Days of Battle : Armoured Operations North of the River Danube, Hungary 1944–45

449 Pages·2013·10.95 MB·English

by  Norbert Számvéber

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Published by Helion & Company 2013
Designed and typeset by Farr out Publications, Wokingham, Berkshire
Cover designed by Farr out Publications, Wokingham, Berkshire
Printed by Gutenberg Press Limited, Tarxien, Malta
Text © Norbert Számvéber 2013.
Maps © Barbara Taylor 2013.
Originally published as Páncélosok a Felvidéken, Páncélosütközetek a Dunától északra,
1944–1945 (Nagykovácsi: Puedlo Kiadó, 2008).
ISBN: 978 1 907677 64 9
EPUB ISBN: 978 1 910294 20 8
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
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Front cover: Armoured personnel carriers of German Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 6 on
the bridge east of Komárom, December 1944. (Photo courtesy by Mirko Bayerl).
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Contents
List of maps
List of tables
Glossary of German Military Terms
Introduction
1. Armour along the Ipoly and the Garam (11-31 December 1944)
2. Averting the counterattack: the tank battle at Komárom (6-22 January
1945)
Photo Gallery

3. Operation “Südwind” (17-24 February 1945)
4. Attack of the Soviet-Romanian forces in the direction of Bratislava–Brno
(25-31 March 1945)
Appendices
I. Order of battle of the Division “Szent László” as of 21-22 December 1944
II. Armoured strength of the Hungarian 2nd Armoured Division, December
1944
Bibliography
List of maps
In colour section
General key for all maps
The region of Ipolyság, area of combat actions 11-17 December 1944.
The region of the Garam and Ipoly rivers, area of combat actions 18-31
December 1944.
Overview map for combat actions 6 January-31 March 1945.
The battle of Komárom 6 January to the dawn of 7 January 1945.
The battle of Komárom 7 January 1945.
The battle of Komárom 8-9 January 1945.
The battle of Komárom 10-11 January 1945.
The battle of Komárom 12-13 January 1945.
The battle of Komárom 14-16 January 1945.
The battle of Komárom 17-22 January 1945.
Operation “Südwind” 17-24 February 1945.
The Soviet advance towards Brno and Bratislava 25-31 March 1945.
List of tables
Table 1 – Strength of LXXII. Armeekorps, 19 December 1944
Table 2 – Strength of the three Panzer divisions of LVII. Panzerkorps, 21
December 1944
Table 3 – Combat strength of LXXII. Armeekorps, 27 December 1944
Table 4 – Armoured fighting vehicle strength of LXXII. Armeekorps, 28
December 1944
Table 5 – German and Hungarian armoured fighting vehicle losses, 20-30
December 1944
Table 6 – Soviet tank and self-propelled gun losses, 20-30 December 1944
Table 7 – Strength of 9th Guards Mechanized Corps, 5 January 1945
Table 8 – Strength of 5th Guards Tank Corps, 5 January 1945
Table 9 – Armoured fighting vehicle strength of 6th Guards Tank Army,
22January 1945
Table 10 – Comparative strength of armoured fighting vehicles, 6-20 January
1945
Table 11 – Heeresgruppe Süd casualties, 6-22 January 1945
Table 12 – Comparative losses, 6-22 January 1945
Table 13 – Strength of the two Panzer divisions of Panzerkorps
“Feldherrnhalle”, beginning of Operation “Südwind”
Table 14 – Armoured strength of German units participating in Operation
“Südwind”, 17 February 1945
Table 15 – Armoured strength of independent German units participating in
Operation “Südwind”, 20 February 1945
Table 16 – Soviet losses according to German reports, 17-22 February 1945
Table 17 – Strength and combat readiness of German formations fighting on the
western bank of the Garam, 24 February 1945
Table 18 – German battle casualties, 17-22 February 1945
Table 19 – German combat-ready armoured strength, 24 February 1945
Table 20 – Armoured strength of I.SS-Panzerkorps before and after Operation
“Südwind”, 1945
Table 21 – Armoured fighting vehicle strength of 2nd Romanian Tank
Regiment, 11 March 1945
