Operation Spring Awakening

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KalaVelka
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Operation Spring Awakening

#1

Post by KalaVelka » 16 Nov 2003, 19:59

Which German units did participate in Spring Awakening? How did they perform and what kind of opposition they met? What was the purpose of the operation and what kind of plan did germans have?

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Kasper
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Matt Gibbs
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The operation

#2

Post by Matt Gibbs » 16 Nov 2003, 20:21

I have heard of this I think, is this Fruhlungsfest, the anti partisan operation behind the russian front, or something like it..?
If it is then I can probably help further...
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Andy H
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#3

Post by Andy H » 16 Nov 2003, 20:35

Spring Awakening was the German offensive around the Lake Balaton area in Hungary'45, near to the Hungarian oil fields

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Matt Gibbs
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Waking up

#4

Post by Matt Gibbs » 16 Nov 2003, 20:48

Danke, funy that there should be two similar operations, for the one I referred to is also translated to something like this, I think it was actually Frülingsfest which started on 11.4.44 this was Spring Festival though, so slightly different. At least I know something more about the Hungary battles now!
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Andy H
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#5

Post by Andy H » 16 Nov 2003, 20:54

The German offensive was to smash the 3rd Ukrainian Front under a triple assualt:

Firstly the on the left the 6th Panzerarmee with 8 Panzer Divisions, 3 Infantry Divisions and 3 Cavalry Divisions was to deliver the main blow; it was to reach the Danube at Dunafoldvar and exploit it's victory towards the south, with it's left close to the Danube, it's right on Lake Balaton.

In the center between Lake Balaton and the Drava river, the 2nd Panzerarmee with 6 divisions would immobilise Tolbukhin by attacking towards Kaposzvar.

On the right AG 'E' in Yugoslavia would send a Korps of 3 divisions across the Drava and from Mohacs move to the Danube.

Thus the total force commited was some 22 Divisions.

Needless to say the offensive failed, with it's highpoint coming some 48hrs after it's start, where elements of the 6th Panzerarmee reached a point around 19miles from it's start point, and some 16 miles from it's objective.

The Russian forces involved were the 4th & 9th Guards Armies, 26th & 27th Armies facing the 6th Panzerarmee, whilst the 57th Army faced the 2nd Panzerarmee, and finally the Bulgarian 1st Army and Yugoslav 3rd Army faced AG 'E'

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Andy H
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#6

Post by Andy H » 16 Nov 2003, 21:06

I think the following Hungarian unit's took part in the offensive:

4th & 13th Cavalry Divisions and the 25th Infantry Division

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PanzerKing
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#7

Post by PanzerKing » 16 Nov 2003, 21:18

I've been interested in this operation for some time now but I've had trouble finding info. Does anyone know how many German troops and tanks were involved? Also, were there any Luftwaffe units supporting this offensive?

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Mark V.
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#8

Post by Mark V. » 17 Nov 2003, 00:03

Hello KalaVelka, PanzerKing, etc.

Here's the operation's OoB, it includes all the units taking part in it, though not all were available on the first day:

HG Süd
6.Armee (Armeegruppe Balck):
III.Pz.Korps: 1.Pz.Div., 3.Pz.Div., 6.Pz.Div. (deployed later), 356. Inf.Div.
6.Pz.Armee:
I.SS-Pz.Korps: 1.SS-Pz.Div., 12.SS-Pz.Div., 23.Pz.Div. (deployed later),
II.SS-Pz.Korps: 2.SS-Pz.Div., 9.SS-Pz.Div., 44.Reichs-Gren.Div.
I.Kav.Korps: 3.Kav.Div., 4.Kav.Div., 25.ung.Inf.Div. (deployed later).

2.Pz.Armee:
LXVIII.AK: 16.SS-Pz.Gren.Div., 71.Inf.Div.,
XXII.Geb.AK: 118.Jäg.Div., 1.Volks-Geb.Div.

