when the hungarian second army was disbanded on 1 december 1944 due to a lack of equipment and personnel, the remaining units of the second army, including bánáthy's, were transferred to the third army. the siege of budapest began when the city was encircled on 29 december 1944 by the red army. bánáthy fought with the remainder of his unit against the russians until after budapest fell on 13 february 1945. the axis was striving to protect the last oil fields they controlled in western hungary around lake balaton. by late march 1945, most of what was left of the hungarian third army was surrounded and destroyed about to the west of budapest in an advance by the soviet 46th army towards vienna. the remaining shattered units fought on as they retreated progressively westward through the transdanubian mountains towards austria.