22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division Maria Theresia

The 22.SS-Freiwilligen-Kavallerie-Division "Maria Theresia" was a German Waffen SS cavalry division which saw action on the Eastern Front during the Second World War. The "Maria Theresa" was composed, primarily, of Hungarian Volksdeutsche.

History

Formation and Training

In December 1943, "SS-Kavallerie Regiment 17" from the 8.SS-Kavallerie-Division "Florian Geyer" was ordered to become the cadre for a new SS cavalry division. On 29 April 1944, the SS-Führungshauptamt, (SS FHA) authorised the division to be raised, and "SS-Kavallerie Regiment 17" 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 volksdeutsche. These men had originally been conscripted by the Magyar Honvédség, but were transferred to the Waffen-SS following an agreement between Germany and Hungary. The formation of this division was done in absolute secrecy; this prompted many of the new recruits to incorrectly assume that they were part of Adolf Hitler's much vaunted Wunderwaffe program.

The division was designated 22. SS-Freiwilligen-Kavallerie-Division "Maria Theresia". The r 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 at 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 kampfgruppen to the combat zone. "SS-Freiwilligen-Kavellerie-Regiment 52", along with elements of the divisional artillery, were ordered to entrain for the front in Romania, while the "SS-Freiwilligen-Kavallerie-Regiment 17" remained in Hungary to train the rest of the division.

Romania

"SS-Freiwilligen-Kavallerie-Regiment 52" was reformed as "Kampfgruppe Wiedemann". The regiment's fighting strength was augmented by artillery, FlaK and reconnaissance elements. The Kampfgruppe was transported from Gyula-Szolonta, Hungary to Arad in Romania, where it was attached to "General der Panzertruppen" Hermann Breith's III.Panzer-Korps, stationed in the area around Debrecen.

The Kampfgruppe went into the line on 30 September, forming a defensive ring around the city of Arad along with the 9.Honvéd-Infantry Division. On the same day, "SS-Hauptsturmführer" Wiedemann, the kampfgruppe commander, 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. KG Ameiser held its ground, rebuffing several Soviet attacks. On 6 October, Malinovsky launched a major offensive, thus beginning the Battle of Debrecen. Hugely outnumbered, KG Ameiser was outflanked, and soon Soviet forces had completely encircled it. Secondary Soviet forces began attempts to destroy the encircled kampfgruppe. 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 ad-hoc kampfgruppe took this opportunity to launch a major attack towards friendly lines. By 9 October, the exhausted group had fought their way to the Harmas river and swam across the 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 to attempt to break out. Over the next three weeks, Ameiser led his men on 200 mile trek behind enemy lines. On 30 October the 48 survivors, including Ameiser himself, linked up with German forces at the town of Dunafoldvar, south of Budapest. For his actions, Ameiser was awarded the Knight's Cross on 1 November 1944.

Operation Panzerfaust - Budapest

In mid-October 1944, pro-German Honvédség officers had revealed Hungarian Leader Admiral Miklós Horthy's secret negotiations to surrender to the Soviets. Hitler had ordered Skorzeny to deal with the problem. All available elements of the "Maria Theresia" were commandeered by "SS-Obersturmbannfüher der Reserve" Otto Skorzeny to take part in Operation Panzerfaust, which began at 0600 on 15 October. In a little over half an hour a German column led by two Panther tanks, and including a number of "Maria Theresia" men, stormed Buda Castle and forced Horthy to abdicate. Simultaneously, Operation Mickey Mouse 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 was destroyed, only some 170 men making it out of the encirclement.

The survivors of the encirclement, 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".

Commanders

* SS-Brigadeführer August Zehender (21 Apr 1944 - 11 Feb 1945)

Order Of Battle, Budapest Jan 1945

* SS-Kavallerie-Regiment 52
* SS-Kavallerie-Regiment 53
* SS-Kavallerie-Regiment 54
* SS-Kavallerie-Regiment 17
* SS-Artillerie-Regiment 22
* SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 22
* SS-Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 22
* SS-Pionier-Bataillon 22
* SS-Nachrichten-Abteilung 22
* SS-Division-Nachschubtruppen 22
* SS-Verwaltungstruppen-Abteilung 22
* SS-Sanitätsabteilung 22

References

*"Steadfast Hussars: The Last Cavalry Divisions of the Waffen-SS" by Richard Landwehr
*"The Florian Geyer Division" by Charles Trang

External links

* [http://www.feldgrau.com/22ss.html 22.SS-Freiwilligen-Kavallerie-Division "Maria Theresia"] at Feldgrau.com.
* [http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=1926 22. SS-Freiwilligen-Kavallerie-Division Maria Theresa] at Axis History Factbook.