BY ANDRAS PALASTHY
The 1. Rohamtûzer Osztaly (1. RO) was the 1st Assault
Artillery Unit raised and then enlisted into by the Honvéd.
It is at the end of 1942 that the Hungarian Chief of Staff
took the first decision to introduce into the Hungarian Army the weapon that
the Wehrmacht had already used with success in 1940 during the campaign in
France.
At the end of February 1943, three officers chosen by the
Hungarian Artillery Inspectorate came to the end of a training course that
lasted six weeks in Jüterborg near Berlin at the instruction centre of the
Sturmartillerie (VI. / Artillerie-Lehr-Regiment (mot.) 2). The commander of the
small group was Százados (Captain) József Barankay, the creator of the
Hungarian Assault Artillery, on his return to Hungary, the captain surrounded
by a team of young enthusiastic officers, devoted himself passionately to
preparing courses destined to train the first volunteers.
The instruction methods largely inspired from the new German
methods, contributed to the formation of a true espirt de corps.
The 1st October 1943 sees the start of official construction
of a further seven new RO. Unfortunately it becomes clear that the only
Hungarian production plant (Manfred Weiss) would not be capable of meeting the
needs of 8 RO. The German allies assure Hungary that it will provide equipment
for the other RO in the form of Sturmgeshütze providing the personnel can be
raised for these units. The 1. RO is exclusively equipped with Zrinyi,
conversely the support elements consist of a great deal of German produced
equipment, Opel Blitz, Krupp Protze, and R75 BMW motorcycle’s.
The 12th April 1944, three rail convoys, respectively
transporting the 2. and 3 Üteg (Batteries) and also the HQ elements of the 1.
RO (commanded by now (Major) Ornagy József Barankay) depart for the Galizian
Front, prior to this in May 1944 they participated in a combined demonstration
exercise in front of the Artillery Inspector and Regent Horthy, the 1st Üteg
remains stationed in Hajmáskér. It did not join the rest of the RO until two
months later during June 1944.
The Assault Howitzers of the 2nd Üteg (temporarily commanded
by 1st Lieutenant Röder - the actual commander; 1st Lieutenant Kulifay,
convalescing at the time) moved off from the Stanislau plateau on the evening
of the 16th April (now called Ivano-Frankousk) where the RO commander sets up
his HQ. The 3rd Üteg arrives in Stanislau 3 days later.
The Zrinyis of the 1. RO were engaged in combat in Galizia
for more than 3 months with the 1st Hungarian Army, itself subordinated to the
Heeresgruppe Nordukraine.
Mobilised on the 6th January 1944, the Hungarian government
had originally planned to use the 1st Hungarian Army for the defence of the
national borders in the North-eastern Carpathians, however the German High
Command would not allow this and used the Army in Polish Galizia to fill a gap
in the front line between the Carpathians and the Dniester. This ‘hole’ was
located between the 1st German Pz. Army (Right flank of Heeresgruppe
Nordukraine) and the 8th German Army (Left flank of Heeresgruppe Südukraine).
The 1. RO arrived in Galizia on the evening of the attack by
the 1st Hungarian Army, the Army had limited objectives (Then commanded by
General Lakatos) which had been set by the Germans. These were to take the Army
to the Kolomea-Obertyn-Ottynia-Stanislau line to re-establish contact between
the Heeresgruppe Norukraine and Südukraine and establish a continual frontline.
An attack started between the Pruth and the Dneister on the
17th April 1944 at 14:00hrs, on the left flank of the Army the VIIth Hungarian
Corps (16th and 18th Infantry Divisions) were tasked with the objective of
capturing the towns of Ottynia and Obertyn, by the evening of the 20th April
the 16th Infantry Division had seized Ottynia with negligible losses, however
Soviet resistance hardened quickly and by the 22nd April the 16th Infantry
Division were reporting the first counter attacks.
A little after his arrival in Stanislau, Ornagy Barankay
contacted the 301st Sturmgeschütz-Brigade that was operating in the sector. He
followed on foot with some of his subordinates the Sturmgeschütz-Brigade during
an engagement to observe the tactics and unit operation.
