Battle of Debrecen

Debrecen Offensive Operation
	Part of the Eastern Front of World War II
	; German Panther tank in the city of Debrecen in October 1944
Date	6–29 October 1944
Location	Nagyvárad / Debrecen / Nyíregyháza, Kingdom of Hungary
Result	Inconclusive
Belligerents
Germany; Hungary	Soviet Union ; Romania
Commanders and leaders
Johannes Friessner; M. Fretter-Pico	Rodion Malinovsky; Issa Pliyev; Nicolae Macici; Gheorghe Avramescu
Units involved
Army Group South 6th Army; 2nd Army; 3rd Army; 8th Army;	2nd Ukrainian Front 7th Guards Army; 27th Army; 40th Army; 46th Army; 53rd Army; 6th Guards Tank Army; CMG Pliyev; CMG Gorshkov; 1st Army; 4th Army;
Strength
1 October:; 31 divisions and brigades; 240,952 men; 190,000 men; 293 tanks and assault guns; 3,500 guns and mortars; 741 aircraft	1 October:; 84 divisions and brigades; 698,200 men; 167,306 men; 825 tanks and assault guns; 10,238 guns and mortars; 1,216 aircraft
Casualties and losses
~15,000 killed or wounded; 20,000 killed or wounded; Total: 53,000 men; (including ~18,000 POW) ~200 tanks lost; 490 guns lost	19,713 killed or missing and 64,297 wounded or sick; 33,500 killed or wounded; Total: 117,360 men (including 5,073 POW); ~500 tanks lost; 1,656 guns lost

The Battle of Debrecen, called by the Red Army the Debrecen Offensive Operation, was a battle taking place from 6 to 29 October 1944 on the Eastern Front in Hungary during World War II.

The offensive was conducted by the 2nd Ukrainian Front under Marshal Rodion Malinovsky. It was opposed by General Maximilian Fretter-Pico's German Sixth Army (II formation) and the allied Hungarian VII Army Corps of Army Group South Ukraine

The German and Hungarian units were forced to retreat some 160 km and opposed the 2nd Ukrainian Front, which had Debrecen as its strategic objective.

^ ^a ^b Frieser et al. 2007, p. 872.
^ Frieser et al. 2007, p. 876.
^ The figures for Axis losses are likely understated. An article by Pat Mc Taggart in World War II Magazine in March 1997, noted: Fretter-Pico's Sixth Army did not end the fighting unscathed. At the end of October, his four panzer divisions (the 1st, 3rd, 13th and 24th), two panzer grenadier divisions (the 4th SS and Feldherrnhalle) and the 76th Infantry Division had a combined strength of 8,450 men fit for combat. Materiel strength was listed as 67 tanks, 58 assault guns, 62 heavy anti-tank guns and 176 artillery pieces.
^ When Titans Clashed, p. 299: 19,713 killed or missing and 64,297 wounded or sick

Cite error: There are <ref group=nb> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=nb}} template (see the help page).

[FOOTNOTEFrieserSchmiderSchönherrSchreiber2007872-1] Frieser et al. 2007, p. 872.

[FOOTNOTEFrieserSchmiderSchönherrSchreiber2007876-2] Frieser et al. 2007, p. 876.

[4] The figures for Axis losses are likely understated. An article by Pat Mc Taggart in World War II Magazine in March 1997, noted: Fretter-Pico's Sixth Army did not end the fighting unscathed. At the end of October, his four panzer divisions (the 1st, 3rd, 13th and 24th), two panzer grenadier divisions (the 4th SS and Feldherrnhalle) and the 76th Infantry Division had a combined strength of 8,450 men fit for combat. Materiel strength was listed as 67 tanks, 58 assault guns, 62 heavy anti-tank guns and 176 artillery pieces.

[5] When Titans Clashed, p. 299: 19,713 killed or missing and 64,297 wounded or sick

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