Battle of Nagykanizsa

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Battle of Nagykanizsa
Part of the East Vierz Front of the Great War
Bundesarchiv Bild 101III-Zschaeckel-206-35, Schlacht um Kursk, Panzer VI (Tiger I).jpg
A Vierz tank brigade enters battle
Date5 July 1946 (1946-07-05) – 23 August 1946 (1946-08-23)
Location
Result Vierz victory
Belligerents
Granzery SR Granzery  Vierz Empire
Commanders and leaders
  • Lázár Molnár
  • Jenő Landler
  • Sándor Csizmadia
  • József Pogany
  • Zoltán Rónai
  • Mór Erdélyi
  • Hermann Eschau
  • Adrian Ullrich
  • Jochen Gerstner
  • Frank Dahmer
  • Uwe Reitz
  • Walter Schwegler
Strength
  • Operation Hussar:
      • 640,900 men
      • 2,240 tanks
  • Vierz counter-offensive phase:
      • 720,000 men
      • 2,700 tanks
      • 1,010 aircraft
  • Operation Hussar:
      • 750,000 men
      • 2,300 tanks
  • Vierz counter-offensive phase:
      • 1,430,000 men
      • 4,600 tanks
      • 1,500 aircraft
Casualties and losses
  • Total:
      • 168,792 men
      • 1,203-1,410 tanks destroyed or damaged
      • 653 aircraft
Total:
    • 180,954 men
    • 2,105–2,367 tanks destroyed or damaged
    • 578–645 aircraft

The Battle of Nagykanizsa was a Great War engagement between Granzerian and Vierz forces on the East Vierz Front near Nagykanizsa in Granzery between July and August 1947. The battle began with the launch of the Granzerian offensive Operation Hussar, on 5 July, with the aim of pinching the Vierz salient around Nagykanizsa with simultaneous armoured thrusts into the north and south of the salient. The Granzerian offensive achieved some initial success on the north salient while the southern offensive stalled. The Vierz forces launched powerful counterattacks on the north and south of the salient, involving armoured and mechanized forces which would cut off the Granzerian advance in the northern salient.

A week after the battle Tieradan and Vonzumieran forces on the Western Front began the Battle of Sejpedek and thus the invasion of Western Granzery, prompting Operation Hussar to be cancelled and troops to be withdrawn from the Vierz front to reinforce the collapsing front with Tierada. However due to heavy Vierz losses, the battle succeeded in delaying the planned Vierz offensive into Granzery. Six months later the Vierz Army would begin the Siege of Husegesvar and ultimately force a Granzerian capitulation in February of 1947. The Battle of Nagykanizsa remains the largest battle fought on Granzerian soil and was one of the largest armoured battles of the Great War.