The ''Gyorshadtest'' (variously translated "Rapid Corps", "Fast Corps" or "Mobile Corps") was the most modern and best-equipped mechanized unit of the Royal Hungarian Army (''Magyar Királyi Honvédség'') at the beginning of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. However, the "Rapid Corps" name was something of a misnomer as it was only "mechanized" compared to other Hungarian units. The corps was not particularly mechanized when compared to similar units fielded by countries like

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

or the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

Organization

The mechanized corps of the "Carpathian Group"

At the outset of the war, the Hungarian General Staff assembled a "strike force" consisting of VIII Corps, the 1st Mountain Brigade, the 8th Border Guard Brigade, and the "Rapid Corps" (''Gyorshadtest''). This 40,000-man strong elite "Rapid Corps" of two infantry brigades and the mechanized corps was collectively known as the "Carpathian Group" (''Kárpát Csoport''). The commander of the "Carpathian Group" was Hungarian

General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...

('' Vezérezredes'') Ferenc Szombathelyi. The "Carpathian Group" also included the integral 1st Air Force Field Brigade. This brigade included a collection of German and Italian-built aircraft. The brigade even included its own anti-aircraft gun units. On paper, the pilots of the 1st Air Force Field Brigade flew 18 Italian Fiat CR.32 and 18 Fiat CR.42 biplane fighters. They also had 18 Italian Caproni Ca. 135 bis transport/bombers, 18 German

Junkers Ju 86 The Junkers Ju 86 was a German monoplane bomber and civilian airliner designed in the early 1930s, and employed by various air forces on both sides during World War II. The civilian model Ju 86B could carry ten passengers. Two were delivered to ...

K-2 dive bombers, and eighteen German

Heinkel He 170 The Heinkel He 70 ''Blitz'' ("lightning") was a German mail plane and fast passenger monoplane aircraft of the 1930s designed by Heinkel Flugzeugwerke, which was later used as a bomber and for aerial reconnaissance. It had a brief commercial c ...

A reconnaissance/bombers.

The commanders of the "Rapid Corps"

The "Rapid Corps" (and I Armoured Corps which succeeded it) had a total of four commanders from 1 March 1941 to 11 February 1945. The commanders were as follows: * Major General Béla Miklós (1 March 1940 to 1 February 1942) - he was the first commander of the "Rapid Corps". Miklós was awarded a German Knight's Cross on 4 December 1941. * ''No commander'' (1 February 1942 to 1 April 1942). * Major General Jenő Major (1 April 1942 to 1 October 1942) - commander of the "Rapid Corps". * Major General Lajos Veress (1 October 1942 to 15 September 1943) - On 1 October 1942 the name of the mechanized corps was changed to the "I Armored Corps". * Major General Jenő Major (15 September 1943 to 16 October 1944) - second time commander, this time of the "I Armored Corps". * Major General Ferenc Bisza (1 November 1944 to 11 February 1945) - he was the final commander of the "I Armored Corps".

The composition of the "Rapid Corps"

The 25,000-man strong "Rapid Corps" was organized as follows: * 1st Motorized Brigade * 2nd Motorized Brigade * 1st Cavalry Brigade Each of the two motorized brigades of the "Rapid Corps" had a "reconnaissance battalion" with obsolete light and medium tanks, which were extremely vulnerable to modern anti-tank weapons; two

motorized infantry Motorized infantry is infantry that is transported by trucks or other motor vehicles. It is distinguished from mechanized infantry, which is carried in armoured personnel carriers or infantry fighting vehicles, and from light infantry, which ca ...

battalions; two

bicycle infantry Bicycle infantry are infantry soldiers who maneuver on (or, more often, between) battlefields using military bicycles. The term dates from the late 19th century, when the " safety bicycle" became popular in Europe, the United States, and Austra ...

