22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division Maria Theresia
Encyclopedia
The 22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division Maria Theresia. was a German
Waffen SS cavalry
division
which saw action on the Eastern Front
during the Second World War. The Maria Theresia was composed primarily of Hungarian Army Volksdeutsche
conscripts, transferred to the Waffen-SS following an agreement between Germany and Hungary.
was ordered to become the cadre for a new SS cavalry division. On 29 April 1944, the SS-Führungshauptamt authorised the division to be raised, and 17th SS-Cavalry Regiment was pulled out of the line and sent to Kisbér
in Hungary
to rest, refit and to begin forming the new division.
While veterans from the Florian Geyer formed the nucleus of the division, the bulk of the soldiers were Hungarian Army
volksdeutsche
conscripts, transferred to the Waffen-SS following an agreement between Germany and Hungary. The division was organized in absolute secrecy; this led many of the new recruits to incorrectly assume that they were part of Adolf Hitler
's much vaunted Wunderwaffe
program.
The division was designated 22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division Maria Theresia.. The title referred to Maria Theresa
from the House of Habsburg
, who had ruled Austria
, Hungary
and Bohemia
in the 18th century. The symbol of the division, a cornflower
, is emblazoned on the divisional shield. It was adopted as it was the favourite flower of Empress Maria Theresa.
Over the next few months, the division continued its organization and training in Kisber, Gyor
and Budapest
, equipped with mostly Hungarian weapons, vehicles and equipment. By June 1944, the divisional strength had reached 4,900. On the 22nd of that month the Soviets launched Operation Bagration. In early August OKH ordered all divisions forming up in Hungary to send kampfgruppe
n to the combat zone. 52nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, along with elements of the divisional artillery, were ordered to entrain for the front in Romania
, while the 17th SS Volunteer Cavalry Regiment remained in Hungary to train the rest of the division.
elements. The Kampfgruppe was transported from Gyula-Szolonta, Hungary
to Arad, Romania
, where it was attached to General der Panzertruppen Hermann Breith
's III.Panzer-Korps
, stationed in the area around Debrecen
.
SS-Hauptsturmführer Wiedemann's force went into the line on 30 September, forming a defensive ring around the city of Arad
along with the 9.Honvéd-Infantry Division. That same day, Wiedemann himself was killed in action. SS-Hauptsturmführer Anton 'Toni' Ameiser took command, and the kampfgruppe was redesignated Kampfgruppe Ameiser.
On 2 October, the Soviet spearheads of Marshall R.Y. Malinovsky's
2nd Ukrainian Front began probing towards Arad. Kampfgruppe Ameiser held its ground, rebuffing several Soviet attacks. On 6 October, Malinovsky launched a major offensive, thus beginning the Battle of Debrecen
. Hugely outnumbered, Kampfgruppe Ameiser was quickly outflanked and encircled. Secondary Soviet forces began attempts to destroy the encircled force. On 8 October, an assault by a large Soviet armoured force managed to split the pocket in two. Ameiser was in command of one pocket, and SS-Hauptsturmführer Anton Vandieken in command of the other. Vandieken's force launched an attack towards friendly lines. On the following day, the survivors swam across the Harmas river, joining German forces on the other side.
Ameiser's group found it impossible to break out to friendly lines. Ameiser ordered his men to leave behind their heavy equipment and try to break out. Over the next three weeks, Ameiser led his men on a 200 mile trek behind enemy lines. On 30 October the 48 survivors, including Ameiser himself, linked up with German forces at the town of Dunaföldvár
, south of Budapest
. For his actions, Ameiser was awarded the Knight's Cross
on 1 November 1944.
, was negotiating a secret surrender to the Soviets. Hitler sent SS-Obersturmbannfüher Otto Skorzeny
to deal with the problem. Skorzeny commandeered all available elements of the Maria Theresia to take part in Operation Panzerfaust
, which began at 0600 on 15 October. In little over half an hour a German column led by four Tiger II
s, and including a number of Maria Theresia men, stormed Buda Castle
and forced Horthy to abdicate. Simultaneously, Operation Panzerfaust
resulted in the forced detainment of Horthy's youngest son, the pro-peace Nicholas Horthy. Pro-German Arrow Cross
leader Ferenc Szálasi
replaced Horthy, negotiations were broken off and crisis was averted.
The battle ready units of the division, which had been completing their final training near Kisber, were assigned to the IX.Waffen-Gebirgs-Korps der SS, which was deployed in the defense of the Hungarian capital, Budapest. The division arrived in early November 1944 and took up defensive positions. There it was encircled along with the rest of the Axis troops in the Hungarian capital and destroyed. Only some 170 men made it out of the encirclement.
The survivors, along with those who had not been sent to defend Budapest, were used to form 37.SS-Freiwilligen-Kavallerie-Division Lützow
, with the remnants of the Flak units being transferred to 32.SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Division 30 Januar
.
Order Of Battle, Budapest
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
Waffen SS cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
which saw action on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
during the Second World War. The Maria Theresia was composed primarily of Hungarian Army Volksdeutsche
Volksdeutsche
Volksdeutsche - "German in terms of people/folk" -, defined ethnically, is a historical term from the 20th century. The words volk and volkische conveyed in Nazi thinking the meanings of "folk" and "race" while adding the sense of superior civilization and blood...
conscripts, transferred to the Waffen-SS following an agreement between Germany and Hungary.
Formation and Training
In December 1943, 17th SS-Cavalry Regiment from the 8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer
The 8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer was a Waffen-SS cavalry Division during World War II. It was formed in 1942 from a cadre of the SS Cavalry Brigade which was involved in anti partisan operations behind the front line and was responsible for the extermination of tens of thousands of the...
was ordered to become the cadre for a new SS cavalry division. On 29 April 1944, the SS-Führungshauptamt authorised the division to be raised, and 17th SS-Cavalry Regiment was pulled out of the line and sent to Kisbér
Kisbér
Kisbér is a town in Hungary, in Komárom-Esztergom county. The town was first mentioned in 1277.-Royal Stud:Kisber was home to the Imperial-Royal Stud where a Thoroughbred racehorse named for the town was bred under the supervision of Stud's manager, Count Zoest. Foaled in 1873, Kisber raced in...
in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
to rest, refit and to begin forming the new division.
While veterans from the Florian Geyer formed the nucleus of the division, the bulk of the soldiers were Hungarian Army
Military of Hungary
The Hungarian Defence Force is the national military of Hungary. It currently has two branches, the Hungarian Ground Force and the Hungarian Air Force....
volksdeutsche
Volksdeutsche
Volksdeutsche - "German in terms of people/folk" -, defined ethnically, is a historical term from the 20th century. The words volk and volkische conveyed in Nazi thinking the meanings of "folk" and "race" while adding the sense of superior civilization and blood...
conscripts, transferred to the Waffen-SS following an agreement between Germany and Hungary. The division was organized in absolute secrecy; this led many of the new recruits to incorrectly assume that they were part of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's much vaunted Wunderwaffe
Wunderwaffe
Wunderwaffe is German for "wonder-weapon" and was a term assigned during World War II by the German propaganda ministry to a few revolutionary "superweapons". Most of these weapons however remained more or less feasible prototypes, or reached the combat theatre too late, and in too insignificant...
program.
The division was designated 22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division Maria Theresia.. The title referred to Maria Theresa
Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma...
from the House of Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
, who had ruled Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
in the 18th century. The symbol of the division, a cornflower
Cornflower
Centaurea cyanus is a small annual flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to Europe. "Cornflower" is also erroneously used for chicory, and more correctly for a few other Centaurea species; to distinguish C...
, is emblazoned on the divisional shield. It was adopted as it was the favourite flower of Empress Maria Theresa.
Over the next few months, the division continued its organization and training in Kisber, Gyor
Gyor
-Climate:-Main sights:The ancient core of the city is Káptalan Hill at the confluence of three rivers: the Danube, Rába and Rábca. Püspökvár, the residence of Győr’s bishops can be easily recognised by its incomplete tower. Győr’s oldest buildings are the 13th-century dwelling tower and the...
and Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, equipped with mostly Hungarian weapons, vehicles and equipment. By June 1944, the divisional strength had reached 4,900. On the 22nd of that month the Soviets launched Operation Bagration. In early August OKH ordered all divisions forming up in Hungary to send kampfgruppe
Kampfgruppe
In military history and military slang, the German term Kampfgruppe can refer to a combat formation of any kind, but most usually to that employed by the German Wehrmacht and its allies during World War II and, to a lesser extent, in World War I...
n to the combat zone. 52nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, along with elements of the divisional artillery, were ordered to entrain for the front in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, while the 17th SS Volunteer Cavalry Regiment remained in Hungary to train the rest of the division.