The Assault Howitzers of the 1. RO received their baptism of
fire on the 21st April 1944 in the Bohorodyczyn sector on the left flank of the
16th Infantry Division, only the 2. Üteg took part in this engagement, supporting
infantry of the 18th Hungarian Infantry Division who were tasked in capturing
the town of Bohorodyczyn where the Soviets were entrenched. The ground was in
the Soviets favour; they had concentrated a great deal of men and material in
the area. The town could not be taken on the first day by the Hungarians,
several anti-tank guns and a dug-in T-34 were destroyed by the Zrinyi’s, during
the fighting the battery had two of its three platoon commanders seriously
injured and their vehicles damaged.
On the 23rd April the 101st Jäger Division moved into the
offensive on the left flank of the 18th Infantry Division, again they were met
with fierce enemy resistance, supported by Sturmgeshütze of the 301st
Sturmgeschütz-Brigade and a combat group from the 16th Panzer Division, they
managed to progress only a few kilometers.
On the 28th April, the combined efforts of the Hungarians
and Germans allowed the 2. Üteg to capture Bohorodyczyn, where surprised from
the flank several Soviet Anti-tank guns were captured intact with their
American made M3 half-tracks.
A few days after its first engagement, where they destroyed
two T-34’s, the 3rd Üteg on the 27/28th lost their commander, 1st Lieutenant
Waczek, he sustained a fatal head wound, the commander of the second platoon
was also killed in this action. Ornagy Barankay took command of the Üteg until
the end of the engagement, which was a success. 1st Lieutenant Rátz became the
Üteg commander at this time.
On the 30th April the 2. Üteg received the order to withdraw
to Stanislau, that same day General Lakatos gave the order to stop the advance
of the Hungarian 1st Army without all the objectives being achieved, the VIIth
corps did not capture Obertyn and the front was stabilised on the
Peczenyczyn-Kolomea, South-west Ottynia East Tlumacz line, the Hungarians and
Germans now preparing defensive positions.
Two months of relative calm follow in the sector of the
VIIth corps after the Hungarian offensive.
On May 19th the 3. Üteg was transferred South of Pruth,
where it operated as an independent unit within the XIth corps which was part
of the 1st Hungarian Army. In this region, the 3. Üteg is engaged for the first
time on the 20th May in the area of Peczenyczyn, Captain Barankay who took part
in this engagement was moved back to Stanislau with his Zrinyi riddled with
holes after the engagement.
In mid-June the 1st Üteg commanded by 1st Lieutenant Sandor
rejoined the RO at the front with its 10 Zrinyi.
With Captain Barankay remaining with the 3rd Battery,
commanded by 1st Lieutenant Rátz it was again involved in violent defensive
actions on the 7th, 8th and 9th of July in the Peczenyczyn sector. On the 9th
of July at the end of the engagement a Zrinyi had to be abandoned after
becoming stuck in an infantry trench, this was later recovered under enemy fire
during the 9th and 10th of July, this recovery was led by 1st Lieutenant Rátz
for which he received the Iron Cross 2nd class on the 11th of July 1944.
While 1st Lieutenant Rátz’s assault guns had been engaged
several times South of the river Pruth, it was only from the 13th of July 1944
that Soviet activity in the sector of the 1. and 2. Üteg increased.
After the Soviet offensive on the 22nd June broke through
the lines of Heeresgruppe Mitte it was the 1st Ukrainian Front of Marshall
Koniev who pressed on with the offensive. Opposing the 1st Ukrainian front were
Heeresgruppe Nordukraine comprising of 4th Pz. Army on the left flank, 1st Pz.
Army in the center and the 1st Hungarian Army on the right flank.
As the Soviet advance concentrated its efforts on Lemberg
(Today L’vov) which was defended by the 1st Pz. Army, the OKH was forced the
commit the armoured units (German) who were fighting with the Hungarian 1st
Army to this sector. This move affected the VIIth Hungarian Corps, which was in
contact with the right flank of the German 1st Pz. Army leaving them exposed.
In the Corps sector the Soviet activity intensified from the 13th July, 10 days
later the left flank of the 1st Ukrainian Front (North of the 1st Guard Army,
South of the 18th Army) gets into the action.
