Part I. Infantry weaponry,and general equipment
Bolt-action Rifles
Mannlicher Model 1931 Infantry Rifle (or M95/31)(8x56mmR)
Chambers: 8x56mmR live cartridge and green-tipped 8x56mm armor piercing cartridge
Caliber: 8x56mm rimmed
Muzzle velocity: 680-720 m/sec with 31.M cartridge
Magazine: Integral clip-loaded box magazine, 5 rounds
Action: Straight-pull bolt action, with two lugs on a detachable bolt head engaging the receiver
1005mm [39.5"] overall, 3.15kg [6.93 lbs] (stutzen) 500mm [19.7"] barrel, 4-groove rifling, RH, concentric, 1 turn in 250mm
Mannlicher Model 1935 Infantry Rifle
Caliber: 31.M 8x56mm rimmed Muzzle velocity: 730 m/sec [2400 fps] with 31.M cartridge
Magazine: Integral clip-loaded box magazine, 5 rounds
Sight: Mauser-type tangent-leaf sight graduated 100 to 2000 meters
1110mm [43.7"] overall, 3.98kg [8.8 lbs]600mm [23.6"] barrel, 4-groove rifling, RH, concentric, 1 turn in 250mm
This rifle has a very sturdy and reliable action, and it is one of the smoothest bolt actions you may ever find and it is quite accurate. Many believe this rifle to be a superior design compared to the German K98k, which was one of the main reasons for the German Gew.98/40 contract
Action: Turning-bolt Mannlicher action, locked by 2 rotating lugs on the bolt body into the receiver plus by the bolt handle. The rifle has a two-piece bolt with the bolt handle positioned ahead of the receiver bridge when the bolt is forward. The bolt is an improved Mannlicher-Schoenauer type, while it retains the well liked M.95 type knurled cocking piece. The cocking piece allows the rifle to be cocked or uncocked quietly without moving the bolt. A Mauser-type wing safety is also featured.
An archive military study about the Hungarian mountain tropps' drill mentions that only those riflemen should fire above 300 meters who have scopes. This means that the Hungarian mountain troops used the scope attachment at least. It also means that the Hungarian Army used this scoped rifle not as a sniper rifle but mainly as a designated marksman rifle. Further proof of this statement is that Hungary didn't have a sniper training system nor sniper schools, sniper troops during WW2.
We do know however that some Hungarian "snipers" actually had normal sniper rifles, for example some Hungarians at the Don river recieved Karabiner 98K rifles with sniper scopes from the Germans.
Hungarian 35.M Mannlicher scoped rifle
In 1942 Hungary made an experimental scoped rifle from the 35.M Mannlicher bolt-action rifle already in service . The test for a proper scope attachment was needed otherwise the 5-round en bloc clips could not be loaded into the internal box magazine since the scope would block the way. The other modification of the rifle was that the spur-type cocking piece was turned to the left so it won't bother the soldier, otherwise it would constantly touch the rifleman's chin and bother him. Judging by the pictures the scoped rifle had a turning-bolt Mannlicher action instead of the original straight-pull bolt-action.
According to archive documents the scoped variant of the 35.M rifle was mass-produced but the exact number of manufactured 35.M scoped rifles is not known. It is also not known if the scope attachment was compatible with the 43.M Mannlicher rifle.
An archive military study about the Hungarian mountain tropps' drill mentions that only those riflemen should fire above 300 meters who have scopes. This means that the Hungarian mountain troops used the scope attachment at least. It also means that the Hungarian Army used this scoped rifle not as a sniper rifle but mainly as a designated marksman rifle. Further proof of this statement is that Hungary didn't have a sniper training system nor sniper schools, sniper troops during WW2.
We do know however that some Hungarian "snipers" actually had normal sniper rifles, for example some Hungarians at the Don river recieved Karabiner 98K rifles with sniper scopes from the Germans.
In Peter Senich's book The German Sniper, 1914-1945 on page 63 an 35.M rifle can be seen with a similar scope you can see in picture No.1. Note that the scope on this particular rifle differs from the one in the book in that the scope release is mounted vertically on the rear mount. This also means that there were at least two different scope attachments for the rifle.
Hungarian Mannlicher M1943 Infantry Rifle
Caliber: 7.9x57. Muzzle velocity 760-780 m/sec with S.S. cartridge
Magazine:Integral charger-loaded Mauser type box magazine, 5 rounds
Action: Turning-bolt Mannlicher action
Sight: Tangent-leaf rear sight graduated 100-2000 meters
1110mm [43.7"] overall, 4.1kg [9 lbs]
600mm [23.6"] barrel, 4-groove rifling, RH, concentric, 1 turn/240mm
Rifle scopes
C.Reichert Wien 5x
K.Kahles Wien H/4x60
Scope has 27mm steel tube, length 27,5cm / 10 3/4''.
