

View: 208

Days of Battle describes a hitherto neglected part of the military history of Hungary during World War II. Dr Norbert Számvéber the presents detailed accounts of four important clashes of German-Hungarian and Soviet armor north of the river Danube, in the southern territory of the historical Upper Hungary (part of Hungary between 1938 and 1945, at the present time now part of Slovakia) in three separate studies. The first is an account of the battle between the Ipoly and Garam rivers during the second half of December 1944, in which the élite Hungarian Division "Szent László" saw action for the first time. The second study is about the fierce tank battle of Komárom, fought between the 6-22 January 1945. This was an integral part of the Battle for Budapest, parallel in time with Operation "Konrad". The third part of the book describes the combat during the German Operation "Südwind" in February 1945 and the Soviet attack launched in the direction of Bratislava in March 1945. The author, chief of Hungary's military archives, has based his research firmly on files and documentation from German, Hungarian and Soviet sources. The book's authoritative text is supported by photographs and color battle maps. This is a very important new study that throws much-needed light on armored warfare on the Eastern Front during the final months of the war.

Hungary 1944 1945

by Philippe Guillemot

Following the dramatic destruction of Army Group Centre and overshadowed by Koniev’s and Zhukov’s rush on Berlin, this particular theater of operations has been somewhat ignored.

Hungary 1944 1945

Author: Philippe Guillemot

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

ISBN: 9782352501558

Page: 80

View: 630

Following the dramatic destruction of Army Group Centre and overshadowed by Koniev’s and Zhukov’s rush on Berlin, this particular theater of operations has been somewhat ignored. This monograph is an opportunity to go into the details of these clashes whose last convulsions one month and three weeks before the German capitulation at Reims were definitively the Panzers’ last lunge.

The Battle for Budapest 1944 1945

by Anthony Tucker-Jones

Anthony Tucker-Jones’s photographic history is a fascinating and graphic introduction to this neglected episode in the closing months of the war.

The Battle for Budapest 1944 1945

Author: Anthony Tucker-Jones

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

ISBN: 1473877342

Page: 128

View: 215

The desperate struggle between the Wehrmacht and the Red Army for Budapest in 1944 and 1945 was as lethal and destructive as any of the urban battles fought during the Second World War. The losses of men and equipment sustained by the Germans were so great that they hastened the collapse of Hitler’s regime. Yet what happened in Budapest is less well remembered today than other flash points in the conflict on the Eastern Front. Anthony Tucker-Jones’s photographic history is a fascinating and graphic introduction to this neglected episode in the closing months of the war. The battle began with Operation Panzerfaust in October 1944 when the Germans seized Hungarian leader Admiral Horthy to prevent his country defecting to the Soviets. Red Army advances then left German and Hungarian units trapped in the city and sparked fifty days of intense fighting. Then in March 1945 Hitler launched Operation Spring Awakening, the reckless final German offensive of the war, designed to recapture Budapest and stabilize the Eastern Front. It failed spectacularly, opening the road to Vienna for the Red Army. The selection of archive photographs gives a sharp insight into every aspect of the fighting in and around Budapest and records the ravaged city the battle left behind.

The Hungarian Quarterly

by

When Szálasi came to power as the Germans ' very last resort , the Red Army
was already deep in Hungary , winning a crucial tank battle some one hundred
miles east of the Hungarian capital . Early in The Siege of Budapest , Ungváry ...

The Hungarian Quarterly

Author:

Publisher:

ISBN:

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Battle for Budapest

by Krisztián Ungváry

The battle of Budapest in the bleak winter of 1944-45 was one of the longest and bloodiest city sieges of World War II. From the appearance of the first Soviet tanks on the outskirts of the capital to the capture of Buda Castle, 102 days ...

Battle for Budapest

Author: Krisztián Ungváry

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

ISBN: 0857710710

Page: 392

View: 828

This title is presented with a new foreword by Istvan Deak. The battle of Budapest in the bleak winter of 1944-45 was one of the longest and bloodiest city sieges of World War II. From the appearance of the first Soviet tanks on the outskirts of the capital to the capture of Buda Castle, 102 days elapsed. In terms of human trauma, it comes second only to Stalingrad, comparisons to which were even being made by soldiers, both German and Soviet, fighting at the time. This definitive history covers their experiences, and those of the 800,000 non-combatants around whom the battle raged.

Panzerkrieg

by Mike Syron

In March the last great panzer battle took place, although not in Poland or
Germany, but Hungary. In midJanuary the 4th SS Panzerkorps had narrowly
failed to relieve the besieged garrison trapped in the Hungarian capital,
Budapest.

