Though built by Hungary, the Turan was based on the Škoda T-21 medium tank prototype from the former Czechoslovakia. For a brief time these German machines fought alongside a Hungarian-built tank-the Turan. At this stage of the war, these included the Panzerkampfwagen (Pzkpfw) IV, the Pzkpfw V Panther, and even the Pzkpfw VI Tiger I. To give their ally a chance in combat against the armored forces of the Soviet and Romanian armies, Germany sold and loaned tanks to the Hungarians. But, by this time, all Hungarian units with armored components had been severely depleted by constant fighting against a numerically and materially superior foe. Like all combatants, the Royal Hungarian Army, known as the Honved in its native tongue, possessed an armored force. Alongside German troops fought soldiers and airmen from Hungary, Germany’s sole remaining ally in Europe. Hitler’s much-vaunted Ardennes Offense had been thrown back with appalling losses, the Soviet Red Army had invaded German soil, and the Hungarian capital of Budapest had been besieged for weeks. By mid-January 1945 Germany was being pressured on all sides by Allied forces.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |