The battle of Paulis (14-19 September 1944)

Yes, it would be interesting to study the activity of the Royal Hungarian Air Force in the Autumn of 1944, but it would be off topic here I am afraid.

Gen. Dénes

Hallo Gentlemen

in June 2001, I was traveling from Bavaria, Germany, to vist Deva, Hunedoara County, Western Romania.



Shortly after leaving ARAD a main town situated close to the Romanian-Hungarian border, I spotted a large monument in the distance through the front window of the bus, snatching up my camera, I snapped the following picture of this impresive looking monument.

I always wondered what it was for, but when you are a bus passenger you are a captive, no chance to jump out and investigate

I always said If I ever got the chance to go by car to ARAD I would get the driver to stop and let me look at the monument more closely well finally on the 26th of April 2007 I got the chance.











Sadly the date in bronze has been vandalised



Right-hand side details of the soldier.



Left-hand side details of the soldier.



Side profile of the monument.



Silently, guarding the place where so many gave up thier lives.

May they all Rest In Peace.


Kev in Deva.

This post has been edited by New Connaught Ranger on April 28, 2007 01:32 pm

The detailed map of the battle

More names on a marble stone, quite seperate from the main monument.



Inscription on the side of the block of marble.


English Language notice.



German Language Notice.


Romanian Language Notice.


Hungarian Laungauge Notice.



Land to the right rear side of the statue, pity about the rubbish



Land to the left rear of the statue.



My driver Ovidiu, and a shot of the rear of the monument.

Hope you like the pictures.

Kevin in Deva.

Bit ressurection of thread

Small gift from me - few pages from 18 Tank Corps battle report, Central Defence Ministry Archive of Russian Federation. Need russian language reading skill




Also 18 TK been main force in Battle of Arad.

This post has been edited by Taranov on March 25, 2011 08:18 pm

Taranov, your interesting material is not an incentive strong enough to make us refresh our Russian skills (if any). As I got older and lazier, can you translate for us the 4 rows under the first title (that one mentioning Arad)? Those 4 rows mention the strength of the enemy force: 1 tank division, then what ?
Also, what is the meaning of that list of equipment, at the bottom of the first page? And on the next page, those “500 soldiers and officers”, what’s the story with them?
Regards.


This post has been edited by Florin on March 28, 2011 02:27 am

At the beginning of September, to the IV Corps (Hungarian Royal Army) belonged the 1st Honvéd Armored Division (Staff Colonel Koszorús Ferenc) concentrated in the Pécs-Szigetvár zone, 6th Camp Training Division (Major General György Vukováry), 8th Camp Training Division (Dr. Béla Temesy Major General) and 1st Training-Camp Hussars Regiment (Colonel Joseph Auerhammer). Temporarily out of 4th Camp Training Division (Tarnaváry Árpád Major General), on September 9 from Orosháza Hódmezővásárhely region will be directed the 20th (Regular) Infantry Division. After September 20, from the Subotica- Hódmezővásárhely district will be delivered to the IV Corps the 23rd Reserve Division (Major-General Deseő Gusztáv).
From 12 September, the 4th Camp Training Division was moved to the VII. Corps, commanded by Lieutenant-General Géza Vörös, the younger brother of former chief of staff. The other corps division was the 12 Reserve Division (Bela Nemeth Major General). The Army Corps Command was given to Lieutenant-Colonel Pesty Endre former Chief of Staff.
The 1st Honvéd Armored Division was the IV Corps largest battle experienced unit. The Commander Koszorús, Chief of Staff Colonel, was the 1st Armored Division chief of staff, participated in the 1942 Don campaign, with more then one year on front, and was reputed experienced armor officer. The division chief of staff of the 1944 in early September, Pállfy Muhoray Zoltan was Chief of Staff Captain. Both officers understood each other perfectly.

The division 1st tank regiment (Col. Zoltan Balo) was made from two tank battalions. A tank battalion of the 1943 year table of organization consists of two heavy tank-companies (11-11 Turan75 and 5-5 Toldi40), two mid-tank-companies (17-17 Turan40 and 5-5 Toldi40), a light-tank-company (eight light tanks) and an armored SPG section (one tank, four Nimrod SPG). However, on 2 September 1944 the tank regiment still had fewer tanks than the TO&E. F.I. the 1/III tank battalion received 5-Toldi light tanks, 3 companies with each 7 Turan, 5 Toldi and 3 Nimrod were available. Also the tank training units and the self-propelled artillery battalion was still necessary. A total of 24 Turan-75 tanks were handed over to the Regiment. Overall, the division prior to the onset of the attack, received an additional 60 armor.
However on the 13 September 1944, before the attack was ordered the 1st Armored Division possessed, according to the data available, 61 Turan-40 medium, 63 Turán-75 heavy and 77 light Toldi tanks (total 201 tanks), and also 42 Nimrod SPG and 5 Csaba reconnaissance armored machine guns.
Source : Számvéber Norbert -Páncélosok a Tiszántúlon (Paktum Nyomdaipari Társaság
Budapest, 2002) The translation accuracy is doubtful, since I don't know hungarian and the hungarian-english internet translator is approximate.

