41M Turán II is a Hungarian Tank unit in Steel Division II.
Background[ | ]
The Turán was a Hungarian tank born out of Czechoslovak experimental designs developed from 1937 onwards, as S-II-c. After the annexation and partitioning of Czechoslovakia, Škoda was put under German control and work continued on the prototypes, redesignated T-21 (original) and T-22 (new type). Two examples of the latter were transferred to Hungary.
Hungarian engineers overhauled the design, replacing the Škoda A9 47mm gun with a Škoda A17 40mm gun with much greater muzzle velocity, 66% thicker armor plating for a total of 50mm of thickness on the front, and a total weight of eighteen tons. Although respectable on paper, the Turán proved to be a poor match for the Eastern Front and only 424 were manufactured in total, by the time production petered out in 1944.
The younger variant of the Turán tank, the 41M was largely the same tank as its older brother, except fitted with an enlarged turret and rearmed with an M41 75mm tank gun, the short-barreled tank provided enhanced firepower, but at the expense of crew comfort and overall performance. Just 139 units were produced by the time Soviet armies entered Hungary in 1944.
1. Lovas's 1st Cavalry Tank Battalion was planned to have two companies of 9 Turán II each in 1943 Cavalry Division organization while in the 1944 Cavalry Division organization only had one.
2. Páncélos was planned to have its tank battalion equipped with two Heavy tank battalion each with 9 Turán II. Before the battle of Turda, the Second battalion of the 3. Tank Regiment was equipped with Hungarian tanks.