Diameter ocular 38 mm, front lense outside 36mm / inside 31mm
But the Hungarian army might have also used Zeiss and Goerz type scopes,since we manufactured these scopes under license
Machineguns
Hungarian 07/31.M Schwarzlose machine gun
The Schwarzlose 07/12.M remained in active Hungarian service after WW1. Starting in 1931 the Schwarzlose machine guns were modified to use the 8x56 mmR cartridge, these are called the Model 07/31.M. The chambers were re-bored for the new cartridge and new metric rear sights were installed. Muzzle velocity increased to 700 m/s. The new pointed - cone shaped - bullet was not held by the chamber as well as the old cylindrical round-nosed bullet. During firing the pointed bullet had to travel a few mm without proper guidance and seal by the chamber/barrel area. This caused pressure loss and functional problems. To eliminate this problem, this area of the barrel was cold pressed to achieve a smaller interior diameter before the chamber was bored. This method increased the muzzle velocity to 730 m/s and provided better reliability. The rate of fire of the machine gun remained 580 rounds/min by fitting the delayed blowback mechanism with a stronger spring. The gun was fed by a 100 or 250-rounds canvas belt but metal belts were also issused in WW2. The weapon was used with it's original tripod but special anti-aircraft mounts were used too.
In December 1942 Hungary bought the licence of the German MG 42 machine gun and wanted to replace the old Scwarzlose with it. Sadly none of these new machine guns were produced and Hungary used only those MG 42s which she got from Germany in 1944.
07/43.M Schwarzlose machine gun:
In 1943 Hungary officially adopted the 7.92x57 mm Mauser cartridge. Some existing 07/31.M barrels were replaced with new 7.92 mm barrels and complete new guns were also manufactured by the factories. Manufacturing continued even after the Red Army surrounded Budapest. Delivery was direct from the assembly line to the front. Before the Soviets took over the weapon factories in a street-by-street fight, the workers took the half-finished guns and parts and movable machinery and scattered it all over the city, setting up different gunshops to finish and assemble as many weapons as possible. Heroic street fighting by the Hungarians was continued long after the Red Army declared that Budapest is taken. These weapons were given to units which were equipped with 43.M Mannlicher bolt-action rifles and did not recieved MG 42 machine guns to make logistics easier - two types of cartridges didn't had to be delivered to the same unit.
Solothurn 31M and 43M Light Machinegun
(exterior,techincal drawrings, 39M AA sight. images below)
Hungarian 31.M Solothurn light machinegun:
In 1931 Hungary purchased 2-3000 Solothurn S2-200 light machine guns from Swiss company Solothurn alongside with the licence. The Hungarian company Danuvia produced this weapon as 31.M Solothurn and modified the original one to fire the new 8x56 mm rimmed cartridges Hungary started to use in the same year. The weapon was recoil operated, selective fire and had a 25-round detachable box magazine. If the trigger's upper part was pressed the LMG fired only one cartridge, this was the single fire mode. If the lower part of the trigger was pulled the weapon was in automatic fire mode. The problem with the weapon was that the bolt had to be lubricated and because of that it "froze" in extreme cold. To avoid that Hungary used the same low-temperature bolt lubricants she used for the 31.M Mannlicher bolt-action rifles.
The weapon was used with a bipod but it also had a heavy, 19.1kg tripod as well. It was used as an AA machine gun too with a special anti-aircraft mounts. It fired the 8x56 mmR cartridges with 730 m/s muzzle velocity and had a 600 rounds/min rate of fire. The number of produced 31.M Solothurns reached above 10.000. It was used throughout the whole war.
Hungarian 43.M Solothurn light machinegun:
In 1943 Hungary officially adopted the 7.92x57 mm Mauser cartridge. Some existing 31.M barrels were replaced with new 7.92 mm barrels and complete new guns were also manufactured by the factories. The old 25-round magazine was replaced with a 30-rounder for the new cartridge. The muzzle velocity of the weapon increased to 760 m/s but the rate of fire decreased to 500 rounds/min. Manufacturing continued even after the Red Army surrounded Budapest. Delivery was direct from the assembly line to the front. Before the Soviets took over the weapon factories in a street-by-street fight, the workers took the half-finished guns and parts and movable machinery and scattered it all over the city, setting up different gunshops to finish and assemble as many weapons as possible. Heroic street fighting by the Hungarians was continued long after the Red Army declared that Budapest is taken. These weapons were given to units which were equipped with 43.M Mannlicher bolt-action rifles and di not recieve MG 34 light machine guns to make logistics easier - two types of cartridges didn't had to be delivered to the same unit.
Cyclic rate: 600 rpm
Magazin size: 25/30 round box
Fireing modes: Single/Automatic
Cartridge:8x56Rmm / 7.92x57 Mauser
Velocity: 730m/s
Sight: 100-2000m
Weapon lenght:1170mm
Weight:9.5kg
Barrel lenght: 600mm
Barrel weight:1,8kg
Ammo types:
31 M. live rounds
31 M. seedy rounds (steel seedy ammunition against armored targets)
31 M. tracer ammunition (steel seedy ammunition with light indicator)
Madsen Light Machinegun M1924
The Madsen was replaced by the Solothurn Light Machinegun in 1931,reissued in 1943
Sub-machineguns
Hungary used MP40's,MP35's, and Danuvia submachineguns. Its also known that the Hungarian army, at least field tested the SIG MKMS,as it can be seen on an archive footage, from a military exercise in 1938.