Panzerkrieg

Author: Mike Syron

Publisher: Hachette UK

ISBN: 1472107802

Page: 160

View: 287

For many people the very image of Blitzkrieg is of massed columns of tanks sweeping through Europe, smashing all resistance and leaving a trail of devastation in their wake. Indeed, it was the Panzers' achievements in battle that were largely responsible for Germany's early run of success in the Second World War and, once the tide of war began to turn against the Reich, the Panzers subsequently became the backbone of its defence. The dramatic story of Hitler's tank divisions is brought to life in this authoritative narrative. Panzerkrieg vividly describes the evolution, exploits and eventual destruction of this superlative fighting force in immensely readable fashion. Particularly accessible to the general reader who wants to know more about Germany's Second World War tank forces, the authors dispense with technical jargon and pedantic detail to give a comprehensive overview of all aspects of the subject, both human and technical. The book gives particular emphasis to the men who fought in and led the Panzer divisions: great generals like Guderian, Rommel and Manstein, tank masters like Wittmann and Bake, and inspired commanders like Balck and Bayerlein. The whole vast canvas of the war emerges from this narrative, as it follows the titanic struggles which ranged between the bocage country of France, the desert wastes of North Africa, and the limitless steppes of Russia. The evolution of German fighting vehicles and tactics is fully charted, and the many myths, fallacies and misconceptions that have grown up around the Panzerwaffe are exploded. Extensive research, reference to the memoirs of the leading participants, and original new conclusions all contribute to a comprehensive account that critically examines the achievements, failures, and ultimate legacy of the Panzer divisions. Features INCLUDE: The secret pre-war birth and development of the Panzerwaffe The lightning campaigns in Poland and France The four bloody years of the Russian campaign, the greatest clash of arms the world has ever seen The exploits of Rommel and his Africa Corps Hitler's increasingly disastrous influence on the Panzerwaffe Disputes between the Panzer officers and their High Command Portraits of the Panzerwaffe's leaders Detailed analysis of the great tank battles such as Kursk and the Battle of the Bulge, with clear maps Comparative rank and organizational charts Information on the technical evolution of Germany's armoured fighting vehicles, including the development of the mighty Tigers and Panthers Unique sections on uniforms, crew functions and how German tanks were built Rare coverage of how the Panzer leaders fared after the war The legacy of the Panzers

The Allure of Battle

by Cathal Nolan

With even more futility, Germans attacked for the very last time into Hungary in
March 1945, their last offensive of any kind in World War II. Air supremacy fixed
the last panzers in place and destroyed them, freezing all movement until
remnant ...

The Allure of Battle

Author: Cathal Nolan

Publisher: Oxford University Press

ISBN: 0199874654

Page: 320

View: 506

History has tended to measure war's winners and losers in terms of its major engagements, battles in which the result was so clear-cut that they could be considered "decisive." Cannae, Konigsberg, Austerlitz, Midway, Agincourt-all resonate in the literature of war and in our imaginations as tide-turning. But these legendary battles may or may not have determined the final outcome of the wars in which they were fought. Nor has the "genius" of the so-called Great Captains - from Alexander the Great to Frederick the Great and Napoleon - play a major role. Wars are decided in other ways. Cathal J. Nolan's The Allure of Battle systematically and engrossingly examines the great battles, tracing what he calls "short-war thinking," the hope that victory might be swift and wars brief. As he proves persuasively, however, such has almost never been the case. Even the major engagements have mainly contributed to victory or defeat by accelerating the erosion of the other side's defences. Massive conflicts, the so-called "people's wars," beginning with Napoleon and continuing until 1945, have consisted of and been determined by prolonged stalemate and attrition, industrial wars in which the determining factor has been not military but matériel. Nolan's masterful book places battles squarely and mercilessly within the context of the wider conflict in which they took place. In the process it help corrects a distorted view of battle's role in war, replacing popular images of the "battles of annihilation" with somber appreciation of the commitments and human sacrifices made throughout centuries of war particularly among the Great Powers. Accessible, provocative, exhaustive, and illuminating, The Allure of Battle will spark fresh debate about the history and conduct of warfare.

Armor Battles of the Waffen SS

by Will Fey

11 The Panzer Battle for Kursk—Operation “Zitadelle,” July 1943 . ... 19 Panzer
Battles Between the Mius and Dnjepr Rivers, Autumn of 1943 . ... 221 Part III: Last
Battles on the Eastern Front: Hungary, Vienna, ix Table Of Contents.

