A

view of Hill 225 from the southeast

Konrad II AAR
During the stubborn fighting for Bicske, troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front succeed in
preventing a breakthrough by IV SS Panzerkorps to the much more favorable
ground for tank operations east of the Vrtes Hills. The next breakthrough attempt
to Budapest is code-named Konrad II.1

Setting
7 January 1945: Early in the morning, the shock grouping is unified under the
command of the I Cavalry Corps and consists of the 3rd and 23rd Panzer Divisions,
along with the 4th Cavalry Brigade. By 13:00 hours, the German panzers manage to
breakthrough the first echelon of infantry combat positions. Then, the 23rd Panzer
Division reaches Hill 225 in the area of Borbly, where it encounters the 251st
Destroyer Antitank Artillery Battalion.2

1 Isaev & Kolomiets, Tomb of the Panzerwaffe: The Defeat of the Sixth SS Panzer

Army in Hungary 1945, p. 35.

2 Ibid.

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A view from the south to the crest of Hill 225

Hill 225
Anton Gorodchanin is a 19-year old rifleman attached to the 251st Destroyer
Antitank Artillery Battalion. His unit has been ordered to defend Hill 225. The
Germans are trying to rescue a garrison trapped in Budapest and they must seize
the high ground. Anton is part of a security squad for a 76.2mm ZiS-3 antitank gun,
designated as Battery 1. His platoon commander has positioned the gun a little
more than 100-meters east of the hillcrest. His sergeant, Vitaly Petrov, reminds him
about the fearsome Vesper Bells. Anton wonders, How can something so sacred
and religious find its way to this God forsaken place? Nevertheless, he and his
comrades prepare a series of deep rifle pits about 60-meters northwest of the gun.
He does not mind being active, as it is the best way to stay warm. It has been said,
This is one of the coldest winters on record.

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A Maxim team on the crest of the hill spots these two Pz IVs and opens fire.

Armor Ahead
Now, Anton hears the unmistakable sound of armor. He boldly proclaims to a
nearby comrade, Soon our patience and hard work will be rewarded. He can also
hear the bark of a Maxim machinegun on the hill. The team is firing furiously. They
obviously have a target, but what is it? As he raises himself out of the foxhole to get
a better look, Sergeant Petrov grabs him by the shoulder and pulls him down. He
screams, Anton you idiot, do you have a death wish? Anton stares at the ground
and replies meekly, No sir, Comrade Sergeant.

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Battery 1: 76.2mm ZiS-3

Battery 1
Anton can hear the sound of armor all around, and it gets closer by the minute. As
he looks to his left, he sees the gun crew straining to lift the trails. Now they drop it
into place and begin turning the traverse mechanism. Once the long barrel touches
a wooden stake, it is sighted. Two days ago, he watched the crew pre-sight the
weapon on several axes. He has seen them practice this routine a hundred times.
There is a break in the hedge at the top of the hill. It is one of several places from
which an enemy tank is likely to emerge. Antons heart races with excitement.
Amid youthful bravado he prattles, Soon, we will strike a blow for our motherland
and mete justice upon the Hun for burning our villages and murdering our people.
But for now, he keeps his head down.

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The 76.2mm ATG knocks out a Panther

The Battle Begins

The cacophony of battle is deafening. Battery 1 fires at least six times. Anton
watches as sparks fly and the projectiles bounce off. He wonders, How can this be?
Why isnt the German tank dead? At last, he sees a huge flash, and the enemy tank
begins to burn. Anton and his comrades cheer wildly. But their celebration is brief,
as they know more tanks are sure to follow.

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As the lead Panther entered the
Soviet kill zone, it was struck
multiple times by the 76.2mm
antitank gun. Most of the shells
bounced harmlessly off the tanks
thick armor, but finally, one
penetrated the engine, and it caught
fire.








Now, a second enemy tank passes its
burning comrade and Battery 1 fires
again. Horrified, the Russian soldiers
watch as two of the guns rounds
bounce off. Then, one smashes into
the turret flank, and there is a gigantic
explosion. In a matter of seconds,
Battery 1 has destroyed two tanks.

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The crew of the Maxim takes cover as a Mark IV bears down on their position.

