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OperationFallBlauCampaign

TheBattlesofUryvandKarotyakByTomSessler(akaSgtFury)

BackgroundInDecember1941,theBritishgovernmentdeclaredwaronHungary.Thisendedanyhopesthat

HungarycouldlimititsinvolvementtothewarinRussia.AdmiralNicholasHorthy,theRegentof

Hungary,decidedtolimithiscountrysfutureinvolvementontheEasternFronttothebarest

minimumthathecouldnegotiatewithGermany.AftermuchwranglingbetweenBerlinand

Budapest,itwasdecidedthattheHungarianswouldcontributeanarmyconsistingofthreecorps

andanarmoreddivision.Itwasdesignatedasthe2ndHungarianArmyandcontainedthefollowing

units:

IIICorps(6th,7thand9thLightDivisions)

IVCorps(10th,12thand13thLightDivisions)

VIICorps(19th,20thand23rdLightDivisions)

1stArmoredFieldDivision

ElementsofthisarmyslowlyarrivedatthefrontbetweenApril11thandJuly27th1942andtook

uppositionsinitiallywithGermanArmyGroupWeichs.Latertheywouldbeorganizedwiththe

German2ndArmyand4thPanzerArmy.

EvenasHungarianunitswerearrivingatthefront,theGermanHighCommanddecidedtolaunch

OperationFallBlauonJune28th1942.Hungarianunitsthattookpartintheinitialfightingwerethe

IIICorpsHQ,the7thand9thLightDivisionsandotherelementsoftheIIICorps.Thesegreentroops

wereinitiallyequippedwithHungarianweaponsandequipment,butwerequicklyrearmedwith

Germanweaponry

in

order

to

ease

logistical

problems.

Their

lack

of

orientation

or

training

with

thesenewweaponswouldinitiallycausesomeproblemsforHungariantroops.

OnJuly4th1942HungarianforcestookStaryiOskolandbyJuly7ththeIIICorpsleadingunitshad

reachedtheDonRiver.TheHungarianshadbarelydugintodefensivepositionswhentheSoviets

launchedattacksacrosstheDonRiverinordertoestablishbridgeheadsatUryv,Karotyakand

Stutye.Overthenextfewmonths,aseriesofbattlesoccurredaroundUryvandKarotyak.Thethird

bridgeheadatStutyewassimplycontained,sothataxisforcescouldconcentratetheirinfantryand

armorontheothertwobridgeheads.

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TheBattlesforUryv

TheHungarianArmycounterattackedonJuly27thwiththenewlyarrived1stArmoredFieldDivision.They

successfullypushedtheSovietsoutofUryvandintoasmallbendintheDonRivernorthoftown.Unlike

theirinfantrycounterparts,theHungariantankershadbeengivenextensivetrainingwiththeirnewlyissued

Panzer

38(t)

and

Panzer

IV

tanks

before

being

shipped

to

the

Russian

front.

Their

German

instructors

had

taughtthemtoholdtheirfireuntiltheRussianT34susedtheirmainarmament.Thecannonsmokewould

thentemporarilyblindtheRussiancrew,andgivetheHungariansachancetomaneuverunseentothe

Russiantanksflank.ThiswouldgivethemabettershotatdestroyingtheT34sbyaimingfortheirslightly

weakersidearmor.Usingthismethod,theHungarianarmoredtroopswereabletodestroy21T34sduring

the1stBattleofUryv.Unfortunatelytheattackwascalledoffwhenammunitionsuppliesranlow.German

logisticalunitswereveryslowtoresupplyHungarianforces.Afewdayslater,theSovietspushedbackand

retookallofthelostterrain.

OnAugust10th,theHungarianIIICorps,nowfreshlyresupplied,renewedtheattack.ButSovietresistance

provedto

be

very

tough.

After

taking

high

casualties,

the

Hungarians

were

forced

to

withdraw

to

their

start

line.Attheveryleast,theattackhadprovedtheirwillingnesstofightandtakelosses.Onlytheinexperience

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ofthesegreentroopshadletthemdown.Theyhadprobablytakenhighercasualtiesthanaveteranunitin

thesamesituationwouldhavedone.

AthirdattemptwasmadeontheUryvbridgeheadonSeptember9th.ThistimetheGermanstookthelead

roleoforganizingandplanningtheattack.TakingpartweretheHungarian7th,12th,13thand20thLight

Divisionssupportedby1stArmoredFieldDivisionandoneGermanDivisionoftheXXIVPanzerKorps.

Afterfivedaysofheavyfightingtheattackwasbrokenoff,bothsideshadtakensubstantialcasualties.The

HungariantroopswerethenlefttofortifythepositionandsealofftheSovietBridgehead.

