February 1945: The last siege of castle Buda

February 1945: The last siege of castle Buda
The Siege of Budapest was one of the longest and bloodiest battles of WWII. Between the appearance of the first Soviet tank and the final capture of Buda Castle, 102 days were to pass. In comparison, Berlin and Vienna fell after 2 weeks and 6 days respectively, while no other European city, with the exception of Warsaw, was the scene of a major battle. Even those German units that persevered the longest, like Königsberg (Kaliningrad) and Breslau (Wroclaw), resisted the attackers for 77 and 82 days respectively. The fierceness of the battle of Budapest can be compared only to the sieges of Leningrad (St. Petersburg), Stalingrad (Volgograd) and Warsaw. Budapest has been one of the most besieged capital cities in Europe, which bares witness to its strategic importance: there have been 15 different major battles fought here throughout history, yet not one of them comes close to the siege of 1944-1945 in the scope of its destruction. The stifling of the Warsaw uprising took 63 days, the blockade of Leningrad lasted almost 3 years but no battles were fought on the streets. Stalingrad was a combat zone for 4 months, but most of the civilian population was evacuated prior to the struggle. At the same time, more than 800,000 people were eyewitnesses to the bloody conflict that contemporaries compared to Stalingrad in its ferocity. The casualties of the Red Army were 80,026 dead and 240,056 wounded during the military operations in Budapest and its vicinity, and for each Soviet soldier killed elsewhere in Hungary, two lost their lives in the capital city. The material damage was also great.
The entire German-Hungarian loss of life amounted to about 60% of Red Army losses. Between November 3, 1944 and February 16, 1945, there were about 40,000 dead and 62,000 wounded (including victims of the attempt to break out of the blockade). In terms of numbers, Hungarian losses did not surpass that of the Germans and were a far cry from the Soviet casualties. However, this was the most inane sacrifice of all three. Regardless of his allegiance, the Hungarian soldier was but a spectator of the destruction of his country. Many felt that it was their duty to fight even when the outcome was obvious, others capitulated right away citing Horthy Miklós' order of cease-fire. To chose meant to wager between the lesser of two evils: persistence only prolonged the bloody war initiated for the wrong cause, capitulation did not ensure true liberation. During the siege, very few took the risk of taking photographs. Almost all pictures taken by the defenders were destroyed. Therefore this exhibition primarily presents materials of the Soviet war correspondents and civilians, as well as the pictures taken after the siege. For this very reason, there is virtually no evidence of several significant events and important people. The street battles, the atrocities or the anti-Fascist resistance cannot be revisited either. When planning this exhibition, we worked from materials that were at posterity's disposal, therefore, it is primarily buildings that feature in the photographs. Nevertheless, this does not diminish the tragedy of the thousands who perished in the midst of those destroyed buildings. This exhibition commemorates these human destinies.

The Siege

 

'The Most Dangerous Man in Europe': Otto Skorzeny was the most successful commando of World War II. An Austrian trained as an engineer, Skorzeny's first big operation was the rescue of Benito Mussolini. In October 1944, Hitler sent Skorzeny to Hungary when he received word that the country's Regent, Miklós Horthy was secretly negotiating his country's surrender to the Red Army. This surrender would have cut off a million German troops fighting in the Balkan peninsula. Skorzeny, in another daring "snatch" operation, kidnapped Horthy's son Nicolas and forced his father to abdicate as Regent. A pro-German government was installed in Hungary and fought with Germany until that country was overrun by the Red Army.

