The beginning of the liberation of Hungary by Soviet troops. Strengthening the anti-fascist struggle of the Hungarian people
The German-Hungarian command on the outskirts of Budapest created a defense in depth, consisting of three defensive lines that rested with their flanks in the Danube River north and south of the city.
As a result of the Debrecen offensive operation (the first operation of the Red Army on the territory of Hungary), the troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front under the command of Marshal of the Soviet Union R. Ya. Malinovsky reached the border of Chop, Szolnok, Baia. They were opposed by the German Army Group South (8th and 6th Field, 2nd German Tank and 3rd Hungarian Army), commanded by General G. Frisner. The 3rd Ukrainian Front of Marshal of the Soviet Union F.I. Tolbukhin was also involved in the Budapest operation, who, having completed the Belgrade operation, began regrouping troops in the southern regions of Hungary with the aim of forcing the Danube and attacking Transdanubia Hungary.The German-Hungarian command on the outskirts of Budapest created a defense in depth, consisting of three defensive lines that rested with their flanks in the Danube River north and south of the city. The Budapest defense region was an integral part of the Margarita defensive line, which ran from the Drava River along the southwestern coast of Lake Balaton and Velenz to the Danube bend near the town of Vac and further along the Czechoslovak-Hungarian border. The city itself was turned into a fortress. By the beginning of the operation, the southeastern approaches to Budapest were defended by troops of the 3rd Hungarian army, reinforced by German tank and motorized divisions. Here, on the 250-km front from Polgar (45 km west of Nyiregyhazy) to Baye, 11 enemy divisions operated against 36 Soviet. The main forces of Army Group South, which included 32.5 divisions, acted on the Nyirekhaz-Mishkoltsky direction and were constrained by Soviet troops on the front from Duklinsky Pass to Polgar.
The idea of \u200b\u200bthe Supreme Command Headquarters on the operation was to deliver the main blow to Budapest from the southeast and east. This decision was predetermined by the fact that this direction was the most convenient for the advance of the Soviet troops and was covered by the relatively weak enemy forces. Given these circumstances, the Supreme Command ordered the commander of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, who had just completed the Debrecen operation, to launch an offensive between Tisza and the Danube in a general direction to Budapest without any pause by the forces of the left wing. With an immediate transition to the offensive, the Stavka sought to forestall the possible strengthening of the enemy's Budapest grouping by transferring its troops from the Miskolc region. The insistence of such actions was also determined by the precarious political situation of the ruling regime in Hungary.
The commander of the 2nd Ukrainian Front decided to deliver the main attack with the forces of the 46th Army, the 2nd and 4th Guards Mechanized Corps south-east of Budapest. The 7th Guards Army was to launch an auxiliary strike from the area northeast of the city of Szolnok and seize a bridgehead on the west bank of the Tisza River. The remaining front forces were given the task of advancing in the direction of Miskolc, in order to forge the opposing enemy troops and prevent their transfer to the Budapest area.
Marshal F.I. Tolbukhin planned to complete the concentration of the main forces in the region of the Yugoslav city of Banat and at the same time take forward bridgeheads on the right bank of the Danube in Hungary with advanced units.
The offensive began on October 29th. On the left wing of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, the 46th Army, under the command of Lieutenant General I.T. Shlemin, broke through the defenses on the very first day and, introducing mechanized corps, began a rapid advance. On November 2, these buildings were already 15 km southeast of Budapest, but were unable to enter the city on the fly. The reason was that the German command quickly transferred three armored and motorized divisions to Budapest, which, having occupied defensive contours, were able to stop the advance of the Soviet troops. In the center and on the right wing of the front, Soviet troops met with serious resistance from the enemy when crossing the Tisza River.
The VGK headquarters was forced to indicate to the commander of the 2nd Ukrainian Front that further attempts to attack Budapest in a narrow section with limited forces could lead to unjustified losses and put troops operating in this direction under the enemy flank attack from the north-east. On November 4, the Stavka demanded that Marshal R. Ya. Malinovsky expedite the withdrawal of front troops on the right bank of the Tisza in order to defeat the Budapest enemy group with strikes from the north, northeast and south. In order to strengthen the forces of the center of the front, the regrouping of the 6th Guards Tank Army, Lieutenant General A. G. Kravchenko, and the horse-mechanized group of Lieutenant General I. A. Pliev, previously operating in the direction of Debrecen - Nyiregyhaz, began here.
Following these instructions, the forces of the front on November 11 resumed the offensive. It lasted 16 days. However, it was not possible to cut and defeat the Budapest group east of the city. The second attempt to seize Budapest was unsuccessful. After the regrouping of the tank army, the forces of the front center went on the offensive and crossed the Tisza River by November 10th. Developing the offensive, the mobile forces captured the city of Hatvan on November 26, and by the end of November - the city of Eger, thus aligning the front line occupied by the left wing forces that had previously advanced to Budapest.
Thus, the troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front by the end of November achieved significant success. At the same time, it should be noted that the main task — to defeat the enemy’s Budapest grouping — was not accomplished by the front. The enemy managed to create a dense defense at the immediate approaches to Budapest, transferring 12 divisions to the Budapest direction from the 4th Ukrainian Front, whose offensive developed extremely slowly in late October - the first half of November. The headquarters demanded that his commander conduct an offensive with full force in order to quickly reach the border of the Ondava River. Fulfilling this instruction, the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front broke through the enemy defenses in the second half of November, captured the cities of Humenne and Michalovce on November 26, and proceeded to force the Ondava River in the advanced units.
On December 5, 1944, the 2nd Ukrainian Front resumed the offensive. For eight days, the forces of the center and the left wing tried to surround the enemy by bypassing from the north and southwest. At the same time, the mobile formations of the front reached the Ipel River, bordering Czechoslovakia, together with the 7th Guards Army, Colonel General M.S.Shumilov, reached the left bank of the Danube near the town of Vac (20 km north of Budapest) and, advancing south from Vac, overcame the first and second lines of the external contour of the defense of Budapest. At the same time, the 46th Army crossed the Danube 15 km south of the city and captured a bridgehead 14 km along the front and 10–16 km in depth. But due to lack of strength and fierce resistance of the enemy, she could not go to the Hungarian capital from the south-west. Thus, the third attempt to seize Budapest was not successful.
At this time, the troops of Marshal F.I. Tolbukhin were finishing the regrouping from Belgrade to Budapest. Their full concentration in the area of \u200b\u200bthe cities of Bahia, Mahach, Sombor (135–180 km south of Budapest) was completed by November 25–26. In parallel with the regrouping, the front part of the forces crossed the Danube in the area of \u200b\u200bconcentration and seized an important bridgehead. Based on it, the 57th Army of Lieutenant General M.N. Sharokhin and the 4th Guards Army of Army General G.F. Zakharov launched an offensive on November 27, liberated the Transdanubian part of Hungary and Yugoslav territory between the Danube, Drava and to 9 December, Lake Velenze, Lake Balaton, and the city of Barch reached the threshold (80 km south of Lake Balaton). This created a real opportunity to strike at the rear of the enemy’s Budapest group from the west. In order to prepare such a strike, Marshal F.I. Tolbukhin ordered the front troops to gain a foothold on the reached lines in front of the enemy Margarita defensive line.
