43M Turán III

File:Turan II (41M Turan) in the Kubinka Museum.jpg

Though the Turán I and II had not yet seen combat,{{cite book |title=Hungarian Armoured Units During The Second World War: Vol. 2 1944-1945|last=Martinez|first=Eduardo|year=2023|publisher=Witness to War (Soldiershop)|isbn=9791255890362 |pages=11–12}} in February 1943 the General Staff of the Honvédség decided it was necessary to begin a modernisation program to improve the tanks.{{cite book |title=Magyar Warriors: The History of the Royal Hungarian Armed Forces, 1919-1945|last1=Bernad|first1=Denes|last2=Kliment|first2=Chalres K. |year=2015|publisher=Helion|isbn=978-1-906033-88-0 |pages=365}} In April 1943 the Hungarian General Staff debated whether to build the Turán III or to obtain the license to produce the long barrelled Panzer IV. Major General Zoltan Harmos asserted that the Panzer IV was not superior enough to the planned Turán III to be worth the price the Germans would ask for the production license.{{cite book |title=Magyar Warriors: The History of the Royal Hungarian Armed Forces, 1919-1945|last1=Bernad|first1=Denes|last2=Kliment|first2=Chalres K. |year=2015|publisher=Helion|isbn=978-1-906033-88-0 |pages=371}}

In August 1943 the first prototype of the Turán III was built on the chassis of a Turán I (registration H-830). This first prototype had a new turret and additional 25mm of armor added to the front and rear of the tank. A second prototype was planned for December 1943, but was not completed until June 1944.{{cite book |title=Magyar Warriors: The History of the Royal Hungarian Armed Forces, 1919-1945|last1=Bernad|first1=Denes|last2=Kliment|first2=Chalres K. |year=2015|publisher=Helion|isbn=978-1-906033-88-0 |pages=365–366}} The second prototype had around 75-95mm of armor on the front of the turret and the hull, which further increased the weight and slowed the vehicle down compared to the earlier Turán variants.{{Cite web|title=Hungarian armor part 7 – Turán III {{!}} For the Record|url=http://ftr.wot-news.com/2014/06/04/hungarian-armor-part-7-turan-iii/|access-date=2021-10-15|language=en-US}}{{Cite book|last=Bonhardt-Sárhidai-Winkler|title=A Magyar Királyi Honvédség fegyverzete|publisher=Zrínyi Kiadó|year=1993|isbn=9633271827|location=Budapest|pages=92}}

Two Turán III vehicles were produced, a prototype and a fully functioning vehicle for the trials. The Turán III with the actual turret was finished in February 1944. Mobility and firing tests were then carried out. However, no more 43M Turáns (Turán III or Turán 75 long) were constructed because of a lack of materials and the fact that after the Occupation of Hungary in March 1944, Germany did not allow further tank and gun production, and restricted Hungarian industry to only spare part manufacturing level. However, this was most likely circumvented in the case of the 44M Tas' development.{{Cite web|title=Magyar Harckocsik a II. Világháborúban|url=https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/252288-magyar-harckocsik-a-ii-vil%C3%A1gh%C3%A1bor%C3%BAban/|access-date=2021-10-15|website=War Thunder - Official Forum|language=en-GB}}

The Hungarian tank driver József Czimmermann stated that there were several Turan III in the 2nd Armoured Division during the fighting near the Ipoly in late 1944. He claimed that the damaged Turán IIIs were captured by the Soviet Union.

Related development

• 40/41M Turán I/II – Hungarian medium tanks from which the Turán III was developed
• 44M Zrínyi I – Hungarian tank destroyer with the same gun and hull

; Tanks of comparable role, performance, and era

• 44M Tas – Hungarian medium/heavy tank
• A27M Cromwell – British medium/cruiser tank
• Carro Armato P.43 – Italian medium/heavy tank proposal
• M4 Sherman – American medium tank
• Panzer IV – German medium tank
• T-34 – Soviet medium tank
• Stridsvagn m/42 - Swedish medium tank

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book|last1=Bernad|first1=Dénes|title=Magyar Warriors: The History of the Royal Hungarian Armed Forces, 1919–1945|last2=Kliment|first2=Charles K.|date=2015|publisher=Helion|isbn=978-1-906033-88-0|volume=1|location=Solihull, UK|name-list-style=amp}}
• {{cite book|last1=Csaba|first1=Becze|title=Magyar Steel: Hungarian Armour in WWII|date=2007|publisher=STRATUS for Mushroom Model Publications|isbn=978-83-89450-29-6|location=Sandomierz, Poland}}
• {{cite book|last1=Mujzer|first1=Péter|title=Operational History of the Hungarian Armoured Troops in World War II.|date=2018|publisher=Kagero Publications|isbn=978-83-66148-07-9|location=Lublin, Poland}}
• {{cite book |first= Peter |last= Mujzer|title=Hungarian Arms and Armour of World War Two|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vzGlzgEACAAJ|date=2022 |publisher= Key Publishing Limited |location= Stamford, England|isbn= 978-1913870645 }}
• {{cite book |first= Leo W.G.|last= Niehorster|title=The Royal Hungarian Army 1920 – 1945 Volume 1: Organisation and History|url=http://niehorster.org/015_hungary/book/Royal_Hungarian_Army_1920-1945.pdf|date=1998}}

{{WWIIHungarianAFVs|style=wide}}

{{Weapons of Hungary}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:40M Turan}}

Category:Tanks of Hungary

Category:World War II medium tanks

Category:Military vehicles introduced from 1940 to 1944

Category:World War II military equipment of Hungary

Category:Hungarian design