battalions; one 105mm howitzer battalion; and one antiaircraft battery. The necessary engineering, communication, and supply troops enabled the motorized brigades to perform as independent tactical units. The cavalry brigade had two horse-mounted cavalry regiments; a reconnaissance battalion; two bicycle infantry battalions; and horse drawn as well as motorized artillery units, engineering, communication, and supply troops. Directly subordinate to the commander of the "Rapid Corps" were two bicycle infantry battalions, two medium artillery batteries, seven antiaircraft batteries, additional communication, engineering and supply troops, and one air force regiment. The mechanized corps looked impressive on paper as a strategic unit. There is no doubt that it included the most modern, best-equipped troops of the Royal Hungarian Army. In reality, it was not very effective against the more modern equipped Soviet motorized or tank corps, especially later in the war. Because of the military leadership's wish to see the Hungarian troops in action as soon as possible, the mechanized corps was ordered to begin its march-up before completing mobilization. Therefore, the effective force was only 75-80 per cent of projected strength. Cars and trucks requisitioned for military operations failed to arrive on time at the mobilization stations. The horses requisitioned for the cavalry were untrained for military service. 65 Italian

Fiat L3 The L3/35 or Carro Veloce CV-35 was an Italian tankette that saw combat before and during World War II. Although designated a light tank by the Italian Army, its turretless configuration, weight and firepower make it closer to contemporary tanke ...

tankette A tankette is a tracked armoured fighting vehicle that resembles a small tank, roughly the size of a car. It is mainly intended for light infantry support and scouting.

s and 95 Hungarian Toldi I light/medium tanks were available.Andrew Mollo, p.207 The L3s had two 8 mm machine guns in a fixed forward position. The L3s had no turret and were referred to as "tankettes" rather than

light tanks A light tank is a tank variant initially designed for rapid movements in and out of combat, to outmaneuver heavier tanks. It is smaller in size with thinner armor and a less powerful main gun, tailored for better tactical mobility and ease o ...

. The Toldis were light tanks and had a 20 mm gun in a rotating turret. But this gun offered no serious armor-piercing capability. Overall, the armored Hungarian forces were of little value, especially against the more modern Soviet

T-34 The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank introduced in 1940. When introduced its 76.2 mm (3 in) tank gun was less powerful than its contemporaries while its 60-degree sloped armour provided good protection against anti-tank weapons. The Chri ...

and KV tanks.

Combat History

The "Rapid Corps" in Yugoslavia

The "Rapid Corps" was part of the Hungarian Third Army facing the Yugoslavian First Army during the

invasion of Yugoslavia The invasion of Yugoslavia, also known as the April War or Operation 25, or ''Projekt 25'' was a German-led attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II. The order for the invasion was p ...

The "Carpathian Group" into action in Russia

On 1 July 1941, the German High Command directed that the two infantry brigades and one mechanized corps of the "Carpathian Group" be attached to General

Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel Carl-Heinrich Rudolf Wilhelm von Stülpnagel (2 January 1886 – 30 August 1944) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II who was an army level commander. While serving as military commander of German-occupied France and as comm ...

's German 17th Army. As an attachment to the 17th Army, the "Carpathian Group" was to first attack and repel the

12th Soviet Army The 12th Army was a field army of the Red Army formed multiple times during the Russian Civil War and World War II. Civil War & Polish-Soviet War The 12th Army ( Russian Civil War 1st Formation) of the Soviet Red Army was first formed from ...

. The group was to then drive the Soviet troops from the Carpathian Mountains and pursue them to the

Dniester River The Dniester, ; rus, Дне́стр, links=1, Dnéstr, ˈdⁿʲestr; ro, Nistru; grc, Τύρᾱς, Tyrās, ; la, Tyrās, la, Danaster, label=none, ) ( ,) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and th ...

. The Hungarians were to deny the Soviets any opportunity to launch a counter-attack against the right flank of the advancing German 17th Army. The Hungarian troops were to attack no less than eight Soviet divisions on a front almost 180 miles wide. The "Carpathian Group" had a total of about 40,000 armed men to do this. The Soviet forces on the defensive had about 56,000 men.

Plan 9 and the dissolution of the "Carpathian Group"

The German High Command's plan for the "Carpathian Group" to shield the right flank of the German 17th Army was known as "Plan 9". During the morning hours of 1 July 1941, the Hungarians launched an attack against the

per this plan and, on 7 July, the Mobile Corps reached the

. By 9 July, elements of the "Carpathian Group" had pushed the stoutly-resisting Soviet forces back and penetrated Russian territory to a depth of 60–70 miles. The group paid a high price in heavy losses to accomplish this. Advancing on foot, the two infantry brigades (mountain and border guard) of the VIII Corps were unable to keep up with the "Rapid Corps". For this reason,

Colonel-General Colonel general is a three- or four-star military rank used in some armies. It is particularly associated with Germany, where historically general officer ranks were one grade lower than in the Commonwealth and the United States, and was a ra ...