Tank Overrun
Anton hears Sergeant Petrov yell, RUN, RUN, RUN! He asks, What is it Comrade
Sergeant? I see nothing. Petrov replies, Perhaps you cannot see over the hillcrest,
but the sound tells me all I need to know. The enemy tank is preparing to overrun
our Maxim machine gun position. Anton inquires, Cannot Battery 1 save them?
Petrov is annoyed by Antons nervous banter, but he answers, You ask too many
questions Anton. Battery 1 can see no better than you. It has no line of sight.
Therefore, it cannot fire.

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A Panther fires blindly in the direction of Battery 1.

Panzers Strike Back

Suddenly, an explosion knocks everyone in the squad to the ground. Antons ears
are ringing, and he notices many of his comrades are unconscious. Sergeant Petrov
runs over to him and looks into his eyes. He grins and moves to the next man.
Anton gets to his feet just in time to see Battery 1 fire. Suddenly, the barrel of the
76.2mm antitank gun explodes. Anton exclaims, Oh my God! They have fired so
many rounds that the weapon has blown up. The crew of Battery 1 scatters into
the woods, and Anton asks, Sergeant Petrov! Where are they going? Petrov glares
at him and says, Their gun is useless now. So, they are running away. Almost in
unison, the squad shouts after them, Pick up a rifle you cowards! But it is too late.
The crew disappears into the woods.

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The rampaging Mark IV that overran the Maxim position finally gets its just rewards.

The action on the hillcrest reaches a crescendo, as the rampaging Mark IV tank is
finally destroyed by a hidden 45mm M-42 antitank gun.

As a third Panther passes the flaming
wreckage of its platoon-mates.
Battery 2 takes over the defense and
begins firing.

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57mm ZiS-2

Battery 2
Anton sees a familiar pattern develop, as Battery 2 pumps round after round into
the third Panther tank. Sparks fly, but no penetration. Then, inexplicably, the crew
bails out. Some of his comrades begin shooting at the fleeing crewmen. He looks
over at Petrov and realizes he has asked him enough questions. So, he leans over to
Boris, the comrade closest to his right, and whispers, Boris, why did the crew
abandon their tank? Clearly, Battery 2 was not able to destroy it. Boris nods and
replies, I have heard that sometimes spall can wound or even kill the crew. A year
ago, my cousin lost her husband to spall, or so they say. Perhaps this is why they
ran, or perhaps (Boris laughs at what he is about to say) they were just scared
shitless. Anton does not really understand spall, but he suspects Boris final remark
about fear is a suitable explanation.

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Battery 3 fires on a Panzer IV/70, compelling the crew to bail

Battery 3
Meanwhile, the German pincer on the Soviet left flank appears. Battery 3 has
standing orders, and has established a fire zone at the crossroads. When the self-
propelled assault gun enters that zone, Battery 3 opens fire. After several hits, two
of the crewmen are wounded by spall, and the survivors abandon the vehicle.

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A fire mission of Wespe SP Artillery arrives

Vesper Bells Ringing

Through the smoke and deafening sound of battle, a distinctive roar in the sky
heralds the arrival of large caliber artillery. Sergeant Petrov yells to his squad,
Here come the Vesper Bells, take cover! Vesper Bells? Anton mutters. Oh, it is
Vespa (Wespe), the German self-propelled 10.5cm artillery. The entire unit drops
prone in the emplacement.

A devastating barrage crashes down on the Soviet positions. Prior to this, things are
going the 251st Battalions way. The three antitank gun batteries knockout most of
the armored vanguard, and the German halftracks are stuck in the snow. This
causes the infantry to dismount prematurely, separating them from the armor they
are supposed to support. It ruins the coordination of the attack and causes the
armor to falter. Without infantry, the tanks are unable to locate the well-concealed
antitank batteries.

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The battery fires in a line

The End is at Hand

The Wespe battery is a bit late, but arrives with uncanny accuracy and devastating
results. The platoon HQ section, located by what was once Battery 1, is wiped out.
Antons squad makes a desperate attempt to reach a series of emplacements at the
south end of the hill (pictured above). Now that the German infantry has caught up
with the panzers, there is little the Soviets can do to stop them. One by one, the
Germans roll up the southern flank and destroy the last remaining battery.

This was a six-turn game that appears as scenario 3 in Britton Publishers upcoming
title, The Last Offensive. It represents IV SS Panzerkorps second attempt to rescue
the garrison trapped in Budapest.

Historical Aftermath
The Soviet gunners repulsed this attack, but the Germans responded by calling in
artillery fire on the battalions positions. Eleven Soviet guns were destroyed and the
panzers finally managed to capture Hill 225.3

3 Ibid. p. 36.

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