The Royal Hungarian Army 1920 - 1945 Volume I Organization and History Leo W.G. Niehorster 2 The Royal Hungarian Army 1920 - 1945 The Royal Hungarian Army 1920 – 1945 by Leo W.G. Niehorster Copyright © 1998 and 2010 by Leo W.G. Niehorster All rights reserved. Except for use in a review, no portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the pub- lisher. Neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility for the use or misuse of information contained in this book. The Royal Hungarian Army 1920 - 1945 3 CONTENTS Page Foreword .................................................................................................................................. 4 Hungarian Military Organizational Symbols................................................................................ 5 A Short Review of Hungarian History up to 1920 ....................................................................... 6 Part I The Royal Hungarian Army 1920 – 1941 Chapter 1 Hungary Between the Wars ................................................................................... 16 Chapter 2 Military Organization and the Armed Forces ........................................................ 21 Chapter 3 The Ground Forces to 1941 ................................................................................... 38 Chapter 4 The Air Force to 1941............................................................................................ 54 Chapter 5 The River Forces to 1941 ...................................................................................... 61 Part II The Royal Hungarian Army 1941 – 1945 Chapter 6 The 1941 Yugoslavian Campaign.......................................................................... 64 Chapter 7 The 1941 Soviet Campaign.................................................................................... 67 Chapter 8 The 1942/43 Soviet Campaign .............................................................................. 77 Chapter 9 Reconstruction and Reorganization ....................................................................... 95 Chapter 10 The 1944 Soviet Campaign.................................................................................. 122 Chapter 11 The Soviet Invasion ............................................................................................. 131 Chapter 12 The Final Days of the Royal Hungarian Army.................................................... 151 Chapter 13 The Hungarian Occupation Forces ...................................................................... 158 Chapter 14 The Air Force from 1941 ..................................................................................... 170 Chapter 15 The River Forces from 1941 ................................................................................ 178 Chapter 16 The Royal Hungarian Army and the Waffen-SS ................................................. 179 Part III The Royal Hungarian Army Order of Battle Chapter 17 The Royal Hungarian Army High Commands .................................................... 188 Chapter 18 The Royal Hungarian Army Commands and Formations ................................... 200 Bibliography ..................................................................................................................................... 288 Glossary ............................................................................................................................................ 293 Index ................................................................................................................................................... 298 4 The Royal Hungarian Army 1920 - 1945 FOREWORD This book is based upon my thesis presented in 1981 lished works. The latter tend to be in the majority. Most dealing with the Royal Hungarian Army in Word War II. books, usually and unfortunately, and even sometimes It was much shorter, had no maps or diagrams, and was without ulterior motives, distort the events. I have tried to heavily footnoted. The original title as suggested for the extract the facts and eliminate any bias. Hopefully, I have thesis was to have been “Germany’s Last Ally”. But once succeeded. the subject was examined in detail, I kept finding more material and deemed title as inappropriate. There was Although I have attempted to keep this document impar- much more to Hungary than a mere listing as the final tial, it will be obvious to many readers that sympathy for satellite of the ill-fated German Third Reich. My mentor the Hungarians and their plight in the wake of WWI has agreed, and the title was changed. crept into this presentation. Even so, interestingly enough, some informed Hungarians who have read this manu- After the granting of my Ph.D., more data appeared, and script find my presentation of Hungary’s motives and of material was added to the manuscript. I originally wanted the Royal Hungarian Army as not positive enough and my to present a completely impartial documentation of the point of view as “too western”, by which they usually organization and order of battle of the Royal Hungarian mean German. (Which I am not). Knowing I will never Army in World War II. (My interest in orders of battle and satisfy all points of view, I have chosen to present the military organizations will be apparent throughout this events as I see them. book.) While doing further research, I became fascinated by the background of the Army before the war, which in A major problem is that I don’t speak or read Hungarian. turn lead to finding out why the Hungarians got involved Over the last twenty-two years, many Hungarians, both in World War II in the first place. This in turn lead to veterans of WWII and other persons have provided much World War I, from which Hungary emerged as by far the information and translations. biggest loser of all the powers involved. The author apologizes for any mistakes that have crept in The Royal Hungarian Army is a subject about which little over the years, (they are only my own), and welcomes has been written in English. Sources are basically in critical comments and suggestions. Should any reader Hungarian and German. The major exception to this are possess more founded information, or the original docu- the aircraft of the Hungarians, which have been well ments thereto, I would appreciate hearing from them, so documented in English, and, strangely enough, virtually that in a future edition, the corresponding corrections can ignored in German and, until recently, even in Hungarian. be inserted for the benefit of all. While operations and strategies were available to the During these last twenty-odd years, many people have researcher without having to dig very deep, the actual been of assistance to me, all contributing their part to the organization and locations of the Royal Hungarian Army whole. Some were of such assistance, that without their proved to be much more difficult to determine. intervention, this book would never have been written at all. In particular, I would like to gratefully mention Mr. “A Short Review of Hungarian History” in the section Brün Meyer, formerly of the Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv before Part I is based on the continued research into the in Freiburg; Captain Pál Darnóy, formerly of the Royal history and motivation of the Hungarians, and goes well Hungarian General Staff; and to Major Dr. Attila Bonhardt, beyond the main subject matter of this book. However, as of the Military History Archives in Budapest. To them, all countries are the result of their history, I have included and those many others, my heartfelt thanks. it as providing an interesting background about Hungary’s situation in 1920 and the motives that drove Hungarians A future volume will deal with the other aspects of the then and now. Besides covering the political and military Royal Hungarian Army, including vehicles, aircraft, ves- events between 1918 and 1920, it also reveals many sels, equipment, arms, and uniforms. facets of Hungarian social development and political traditions as well as the background for much of their drive, which apply even today. Dates are indicated as follows: Day.Month.Year With one exception, (published in Germany during the (Thus 11.07.1941 is the 11th day of July, 1941). 1970s in Hungarian), no complete or continuous source about the efforts and defeats of the Hungarians in WWII The order of battle and organizational diagrams are based on the original documents, and use the same Hungarian organi- exists. This book is a compilation of over one hundred zational symbols of the period as found on them. different sources. These can be divided into original documents, the memories of the participants, and pub- German units and ranks are indicated in italics. The Royal Hungarian Army 1920 - 1945 5 HUNGARIAN MILITARY ORGANIZATIONAL SYMBOLS 6 The Royal Hungarian Army 1920 - 1945 A SHORT REVIEW OF HUNGARIAN HISTORY UP TO 1920 The Origins of the Hungarian People could threaten their conquest. Then, due defeated by Timurlaine so Hungary was to internal changes, in A.D. 970, (no spared. The following year, the Hungarian Very little is known as to precisely where doubt influenced by their defeat at the Assembly, (more accurately, Parliament), the Hungarians come from and there is a Lech), they changed their policy to one which met at Temesvár, drew the logical great deal of argument in this matter. Two of integration with Western Christianity. conclusion and decided that for every 20 facts are