The origin of what will become SS Kampfgruppe ,,Ney”(1) is a Hungarian veterans association called “The Comradeship Federation of the Eastern Front”(KABSZ) formed in 1944 by veterans of the Don River army. The Director of the Association was Dr Bela Imredy(2)Due to the Russians advancing into Transylvania some members of the KABSZ wished to be deployed to fight the Russians. Around 300 volunteers approach the Budapest Honved1Corps, 2ArmyCorpsof Székesfehérvár and Szombathely3ArmyCorps with no success.
KABSZ Rally 1944
(filmhiradok.nova.hu)
October 6 1944: A single member of the KABSZ visits one of the leaders of the anti-German resistance and informs him that extreme elements of the KABSZ are preparing for a take-over in two days.
October 7 1944: A raid takes place on the KABSZ Vörösmarty street headquarters at dusk. The organisation's management escapes into the Swabian mountains however and places itself under SS protection.
October 8 1944: At the appropriate time, certain buildings would have had to be occupied, and the KABSZ organisation undertook an active part in the preparation of a take-over. The documents underpinning all these were stored at KABSZ headquarters and disappear on this day. In the following days the majority of the members of the KABSZ (some of them having already received German call-up papers) were informing each other about the situation, reporting to the SS(3)
KABSZ October 1944
October 15 1944: A small unit of the members of the KABSZ (wearing SS uniforms but still wearing their death-head armbands) is involved in the German led coup. In doing so, the group led by Károly Ney is subordinated to the 22nd SS volunteer cavalry division ,,Maria Theresia” which temporarily encloses the castle
October 20 1944: An agreement is reached to permit veteran volunteers from the Comradeship to enlist into the Waffen SS via the SS-Ersatzkommando Ungarn (prior to this Szálasi had been approached but due to him wanting to use the veterans as a guard unit and the veterans wanting to fight no agreement was reached) . They are intended as replacements for 22. SS Cavalry Division ,,Maria Theresia”. The commander of the unit is Obersturmfuhrer Dr Karl Ney ( a lawyer and a Hussar reserve first lieutenant), the brigade adjutant is Obersturmfuhrer Lajos Koermendy-Wache.(4)
October 21 1944: The unit is issued with weapons at Veszprém
October 22 1944: The unit officially becomes part of 22. SS Artillery Regiment and becomes its security guard company.
October 30 1944: SS Brigade ,,Ney” reaches battalion size
November 1 1944: The new unit is sent to Bakonyer forest for formation and training(5)by Waffen-SS instructors speaking in Hungarian (these come from 2 SS division ,,Das Reich", 3 SS division ,,Totenkopf"" and 5 SS division ,,Viking")
November 17 1944: While the unit is training in Veszprém the Hungarian political leadership dissolves the KABSZ association which results in more volunteers going to Sur
December 24 1944: The number of men increases to regiment size.(approximately 1600 men)
Order of battle
HQ Company
I Infantry Battalion
II Infantry Battalion
Supply Company
Károly Ney returns to Sur from a Officers training course in Hirschberg and finds the regiment is almost combat ready.
On this day Russian forces surround Budapest and cuts off Brigade ,,Ney” from its parent division. Most of the supply company of 22. SS Division ,,Maria Theresia” along with the 22. SS artillery company are with Brigade ,,Ney” at Sur so avoid being surrounded.
Around this time the German army leadership have the idea of using SS Brigade ,,Ney” to go behind the front lines as a Reconnaissance and sabotage unit. Ney rejects this request, saying that preparing for the tasks would have pushed the corps's combat readiness back by months and so SS Brigade ,,Ney” does not go on the parachute course.
December 25 1944: Due to 22 SS Division ,,Maria Theresia” being cut off in Budapest the unit is assigned to IV SS Panzer Corps(6)
December 28/29 1944: According to one source one of the battalions of kampfgruppe ,,Ney” under the command of SS-Obersturmführer Gyula Dömötör is transported to Balatonakarattya from the Hajmáskér parade ground, where it is to help both the Hungarian 25. Infantry division and the German III. Panzer corps.
January 1 1945: Regimental strength is approximately 2 000 men. Two battalions from the kampfgruppe take part in Operation Konrad I & II to help relieve Budapest(7)(this continues until January 12 1945)
January 8 1945: From 23.00 Kampfgruppe ,,Ney” is assigned to 1st Panzer Division. (8)
January 11 1945: A third combat ready battalion reports for duty(9)
January 13 1945: kampfgruppe ,,Ney” is removed from the IV. SS Panzer Corps
January 18 1945: During Konrad III Kampfgruppe ,,Ney” is split into 2 units. At dawn Battalions I and II are involved in the first wave of attacks in the Varpalota region along side the 1st Panzer Division(10)and III battalion(11)is assigned to the second wave in the Balatonkenese area. After heavy fighting a breakthrough is made near Retipuszta.
