Battle of Sagerejo

Battle of Sagerejo
Part of the Zemplen War
Sagerejo burns on the banks of the Enguri River
Date 30 April - 27 May 2009 Location Sagerejo, Ruvelka Result Syaran Victory
Belligerents
Ruvelka	Syara
Commanders and leaders
Eliska Hanáková Alexander Somogyi Krisztina Lakatos Dávid Halász Luca Novák Arkina Mkrtchyan	Arisdages Koundakjian Marko Kukolja Zlaten Danielov Velikov Dimitar Gorgievski Senko Penkov Spasov Toni Brajdić Yorgos Gorceski
Units involved
Army Group Center 11th Kiskőrös Front 1st Debrecen Front	Army Group Beta 1st Army 6th Army
Strength
875,000 troops	660,000 troops
Casualties and losses
43,289 killed 132,491 wounded 36,000 captured	35,782 killed 102,450 wounded

The Battle of Sagerejo was an assault and subsequent occupation of the city of Sagerejo by the Syaran Commonality Armed Forces during the Zemplen War. One of the bloodiest battle of the entire conflict, the battle saw extensive urban combat and artillery usage with heavy casualties on both sides. The battle started on 30 April 2009 and concluded on 27 May.

General Marko Kukolja, commander of 1st Army, wanted to bypass the city of Sagerejo, but was unable to do so and was forced to engage the forces of the 11th Kiskőrös Front under General Alexander Somogyi. While the Syarans were able to push the Ruvelkans back to the city and cross the Enguri River north of the Sagerejo Reservoir, stiff resistance along the Sládkodov Canal and the Enguri River south of Sagerejo prevented the Syarans from crossing and encirclign the city. Forced to rely on heavy artillery to clear the city, entire districts of Sagerejo were reduced to ruin amid fierce urban combat between the two armies, until the arrival of additional Syaran reinforcements allowed the Syarans to break the deadlock and force the withdrawal of Ruvelka forces from Sagerejo.

Background

Sagerejo is a strategically important city located in central Ruvelka. Most of Ruvelka's western road network runs through the city, and it offers the most direct route to the vital cities of Polgardi and the capital Debrecen. The city is split in half by the Enguri River, which flows north through the Sagerejo Resevoir until it ends in the Sundering Sea, effectively bisecting north-central Ruvelka. Sagerejo was a major source of logistical support and resupply for the Imperial Army's Army Group Center under the command of General Eliska Hanáková owing to its significant rail and roadway infrastructure.

Field Marshal Arisdages Koundakjian, commander of Syara's Army Group Beta, was tasked with destroying Ruvelka's Army Group Center as part of the Syaran Spring Offensives and developed Operation Polyandreion in response. Polyandreion called for a massive pincer movement by Army Group Beta's three field armies; 1st Army in the North, 6th Army in the Center, and 9th Army in the South. 1st and 9th Armies would swing south and north respectively to press into the flanks of Army Group Center while 6th Army would then push forward, with all three armies coalescing the Ruvelkans into a massive battle of annihilation where the Ruvelkan Army Group would be destroyed, leaving the road to Debrecen unprotected. This operation, coupled with Syaran efforts in the Kunhegyes and Kenderes Districts, would bring about the collapse of the Imperial Armed Forces of Ruvelka and convince Chancellor Edviná Molnár to sue for peace.

Lying in the path of 1st Army was Sagerejo, which had to either be captured or bypassed in order to complete the northern pincer movement. Having expected the Syaran offensive after the launch of Operation Sagaris in the south, General Hanáková had dug in Ruvelkan forces in-depth across the entire front. When the Syaran offensive began on 20 April the Syarans ran into heavy resistance from the defending Ruvelkans. After ten days of heavy fighting the Syaran corps of 1st Army, X, VI, and XXVIII Corps, had broken through Ruvelkan lines north-west of Sagerejo and began advancing on a frontage over 200 kilometers long.

Planning

General Kukolja, commander of 1st Army, wanted to avoid a pitched urban battle against entrenched Ruvelkan forces and initially hoped to bypass the city. X Corps would move north of the Sagerejo Reservoir north of the city and capture Sládkodov 120 kilometers north of the city, while XXVIII Corps would move through Pabiawa through Strálíč. Once crossings across the Enguri River were secure VI Corps under Lt. General Brajdić could encircle the cities and its defenders while X and XXVIII Corps could proceed to push through the strategic depths of the 11th Kiskőrös and 1st Debrecen Fronts. Kukolja intended for the X and XXVIII Corps to strike simultaneously against the 13th and 1st Armies respectively to prevent the reserve 22nd Army from diverting all of its forces to reinforcing either flank.