Also after the capitulation of Italy in 1943 a few Italian MAB 38 made it to Hungary which was used in low numbers by soldiers.
MP.35 Bergmann
Overall length, 840mm
Barrel length, 200mm
Weight empty, 4.24kg
Magazine capacity, rounds: 20, 24, 32
Cyclic rate of fire, rounds: 540 min
Caliber cartridge: 9x19 Luger / Parabellum
Danuvia Submachine Gun Model 1939
Made by Danuvia Gépgyár, Budapest, 1939-43
-Mechanism: Király lever-delayed blowback -Caliber: 9x25mm Export Mauser -Bullet weight: 125gr
-Muzzle velocity 425-463 m/sec,
- Cyclic rate: 730-780 rpm
-40-round box magazine,the magazine was a double-stack, double-feed design
-Overall length: 41.2in (1046mm) -Barrel length: 19.7in (500mm) -Weight, unloaded: 8.2lb (3.7kg) -Weight, loaded: 9.1lb (4.15kg)
-Effective range 600m
-Tangent ramp type rear sight graduated 50-600 meters
Although inspired by the 9×19mm Parabellum Beretta Model 38/42, the Danuvia used the more powerful 9×25mm Mauser round.
According to its engeneering(or material engeneering) manual from ww2, its maximum practical shooting distance is 600 meters and its maximum theoretical shooting distance is 1000 meters
Danuvia Submachine Gun (Machine Pistol) Model 1943
Made by Danuvia Gépgyár, Budapest, 1943-45
-Based on manufacturing capacity of FEG, around 40-45,000 was manufactured
-Delayed blowback, selective fire
-Caliber: 9x25mm Mauser
-Muzzle velocity 455 m/sec
-Cyclic rate: 700-750 rpm
-40-round box magazine,the magazine was a double-stack, double-feed design
-Effective range 600m
According to its engeneering(or material engeneering) manual from ww2, its maximum practical shooting distance is 600 meters and its maximum theoretical shooting distance is 1000 meters
Forgotten Weapons video of the 43M
General information on the Danuvia 39M and 43M smg's
"Nicknamed the Király Géppisztoly (Royal Machine Pistol), this little-known Hungarian-made SMG is widely viewed as one of the best of WWII, and at least one source describes it as an intermediate step between the SMG and the assault rifle: the 39.M has the longest barrel of any SMG, providing extreme accuracy. Its sister weapon, the 43.M, was essentially the same weapon with a folding stock and a slightly shorter barrel........."
" The complex, thoroughly machined breech mechanism was needed because of the high performance cartridges used by the Hungarian submachine gun. The Király submachine guns in fact did not fire the standard 9×19 mm Parabellum cartridge, commonly used by the European armies, but the 9×25 mm Mauser Export cartridges.
The designers increased the energy absorbing capacity of the breech mechanism so as to design a relatively light gun capable of firing high performance cartridges. The breech mechanism was divided into two parts gliding on each other, with a separate and delayed blowback. The real innovation of the chief engineers of Danuvia Plc. was that, as opposed to the Swiss made submachine guns, the two breech-blocks were connected with a so called push-back lever, the positive push and friction were meant to absorb partially the blowback."
Danuvia Király Geppisztoly(machine pistol) 44M
Only a few trial weapons were made by Danuvia Gépgyár, Budapest, at the end of 1944 -Caliber: 9x19mm Parabellum -40-round staggered row detachable box magazine -Overall length approx. 500mm [20"], Barrel length approx. 250mm [10"] -2.92kg [8 lbs] without the mag -Tangent sight graduated 100-600 meters -Muzzle velocity 450 m/sec -Cyclic rate: 650-700 rpm
Pistols
Frommer model pistole 37M
Designed by Rudolf Frommer, manufactured after his death by Hungarian company FÉG in 1937. It was an improved 29.M. Frommer's actual involvement in the design of this model was believed to be limited. The principal difference between the 1937 and 1929 patterns lies in the abandonment of pinned-in cocking grips at the rear of the slide in favor of conventional grooving. The later gun also has a smaller hammer and an additional finger-rest on the toe of the butt. A Frommer-type grip lever provided the only safety device
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The weapon had a 7-round detachable box magazine with a finger-rest and a muzzle velocity of 274 m/s - some sources say 300 m/s. The 37.M used 9×17 mmSR Frommer caliber cartridges but could fire the Browning short cartridges as well. It was a blowback operated automatic pistol. It was a realible and accurate weapon with excellent production quality and as such was loved by it's users. As an improved version the 37.M could be carried around in the holster of a 29.M pistol (lower left), but it also had it's own holster design (lower right).realible and accurate weapon with excellent production quality and as such was loved by it's users. As an improved version the 37.M could be carried around in the holster of a 29.M pistol (lower left), but it also had it's own holster design (lower right).
.............
