Operation Panzerfaust

Operation Panzerfaust (German: Unternehmen Panzerfaust, lit. 'Operation Armored Fist') was a military operation undertaken in October 1944 by the German Wehrmacht to ensure the Kingdom of Hungary would remain a German ally in World War II. When German dictator Adolf Hitler received word that Hungary's Regent, Admiral Miklós Horthy, was secretly negotiating his country's surrender to the advancing Red Army, he sent commando leader Otto Skorzeny of the Waffen-SS and former special forces commander Adrian von Fölkersam to Hungary. Hitler feared that Hungary's surrender would expose his southern flank, where Romania had just joined with the Soviets and cut off a million German troops still fighting the Soviet advance in the Balkans. The operation was preceded by Operation Margarethe in March 1944, which was the occupation of Hungary by German forces, which Hitler had hoped would secure Hungary's place in the Axis powers.[1] This had also enabled the deportation of the majority of Hungarian Jews, previously beyond the reach of the Nazis, through uneasy cooperation with Hungarian authorities. This policy was, however, terminated as Soviet forces drew closer and the USAAF, based in Italy, began bombing Hungary, including Budapest.[2]

Operation Panzerfaust
Part of World War II
Soldiers from 22 SS-Freiwilligen-Kavallerie-Division Maria Theresia review captured weapons in the courtyard of Buda Castle, including a Hungarian 40M Nimród anti-aircraft self-propelled gun (back) and a 40mm 40M anti-tank gun.
Date 15—16 October 1944 Location Budapest, Kingdom of Hungary Result Overthrow of Regent Miklós Horthy Pro-Nazi Arrow Cross Party came to power
Belligerents
Hungary	Germany NYKP
Commanders and leaders
Miklós Horthy Géza Lakatos Lajos Csatay János Vörös Béla Miklós Lajos Veress	Edmund Veesenmayer Otto Skorzeny Ferenc Szálasi Károly Beregfy Iván Hindy Adrian von Fölkersam