Violent inter-Axis incidents

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something to share..............................

Carpatho-Ukraine 1939. Hungarian Troops Take Over Chust

With the Hungarian Army in Chust, Carpatho-Ukraine, Mar. 16— Hungarian troops stormed this little Carpatho-Ukraine capital at 4 p.m. today and after an hour and a half of energetic mopping up smashed all Czech and Ukranian resistance. Tonight Chust was a quiet, bulletmarked city completely under Hungarian control. Ukranian storm troopers whose dream it had been to establish an independent Ukraine state, and a few Czech soldiers who had decided to fight rather than flee to safety to Rumania, were driven out into the snow-covered mountains which circle the city. They will be hard to dislodge from their mountain hideouts, but the tired, victorious Hungarian soldiers were preparing to pursue tomorrow. The bitterest fighting occurred in a system of shallow, barbed-wire protected trenches seven miles east of Chust. After a brief artillery bombardment of the defense works, the Hungarians made a bayonet charge and for half an hour there was bitter hand-to-hand conflict.

Sources: The Cornell Daily Sun, Volume LIX, Number 123, 17 March 1939..

Cheers. Raúl M .

[Dr Eisvogel]

Armed Forces of Independent Sate of Croatia vs. Royal Italian Army

18 luglio Venerdì

Ieri notte ustasci e cavalleggeri credendosi respettivamente comunisti si sono scambiati diversi colpi di moschetto.


Translation:

July 18th 1941, Friday

Last night Ustashas and [Italian] Chevau-légers believing each other are communists, exchanged a number of rifle shots.

Excerpt from a diary of Italian Lieutenant Carlo Ricciardi, member of 12º Reggimento "Cavalleggeri di Saluzzo", part of 1st Celere [Rapid] Division, stationed in Jastrebarsko at the time of the incident.

Source:
Elisabetta Ricciardi, Vita sotto le armi, vita clandestina : cronaca e silenzio nei diari di un ufficiale : 1940-1943, Florence, 2010, p. 142

[tigre]

Hello to all ; thanks for that info Dr Eisvogel. Now something more..............................

Advance in the Carpathians.

For the military operation was formed on March 14 the Carpathian Group Command based on the VIII Corps under Ferenc Szombathely, having as subordinated the 1st and 2nd Brigades of Cavalry, the 2nd Motorized Brigade, the newly created 24th Infantry Regiment and units of border guards and cyclists of the VIII Corps.

The Carpathian Group advanced along three axes: the Ung valley by the Uzsoki Pass; Latorca valley by Verecki Pass and Beregszász pushing towards Chust. Taking advantage of its deployment and as supply hubs the cities of Ungvár, Munkács, Beregszász respectively.

The forces in Uzhgorod, which were advancing through the valley of Ung were grouped into the 24th Brigade under Colonel Andor Mures and were composed of the 24 / I. Infantry Battalion; 5. Mechanized Battalion; 12., 21. and 24. Companies of Sappers; 26. Battalion of border guards; 24. artillery battalion and the 2nd Motorized Brigade.

The forces around Munkács which were advancing through the Latorca valley were grouped into the 1st Cavalry Brigade commanded by Colonel Beldy Alajos and composed of the 24 / III. Infantry Battalion; 3rd Hussars; 25. Battalion of border guards; 12. Cyclist Battalion; 1. / I. Horse artillery battalion; elements of police and National Guardsmen.

The Beregszasz Group was composed of the 24th Battalion of border gurads and also the 14. Cyclist Battalion under Lieutenant Colonel Baron Karl Ungar. The adversary consisted of the 45 / II. Czech infantry battalion which had 780 men, reinforced with 150 gendarmes and a squadron of 12 light armored vehicles.

The Hungarian units stationed around Munkács, after throwing back the attacking Czechs on March 14, 1939, pressed forward in turn, and took the town of Orhegyalja. On the same day, the Sic Guards and Czech nationalist units initiated large scale partisan operations. Given this excuse, the Hungarian Army again crossed the border on March 15, 1939. Czech resistance in Ruthenia was negligible, and the advancing Hungarian troops did not have to count on a well-organized and centralized resistance. The Hungarian Army also had the advantage of the Vienna Award, which made it possible for the Hungarians to take possession of the area where the Czechs built their permanent fortifications against Hungary.

Sources: http://magyarhonved.blogspot.com.ar/201 ... chive.html
Magyar Királyi Honvédség gyorscsapatai 1938–1941. Kiss Gábor Ferenc.

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something more..............................

Advance in the Carpathians.

Sources: Magyar Királyi Honvédség gyorscsapatai 1938–1941. Kiss Gábor Ferenc.

Cheers. Raúl M .

[Sid Guttridge]

Hi Tigre,

Another series of interesting posts and links on obscure subject areas. Thanks.

A British journalist was in Carpatho-Ukraine at the time of the Hungarian invasion and published a descriptive book on the subject entitled, from memory, Republic for a Day. It contains a few photos of the Sich Guard.

I tried to buy a copy on Amazon a few years ago, but the price was already very high.