Thanks, Taranov, for sharing these documents with us. Such inputs are always welcomed.

Can anyone help with translating these Soviet documents? It would be very important to see what these primary documents say.

Thanks,

Gen. Dénes

Edited translation:

La 11.09 18.00, B.78 indep.motociclete, intarit cu 3 SU/R.1438 autotunuri soseste in raion Lugoj, pentru a bloca caile de acces in oras dinspre S si SW. Detasamentul a intrat in Lugoj la 12.09 06.00 unde a ocupat dispozitiv de aparare.

3. Cucerirea zonei. Batalia pentru Arad
Gruparea inamica ungara (D.1 Tc., D.5 I.Usoara, D.6 si 19 I.) atacand dinspre W ocupa Arad la 13.09 si, dezvoltand ofensiva spre E, perecliteaza iesirea din munte(?) a trupelor noastre.
Cdt. C.18 A.Tc. sovietic a hotarat sa arunce in lupta un puternic detasament inaintat in raionul PAULIS – vest LIPOVA si sa nu permita desfasurarea inamicului la E de soseaua DEVA-ARAD.
La 14.09 11.00 Detasamentul Inaintat sov. ( un Bt./Bg.32 I.Mo. intarit cu R.452 AAT (19 x 76 mm) si 3 Tc./Bg.110 Tc) comandat de loctiitorul Cdt.Bg.32, Lt.Col.Gorcinski, iese pe aliniamentul PAULIS-ZABRANI.
Inamicul a reusit sa ajunga la PAULIS. Detasamentul sov. a intrat in lupta din mars si a respins atacul tancurilor inamice spre W, luand dispozitiv de aparare pe alin. PAULIS-ZABRANI.
14-19.09 Det.inaintat a mentinut cu tarie aliniam. PAULIS, respingand in 5 zile 23 atacuri ale tancurilor si inf. inamicului, provocandu-i mari pierderi. Luptand sub atacurile Av.inamice, a provocat urmatoarele pierderi : 4 Tc., 4 transp.blindate, 3 tunuri, 28 mitr., 2 aruncatoare, 20 masini inf., 500 morti, 160 soldati prizonieri.
Inamicul nu a reusit sa ocupe PAULIS si neintampinand rezistenta necesara din partea trupelor romane, ataca spre NW si pe 15 si 16.09 cucereste SHIRIA, SPINENI, GAUTZ (TAUTZ)(DRAUTZ), amenintand cu ofensiva pe directia NADASH si taierea comunicatiei DEVA-ARAD. Totodata, inamicul in ofensiva pe directia SHIRIA la 15.09 ocupa COVASANTZ, CUVIN, GHIOROC si ataca Detasamentul inaintat dinspre Nord, ataca pe drumuri de munte si ocupa CLADOVA, amenintand sa cada in spatele Detasamentului.
Cdt. C.A.Sov. a hotarat la 15.09 sa intareasca Detasamentul cu 9 Tc./Bg.110 Tc. si apararea in CAPRUTZA cu 3 x SU-85/ R.1438 Autotunuri.
Din 9 Tc. au ajuns la PAULIS 5 Tc., intrand imediat in lupta. T-34 au fost atacate pe drum de Av.
Incepand cu 16.09 in raionul LIPOVA ajung trupe din avangarda A.53 Sov., intarind pozitiile Detasamentului.
Directiva operativa a Fr.2 Uk. a stabilit misiunea C.18 A.(Tc.) : in coop.cu trupele A.53, la 22.09 ocupa ARAD.
Trupele C.18 A.(Tc.) gata de lupta, prin mars de noapte la 16/17.09 se concentreaza in raionul ODVOSH, CAPRUTZA, BARZAVA(?).
In dimineata 19.09 trupele C.A. sov. se concentreaza in raion NW si NE LIPOVA.
Pe 18.09 ajung in raionul LIPOVA, PAULIS fortele principale ale D.243 I.(/C.57 A.)
Ptr. asigurarea zonei in vederea ofensivei spre ARAD, Cdt. A.53 a dat misiune D.243 I. ca impreuna cu forte ale C.18.A.(Tc.) pe 19.09 sa ocupe CUVIN, GHIOROC, asigurand in acest fel pozitiii de plecare la atac la ofensiva asupre ARAD.


This post has been edited by Petre on January 21, 2012 06:50 pm

Excelent, Petre. Mersi.

Gen. Dénes

There are many errors (not to tell them actually lies) in the quoted soviet document, which do not match any Romanian nor Hungarian military documents from the time. But without a doubt is very useful to know the former enemy oppinions (I refer here to the Soviet Union) in order to complete the image of the battlefield from september 1944. I support my statements on the documents reviewed by me personally in Arad Museum and in the former Lipova Garrison Museum, documents to which I had access.

OT. I've spent my draft period there, in Lipova garrison (UM01191). Is it still an Army barracks?

Gen. Dénes

Yes, I visited the Barracks last time in spring 2002, and from what I know, few years later the unit was disbanded. The barracks remained under the army guard as a repository of materials and ammo, and the last year a new military unit was established there. I must say though that I didn't served in the military there, but away from home, in Oltenia, some 10 years ago.