The pistol was also manufactured for a German Contract under the designation of Pistole 37(u) or "P37", the manufacturing code was "jhv 41". The German government negotiated a contract for 50,000 7.65mm pistols with Hungary in 1941. These were destined largely for the Luftwaffe. The Luftwaffe demanded a manual thumb safety catch, which was added to the left rear of the frame. The 2nd contract for an additional 35,000 Pistole 37(u) was started in 1943. These pistols were marked "jhv 43" and "WaA173". Production ended in March 1944 after a total of 85,000 or so had been produced under contract.
Type: blowback operated automatic pistol Chambering: 9mm Browning Short ,9×17 mmSR Frommer Muzzle velocity: 300m/s [984 fps] Length overall: 182mm [7.17"] Barrel: 110mm [4.33"] 4-groove rh Weight unloaded: 770g [27.2oz]
7 round magazine
Frommer Pistol 29 -minta (29M)Model 1929
Designed by Rudolf Frommer, manufactured by Hungarian company FÉG in 1929. The weapon had a 7-round detachable box magazine and a muzzle velocity of 270 m/s. The 29.M used 9×17 mmSR Frommer caliber cartridges but could fire the Browning short cartridges as well. It was a blowback operated automatic pistol. The Hungarian Armed Forces immediately adopted this weapon and it was mainly used by pilots of the Hungarian Air Force.
This weapon has an internal bolt assembly which is fixed to the slide rather than having the bolt breach portion machined in the rear of the slide. It was a robust and simple weapon and, as a service pistol, more practical than the Frommer Stop.
Approx. 50,000 manufactured by Fémárú- Fegyver- és Gépgyár Rt, Budapest 1929-35 Type: blowback operated automatic pistol Chambering: 9mm Browning Short, 9x17mm, Length overall: 172mm [6.77"] Barrel: 100mm [3.94"] 4-groove rifled, rh Weight unladen: 750g [26.5oz] Magazine: 7-round detachable box
Hungarian 19.M Frommer pistol
Also known as Frommer Stop, this pistol was used by the Hungarian Armed Forces since 1912 - named as 12.M at that time -, manufactured by Hungarian company FÉG, designed by Rudolf Frommer. It recieved the 19.M designation from 1919 and was kept in service until 1945 even if it was slowly replaced by other pistol types. During WW1 even Germany ordered a huge number of it and the Polish Armed Forces used it too as WZ.1911. The weapon had a 7-round detachable box magazine and a muzzle velocity of 342 m/s. It was a recoil operated automatic pistol.
The 19.M used 7,65×17 mmSR Frommer caliber cartridges, it was not designed to fire Browning cartridges but it can. Many critics say that this pistol was not a good weapon, but those critiques came from people who used Browning cartridges instead of Frommers. Because of the American cartridges the weapon performed poorly.
The Frommer Stop was a fresh approach to long recoil operation, the vital feature being a double spring system lying in a tunnel above the barrel. One spring controls the movement of the bolt, while its companion absorbs the barrel recoil and returns the barrel to the firing position. This two-spring system is implicit in any long recoil mechanism where barrel and bolt move independently. At the instant of firing, the Stop is locked by a rotating head on the two-piece bolt. An inertia firing pin is struck by an external hammer, and the only safety device is a grip lever. Barrel and bolt then recoil for about an inch to unlock the bolt. The bolt is then held while the barrel runs back, stripping out and ejecting the empty case as it does so. The bolt is then released to run forward, chamber the fresh round, and rotate its head to lock the breech.
It is a functional, complicated design, required above average maintenance and was reportedly not popular with some of its users. However, with proper care the pistols' long service life proved its critics wrong and most people loved them.
Chambering: 7,65x17mm Frommer Long (=.32acp loaded hot), Frommer 9mm (.380acp loaded hot), 9mm Browning Short Overall length: 160mm [6.3"], height: 110mm [4.33"] Max. thickness: 22mm [.87"] Barrel: 100mm [3.94"] rifled, 4 grooves, right hand twist Depth of grooves: 0.135mm [.0053"], Width of rifling: 3mm [.12"] Weight with empty mag: 580g [20.5oz], Loaded: 634g [22.4oz] Removable magazine capacity: 7 rounds 7.65 cal. Bullet weight: 4.65g, Shell weight: 2.85g, Powder weight: .23g Muzzle velocity: 342m/s [1125 fps] (7.65x17mm Frommer Long cartridge) Max. penetration: 150mm [6"] thick pine board
Grenades and Explosives
Hungarian 31.M Wesiczky hand grenade
This hand grenade was given to the troops in 1931 and had some flaws, because of that it was slowly replaced by other hand grenades but the 31.M was still used in the Hungarian Armed Forces. In April 1938 Hungary had around 322.000 Wesiczky hand grenades in stock.
The 31.M had an impact action fuze which made it impossible for the enemy to throw it back, and it didn't rolled down on hills to blow up behind the target area or to roll back to the thrower. The grenade had 115 g TNT filling, the effective range of the shrapnel was 5-10 meters. War hand grenades were painted black and later red, practice grenades were painted blue and trainer grenades were yellow.