The German command took all measures to prevent the capture of Budapest by Soviet troops and the withdrawal of their last ally from the war. Due to the OKH reserve, new formations, and regrouping, it increased the composition of Army Group South from 38 to 51 divisions and brigades. Nevertheless, the enemy was inferior to the Soviet troops in forces and means. So, the strike group of the 3rd Ukrainian Front surpassed the enemy in humans by 3.3 times, in guns - by 4.8, in tanks and self-propelled guns - by 3.5 times.
Assessing the composition and distribution of German and Hungarian troops in the directions, the Soviet command concluded that the enemy intended not only to keep Budapest, but also to prevent the Red Army from entering Czechoslovakia and Austria. In this situation, on December 12, the Supreme Command decided to defeat the Budapest group and take over the city of Budapest by the troops of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts. To this end, she ordered Marshal R. Ya. Malinovsky to transfer to the Marshal F.I. Tolbukhin the 46th Army with reinforcements and set both fronts tasks for preparing for joint action. The essence of the plan was to break through the enemy’s defenses north and southwest of Budapest by forces of two fronts and, advancing towards each other, surround the enemy group, and then take control of the city from the west and east.
The offensive, which began on December 20, developed successfully. By the end of December 26, the troops of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts had joined at Esztergom (35 km northwest of Budapest), completing the encirclement of the 188-thousandth enemy group (about 10 divisions and a number of units of various military branches). Having created the outer front of the encirclement and pushing the enemy west of Budapest, the Soviet troops simultaneously tightened their grip on the ring around the city. The enemy, blocked in the forests northwest of Budapest, was destroyed by the end of December.
On December 29, the command of both fronts, in order to avoid further bloodshed and the destruction of Budapest, presented the surrendered troops with an ultimatum to the surrounding troops. However, the enemy command not only rejected this humane act, but also ordered the killing of the parliamentarians, captains M. Steinmets and I.A. Ostapenko, having committed a flagrant act of dishonor and violation of international law on the integrity of parliamentarians. Then the Soviet troops began to eliminate the encircled enemy. But this process was lengthy. During January 1945, the troops of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts had to wage heavy battles to repel counterattacks by German troops, which aimed to release their Budapest group and restore the front line along the Danube. The German command, having concentrated almost half of all tank and motorized divisions on the Soviet-German front near Budapest, inflicted three strong counterattacks on the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front from January 2 to 26.
In repelling the first counterattack inflicted from January 2 to 7, 1945 from the area southeast of the city of Komarno along the south bank of the Danube, the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front were greatly helped by the active actions of the left wing of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, especially th guards tank army. The rapid exit of this army to the Komarno region forced the German command to abandon the implementation of the breakthrough plan to Budapest. In addition, three rifle divisions and an anti-tank brigade were transferred to the 3rd Ukrainian Front from the 2nd Ukrainian Front.
The enemy launched a third counterattack on January 18 from an area southwest of the town of Szekesfehervar. He managed to get to the Danube, and then approach Budapest from the south to a distance of 25 km. In the fierce battles that unfolded, the troops of Marshal F.I. Tolbukhin, despite the superiority of the German troops in tanks, not only stopped their advance, but also threw them back to their original positions. A significant role in this was played by the skillful maneuver of the Soviet troops, the rapid creation of new defensive lines on the path of advancing the enemy and the offensive of the right wing of the 2nd Ukrainian Front in the direction of Komarno, in the rear of the enemy counterattack.
In the course of repulsing the enemy’s counterattacks, aviation of both fronts greatly assisted the ground forces. During January 1945, only the 17th Air Army (Colonel-General of Aviation V. A. Sudets) of the 3rd Ukrainian Front made over 14 thousand sorties. In tense moments, the 5th Air Army (Colonel General of the Air Force S.K. Goryunov) of the 2nd Ukrainian Front was also involved in attacks on enemy troops.
Directly in the city, the fighting was fought by a specially created Budapest group of troops led by Lieutenant General I.M. Afonin (from January 22, Lieutenant General I.M. Managarov). It consisted of four rifle corps on both fronts and, until January 18, the Romanian army corps. Budapest was a fortress prepared by the Nazis for a long defense. He was surrounded by barbed wire, surrounded by all kinds of fortifications and barriers, cut in trenches. The city had large stocks of material resources. Food, fuel, and ammunition were delivered by air to the garrison defending it. Hitler ordered to fight out of town until the last soldier. The battles for the liberation of the eastern part of the city (Pest) were from December 27 to January 18, and its western part (Buda) - from January 20 to February 13. A lot of Hungarian soldiers and officers took part in the battles for the liberation of Buda, who voluntarily sided with the Soviet troops. According to the memoirs of General S. M. Shtemenko, these Hungarian volunteer soldiers “didn’t disagree with the deed”. Of these, according to incomplete data, about 600 people died the death of the brave in the battles for the liberation of Budapest from the invaders. The rest of the Hungarian volunteers - a total of about 3200 people - formed the basis of the Buda Volunteer Regiment.
The conditions of the assault were a difficult test for the inhabitants of Budapest. The commander of the 9th SS Corps, who was in the besieged capital of Hungary, characterizing their mood, wrote with fear in his diary on January 10: “The civilian population is in an extremely agitated state. People practically do not get food, large blocks of the city are left without water, lighting ... dissatisfaction is growing. "
Although the advance of the Soviet troops developed slowly, the position of the encircled enemy was getting worse and worse. If at first every day 40–45 aircraft delivered the necessary cargo for him, then from January 20 the supply was disrupted by Soviet aviation. On February 13, an enemy group in Budapest, having lost up to 50 thousand killed and 138 thousand prisoners, ceased to exist.
At this Budapest offensive operation ended. During its course, Soviet troops advanced from 120 to 240 km, liberated about 45% of the territory of Hungary (and taking into account the Debrecen operation - 74%) and created the conditions for a further offensive in Czechoslovakia. With the release of Soviet troops on the Nesmey line, Lake Balaton, favorable conditions developed for subsequent strikes against the enemy in the Vienna direction.
The most important result was that the Soviet troops forced the German command to transfer to the southern flank of the Soviet-German front a large number of formations, especially tank and motorized ones, which were extremely necessary for him to repel the advance of the Red Army on the Warsaw-Berlin direction in January-February 1945.
These results were achieved at a high price. Losses of Soviet troops amounted to 320 082 people, of which 80 082 - irretrievable, 1766 tanks and self-propelled guns, 4127 guns and mortars, 293 combat aircraft.
The population of the Hungarian capital, which survived not only the fascist occupation, but also 108 hard days of the blockade, was relieved, although with conflicting feelings, to meet Soviet soldiers. The influence of fascist propaganda, which instilled fear in the population and portrayed Soviet soldiers in the guise of “red devils,” as well as rumors of Stalin's camps and the activities of the NKVD, affected. At the same time, the information that “there are Hungarians among the Russian liberators” who went over to their side, inspired hope in people.
The destruction of the German group in the Hungarian capital accelerated the process of expelling the Nazi invaders from the country, intensified the fermentation in the Hungarian army, and the transfer of its soldiers to partisans or to the side of the Red Army. The total number of Hungarians who fought in arms on the side of the Soviet troops against the Germans, according to the estimates of Hungarian historians, amounted to about 6-6.5 thousand people. But it is also true that about 11 divisions of the 1st and 3rd Hungarian armies fought together with the German forces against the Red Army. The mass surrender of their soldiers and officers began only with the completion of the liberation of the territory of Hungary. For example, only from March 28 to 30, 45 thousand Hungarians were captured in the areas bordering Austria. Hungary actually remained an ally of Germany until the Red Army completely seized its territory.
