Following an unsuccessful conclusion to 'Autumn Mist' (map 17) Sixth SS Panzer Army (Dietrich) is switched across Europe to reinforce Army Group South (Wb'hler) defending western Hungary. There on 26 December 1944 Budapest, the capital city of 800,000 inhabitants housing numerous military agencies and defended by upwards of 70,000 men including 13th Pi Division and Feldhermhalle responsible to SS General Pteffer von Wildenbruck (IX SS Mtn Corps), is encircled by two Ukrainian fronts.
Balck, Gille (1) (Sixth SS Pz-Army} 13 February 1945. Operation 'Konrad' is the first of three attempts by Armeegruppe Balck (Sixth Army) to relieve Budapest. Starting on 1 January with IV SS Panzer Corps (Gille) transferred with Totenkopf and Wiking from Ninth Army/ Army Group Centre, 'Konrad' is a failure; despite heavy fighting by SS Wiking to within fifteen miles of the perimeter. Budapest remains besieged. 'Konrad 2' a second attempt by III PzK (Breith) 9-12 January fares no better.
Priess (2) Panzer battles next develop east of Komom where an unexpectedly powerful Operation 'South Wind' lead by I SS Pz Corps - LSSAH and 12 SS HJ - reduces 2nd UKR Front's bridgehead on the River Gran. Pz Corps Feldherrnhalle with remnants of units isolated in Budapest provides mainly infantry support.
Balck, Gille, Breith (3) Meanwhile Sixth Army's third relief attempt 'Konrad 3' follows on 18 January 1945, from a new direction. But the reinforced SS Panzer Corps (Gille)
attacking south around Stuhlweissenburg with 1st and 3rd Panzer Divisions, SS Totenkopf and SS Wiking while flank protection to the north is provided by Breith's III Panzer Corps - 6th and 23rd Panzer Divisions and south by Pz Recce Bns 1st, 3rd, 23rd again fails to relieve the city. A break-out attempt by the defenders on 11 February is equally unsuccessful; Budapest surrenders on 13 February 1945. Hitler's arbitrary diversion of panzer divisions to this secondary front is nevertheless set to continue.
Dietrich, Balck, de Angelis (4) Sixth SS Pz-Army 6 March 1945 opens a new offensive 'Spring Awakening' in which Sixth Army (Balck), Second Panzer Army (de Angelis) - four infantry divisions and a weak 16th Reichsfuhrer SS Panzer Grenadier Division (Baum) - are also involved in Hitler's plan to encircle the Red Army west of the Danube, recapture Budapest and retain oil-production centres at Nagykaniscza south-west of Lake Balaton. But 'Spring Awakening' falters in waterlogged terrain and when counter-attacked in strength by 3rd UKr Front fails to recover momentum. (5)
A renewal of Russian attacks aiming at Vienna and the Danube valley threatening German communications precipitates a general retreat, by 20 March, panzer rearguards are fighting desperately to defend positions west of their original start-line.
6th Armeegruppe Balck Sixth Army, Hung Third Army, Gille, IV SS Pz Corps; Breith III Pz-Corps, Harteneck I Cav Corps, SS Wiking, SS Totenkopf, Pz Divs 1st, 3rd, 6th, 23rd,
three cav divs, Hungarian tanks, infantry, Army troops. After 14 January, 503, 509 Tiger Bns. By 20 January, 274 Pz Kpfw IV-VIs, Jag Pz and SPs. By 6 March, 138 mixed tanks.
Eighth Army Kreysing (north of Danube) 8th, 20th Pz Divs, remnant battle groups Feldherrnhalle, 13th Pz.
Sixth SS Pz-Army Dietrich Priess I SS Pz Corps, Bittrich II SS Pz Corps, SS Pz-Divs 1st, 2nd, 9th, 12th. Reinforced 6 March, 23rd Pz and two cav divs. By 6 March, 540 tanks and SP guns (320 battle-fit).
Second Pz-Army de Angelis Lanz XXII Mtn Corps, Konrad LXVIII Corps, 16th SS PzGren Div, four Inf divs (two Mtn).
4th Air Fleet Dessloch Deichmann, I Air Corps, by 6 March 850 aircraft.
Red Army/Air Force 1 January 1945, Malinovsky 2nd UKr Front; Tolbuchin 3rd UK Front; 54 Inf divs; five mech corps; three armd corps, two cav corps. By 6 March, 407 tanks, 965 aircraft.