HISTORY OF HUNGARIAN ARMOUR FROM 1928 TO 1945 - FROM THE CARPATHIANS TO THE DON

Alongside the III. Reich during the Second World War, Hungary developed a military industry that was far from negligible, so much so that Berlin found in it an ally it did not need to arm significantly!

Thus, the Toldi and Turán tanks, the 40.M Nimród and 43.M Zrínyi II self-propelled guns, and the 39.M Csaba armoured cars would form the spearhead of the Hungarian mechanised divisions launched against the Soviet giant.

Faced with the formidable rise in power of the Red Army, Budapest set about developing increasingly sophisticated vehicles. However, confronted with the gigantic potential of Moscow's forces, the Honvéd was compelled to equip itself with German materiel, such as the Panzer IV lang.

Richly illustrated with photographs and profiles, this work describes the full range of Honvéd armoured vehicles, from the frail 38.M Toldi to the 44.M Tas combat tank project with its remarkably modern lines. There would hardly be a history of Hungarian armour without the servicemen who crewed them, and they duly receive their place in these pages.

The operational commitment of the Hungarian armoured arm is at last retraced: some Hungarian track links were already grinding in 1939 against Slovak forces, right through to the end of April 1945 in the Austrian clearings.