The offensive actions of the Soviet troops in the autumn and winter of 1944-1945 in the south-west direction led to a radical change in the entire political situation in the Balkans. To the previously withdrawn from the war of Romania and Bulgaria was added another state - Hungary. With the withdrawal from the war of Hungary, the block of fascist states completely collapsed.
The Soviet government praised the actions of troops in the Budapest operation. The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on 09.06.1945 established the medal “For the Capture of Budapest”, which was awarded to 350 thousand people. 79 units and units received the honorary name of Budapest.
After the completion of operations in Romania, the troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front were tasked with defeating the main forces of the enemy Army Group “South”, clearing the eastern regions of Hungary from the enemy, and completing the liberation of Transylvania.
Hitler's command, worried about the fluctuations of its ally, hastily pulled troops into Hungary, hoping to keep it in their hands.
The Red Army was to wage a difficult battle with the large forces of German and Hungarian troops. On October 6, Soviet troops launched an offensive on a wide front. It developed especially successfully in the direction of the main attack in the direction of Debrecen.
October 11 was occupied by Szeged. On the same day in Moscow, the preliminary terms of the ceasefire agreement were signed between the USSR, the United States and England, on the one hand, and Hungary, on the other. They provided for the participation of Hungary in the war against Nazi Germany.
The Regent refused to approve the agreement. Having learned the negotiations in Moscow, the Hitlerites organized a pro-German coup, brought to power the head of the Hungarian Nazis, Salashi, and forced Khorgi to leave for Germany.
On October 20, overcoming the fierce resistance of the enemy, Soviet troops entered Debrecen, the third largest city in Hungary, destroyed by the Nazis. The Transylvanian German group, in order not to be surrounded, began to hastily retreat west. By the end of October, the Soviet armies reached the Tisza, forced it on a wide front and advanced to the Danube in the area of \u200b\u200bthe city of Baia.
The Military Council of the 2nd Ukrainian Front appealed to the Hungarian people, explaining that the Red Army entered the country only because of military necessity, "not as a conqueror, but as a liberator of the Hungarian people from Nazi oppression." The position of the Soviet government and the friendly behavior of the Soviet troops towards the civilian population helped to strengthen the democratic forces of Hungary.
Powerless to stop the victorious offensive of the Red Army and hinder the revolutionary upsurge in the country, the Hungarian fascists (nilashists) took the path of mass terror and plunder of the country's national wealth.
In an effort to thwart Salasha’s antinational designs, the Hungarian Communist Party hastily prepared an uprising. However, a group of officers who were members of the Liberation Committee led by Baici-илиilinski, who took over the leadership of the military preparations for the uprising, was captured and executed.
The anti-fascist guerrilla movement in Hungary started late and did not take such proportions as in other Eastern European states.
However, it, organized and led by the Communist Party, was an important and integral part of the overall anti-fascist struggle. With the transfer of hostilities to the territory of Hungary, the partisan movement intensified not only in. captured areas (Transcarpathian Ukraine, Bachka, Northern Transylvania), but also in the center of the country.
Partisan detachments led by the Communists made bold attacks on the garrisons of the invaders, blew up the railroad tracks and derailed the train.
On October 6, a monument to the pro-fascist Prime Minister Gembesh was blown up in Budapest, symbolizing an alliance with German fascism.
In November 1944, partisans destroyed the railway track 18 times in Kelenfeld. On December 1, they blew up the Budapest City Theater, where a meeting of Hungarian fascists was held. About 2.5 thousand people fought in the ranks of the partisans.
The masses, led by the Communist Party, stubbornly resisted the fascist authorities, sabotaged the evacuation of the population and property to Germany, and prevented the dismantling and removal of factory equipment. The patriots of Kalocha delayed the shipment of 695 food wagons to Germany.
The population of Pecs refused to comply with the order of the military command to evacuate the city. The partisans blew up the railways leading to the city, and for two days delayed the transfer of German troops.
An example of mass resistance to the German invaders was the speech of the residents of Miskolc. The Nazis, retreating, blew up a power plant in the city, prepared the explosion of the Dioshyer Iron and Steel Works and the dismantling of many other enterprises. Workers foiled the Nazi criminal designs.
At the call of the local organization of the Resistance, created by the Communists, the patriots secured factory buildings, bridges, and established contact with the Soviet troops.
In the battles for the liberation of Miskolc in November 1944, several hundred partisans fought along with the Soviet troops, supported by about 20 thousand workers in this industrial area. As a result of successful military operations of the Red Army, the cities of Kecskemet, Szolnok, Pecs, and Eger were liberated in November.
During November-December 1944, the troops of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts launched an offensive directly in the Budapest direction. An attempt to take the Hungarian capital with a frontal strike on the move failed.
The second attempt to seize Budapest by bypassing from the north and west ended in failure. Only at the end of December after stubborn and fierce battles did Soviet troops manage to encircle the 188,000th enemy group in Budapest and create an external encirclement front 40-60 km west of the city.
During January 1945, the Hitler command inflicted three powerful counterattacks, hoping to defeat the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, release the encircled group and restore the defense on the Danube.
But Soviet soldiers withstood the difficult test. The experience of past defensive battles came in handy. As in the days of the heroic defense of the Volga stronghold, the soldiers fought under the slogan: “Stand to death! Not a step back! ”Towards the end of January, the enemy’s offensive capabilities were exhausted, and the blow of the Soviet troops forced him to retreat, not achieving his goal.
On December 29, 1944, the Soviet command, trying to avoid unnecessary bloodshed and the destruction of Budapest, presented the command of the encircled group with an ultimatum containing the conditions for surrender.
The first parliamentarian, Captain Miklos Steinmets, a Hungarian by nationality, was killed before reaching the enemy’s location. The second parliamentarian, captain I.A. Ostapenko, was killed by a treacherous shot in the back.
Soviet troops began to destroy the enemy group. Step by step, they moved through the city, suppressing enemy strongholds. Hungarian soldiers and officers who joined the Red Army took part in the street battles. The Buda Volunteer Regiment was formed from them under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Oscar Varihazi.
On February 13, 1945, the last shots fired in the Hungarian capital. In a month and a half of fighting, 50 thousand were destroyed and more than 138 thousand enemy soldiers and officers were captured. In the battles for the liberation of Hungary, tens of thousands of sons of the Soviet people gave their lives.
According to the plan of the Supreme High Command Headquarters, the main goal of the further offensive on the southern wing of the Soviet-German front was to withdraw Hungary from the war in the first place. She assigned the solution to this problem on the 2nd Ukrainian Front. In accordance with the decision of the front commander, the main blow was planned to be struck in the center of his strip in the direction of the Hungarian city of Debrecen.
The current situation required the German military-political leadership to take urgent measures in order to build up defense efforts and prevent the loss of economically important regions of Hungary and East Austria. It housed a large number of military factories and there were two sources of oil, in which the Wehrmacht was in great need. Therefore, his command deployed in Hungary a powerful grouping of forces and means — Army Group South and part of the forces of Army Group F.