January 19 1945: Battalions I and II along with the rest of Kampfgruppe ,,Huppert” are involved in heavy fighting around Palmajor trying to advance to Sarszentmihaly.
January 20 1945: III Battalion numbering 400-420 men rise at 05.00 and by 07.00 after reaching their starting positions join in the attack and soon reaches Nadasladany and Szabadbattyan. By evening III Battalion along with Panzer Grenadier Regiment 1 have broken through the Russian lines at Edinapustza and crossed the Sarviz canal.Kampfgruppe ,,Ney” is subordinated to the Hungarian units under the command of SS- Obersturmführer Levetzo Obersturmfuhrer Károly Ney does not take a part in the manoeuvre as a commander
January 21 1945: Kampfgruppe ,,Ney” and Panzer Grenadier Regiment 1 takes part in the advance into Székesfehérvár (Stuhlweissenburg). At 20.00 Battalions I and II attack from the west and III Battalion attacks from the south(12)Kampfgruppe ,,Ney”takes part in heavy fighting in the Székesfehérvár (Stuhlweissenburg) suburbs whilst trying to capture the town .At one point there is a danger that the SS battle group may be cut off as a force of 400-500 Russians advance approximately 500 metres on the right wing of SS Brigade ,,Ney” and comes close to Sárpentele behind them Artillery support is asked for on the radio and the German-Hungarian forces are pressed back into Székesfehérvár (Stuhlweissenburg),In the afternoon Kampfgruppe ,,Ney” becomes part of the Holste division group(13)
January 22 1945: SS Brigade ,,Ney” takes part in the capture of Székesfehérvár (Stuhlweissenburg) and takes part in the mopping up operations. A resident remembered “ later a Hungarian military patrol came onto the refuge (around 12.30). On their left arm was a black band with a skull on (this was the armband of the KABSZ) After the salute he was told that their aim was to go to Fehervar by the coast of Lake Velence and along the main road to the capital”.
For the fighting on January 20/21 1945 Adolf Hilter gives permission for Kampfgruppe ,,Ney" to wear the cuff title "SS Regiment Ney"
January 23 1945: 1st Panzergrenadier Regiment withdraws from Székesfehérvár (Stuhlweissenburg) leaving Kampfgruppe ,,Ney” and the 20th Hungarian Infantry Division to defend the area.(14)(This lasts until March 22) The bulk of Brigade ,,Ney “ returns to Sur leaving behind one battalion.A company of Hungarian airforce men are absorbed by SS Brigade ,,Ney”
January 25 1945: Kampfgruppe ,,Ney” is assigned to the 356th Infantry division recently arrived from Italy. .Kampfgruppe ,,Ney” is subordinated to I battalion of the Hungarian 4. Cavalry brigade inside the Holste’s division group.
January 26 1945: Kampfgruppe ,,Ney” takes part in an attack to extend their positions but they are driven back with heavy losses by the Russians.
January 27 1945: Kampfgruppe ,,Ney” as part of Holste’s division takes part in an attack that captures hill 182 and advances to the Nagyszombati road.(15)Due to the strength of the Russian forces it is not possible to hold this position for too long and the hill exchanges hands several times between now and the end of the fighting (around February 15)
January 28 1945: SS Brigade ,,Ney” fight in the Székesfehérvár (Stuhlweissenburg) area under the IV. SS Panzer Army corps. It is supporting the 3. SS panzer division ,,Totenkopf” and does so until February 3
January 29 1945: SS regiment ,,Ney” comes under the direct subordination of the German 356th infantry division.In the few next days the regiment, as part of the IV. SS Panzer corps's divisions (together with the parts of the 1. SS Sturmjaeger regiment) attack from Székesfehérvár in a north north-east direction against the Russian forces.
January 31 1945: Kampfgruppe ,,Ney” along with Infantry Battalion 871 and Engineer Battalion 356 with support of tanks and infantry from 3. SS Division ,,Totenkopf” repulse a Russian advance to the north of Székesfehérvár (Stuhlweissenburg).