Henrik Werth, the Hungarian Chief of Staff, dissolved the "Carpathian Group". Werth used the infantry brigades for policing and administrative duties of the occupied territory in the

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian invas ...

. He placed the "Rapid Corps" at the disposal of the German

Army Group South Army Group South (german: Heeresgruppe Süd) was the name of three German Army Groups during World War II. It was first used in the 1939 September Campaign, along with Army Group North to invade Poland. In the invasion of Poland Army Group Sou ...

('' Heeresgruppe Sud''). This army group was under the command of

Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered a ...

(''

Generalfeldmarschall ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (from Old High German ''marahscalc'', "marshal, stable master, groom"; en, general field marshal, field marshal general, or field marshal; ; often abbreviated to ''Feldmarschall'') was a rank in the armies of several ...

'')

Gerd von Rundstedt Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt (12 December 1875 – 24 February 1953) was a German field marshal in the ''Heer'' (Army) of Nazi Germany during World War II. Born into a Prussian family with a long military tradition, Rundstedt entered the ...

. The Mobile Corps advanced with the German 17th Army, later the

1st Panzer Group The 1st Panzer Army (german: 1. Panzerarmee) was a German tank army that was a large armoured formation of the Wehrmacht during World War II. When originally formed on 1 March 1940, the predecessor of the 1st Panzer Army was named Panzer Group ...

, against the Soviet Southwestern Front.Nigel Thomas, pg. 15

The success of the "Rapid Corps"

By August 1941, the Hungarian mechanized corps was a key participant in the Battle of Uman. The "Rapid Corps" represented one half of a pincer which was enveloping the 6th Army and the 12th Army. The German 16th Panzer Division represented the other half of the pincer. On 3 August 1941, the pincer halves met and the 6th Army and the 12th Army were trapped. Over 100,000 Soviets were captured.

The Hungarian mechanized corps weakens

Even victories cost the Hungarians dearly. The "Rapid Corps" grew weaker in the summer of 1941. By comparison, the retreating Soviet armies, far from growing weaker, seemed to be growing stronger. Aware of the general situation, Hungarian Regent Admiral

Miklós Horthy Miklós Horthy de Nagybánya ( hu, Vitéz nagybányai Horthy Miklós; ; English: Nicholas Horthy; german: Nikolaus Horthy Ritter von Nagybánya; 18 June 1868 – 9 February 1957), was a Hungarian admiral and dictator who served as the regen ...

and the rest of the Hungarian political leadership tried to gain the release of the battle weary troops in the "Rapid Corps".

Henrik Werth Henrik Werth (26 December 1881 – 28 May 1952) was a Hungarian military officer, who served as Chief of Army Staff during World War II. Biography Henrik Werth was born in Rezsőháza, Hungary (Knićanin, today in Serbia), on 26 December 188 ...

, the pro-German Chief of Staff, was replaced on 5 September 1941 by Colonel-General Ferenc Szombathelyi. Unlike Werth, who supported the German offensive in Russia, Szombathelyi held the conviction that Hungarian troops should be employed only for the defense of Hungarian frontiers. Szombathelyi did not hesitate to communicate this view to the Germans. To force the Germans to release the "Rapid Corps", Szombathelyi neglected to replace either the armored vehicles or the personal carriers and trucks that the corps had lost during the campaign. Even so, the Germans continued to utilize the weak Hungarian mechanized corps.

Another limited success

The German commanders typically allowed little room for the Hungarians to take independent action. However, the commander of the "Rapid Corps", Major General Bela Dalnoki-Miklos, did make an independent decision on at least one occasion. Making this decision, forced Dalnoki-Miklos to disobey direct orders from Field Marshal

von Rundstedt Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt (12 December 1875 – 24 February 1953) was a German field marshal in the '' Heer'' (Army) of Nazi Germany during World War II. Born into a Prussian family with a long military tradition, Rundstedt entered t ...