Skorzeny flew to Budapast and scouted out the situation. It turned out that the Admiral was very much under the influence of his son Miklos Horthy. Miklos was negotiating through Tito (from Yugoslavia) with the Russians. It was thought that if young Miklos was taken out of the picture, then the Admiral would see the error of his ways and stay on the German side. The decision was made to nab young Mr. Horthy in the act of "treason". Miklos was meeting with the Yugoslavs when Skorzeny and his crew shot their way into the meeting and captured him. Otto rolled him up in a carpet and hauled him to the airport. Admiral Horthy did not react as hoped. He announced over the radio that Hungary was surrendering to Russia and that Germany had lost the war. This would not do. Otto had the Burgberg (the palace) surrounded by an SS panzer division and then later that evening in an incredibly balsy move DROVE up road to the Burgberg as far as he could and bulled his way past the rest of the obstacles and captured the Admiral and forced the surrender of the Hungarian troops at the palace. He then promptly flew Horthy off to Berlin to pseak with Hitler. A puppet Government was installed and Hungary stayed in the war until the end.

Horthy was holed up in castle in Castle Hill. If Skorzeny went in shooting, the Hungarians would certainly not remain allies of the Germans. So he arranged a military parade for early one Sunday morning. His men were in dress uniform and standing at attention as they drove straight up to the fortress gates. Sure enough, the flustered guards let them pass.

On October 12th 1944 the s.Pz.Abt. 503 is shipped to Hungary to support the local Fascists of the Arrowed Cross in their coup against the Hungarian government which planned to leave the war. This is Tiger 200, the 2nd Company's commander tank.

By the 14th of October both sides had completed their plans. The Germans, to strengthen their political influence, transferred Rahn, who had been the German ambassador to Italy, to Hungary. To fortify the military might, General von dem Bach was moved from Warsaw to Budapest, along with 42 Tiger tanks. Skorzeny, with the same paratroopers who had freed Mussolini from his detention, was also made available.

Horthy moved the only available small Hungarian unit which was stationed in Budapest to defend Castle Hill. The commanding Generals of the First and Second Armies were ordered to stop all resistance at the time his call for armistice would be broadcast through Radio Budapest.

On the morning of October 15th Horthy informed the Crown Council of his decision and requested Veesenmayer to see him at noon. On the same morning the son of Horthy, Miklos, Jr., left Castle Hill to meet Tito's envoy and was abducted en route by Skorzeny. During his meeting with Veesenmayer Horthy's declaration for armistice was announced through Radio Budapest. The call for armistice came as a real surprise for the Hungarian masses and the army itself. Emil Kovarcz, who captured Radio Budapest with his commandos, made it possible to publish General Voros's order to the army which, in effect, counteracted Horthy's "cease fighting" order. The result was that although the commanding generals of the Hungarian Army went over to the Soviets, the army itself continued to fight.

In the confusion Prime Minister Lakatos met with Veesenmayer and requested the release of Horthy, Jr. and General Bakay. He also stated that because the Hungarian Army continued the resistance against the Soviets, in spite of the Armistice Order, the Germans could withdraw to Hungary's western border. Veesenmayer did not accept this suggestion. The person who unwillingly gave ammunition to Veesenmayer in his argument with Lakatos was the Commander of the Guards, Lazar, who, following the order of Horthy, mined and barricaded all the roads to Castle Hill. Per order of the German High Command, Skorzeny moved against the Hungarian defenders and captured Horthy and his family. Veesenmayer repeatedly visited Horthy. When Veesenmayer promised that Horthy, Jr., would be freed, reunited with his family and transferred to Germany, Horthy signed two documents. In the first document he retracted his armistice order; in the second he appointed Szalasi as his successor. The Parliament confirmed the validity of Horthy's signature and Szalasi became legally the new leader of the nation.

The Germans wanted to restart the deportation of the Jews but Szalasi refused. Hitler wanted to have 50,000 Jewish workers to build the eastern wall in defense of Austria. Szalasi promised 25,000, under Hungarian supervision only and to be utilized on the Hungarian side of the border. Under German pressure this number was increased and the march towards Austria degenerated into an inhuman process.

Szalasi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baron Gabor Kemeny and the Minister of Defense, H. Beregffy, visited Hitler on December 4, 1944. Szalasi wanted to have Budapest declared to be an "open city." Hitler disagreed and demanded the defense of Budapest until spring of 1945 when he would begin the new German offensive with the help of the "secret weapons" which would end the war with a German victory.