Cheers,

Sid.

[Sid Guttridge]

Hi Tigre,

Another series of interesting posts and links on obscure subject areas. Thanks.

A British journalist was in Carpatho-Ukraine at the time of the Hungarian invasion and published a descriptive book on the subject entitled, from memory, Republic for a Day. It contains a few photos of the Sich Guard.

I tried to buy a copy on Amazon a few years ago, but the price was already very high.

Cheers,

Sid.

P.S. https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=3PZ ... q=Carpatho

[Pavel Novak]

It is interesting to see Hungarian view of the events. From Czech point of view I can say that Czechoslovakia has not initiated any hostilities against Hungary on 14th March 1939. That was just Hungarian propaganda to launch their invasion. The Czechoslovak troops in the area (peacetime 12th Division) has only 50 % strength available. Initially Czechoslovak local command planned to counterattack Hungarian advance with reinforcement from forces in Slovakia but due to obvious reasons the order to withdraw was sent from Prague on 15th March. Most of units retreated to Slovakia the rest to Romania.

[Sid Guttridge]

Hi Pavel,

I agree. The understrength Czechoslovak 12th Division (which was essentially of Czech personnel from the other end of the country), performed rather well in a very difficult situation in 1938-39. It seems to have been pretty effective against Hungary-based "Ragged Guard" guerrillas in late 1938 (capturing hundreds) and managed to extricate its men from Ruthenia without serious loss in March 1939, even though the Czecho-Slovak state had collapsed and Slovakia had declared independence behind its back. Furthermore, it was faced simultaneously by a Ukrainian Sic Guard revolt in Ruthenia and a Hungarian invasion of the province.

Cheers,

Sid.

[tigre]

Hello to all ; Sid and Pavel thanks for sharing your points of view here . Now a little more...............

The Slovak independence 1939

On 9th March — as reported on the 10th by the German Telegraphic Bureau — M. Hacha, President of the Czecho-Slovak Republic, removed the Tiso Government from office by means of a coup-d’etat, and appointed M. Joseph Sivak as Slovak Premier and M. Charles Sidor as Political Minister. Simultaneously, Czech troops occupied the Slovak towns and proclaimed martial law.

On 10th March, Mgr. Tiso, informed Vienna that he and the other members of the Slovak Cabinet had been removed from office against their will by the Central Government, and that this was an unconstitutional act.

After Mgr. Tiso's Note had been despatched, President Hacha removed M. Sivak from office and, on the recommendation of the Committee of the Slovak Diet, appointed M. Sidor as Premier, making at the same time other changes in the Cabinet. Mgr. Tiso, accompanied by his deputy in the former Cabinet, M. Durchansky, left for Berlin by aeroplane. On 13th March, both Mgr. Tiso and M. Durchansky had an audience with Herr Hitler, who spoke with them in the presence of the German Foreign Minister. That same day an official communique was issued in Berlin in which it was stated that the attempt to settle the relations between the different racial groups in Czecho-Slovakia in a peaceful manner and in the spirit of the Munich Agreement had failed.

On 14th March the Slovak Diet entrusted Mgr. Tiso with the task of forming a Cabinet. The Diet also proclaimed the independence of Slovakia.

On 15th March certain detachments of the German forces operating in Bohemia and Moravia crossed the western frontier of Slovakia in order to defend those provinces against any possible action of the Czecho-Moravian soldiers and gendarmes in Slovakia.

On 16th March Premier Tiso despatched the following telegram to Herr Hitler:

"Trusting fully in the Führer and Chancellor of the German Reich, the Slovak State places herself under your protection. Slovakia begs you to undertake the protection of the Slovak State."

In reply Herr Hitler sent the following telegram to Mgr. Tiso:

"I acknowledge receipt of your telegram and herewith undertake to protect the Slovak State."

On 23rd March Professor Tuka and M. Durchansky, Slovak Ministers, arrived in Vienna along with several economic experts to discuss economic questions. When this discussion was over, they left the same afternoon by aeroplane for Berlin to continue negotiations there. These negotiations were concluded that day, upon which Mgr. Tiso immediately flew to Berlin to sign the agreement.

Sources: http://epa.oszk.hu/02600/02602/00053/pd ... 34-038.pdf
Das Interessante Blatt. 16 März 1939.

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something more..............................

Second phase of operations. The small war between Hungary and Slovakia.

The troops were assembled on March 20 and 21 1939, and the Carpathian Group was organized with the following deployment: to the north,on the right wing, the 9. Infantry Brigade under General János Székely with the 17 and 38 Infantry Regiments and the 28th Border Guards Battalion. At the center at Ungvár, the 2. Motorized Brigade under Colonel Sándor Horváth and on the left wing, the 2. Cavalry Brigade under Colonel Bela Miklos.

The Carpathian Group assigned the following tasks: the infantry on the right wing will march with the bulk of its forces by Ugar and parts by Utczás, reaching the line Kispereszlő / Prislop - Kiskolon / Kolonica. In the center the 2. Motorized Brigade will occuppy the villages of the high and low Felsőhalas / Vyšná Rybnica marching via Szobráncz / Sobrance. On the left wing 2. Cavalry Brigade in Munkács will adavance via Nagykapocs through the right bank of Ung River, to cross the river and was to reach the Halas line. The units will occupy its positions on March 22 and will start the operation the next day.