(Mirko Boverl collection) Székesfehérvár January 1945
February 1 1945: The area defended by Kampfgruppe ,,Ney” is further reinforced by troops from 3. SS Division ,,Totenkopf” and tanks from heavy tank detachment 509
February 2 1945: The Russians resume the earlier attack on the northern part of Székesfehérvár (Stuhlweissenburg) in the area around the brick works.SS Brigade ,,Ney” to the east of Székesfehérvár (Stuhlweissenburg) repulse a Soviet infantry attack.
February 3 1945: The German forces along with Kampfgruppe ,,Ney” counter attack the Russian positions driving them from the Csala area and occupying the munitions factory.What is left of the KABSZ organisation brakes with Szálasi and because of this Szálasi deprives Ney and his corps of their Hungarian citizenship.(A courier from Szálasi had arrived earlier at Ney’s command post with a written command and had handed it to Ney. The command told Ney that his unit was fighting illegally, and had to march in to the Honvéd Ministry in Koszeg because of this, if they did not they would deprive Ney’s regiment of their Hungarian citizenship. Ney denied this pointing out the German-Hungarian treaty)
February 4 1945: The Russian attack has been stopped and driven back to the original defensive lines.
February 5 1945: Kampfgruppe ,,Ney” is designated as a reserve unit of IV SS Panzer Corps and is withdrawn to Sur for rest and reforming (around this time a company of Air force personnal joins the Brigade). The unit is reorganised as a cavalry/re-enforced mounted regiment and is now called SS Cavalry Brigade ,,Ney” (mostly referred to as SS Brigade ,,Ney”)(16)
The Kampfgruppe’s Order of battle at this time was:(17)
February 27 1945: In recognition of SS regiment Ney’s successful action , at the IV. SS Panzer Army corps's command post members of the regiment are awarded 12 Iron cross II. Class, and three Iron cross I class. Dr. Ney Károly is promoted to SS-Sturmbannführer
March 1 1945: USAAF 15 Squadron, which is stationed in Italy with 630 airplanes, attacks near Vienna at Moosbierbaum. Whilst passing over Hungary one B-24 Liberator type four-engine bomber is shot down and crashes near Ácsteszér parish border around 14.00(five B-24 Liberators are reported lost.). Eight crewmen parachute out and land approximately 4,5 kilometres from Sur were SS Brigade ,,Ney” is stationed and are caught by soldiers of SS Brigade ,,Ney”.Later three airmen are taken to the Germans at Kisbér.
March 3 1945: The other five American airmen along with four Hungarian civilians are charged with spying.
March 4 1945: Winklemann issues a statement (tgb.nr.45(?)/45g) announcing among other things the following:
1 - SS Brigade Ney is to become a special unit of the Reichfuhrer as the Hungarian government refuses to reconize the unit
2 - The regiment is to be manned by volunteers only
3 - the publishing of promotional material (posters, newspaper adverts, etc) is forbidden
4 - the unit is granted permission to use the greeting 'Harc' (from the KABSZ) (Harc means fight/battle)
5 - it is promised that whatever equipment is procured for the unit (which is fitting out in Alsóság and in Sahhegy) then it shall be provided
March 6 1945: A Kampfgruppe of about battalion strength from. Brigade ,,Ney” takes part in Operation Spring Awakening.
March 13 1945: SS Brigade ,,Ney” soldiers execute the airmen in Crow forest near Súr and bury their corpses at the same place.A local resident recalls "[the prisoners], were kept in the castle, and Protestant schools around Sur. The prisoners had two of their legs broken. Among them were two officers, one a lieutenant. The prisoners were interrogated and beaten for days by the gendarmes and forced to testify. Later, two prisoners and two of the officers were taken (3 airmen were actually taken) to Kisber. Six soldiers (four men and two NCO’s) took part. (...) Before the Execution of the prisoners they were stripped naked. Four prisoners were apparently Catholic because they crossed themselves and were praying. The fifth was a Jew. The prisoner turned his back on one of the executed before the eyes of the rest. The execution was carried out by 4-5 infantry with a machine gun weapon. The tomb was not marked.(18)
March 14 1945: Operation Spring Awakening comes to a halt (19). The Russians begin to counter attack to the north of Székesfehérvár (Stuhlweissenburg) towards Mor and Tatabanya intending to cut of the 6th SS Panzer army. To counter this a kampfgruppe is assembled from IV SS Panzer Corps reserves.(20)
Mid March 1945: The brigade continues to form with the addition of a reconnaissance detachment and IV Battalion ,,Imrady”(21)(Reconnaissance/Fusilier battalion) (22)The unit also receives its official title from SS-FHA of 1.(ungarische) – Husaren – Brigade der SS
March 17 1945: Order Number 529/1945 makes the KABSZ organisation cease to exist.
