Tomb of the Panzerwaffe: The Defeat of the Sixth SS Panzer Army in Hungary 1945 Read online

  TOMB OF THE PANZERWAFFE

  The Defeat of the 6th SS Panzer Army in Hungary 1945

  Aleksei Isaev & Maksim Kolomiets

  Translated and edited by Stuart Britton

  Helion & Company Limited

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  Published by Helion & Company 2014

  Designed and typeset by Bookcraft Limited, Stroud, Gloucestershire

  Cover designed by Paul Hewitt, Battlefield Design (www.battlefield-design.co.uk)

  Text © Aleksei Isaev & Maksim Kolomiets 2009. English edition translated and edited by Stuart Britton, © Helion & Company Limited 2013.

  Maps © Helion & Company Limited 2014.

  For © of photographs see credits within the book.

  Originally published as Razgrom 6-I tankovoi armii SS. Mogila Pantservaffe (Moscow: Iauza, 2009).

  ISBN 978 1 909982 16 1

  eISBN 978 1 912174 69 0

  Mobi ISBN 978 1 912174 69 0

  British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data.

  A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the express written consent of Helion & Company Limited.

  Front cover: A King Tiger from the 509th Heavy Panzer Battalion that has been destroyed by an internal explosion. Rear cover: A German Flakpanzer IV abandoned on a Budapest street. In the background, a German glider that has crashed into the wall of a building is visible. These gliders were used to bring in supplies to the city’s garrison.

  For details of other military history titles published by Helion & Company Limited contact the above address, or visit our website: http://www.helion.co.uk.

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  Contents

  List of photographs

  List of maps

  List of tables

  Part I

  Gille and Balck Hurry to the Relief of the Budapest Garrison

  1 Introduction

  2 Konrad I: A Hasty Surprise

  3 Konrad II: A Double Blow

  4 Operation Paula Becomes Konrad III

  5 The Front is Restored

  6 The Storming of Budapest

  7 Results and Conclusions

  Part II

  The Final German Offensive of the Second World War

  8 Plans of the German Command

  9 German Panzer Forces

  10 Plans of the Soviet Command

  11 Defensive Preparations

  12 Anti-tank Defenses

  13 The Armored Units of the 3rd Ukrainian Front

  14 Operation Frühlingserwachen (Spring Awakening)

  15 Combat Operations in the Sector of the 57th Army

  16 Fighting on the Drava River

  17 The Use of the Front’s Tank Forces

  18 Conclusions

  Notes

  Literature and sources

  List of Photographs

  A Soviet T-34/85 tank with tank riders aboard it, preparing for an attack. Hungary, end of 1944.

  A Pz.Kpfw.IV tank knocked out by a shell hit in the rear of the hull. (TsAMO)

  A destroyed Wespe self-propelled artillery vehicle. The fractures in the sides of the armored fighting compartment were most likely caused by penetrations from largecaliber artillery shells.

  Commander of Armeegruppe Balck, General der Panzertruppen Hermann Balck. (Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-732-0118-03, photo: Bauer)

  Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS Herbert Gille, commander of IV SS Panzer Corps. (Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-090-3916-14, photo: Etzhold)

  Commander of the 5th Guards Cavalry Corps Major General S.I. Gorshkov.

  Commander of the 4th Guards Army General of the Army G.F. Zakharov.

  Commander of the 1st Guards Mechanized Corps Lieutenant General of Tank Forces I.N. Russianov.

  Commander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front Marshal F.I. Tolbukhin.

  An M4 Sherman tank, obtained through the Lend-Lease program, of one of the Soviet tank units. The 1st Guards Mechanized Corps was equipped with Shermans.

  A knocked-out StuH 42 self-propelled howitzer.

  A knocked-out Pz.IV Ausf.H tank with carefully applied winter camouflage.

  A StuG 40 self-propelled gun that has become immobilized in the mud and was abandoned by its crew. The number “136” was left there by the Soviet inspection team. Note the waffle-pattern Zimmerit.

  A Pz. V Ausf.A Panther, bogged down in the mud and abandoned by its crew. This tank probably belonged to the 6th Panzer Division.