Table 22 – Units defending the Hungarian sector of the Garam attached to
Panzerkorps “Feldherrnhalle”, 24 March 1945
Glossary of German Military Terms
Abteilung detachment/battalion (dependent upon context)
Abteilungskommandeur detachment/battalion commander
Abteilungsarzt detachment/battalion doctor
Armeekorps Army Corps
Artillerie artillery
Arzt doctor
Aufklärung reconnaissance
Aufklärungsabteilung reconnaissance detachment
Aufklärungszug reconnaissance platoon
Aufstellungsstab formation staff
Ausbildungs training
Ausbildungs und Ersatz training and replacement
Bataillon battalion
Bataillonsarzt battalion doctor
Batterie battery
Befehlshaber senior area commander
Chefsarzt head surgeon
d.R. (der Reserve) reserve grade officer
Divisionsarzt (IVb) divisional doctor
Divisionsbegleitkompanie divisional escort company
Divisionsstab divisional staff
Einheit unit, could be a generic term, or refer to a
specific, often temporary unit, e.g. Einheit
“Krause”
Einsatzstab operational staff
Ersatz replacement
Feldbrückekolonne field bridging column
Feldlazarett field hospital
Flak anti-aircraft
General Staff Officer
General Staff Officer
Generalstabsoffizier
Gruppe squad
Gruppenführer squad leader, also an SS General officer rank
Halbzugführer half platoon leader
Hauptmann beim Stabe battalion staffhead
Heeresgruppe Army Group
Hilfsarzt assistant doctor
Ia first staff officer (1. Generalstabsoffizier)
Ib supply officer
Ic intelligence officer
IIa adjutant
IVa administrative officer
IVb doctor
V engineer
Infanterie infantry
Inspekteur Inspector
Instandsetzungsabteilung maintenance detachment
Kampfgruppe battle group (temporarily assembled)
Kommandeur commander
Kompanie company
Kompanie Chef company commander (permanent)
Kompanie Führer company leader (not permanently designated,
although they often were later)
Korps corps
Kraderkundungszug motorcycle reconnaissance platoon
Kradmelderzug motorcycle dispatch rider platoon
Kradschützen motorcycle riflemen
Kradschützenzug motorcycle platoon
Krankenkraftwagenkolonne ambulance column
Lehrgruppe teaching group
leichte light
Major beim Stabe regimental staffhead
MLR
MLR
main line of resistance (in German, HKL,
hauptkampflinie)
Nachschubdienst supply service
Nachschubtruppen supply troops
Nachrichten signals/communications
Nachrichten Offizier signals officer
Nachrichtenzug signals platoon
Nachrichtenabteilung signals detachment
NPEA Nationalpolitische Erziehungsansalt, National
Political Education Institute
O1 ordnance officer, assigned to Ia
O2 ordnance officer, assigned to Ib
Offizier Officer
Ordnungspolizei Order Police (uniformed)
Ordonnanz Offizier ordnance officer
Panzer armour/tank
Panzergrenadier armoured infantry
Panzergrenadierschule armoured infantry school
Panzerjäger tank hunter
Panzerjägerzug tank hunter platoon
Panzerjäger Abteilung tank hunter detachment
Panzerkorps armored corps
Pionier engineer
Pionier Bataillon engineer battalion
Regimentsarzt regimental doctor
Regimentskommandeur regimental commander
Sanitäts medical
Sanitätsabteilung medical detachment
Sanitätskompanie medical company
Sanitäts Staffel medical group
Scheinwerfer searchlight
Schirrmeister NCO for motor vehicles
Stab staff/HQ
Stabsbatterie staff battery
Stabschef Chief of Staff
Stabskompanie staffcompany
Stabsscharführer senior designated NCO
Sturmgeschütz assault gun (limited traverse armored vehicle)
TFK Technical Officer for Vehicles
TFW Technical Officer for Weapons
Truppführer squad leader
Truppenübungsplatz troop training area
Unterführeranwärter non-commissioned officer-candidate instruction
Lehrgang course
Versorgungskompanie supply company
Verwaltungsführer officer responsible for administration
Verwaltungsoffzier administrative officer
Werfer rocket projector
Werkmeister maintenance foreman
Werkstattkompanie repair company
Werkstattzug repair platoon
Wirtschafts Abteilung administrative detachment
Zahnarzt dentist
Zug platoon
Zugführer platoon leader
II. Zugführer 2nd platoon leader