TheBattlesforKarotyakTaskedwitheliminatingtheSovietbridgeheadinandaroundthetownofKarotyakwerethetroopsoftheIV

Corps.TheHungariansattackedonAugust7thwithsupportfromthe1stArmoredFieldDivision,the12th

LightDivisionandtheIVHeavyArtilleryBattalion.Bythatevening,leadelementshadreachedtheDonRiver

atthetownsnorthernlimits,buttheeasternpartofKarotyakstillremainedinRussianhands.Sovietaircraft

continuouslyharassedtheHungariansastheyadvanced.Otherthansmallarms,theinfantryhadlittleto

countertheRussianaircraftwith,astheIVCorpsantiaircraftunitshadnotyetarrived.Meanwhilethe

SovietgroundforceshadbrokenthroughintheIIICorpssectornearUryv.The1stArmoredFieldDivision

wasrecalledandmovedquicklytoreinforcethethreatenedIIICorpsdefenses.Unfortunately,thedeparture

ofHungarianarmorfromtheKarotyakbattledangerouslyexposedtheleftflankofthe12thLightDivision.

Sovietforces

quickly

took

advantage

of

the

situation

and

attacked

through

the

gap

into

the

men

of

the

IV

HeavyArtilleryBattalion.Theartillerycrewswereforcedtodeploymostoftheirmenasinfantry,leavingjust

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enoughcrewsbehindtomantheguns.Withenormouseffort,theymanagedtohalttheSovietattackjust

shortoftheirgunpositions.TimelyreinforcementsfromthenewlyarrivedIVCorpsAABattalionanda

Germaninfantry&artillerybattalionmanagedtobringtheSovietattacktoahalt.

OnSeptember3rdtheattackonKarotyakwasrenewedwithbettersupportfromarmoredandheadquarters

units.AlongwithfreshsupportfromGermaninfantry&artillery,theSovietbridgeheadwasfinally

eliminated.

AftermathThe2ndHungarianArmyhadonlymanagedtoeliminateoneofthethreeSovietbridgeheadsacrosstheDon

River.BymidSeptember1942Hungarianforceshadsettledintodefensivepositions.Thenextfewmonths

wouldbe

relatively

calm

as

each

side

began

preparing

for

the

coming

winter.

Unfortunately

ageneral

lack

of

defensivesupplieslikemines&barbedwirealongwithashortageoflabormeantonlythedefensiveareas

immediatelyaroundthebridgeheadscouldbeadequatelyfortified.Majorsupplyproblemsplaguedthe2nd

Army,withboththehomegovernmentandtheGermansreluctanttogivetoomuchtotheHungarian

troops.TheGermanssawtheiralliesasasecondarypriority,whiletheHungarianGovernmentwaskeento

withholdequipmentandsuppliestohelpbuilduptheHomeArmysdefenses.

OnJanuary3rd1943Sovietforceslaunchedseveralprobingattacksagainstthe2ndHungarianand8th

ItalianArmies.Theseattacksweresuccessfullyfendedoff.

ThemainattackagainsttheHungarianforcesfinallycameat0955hoursonJanuary12startingwitha

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preparatoryartilleryattackfollowedbyatankassistedinfantryassaultonehourlater.The40thSovietArmy

launchedfromtheUryvbridgeheadintothe7thLightDivisionandtheGerman429.Infantryregiment.The

Germansandthe35thInfantryRegimentofthe7thLDwereabletoholdtheirpositions,butthe4thInfantry

Regimentofthe7thLDwasoverrun.OnthisfirstdaytheSovietswereabletodrivea6kmwidegapbetween

theIIIandIVCorps,penetratingupto3km.

January13sawSovietattacksconcentratedonthe20thLighttothenorthofUryv.The20thLightwas

supportedbytheremnantsofthe7thLightandGerman429IR.AtdawnbothcornersoftheUryvbulge

werestillbeingheld.FourbattalionsoftheIIICorpsreservessupportedbytheGerman700Panzerverband

wereabletoconductacounterattack,butSovietforceswerejusttoostrong.TheRussianswereableto

maintaintheirgainsinthecenterwhiletheirleftwingadvancedvirtuallyunopposed.Thestrengthofthe

SovietforcewassuchthatbytheendofthedaytheGermanPanzerforcehadjust4Panzer38(t)sremaining.

TheHungariantroopsengagedhadbeensmashedbycontinuousandunrelentingSovietattacks.The

remnantsoftheHungarianIIICorpsnowfacedsouthwiththeirwesternflankexposed.

OnJanuary14theSovietoffensivegotintofullswingwiththrustsmadefromtheStutyebridgehead.The

Soviet18thRifleCorpssmashedthroughthe12thLightDivisionandmovedinthedirectionofOstrogosk.

ThereleaseoftheGerman168IDfromreservesonJanuary15slowedthisSovietadvancealongits

southernflank,buttothenorthacontinuousflowofSoviettroopspouredthroughthegap.OtherDivisions

alongthefrontwereallunderpressure.The7thand12thLDhadbeendestroyed.The2ndHungarianArmys

sectorwasquicklyrunningoutofmen.

OnJanuary16the13thLightDivisionatKarotyakcameunderheavypressurefromtheSoviet40thArmy.

AfterheavyfightingtheywithdrewtowardsOstrogoskwhere,alongwiththe10thLDandGerman168ID,

theywere

surrounded.

