22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division Maria Theresia
The 22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division was a cavalry division of the Waffen- SS during the Second World War. They were prepared from Hungarian " volunteers " (de facto conscript Hungary German ).
History
The Division was established on 29 April 1944. Initially it consisted of only two cavalry regiments, and followed up with a third regiment of the 8th SS Cavalry Division " Florian Geyer ". However, the often -called honor name " Maria Theresia " does not appear in official documents.
The initial training lasted until August 1944, then was laying in the area of Army Group South Ukraine. In October 1944, the Division came under the 6th Army in heavy defensive fighting used. The east and south advancing Red Army in Hungary joined the Division finally after heavy fighting on Christmas Eve 1944 in the capital Budapest, a.
The division was largely wiped out the case of Budapest in February 1945. The remainder of the division, who had been outside the boiler, were used to prepare the 37th SS Volunteer Cavalry Division.
In early February 1945, when the battle for Budapest came to an end, only a few soldiers of the 22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division were able to penetrate to the west.
Area of application
- April 1944 to August 1944 (installation and training)
- September 1944 to February 1945 ( defensive battles against the invading in East and South -Hungarian Red Army ( battle for Budapest) )
Structure
- SS Volunteer Cavalry Regiment 52
- SS Volunteer Cavalry Regiment 53
- SS Volunteer Cavalry Regiment 54
- SS Volunteer Cavalry Regiment 17
- SS Artillery Regiment 22 SS Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion 22
- SS Panzer Jäger- Division 22
- SS Pioneer Battalion 22
- SS - news department 22
- SS - Division - supply troops 22
- SS troops administration department 22
- SS medical department 22
Commanders
April 21, 1944 to February 11, 1945 SS brigade leader August Zehender