Batina operation

Batina operation

(Batinska operacija)

Intro

Batina operation covers joint assault actions by 57th Army of 3rd Ukrainian Front of Red Army and 51st Vojvodina division of 12th Corps of Yugoslav Partisans (NOVJ) against German 68th Army Corps of Army Group F, from 6 to 29 November 1944 on Danube in area of Batina (Hungarian: KiskÅ‘szeg) and Apatin for liberation of Baranja and breakthrough to Drava river from Osijek to Donji Miholjac. Operation is also known as Battle of Batina (Batinska bitka) and KiskÅ‘szeg (Batina) bridgehead.

For Soviet command Batina operation is part of much larger Budapest offensive with the 2nd Ukrainian Front offensive being halted at Danube and in front of Budapest by Army Group South, it was up to 3rd Ukrainian Front to cross Danube river and break the stalemate.

History

Preparations

After liberation of Belgrade and Vojvodina units of Red Army which fought along these two directions started with regrouping of forces for organizing advance in direction of Budapest and Nagykanisza. So units of 2nd Ukrainian Front which participated in liberation of Banat and BaÄka moved North towards Budapest and in theirs place arrived units of 3rd Ukrainian Front which participated in liberation of Belgrade. After carried out regrouping at the beginning of November 1944 on territory of Vojvodina (BaÄka) were 57th Army, 17th Air Army and large number of artillery, engineer and other units of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. 75th Rifle Corps from 57th Army took over defense of left bank of Danube from Baje in Hungary to BaÄka Palanka in Yugoslavia. Here also arrived 7th, 8th and 12th Vojvodina brigade from newly formed 51st Division of Yugoslav Partisans.

For mentioned offensive operation to continue, first need was to force Danube river and create bridgehead. This task was given to units of 57th Army.

On the right bank of Danube river Germans had two divisions, experienced but battered by battles in Serbia 'Brandenburg' division from mouth of Drava river into Danube to Batina and 31st SS Division reinforced with Hungarian fascist units, from from Batina to Baja. 31st SS division barely started to form, lacking heavy weapons and machine-guns, before it was redeployed to what Army Group South considered quiet sector with little chance of enemy attack.

Another help to Soviet-Yugoslav attack was absurdity in which German high command was divided thanks to Hitler Nazi politics of confronting different branches of military to increase his personal power. Army Group South as part of Eastern front was under direct command of High Command of the Army (Oberkommando des Heeres - OKH) while Army Group F through Supreme Command South-East was under command of Supreme High Command of the Armed Forces (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht - OKW) with both staffs working independently of each other! This conflict and rivalry would ensure German defeat even before battle even started.

By plan made by staff of the 57th Army it was envisaged only for 75th Rifle Corps to force Danube river with main forces in area of Batina and with support forces in area of Apatin. For securing of left flank south of Apatin 299th Division was used and on the right flank north of Bezdana, 734th Regiment of 233rd Rifle Division and 8th Brigade of 51st Division of Yugoslav Partisans. Task of the first echelon was that after forcing of Danube resume its advance without stooping and carry out link up between Batina and Apatin bridgehead and by 15 November reach line Topolje- KneÅ¾evi Vingoradi - Belje, from which second echelon would be introduced into combat. After reaching line Batasek - Herog TeteÅ¡ - Bolman it was envisaged to introduced into combat 6th Guard Corps and 32nd Motorized/Mechanized Brigade from second echelon of 57th Army which was suppose to continue successful advance in direction of PÃ©cs and Nagykanisza and by that move secure actions of 4th Guard Army which, relying on Batina bridgehead, had task to advance in direction of SzÃ©kesfehÃ©rvÃ¡r for purpose of encircling Budapest from south-west.

Yugoslav Partisans committed their 51st Division from 12th Vojvodina Corps which cooperated with 3rd Ukrainian Front. Main operational task set by Supreme Headquarters NOV i POJ and General Staff of Vojvodina was liberation of Baranja and advance to Drava rive. After arrival to left bank of Drava units of 12th Corps were suppose to attack flank and rear of enemy forces deployed between rivers Sava, Drava and Danube in cooperation with 1st Proletarian Corps in Syrmia (Srem / Srijem) and 6th and 10th Corps of NOVJ in Slavonia and also to cover flank of 3rd Ukrainian Front in Hungary and NOVJ units on Syrmia front.

At main section of forcing a Danube river at Batina gathered Soviet 233rd and 73rd Divisions and two brigades from 51st Division of Yugoslav Partisans with task of capturing village, expand bridgehead towards village DraÅ¾ and Zmajevac while 236th Division with 8th Brigade of 51st Division of NOVJ forces Danube in direction of Zlatna Greda, capture it and expand bridgehead in direction of village Zmajevac and KneÅ¾evi Vinogradi. At the support crossing at Apatin forcing of Danube was to done by Soviet 74th Division. Together with formation and reinforced artillery of 75th and 64th Rifle Corps, before assault, on the left bank of Danube o Batina and Apatin direction 1236 artillery and mortar pieces were gathered. Germans in the sector of 75th Rifle Corps had only 200 artillery weapons.

...

During entire operation German Army Group South holding Danube line from Baja north sent no reinforcements and it was only after Soviet breakthrough that 57th Panzer Corps begun to move towards Soviet division rapidly advancing west through southern Hungary.

...

Orders of Battle

Axis

Allies

Casualties

Losses of 51st Division of NOVJ were reported at 1456 soldiers and officers out of which 416 killed, 850 wounded and 190 missing. Post war research by Nikola BoÅ¾iÄ‡ increased these figures first to 648 killed and missing and then to 856 with final figure probably being even higher because numerous unknown volunteers.

According to incomplete information's, Soviet losses were 1397 killed (from 25 October to 10 December 1944) and several thousand wounded.

According to unconfirmed reports German losses are around 2500 killed and wounded and 140 prisoners. Brandenburg division has been decimated with only 130 combat capable soldiers remaining while 31st SS division practically fallen apart, despite draconian measures during combat and mass shootings, so the remains were sent under punishment to walk to area of Maribor-Celje, Hungarian units mostly dispersed.

Aftermath

With Army Group South right flank being completely open it had no alternative to retreat resulting in encirclement and siege of Budapest with large part of Hungary north of Drava river coming under Soviet control.

Heavy losses suffered by Yugoslav Partisans 51st Division left it unable to exploit breakthrough. Division carried out few crossings of Drava river few days later but these were all defeated.

Although Pyrrhic victory for Yugoslav Partisans operation prevented Army Group F reserves being committed to more critical sectors like Syrmian front, along critical escape route of Army Group E or to aid withdrawal of German army from Adriatic Coast which resulted in destruction of 264th Infantry Division during Knin operation.

Operation effectively eliminated small reserve on which Army Group F was counting on to stabilize its front after heavy losses it suffered during Belgrade operation. Also decimated was reformed 44th Infantry division.

Reference

Nikola BoÅ¾iÄ‡: Batinska bitka

Rudolf Pencz: For the Homeland! The History of the 31st Waffen-SS Volunteer Grenadier Division

Zija SulejmanpaÅ¡iÄ‡: 13. SS divizija HandÅ¾ar: Istine i laÅ¾i