To arm a 31.M Wesiczky hand grenade the soldier had to take off the transportation safety which is a metal cup on the grenade. It had to be turned to the right to prevent the igniter to untwist. Before the throw the soldier had to push down the carrying safety until he heard it click. He had to throw the 31.M that it rotated around its axis. Because of this rotating motion the carrying safety flew out of the grenade, by this the impact action fuze got activated. The carrying safety flew out around 10 meters so it was safe for the thrower but it also made the hand grenade unusable in street fights or against tanks where the throwing distance is much less. The other flaw of the weapon was the impact action fuze, because of it the hand grenade did not blew up when it landed on soft ground for example in deep snow.
Switzerland bought the licence of the Hungarian 31.M Wesiczky hand grenade and produced it as Offensive-Handgranate 1932 (O. H-G.32).
Hungarian 36M Vécsey hand grenade
Developed by Cpt. Zoltán Vécsey who served in the Royal Hungarian Armed Forces. The grenade was developed in 1936 but it was adopted by the Hungarian Armed Forces on 11 December 1937. The 36.M had an impact action fuze like the earlier 31.M Wesiczky hand grenade and because of that it had the same benefits and flaws. Some grenades had a place for the thumb which made it easier to hold.
To put it simply the 36.M hand grenade had an inner two piece etui which was filled with the explosive material and had the igniter, and and outer two piece cover as it can be seen in picture No.2. The grenade had 85 g TNT filling, the effective range of the shrapnel was 5-10 meters. War hand grenades were painted red, practice grenades were painted blue and trainer grenades were yellow. On 22 July 1943. around 2.371.500 36.M Vécsey hand grenades were in stock.
To arm a 36.M Vécsey hand grenade the soldier had to pull out the transportation safety which is a U shaped steel wire with a leather tongue. Then the soldier had to throw the 36.M that it rotated around its axis. Because of this rotating motion the carrying safety which is a metal cap fell off of the grenade, by this the impact action fuze got activated. The carrying safety fell off around 6 meters so it was safe for the thrower but it also made the hand grenade unusable in street fights or against tanks where the throwing distance is much less. The flaw of the weapon was the impact action fuze, because of it the hand grenade did not blew up when it landed on soft ground - around 30% of 36.M hand grenades did not blew up when thrown into 80 cm deep snow.
Switzerland bought the licence of the Hungarian 36.M Vécsey hand grenade and produced it as Offensive-Handgranate 1940 (O. H-G.40).
Hungarian 42.M Vécsey hand grenade
When the war began Hungary quickly realized that her hand grenades were not suitable for urban combats and forest fights. The impact action fuze grenades needed some distance and proper centrifugal force to be armed. In street fights the distances were too short for it and the grenades could get caught by branches in the forest and if thrown low the grenade wouldn't turn around its axis properly. Troop commanders recommended the adoptation of the German Model 24 Stielhandgranate but the Institute of Military Technology (HTI) refused because they saw the grenades arming mechanism as a disadvantage. The HTI recommended a similar arming mechanism as the Russian RGD-33 had instead. Both the German and Russian hand grenades were tested and experienced with when finally Cpt. Zoltán Vécsey, developer of the 36.M hand grenade showed the HTI his newest hand grenade, the 42.M Vécsey.
The 42.M hand grenade had a time fuze. The soldier had to remove the safety pin by its textile belt and then throw the grenade with proper force. With the proper momentum the head of the grenade moved away from the stick and then it was pulled back by two powerful springs which were located inside the stick. This back and forth movement activated the fuse and the hand grenade blew up 3,5-4,5 seconds later. If the grenade wasn't flung properly it didn't blow up. The grenade could be armed in the hand too by pulling the head or the stick and with this it was suitable for urban combat. It was equiped with lead azide igniter. The grenade had 120 g TNT filling, the effective range of the shrapnel was 5-10 meters.
The grenade head had a screw thread on the top and the bottom so numerous heads could be screwed together to raise the grenade's efficiency. Usually when two or more heads were screwn together it was used as an observed land mine - a string was tied to the stick and was pulled when the enemy got near which activated the fuse.
The 42.M Vécsey hand grenade was adopted by the Hungarian Armed Forces in 1943 but did not replaced the 36.M Vécsey and 37.M Demeter hand grenades, it was used to implement those in situations where the 36.M and 37.M were not efficient. War hand grenades were painted red, practice grenades were painted blue and trainer grenades were yellow. On 22 July 1943. around 2.500.000 42.M Vécsey hand grenades were in stock. The 42.M Vécsey survived the war and was used by the Hungarian Armed Forces for many more years with smaller or bigger modifications.
Hungarian 39/A.M flame grenade/anti tank
It's not clear that when did Hungary start to develop Molotov cocktail-like incendiary weapons but it's clear that such weapons existed in Hungary before the war. Originaly these weapons were used against enemy fortifications and machine gun deployments but from 1943 they were used as anti-tank grenades too - the soldiers threw them on the tanks' engine compartments.
There are 4 known Hungarian mass-produced incendiary weapons. The 38.M, 38/A.M, 39.M and 39/A.M flame grenades. The 38.M was adopted by the Hungarian Arme Forces in 1938, the 38/A.M on 27 September 1938. Both the 39.M and 39/A.M were adopted in 1939. They all followed the same pattern. Out of the four the most common, widely used and preferred version was the 39/A.M flame grenade.