On the morning of the 13th July 1944 the 1. RO is placed on
alert; the Zrinyis of the 1. and 2. Üteg are prepared for combat to the East of
Ottynia. On that day, the aerial activity increased in the sector, during the
move of the 1st Üteg towards Ottynia the Üteg came under aerial attack, with
the commander of the 1st platoon being the first casualty. Once the Üteg was
underway again it encountered the vehicle that was transporting the body of
Ornagy Barankay commander of the 1. RO himself a casualty of a bombing raid on
the town of Targowica which was behind the front lines, he had been following
the engagements of the 2. Üteg by radio from here.
Captain Barankay was buried in the military cemetery in
Stanislau, in the position he had reserved for himself between the first two
men killed from his unit.
Ornagy (Major) Doóry arrived from Hungary at the end of July
to assume command of the 1. RO.
The Soviet offensive in the sector of the VIIth Hungarian
Corps concentrated all its efforts on Ottynia, the combined efforts of the 16th
and 7th Infantry Divisions along with the Hungarian 2. Páncéloshadosztály (2nd
Armoured Division) was unable to prevent a Soviet breakthrough. The Hungarian
withdrawal started in the direction of the Carpathains. On the 23rd July,
Ottynia fell to the 18th Soviet Army who, advancing on Nadvorna threatened to
take the VIIth Hungarian Corps from behind from the South, on the 25th July
Nadvorna fell, at this time the VIIth Corps was cut off from the 1st Hungarian
Army and the 1st RO from its 3.Üteg.
During the retreat, the 1. and 2 Üteg of the 1st RO
completed a number of hard fought rearguard actions, which allowed a number of
units to withdraw and escape complete destruction.
The route followed by the 1. and 2. Üteg was
Ottynia-Winograd-Lachowca-Lukwa-Krasna-Rozniatow-Dolina-Wygoda.
On the 24th July, a reconnaissance patrol from the 2nd Üteg
destroyed three T-34 during an ambush in the area of Winograd, that same day
2nd Lieutenant Buszek (2nd Üteg) under his own initiative led an action that
liberated a unit of field artillery that had been surrounded by the Soviets,
after this action a German Hauptmann took down 2nd Lieutenant Buszek’s details
and location, he later received the Iron Cross 2nd class for his actions.
The combat elements of the 1. RO on the 27th July were
attached to the 2. Páncéloshadosztály, under the orders from Major Doóry and
1st Lieutenant Kulifay they were forced to stop their westward march, the only
safe route of withdrawal. The valley of Lukwa was blocked by retreating forces,
the valley was under fire from the Soviets. The RO received the order to open
the road at all costs, they were forced to push/shove or crush any obstacle in
their path. Every Zrinyi carried around 10 wounded soldiers on route. The 1.
and 2 Üteg lost more than 2/3 of their assault howitzers during the retreat.
On the 28th July the 1. and 2. Üteg along with the RO
commander crossed the Hungarian border by the Toronya pass in the Northeastern
Carpathians.
The RO established itself at Felsöveresmo (near to Hust
where the Hungarian 1st Army Chief of Staff had previously arrived) they
remained here until the end of September.
The 3rd Üteg of 1st Lieutenant Rátz, was operating in a less
exposed sector and returned to Hungary with all of his Zrinyi’s by means of the
pass at Tatàr, however while the support vehicles of the battery could still
cross the River Pruth by the bridge of Deatyn, the tracked vehicles had to ford
the river further south.
On arrival in Hungary the battery billeted at Korosme.
At the end of September 1944, the RO was embarked for
Hajmáskér, however before leaving the 3. Üteg was involved in the last
engagement in Transylvania. Following the failure of the Romanians to hold the
Soviets on the 23rd August a breach was opened in Translavania on the right
flank of the Heersegruppe Südukraine. On the 13th of September 1944 the 3rd
Hungarian Army launched a general offensive against the 1st Romanian Army (now
allied to the Soviets) so that they could partially close the breach.