Armor Battles of the Waffen SS

Author: Will Fey

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

ISBN: 0811769178

Page: 400

View: 273

The Waffen-SS were considered the elite of the German armed forces in the Second World War and were involved in almost continuous combat. From the sweeping tank battle of Kursk on the Russian front to the bitter fighting among the hedgerows of Normandy and the last great offensive in the Ardennes, forever immortalized in history as the Battle of the Bulge, these men and their tanks made history.

To the Last Huszar Hungarian General s Handbook 1939 1945 A Panzer Korps Module

by Alexander Bagosy

On December 6th, 1944, Hitler proclaimed Budapest a “Fortress City,” meaning
that no effort would be spared, with a required defense to the last man. The Battle
of Budapest raged for more than one hundred days, with 79,000 Hungarian and ...

To the Last Huszar Hungarian General s Handbook 1939 1945 A Panzer Korps Module

Author: Alexander Bagosy

Publisher: Lulu Press, Inc

ISBN: 1257607952

Page:

View: 507

The complete General's handbook for Hungarian forces in World War II for use with Panzer Korps divisional rules system. Covers all of the Hungarian forces from 1939 thru 1945 including artillery, vehicles, aircraft, and organization of forces.

SS Steel Rain

by Tim Ripley

Waffen-SS Panzer Battles in the West, 1944-1945 Tim Ripley. CHAPTER 16 ...
This time their Führer wanted his panzer élite to turn back the Soviet spearheads
that had overrun Hungary and were threatening the Third Reich ' s last oilfields .

SS Steel Rain

Author: Tim Ripley

Publisher: Spellmount, Limited Publishers

ISBN:

Page: 224

View: 211

This miltary history gives the reader an account of the battles fought by the panzer divisions of the Waffen-SS, amongst one of the finest units in Germany. The author takes us from D-day to Arnhem, and through to the Battle of the Bulge.

Armoured Warfare in the Battle for Budapest

by Norbert Szamveber

Dr. Norbert Sz mv ber, author of several books and studies on the armoured warfare in the ww2, described and analysed the fierce armoured clashes in the first phase of the Budapest Operation in detail, based principally on archival sources.

Armoured Warfare in the Battle for Budapest

Author: Norbert Szamveber

Publisher: Peko Publishing

ISBN: 9786155583094

Page:

View: 932

On the Hungarian theater of war of the Eastern Front, the Soviet troops attempted to take Budapest repeatedly from the end of October 1944. However, the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Front forces only managed to encircle the Hungarian capital by the end of December 1944. The German troops, especially the battle groups of the Panzer Divisions and Panzergrenadier Divisions fought effective delaying combat. Dr. Norbert Szamveber, author of several books and studies on the armoured warfare in the ww2, described and analysed the fierce armoured clashes in the first phase of the Budapest Operation in detail, based principally on archival sources.

The Siege of Budapest

by Krisztián Ungváry

The book provides the first full account of this shocking battle. "As a military history [The Siege of Budapest] is unrivaled. . . . Magisterial.

The Siege of Budapest

Author: Krisztián Ungváry

Publisher: Yale University Press

ISBN: 9780300119855

Page: 475

View: 345

The definitive history of one of the fiercest battles of World War II This definitive history of one of the fiercest battles of World War II describes the siege of Budapest in unprecedented detail. Both Stalin and Hitler demanded victory at all costs, and the cost was extreme: 80,000 Soviet troops, 38,000 German and Hungarian soldiers, and 38,000 Hungarian civilians perished. The book provides the first full account of this shocking battle. "As a military history [The Siege of Budapest] is unrivaled. . . . Magisterial."--John Lukacs, New York Review of Books "An exceedingly dramatic book, filled with fascinating stories, some of them even humorous, and with heart-rending accounts of suffering, limitless cruelty, and amazing decency."--István Deák, New Republic "Ungváry has written a dramatic, gripping history of this siege, filling a gap in WWII history."--Choice

Panzer Ace

by Richard Freiherr von Rosen

. . It adds substantially to the knowledge of how the German Panzer Arm operated during the Second World War.”—Military Vehicles Magazine “The images accompany the story well.

Panzer Ace

Author: Richard Freiherr von Rosen

Publisher: Pen and Sword

ISBN: 178438268X

Page: 408

View: 137

Richard Freiherr von Rosen was a highly decorated Wehrmacht soldier and outstanding panzer commander. His memoirs are richly illustrated with contemporary photographs, including key confrontations of World War II.After serving as a gunlayer on a Pz.Mk.III during Barbarossa, he led a Company of Tigers at Kursk. Later he led a company of King Tiger panzers at Normandy and in late 1944 commanded a battle group (12 King Tigers and a flak Company) against the Russians in Hungary in the rank of junior, later senior lieutenant (from November 1944, his final rank.)Only 489 of these King Tiger tanks were ever built. They were the most powerful heavy tanks to see service, and only one kind of shell could penetrate their armor at a reasonable distance.Every effort had to be made to retrieve any of them bogged down or otherwise immobilized, which led to many towing adventures. The author has a fine memory and eye for detail. His account is easy to read and not technical, and adds substantially to the knowledge of how the German Panzer Arm operated in the Second World War.