Alexander Somogyi, commander of the 11th Kiskőrös Front, had deployed the 32nd Army under Arkina Mkrtchyan directly west of Sagerejo, holding its western most position near Telak. In the north 13th Army under Luca Novák had been forced to postiions north of Droria but had lost Lengyeli to the Syarans on 26 April. In the south 1st Army under Dávid Halász held a thin defensive line from Kežno along the main Dzivyen-Sagerejo Highway, through Liulmita and Călimăsna to Avto in the south.

Having been forced back and losing the cities of Dzivyen and Truperk to the Syarans the previous week, Somogyi wanted to launch a counter attack against the Syaran XXVIII Corps utilizing the 32nd and 1st Armies. He attempted to convince General Krisztina Lakatos, commander of the 1st Debrecen Front, to dispatch the 22nd Army to shore up Ruvelkan positions along Sagerejo to prevent a Syaran counterstroke with VI Corps, but Lakatos was concerned that the still-reeling Ruvelkan forces would be unable to carry out a successful attack. She instead urged Somogyi to hold off until she could dispatch the 9th Army under Katalin Török to reinforce the Front, which was still disengaging from supporting the fight against the rest of Army Group Beta further south in the Balatonalmádi District.

Course of the battle

Kukolja, a defensive-minded commander by nature, wanted to avoid a contracted battle within the city limits of Sagerejo at all costs, and thus ordered VI Corps to limit its advance at the Sotyn River so the Ruvelkan central forces near the city would not feel pressed to withdraw into Sagerejo. This was also done in the hope that the 32nd Army would be dispatched in an attempt to outflank either X or XXVIII Corps, allowing VI Corps to launch a spoiling attack. The Syarans began their attack in the early morning of 30 April 2009 with airstrikes from the Commonality Air Force and heavy artillery striking Ruvelkan positions along the front.

Syaran aircraft preparing to take off.

XXVIII Corps under Lt. General Senko Penkov Spasov moved first with mechanized infantry supported by tanks and heavy mortars of the 10th Mechanized Division striking Ruvelkan positions near Călimăsna, while the 58th Mechanized Division assaulted Ruvelkan positions south of Luilmita. In the north X Corps under Lt. General Dimitar Gorgievski staged out of Krsko assaulted through north and south of the Krsko canal, which ran straight east towards the vital bridge junctions of Starosiivka and Ełła. Initial Syaran progress was uneven, with Ruvelkan forces of the 21st Infantry and 22nd Grenadier Divisions holding their positions near Luilmita and the 51st Infantry division holding Droria, but the Syaran 10th and 58th Mechanized captured Călimăsna and Avto the next day, threatening the roll through First Army's exposed southern flank. Hopes that the Ruvelkan forces between Lilmita and Zilidijan could counter-attack against the Syaran drive were dashed when VI Corps began pushing east, capturing Telak on the 30th and coming within 15 kilometers of Kežno.

On 2 May Somogyi ordered the Ruvelkans to pull back from their original positions under advice from General Hanáková. 13th Army fell back to Kast and along the Krsko Canal, running north to Lake Hnaefel. 32nd Army fell back behind the Sotyn River while 1st Army regrouped along the Zilidijan-Krazyn-Pabiawa axis. The act denied the Syarans their desired defeat-in-detail they had hoped to inflict on the flanks and the subsequent Ruvelkan commitment of their reserves. On 3 May the Syarans seized Kežno without firing a shot, but the same day the the Ruvelkans blew every bridge across the Sotyn River. This effectively trapped most of the 32nd Army between the Sotyn River, Sagerejo River, and the city itself to the south, but also meant that VI Corp's only realistic avenue of attack against the city would be directly through the Dzivyen-Sagerejo highway, forcing the Corps into enclosed frontage that would render it highly vulnerable to Ruvelkan artillery and airpower.

Ruvelkan mortars fire on Syaran troops near Telak.

General Kukolja decided to pursue the offensive with X Corps continuing its drive north against 13th Army with the goal of capturing Sládkodov, while XXVIII Corps moved south and seized crossing across the Enguri River at Basavăț and Strálíč, positioning both Corps to be able to strike into the rear echelon of the Ruvelkan Front. Unbeknownst to the Syarans, who assumed the 22nd Army was not ready for commitment, the 1st Debrecen Front had steadily been feeding in reinforcments to staging areas east of Sagerejo, creating a growing operation reserve for the Ruvelkans.