On October 6, 1944, Soviet troops launched an offensive in the Debrecen direction. They broke through the enemy’s defenses, and advanced three days to 100 kilometers to the north, reaching the Kartsag area. On October 8, Soviet troops crossed the Tisza and captured a number of bridgeheads on its right bank. As a result of a successful offensive in the direction of the main attack, the enemy group in the Debrecen area was swept from the west.
Overcoming the enemy’s resistance, the Soviet forces captured Oradea on October 12, Debrecen on October 20, and by the end of October they took an advantageous position for attacking the capital of Hungary, Budapest.
As a result of the Debrecen operation, 10 enemy divisions were defeated, more than 42 thousand people were captured, one third of the territory of Hungary was liberated.
Given the current situation, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command decided: to continue the offensive without an operational pause by the forces of the center and the left wing of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, defeat the enemy in the Tisza and Danube interfluve in a short time, and then take control of Budapest on the move.
The shock group of the front went on the offensive on October 29-30, the Budapest operation began (October 29, 1944 - February 13, 1945). Parts of the 2nd Ukrainian Front dealt a frontal strike with the goal of capturing Budapest and already on November 2 were 15 kilometers from the city. But the forces for his capture were not enough, and the task was not completed. The offensive on Budapest was suspended; on other sectors of the front, it continued until the end of November with varying success.
In early December, an attempt was again made to defeat the Budapest enemy group by the forces of the center and the southern wing of the front. As a result of the offensive, the troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front went to the Danube north and northwest of Budapest, cutting off the enemy’s Budapest grouping route north. The troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front under the command of Marshal of the Soviet Union Fedor Tolbukhin by this time crossed the Danube River, left the north-east of Lake Balaton and created the conditions for joint action with the 2nd Ukrainian Front to complete the encirclement and defeat of the enemy in the Budapest area.
Having launched an offensive on December 20, Soviet troops broke through the enemy’s defenses north and southwest of Budapest and, building on their success, completed the encirclement of the Budapest group on December 26. To avoid unnecessary casualties among the population and the destruction of the city, the Soviet command sent an ultimatum on surrender to the encircled garrison on December 29, but was rejected and Soviet parliamentarians killed. After this, fierce battles began to eliminate the 188-thousandth garrison, which continued throughout January and the first half of February 1945. February 13, 1945 Budapest was taken.
With the liberation of the capital of Hungary, an important stage of the Red Army's military operations in Southeastern Europe ended. Having inflicted serious damage on the German Army Group South, Soviet troops were given the opportunity to prepare and conduct final operations in Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Austria.
In mid-February, the Soviet command became aware of the concentration of large enemy forces in the area of \u200b\u200bLake Balaton for the upcoming counteroffensive. It was decided to temporarily transfer the forces of the 3rd Ukrainian Front to defense, and then launch an offensive in the direction of the Austrian capital Vienna.
The depth of defense of the Soviet troops was 25-30 kilometers.
The offensive of the Nazi troops began on the morning of March 6, 1945. The main blow was delivered between the lakes Velenz and Balaton. By concentrating 50-60 tanks per kilometer of frontage on separate sections, the enemy tried to dismember the Soviet troops and reach the Danube. In addition to the main blow, the Nazi forces delivered two more auxiliary forces: from the area south of Lake Balaton to Kaposhvar and from the southern bank of the Drava River to Pecs. For 10 days of fierce fighting, the enemy was able to wedge into the defense of the Soviet troops for 12-30 kilometers. Soviet units managed to stop the advance of the enemy. March 15, he stopped the attack and went on the defensive.
The very next day, March 16, 1945, Soviet troops launched the Vienna offensive in order to complete the defeat of German troops in western Hungary and take control of Vienna. The troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, the left wing of the 2nd Ukrainian Front and the Danube Military Flotilla were involved in it.
Having broken through the enemy’s defenses from the city of Gant to Lake Balaton, the front forces crossed the Bacon Forest by March 25, crossed the Veszprem, Devecher, Lake Balaton lines and began to pursue the enemy, retreating to the fortified border of the Austro-Hungarian border. March 17 went on the offensive in the direction of Dad, Gyor troops of the left wing of the 2nd Ukrainian Front. By March 25, they completed encirclement and by March 27 completely destroyed up to four enemy infantry divisions north of the town of Tovarosh. The troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, relentlessly pursuing the enemy, completely completed the liberation of Hungary on April 4, 1945.
The fighting for almost six months, more than 200 thousand Soviet soldiers fell on its territory.
In total, on the territory of Hungary, as of February 2015, there are 1,036 Russian (Soviet) military graves dating back to the period of World War II.
In many cities of Hungary, monuments to Soviet soldiers were erected. In Budapest, monuments were erected on Freedom Square, at the Central Cemetery, and a monument on Mount Gellert.
Material prepared on the basis of RIA Novosti information and open sources
By the end of September 1944, the 2nd Ukrainian Front, under the command of Rodion Malinovsky, was opposed by Army Group South (it was created instead of the former Army Group Southern Ukraine) and part of Army Group F. A total of 32 divisions (including 4 tank, 2 motorized and 3 cavalry) and 5 brigades (3 infantry and 2 tank). German troops had about 3.5 thousand guns and mortars, about 300 tanks, assault guns and 550 aircraft.
The 2nd Ukrainian Front included the 40th, 7th Guards, 27th, 53rd and 46th armies, the 6th Guards Tank and 5th Air Armies, 2 horse-drawn mechanized groups and 18 1st tank corps. Two Romanian combined arms armies (1st and 4th), a volunteer division named after Tudor Vladimirirescu and a Romanian air corps also subordinated to the Soviet front. This group included: 40 rifle divisions, 17 Romanian infantry divisions, 2 fortified areas, 3 tank, 2 mechanized and 3 cavalry corps, 10.2 thousand guns and mortars, 750 tanks and self-propelled guns, more than 1.1 thousand aircraft.
According to the Supreme Command High Command, the main goal of the Soviet troops on the southern wing of the Soviet-German front (2nd and 4th Ukrainian fronts) was the liberation of Hungary and Transylvania and the withdrawal of Hungary from the war. Thus, the prerequisites were created for the Red Army to reach the borders of Austria, the southern regions of Czechoslovakia, and a threat appeared to southern Germany. The troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front were to defeat the enemy's Debrecen group (6th German and 3rd Hungarian armies) and liberate Northern Transylvania (defeating the 8th German and 2nd Hungarian armies). In addition, Malinovsky’s armies were to go behind the Carpathian group (1st German Panzer and 1st Hungarian Army), assisting the 4th Ukrainian Front and the 38th Army of the 1st Ukrainian Front in the Carpathians.
The front command decided to deliver the main blow in the center in the Debrecen direction, along the lines of Oradea, Debrecen, Nyiregyhaza. The front's strike force included: the 53rd Army under the command of Ivan Managarov, the 6th Guards Tank Army of Andrey Kravchenko and the horse-mechanized group (KMG) of Issa Pliev (2 cavalry and 1 mechanized corps). On the left wing of the front, the 46th Army led by Ivan Shlyomin and the 1st Romanian Army of the Corps General V. Atanassiu attacked. The left wing of the front advanced along the territory of Yugoslavia in the Szeged direction, and was to occupy a bridgehead on the right bank of the Tissa River. On the right wing attacked the 40th under the command of Philip Zhmachenko (in the Sighet direction) and the 7th Guards Army of Mikhail Shumilov (in the direction of Dezh and Satu-Mare) and the 27th Army of Sergey Trofimenko (Cluj direction). The Romanian 4th Army of Corps General G. Avramescu and the horse-mechanized group of Lieutenant General S. I. Gorshkov (1 tank and 1 cavalry corps) were also located here. Later, part of the forces of the right wing was transferred to the central section.
