▁Budapest . ▁As ▁an ▁associate ▁of ▁F ark as , ▁B án á thy ▁likely ▁had ▁advance ▁notice ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁advance . ▁He ▁also ▁knew ▁he ▁would ▁likely ▁be ▁executed ▁if ▁captured . ▁B án á thy ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁get ▁his ▁wife ▁Eva , ▁one - year - old ▁son ▁Bé la ▁and ▁two - week - old ▁son ▁L ász ló ▁out ▁of ▁Budapest . ▁B án á thy ' s ▁family , ▁along ▁with ▁other ▁officers ▁and ▁their ▁families , ▁found ▁shelter ▁at ▁first ▁in ▁farm h ouses , ▁and ▁later ▁in ▁b unk ers , ▁c aves , ▁and ▁tren ches . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁Hung arian ▁Second ▁Army ▁was ▁dis band ed ▁on ▁ 1 ▁December ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁equipment ▁and ▁personnel , ▁the ▁remaining ▁units ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁Army , ▁including ▁B án á thy ' s , ▁were ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁Third ▁Army . ▁The ▁Sie ge ▁of ▁Budapest ▁began ▁when ▁the ▁city ▁was ▁enc irc led ▁on ▁ 2 9 ▁December ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁by ▁the ▁Red ▁Army . ▁B án á thy ▁fought ▁with ▁the ▁remainder ▁of ▁his ▁unit ▁against ▁the ▁Rus si ans ▁until ▁after ▁Budapest ▁fell ▁on ▁ 1 3 ▁February ▁ 1 9 4 5 . ▁The ▁A xis ▁was ▁st riv ing ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁last ▁oil ▁fields ▁they ▁controlled ▁in ▁western ▁Hung ary ▁around ▁Lake ▁Bal aton . ▁By ▁late ▁March ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁most ▁of