Armored Hungary World War II. Medium tank "Turan"
In preparation for mass production, the original Czech design has undergone some modernization and changes. Hungarian cannon and engine were installed, the booking was strengthened, surveillance devices and communications equipment were replaced. This work was carried out under the direction of the designer of the firm Manfred Weiss, engineer Janos Korbulya. First order for 230
The combat vehicles issued by the 19 Department of Defense September 1940 of the year were divided between four firms: Manfred Weiss (70 units), Magyar Vagon (70), MAVAG (40) and Ganz (50). However, from issuing an order to its actual implementation was still far away. The start of production was hampered by the lack of a complete set of technical documentation, since the latest drawings from Jlkoda were obtained only in March of the 1941 year. The implementation of modernization drawings was also delayed. As a result, the first prototype of the “Turan”, made of non-armored steel, left the factory floor only on July 8. In the army, however, new tanks began to arrive only in May 1942. In total, 285 40М “Turan 40” tanks were produced, in Russian literature they are sometimes referred to as “Turan I”.
The layout and design of the hull and the tower, assembled by riveting on a frame from the corners, basically corresponded to the Czech prototype. The thickness of rolled armor plates of the frontal part of the hull and turret was 50 - 60 mm, sides and stern - 25 mm, roofs and bottoms - 8 - 25 mm.
The 40-mm gun 41M 40 / 51 was developed by the company MAVAG based on the 37-mm gun 37М, intended for the tank V-4, the anti-tank gun of the same caliber and the Shkodovsky 37-mm gun А7. One 8-mm machine gun 34 / 40AM Gebauer mounted in the tower in the ball mount, the other - in the front hull on the left along with an optical sight, protected, like the barrels of both machine guns, a massive armor cover. Ammunition guns included 101 shot, and machine guns - 3000 cartridges.
The tank was equipped with six periscope observation devices and a viewing slot with triplex in the front hull sheet opposite the driver's seat. The radio station R / 5a was installed near the place of the radio operator.
8-cylinder carburetor V-about-different engine Manfred Weiss-Z horsepower 265 at 2200 rpm allowed the tank with a mass of 18,2 t to accelerate to the maximum speed of 47 km / h. Fuel capacity - 265 l, power reserve - 165 km.
The “Turana” transmission consisted of a multi-disc main friction clutch for dry friction, a planetary 6-speed gearbox, a planetary rotation mechanism, and final drives. The transmission units were controlled using a pneumatic servo drive. Provided and backup mechanical drive.
It should be noted that, having a specific power 14,5 hp / t, "Turan" had good mobility and maneuverability. They were provided, among other things, with convenient and low-effort physical controls.
The layout of the tank "Turan I": 1 - installation course machine gun and telescopic sight; 2 - surveillance devices; 3 - fuel tank; 4 - engine; 5 - gearbox; 6 - rotation mechanism; 7 - lever mechanical (backup) drive turning mechanism; 8 - gear lever; 9 - tank control system pneumatic cylinder; 10 - turning gear drive lever with pneumatic amplifier; 11 - machine gun embrasure; 12 - driver's access hatch; 13 - accelerator pedal; 14 - brake pedal; 15 - main clutch pedal; 16 - the mechanism of rotation of the tower; 17 - gunhole embrasure
The undercarriage was generally similar to the undercarriage of the Czechoslovak LT-35 light tank and, as applied to one board, consisted of eight small-diameter rubberized dual support rollers interlocked in pairs and assembled into two carts, each of which was suspended on two semi-elliptical leaf springs. Between the front carriage and the guide wheel, which had a gear ring, one double roller was installed, which made it easier for the tank to overcome vertical obstacles. The drive wheel was located behind. The upper branch of the caterpillar was based on five dual rubber-supporting rollers. The design of the undercarriage provided the tank with a soft stroke without strong vertical vibrations and swinging.
In addition to the linear tank, the command version of the Turan RK, designed for company commanders, battalions and regiments, was also developed at the same time. This car had not only a standard radio station R / 5a, but also a radio station R / 4T, the antenna of which was mounted on the rear sheet of the tower.
In May, the 1941 of the year, that is, before the arrival of new tanks in the troops, the Hungarian General Staff raised the issue of upgrading the Turan to change its weapons, apparently impressed by the German tank Pz.IV. The machine, which received the designation 41M “Turan 75” (“Turan II”), installed an 75-mm 41M cannon with a barrel length 25 of calibers and a horizontal wedge gate. The tower had to be redone by increasing its height by 45 mm and changing the shape and size of the fixed commander's turret. Ammunition reduced to 52 artstrikes. The remaining units and assemblies of the tank were not affected. Machine weight increased to 19,2 t, speed and power reserve slightly decreased. In May 1942, the "Turan II" was put into service, in 1943-m launched into mass production; until June, 1944 units were released.
Along with the linear tanks, the command vehicles of the Turan II 43M were also produced. Their armament consisted of only one 8-mm machine gun in the front hull plate. The turret machine gun and the gun were absent, and instead of the latter a wooden imitation was installed. The tower housed three radio stations - R / 4T, R / 5a and German FuG 16.
Since the short-barreled gun was not suitable for fighting tanks, the Institute of Military Equipment was instructed to work out the issue of arming the "Turan" with a long-barreled 75-mm 43M gun. In parallel, it was planned to increase the thickness of the frontal armor of the hull to 80 mm. At the same time, the mass should have grown to 23 t.