The

10th

LD

lost

its

artillery

to

the

Soviet

18th

Rifle

Corp

when

it

couldnt

be

moved

becauseofalackofhorsestotowtheguns.KorpsCramer,theArmyGroupBsreserveforce,launcheda

counterattack.ItdidmanagetostalltheadvanceoftheSoviet18thRifleCorps,butwasquicklycalledoff

theattackwhenthe1stArmoredFieldDivisionsflanksbecamedangerouslyexposed.Meanwhile,several

advancedunitsoftheSoviet12thTankCorpshadmanagedtogetbehindthepositionsoftheVIICorps.

Theirpositionbecamesoprecariousthatthe2ndHungarianArmyHQorderedthemtoretreat.

OnJanuary17theIIICorpsalongwithGermanreinforcementwasstillconductingavigorousdefenseagainst

thenorthernthrustsofthe40thSovietArmy.Butthe40thArmyssouthernthrustbrokethroughGerman

defensesandcontinuedtowardsthetownsofAlexeyevkaandIlovskoye.Seizingthesetownswouldmean

themainretreatrouteforGerman/HungarianforcesintheOstrogoskareawouldbecutoff.Leadelements

oftheSoviet40thArmyreachedtheairfieldatIlovskoyearoundnoon,butfierceresistancefromHungarian

AirForcegroundcrewsforcedthemtowithdraw.

WhatwasleftofIVCorpswasorderedtoretreattoOstrogosk.TheSovietswerethenabletotakeKarotyak.

BythateveningallformsofcommunicationswiththeremainingtwoCorpswerelost.GeneralJnys2nd

HungarianArmyHQstillhadcommunicationswithKorpsCramer,butafewminutesbeforemidnighteven

thisremainingcontactwaslost.

OnJanuary

18

the

Soviet

40th

Army

surrounded

the

town

of

Ostrogosk.

Hitler

declared

the

town

to

be

a

Festung(fortress)thatshouldbedefendedtothelastman.Trappedinsideweretheremnantsofthe10th

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LD,the13thLD,theGerman168IDandothertroopsfromtheIIIandIVCorps.

Whileretreatinginanorthwestdirection,VIICorpsencounteredtheleftwingoftheSoviet18thRifleCorps.

Whentanksfromthe12thTankCorpssuddenlyappearedtotheirsouththeirretreatrapidlyturnedintoa

rout.WiththatVIICorpsceasedtoexist.ThatsamedaySovietforcesoccupiedAlexeyevka,butadetermined

counterattackbythe1stArmoredFieldDivisionpushedthembackout.TheHungarianarmorthenjoined

thedefensesofIlovskoyetothenorth.

OnJanuary20Hungarian/GermandefendersintheAlexeyevka/Ilovskoye/Ostrogoskareacontinuedto

holdout.TheSoviet40thArmywasorderedtobreakoffandconcentrateontheGerman2ndArmytothe

northoftheirpositions.The18thRifleCorpsand3rdTankArmywereleftbehindtofinishofftheHungarian

2ndArmy.

OnJanuary21contactwithforcesinsidetheOstrogoskpocketwasreestablishedbyastrongcombatgroup

ofthe

German

26th

ID.

Over

the

course

of

the

day,

German

and

Hungarian

troops

evacuated

the

pocket

and

marchedtoNovyiOskol.The1stArmoredFieldDivisionmanagedtopreventcontinuousattemptsbySoviet

armortocutthisretreatoff.

AllremainingHungariantroopsintheOstrogoskAlexeyevkaareawerenowgroupedtogetherunderKorps

Cramer,andonJanuary22theystartedwithdrawingtowardsBudyennyandontoNovyiOskol.The

HungarianIVandVIICorpshadbeendestroyed.

OnJanuary22theHungarian2ndArmyceasedfunctioningasacommandunitandwasmovedtotherearto

reorganize.ThoseunitsstillcapableoffightingremainedwithCorpsCramer,underGermancommand.

OnJanuary25CorpsCramerwasreassignedtotheGerman2ndArmy.Atthistimetherewerestill12,000

Hungariansfighting.AsthefrontstabilizedHungarianunitsweresenttotherearwheretheybegantheir

reorganization.TheHungarianswouldntseeanyseriousfightingagainuntil1944.

ThetotallosstoHungarys2ndArmy,whichincludedkilled,wounded,missingandtakenprisonercameto

130,000outofthe211,000presentatthebeginningofJanuary1943.Thiswasmorethana60%casualty

rate!Thedestructionofthe2ndHungarianArmyvirtuallyeliminatedallthemodernmilitaryequipmentthat

theHungarianArmyhad.ThelossessufferedbyHungarianforcesalongtheDonRiver,bothmateriallyand

psychologically,wereimmense.Itwasablowthattheynevercompletelyrecoveredfrom.

Pleasenotethatthebackgroundandaftermathsectionsofthisscenariowerecopiedandpastedfromthe

FlamesofWarwebsite.Ihaveheavilyeditedtheoriginaltextandaddedinmoredetailsusingmycopyof

TheRoyalHungarianArmy19201945.

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