March 18 1945: between 18.00 and 19.00 Kampfgruppe ,,Ney” in support of troops from ,,Totenkopf” and the remnants of the 2nd Hungarian Panzer Division(23)retake the defensive lines lost earlier south-west of Bodajk. SS Brigade ,,Ney” is now combined with the survivors of 2nd Hungarian Panzer Division to form Kampfgruppe ,,Schell” under Oberst Zoltan Schell.
March 19 1945: Due to the Russian advance Kampfgruppe ,,Schell” retreats towards Aka-Sur.
March 21 1945: Due to further Russian advances Kampfgruppe ,,Schell” withdraws to a line that runs from Acsteszer-Csatka-Csatarpuszta-Szapar-Inotapuszta.
March 22 1945: During the evening Kampfgruppe ,,Schell” falls back again to the ,,Klara Positions” between Veszpremvarsany and Lokut.
March 26 1945: After 4 days of bitter fighting the Russians have reach Cselldomolk and secured a bridgehead across the Marcel Canal. SS Brigade ,,Ney” are the nearest troops and in the afternoon launch a counterattack and stop the Russian advance.
March 27 1945: The retreating III. Battalion is removed from the bulk of SS Brigade ,,Ney” in the Papa area and the battalion is assigned to the I. SS Panzer Army corps's 3. SS division ,,Totenkopf “ battle group and III Battalion remains with ,,Totenkopf” until the end of the war.
March 29 1945: SS Brigade ,,Ney” (now consisting of battalions I., II and IV). is in Rohonc, Gyepüfüzes and then, finally, in the Felsoor area.. The bulk of SS Brigade ,,Ney” is attached to Kampfgruppe ,,Schweitzer”(24)at this time, while a small section is assigned to support a Hungarian fortress battalion.
March 30 1945: Part of Kampfgruppe ,,Ney” is under the command of the 2nd Hungarian Armoured Division (25)to the south of Neusiedler See. The Russians reach the Reich Defence Positions (Reichschutzstellung)and SS Brigade ,,Ney” takes up new positions around Rechnitz and Oberwart. The remnants of Kampfgruppe ,,Ney” withdraw towards the Austrian border. They are split between III Panzer Corps/6th Army and I SS Panzer Corps/6th Panzer Army. (26)
April 1 1945: Some portions of Kampfgruppe ,,Ney” and the headquarter staff are stationed in the ,,Fortress Stelermark” area along the Duernback-Szombathely road. (27)
April 1/2 1945: I battalion as part of Kampfgruppe ,,Schweitzer” retakes Rechnitz taking heavy casualties.
April 4 1945: I Battalion along with the rest of Kampfgruppe ,,Schweitzer” retreat from Rechnitz.
April 5 1945: Kampfgruppe ,,Schweitzer” and I battalion become part of Kampfgruppe ,,Semmer” near Friedberg in Austria (28)2 battalions ( II and IV) from SS Brigade ,,Ney” serve with III Panzer Corps (this continues until April 8 1945)
April 9 1945: IV Battalion is serving with IV SS Panzer Corps around St Michael. Other parts of Kampfgruppe ,,Ney” are attached to ,,Viking” Division and also to the 1st Volks Mountain Division.
April 21 1945:.Kampfgruppe ,,Ney”consists of IV. battalions – it has 4211 men at this time, of which 3100 men were classed as combat troops (29)The kampfgruppe has the following equipment: 2660 Mauser Kar 98k, 91 Mauser Kar 98k with telescope sights, 342 9 mm MP–40, 531 various pistols, 73 machine guns (MG–42), 17 heavy machine guns, 21 armour-piercing cannon (7,5 cm PaK 40), 34 mortars, 15 Panzershreks, 331 Panzerfaust, five flamethrowers, 1207 handled hand-grenades and 125 anti personnel mines. The kampfgruppe also as the following vehicles: seven armoured cars (Sd. Kfz. 223); 11 lorries (3,5 ton Opel Blitz) nine automobiles, 53 vehicles and 141 horses. Kampfgruppe/Brigade ,,Ney” has suffered losses so far of 770 dead and 94 men are classed as missing. The estimated numbers of Russian tanks destroyed were approximately 50.
The Kampfgruppe’s Order of battle at this time is:
I Battalion (Reconnaissance/Fusilier battalion) (Hauptsturmfuhrer K.F ?)