In December, a sample of the 1943M Turan III tank was made, but the serial production could not be deployed due to the lack of a sufficient number of guns.
In the 1944 year, the “turuns”, following the example of the German tanks Pz.NI and Pz.IV, began to hang screens protecting them from cumulative projectiles. A set of such screens for the "Turan" weighed 635 kg.
As already mentioned, the troops “Turun” began to arrive in May 1942, when the first 12 vehicles arrived at the tank school in Esztergom. On 30 in October, 1943 of the Year, Honvedseg, had 242 tanks of this type. The 3 tank regiment 2 was completed most of all
tank division - it counted 120 machines, and in 1 tank regiment of 1 tank division - 61 "Turan 40", another 56 units were part of 1 th cavalry division. In addition, there were two “turs” in the 1 th company of self-propelled guns and three were used as training.
Tanks "Turan 75" began to enter the Hungarian troops in May 1943; by the end of August, they were already 49, and by March 1944, 107.
In the center - an autonomous installation of a course machine gun, the barrel of which is closed by an armor cover. The bullet-proof heads of bolts are clearly visible. In addition to the screens, tracks of caterpillars are placed on the sides of the tower of this tank.
Below - armor covers of sight and machine gun course
In April of the same year, the 2-I tank division was sent to the front, having 120 Turan 40 and 55 Turan 75 in its structure. Hungarian medium tanks received their baptism of fire on 17 on April, when the division counterattacked the advancing Soviet units near Kolomyya. The tank attack on impassable forest and mountainous terrain was not crowned with success. By 26 April, the advance of the Hungarian troops was halted. At the same time losses amounted to 30 tanks. In August - September, the division participated in the battles of Stanislav (now Ivano-Frankivsk), suffered heavy losses, and was taken to the rear.
The 1 Cavalry Division in the summer of 1944 took part in heavy fighting in eastern Poland, retreating to Warsaw. Having lost all her tanks, she was withdrawn to Hungary in September.
Since September, the 1944 of the 124 “Touran” of the 1 Tank Division fought in Tran-Sylvan. In December, battles were fought already in Hungary, near Debrecen and Nyiregyh-za. In addition to 1, both of the other mentioned divisions participated in them. October 30 began fighting for Budapest, which lasted four months. The 2-I tank division was surrounded by the city itself, and the 1-I tank and 1-I cavalry divisions fought north of the capital. As a result of the fierce battles at Lake Balaton in March - April 1945, the Hungarian tank forces ceased to exist. At the same time were destroyed or captured by the Red Army and the last "turun".
As already mentioned, the Hungarian medium tank was created on the basis of the Czechoslovak design of the middle 1930-s. Do not delay the preparation for its mass production and have time for its release to 1941 year - "Turan" could become a formidable opponent for the Soviet BT and T-26. But in April, 1944-th this angular riveted machine was already a complete anachronism. It should be noted that the Hungarians adopted the German experience with a significant delay: “Turan II” received a short-barreled 75-mm gun by analogy with Pz.IV. at a time when German tanks were already rearming with long-barreled guns.
In the 1942 year, again taking into account the German experience, the Hungarians decided to create their own assault gun. The only suitable base for it was the "Turan", whose body width was increased by 450 mm. In the 75-mm frontal sheet of a low-profile riveted armored cabin, in a frame, a converted 105-mm infantry howitzer 40М from MAVAG with a barrel length 20,5 caliber was installed. Horizontal howitzer pointing angles ± 11 °, elevation angle - + 25 °. Ammunition SAU consisted of 52 shots of separate loading. Machine gun had no. The engine, transmission and chassis remained the same as that of the base tank. Combat weight was 21,6 t. The crew consisted of four people. This most successful Hungarian armored combat vehicle of the Second World War, which received the designation 40 / 43М "Zriny 105" ("Zriny II"), named after the national hero of Hungary Miklos Zrinyi, was put into service in January 1943 of the year and released in small quantities - total 66 units.
An attempt was made to create an anti-tank SAU 44M "Zriny 75", armed with a 75-mm 43M gun, the same as the tank "Turan III". A prototype was built in February 1944 of the year, based on the prototype "Turan". However, the production of four serial copies of the case did not go.
From October 1 1943, the battalions of assault artillery on 30 SAU in each began to form in the Hungarian army, which, along with German combat vehicles, Zrinyi began to receive weapons along with German-made combat vehicles. By 1945, all the remaining SAUs of this type were in the 20-th Eger and 24-th Kosice battalions. The last units, armed with these self-propelled guns, capitulated in Czechoslovakia.
"Zriny" were typical assault guns. They successfully accompanied the attacking infantry with fire and maneuver, but they could no longer fight the Soviet tanks in 1944. In this situation, the Germans rearmed their StuG III with long-barreled guns, turning them into tank destroyers. Hungarians, with their more backward economies, such an event turned out to be too much.
Only two combat vehicles from the family of Hungarian medium tanks have survived to this day. “Turan 75” (number 2Н423) and “Zriny 105” (number ZN022) can be seen in the exposition of the museum of armored weapons and equipment in Kubinka near Moscow.
- Mikhail Baryatinsky
- Armored Hungary World War II. Light tank "Toldi"
Armored Hungary World War II. Medium tank "Turan"
Armored Hungary World War II. Heavy tank "Tosh"
Armored Hungary World War II. Self-propelled installation "Nimrod"
Armored Hungary World War II. Armored car "Chabo"
Information