Following the meeting Hitler permitted the entry of all Hungarian refugees into Germany and more than one million Hungarians crossed the Hungarian/Austrian border.

Budapest was defended by 70,000 German and Hungarian soldiers. The Soviets succeeded the encirclement of the city on December 24, 1944. The city fell 52 days later. The remainder of Hungary fell to the Soviets by April 4, 1945.

http://www.net.hu/corvinus/lib/mirror/mirror05.htm

 

"Dug-up" for resurrection-as it should be. There is some great info there. I'd also love to see a movie made about this.

 

Did not know of Skorzeny's operation in Hungary. That boy had some tater-tots!

 

I think you mean capitol here .... , Stalingrad, Aix-la-Chapelle/Aachen , Arnhem, Koenigsberg, etc. are also european cities (Cassino, another candidate for protracted city fighting, is a town).
I was in Budapest a few months ago, there is a very good military museum inside the castle complex but I had no camera , the complex is now totally rebuilt. Wasn't the castle also involved in fighting during the 1956 uprising ? As it's a government building it may have.

 

"The Siege of Budapest was one of the longest and bloodiest battles of WWII. Between the appearance of the first Soviet tank and the final capture of Buda Castle, 102 days were to pass."


It appears that the article concerns the city itself and the castle also.

 

An impressive Battle to say the least. What a waste of life. It has only delayed the war for a few weeks, possibly less; as the road to Berlin was already open and the allies were rushing into Austria from the West, so Hungary would have ended up being surrended anyway.

 

My doubt was if "the last siege of Buda castle" may have been in 1956 not 1945, as the castle complex is a key location of the city it may have been fought over during the 1956 uprising as well. I think Budapest to be one of the few european non russian cities to have had been involved in protracted house to house fighting battles in two different conflicts during the XX century. Many russian cities had both revolution and WW2 fighting and some unlucky ones, like Rostov and Kharkov, were involved in multiple battles during WW2.

 

There is no doubt that there was fighting there in 1956, but nothing comparable to the thousands who died there in 1944-45. Here are a few modern pictures that still show bullet holes in the Buda palace.
Budapest - Buda - portfolio - Art magazine Arobance

 

Skipper your pics are apparently from 1990 based from the copyright notices, I was there in october this year and did not notice apparent war damage except from what was left on purpose "as history", I was rather surprised as the damage during the siege, both to city and castle complex, was pretty extensive and the casle complex buildings did not have the "rebuilt" feeling that places like the Cassino monastry have. I did notice a lot of building was going on in the city, especially in the Pest side of the river.

 

I know it from the 1990s . This brings me to a question. If the holes were still there in 1990 and not in 2007 does that mean the walls were restored ?

 

My impression is that most of the castle complex was practically rebuilt rather than restoredd, the pictures I saw from 1945 show of the roofs and top floors caved in and little still standing, if your pictures are of the same buildings I saw pictures of they are possibly of 1956 damage as the 1945 damage was much worse but as the complex is huge it may be different buildings. My impression of the city was that there is an ongoing determined effort to restore it to it's former state and eliminating all traces of combat damage is part of it, I looked for it but found very little. I must admit it's a very beautiful city which from a chauvinistic Rome resident like myself is reluctant praise .

 

Interesting to see the two German cuffbands in the exhibit as at least one appears to be a fake. Feldherrnhalle was an army unit whose cuff band was coloured brown, not the SS black version seen in the link. The SS-Cavalry cuff title is thought to be an unofficial Czech made piece which has no certain connection with the two SS Cavalry Divisions that fought at Budapest (Florian Geyer - personnel had their own divisional cuff band (see attachment for one from my collection), & Maria Theresa - no cuff title issued during the war but did have a unit collar tab (again, see attachment for one from my collection, apologies for poor pic)).