The Hungarian flame grenade was a breakable glass filled with 0,4-0,5 litre flammable substance. The material was either gasoline, gasoline mixed with ethyl alcohol, or 2/3 gasoline mixed with 1/3 flaming oil (petrol mixed with tar). The bottom of the glass had a rectangular nook where two ampules were glued with resin wax. These ampules were filled with an igniter fluid, something that immediately cathes fire when reacting with the air, probably something phosphorous, we don't really know now because that data was lost.
The 38.M and 39.M flame grenades were closed with a cork bottle stopper while the 38/A.M and 39/A.M flame grenades had a screw-threaded aluminium cap with rubber. The 38.M and 38/A.M grenades used transparent glasses while the 39.M and 39/A.M were painted green. They were all carried in the same tin capsule.
The exact number of produced flame grenades is not known, they were produced even after the war with some modifications.
Anti tank concentrated TNT charge
The concentrated charge of 3 kilograms, is found ready for use in the infantry engineer platoon, infantry engineer platoon motorized, engineer companies, and engineer battalions.
It will pierce about 60 mm of armor and is best placed over the engine or the driver's seat. The crew will be badly wounded by small fragments of the inner walls spattering off. The concussion is unbearable.
Even greater effect will be obtained by combining several 3-kilogram charges.
Hungarian 43.M rifle grenade launcher
In 1943 Hungary bought the licence of the German Gewehrgranatengerät 42 and started producing it. While Germans called it "Schiessbecher" the Hungarians called it "Tromblon" ("blunderbuss"). Around 500 "Tromblons" and 20.000 rifle grenades were bought alongside with the licence. Hungarian production started in January 1944, 50.000 rifle grenades were produced per month.
The 43.M rifle grenade launcher could fire a 30 mm 43.M high-explosive grenade to 400-500 meters, the effective range of the shrapnel was 30 meters.
It also could fire a 30 mm 43.M armor piercing shaped charge grenade to 100-120 meters, the armor penetration was 70-80 mm at 90° from horizontal.
The launcher could be fixed on both the 35.M and 43.M Mannlicher bolt-action rifles, there are no datas left if it could be used on the 31.M Mannlicher bolt-action rifle but it's very likely that it could be. The exact number of produced 43.M "Tromblons" or its grenades are not known.
Hungarian 36.M contact fragmentation mine
The Hungarian term for "contact fragmentation mine" is Érintő Repeszakna or ÉRA for short, that's why this mine is simply called 36.M ÉRA sometimes. This anti-personnel mine was adopted by the Hungarian Armed Forces in 1936 and was used throughout the whole war.
The mine consist of a cylindrical minebody, a fuse and a pressurecap. The body is made of steel and has a fragmentation coil over it. Filling of the mine is 100 g TNT in an aluminium tube. The mine has a steel pressure cap, there are two holes on the cap for the safety pin. It's painted olive-drab. Before set-up the location of a mine was prepared with a steel spike. The mine was placed into the ground to its fragmentation coil. If it was deeper the mine didn't blew up properly or if too much of it lolled out the mine simply tumbled. The tripwire and fuse were fitted after the mine was set in place. To initiate the fuse it needed about 1 kilogram powerful force. With that much pull on the trip wire the striker was released and penetrated the percussion cap. The flame of the igniter set off the detonator and the main charge. It has a lethal radius of 10 meter.
43.M conact fragmentation mine:
Called as 43.M ÉRA, it was an improved version of the 36.M ÉRA, adopted in 1943. It worked in the same way but the fragmentation effect was raised with small metal balls and a 4 mm thick wire being twirled around the main charge. The filling of the mine raised to 220 g TNT, it had a lethal radius of 15 meter.
Hungarian 43.M bounding mine
The Hungarian term for "bounding mine" is Ugró Repeszakna or URAK for short, that's why this mine is simply called 43.M URAK sometimes. This anti-personnel mine was adopted by the Hungarian Armed Forces in 1943. The origin of the mine is not known but it looks similar to the German S-mine so it's possible that the Hungarian 43.M URAK is a licence built of the German one.
This bounding, trip wire operated, stake mounted mine contained steel ball shrapnels, an explosive charge, and a propellant charge. The fuze employed a twin pronged striker which was designed especially for this mine. The propellant charge was black powder and the explosive charge was 800 g TNT. Sadly this is all we know about this mine, almost all of its datas were lost.
Hungarian 36.M land mine
It is called as Tányérakna ("plate mine") or TAK for short, that's why this mine is simply called 36.M TAK sometimes. This land mine was adopted by the Hungarian Armed Forces in 1936 and was used throughout the whole war.
This multi-purpose mine consists of a minebody, a pressure-plate and a fuze. The pressure-plate and the mine body are both made of steel, the fuze is made of brass. Three lugs are attached to the mine body, on which the pressure-plate was fitted. The fuze has six sets, each set made the fuze sensitive to different weights:
K ("Kicsi" or "Little") - 35kg 1 - 100kg 2 - 200kg 3 - 300kg N ("Nagy" or "Big") - 350kg H ("Húzásra" or "Pull function") - this means that the mine was used as an observed explosive and blew up when the observer soldier pulled a string which was tied to the mine.