  Another King Tiger of the 509th Heavy Panzer Battalion, abandoned on a street in a Hungarian town.

  The crew of an SU-76 self-propelled gun receives an order; Hungary, 1945.

  An 88mm anti-aircraft gun abandoned in its firing position on the approaches to Budapest. (TsAMO)

  A knocked-out Tiger tank of the SS Panzer Division Totenkopf. (TsAMO)

  A close-up view of Totenkopf ’s knocked-out Tiger tank. The shell hole in the front armor plate is clearly visible. (TsAMO)

  An abandoned Bergepanzer III repair-recovery tank. The number “25” was applied by the Soviet inspection team.

  A StuG 40 self-propelled gun abandoned on the battlefield. The machine is fitted with a Saukopf gun mantlet and bears the tactical number “712”.

  Commander of the 18th Tank Corps Major General of Tank Forces P.D. Govorunenko.

  A knocked-out German Panther tank. The penetrating shell hole is clearly visible in the upper forward armor.

  A burned-out German Panther Ausf. G tank. The tank has plainly “settled” as a result of the collapse of the torsion bars due to the fire. (TsAMO)

  A Hummel self-propelled artillery vehicle destroyed by artillery fire. The number “5” has been painted on by the Soviet inspection team.

  A knocked-out King Tiger of the 509th Heavy Panzer Battalion. The tank was struck by a shell in the flank in the vicinity of its engine compartment.

  One more knocked-out King Tiger. Its tactical marking, the letter “G”, is visible on the tank’s front armor.

  A disabled Panther Ausf. A in Hungary, January 1945. (TsAMO)

  A close-up view of the flank of the tank in the preceding photograph. Plainly, it has been literally riddled with anti-tank rounds. Note the roller wheels that have been shot through by armor-piercing shells.

  A bogged down and abandoned Tiger of the Totenkopf Division.

  Commander of the 26th Army Lieutenant General N.A. Gagen.

  A T-34/85 tank with tank riders aboard. In view of the almost complete absence of armored personnel carriers in the Red Army, tanks were often used to transport infantry.

  A German 75mm PAK-40 anti-tank gun left behind in its position in the Budapest area. (TsAMO)

  A StuG III self-propelled gun with its gun removed. Most likely, this machine was abandoned and cannibalized for its useful parts in order to repair other StuG IIIs.

  A knocked-out Panzerjäger 38(t) Ausf.M (Marder III) 75mm self-propelled
anti-tank gun.

  A knocked-out Panther, Hungary, January 1945. Shell holes are clearly visible in the side armor of the turret. (TsAMO)

  An StuG 40 abandoned on the street of a Hungarian villages.

  Commander of the 2nd Ukrainian Front Marshal R.Ia. Malinovsky.

  Commander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front F.I. Tolbukhin at work in his headquarters.

  A Wespe self-propelled artillery vehicle abandoned by its crew. The machine presumably belonged to the 13th Panzer Division.

  A knocked-out Panther. The blotches on the turret are most likely the results of the fire.

  A flame-throwing Flammpanzer III tank, abandoned by its crew during the fighting in Budapest.

  A knocked-out and burned-out Panther Ausf.G; Budapest area, January 1945.

  A view of a Budapest street after the storming of the city – burned-out vehicles and building walls riddled by shells and bullets. (TsAMO)

  The wreckage of a German 88mm anti-aircraft gun on a Budapest street.

  An armored wagon on a Budapest street. The recognition symbol of the Hungarian Army is clearly visible on the side of the wagon. (TsAMO)

  An SdKfz.250 of one of the German motorized units abandoned on a Budapest street. (TsAMO)

  Hummel self-propelled howitzers, left abandoned on a Budapest street. (TsAMO)

  An 88mm gun mounted on the chassis of a Bussing Nag on a Budapest Street. Note the white rings around the barrel of the gun, denoting the number of knocked-out tanks.

  Soviet tankers examining the abandoned Hummels shown in the photograph on the previous page. (TsAMO)

  The same self-propelled howitzers pictured from above. (TsAMO)

  A Hungarian Nimrod self-propelled anti-aircraft gun on a Budapest street, February 1945. (TsAMO)

  The wreckage of a German self-propelled anti-aircraft gun in front of the Calvinist Church in Budapest. (TsAMO)

  A German Flakpanzer IV abandoned on a Budapest street. In the background, a German glider that has crashed into the wall of a building is visible. These gliders were used to bring in supplies to the city’s garrison.

  A graveyard of German equipment in Budapest. In the foreground are two disassembled RSO (Raupenschlepper Ost) fully tracked prime movers. (TsAMO)

  A Hungarian-manufactured Turan I tank abandoned in a Budapest suburb.

  A snow-covered 88mm anti-aircraft gun in one of Budapest’s parks. (TsAMO)

  Obergruppenführer der Waffen-SS Karl von Pfeffer-Wildenbruch, commander of the Budapest garrison. (Bundesarchiv, Bild 101III-Ege-237-06A, photo: Hermann Ege)

  Generalmajor Gerhard Schmidhuber, commander of 13th Panzer Division. (Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-088-3743-15A, photo: Fischer)

  A German 150mm sFH 18 howitzer abandoned on the approaches to Budapest. (TsAMO)

  A Panzerjäger IV abandoned by its crew. A shell is embedded in the barrel of the gun.

  Searchlights and sound detection equipment aboard platform cars seized by Soviet troops. Hungary, end of 1944.

  An abandoned Hummel self-propelled artillery vehicle. The gun’s barrel is fixed in its travelling position.

  An anti-aircraft Flakpanzer IV Mobelwagen with the 37mm Flak 43 cannon, February 1945, Budapest area.

  A captured Hungarian-manufactured Turan I tank on a railroad platform.

  Soviet soldiers and officers inspecting a Panther, knocked-out on a Budapest street.

  An abandoned Munitionsträger (ammunition carrier) Hummel in Budapest. (TsAMO)

  Amphibious Volkswagen Schwimmwagen abandoned in Budapest. (TsAMO)

  An abandoned Wespe self-propelled howitzer. The tracks have been removed, most likely as a matter of convenience for towing.

  German armored vehicles seized by Soviet troops: A Hummel self-propelled howitzer and a Pz. IV tank. Note the arcs welded onto the Hummel’s fighting compartment to provide for a tarpaulin covering.

  A StuG 40 self-propelled gun, which has become the booty of Soviet troops. A shield for a machine gun is visible on the roof.

  A deeply mired Panther, abandoned by its crew. Spare track sections have been mounted on the tank’s turret as supplementary protection.

  Commander of Sixth SS Panzer Army, Oberstgruppenführer und Generaloberst der Waffen-SS Josef “Sepp” Dietrich (left). (Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-J28625, photo: Roeder)

  A knocked-out Panzerjäger IV tank destroyer. Note the Zimmerit coating covering the armor.

  A disabled Pz.IV Ausf.H. The camouflage is clearly visible, as are the spare track sections installed on the tank’s frontal armor.

  A Panther tank, prepared for the repair of its drive train and abandoned during a retreat.

  A King Tiger from the 509th Heavy Panzer Battalion that has been destroyed by an internal explosion.

  A knocked-out King Tiger of the 509th Heavy Panzer Battalion. The number “52” was applied by the Soviet inspection team.

  An abandoned Bergepanther repair-recovery tank; Hungary, January 1945.

  An abandoned Panther of the 23rd Panzer Division. The divisional insignia is visible on the front armor, as is the number applied by the Soviet inspection team – “62”.

  A scout commander reviewing an order. In the background is an M3 Scout Car, obtained through Lend-Lease. These armored cars equipped the reconnaissance units of the Soviet tank and mechanized corps.

  A collecting station for disabled equipment which has been seized by attacking Soviet troops. In the foreground is a Panther Ausf.G; in the background a Tiger Ausf.E heavy tank and several more machines are visible.

  A divisional M-30 Model 1938 122mm howitzer in action. By 1945, these guns made up the bulk of the artillery in the Red Army’s rifle divisions.

  Cavalrymen occupying a defensive position. The crew of a 45mm anti-tank gun is manhandling the gun into a firing position. Note the characteristic fur caps worn by Soviet cavalrymen.