Despite all the precautions, on March 17 the Slovaks expected a Hungarian attack. On March 18 they reinforced the border protection and sent a squadron to Stakčín. At the head of the Slovak forces was appointed General Ferdinand Čatloš. To match the Hungarian attack the Slovaks organized three groups: a north Group called Stakčín with parts of the 16th Infantry Regiment (700 men with an artillery battery); a south Group called Nagymihályi (Michalovská) with about a reinforced battalion (1,000 men, an artillery battery and a battalion of engineers). This group would be deployed in the direction of Ungvár / Uzhgorod. The third group was the reserve created from the 11th and 17th Infantry Divisions. In addition, a mechanized unit based on the Czechs abandoned material (9 LT-35 and 8 vehicles OA-30) was organized.

The Hungarian troops crossed the border early on March 23, 1939, having given 30 minutes' notice to the Germans. The Slovaks did not oppose great resistance, but the German reaction was not expected. Berlin notified Budapest that if the troops continued the advance, Germany would send troops to protect the Slovak borders. The Hungarians halted its march after advancing about 30 kilometers. At the end of March, after a strong German pressure the occupation was legalized and Hungary won a territory of 12,171 square kilometers with a population of 697.788. The Hungarian casualties were 72 dead, 144 wounded and 3 missing.

Sources: Magyar Királyi Honvédség gyorscsapatai 1938–1941. Kiss Gábor Ferenc.

Cheers. Raúl M .

Feliz Navidad - Feliz Natal - Frohe Weihnachten - Joyeux Noël - Merry Christmas - Wesołych Świąt!.

[Sid Guttridge]

Hi Tigre,

The Slovaks were in no position to resist the Hungarians.

1) There were only a few hundred Slovak officers in the entire Czecho-Slovak Army, and in March 1939 most of these were serving in Bohemia and Moravia.

2) Most Slovak active conscripts also served in units at the Czech end of the country.

Both these groups had first to make their way home through the disintegrating Czecho-Slovak army.

3) The Czecho-Slovak Army in Slovakia largely consisted of Czech officers and conscripts, who were only interested in getting home and not in defending an independent Slovakia.

Thus the Hungarians faced virtually no initial resistance.

The Slovaks were almost completely unprepared and the forces they belatedly threw together were ad hoc units without much initial cohesion. As a result they could not retake the lost ground.

Cheers,

Sid.

[DenesBernad]

Good points, Sid. All valid.

Dénes

[tigre]

Hello Sid ;

The Slovaks were in no position to resist the Hungarians.

truth and Tiso knew this, for that reason he placed the new Slovak state under AH protection, in that way they did not lost more/all the ground. Cheers. Raúl M .

Feliz Navidad - Feliz Natal - Frohe Weihnachten - Joyeux Noël - Merry Christmas - Wesołych Świąt!.

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something more, although this took place during WWII..............................

Mobilization against Romania.

By losing validity the Anglo-French guarantees given to Romania on April 13, 1939, due to the French collapse in West campaign in June 1940, it appeared an excellent opportunity to Hungary to regain Transylvania. On June 26, 1940 the Soviets presented an ultimatum to Rumania demanding the return of Herzta, Bessarabia and northern Bukovina. Romanians could do nothing and Soviet troops began to occupy those territories on 28 June. The same day Romania ordered a general mobilization and began to strengthen its presence in Transylvania. Hungary in turn ordered mobilization on July 2. According to German wishes, Hungary and Romania began talks on August 16, but the preparations for war continued. Meanwhile Hungary had deployed on the border about 550,000 men and was estimated that Romania had in Transylvania 400 to 500,000 men, 270 tanks and 350 aircrafts. The talks broke down on August 24 in view of Hungarian claims (69,000 square kilometers with 3,803,000 inhabitants). Germany and Italy then proposed an arbitration that was accepted. The Axis powers met in the Belvedere Palace (Vienna) August 30, 1940 and reduced the claims to 43,492 km with 2,667,007 people signing the Second Vienna Award. On the night of 30 to 31 August, Romania accepted the terms. Romania had 14 days to evacuate the territory ceded to Hungary.

The invasion.

According to the agreement and that stipulated in Protocol No. 1, the evacuation and occupation begin on September 5. On September 11 at 12:00 hours the Hungarian troops should reach Cluj and the occupation of the whole area should be completed on September 13 at 18:00 hours. Despite extensive front the occupation developed normally. The groups reached its daily set goals and by September 13 the operations had been basically completed. The set goal of September 13 was a serious problem for the infantry and horse-drawn troops (main body of the army) as in the available eight days they had to travel about 375 kilometers as the crow flies.


Main routes of advance............................................

Sources: Magyar Királyi Honvédség gyorscsapatai 1938–1941. Kiss Gábor Ferenc.

Cheers. Raúl M .