Transported by rail until Nagyvárad (Today Oradea in Romania), the 3rd Battery
of 1st Lieutenant Rátz were engaged around mid-September on the left flank of
the 3rd Hungarian Army with the VIIth Corps. The intervention of the 3rd Üteg
forced the Romanians from the town of Belenyes, unfortunately the Zrinyi of 1st
Lieutenant Rátz fell victim to a mine in front of Belenyes, and the vehicle was
irreparable and abandoned. The battery was withdrawn from the front after
releasing all its equipment to an Üteg from the 10th RO who at that time were
also in Transalvania.
After two weeks of rest the 1. RO was again placed on alert
at Hajmáskér for the defence of Budapest, which the Soviet advance was now
threatening, again after disposing of a battery of equipment (The Rátz Battery
rearmed) the unit was attached to ‘Csoport Billnitzer, essentially constituted
of assault artillery fighting on foot.
During the months of November and December 1944 the assault
gunners of the 1. RO were engaged on foot (mostly) in the sector of
Vecsés-Maglad-Ecser (around Pest) attached to the 1st Hungarian Armoured
Division. Assigned to another position, Ornagy Doóry was replaced by 1st
Lieutenant Wáczek having recovered from his wounds. He was gravely wounded again
on the 19th November North of Vecsés during a reconnaissance mission, 1st
Lieutenant Sándor who was to be the last commander of the RO replaced him.
On the 4th of December 1944, from the island of Csepel, the
Soviets achieved a foothold on the West shore of the Danube with the intention
of rapidly breaking through the Margarete line to take Budapest from behind.
They threw themselves against the defenses of the 271st Volksgrenadier Division
and of the 239th Sturmartillerie-Brigade. On the 5th December at sunrise,
without receiving orders to do so 1st Lieutenant Rátz led his Battery out of
the sector he was assigned to join with the 10th RO (commanded by Százados
(Captain) Sándor Hanák) at Székesfehérvár. This unconventional initiative
provoked the wrath of the General-Major Billnitzer, however no charges were
brought to 1st Lieutenant Rátz
On the 8th December 1944, attached to the 271st
Volksgrenadier Division, the 10th RO were engaged south of Baracsta, with the
Üteg of 1st Lieutenant Rátz, in all 10 Zrinyi took part in the engagement, the
close protection of the assault howitzers was provided by the 10th Motorised
Assault Company of Lieutenant Harkay (A special unit organically attached to
the 10th RO and mostly constituted of soldiers from destroyed or routed units
armed with sub machine guns) and German ground forces.
That evening the Soviets
sustained heavy losses, the RO with Captain Hanák as its commander returned to
Martonvásár where the RO and German Divisional headquarters were located with
several prisoners and considerable amounts of captured material (according to
documents of the time). No less than 7x 76.2mm antitank guns were captured, 1 x
heavy howitzer, 6 x 76.2mm antitank guns and an antitank gun of inferior
caliber were amongst others destroyed. The officers were commended by the
commander of the 271st Volksgrenadier Division, some receiving the Iron Cross
for their actions.
On the same day the 8th Pz. Division had also been engaged
in the Martonvásár sector carrying out a counter attack which failed in its
objectives, the following day with 65 armoured vehicles the 8th Pz. Division
was again denied its objectives. On the 11th December1944 the Üteg of 1st
Lieutenant Rátz and the 10th RO were again engaged in the streets of the town
of Erd (Southwest of Budapest). The Zrinyi of the commander of the 2. platoon
of the Rátz Battery was hit and destroyed by an antitank gun hidden in the
higher parts of the town, Erd was cleared and the Soviets lost several heavy
weapons including antitank guns, which had been crewed by women.
On the 26th December the 1. RO as the other units of the 1st
Hungarian Army and IX SS. Gebirgskorps found themselves trapped the Hungarian
capital after the link up of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts in the area of
Esztergom. This date marked the beginning of the siege of Budapest, which was
to last more than 6 weeks. Around the turn of the New Year, 1st Lieutenant
Kulifay commander of the 2. Üteg partially re-equipped with Turan 41M died in
his command tank after being hit by an antitank gun.
The 1. RO was finally destroyed in the street fighting of
Budapest in January-February 1945.