Syaran northern attack

X Corps resumed the offensive on 4 May and began the tedious process of clearing out Ruvelkan resistance along the Krsko Canal. Unable to employ their tanks effectively owing to the marshy terrain and with their rifle platoons at a disadvantage against Ruvelkan light infantry in the rough terrain, the Syarans were forced to rely heavily on corps level artillery to break up Ruvelkan pockets and strongpoints. On 8 May the Syaran 20th Mechanized Division reached the outskirts of Starosiivka, the largest crossing over the Enguri River.

Recognizing the danger of a successful Syaran crossing, General Novák ordered Ruvelkan forces of 13th Army to reinforce their positions along the Enguri. The 275th Infantry Division, which had been bypassed by the Syrans near Kast, counter-attacked against the southern flank of X Corps, resulting in heavy fighting amid the north-east banks of the Sagerejo Resevoir. More 20 Syaran tanks were lost after becoming stuck in the mud and destroyed by Ruvelkan anti-armor weaponry, while across the banks of the Enguri the Syarans attempted to cover their river-crossing with sustained artillery fire. Airstrikes from the Ruvelkan Imperial Air Force twice destroyed bridges costructed by Syaran engineers, and in response Syaran air defense teams downed an AFSF-8 Folivori and an HH1 Helicopter Gunship.

Syaran infantry move north of the Sagerejo Resevoir.

The Syarans succeeded in finally capturing Starosiivka on 13 May, but their push north of the Sagerejo Reservoir forced another pitched battle at Ełła River, which could only be crossed at the eponymously town of Ełła. By now Novák had succeeded in arraying the 13th Army in a strong defense-in-depth, holding not only the Ełła River but also the Sládkodov Canal which ran south to Sagerejo. The steady depletion of the 13th Army was nullified by reinforcements from the 22nd Army further south.

Forced to rely on a single paved road connecting Starosiivka to Ełła, X Corps was subject to repeated attacks by Ruvelkan air power, although Syaran anti-air succeeded in down another three aircraft between 13-17 May. On 15 May the Syarans captured Ełła, but repeated strikes by Ruvelkan attack helicopters forced the Syarans to transport much of their troops and armored vehicles over the river using what amphibious capabilities were availible. Although the Ruvelkan 51st Infantry Division by now had to be withdrawn from the fighting due to losses, the rest of 13th Army retired in good order to their defenses along the Sládkodov Canal and near Sládkodov itself.

Syaran efforts continued to run into stiff resistance after crossing the two rivers. On 17 May Gorgievski deployed the 14th Armored Division to break through Ruvelkan defenses along the Sládkodov Canal north of Suziadz. Stiff resistance by the 97th Infantry Division dug-in along the canal, coupled with reserves from 22nd Army including the 112th Grenadier Division, prevented the Syarans from breaking through. Further north the 23rd Mechanized Division attempted to skirt south of Sládkodov itself while the 20th Mechanized Division screened its advance, but the 161st Grenadier Division supported by the 153rd Infantry from the 22nd Army succeeded in halting the Syaran attack. By 20 May Gorgievski called off his Corps push in light of heavy losses, leaving the northern assault dead in the water.

Syaran southern attack

In the south Syaran initial efforts saw more success. Lt. General Senko Penkov Spasov's XXVIII Corps struck Ruvelkan defenses south of Krazyn and within 24 hours had achieved a breakthrough. Halász's First Army counter-attacked with the 289th Hussar Division, but in the relatively open terrain between Pabiawa and Sagerejo Syaran armored forces enjoyed a significant advantage. By 6 May the Syarans had reached the Pabiawa-Sagerejo highway and forced a dilemma on Halász, who had to face potential encirclement in either Zilidijan or Pabiawa. Halász opted to abandon Zilidijan and withdraw further east to Bicfüred, planning to then re-orient Ruvlekan forces in Bicfüred and Pabiawa to strike the Syaran salient along the main highway.

Syaran armor fires on Ruvelkan forces.

