43M Zrínyi
Zrínyi was a Hungarian assault gun of the World War II period.
Zrínyi | |
---|---|
Zrínyi in Kubinka Tank Museum | |
Type | Assault gun |
Place of origin | Kingdom of Hungary |
Service history | |
Used by | Kingdom of Hungary Kingdom of Romania |
Wars | World War II |
Production history | |
Manufacturer | Manfred Weiss |
Produced | 1943–1944 |
No. built | 1 44M Zrínyi (prototype), 66-72 43M Zrínyi |
Variants | 43M Zrínyi 44M Zrínyi |
Specifications (Zrínyi II) | |
Mass | 21.6 t |
Length | 5.68 m (18 ft 8 in) |
Width | 2.99 m (9 ft 10 in) |
Height | 2.33 m (7 ft 8 in) |
Crew | 4 |
Armour | 13–75 mm (0.51–2.95 in) |
Main armament | 105 mm MÁVAG 40/43M L20.5 howitzer with 42 rounds |
Engine | Manfred Weiss V8 cylinder 260 hp |
Operational range | 220 km (140 mi) (road) |
Maximum speed | 43 km/h (27 mph) (road) |
Design and history
Following the success of assault guns on the Eastern Front, the Hungarians developed their own model, based on the chassis of the 40M Turán I tank. There were two designs, the 44M Zrínyi I, incorporated a long 43M 75 mm gun, but it did not pass the prototype stage. The 40/43M Zrínyi II was armed with a short barrel (20.5 calibers) 105 mm MÁVAG 40/43M howitzer.
The Zrínyi II design was a traditional infantry support vehicle. The Zrínyi I was hoped to fulfill an anti-tank role.
Between 40 and 66 Zrínyi II units were produced between August 1943 and July 1944 and a single Zrínyi I prototype. There is only one surviving Zrínyi II in the Kubinka tank museum near Moscow.
A serviceable Zrínyi II was captured by the Romanian troops fighting to retake Transylvania during September–October 1944, being pressed into service for a limited period.[1] The assault gun was later donated to the Red Army.
References
- Axworthy, page 221
Sources
- Bíró Ádám: A 40/43. M Zrínyi–II rohamtarack fejlesztése és alkalmazása. Haditechnika, I. rész: 1996/1, 66–71., II. rész: 1996/2, 43–45.; III. rész: 1996/4, 66–69. (In Hungarian)
- Mark Axworthy, Cornel Scafeș, Cristian Crãciunoiu, Third Axis. Fourth Ally. Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941-1945, Arms and Armour, London, 1995. ISBN 1-85409-267-7
External links
Media related to Zrinyi (self-propelled gun) at Wikimedia Commons - https://web.archive.org/web/20080310083509/http://www.freedom.hu/IIvh/Fegyverek/Magyar/zrinyi.htm (in Hungarian)
- http://www.haborumuveszete.hu/rovatok/fegyverek/pancelosok/zrinyik/ (in Hungarian)