Hungarian Third Army
Encyclopedia
The Hungarian Third Army was a Hungarian field army which saw action during World War II
.
. The invasion began with the bombing of Belgrade
and the crossing of the border by the Germans on 6 April.
The Third Army faced the Yugoslavian First Army. By the time the Hungarians crossed the border and finally attacked, the Germans had been attacking Yugoslavia for over a week. As a result, the Yugoslavs put up little resistance to the Hungarians. Units of the Hungarian Third Army advanced into a triangular shaped area known as the Baranya-triangle between the Danube River and the Drava River. The Hungarians suffered few casualties in this invasion. As a result of participating in the invasion of Yugoslavia, Hungary received Bácska and Baranya
.
. The Hungarian VII Army Corps was to become part of the Hungarian Third Army in August.
On 30 August, the Hungarian Third Army was mobilized to defend Hungary against the relentless advances of the Soviet 2nd and 4th Ukrainian Front
s. The Chief of Staff of the Hungarian Armed Forces, Colonel-General János Vörös, ordered this army of nine weak, undermanned, and underequipped reserve divisions to attack west of the Hungarian Second Army
(which was mobilized at the same time). The Third Army was to then cross Arad
and the Maros Valley and occupy the mountain passes of Transylvania
. This attack failed.
On 6 October, in the opening stages of the Battle of Debrecen
, the Hungarian Third Army was badly mauled near Arad
. Very quickly, the army was scattered near the town of Kecskemet
. Rodion Malinovsky
's 2nd Ukrainian Front attempted a pincer maneuver to encircle Army Group Fretter-Pico
. The 2nd Ukrainian Front's southern pincer sliced easily through the Hungarian Third Army. This southern pincer was spearheaded by Soviet General Issa Pliyev
's Mobile Group Pliyev. Later, in the same battle, Mobile Group Pliyev was encircled and badly mauled by Army Group Fretter-Pico
(Armeegruppe Fretter-Pico). The northern pincer was stalled and turned back by veteran German panzer forces. The Hungarian Second Army
was an integral part of the victorious German-Hungarian Armeegruppe Fretter-Pico.
The Order Of Battle in October 1944 was as follows:
The Hungarian Second Army was disbanded on 1 December 1944, after the Battle of Debrecen, and its remaining units were transferred to the Third Army.
every available Hungarian unit was employed in the defense of the capital. After great loss, the city was unconditionally surrendered on 13 February 1945.
Between 16 March and 25 March 1945, most of what was left of the Hungarian Third Army was surrounded and destroyed about forty kilometers to the west of Budapest. The army was destroyed by the Soviet 46th Army as it advanced towards Vienna
. But, even after this, the Hungarian Third Army did not totally cease to exist. Some remnants remained and they fought on. Fighting as they went, they moved progressively westward to southern Austria
. The army was not officially disbanded until 8 May 1945, the end of the war. That is when the last commander of the Hungarian Third Army, Lieutenant General József Heszlényi, surrendered.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Commanders
- Lieutenant General Elemér Gorondy-NovákElemér Gorondy-NovákElemér Gorondy-Novák was a Hungarian military officer, who served as Commander of the Hungarian Third Army during the Second World War.-Career:...
from 1 March 1940 to 1 November 1941 - Lieutenant General Zoltán DeclevaZoltán DeclevaZoltán Decleva was a Hungarian military officer, who served as Commander of the Hungarian Third Army during the Second World War.-References:* * *...
from 1 November 1941 to 1 December 1942 - Lieutenant General Lajos CsatayLajos CsatayVitéz Lajos Csatay de Csataj was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence between 1943 and 1944. He fought in the First World War then he joined to the Hungarian Red Army to fight against the rebel nationalities...
from 1 December 1942 to 12 June 1943 - Lieutenant General Károly BeregfyKároly BeregfyKároly Beregfy was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence between 1944–45....
from 12 June 1943 to 15 May 1944 - The Hungarian Third Army was disbanded May 1944 and reformed September 1944
- Lieutenant General József Vitéz HeszlényiJózsef Vitéz HeszlényiJózsef Vitéz Heszlényi was a Hungarian General during World War II and commander of the 3rd Hungarian Army.-Military career:...
from 19 September 1944 to 8 May 1945
Order of Battle - Yugoslavia - April 1941
On 5 April 1941, the Hungarian Third Army was mobilized for the invasion of YugoslaviaInvasion of Yugoslavia
The Invasion of Yugoslavia , also known as the April War , was the Axis Powers' attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II...
. The invasion began with the bombing of Belgrade
Bombing of Belgrade in World War II
The city of Belgrade was bombed during two campaigns in World War II, the first undertaken by the Luftwaffe in 1941, and the latter by Allied air forces in 1944.- German bombing :...
and the crossing of the border by the Germans on 6 April.