Crossing Tissa
On the eve of the operation, in the second half of September 1944, Soviet long-range aviation inflicted heavy blows on important railway junctions, bridges, warehouses and other objects on Hungarian territory. The aircraft also attacked Budapest, Satu Mare, Debrecen and other Hungarian centers. The offensive began on October 6 with a short but strong artillery and aviation training. Soviet artillery and aircraft struck at enemy positions, fortifications, firing points and rear.
In the Debrecen area, Soviet troops almost immediately achieved significant success. On the very first day of the offensive, the 6th Guards Tank Army and part of the forces of the 27th Army advanced to a depth of 20 km. At the same time, Soviet troops had to repel fierce enemy counterattacks on the section between Oradea and Salonta. However, with the transition of the troops of Managarov and Pliev to the offensive on Elek and Kartsag and on the left wing of the front of the 46th army of Shlyomin to Subotica and Szeged, the resistance of the Hungarian army was broken. The 53rd Army of Managarov and KMG Pliev, supported by the 5th Air Army of General S.K. Goryunov, defeated the 3rd Hungarian Army. Soviet troops not only broke through the enemy’s defenses, but also advanced up to 100 kilometers in three days, reaching the Kartsag region. On October 8, Pliev’s horse-mechanized group reached the southwestern approaches to Debrecen. On the same day, Soviet troops crossed the Tissa and captured a number of bridgeheads.
Thus, as a result of a breakthrough of the front and the rapid offensive of Soviet troops, the enemy’s Debrecen group was swept from the west, which created a threat to the encirclement and the complete destruction of the German-Hungarian armies in Transylvania and worsened their position on the Carpathian border. The German command ordered the withdrawal of troops. Pursued by the formations of the 40th, 27th and 4th Romanian armies, the German-Hungarian troops retreated in the direction of Nyiregyhaza.
The German command, in order to ensure the withdrawal of the armies and close the gap in the defense, threw significant additional and reserve forces and means into battle. Particular attention was paid to the Oradea-Debrecen line. Already on October 8, the German 3rd Panzer Division launched a counterattack in the Kartsaga region. On October 18, the 24th Panzer Division and the 4th SS Motorized Division were thrown into action. In total, the German command concentrated 13 divisions, including 5 armored and motorized. In turn, the front command strengthened the main strike force with the help of formations deployed from the right flank, from the Regin-Turda region - the 7th Guards Army and the horse-mechanized group Gorshkov.
During a fierce battle, overcoming the stubborn resistance of the enemy, on October 12, Soviet troops captured Oradea, October 20 - Debrecen. Developing the offensive to the north, Pliev's cavalry broke into the city of Nyiregyhaza on October 21. The advanced Soviet units entered the Tissu River, cutting off the retreat routes of the German-Hungarian troops. As a result, the German command, in order to eliminate the threat of encirclement, had to organize a strong counterattack by the forces of three army and one tank corps. German troops were able to intercept communications KMG Pliev. On October 27, Pliev’s troops left Nyiregyhaz and retreated to the main forces of the 2nd Ukrainian Front.
The offensive of Soviet troops on Szeged (Hungary). October 1944
By this time, the divisions of the 53rd and 7th Guards armies reached Tisse on the Szolnok - Polgar section. On the left flank, units of the 46th Army of Shljomin occupied a large bridgehead on the Tisza, reached the Danube in the area of \u200b\u200bthe city of Bahia and to the south. On the right flank of the front, the 40th, 4th Romanian and 27th armies advanced 110-120 km by the evening of October 20 and crossed the Hungarian border a few days later. Thus, the armies of the 2nd Ukrainian Front crossed the Tissa on the left flank and occupied a large bridgehead, in the center on a wide front they reached the river, and on the right flank they came close to the river.
The operation was successful, although it did not solve the main problem. Hungary could not be withdrawn from the war. The troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front defeated the enemy’s Debrecen group, advanced 130–275 km in various sectors and occupied a large bridgehead on the Tissa River, creating the conditions for a decisive attack on the Budapest direction. During offensive battles, Northern Transylvania was liberated in the eastern regions of Hungary. The German-Hungarian troops suffered a severe defeat, losing only more than 40 thousand prisoners. In addition, plans were thwarted by the German command to create a stable line of defense along the border of the Transylvanian Alps. German-Hungarian troops retreated to the Hungarian plain.
The importance of the operation of the 2nd Ukrainian Front was that the withdrawal of the main forces of the Malinovsky Front to the rear of the Carpathian enemy groupings posed a serious threat to the German-Hungarian troops on the Carpathian border and played a decisive role in the liberation of Transcarpathian Russia. In mid-October 1944, the German command began to withdraw troops in front of the center and left wing of the 4th Ukrainian Front. This allowed the forces of the 4th Ukrainian Front, which had previously been stuck on the enemy’s powerful Carpathian frontier, to pursue the enemy and successfully complete the Carpathian-Uzhgorod operation, freeing Mukachevo and Uzhgorod. Transcarpathian Russia (Ukraine) became part of Soviet Ukraine, this completed the process of reunification of Russian lands.
In addition, under the influence of the Debrecen operation, the political situation in Hungary changed. In the Hungarian army desertion and the transition to the side of Soviet troops intensified. And the Horthy regime stepped up negotiations with England and the United States, went to conclude a truce with the USSR. True, this political process was not successful. The Horthy were removed and replaced by the right-wing radical Salashi, who continued the war to the end. Additional German forces were introduced into Hungary.
The attack on Budapest began almost without a pause. Already on October 29, the troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front struck the enemy. The operation involved troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front and the connection of the 3rd Ukrainian Front under the command of Marshal of the Soviet Union Fedor Tolbukhin. Tolbukhin’s troops only completed the Belgrade operation () and regrouped in Hungary to participate in the attack on Budapest.
The headquarters set the task of striking with the goal of encircling and defeating the enemy’s Budapest group, liberating the Hungarian capital in order to withdraw Hungary from the war, and creating the prerequisites for the liberation of Czechoslovakia and Austria. The main blow was dealt on the left wing of the 2nd Ukrainian Front by the 46th Shlyomin army reinforced by the 2nd and 4th Guards mechanized corps. Shljomin’s army was advancing southeast of Budapest, bypassing the city and was supposed to take the Hungarian capital. The second blow from the area northeast of the city of Szolnok was dealt by the 7th Guards Army of Shumilov and the 6th Guards Tank Army of Kravchenko. She was supposed to get around Budapest from the northeast. The remaining front forces were given the task of forging the enemy troops in the center and on the extreme right flank, advancing in the direction of Miskolc. The troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, after completing the concentration of forces in the Banat region, were to occupy bridgeheads on the right bank of the Danube in Hungary and develop an offensive to the west and north.
The Soviet forces were opposed by Army Group South and the Hungarian Army. The German-Hungarian armies relied on a powerful Budapest fortified area and three defense lines. Adolf Hitler attached great importance to Hungary. Here were the latest sources of oil. He even said that he would give up Berlin rather than Hungarian oil and Austria. Therefore, in Hungary, powerful mobile units were concentrated, including selected SS troops. In Hungary, the Germans and Hungarians were going to stop the Soviet armies, not to let them go any further.
