Almost 50 thousand destroyed enemy soldiers, 200 destroyed tanks and self-propelled guns, more than 120 thousand prisoners – on February 13, 1945, the troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front defeated the German group defending the capital of Hungary. Last year, the Russian Ministry of Defense declassified archives that shed light on the unique operation. The department’s website contains combat reports, award lists and reports of atrocities committed by the occupiers.
About the “secret weapon”
The Hungarian government, realizing the imminent defeat of Germany and the entire Nazi bloc, asked Moscow for a truce in the fall of 1944. Dictator Miklos Horthy complied with the USSR’s demand: he broke off relations with the Germans and declared war on Germany. Hitler sent troops into the country and captured Budapest. Many Hungarian soldiers became prisoners of war, thousands of people were sent to concentration camps and penal battalions. The Hungarians tried to go over to the Soviet side at the first opportunity.
Thus, one soldier said during interrogation that he was very glad when the opportunity presented itself to surrender to the Russians: “I was tasked with establishing contact between the battalion and the mortar platoon located in the village of Tyunel. When I came to this village, I decided to go to one house to rest a little. Here I saw four soldiers from our squadron, who told me that they had agreed to surrender and were awaiting the arrival of the Russians. I decided to join.”
The Germans did everything possible to maintain morale: they promised miracle weapons and a quick victory for the Wehrmacht.
For example, a soldier of the SS division “Polizei” spoke about this – his testimony was recorded in the interrogation report.
“We will receive new weapons as soon as possible. It is already being tested in Germany. This weapon is called a “Pressluft grenade” (compressed air projectile). It will kill our enemies over a wide area from the explosion site,” the SS man reported the words of the company commander.
In addition, the troops were preparing for the massive use of chemical weapons as “the last argument in the war against the enemies of the Reich.”
“Everyone has a gas mask and a cape. During the classes, everyone is warned to keep strictly confidential everything they know about the possibility of chemical warfare. Three days before I left for the front, the entire company went through a gas fumigation chamber, and each soldier tested his own gas mask,” said one of the soldiers.
About the shooting of parliamentarians
During the siege of Budapest, the Soviet command tried with all its might to avoid much bloodshed and severe destruction. On December 29, 1944, before the assault, two envoys were sent to the Hungarian capital with a proposal to surrender the city. The negotiators were shot.
“About mid-January, while we were in a bomb shelter, we heard from our neighbors that the Russians had sent envoys before the siege of Budapest,” Hungarian Major General Mikloi Fridyash gave written testimony. “They should have offered the command to surrender the city.” The parliamentarians did not have time to begin negotiations when they were shot. This message horrified everyone; no one wanted to believe it. About a week later, I met in our house a Fenrich named Vargush from the 13th Assault Artillery Division, who was looking for an apartment. I asked him if it was possible for the Germans to shoot the Russian negotiators? He replied that the German command had received an order to open fire on Soviet envoys if they appeared. Each battalion commander had to certify his receipt of this order with a personal receipt.”
About the situation in the city before the assault
A declassified report from the political department of the Red Army speaks of the extremely difficult situation of the residents of Budapest before the assault, the activity of the underground and the panic of German officers.
“According to the testimony of prisoners of war, there is no bread in the city,” the document emphasizes. — It’s almost impossible to get other products. The power plant is still operating, all large buildings are being mined. Members of the Salashi party, who received weapons, set up machine gun nests in the basement. There is an order to carry out terror against Russian troops if they penetrate the city. The soldiers do not know about this order. The propaganda organs of the resistance front are very active, publishing many leaflets on glass printers. Despite the ban, the population reads these leaflets and is very interested.”
The political department reports that there is mobilization in Budapest, and mainly units on the front line are being replenished. Hungarian prisoners of war say that the Germans are taking out their officers, both healthy and wounded, on transport planes. The command orders the troops to defend to the last man, encouraging them that the SS Viking division has allegedly already moved to the rescue of the encircled group.
About the storming of the city
Documents disclosed by the Ministry of Defense make it possible to judge how carefully the Soviet command prepared the assault on the city. The operation was accompanied by brutal street fighting – the Red Army used a minimum of armored vehicles, breaking through to the center with assault groups supported by heavy artillery. The final stage of the offensive began on February 11.
In the combat order of the commander of the 83rd brigade we read: “On the morning of 11.2.45, units of the group of troops of the Budapest direction began a decisive assault to eliminate the encircled group.”
After powerful artillery bombardment, Soviet troops, together with soldiers of the Hungarian volunteer army, rushed into the city in small groups, capturing the streets and strategically important buildings. The assault lasted three days. On February 13, the fighting ended with the surrender of the city garrison led by the German commander of the Budapest Group of Forces, Colonel General Karl Pfeffer-Wildenbruch. The Red Army defeated 56 Nazi divisions and brigades. The enemy lost up to 50 thousand soldiers and officers killed and 138 thousand captured.
The operation was completed by the 2nd Ukrainian Front with the assistance of the 3rd Ukrainian Front.
“After a month and a half of stubborn fighting in the difficult conditions of a big city, today, February 13, we completed the defeat of the encircled enemy group in Budapest and thereby completely captured the capital of Hungary, the city of Budapest – a strategically important center of German defense on the roads to Vienna,” notes Order No. 337 of the Supreme Commander commander-in-chief.
About the heroism of Soviet soldiers
Of particular interest are the award certificates for the soldiers and officers of the Red Army who liberated Budapest. Among those who distinguished themselves is the commander of the M4A2 Sherman tank, Guard Sergeant Major Pavel Voronin.
“Comrade Voronin showed exceptional heroism and military skill in the battles for the cities of Budapest and Vienna. With three of his tanks in the St. Petersburg area on January 21, 1945, he repelled eight attacks by seventeen German tanks. In this battle, he destroyed five German tanks without any losses. On January 23, in the Velence area, Comrade Voronin set up an ambush with his tank, let four German tanks pass by him at night, lined up behind them and destroyed three vehicles. On March 19, in the battle for Polgrad, Comrade Voronin was the first to break into the city and destroy two German tanks, 12 vehicles with ammunition and up to 30 German soldiers and officers. In the battles for the city of Vienna, Comrade Voronin showed courage and high skill in street fighting. Being in the vanguard, he was the first to quickly burst into the arsenal, destroying up to 50 soldiers and officers, three guns and two self-propelled guns with fire and tracks.”
Another document describes the feat of the commander of the battery control platoon of the 4th battalion of the 109th howitzer artillery brigade, Lieutenant Ivan Nikulnikov.
“The battery of 203-mm guns, where Lieutenant Nikulnikov was a platoon commander, was under direct fire. Under the cover of darkness, the enemy, numbering about 300 soldiers, crushed the advanced infantry units, went directly to the guns and tried to destroy the gun crews. Comrade Nikulnikov, having organized a perimeter defense, kept the enemy away throughout the night. Lieutenant Nikulnikov repelled four enemy attacks. In addition, he twice raised his fighters to counterattack. As a result, 185 German soldiers and officers were killed. Nikulnikov personally killed 35 enemy soldiers.”
Link to documents: https://budapest75.mil.ru/
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