With his division surrounded and running out of food and ammunition, Brig. Gen. Jozef Kustron of the 21st Mountain Division told his regimental and battalion commanders to release all men who wished to make their way home individually. The general himself had no intention of giving up; he placed himself at the head of his bitter-end volunteers and led them in a headlong attack against the Germans barring their escape route to the Hungarian border.

Kustron was killed leading a wild bayonet charge that disrupted the Germans long enough to allow some of his troops to escape. Part of the division - now well under 4,000 men - joined with 6th Infantry Division to keep fighting, while another group joined a cavalry unit still resisting. The high command disbanded 21st Mountain Division, but Kustron became one of the September Campaign's heroes.