Tank and infantry units of the 2nd Ukrainian Front on the outskirts of Budapest
Soviet assault group of lieutenant L.S. Brynina in a street fight in Budapest
The calculation of the Soviet 122-mm howitzer M-30 in the battle of Budapest. On the right is Erzhebet Bridge, blown up by German troops, connecting Buda and Pest.
Fighters of the 3rd Ukrainian Front in street battles for Budapest
The left wing of the 2nd Ukrainian Front broke through the enemy’s defenses in the Budapest direction, where mainly Hungarian troops defended, and on November 2 left the south on the near approaches to Budapest. However, it was not possible to take the city. The German command transferred 14 divisions to the area of \u200b\u200bthe Hungarian capital (including 3 tank and one motorized divisions) and, relying on pre-equipped strong fortifications, stopped the Soviet offensive. The Soviet command suspended the offensive in the Budapest direction and continued it on other sectors of the front. During stubborn battles on November 11-26, Soviet troops broke through the enemy’s defenses between the Tisza and the Danube and advanced 100 kilometers north-west. Soviet troops went to the outer defensive contour of the Hungarian capital.
On December 5, the troops of the center and left wing of the 2nd Ukrainian Front resumed their attack on Budapest. By December 9, units of the 7th Guards, 6th Guards Tank Army and Pliev's horse-mechanized group reached the Danube north of Budapest. As a result, the Budapest enemy grouping cut off the path of withdrawal to the north. On the left flank, the 46th Army of Schlömin crossed the Danube south of Budapest. However, the Soviet troops could not take Budapest this time. The Germans and Hungarians stopped the Soviet troops on the Margarita line. The German command, having in the Budapest region 250 thousand the group, which relied on a strong system of fortifications, restrained the Soviet offensive. German and Hungarian troops fought fiercely, the fighting took on an extremely stubborn character. The Soviet command did not have the correct data on the enemy’s forces (this was due to intelligence flaws) and could not correctly assess the enemy’s ability to resist. On the right wing of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, Soviet troops occupied Miskolc and reached the border of Czechoslovakia.
At this time, the 3rd Ukrainian Front (three Soviet and one Bulgarian combined arms and one air army) joined the battles for Hungary. After the liberation of Belgrade, Soviet troops, with the support of the Danube Flotilla, crossed the Danube and advanced to the lakes Velenza and Balaton. Here they joined forces with the 2nd Ukrainian Front.
On December 10-20, 1944, troops of two fronts were preparing for a new offensive. The Soviet armies were to use their attacks from the north-east, east and south-west to complete the encirclement and destruction of the Budapest group, and to free the capital of Hungary. The troops of the two fronts, overcoming the fierce resistance of the enemy (German-Hungarian forces totaled 51 German and Hungarian divisions and 2 brigades, including 13 tank and motorized ones), attacked in convergent directions and, after 6 days of fierce fighting, joined in the area of \u200b\u200bthe city of Esztergom. German troops counterattack, but were defeated. As a result, 188 thousand were surrounded 50-60 km west of Budapest. enemy grouping.
To stop further bloodshed, the Soviet command sent parliamentarians with a proposal for surrender. The group of captain Ilya Ostapenko was sent to Buda, and the captain Miklos Steinmets to Pest. The Germans killed the Soviet parliamentarians. Thus, Budapest, with its more than one million people, was to blame for the brutal battle in which thousands of civilians were killed due to the fault of the German command and government of Salashi, who himself fled the city. The German command did not intend to give up Hungary and continued to strengthen the South Army group. To keep Hungary, 37 divisions were transferred, which were removed from the central section (Berlin direction) of the Eastern Front and other directions. By the beginning of 1945, 16 tank and motorized divisions were concentrated south of the Carpathians. This was half of all the armored forces of the German army on the Eastern Front. The Germans had never had such a density of tank troops in one direction on the Eastern Front.
German heavy tank Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.B “Royal Tiger” of the 503rd Tank Battalion in Budapest
Damaged and burnt out heavy tank Pz.Kpfw. VI Ausf. E “Tiger” from the 3rd Panzer Regiment of the 3rd SS Panzer Division “Dead Head”. The area of \u200b\u200bLake Balaton.
German panzergrenadiers on armored personnel carriers Sd.Kfz. 251 in the attack on the position of Soviet troops
Padded Hungarian light tank 38M Toldi I from the 2nd Hungarian Panzer Division defeated in Budapest. On the railway platform - Hungarian medium tank 41M Turan II
In Hungary, fierce fighting continued. The German command tried with powerful counterattacks to release the surrounded Budapest group. German-Hungarian troops inflicted three powerful counterattacks. In some cases, 50-60 German tanks per 1 km of the breakthrough site. On January 2-6, 1945, German troops advanced 30-40 km along the right bank of the Danube. The offensive of January 18-26 (the third counterattack) inflicted from the area north of Lake Balaton was especially powerful. The Germans were able to temporarily dismember the 3rd Ukrainian Front and go to the west bank of the Danube.
To stop the advance of the enemy, the commander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, Marshal Tolbukhin applied the experience of the Battle of Kursk. The Soviet troops in the shortest possible time created a defense in depth up to 25-50 km deep. A major role was played by intelligence, which promptly revealed the movement of enemy forces, as well as artillery and aircraft, which delivered preemptive attacks in threatened directions. Together, the troops of the 3rd and 2nd Ukrainian fronts eliminated the enemy’s breakthrough. By early February, the front was stabilized, the Germans depleted their offensive capabilities.
At a time when German troops were trying to unlock the Budapest group, part of the forces of the 2nd Ukrainian Front - a specially created Budapest group of forces under the command of Lieutenant General Ivan Afonin, and his wounded field, Ivan Managarov (3 rifle corps, 9 artillery brigades), stormed Budapest. The fighting was stubborn. Only on January 18 they took the eastern part of the city - Pest, and on February 13 - I would. About 140 thousand soldiers and officers of the enemy were captured.
Operation Summary
Soviet troops surrounded and destroyed the almost 190,000th enemy group, liberated two-thirds of the country and stormed Budapest. During a long battle (108 days), 40 divisions and 3 brigades were defeated, 8 divisions and 5 brigades were completely destroyed.
The successful completion of the Budapest operation fundamentally changed the entire strategic situation on the southern wing of the Soviet-German front. The southern flank of the German armed forces was deeply covered. The German command was forced to accelerate the withdrawal of troops from Yugoslavia. The troops of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts created the conditions for the liberation of Czechoslovakia and the offensive on Vienna.
On December 22, the Interim Government of Hungary was formed. On December 28, the Provisional Government announced the country's withdrawal from the war on the side of Germany. Hungary declared war on Germany. On January 20, 1945, the Hungarian delegation in Moscow signed a ceasefire agreement. The liberation of Hungary by Soviet troops thwarted the plans of London and Washington to use the Hungarian territory in their interests.
In March 1944, troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front approached the border of the USSR and Romania. For almost three years, the Soviet people waged a bloody war with the Nazi invaders on their territory. Now it was necessary to free all the European territories captured by the Nazis from the brown plague. But before the final victory there was still more than a year.
Only by September 1944 was it possible to capture Bulgaria and Romania and immediately reach the borders with Hungary and Czechoslovakia. The fighting was notable for special fierceness and heavy losses. In general, the operation to free the country took more than six months. To understand the reason for these events, one should turn to the history of Hungary's entry into the war. We will also talk about how the liberation of Budapest by the Soviet troops (briefly read about this in the article).
The results of the First World War caused discontent of the Hungarian people. Deprived of a huge number of its territories, the country longed to return them back. This was precisely the main reason that pushed the government into the arms of Germany. Trying to enlist the support of Hitler in its claims to the Yugoslav and Czech lands, Hungary announced its withdrawal from the League of Nations and joined the Tripartite Pact.
De facto, the country entered the Second World War in April 1941, becoming a member of the Nazi attack on Yugoslavia. The war with the Soviet Union began for the Hungarians on June 27, 1941. In total, they sent several hundred thousand soldiers to the eastern front, most of whom died or were taken prisoner near Stalingrad. It should be noted that units of the 2nd Hungarian army in the USSR were particularly cruel, destroying not only soldiers, but also civilians.
By 1944, it became clear that the defeat of Germany was only a matter of time. In such circumstances, the Horthy government began to look for ways out of the war. Negotiations have been outlined with England and the United States, which did not go past Hitler's attention. The Führer, fearing betrayal, achieved the entry of German troops into Hungary and the creation of a pro-German government in the country. Arrests of prominent figures advocating the cessation of allied relations with Germany began.
But all these actions didn’t really help. The situation was aggravated in August 1944, when Romania ceased to support Germany and adopted the conditions of the Soviet Union, speaking on the side of the anti-Hitler coalition. Horthy made desperate attempts to agree with the Soviet government on the cessation of mutual hostilities. But these plans never came true.
Hitler and his puppet government under the leadership of Salashi unleashed real terror in Hungary. All educational institutions stopped their activity in the country and total mobilization was announced. Hungarians declared the supreme race throughout the Danube territory. The deportation of Jews to Nazi death camps resumed.
The beginning of hostilities of the Red Army in Hungary
The advance of the Red Army units throughout Hungary was hampered by fierce resistance from Hungarian and German groups. Still, many years of propaganda and anti-Soviet agitation have done their job. Most Hungarians were ready to support even the Salashi reactionary, but not to enter into an alliance with Russia.
True, among the highest military ranks of Hungary there were those who preferred to lay down their arms and stop the bloodshed. So, in October the commander of the 1st Hungarian Army B. Miklos surrendered and called on the soldiers on the radio to follow his example. More than 10 thousand of his subordinates also laid down their arms. Similar acts were recorded among some parts of the 2nd and 3rd Hungarian army. But it was a drop in the ocean.
The main mission to defeat the Carpathian-Transylvanian enemy group was assigned to the troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front under the command of Marshal Malinovsky and the 4th Ukrainian Front under the command of General Petrov. According to the plan of the Headquarters, they were supposed to capture the passes through the Eastern Carpathians, overcome them and develop an offensive in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Tisza River.
The directions of the main attacks had to be adjusted several times. This is because the forces of the 2nd Ukrainian Front did not succeed in fulfilling the order of the Headquarters. The massive counterattacks of the enemy prevented this. But, despite the difficult military situation, the Malinowski army at all costs had to overcome the mountains of Transylvania and make their way to Debrecen. This operation would have succeeded in encircling German forces in the Carpathians.
A new offensive was scheduled for October 6th. In addition to the Soviet troops, 22 Romanian divisions took part in it. The forces of the 2nd Criminal Code far exceeded those of the enemy. The problem was only in the long length of the front line (800 km) and inadequate rear support. And the fault was the railways and roads destroyed by the retreating Germans through Romania.
Luck in the offensive was on the side of the Soviet troops. It’s just that the Germans didn’t immediately understand the importance of the direction to Debrecen, focusing its main forces on the approaches to Budapest. Having realized it, they hastily began to transfer five mechanized divisions under Debrecen. But it was too late.
On October 6, the swift offensive of the Soviet troops began. All attempts by the Nazis to stop their progress were unsuccessful. Neither road mining nor air raids helped. In just one day, the Red Army advanced 50 km, causing significant damage to the enemy’s manpower and equipment.
By October 10, Soviet divisions formed a 100-kilometer wedge in the enemy’s defense. And on October 20, Debrecen was finally captured. This was an important achievement during the offensive operation, given that Debrecen was the largest stronghold of the Nazis and the second largest city in Hungary.
The second stage of the Debrecen operation
Alas, the capture of the Debrecen completely withdraw from the game the Hungarian army failed. The next most important settlement was the city of Nyiregyhaza. The city blocked the most convenient exits to the crossings through the Command of Army Group South, which was responsible for this sector of the front, tried with all its might to keep the village, at the same time trying to regain control of Debrecen. From October 22 to 27, fierce battles were fought in the Nyiregyhaz region. As a result, the city was taken. But at what price!
The main participant in the fighting, General Pilev’s horse-mechanized corps, lost almost 10 thousand officers and sergeants, about 17 thousand privates, hundreds of weapons, 250 tanks, etc. Decent damage was also inflicted on the enemy forces. But the main thing - by October 28, the Debrecen operation was completed, and a third of the territory of Hungary was in the hands of the Soviet army. The offensive took 23 days and allowed to move inland up to 275 km. However, it was not possible to surround the German and Hungarian units. They withdrew, taking new frontiers of defense, each of which, we must pay tribute to them, was held with great fierceness by all principles of tactical military skill.
The first stage of the Budapest operation
The Soviet offensive on Budapest and the subsequent capture of the city is one of the largest and most complex operations of the war. On a vast front (420 km), the command concentrated huge forces: the 2nd Ukrainian Front, the 3rd Ukrainian Front (commander - Marshal Tolbukhin), the 1st and 4th Romanian armies and the Danube military flotilla. The liberation of Budapest from the Nazis lasted more than three months.
On October 29, the superiority of the Soviet side in terms of the number of soldiers and weapons was obvious. That is why the Headquarters depicted the bright prospects for a lightning attack on Budapest. Malinowski was not even given the five days requested to train army units.
The liberation of Budapest by Soviet troops It began on October 29 with the forces of units of the 46th Army (2nd UV). In the early days, it developed very successfully. The demoralized units of the Hungarian army in disorder retreated to Budapest. On November 5, no more than 15 km remained before the external defensive Budapest contour. And here the liberation of Budapest from the Nazis slowed down. Bad weather conditions and poor supply played a role. Plus, at Headquarters it was decided to regroup the troops so as not to risk the forces of the 2nd and 4th mechanized corps, which were the first to break through to the Hungarian capital.
Both corps were assigned to the 7th Guards Army, which fought on the west bank of the river. Yews expanding the bridgehead. By November 4, they managed to capture just three settlements: Szolnok, Abony and Tsegled. The most difficult moment of the offensive operation was the forcing of the Tisza. Floods significantly increased the water level in the river. The rebuilt ferry facilities were destroyed by enemy fire. If certain groups managed to cross, then the Germans immediately counterattacked them from the flanks, trying to cut them off and smash them.
Second Offensive on Budapest
The second attack on the city began on November 11. By this moment, the German-Hungarian group in this sector had decent forces, and the 2nd Criminal Code suffered significant losses. But even in this situation, the numerical superiority still turned out to be on the side of the Soviet units.