. On 19 October 1941, after the Battle of Kiev, General

's German 17th Army was advancing through

Poltava Poltava (, ; uk, Полтава ) is a city located on the Vorskla River in central Ukraine. It is the capital city of the Poltava Oblast (province) and of the surrounding Poltava Raion (district) of the oblast. Poltava is administrative ...

towards Voroshilovgrad. Facing von Stülpnagel were elements of the Soviet 18th Army. Field Marshal von Rundstedt had ordered von Stülpnagel to order the Hungarian mechanized corps to break through the Soviet defenses directly in his way. As he was told, Stülpnagel ordered Dalnoki-Miklos to attack the Soviet defenses and break through them. Dalnoki-Miklos had many things to consider. The Hungarian mechanized corps was down to six battalions. The Russian defenses had already repelled the attack of 40 German battalions. After assessing the situation, Dalnoki-Miklos decided to try something other than the ordered breakthrough. Instead, Dalnoki-Miklos, planned and performed a maneuver that led to the encirclement of the Russian defenses. As a result, a superior Soviet force was neutralized and the road to Voroshilovgrad was opened up for the continuation of the German advance. The

German General Staff The German General Staff, originally the Prussian General Staff and officially the Great General Staff (german: Großer Generalstab), was a full-time body at the head of the Prussian Army and later, the German Army, responsible for the continu ...

(''Oberkommando des Heeres'') had high praise for the outstanding achievements and tactical victories of the Hungarian mechanized corps. The mechanized corps fought for five months in a long campaign and covered over 1,000 miles of territory. Yet once again these victories were too costly. And the costs was not limited to the mechanized corps itself. The costs were also too high to the whole Hungarian nation. For a country the size of Hungary, the losses were tremendous. By the end of 1941, there were over 200 officers and more than 2,500 rank and file dead. Over 1,500 Hungarians were missing in action. At a minimum, another 7,500 were wounded. Losses in material were high as well. Gone were over 1,200 personnel carriers, 30 airplanes, 28 artillery pieces, 100 per cent of the L3 tankettes, 80 per cent of the Toldi tanks, and 90 per cent of the armored cars. In November 1941, the "Rapid Corps" returned to Budapest.

The Hungarian Second Army takes over for the mechanized corps

The withdrawal of the Hungarian mechanized corps did not mean the end of Hungary's military participation in the war. On 7 September 1941, at Hitler's invitation, Admiral Horthy visited German headquarters to negotiate what this participation would be. Horthy was accompanied by Minister-President László Bárdossy, General Szombathelyi, and Counselor to the Hungarian Embassy in Berlin, Andor Szentmiklosy. During negotiations, the Germans confronted the Hungarian visitors with a surprising statement. According to the Germans, the former Hungarian Chief of Staff, General Werth, had stated that Hungary would send more Hungarian troops to the front when the Hungarian mechanized corps was retired. In other words, Horthy would gain Hitler's consent to withdraw the "Rapid Corps" only in exchange for an even larger Hungarian force. The departure of the mechanized corps left the Hungarians with only a bicycle battalion, four infantry brigades, and two cavalry brigades on the Eastern Front. This force was poorly equipped to cope with the vast distances and appalling conditions found there. While this force included a total of about 63,000 men, only the cavalry was able to make any useful contribution to the war effort. Germany continued to demand a maximum effort from the Hungarians and soon the Hungarian Second Army was dispatched. By the end of 1942, this ill-fated army was on the front lines north of

Stalingrad Volgograd ( rus, Волгогра́д, a=ru-Volgograd.ogg, p=vəɫɡɐˈɡrat), formerly Tsaritsyn (russian: Цари́цын, Tsarítsyn, label=none; ) (1589–1925), and Stalingrad (russian: Сталингра́д, Stalingrád, label=none; ) ...

protecting the doomed German 6th Army's northern flank.

The I Armored Corps and the end

In Budapest, the Hungarian mechanized corps was re-fitted and made ready for battle. On 1 October 1942, the unit was renamed the "I Armored Corps". On 29 December 1944, the Battle of Budapest began. The "I Armored Corps" participated in the defense of Hungary's capital city. On 13 February 1945, after a long siege, Budapest fell to the Soviets. On the same day, what was left of the Hungarian "I Armored Corps" was disbanded.

Notes

;Footnotes ;Citations

References

* * * {{World War II Military units and formations of Hungary in World War II Eastern Front (World War II) Hungary–Soviet Union relations