The adjustable shear-ring in the fuze is set in the desired setting. When the pressureplate initiates the fuze, the striker in the fuze hits the percussion cap and sets off the detonator. When set on "pull function", the shear-ring is not in the fuze. After pulling out the release pin through tripwire, the striker spring drives the striker in the percussion cap. Filling of the mine is 1,5 kg nitrostarch (Tri II). If the mine was dug into the ground around 5-8 centimeter dirt had to be above it.
Hungarian 43.M land mine
It is called as Tányérakna ("plate mine") or TAK for short, that's why this mine is simply called 43.M TAK or "43.M big plate mine" ("43.M nagy tányérakna") sometimes. This shaped charge anti-tank mine was adopted by the Hungarian Armed Forces in 1943, developed by József Misznay (known for the Misznay–Schardin effect).
This mine has a cylindrical cardboard case with plywood top and bottom. The case holds a thick, paper wrapped shaped charge. The cardboard body of the mine is covered with bitumen from the outside and paraffin from the inside. A waterproof camouflage pattern canvas cover encases the entire mine. A central fuze well is located at the bottom of the mine. The fuze is a mechanical pressure type which can be adjusted to operate at varying pressures of 500-600 kilogram. A special "L" shaped angle iron may be used with the mine. In this case when a tank runs over the upright leg of the "L", the mine is slammed up and detonates on the belly of the tank. Filling of the mine is 4,6 kg TNT or Pentolite 50/50. The 43.M TAK can be used both under the ground and on it, because it hardly consists any metal parts it was hard to find it with mine detectors. The exact number of produced 43.M TAKs is not known.
43.M bar mine
called as 43.M HAK or "43.M big square prism mine" ("43.M nagy hasábakna"), an anti-tank version of the 36.M adopted in 1943. The initiation of the 43.M was the same and it even looked the same. The only difference is that the square prism minebody was larger and had 4 kg TNT in it and it also needed 200 kilogramm of pressure to be activated.
Hungarian 44.M off-route mine
It is called as Lövő Tányérakna ("shooting plate mine") or LŐTAK for short, that's why this mine is simply called 44.M LŐTAK sometimes. This off-route anti-tank mine was adopted by the Hungarian Armed Forces in 1944, developed by Lt.Col. József Misznay (known for the Misznay–Schardin effect).
This mine differs radically from most other known anti-tank mines. Instead of the usual blast effect or the shaped charge effect it uses a combination of shaped charge and metal projectile. When the mine is detonated the steel plate and the attached rod are projected toward the target. The mine is set up in a triangular wooden frame in defiles and other logical tank approaches.
It is usually placed on a tree or a building
Filling of the mine is 4,5 kg Pentolite 50/50, penetration is 100 mm of armor at 20 meters.
During Operation Margarethe in March 1944 some Hungarian units resisted against the Germans who occupied the country. These Hungarian units barricaded themselves in Buda Castle and deployed some LŐTAKs on the roads which led to the castle. One of them blew up in Ostrom street and blew a hole into the side of the building on the other side. Ostrom street is a one-way street with parking lots and sidewalks on both sides, so it's around 12 meter wide from wall to wall. This demonstrates the sheer blast effect of the mine.
This was probably the first off-route mine worldwide. The mine was either activated by tripwire or charged electrically by a remote control if used as an observed mine. The 44.M LŐTAKs were first used in the Carpathian Mountains but they were deployed in other places of Hungary as well. The exact number of produced 44.M LŐTAKs is not known.
Anti Tank Rifle
Solothurn 36 M. S-18/100 nehézpuska
In 1936 Hungary bought the licence of the Solothurn S-18/100 anti-material rifle from Swiss company Solothurn. Hungarian production was done by the Danuvia company. The 36.M long caliber rifle differed from the original weapon in some specifications. The semi-automatic weapon had a 900 mm long barrel and had a 5-round detachable box magazine. The rate of fire of the weapon was 22-26 rounds/min depending on the experience of the operators, some of them were capable to shoot 30 rounds in a minute but slower ones shot only 10 or so. It fired a 0,175 kg APHE-T round - or a 0,156 kg HE-T round - with 762 m/s muzzle velocity.
- It had a semi-automatic action in a bullpup configuration. As a result of its large, powerful ammunition, the gun had a tremendous recoil, and its size made portability difficult. The feed was either from a five or (more usually) ten-round magazine that was attached horizontally to the left side of the gun. The gun used 20×105mm belted-case ammunition which it shared with the S 18-350 aircraft cannon that was developed from the rifle. A Finnish source gives armour penetration of the gun (probably achieved with the Hungarian APHE-T round, since it was the only type used in Finland) as 20mm at a 60-degree angle at 100-metre distance, decreasing to 16mm at 500 metres
According to Hungarian sources the armor penetration of the weapon was:
APHE-T
35 mm - 100 m - 90° from horizontal 24 mm - 500 m - 90° from horizontal 17 mm - 1000 m - 90° from horizontal
HE-T
30 mm - 100 m - 60° from horizontal 20 mm - 500 m - 60° from horizontal 13 mm - 1000 m - 60° from horizontal
The effective range of the weapon was 1500 meters but could fire up to 5500 meters.