After a little artillery preparation, the troops of the 7th Guards Corps went on the offensive in the direction of Yasberen and Hatvan. The horse-mechanized corps of General Pilev and the 23rd Panzer Brigade plus the 4th and 6th Guards Cavalry Corps were to the east. They were to capture the city of Dendes.
The large-scale full-fledged offensive was very hindered by the mudslaughter, understaffing, the loss of a large number of officers and the lack of wire connection. German-Hungarian units accounted for significantly worse. They were sorely lacking ground units. But the activity of German aviation increased. But even in the sky, thanks to the 5th Air Army, the advantage remained behind the 2nd UV.
November 25, Soviet units captured the city of Hatvan - this was the last success of the second attack on Budapest. The capital of Hungary was in a semicircle. But for the last throw, the Soviet troops needed time to prepare.
The capture of Budapest
A new offensive began on the morning of December 20 by separate forces of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. They needed to make their way to the Danube River west of Esztergom. Such a throw would complete the encirclement of enemy forces in the Budapest area.
The fast forward was hindered very much by the difficult terrain: a large number of hills and barrows did not allow the effective maneuvering of mechanized units. Moreover, the Nazis used each hill as strongholds.
On December 22, the 6th Panzer Army (2nd UV) and units of the 3rd Ukrainian Front managed to unite in the vicinity of the mouth of the Gron River. By the end of December 27, they managed to surround all the Hungarian-German units northwest of Budapest. Their total number was 188 thousand (10 divisions and a number of separate units).
Now it remained to free Budapest. But it turned out to be very difficult. The western part of the city was turned into a powerful fortified area. Plus, by order of Hitler, additional forces were drawn from Germany to Budapest. And he replaced the commander of the Army "South", appointing O. Weller to this position instead of I. Frisner.
On December 29, the Soviet side decided to send the parliamentarians with a proposal for surrender: the group of captain Ostapenko to Buda, the group of captain Steinmets to Pest. The proposal was not accepted, and the parliamentarians were killed. The elimination of enemy forces began.
From January 2 to 26, the German command made several attempts to push back the Soviet troops and go on the counterattack. By this time, most of all German tank and motorized divisions were concentrated near Budapest. But the mechanized units of Malinovsky and Tolbukhin managed to repel all enemy attacks.
Fights in the city
To conduct hostilities in Budapest, the Budapest troop group was organized under the command of I.M. Afonin (and from January 22, I.M. Managarova). It consisted of four rifle corps, the 83rd Marine Brigade, parts of the 5th Air Army, artillery units and the 7th Romanian Corps, 183 tank brigade.
The liberation of Budapest was approaching, but a lot of blood still had to be shed to this event. By January 18, Soviet units, with Romanian support, broke through to the eastern regions of Pest and captured the left-bank part of the city, although the Germans fought desperately for almost every building. The battles were fought underground, in sewer communications. In Pest, one hundred thousandth garrison of Germans was surrounded. But part of the opponents managed to break out of the ring. Having blown up several bridges across the Danube, they managed to take refuge in Buda.
It took almost four weeks to capture the right-bank part. Although initially Marshal Tolbukhin allocated no more than a day to this operation. It had to be carried out by forces of small assault brigades. It was decided not to use aviation, so as not to destroy the historical part of the city. For the same reason, the use of artillery was very limited.
Several thousand Hungarian soldiers voluntarily surrendered and wished to cooperate with units of the Red Army took part in the battles for Buda. after a desperate attempt to break through, the remnants of the German garrison under the command of Pfeffer-Wildenbruch threw a white flag and surrendered. The release date of Budapest is February 13, 1945.
While Moscow, on orders, saluted the victorious fighters, units of both fronts tried to liquidate groups of 500-600 Germans and Hungarians who had escaped from Budapest. The main task of their destruction was assigned to the 46th Army of the 3rd UV.
In total, during the operation to liberate Budapest (end date - 02/13/1945), about 50 thousand enemy soldiers were destroyed and 138 thousand captured.
Medal "For the capture of Budapest"
In April 1945 (the year the Soviet troops liberated Budapest), when it was already obvious to everyone that the final defeat of Germany was a short time, the head of the rear, General Khrulev, commissioned a group of artists to develop draft medals for the liberation and capture of strategically important European cities. After a detailed review of all the proposed sketches by the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Council on June 9, 1945, a decree was signed on the establishment of the medal "For the capture of Budapest." It was awarded to all direct participants in the assault on the Hungarian capital, who participated in the battles from December 20, 1944 to February 15, 1945. In total, the list of people awarded the medal for the liberation of Budapest contained more than 360 thousand people. If a soldier was awarded posthumously, then his medal along with the award certificate should have been given to close relatives as a keepsake.
The medal for the liberation of Budapest (you have the opportunity to see the photo in the article) was to be mounted on the left side of the chest. She goes first in a row, and in the presence of a medal "For the victory over Japan" - the second.
Coin dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War
On February 14, 1995, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of victory in World War II, a coin of 3 rubles was issued.
- Obverse:the denomination and year of issue are written at the top along the edging; at the bottom is the BANK OF RUSSIA. In the middle (in a dotted rim) is the image of the Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin, on the inside of the rim is a monogram of the MMD mint.
- Reverse:depicts four Soviet soldiers (battle against the background of architectural monuments of Budapest). On the circumference of the inscription: from fascism "," Budapest 02/13/1945 "(above and below, respectively).
Assistance to the Red Army in the restoration of Hungarian statehood
The Soviet leadership thought about restoring the Hungarian state machine long before the end of the Budapest operation. The main task for him was the design of pro-Soviet parties. Their basis was to be the local anti-fascist bloc and members of the Hungarian Communist Party who returned from exile.
On December 2, the Hungarian National Independence Front was established in the country. His national committees subsequently provided significant support for the complete elimination of fascist forces in Hungary. It was they who oversaw the restoration of the destroyed Hungarian economy. In the second half of December, the Provisional National Assembly and the Provisional National Government began their activities.
So that these state structures could function smoothly, the Military Council of the 2nd UV was instructed to provide them with food, fuel, and guarded premises.
On December 28, 1944, the GNP decided to withdraw from the fascist coalition and declare war on Germany. Hungary entered into a truce not only with the Soviet Union, but also with Great Britain and the USA. At the time of the truce, the Union Control Commission functioned in the country, the head of which was entrusted to Voroshilov.
After the capture of Budapest, the functions of supplying the local population with food were entrusted to the Soviet command. Residents were transferred more than 5 tons of bread and 100 tons of cereals. And Soviet soldiers simply fed small Hungarians from field kitchens.
Budapest Liberation Results
During the Budapest operation, units of Army Group South suffered massive irreparable damage. She lost 56 divisions and brigades. Germany lost its last ally and Hungarian oil. The transfer of 37 divisions by the Wehrmacht from the eastern front to Hungary and their subsequent destruction created the prerequisites for a more rapid advance of the Soviet units to the west. The capture of Budapest allowed the Red Army to further embrace the southern wing of the enemy army and facilitate a further attack on Vienna and Prague.
The development of strategy and tactics of warfare by the Soviet units. The Budapest operation revealed command errors in the conduct of such hostilities.
The main negative result was irreplaceable human losses. The operation to free Budapest from the Nazis (end date - February 13, 1945) was recognized as the most bloody of all European military operations. Victory went at the cost of more than 80 thousand lives of soldiers. Over 240 thousand were injured.
