39M Csaba

File:39M Csaba páncélautó. Fortepan 9223.jpg

Hungarian expatriate Nicholas Straussler designed several armoured cars for Britain while living there between the two world wars. Straussler came to an agreement with the Weiss Manfred factory of Csepel, Budapest to produce vehicles from his designs for use in his home country – the most prominent was the Csaba (named after the son of Attila the Hun) which was designed based on his experience of the Alvis AC2 armoured car.{{Cite web|url=https://tank-afv.com/ww2/hungary/39M-40M_Csaba.php|title=39M/40M Czaba armoured car|first=david|last=bocquelet|website=tank-afv.com}}

After successful trials in 1939, the Hungarian Army placed an order for 61, and a further order for an additional 40 vehicles was placed in 1940. Of these, twenty were used as actual fighting vehicles, with the remainder serving as armoured command cars and reconnaissance vehicles.

In 1943 two cars, numbered RR511 & RR512, were painted blue for use by police units.{{cite journal |journal=Armored Car - The wheeled Fighting Vehicle Journal |first=John |last=Baumann

|title=Hungarian Armored Cars |url=https://warwheels.net/images/ACJFinal9.pdf |date=Jan 1992 |issue=9 |work= |access-date=27 August 2024}}

The Csaba had a 20 mm Solothurn anti-tank cannon{{cite book|last1=Zaloga|first1=Steven J.|title=The Anti-Tank Rifle|date=2018|publisher=Osprey Publishing|location=Oxford, UK|isbn=978-1-4728-1722-8|page=22}} and a coaxial 8 mm Gebauer 1934/37M machine gun fixed on a centrally mounted turret, with 9 mm armoured plating. The 20 mm cannon had 200 shells in 5 shell capacity magazines, for a total of 40 magazines, meanwhile the coaxial 8 mm Gebauer machine gun had 3000 rounds in 100 round metal belts.{{Cite web |last=Jacky 95 |date=2018-04-12 |title=Csaba armored cars |url=https://hungarianweaponryww2.wixsite.com/hungarianmilitaryww2/single-post/2018/03/26/csaba-armored-cars |access-date=2023-02-08 |website=Hungarianmilitaryww2 |language=en}} The vehicle was also equipped with a detachable 8 mm Solothurn light machine gun fired through the rear hatch in the anti-aircraft role. The crew could dismount and carry this LMG when conducting reconnaissance on foot. It also had two driving positions – one at the front as normal, and an additional one at the rear.

The 40M Csaba was a command version armed only with the turret-mounted 8 mm machine gun. This vehicle was fitted with a second R-4T radio, which had a large lattice radio mast.

The first Reconnaissance Battalion of Budapest's vehicles were marked with a lightning flash, as well as the Magyar Cross. The Magyar Cross was also seen on vehicles in Transylvania in September 1940, as well as in Yugoslavia and Russia in 1941. John Baumann speculates that the red and green cross may have served as an aiming point so it was later changed to a white cross on a grey/black background. Before October–November 1944, no German markings were found on 39Ms.

The first 61 vehicles were assigned to the 1st Mechanized Brigade, the 2nd Mechanized Brigade, 1st Armored Division, 2nd Armored Division, and 1st Mountain Brigade. Three 39Ms served with the 1st Mountain Brigade, while the other units received ten 39Ms, one 40M, and two vehicles used for training. All except the 1st Mountain Brigade served in Operation Barbarossa. Combat use showed that the 39M should not be used outside of its reconnaissance role, with only 17 units having survived from those sent to the front by December 1941. The 1st Cavalry brigade lost 18 39Ms in December 1942. 48 combat-ready vehicles were available by the summer of 1944, which were assigned to four Hungarian infantry divisions, which fought in Galicia along with cavalry divisions. The number of 39Ms gradually decreased further and further starting in Autumn of 1944.

File:Armoured car, combat vehicle, Hungarian brand, military Fortepan 72480.jpg|Front view of a 39M Csaba

File:Armoured car, Hungarian brand, military, combat vehicle, insignia Fortepan 72475.jpg|Side view of a 39M Csaba

File:39M Csaba páncélautók. Fortepan 29004.jpg|39M Csaba armoured cars in 1940

File:39M Csaba páncélautó belseje. Fortepan 29002.jpg|Interior of a 39M Csaba showing the coaxial Gebauer machine gun

File:39M Csaba páncélautó belseje. Fortepan 29003.jpg|Interior of a 39M Csaba from the driver's position

File:Aknára futott 39M Csaba páncélautó a magyar csapatok bevonulása idején. Fortepan 76992.jpg|A 39M Csaba damaged by a landmine and with the turret covered in Serbia, 1941, during the Invasion of Yugoslavia

File:Armoured car, military, winter, Hungarian brand, accident, camouflage pattern, road signs Fortepan 29008.jpg|A 39M Csaba stuck in a ditch, 1940

File:Automobile, commercial vehicle, armoured car, combat vehicle, Hungarian brand, military Fortepan 72481.jpg|A 39M Csaba driving at speed, 1943

{{reflist}}

• {{cite journal | author =J C M Probst | title =Hungarian armour during WW2 | journal =Airfix Magazine | issue =September 1976 }}

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• {{cite web| url= http://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/hun/Hungary.html| title= Hungarian Tanks| access-date= 2007-08-02| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070824235651/http://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/hun/Hungary.html| archive-date= 24 August 2007| url-status= dead| df= dmy-all}}
• {{cite web | url =http://www.ordersofbattle.darkscape.net/site/sturmvogel/Hung2Army.html | title =Hungarian Army in Russia | access-date =2007-08-02 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20050330175532/http://www.ordersofbattle.darkscape.net/site/sturmvogel/Hung2Army.html | archive-date =30 March 2005 | url-status =dead | df =dmy-all }}
• {{cite web | url=http://www.ww2incolor.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3523 | title=WW2 in Color | access-date=2007-08-02 | archive-date=30 September 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930181243/http://www.ww2incolor.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3523 | url-status=dead }}

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{{Weapons of Hungary}}

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Category:World War II armoured cars

Category:Armoured fighting vehicles of Hungary

Category:Military vehicles introduced in the 1930s

Category:SPGs. SPAs. Armored cars and trucks of 1939