Battle of Debrecen - Encirclement

Encirclement

Friessner's Chief of Staff, Major-General Helmuth von Grolman proposed a risky plan. Grolman believed that the first encirclement of Pliyev's group had failed because of the confusion of the German-Hungarian forces and lack of enough forces to effect an encirclement. Grolman argued that the situation had changed and that now such an effort would be possible. Friessner approved the plan.

The German 23rd and 1st Panzer Divisions, led by the King Tigers of the 503rd Heavy Panzer Detachment, would spearhead the attack to the east. Paul Klatt's 3rd Mountain Division (3. Gebirgs-Division), the 15th Infantry Division, and the 8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer formed the forces attacking to the west. The Feldherrnhalle, 13th Panzer, and 46th Infantry Divisions would be held back to counter any Soviet breakout attempt.

The attack began on 23 October 1944. It quickly sliced through the infantry corps defending Cavalry Mechanized Group Pliyev's lines of communication.

At 0200 on 24 October 1944, forces of the 23rd Panzer Division reached Nagykálló. Nagykálló was already occupied by the German 3rd Mountain Division. This completed the encirclement of Pliyev's group. As the corps of the cavalry mechanized group launched probing attacks to find an escape route, it quickly became clear that there was no way out. The German-Hungarian forces began closing in on the encircled Soviets.

Malinovsky sent Soviet forces north to break through to Pliyev's group. However, these were met by a determined Axis resistance. Friessner had succeeded. Malinovsky's advance soon stalled.