It was relatively accurate with 25x25 cm spread at 500 meters, 100x100 cm at 1000 meters.
It was used with a scope which is seen in the gallery above.
The 36.M Solothurn was the main weapon of the Hungarian Toldi light tank and Csaba armored car but was used with different scopes. Both renowned Hungarian developers, Pál Király and Ferenc Gebauer had their own projects in which they tried to re-modify the weapon to full-automatic which could be used in aircrafts or in tanks, sadly both projects remained in prototype state. Production of the Solothurn stopped in 1943 but the 36.M long caliber rifle was used throughout the war.
Some motorbikes were equipped with 20mm 36.M Solothurn anti-tank rifles,on the sidecar.
Hand-held Rocket Louncher
44M. 60 mm hand-held rocket launcher
Sometime during the war Hungary met with the early types of the American Bazooka, probably as a Lend-Lease weapon used by the Russians in 1942-43. Like Germany, Hungary started to develop her own man-portable anti-tank rocket launcher which shared more resemblance to the American weapon than to the German Panzerschreck. However the Hungarian weapon is not a copy of the weapon, it was better in many regards than the original early type Bazookas or Panzerschrecks. Development started in 1943.
The 44.M was a 60 mm caliber weapon and could penetrate 100 mm of armor thanks to the base fuse in the rocket which did not weakened the effects of the hollow charge unlike the head fuse. The cover of the warhead is a zinc-based die-casting alloy which made it easier to produce as well as giving the warhead a secondary fuse effect. The rocket also had better ballistics than the early American and German ones, the vertex of the rocket was 0,5 m at 50 meters, 2 m at 100 meters and 4,5 m at 150 meters. The muzzle velocity of the weapon was 80 m/s, had an effective range of 150 meters and a maximum range of 600 meters.
The mass-produced launcher tubes recieved an armor plate and because of that it looked more like a German Panzerschreck. Sadly it was given to the troops too late - in 1944 - and could not change the outcome of the war. The exact number of produced 44.M man-portable rocket launchers is not known.
Hungarian 50 mm 39.M grenade launcher
This weapon was developed in 1939 by Hungary to provide it's troops with a weapon that could give effective fire cover within ranges which were too risky to cover with field artillery or even by mortars. The 39.M grenade launcher had an effective fire range of 50 to 850 meters and it's 0,85 kg grenades had the exploding effects of two hand grenades. An experienced crew could fire 20 to 30 grenades in a minute.
The most intresting part of the weapon is the exhaust which was on the back side of the barrel. The barrel had 6 holes on it and through them the gunpowder gases could escape. If the exhaust was in a "closed" position the gases could escape through only 1 hole, but if it was "open" all 6 holes were available. The weapon used the gas pressure to fire it's grenades - more gas meant bigger range, less gas meant smaller range of fire.
The exact number of built 50 mm 39.M grenade launchers is not known.
Hungarian binocular
6x30 binocular manufactured by MOM - after 1939 -, the intresting thing about this is that the "Property of Royal Hungarian Treasury" can't be seen on the binocular but a stamp which shows the Royal Hungarian Crown and a stamp of the Central Acceptance Comittee can be seen on it which means that it's a military binocular from WW2.
Hungarian infantry trench tools
1890/1931.M and 1935.M bayonet:
the 1890/1931.M bayonet was used in WW1 for the 1890.M Mannlicher rifles which were modified in 1931, hence they became the 1931.M carbines, therefore the bayonet was renamed from 1890.M to 1931.M. The 1935.M bayonet on the other hand was used for the 1935.M carbine and as can be seen it was longer than the 1931.M. The 1935.M bayonet had a different fixing mechanism than the 1931.M, therefore an 1935.M bayonet could not be fixed on an 1931.M carbine and an 1931.M bayonet could not be fixed on an 1935.M carbine. Many soldiers wore the bayonets on their service and dress uniforms too. The bayonets were used by the Army, the Air Force and the River Forces too
Axe-hammer
A tool used since WW1. During WW2 axe-hammers were still used by the Hungarian Armed Forces although there were less than entrenching tools. Usually squad leaders were equipped with axe-hammers, but there was at least one axe-hammer in each squad.
36.M entrenching tool
Adopted in 1936. The head could be bent 90° so it could be used as a hoe too. The carrying handle of the 36.M was used on the 10.M and 43.M entrenching tools too.
43.M entrenching tool
Adopted in 1943, a modified 36.M. This entrenching tool's head could be bent 180° so it used less space. The head could be fixed at 90° too so it could be used as a hoe. It had a special carrying handle but the 36.M's handle was compatible with it to
Hungarian Medic kit and Field dressing
Field dressing
(dimensions: kb. 10cm x 6,5cm x 3cm (not counting the perforated parts)
Medic kit
(dimensions: 19cm x 11,5cm x 11,5cm)
For more detailed information go to the following web pages -