II Battalion (Reconnaissance/Fusilier battalion) (Hauptsturmfuhrer N.I ?)
III Battalion (Reconnaissance/Fusilier battalion) (Hauptsturmfuhrer K.N ?)(30)
IV Battalion ,,Imrady” (Reconnaissance/Fusilier battalion) (Sturmbannfuhrer B.B ?)
III Battalion is serving with I SS Panzer Army fighting around Wiener Neustadt and Viennawhilst two battalions are serving with the III. Panzer army corp. With the Russian advance the command post of SS Brigade ,,Ney” moves to Birkfeld in Styr Austria
Early May 1945(31): 2 companies from Brigade ,,Ney” fight in eastern Austria under Hauptsturmfuhrer Edui . Survivors of Kampfgruppe ,,Ney” refuse to be taken over by SS Division ,,Viking” and end up joining 25. SS Division ,,Hunyadi”.
May 8 1945: SS Brigade ,,Ney” is officially dissolved by its commanding office Obersturmbannfuhrer Dr Karl Ney in the Weiz, Birkfeld and St. Erhardt area. All stores, equipment and documents are destroyed. Approximately 1000-1200 men join one of the German VI army columns in the retreat.
May 9 1945: The survivors of Kampfgruppe ,,Ney” headquarters staff surrender to American forces along with other elements of the Hungarian SS in the Attersee area of Austria Also on this day In the Bruck area parts of Brigade ,,Ney” along with the 1. Hungarian SS ski battalion and parts of 5. ,,Wiking” SS panzer division retreating from Graz break through Russian lines to reach the American troops to surrender.
May 11 1945: Other elements of Kampfgruppe ,,Ney” surrender with elements of 25. Division ,,Hunyadi” in the Attersee area of Austria.(32)
9This brings the total strength to approximately 2 000 men of which 1870 men are combat personel
10These two battalions along with 2 battalions from 1st Panzergrenadier Regiment and 3 other Honved battalions (II/24. III/24 and I/54) make up Kampfgruppe ,,Huppert”
12The Kampfgruppe has 5 officers and 166 other ranks killed and 2 officers and 47 other ranks are listed as missing. 300 are listed as wounded in the fighting. They had destroyed 17 tanks. They also recaptured 12 damaged German tanks that had been captured by the Russians. They were later repaired in Hajmasker and used by the 6th Company/ Panzer Regiment 1.
13This consists of parts of the German 6. Panzer Division and the Hungarian 4. Cavalry brigade along with a single battalion of 20. Infantry division along with parts of the Hungarian 2. Panzer Division
15The kampfgruppe are awarded 2 German Gold crosses (Dr Ney and Paul Vadon) 10 iron crosses 1st class, 20 iron crosses 2nd class and various grades of the close combat claps for bravery during the fighting over the last week or so
16In the current fighting Brigade ,,Ney” has 171 men (including five officers) killed and a further 49 people (including two officers) are missing.
17This would be the order of battle if the Kampfgruppe was together and not split under different corps.
186 members of the unit were tried for the killings in Salzburg Austria in 1946 (case 5-100):Karoly Ney and Ferenc Karolyi, were sentenced to death but this was commuted to life imprisonment in September 1946 after a review, Istvan Eros and Istvan Lengyel was sentenced to life imprisonment and Miklos Bakos and Istvan Csihas were executed
19Kampfgruppe ,,Ney” loses 52 men killed in the fighting and 6 men are listed as missing
20this comprises of 6 panzer grenadier battalions from ,,Totenkopf” and ,,Viking” (including I/,,Danmark” and I/,,Norge”) and the armoured reconnaissance units from both divisions, a anti tank unit and SS Brigade ,,Ney”
21Named after the President of the Comrade Association
22The 3 mounted detachments were soon designated fusilier battalions
23This division had been shattered in the Russian attack on March 16 1945.
24I battalion of Kampfgruppe ,,Ney” is combined with 18. Panzer Grenadier Training and Replacement Battalion (one source says it was the 11 battalion} to form Kampfgruppe ,,Schweitzer” which is commanded by Sturmbannfuhrer Schweitzer of the 18th
26From March 16 1945 until early April the Brigade had 75 men listed as killed and 94 listed as missing
27 This battalion comes under the command of Artillery Commando 3
28 This consists of Engineer Construction Battalion 504, the Panther tank battalion I of Panzer Regiment 24, Assault Gun Brigade 303 as well as I battalion and the rest of Kampfgruppe ,,Schweitzer”
