Early Design Work

During the 1930s Praga developed a prototype of an amphibious tank, the F-IV-HE.

From 1937-38 Nicholas Straussler designed an experimental light tank called the V-4. He later went to Britain and worked with Alvis and Vickers-Armstrongs and designed several armored cars and light tanks.

Foreign Tanks Purchased

In 1938, 104 CV 35 tankettes were purchased from Italy. These were modified by adding a small square commander's cupola. Also the Toldi was produced under license from Sweden (Landsverk L60B light tank) by Manfred Weiss company of Budapest.

Armored Forces In Action

The armored forces first fought against Slovakia in 1939.

Hungary joined the Tripartite Pact in November 1940.

Hungary participated in the invasion of Yugoslavia on April 10, 1941. The 1st and 2nd Motorized Brigade and the 2nd Cavalry Brigade each had a company of 20 Toldis, a company of 20 CV 35s, and 10 Alvis Straussler Csaba armored cars.

Hungary entered the war against Russia on June 27, 1941 and provided the 3rd largest contingent of armored forces on the eastern front. The Gyorshadtest (Fast Corps) comprised 3 brigades with 81 Toldis, 48 Csabas, and 60 CV 35s. During the drive to the Donets River loses were severe as the tanks weren't able to hold up in the tough terrain.

With the delay of the new Turan medium tank in production, the Hungarians bought tanks from Germany (see table). These were used by the 1st Motorized Brigade to form the 1st Hungarian Armored Division. The division fought in the Don and on the left flank at Stalingrad. During the Russian offensive of January 1943 the unit was smashed. Only 6 of the tanks made it back to Hungary in March 1943.

Meanwhile the 2nd Hungarian Armored Division was being formed with the new Turan tanks. In April 1944 it was sent to Galicia in eastern Poland. The Turans were inadequate against the T-34/85s and the Germans sold the Hungarians more modern tanks (see table) of which the first were delivered in August 1944.

In March of 1944 Germany occupied Hungary and forced them to commit all their armored units to the front.