In cojunction with VI Corps the Syarans moved faster, taking advantage of the withdrawal of the 32nd Army closer to the Sagerejo Resevoir, XXVIII Corps struke north and encircled Zilidijan along with the 21st Infantry Division. With First Army now reeling, General Somogyi stepped in and ordered the 1st and 32nd Armies to conduct an immediate counter-attack against Syaran forces between the Sotyn River and Pabiawa. while the 21st Infantry Division would attempt a breakthrough in the direction of Bicfüred. The Ruvelkans began their counterattack on 8 May with First Army's 22nd Grenadier Division, 26th Infantry Division, and what remained of the 289th Hussars. 32nd Army attacked with the 37th and 186th Grenadiers and the 313th Dragoon Division.

Heavy fighting between the 32nd Army and VI Corps broke out across the Dzivyen-Sagerejo Highway involving more than 1,000 armored vehicles and tanks. The sudden attack took the Syarans by surprise, and after a day of intense combat VI Corps was forced to withdraw back west of the Sotyn River. Further south however Ruvelkan fortunes fell short; the 21st Infantry Division's breakout failed and most of the division was destroyed in the fields between Zildijan and Bicfüred, although around 2,000 Ruvelkan soldiers managed to make it back to friendly lines. The 22nd Grenadier and 26th Infantry Divisions however failed to make significant progress against XXVIII Corps, and on the night of 8-9 May the Syaran 58th Mechanized Division overran the 26th Infantry Division.

First Army's defensive line was now in tatters; What remained of the 26th Infantry, the survivors of the 21st Infantry, and the remnants of the 289th Hussars fell back to Bicfüred, while the 22nd Grenadiers withdrew to Pabiawa. General Halász hoped to reform a new defensive line between Bicfüred, Duban, and Jakb, but the next day the Syarans suddenly struck Pabiawa with the 83rd Motorized Division while the 10th Mechanized began probing Ruvelkan forces north of Bicfüred.

Smoke rises near Zilidijan.

Facing with potential collapse of the entire Army's frontline, Halász opted to abandon Pabiawa and withdraw further east to Livalintin. Halász's decision however faced strong opposition from Somogyi, who feared that First Army's departure would leave the flank of 32nd Army too exposed. The decision was ultimately forced when VI Corps struck back against Ruvelkan position salong the southern extent of the Sotyn River, bringing the threat of 32nd Army being cut off between the river and Sagerejo Reservoir. General Mkrtchyan, commanding 32nd Army, suggested pulling back her forces towards Sagerejo and establishing a new defensive line between Pucioarie, Aramusa, and Bicfüred. Somogyi opted to abandon Bicfüred instead and align the defensive line with Bureni and Duban, with First Army holding from Duban to Strálíč.

The Ruvelkans began reforming their line on 10 May, proceeding under heavy fire from Syaran artillery. Recognizing the withdrawal, the Syarans surged forward to capture Jakb and Bicfüred with minimal losses.

Actions by VI and XXVIII Corps

The tactical situation began to turn against the Syarans as they drew closer to the city. Still intent on avoiding a prolonged urban engagement, Colonel General Kukolja re-emphasized the necessity of bypassing the city in a directive issued to his corps commanders on 12 May. In light of the struggles of X Corps, 1st Army re-oriented its focus towards Ruvelkan forces holding their position south of Sagerejo along the Enguri River. Faced with the retreating Ruvelkans, Spasov's XXVIII corps moved eastward and began shelling Livalintin and Duban. Spasov wanted to orient XXVIII Corps further south to seize Kselno and Strálíč with the ultimate goal of crossing and capturing Basavăț.

A Ruvelkan forward observor calls in Syaran movements along the Enguri River.

Fighting near Sagerejo however began to intensify as 32nd Army pulled back to the Pucioarie-Aramusa-Bureni defensive line between 12-14 May Syaran armored forces of VI Corps attacked Ruvelkan defenses and were repulsed with heavy fighting. Efforts to seize crossings closer to the Sagerejo Resevoir fell apart under heavy Ruvelkan air attack. Unable to make much headway, VI Corps began relying on sustained artillery barrages to annihilate entire city blocks, although this created mountains of rubble that Ruvelkan infantry were able to use for cover and concealment.

Further south, XXVIII Corps launched assaults against what remained of First Army holding position along the Enguri River between Kselno and Strálíč. Despite the battered state of the army, reinforcements from the 22nd and 9th Armies from the Debrecen Front allowed the Ruvelkans to consolidate their positions across the river. Despite Ruvelkan resistance the Syarans were able to seize Kselno on the 14th, but attempts to cross the river over to Basavăț were resisted by freshly entrenched Ruvelkan troops. Similar efforts further south at Strálíč also fell short for the Syarans. Continued counterattacks from Ruvelkan forces near Duban further distracted Syaran forces from focusing on clearing out the remains of First Army.