Romania
Kampfgruppe Wiedemann consisted of SS-Freiwilligen-Kavallerie-Regiment 52 with attached artillery, FlaK and reconnaissanceReconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
elements. The Kampfgruppe was transported from Gyula-Szolonta, Hungary
Gyula, Hungary
Gyula is a city in Békés county in south-eastern Hungary. It lies close to the border with Romania, on the river Fehér-Körös.-History:The first recorded reference to Gyula was in a document dated 1313 which mentions a monastery called Gyulamonostor . By 1332 the settlement around the monastery was...
to Arad, Romania
Arad, Romania
Arad is the capital city of Arad County, in western Romania, in the Crişana region, on the river Mureş.An important industrial center and transportation hub, Arad is also the seat of a Romanian Orthodox archbishop and features two universities, a Romanian Orthodox theological seminary, a training...
, where it was attached to General der Panzertruppen Hermann Breith
Hermann Breith
Hermann Albert Breith was a German general of the Panzertruppe, serving during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves and Swords was awarded to recognise extreme...
's III.Panzer-Korps
German III Corps
III Corps was a corps level formation of the German Army during World War II.It was reformed by the postwar West German Bundeswehr but disbanded again on 31 March 1994.-III Armeekorps History:...
, stationed in the area around Debrecen
Debrecen
Debrecen , is the second largest city in Hungary after Budapest. Debrecen is the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar county.- Name :...
.
SS-Hauptsturmführer Wiedemann's force went into the line on 30 September, forming a defensive ring around the city of Arad
Arad, Romania
Arad is the capital city of Arad County, in western Romania, in the Crişana region, on the river Mureş.An important industrial center and transportation hub, Arad is also the seat of a Romanian Orthodox archbishop and features two universities, a Romanian Orthodox theological seminary, a training...
along with the 9.Honvéd-Infantry Division. That same day, Wiedemann himself was killed in action. SS-Hauptsturmführer Anton 'Toni' Ameiser took command, and the kampfgruppe was redesignated Kampfgruppe Ameiser.
On 2 October, the Soviet spearheads of Marshall R.Y. Malinovsky's
Rodion Malinovsky
Rodion Yakovlevich Malinovsky was a Soviet military commander in World War II and Defense Minister of the Soviet Union in the late 1950s and 1960s. He contributed to the major defeat of Nazi Germany at the Battle of Stalingrad and the Battle of Budapest...
2nd Ukrainian Front began probing towards Arad. Kampfgruppe Ameiser held its ground, rebuffing several Soviet attacks. On 6 October, Malinovsky launched a major offensive, thus beginning the Battle of Debrecen
Battle of Debrecen
The Battle of Debrecen, called by the Red Army the Debrecen Offensive Operation, was conducted by the 2nd Ukrainian Front on the Eastern Front of World War II...
. Hugely outnumbered, Kampfgruppe Ameiser was quickly outflanked and encircled. Secondary Soviet forces began attempts to destroy the encircled force. On 8 October, an assault by a large Soviet armoured force managed to split the pocket in two. Ameiser was in command of one pocket, and SS-Hauptsturmführer Anton Vandieken in command of the other. Vandieken's force launched an attack towards friendly lines. On the following day, the survivors swam across the Harmas river, joining German forces on the other side.
Ameiser's group found it impossible to break out to friendly lines. Ameiser ordered his men to leave behind their heavy equipment and try to break out. Over the next three weeks, Ameiser led his men on a 200 mile trek behind enemy lines. On 30 October the 48 survivors, including Ameiser himself, linked up with German forces at the town of Dunaföldvár
Dunaföldvár
Dunaföldvár is a town in Tolna County, Hungary.- External links :*...
, south of Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
. For his actions, Ameiser was awarded the Knight's Cross
Knight's Cross
Knight's Cross refers to a distinguishing grade or level of various orders that denotes bravery and leadership on the battlefield....
on 1 November 1944.
Operation Panzerfaust - Budapest
In mid-October 1944, pro-German Honvédség officers had revealed that the Hungarian Regent, Admiral Miklós HorthyMiklós Horthy
Miklós Horthy de Nagybánya was the Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary during the interwar years and throughout most of World War II, serving from 1 March 1920 to 15 October 1944. Horthy was styled "His Serene Highness the Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary" .Admiral Horthy was an officer of the...