HG Südost:
LXXXXI.AK: 104.Jäg.Div., 297.Inf.Div., 11.Luft.Feld.Div., 1.Kos.Div.

On paper a very formidable force but in reality far from it, all 4 SS Panzer Divisions were exhausted and were still awaiting their replacement vehicles (read panzers) and personnel to arrive and were thus overall in a pretty bad shape. Dietrich (6.Pz.A) and Balck (6.A) had a total of some 400 operational tanks and stugs for the main trust including reserves. The most difficult part of the operation proved to be the terrain - due to the warm weather the whole area became a see of mud which restricted any off-road movements.

Like Andy already wrote the operation was a failure, it didn't achieve any significant breakthrough and more importantly all German reserves were deployed in the attack - at that moment the Russians began their own much more successful offensive and almost destroyed 6th Army for the third time in two years and liberating Vienna in early April.

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Marko
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Erich
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a book for you !

#9

Post by Erich » 17 Nov 2003, 00:13

JJF publishing should be releasing Drama between Budapest and Vienna by Georg Meier hopefully next year. should answer your questions in detail

~E
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Mark V.
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Re: a book for you !

#10

Post by Mark V. » 17 Nov 2003, 00:20

Erich wrote:JJF publishing should be releasing Drama between Budapest and Vienna by Georg Meier hopefully next year. should answer your questions in detail

~E
The book is great but unfortunately not so detailed :( .
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Erich
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#11

Post by Erich » 17 Nov 2003, 00:50

the new English translation will have about 100 photos and more text than the Munin verlag edition, so who knws. this has been planned for over 12 years so time does not seem crucial. I've basically given up on the JJF outfit for this book so when it does appear I will be pleasantly surprised.

~E
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Mark V.
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#12

Post by Mark V. » 17 Nov 2003, 01:12

Erich wrote:the new English translation will have about 100 photos and more text than the Munin verlag edition, so who knws.
Well Erich, according to J.J.Fedorowicz Pub.
Drama Between Budapest and Vienna, The Final Fighting of the 6. Panzer-Armee, 1945 by Georg Maier with 475+ text pages (conservative estimate as the book is still being laid out), nearly 1,000 footnotes, 16 pages of photos, 124 appendices and a separate 32-page full-color map book.
this doesn't seem to be the case, though it would be great.

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Erich
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#13

Post by Erich » 17 Nov 2003, 01:33

hmmmmmmmmmm bummer ! was told 3 years ago at least 100 new pics. like I said I'll beleive it when I see it ! :o

~E just hope it gets published that's all............
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KalaVelka
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#14

Post by KalaVelka » 17 Nov 2003, 07:14

Thanks for the answers. Does anybody have any pics about operation?

Kasper
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Abel Ravasz
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#15

Post by Abel Ravasz » 17 Nov 2003, 11:31

Just to add some numbers for the "Allied" side:

In the area of the main German attack, the 3. Ukrainian Front had:

4. Guards Army (Zahvatejev) - 20., 21., 22. Guards Rifle Corps, 1. Guards UR
26. Army (Gagen) - 30., 135., 104. Rifle Corps, 21. Rifle Division
27. Army (Trofimenko) - 33., 35., 37. Guards Rifle Corps
57. Army (Sarohin) - 6. Tank Corps, 64. Rifle Corps, 32. Guards Mechanized Brigade, 3., 53. Motorcycle Regiments
1. Bulgarian Army (Stojcev) - 3., 4. Infantry Corps.
17. Aerial Army (Sudjec)
1. Guards Mechanized Corps, 18. Tank Corps, 5. Guards Cavalry Corps

That would account for:

37 Rifle Divisions
6 Bulgarian Infantry Divisions
2 Tank Corps
1 Mechanized Corps
1 Cavalry Corps

407 000 soldiers
6890 guns
407 AFVs
965 planes.

Some more specific data is also available, please respond if anything else is needed.

Best,

Abel
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