In Sagerejo continued Ruvelkan resistance forced Kukolja to recall several brigades from XXVIII Corps to assist VI corps in pushing through Ruvelkan defenses, allowing the Syarans to capture Bureni, Pucioarie, and Aramus, but Ruvelkan forces were once more able to prevent the Syarans from crossing at Bureni to reach the other side of the river. Deciding that a contested river crossing would be impossible unless there was a surplus of existing infrastructure, Kukolja doubled down on efforts to push through the city's southern districts and secure crossings over the Enguri. Between 16-23 May the Syarans continued to bleed their way through the increasingly chaotic ruins of Sagerejo. Over the course of a week the Syarns fired over 150,000 rockets and shells, leveling most of Sagerejo on the western banks of the Enguri.

Syaran infantry move down a street in Sagerejo.

In light of heavy losses Kukolja requested additional reinforcements to break the deadlock, which were finally authorized when 6th Army's position further south solidified enough for reserves to be dispatched to support 1st Army.

Syaran breakthrough

By 22 May Field Marshal Arisdages Koundakjian, commander of Army Group Beta, had decided that the delay of 1st Army around Sagerejo was unhinging the entire Syaran offensive and ordered Colonel General Zlaten Danielov Velikov to dispatch Lt. General Yorgos Gorceski and XI Corps to assist in the capture of Sagerejo. Leading elements of XI Corps began arriving on 23 May. Despite Kukolja's insistence that Gorceski assist in pushing through Sagerejo, Gorceski opted to pursue a crossing at Kselno instead. With XXVIII Corps now reinforced with additional brigades of mechanized infantry, armor, and artillery, Syaran forces attempted another crossing on 25 May and succeeded in overwhelming Ruvelkan defenses along the Enguri. By the end of the day the Syarans had captured Basavăț and were pouring across the Enguri.

Despite fierce counterattacks by the 9th and 22nd Armies the Ruvelkans were unable to reposition much of their forces along the Enguri to contain the breakthrough due to sustained shelling and diversionary attacks by VI Corps. By 26 May it was clear that Ruvelkan forces south of Sagerejo were unable to contain the Syaran advance, which was pushing towards Rečovo. The same day X Corps succeded in breaking through the Sládkodov Canal north of Suziadz, finally forming the pincer 1st Army had originally intended. In the evening of the 26th General Somogyi requested additional reinforcements from the 1st Debrecen Front to halt the advance of the Syarans, but General Hanáková instead ordered Somogyi to withdraw to Kherlakian and assume defensive positions 60 kilometers east. Somogyi complied and on 27 May the Ruvelkans began withdrawing from Sagerejo, ceding the city to the Syarans.

A Syaran IFV crosses the Enguri while another prepares to.

Syaran hopes to cut off and annihilate the Ruvelkans north of Aprid were dashed by fierce defenses from various Ruvelkan elements, including the 5th Dragoons Division, who bought enough time for over 400,000 Ruvelkan troops to retreat. Field Marshal Koundakjian expected 1st Army to pursue the Ruvelkans, but Kukolja refused, citing the poor state of his three Corps and the heavy losses sustained. The capture of Sagerejo proved a bitter victory for the Syarans, who had once more been unable to encircle and destroy a sizeable Ruvelkan forces.

Aftermath

Sagerejo was one of the bloodiest battles of the war. By its end the Syarans had suffered 35,782 troops killed and 102,450 wounded. Material losses were also heavy, with over 360 tanks destroyed or disabled, more than 1,000 armored vehicles destroyed or in need of serious repair, and the loss of 27 aircraft. Ruvelkan casualties amounted to 211,780 killed, wounded, and captured. Much of Sagerejo was destroyed in the fighting; by the end of th ewar over 60% of its structures would be in ruin and the city's population reduced to a third of its pre-war size. Neither 1st Army nor the 11th Kiskőrös Front were in shape for front line service and required several weeks of rest and refit. Both units were clash four months later in Operation Balaton durin gthe Ruvelkan Autumn Counter-Offensive, but 1st Army's strong defenses resulted in minor gains for Ruvelka. Sagerejo would eventually be recaptured during Operation Homefront in 2010.

Syaran troops move through the ruins of Sagerejo.