, was negotiating a secret surrender to the Soviets. Hitler sent SS-Obersturmbannfüher Otto Skorzeny
Otto Skorzeny
Otto Skorzeny was an SS-Obersturmbannführer in the German Waffen-SS during World War II. After fighting on the Eastern Front, he was chosen as the field commander to carry out the rescue mission that freed the deposed Italian dictator Benito Mussolini from captivity...
to deal with the problem. Skorzeny commandeered all available elements of the Maria Theresia to take part in Operation Panzerfaust
Operation Panzerfaust
Operation Panzerfaust, known as Unternehmen Eisenfaust in Germany, was a military operation to keep the Kingdom of Hungary at Germany's side in the war, conducted in October 1944 by the German military...
, which began at 0600 on 15 October. In little over half an hour a German column led by four Tiger II
Tiger II
Tiger II is the common name of a German heavy tank of the Second World War. The final official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B,Panzerkampfwagen – abbr: Pz. or Pz.Kfw. Ausführung – abbr: Ausf. .The full titles Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf...
s, and including a number of Maria Theresia men, stormed Buda Castle
Buda Castle
Buda Castle is the historical castle and palace complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest, first completed in 1265. In the past, it was also called Royal Palace and Royal Castle ....
and forced Horthy to abdicate. Simultaneously, Operation Panzerfaust
Operation Panzerfaust
Operation Panzerfaust, known as Unternehmen Eisenfaust in Germany, was a military operation to keep the Kingdom of Hungary at Germany's side in the war, conducted in October 1944 by the German military...
resulted in the forced detainment of Horthy's youngest son, the pro-peace Nicholas Horthy. Pro-German Arrow Cross
Arrow Cross
A cross whose arms end in arrowheads is called a "cross barby" or "cross barbee" in the traditional terminology of heraldry. In Christian use, the ends of this cross resemble the barbs of fish hooks, or fish spears...
leader Ferenc Szálasi
Ferenc Szálasi
Ferenc Szálasi was the leader of the National Socialist Arrow Cross Party – Hungarist Movement, the "Leader of the Nation" , being both Head of State and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary's "Government of National Unity" for the final three months of Hungary's participation in World War II...
replaced Horthy, negotiations were broken off and crisis was averted.
The battle ready units of the division, which had been completing their final training near Kisber, were assigned to the IX.Waffen-Gebirgs-Korps der SS, which was deployed in the defense of the Hungarian capital, Budapest. The division arrived in early November 1944 and took up defensive positions. There it was encircled along with the rest of the Axis troops in the Hungarian capital and destroyed. Only some 170 men made it out of the encirclement.
The survivors, along with those who had not been sent to defend Budapest, were used to form 37.SS-Freiwilligen-Kavallerie-Division Lützow
37th SS Volunteer Cavalry Division Lützow
37. SS Freiwilligen Kavallerie Division "Lützow" was ordered to be formed in February 1945, consisting of remnants of 8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer and 22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division Maria Theresia, including former's SS Pionier Battalion 8, in addition to mostly 16- or 17-year old...
, with the remnants of the Flak units being transferred to 32.SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Division 30 Januar
32nd SS Volunteer Grenadier Division 30 Januar
32nd SS Volunteer Grenadier Division 30 January was formed in January 1945 from what remained of other units and staff and pupils from SS schools and various other troops....
.
Order Of Battle, BudapestBattle of BudapestThe Siege of Budapest centered on the Hungarian capital city of Budapest. It was fought towards the end of World War II in Europe, during the Soviet Budapest Offensive. The siege started when Budapest, defended by Hungarian and German troops, was first encircled on 29 December 1944 by the Red Army...
Jan 1945
- 52nd SS Cavalry Regiment
- 53rd SS Cavalry Regiment
- 54th SS Cavalry Regiment
- 17th SS Cavalry Regiment
- 22nd SS Artillery Regiment
- 22nd SS Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion
- 22nd SS Panzer Jäger Battalion
- 22nd SS Pionier Battalion
- 22nd SS Nachrichten Battalion
- 22nd SS Division Nachschubtruppen
- 22nd SS Verwaltungstruppen Battalion
- 22nd SS Sanitäts Battalion
External links
- 22.SS-Freiwilligen-Kavallerie-Division "Maria Theresia" at Feldgrau.com.
- 22. SS-Freiwilligen-Kavallerie-Division Maria Theresa at Axis History Factbook.