  Lieutenant G. Kuzmin’s company attacks with the support of a 45mm anti-tank gun. By 1945, these guns were already virtually useless against the latest German tanks, but nevertheless were still in use in the Red Army.

  The on-board ammunition within this Panther Ausf.G has clearly exploded. The tactical marking “AJ9” is visible on the turret. Presumably, this tank belonged to the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich.

  An SU-76 self-propelled gun in combat in a village. These self-propelled guns were second in prevalence only to the T-34 tank in the Red Army.

  Soviet artillery caught in a traffic jam on one of the roads at the front. Studebaker trucks acquired from the United States were used to tow the 76mm divisional cannons.

  A Soviet anti-tank artillery regiment, equipped with 57mm ZiS-2 anti-tank guns, on the march.

  A Soviet anti-tank regiment, equipped with captured 75mm PAK-40 guns, on the march. A Studebaker truck obtained through Lend-Lease is being used as a tow vehicle.

  Soviet soldiers training to use a captured PAK-40 75mm anti-tank gun.

  A disabled and burned-out King Tiger of the 509th Heavy Panzer Battalion, vicinity of Lake Balaton, March 1945.

  An SU-85 on the move. These self-propelled guns were used as tank destroyers, but with the widespread introduction of the T-34/85 tank they lost their significance, since they were no longer better armed than the T-34 and lacked turrets.

  A T-34/85 tank, camouflaged with branches, waits in ambush.

  ISU-122 self-propelled guns. Despite its slow rate of fire, the 122mm cannons of these self-propelled guns were used with success in combat with German panzers.

  A column of T-34/85 tanks. This scene was typical for the Red Army – infantry riding on the tank’s hull, with cases of ammunition mounted on the sides.

  An abandoned StuG 40 self-propelled gun in the area of Lake Balaton, February 1945.

  A Jagdpanzer IV/70(A) tank destroyer, knocked out in the area of Lake Balaton. The machine has Drahtgeflecht [wire mesh] Schürzen side skirts and is wearing the remnants of winter camouflage.

  A Wespe self-propelled howitzer destroyed by artillery fire; Lake
Balaton area, February 1945.

  Yet another knocked-out Wespe self-propelled howitzer. These self-propelled guns, possessing armor protection against shell fragments and firing from covered positions, were a hard nut to crack, and only a direct hit could knock them out.

  A PzKpfw. VI Ausf.B King Tiger of the 509th Heavy Panzer Battalion. Its tactical designation “213” is visible on the turret.

  A completely burned-out Pz.IV Ausf.J in the area of Lake Balaton, March 1945.

  A Jagdpanther tank destroyer left burned-out on a street of a Hungarian village in the area of Lake Balaton, March 1945.

  A Marder III self-propelled gun, abandoned by its crew. The abandoned tank destroyer is being used as a road sign; it bears a marker indicating the direction of Glatz.

  An abandoned Jagdpanther on a road. The machine has no visible damage, so it may have broken down or run out of fuel. Vicinity of Lake Balaton, March 1945.

  A broken-down Panther Ausf.G, abandoned by its crew. Lake Balaton area, March 1945.

  ISU-152 self-propelled guns on the march. The ISU-152 was equipped with the powerful 152mm gun and was an irreplaceable means of struggle against enemy fortifications and stone buildings in 1945.

  A German Panther Ausf.G with the number “134”, given to it by the Soviet inspection team. The tank has no visible damage. Probably it was abandoned by the crew after experiencing mechanical problems.

  A Panther Ausf.G tank, stuck in the mud and disabled.

  A German Pz.IV Ausf.H tank, knocked out by Soviet artillery. It offers a good look at its camouflage.

  A SU-100 self-propelled gun. These self-propelled guns became the Red Army’s serious counter to the German “beasts” – the Tiger and Panther tanks – at Lake Balaton.

  A knocked-out Panther; most likely, this tank became the victim of anti-tank fire from both flanks – the gun is pivoted to the left, and a shell hole is plainly visible in the right side of the hull.

  The same machine as in the previous photograph, seen from a different angle. It is clearly visible that the tank is lacking a Zimmerit coating.