The Third Army faced the Yugoslavian First Army. By the time the Hungarians crossed the border and finally attacked, the Germans had been attacking Yugoslavia for over a week. As a result, the Yugoslavs put up little resistance to the Hungarians. Units of the Hungarian Third Army advanced into a triangular shaped area known as the Baranya-triangle between the Danube River and the Drava River. The Hungarians suffered few casualties in this invasion. As a result of participating in the invasion of Yugoslavia, Hungary received Bácska and Baranya
Baranya
Baranya may refer to:*Baranya , a geographical region in Hungary and Croatia*Baranya , a county in Hungary*Baranya , a county in the historic Kingdom of Hungary...
.
- Hungarian Third Army - Lieutenant General Elemér Gorondy-Novak
- Hungarian Mobile Infantry Corps (GyorshadtestGyorshadtestThe Gyorshadtest was the most modern and best-equipped mechanized unit of the Royal Hungarian Army at the beginning of World War II. However, the "Rapid Corps" name was something of a misnomer as it was only "mechanized" compared to other Hungarian units...
)- Hungarian 1st Mobile Infantry Brigade
- Hungarian 2nd Mobile Infantry Brigade
- Hungarian 1st Cavalry Brigade
- Hungarian I Infantry Corps
- Hungarian 1st Infantry Brigade
- Hungarian 13th Infantry Brigade
- Hungarian 15th Infantry Brigade
- Hungarian IV Infantry Corps
- Hungarian 2nd Infantry Brigade
- Hungarian 10th Infantry Brigade
- Hungarian 12th Infantry Brigade
- Hungarian V Infantry Corps
- Hungarian 14th Infantry Brigade
- Hungarian 19th Infantry Brigade
- Hungarian 2nd Cavalry Brigade
- Hungarian 9th Infantry Brigade
- Hungarian 11th Infantry Brigade
- Hungarian 1st Airborne Battalion
- Hungarian 16th Border Guards Infantry Battalion
- Hungarian 1st Air Brigade
- Hungarian Mobile Infantry Corps (Gyorshadtest
Order Of Battle - Soviet Union - October 1944
From 25 March to 15 April 1944, the Hungarian VII Army Corps was involved in the Battle of Kamenets-Podolsky PocketKamenets-Podolsky Pocket
The Battle of the Kamenets-Podolsky Pocket, also known as Hube's Pocket, was a Wehrmacht attempt on the Eastern Front of World War II to evade encirclement by the Red Army....
. The Hungarian VII Army Corps was to become part of the Hungarian Third Army in August.
On 30 August, the Hungarian Third Army was mobilized to defend Hungary against the relentless advances of the Soviet 2nd and 4th Ukrainian Front
4th Ukrainian Front
The 4th Ukrainian Front was a front of the Red Army during World War II...
s. The Chief of Staff of the Hungarian Armed Forces, Colonel-General János Vörös, ordered this army of nine weak, undermanned, and underequipped reserve divisions to attack west of the Hungarian Second Army
Hungarian Second Army
The Hungarian Second Army was one of three field armies raised by the Kingdom of Hungary which saw action during World War II. All three armies were formed on March 1, 1940...
(which was mobilized at the same time). The Third Army was to then cross Arad
Arad (Hungarian county)
Arad is a historic administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is presently in western Romania and south-eastern Hungary. The capital of the county was Arad.- Geography :...
and the Maros Valley and occupy the mountain passes of Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
. This attack failed.
On 6 October, in the opening stages of the Battle of Debrecen
Battle of Debrecen
The Battle of Debrecen, called by the Red Army the Debrecen Offensive Operation, was conducted by the 2nd Ukrainian Front on the Eastern Front of World War II...
, the Hungarian Third Army was badly mauled near Arad
Arad (Hungarian county)
Arad is a historic administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is presently in western Romania and south-eastern Hungary. The capital of the county was Arad.- Geography :...
. Very quickly, the army was scattered near the town of Kecskemet
Kecskemét
Kecskemét is a city in the central part of Hungary. It is the 8th largest city of the country, and the county seat of Bács-Kiskun.Kecskemét lies halfway between the capital Budapest and the country's third-largest city, Szeged, 86 kilometres from both of them and almost equal distance from the two...
. Rodion Malinovsky
Rodion Malinovsky
Rodion Yakovlevich Malinovsky was a Soviet military commander in World War II and Defense Minister of the Soviet Union in the late 1950s and 1960s. He contributed to the major defeat of Nazi Germany at the Battle of Stalingrad and the Battle of Budapest...
's 2nd Ukrainian Front attempted a pincer maneuver to encircle Army Group Fretter-Pico
Army Group South
Army Group South was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II.- Poland campaign :Germany used two army groups to invade Poland in 1939: Army Group North and Army Group South...
. The 2nd Ukrainian Front's southern pincer sliced easily through the Hungarian Third Army. This southern pincer was spearheaded by Soviet General Issa Pliyev
Issa Pliyev
Issa Alexandrovich Pliyev was a Soviet military commander, Army General , twice Hero of the Soviet Union , Hero of the Mongolian People's Republic . Member of the CPSU since 1926. He was an ethnic Ossetian....
's Mobile Group Pliyev. Later, in the same battle, Mobile Group Pliyev was encircled and badly mauled by Army Group Fretter-Pico
Army Group South
Army Group South was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II.- Poland campaign :Germany used two army groups to invade Poland in 1939: Army Group North and Army Group South...