Military History

by

... from the fighting in Normandy and during the Ardennes Offensive , to the last
battles in Hungary and East Prussia , and finally closing in the Battle for Berlin ,
you , as the reader will appreciate and understand the experiences of German
tank ...

Military History

Author:

Publisher:

ISBN:

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Tiger I and Tiger II Tanks

by Dennis Oliver

In his latest book in the TankCraft series, Dennis Oliver uses archive photos and extensively researched color illustrations to examine the Tiger tanks and units of the German Army and Waffen-SS heavy Panzer battalions that struggled to ...

Tiger I and Tiger II Tanks

Author: Dennis Oliver

Publisher: Pen and Sword Military

ISBN: 1526791234

Page: 64

View: 502

By the first weeks of 1945, the Eastern Front had been pushed back to the Carpathian mountain passes in the south and Warsaw on the Vistula River in the center, while in the north, the German army was fighting in East Prussia. The Wehrmacht's armored and mobile formations were now employed exclusively as fire brigades, rushed from one crisis to the next as the Red Army pushed inexorably westward. Critical to the German defense were the army's heavy Panzer battalions whose Tiger tanks, with their 8.8 cm guns, were almost invincible on the open plains of central Europe. In his latest book in the TankCraft series, Dennis Oliver uses archive photos and extensively researched color illustrations to examine the Tiger tanks and units of the German Army and Waffen-SS heavy Panzer battalions that struggled to resist the onslaught of Soviet armor during the last days of the conflict which culminated in the battle for Berlin. A key section of his book displays available model kits and aftermarket products, complemented by a gallery of beautifully constructed and painted models in various scales. Technical details as well as modifications introduced during production and in the field are also examined providing everything the modeler needs to recreate an accurate representation of these historic tanks.

Order in Chaos

by Hermann Balck

Available in English for the first time in an expertly edited and annotated edition, this important book provides essential information about the German military during a critical era in modern history.

Order in Chaos

Author: Hermann Balck

Publisher: University Press of Kentucky

ISBN: 0813161274

Page: 578

View: 918

German general Hermann Balck (1897--1982) was considered to be one of World War II's greatest battlefield commanders. His brilliantly fought battles were masterpieces of tactical agility, mobile counterattack, and the technique of Auftragstaktik, or "mission command." However, because he declined to participate in the U.S. Army's military history debriefing program, today he is known only to serious students of the war. Drawing heavily on his meticulously kept wartime journals, Balck discusses his childhood and his career through the First and Second World Wars. His memoir details the command decision-making process as well as operations on the ground during crucial battles, including the Battle of the Marne in World War I and his incredible victories against a larger and better-equipped Soviet army at the Chir River in World War II. Balck also offers observations on Germany's greatest generals, such as Erich Ludendorff and Heinz Guderian, and shares his thoughts on international relations, domestic politics, and Germany's place in history. Available in English for the first time in an expertly edited and annotated edition, this important book provides essential information about the German military during a critical era in modern history.

Take Budapest

by Kamen Nevenkin

Here, Kamen Nevenkin tells the fascinating story of this 'Market Garden'-like operation using a number of never before published German and Russian archival documents, including German papers exclusively held in the Russian militiary ...

Take Budapest

Author: Kamen Nevenkin

Publisher: The History Press

ISBN: 075247703X

Page: 192

View: 479

October 1944: Soviet troops launched a powerful attack on Budapest from the south, the culmination of a series of military, political, diplomatic and underground moves undertaken by Hitler, Stalin and Churchill since the collapse of the Axis front in the Balkans two months earlier. However, what had been planned as a bold stroke to knock Hungary out of the war and bring the Red Army as far as Munich quickly became a statemate. The end result was taht Stalin's forces failed to reach Bavaria, but the dictator was not disappointed: Soviet pressure against the German southern flank forced Hitler to transfer a consdierable number of his armoured reserves to Hungary and thus largely facilitated Zhukov's drive on to Berlin. Here, Kamen Nevenkin tells the fascinating story of this 'Market Garden'-like operation using a number of never before published German and Russian archival documents, including German papers exclusively held in the Russian militiary archive. The text is dynamic, easy to read and accompanied by previously unpublished photographs. A detailed tactical narrative, Nevenkin also uses first-person accounts to render a human tale of war to create an ultimately fascinating read.