1944 Nazi German military operation to replace Hungary's leadership with loyalists
Operation Panzerfaust
Part of World War II
Soldiers from 22 SS-Freiwilligen-Kavallerie-Division Maria Theresia review captured weapons in the courtyard of Buda Castle, including a Hungarian 40M Nimród anti-aircraft self-propelled gun (back) and a 40mm 40M anti-tank gun.
Date
15—16 October 1944
Location
Budapest, Kingdom of Hungary
Result
Overthrow of Regent Miklós Horthy Pro-Nazi Arrow Cross Party came to power
Belligerents
Hungary
Germany
NYKP
Commanders and leaders
Miklós Horthy
Géza Lakatos
Lajos Csatay
János Vörös
Béla Miklós
Lajos Veress
Edmund Veesenmayer
Otto Skorzeny
Ferenc Szálasi
Károly Beregfy
Iván Hindy
Adrian von Fölkersam
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t
e
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Operation Panzerfaust (German: Unternehmen Panzerfaust, lit. 'Operation Armored Fist') was a military operation undertaken in October 1944 by the German Wehrmacht to ensure the Kingdom of Hungary would remain a German ally in World War II. When German dictator Adolf Hitler received word that Hungary's Regent, Admiral Miklós Horthy, was secretly negotiating his country's surrender to the advancing Red Army, he sent commando leader Otto Skorzeny of the Waffen-SS and former special forces commander Adrian von Fölkersam to Hungary. Hitler feared that Hungary's surrender would expose his southern flank, where Romania had just joined with the Soviets and cut off a million German troops still fighting the Soviet advance in the Balkans. The operation was preceded by Operation Margarethe in March 1944, which was the occupation of Hungary by German forces, which Hitler had hoped would secure Hungary's place in the Axis powers.[1] This had also enabled the deportation of the majority of Hungarian Jews, previously beyond the reach of the Nazis, through uneasy cooperation with Hungarian authorities. This policy was, however, terminated as Soviet forces drew closer and the USAAF, based in Italy, began bombing Hungary, including Budapest.[2]
^Earl F. Ziemke, Stalingrad to Berlin: The German Defeat in the East, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1968
^"U.S. FLIERS BLAST BUDAPEST PLANTS; Bomb Four Large Refineries and Rail Yards -- 8th Air Force Smashes at French Railways on the Chow 'Assault Line,' French Traitors and Action in Normandy U.S. FLIERS BLAST BUDAPEST PLANTS". The New York Times. 15 July 1944.
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OperationPanzerfaust (German: Unternehmen Panzerfaust, lit. 'Operation Armored Fist') was a military operation undertaken in October 1944 by the German...
The Panzerfaust (German: [ˈpantsɐˌfaʊst], lit. "tank fist" or "armour fist", plural: Panzerfäuste) was a development family of single-shot man-portable...
the Balkans. Skorzeny, in a daring "snatch" codenamed OperationPanzerfaust (known as Operation Eisenfaust in Germany), kidnapped Horthy's son Miklós...
commandeered all available elements of the Maria Theresia to take part in OperationPanzerfaust, which began at 0600 on 15 October. In little over half an hour...
Skorzeny had become one of Hitler's favorites following the success of OperationPanzerfaust in which he had supervised the kidnapping of Miklós Horthy, Jr....
signed. The Germans were ready, however. Horthy was overthrown in OperationPanzerfaust, a coup that placed the Nazi-friendly Arrow Cross Party (NyKP) in...
Vitéz Lajos Csatay de Csataj (born as Lajos Tutzentaller on 1 August 1886 – 16 October 1944) was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served...
IIs of 503rd Heavy Panzer Battalion played a crucial role during OperationPanzerfaust, supporting Otto Skorzeny's troops in taking the Hungarian capital...
over the bridge they were fired on by single-shot, disposable anti-tank Panzerfausts, and had grenades dropped on them by German troops in the bridge girders...
The Fliegende Panzerfaust, meaning 'flying tank fist' (literally 'Flying Armor Fist') in the German language, was a project for a Third Reich very-short-range...
languages as well as being familiar with the way of life in the area of operations where they were deployed. The Brandenburg Division was generally subordinated...
(Order of Battle) as the 3rd Staffel. The second Budapest mission, OperationPanzerfaust, can be said to have been, officially, the 600's first mission although...
Armistice on Lapland War). Operation Tanne West (scheduled German invasion of the Finnish-controlled Åland) OperationPanzerfaust (second German invasion...
led by Colonel Otto Skorzeny, held his son hostage as part of OperationPanzerfaust. Hungary was reorganized following Horthy's abdication in December...
unilateral agreement of a ceasefire with the Soviet Union during OperationPanzerfaust, and the Arrow Cross Party under Ferenc Szálasi took over the government...
signed an armistice with the Soviets. The Germans responded with OperationPanzerfaust. This included arresting both Horthy and his son Miklós. Horthy...
Szálasi was installed by the Germans after Adolf Hitler launched OperationPanzerfaust and had the Hungarian Regent, Admiral Miklós Horthy, removed and...
with the Allies. Upon hearing of Horthy's efforts, Hitler launched OperationPanzerfaust to keep Hungary on the Axis side, and forced Horthy to abdicate...
Tiger IIs of s.H.Pz.Abt. 503 played a crucial role during Operation Panzerfaust, supporting Otto Skorzeny's troops in taking the Hungarian capital of...
on 15 October, Szálasi, with German military support, launched OperationPanzerfaust and replaced Admiral Horthy as Head of State. The regime changed...
commandos led by Otto Skorzeny. On 15 October Germany launched OperationPanzerfaust, to remove Horthy from power, and on 17 October Horthy agreed to...
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