(Armeegruppe Fretter-Pico). The northern pincer was stalled and turned back by veteran German panzer forces. The Hungarian Second Army
Hungarian Second Army
The Hungarian Second Army was one of three field armies raised by the Kingdom of Hungary which saw action during World War II. All three armies were formed on March 1, 1940...
was an integral part of the victorious German-Hungarian Armeegruppe Fretter-Pico.
The Order Of Battle in October 1944 was as follows:
- Hungarian Third Army - Lieutenant-General József Heszlényi (awarded German Knight's CrossKnight's CrossKnight's Cross refers to a distinguishing grade or level of various orders that denotes bravery and leadership on the battlefield....
on 28 October 1944)- Hungarian VIII Army Corps
- Hungarian 1st Cavalry Division
- Hungarian 20th Infantry Division
- Hungarian 5th Replacement Division
- Hungarian 8th Replacement Division
- Hungarian VII Army Corps
- Hungarian 10th Infantry Division
- Hungarian 23rd Reserve Division
- Hungarian Battle Group Szücs
- German LVII Panzer Corps
- German 23rd Panzer Division23rd Panzer Division (Germany)The 23rd Panzer Division was established on the 14th of March 1942 in France. It was built around the 101 Panzer-Brigade and two infantry regiments. The units worked with "booty tanks"....
- German 24th Panzer Division24th Panzer Division (Germany)The 24th Panzer Division was formed in 1942 from the 1st Cavalry Division based at Königsberg.-Service:It served under the Fourth Panzer Army in Army Group South of the Eastern Front. In late December 1942 it was encircled in the Battle of Stalingrad and destroyed...
- Hungarian 1st Armoured Division
- German 23rd Panzer Division
- Hungarian VIII Army Corps
The Hungarian Second Army was disbanded on 1 December 1944, after the Battle of Debrecen, and its remaining units were transferred to the Third Army.
The Fall of Budapest and the End
From 29 December 1944, the Hungarian capital city, Budapest was under siege. In the Battle of BudapestBattle of Budapest
The Siege of Budapest centered on the Hungarian capital city of Budapest. It was fought towards the end of World War II in Europe, during the Soviet Budapest Offensive. The siege started when Budapest, defended by Hungarian and German troops, was first encircled on 29 December 1944 by the Red Army...
every available Hungarian unit was employed in the defense of the capital. After great loss, the city was unconditionally surrendered on 13 February 1945.
Between 16 March and 25 March 1945, most of what was left of the Hungarian Third Army was surrounded and destroyed about forty kilometers to the west of Budapest. The army was destroyed by the Soviet 46th Army as it advanced towards Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. But, even after this, the Hungarian Third Army did not totally cease to exist. Some remnants remained and they fought on. Fighting as they went, they moved progressively westward to southern Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. The army was not officially disbanded until 8 May 1945, the end of the war. That is when the last commander of the Hungarian Third Army, Lieutenant General József Heszlényi, surrendered.
See also
- Hungary during the Second World War
- Military of Hungary - 1940/45
- Invasion of YugoslaviaInvasion of YugoslaviaThe Invasion of Yugoslavia , also known as the April War , was the Axis Powers' attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II...
- 1941 - Battle of Kamenets-Podolsky PocketKamenets-Podolsky PocketThe Battle of the Kamenets-Podolsky Pocket, also known as Hube's Pocket, was a Wehrmacht attempt on the Eastern Front of World War II to evade encirclement by the Red Army....
- 1944 - Battle of DebrecenBattle of DebrecenThe Battle of Debrecen, called by the Red Army the Debrecen Offensive Operation, was conducted by the 2nd Ukrainian Front on the Eastern Front of World War II...
- 1944 - Battle of BudapestBattle of BudapestThe Siege of Budapest centered on the Hungarian capital city of Budapest. It was fought towards the end of World War II in Europe, during the Soviet Budapest Offensive. The siege started when Budapest, defended by Hungarian and German troops, was first encircled on 29 December 1944 by the Red Army...
- 1944/45 - Eastern Front (World War II)Eastern Front (World War II)The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
- Hungarian First ArmyHungarian First ArmyThe Hungarian First Army was a Hungarian field army which saw action during World War II.-Commanders:* Lieutenant-General Vilmos Nagy - March 1, 1940 – February 1, 1941* Lieutenant-General István Schweitzer - February 1, 1941 – August 1, 1942...
- Hungarian Second ArmyHungarian Second ArmyThe Hungarian Second Army was one of three field armies raised by the Kingdom of Hungary which saw action during World War II. All three armies were formed on March 1, 1940...
- GyorshadtestGyorshadtestThe Gyorshadtest was the most modern and best-equipped mechanized unit of the Royal Hungarian Army at the beginning of World War II. However, the "Rapid Corps" name was something of a misnomer as it was only "mechanized" compared to other Hungarian units...
- Szent László Infantry DivisionSzent László Infantry DivisionThe Szent László Infantry Division was an elite Hungarian infantry unit formed in the final year of World War II. It was made up of a mix of army and air force personnel. The division saw action at Budapest, in western Hungary, and in southeastern Austria....