vitéz. Sővényházi-Herdiczky Jenő,

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Janos Zoltay
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vitéz. Sővényházi-Herdiczky Jenő,

#1

Post by Janos Zoltay » 16 Oct 2014, 23:56

Does anyone have any information on the following Hungarian officer. vitéz. Sővényházi-Herdiczky Jenő?

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VJK
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Re: vitéz. Sővényházi-Herdiczky Jenő,

#2

Post by VJK » 17 Oct 2014, 14:05

Hi,

This is what I have:

Lieutenant-Field Marshal vitéz Jenö Sövényházi-Herdiczky (12 Apr 1892 - 3 Dec 1968)
1 Oct 1940 - 15 Nov 1942: Chief of Section 4, Ministry of Defense
(1 Oct 1942: Promoted to Major-General)
15 Nov 1942 - 1 Jun 1944: Attached to VIII. Army Corps
Dec 1943 - 10 Jan 1944: C.O. 10. Light Infantry Division
30 Jan 1944 - May 1944: C.O. 23. Light Infantry Division
1 Jun 1944 - 1 Aug 1944: Attached to II. Army Corps
1 Aug 1944 - 18 Oct 1944: Attached to I. Army Corps
(1 Sep 1944: Promoted to Lt.Field Marshal)
18 Oct 1944 - 20 Dec 1944: C.O. 13. Infantry Division
20 Dec 1944 - 3 May 1945: C.O. SS Division “Hungaria”

Kind regards,

VJK


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Steen Ammentorp
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Re: vitéz. Sővényházi-Herdiczky Jenő,

#3

Post by Steen Ammentorp » 17 Oct 2014, 20:25

I can add the following:

Born in Kassa (Hungary) and died in Blaibach/Immenstadt (Germany). Attended the K.u.K Infantry Cadet School 1906-1910.

Promotions
18 Aug 1910: Ensign
1 May 1912: Second Lieutenant
1 Mar 1915: Lieutennant
1 Sep 1920: Captain – Back dated to 1 Sep 1919
1 Nov 1929: Major
1 Nov 1934: Lieutenant Colonel
1 May 1940: Colonel
1 Oct 1942: Major General
1 Nov 1944: Lieutenant Field Marshal – Back dated to 1 Sep 1944

Service:
18 Aug 1910 – 1918 Served with 39 K.u.K Infantry Regiment
1920 – 1 Aug 1933 Served with Ministry of Defence
1 May 1933 – 1 May 1935 Adjutant, 3 Royal Honved Infantry Regiment ”Szent László”
1 May 1935 -15 Jan 1933 Commander II Battalion, 3 Royal Honved Infantry Regiment ”Szent László”
15 Jan 1938 – 1 Mar 1940 Attached to the Commander in Chief of the Army
1 Mar 1940 – 1 Oct 1940 Chief of Section 8, Ministry of Defence
Kind Regards
Steen Ammentorp
The Generals of World War Two

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Janos Zoltay
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Re: vitéz. Sővényházi-Herdiczky Jenő,

#4

Post by Janos Zoltay » 18 Oct 2014, 18:23

I thank both of you for the information. It is the listing for 26 SS Division "Hungaria" that has me puzzled. I have never seen his name listed anywhere as commander of this division. Do you have more information on this? I have been informed that in the book “A lifetime For Hungary” by Lieutenant Field Marshal Jeno Bor that he also states that Sővényházi-Herdiczky was commander of 26 SS division "hungaria". Any additional information would be gratefully received.

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AJK
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Re: vitéz. Sővényházi-Herdiczky Jenő,

#5

Post by AJK » 22 Oct 2014, 22:12

The books “Horthy Tábornokai” by Pál Földi and “A Magyar katonai felső vezetés” by Sándor Szakály both list Lieutenant Field Marshal Sövényházi-Herdiczky as having commanded the “Hungaria” SS Division. Lieutenant Field Marshal Bor in the text of his memoirs does not specifically mention Sővényházi-Herdiczky as commander of the Hungaria Division; this information appears in footnote 76, which was added by the editor of Bor's memoirs (myself...), based on the information from Földi's and Szakály's books.

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Janos Zoltay
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Re: vitéz. Sővényházi-Herdiczky Jenő,

#6

Post by Janos Zoltay » 23 Oct 2014, 19:43

I wondered where the information had come from. I have recently bought the book so I will keep a look out for it.
According to Rudolf Pencz "The Hungarian Minister of War, Col.Gen. Beregfy is supposed - according to the memory of Col.Gen. Major, Inspector of Honvéd-Troops in Germany (Bor was his Chief of Staff) - to have intended
to appoint Sövényházi as CO of one of the 4 to-have-been-to-erect
Hungarian SS-divisions, after completing a course for divisional commanders. Sövényházy refused the idea, he was stomach-sick and went on sick leave for the rest of the war." I wonder if he was first choice for the commander of the division but sickness prevented him taking the post. Anyone know other names that were in the picture for commanding the SS units?

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AJK
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Re: vitéz. Sővényházi-Herdiczky Jenő,

#7

Post by AJK » 23 Oct 2014, 19:50

Thanks very much for your comments. Sándor Szakály is (in my opinion) Hungary's pre-eminent military historian of current times, and I know that he had full access to the military archives in both Budapest and Vienna, so I have faith in his research. It may well be that Sövényházy took command of the "Hungaria" Division but did not hold this command until the end of the war, due to his ill-health.

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Re: vitéz. Sővényházi-Herdiczky Jenő,

#8

Post by GregSingh » 26 Oct 2014, 02:37

Don't know how accurate this is, but Osprey books have these names as commanders of the 26th SS division:

Rolf Tiemann
Zoltan Pisky
23.01.45 - 29.01.45 László Deák
29.01.45 - 19.03.45 Berthold Maack
21.03.45 - József Grassy

The same info you can still find on this Forum here:
http://www.axishistory.com/books/119-ge ... ische-nr-2

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Janos Zoltay
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Re: vitéz. Sővényházi-Herdiczky Jenő,

#9

Post by Janos Zoltay » 27 Oct 2014, 23:09

I have the following information -

Rolf Tiemann - it is possible that he was temporary commander while the division was set up but by March 1945 he is listed as 1a Chief of staff. (Janos Zoltay in his memoirs does not mention Tiemann as being commander)

Zoltan Pisky - 28th December 1944 - approx 21st January 1945 (he was killed around this time).

Janos Zoltay - 21st January 1945 - 23rd January 1945 (temporary command until new commander was installed as claimed in his memoirs.)

Berthold Maack - 23rd January 1945 - 20th March 1945 (arrives at Neuhammer on 9th February to take actual command and leaves division 20th March)

Joszef Grassy - 21st March 1945 until the end of the war (he assumes command because no other Hungarian officer would volunteer for the post) Grassy does not sign the surrender document for the division though that is signed by Andras Podhradszky and Gero Temesvary.

Laszlo Deak was chief of staff of XVII Armee korps der SS (ungarisches) from early January so he is unlikely to be the commander of the division.

Another name who was considered for command of "Hungaria" was Colonel Laszlo Incze.

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Lt General, Vitéz Kassai Farkas László

#10

Post by ignacioosacar » 19 Sep 2015, 15:25

Do you have his biography ?

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VJK
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Lt General, Vitéz Kassai Farkas László

#11

Post by VJK » 19 Sep 2015, 16:08

Hi,

A brief bio and pic can be found here: http://www.generals.dk/general/Kassay-F ... ngary.html

Best regards,

VJK

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