The Overlooked Achiever | 44M Zrínyi II

By mid 1942, the Royal Hungarian Army had adopted the 40M and 41M Turán tanks, yet many within the military still recognized a pressing need for a mobile artillery platform capable of supporting both infantry and armored units. Combat experience on the Eastern Front alongside the Wehrmacht highlighted the effectiveness of the German StuG III assault gun, which excelled at providing direct fire support in coordination with infantry and tanks. Inspired by this, Hungarian military planners began exploring the concept of converting the Turán chassis into a similar vehicle. Though the Turán tanks themselves would not see combat until 1944, design work on an assault gun variant began in the summer of 1942. These efforts led to the development of the 43M Zrínyi II, which entered production in early 1943, armed with a 105 mm (4.1 inch) howitzer for infantry support. A companion vehicle, the 44M Zrínyi I, was also envisioned as a tank destroyer equipped with a high-velocity 75 mm (2.9mm) anti-tank gun. However, the lack of domestically produced guns delayed the project, and only the Zrínyi II reached series production. Join this channel to get access to exclusive perks:    / @tanksencyclopediayt   If you liked this video, please consider donating on Patreon or Paypal! Patreon:   / tankartfund   Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/tanke... Article: https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/hu... Sources: A. Bonhardt (2015) Zrínyi II Assault Howitzer – Armour of the Royal Hungarian Army, Peko Publishing A. Bonhardt, W. László, S. Gyula (1992) A Magyar Királyi Honvédség fegyverzete, Zrínyi Kiadó B. László, G. József, T. Károly (1999) Harckocsik 1916-tól napjainkig, Zrínyi Kiadó C. Becze (2006) Magyar Steel – Hungarian armour in WWII, STRATUS D. Bernard & C. K. Kliment (2015) Magyar Warriors: The History Of The Royal Hungarian Armed Forces, 1919-1945 Vol. I, Helion & Company Ltd D. Lóránd, G. Pál, K. Géza Péter, K. Vilmos (2016) A Magyar Hadiipar Története – A Kezdetektől Napjainkig 1880-2015, Zrínyi Kiadó K. Nevenkin (2020) Fortress Budapest – The Siege of the Hungarian Capital, 1944-45 Vol. 1, Peko Publishing L. W. G. Niehorster (2010) The Royal Hungarian Army 1920-1945, Self-published M. Axworthy (1995) Third Axis Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941-1945, Arms and Armour Press P. Mujzer (2017) Hungarian Armored Forces in World War II, Kagero P. Mujzer (2018) Operational History Of The Hungarian Armoured Troops In World War II, Kagero P. Mujzer (2021) History of The 40/43M Zrínyi Assault Howitzer, Kagero V. Francev & C. K. Kliment (2004) Cesklovenska Obrnena Vozidla 1918-1948, ARES A. Bíró (Vol. 30, Issue 2, 1996) A 40/43. M Zrínyi—II rohamtarack fejlesztése és alkalmazása Part II, Haditechnika K. Andras (Vol. 10, Issue 2, June 2015) The Role and Creation of the Royal Hungarian Assault Artillery, and the Zrínyi II Assault Howitzer, Hadmérnök K. Miklos (Vol. 47, Issue 6, 2013) A Zrínyi járműcsalád története Part I, Haditechnika K. Miklos (Vol. 47, Issue 1, 2014) A Zrínyi járműcsalád története Part II, Haditechnika K. Miklos (Vol. 48, Issue 2, 2014) A Zrínyi járműcsalád története Part III, Haditechnika K. Nemeth (17 February, 2014) 40/43M. Zrínyi II and 44M. Zrínyi I Assault Guns, http://ftr.wot-news.com/2014/02/17/40... Tank Archives (17 January, 2022) Hungarian StuH, https://www.tankarchives.ca/2022/01/h... Tank Encyclopedia Magazines and Books: https://payhip.com/TankEncyclopedia Reddit:   / tankencyclopedia   TE Shop: http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/Goo... Our website: http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com Gaming News Website: http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/games/ Facebook:   / tanksencyclopedia   Twitter:   / tanksenc   Discord:   / discord   Email: [email protected] An article by Adam Gombo-Tolly Narrated by sosoniaru Edited by Mace Music by ‪@WhiteBatAudio‬