Overall, the Turan sported a running length of 5.55 meters with a width of 2.44 meters and a height of 2.39 meters. The hull was set upon a leaf-spring bogie suspension system for adequate cross-country performance. The Manfred Weiss powerplant supplied the mount with a top speed of 47 kilometers per hour and an operational range equal to 165 kilometers. The engine was mated to a transmission system featuring six forward and six reverse speeds. All told, the Turan was a solid armored fighting vehicle for the Hungarian Army and would prove somewhat useful, to an extent, in subsequent actions - particularly early in the war against "lesser" foes. Production of the Turan began in 1941 and continued on into 1944 to which some 285 examples were ultimately delivered. Production was split between MVG, Manfred Weisz, Canz and MAVAG of which MAVAG also handled gun barrels and Manfred-Weisz, MVG and MAVAG the engines.
When operationally deployed, Turan tanks were assigned to three Hungarian Army divisions (the 1st and 2nd Hungarian Armored and the 1st Cavalry). Their inclusion in armored operations provided the Hungarian Army with a mechanized arm that could protect infantry movements, assault fortified enemy positions and move the Hungarian battle force at speed. The engine deck of the tank proved helpful in ferrying infantrymen to and from combat fronts. Turan-involved operations spanned from 1943 into 1944 although direct combat use was not recorded until April of the latter, this taking place in Galicia at the Polish-Ukrainian border. War records show that the Turan did not fare particularly well on the ever-evolving battlefield where thicker armor and bigger guns were proving the norm. Combat also showcased the type's many inherent deficiencies compared to contemporary tanks coming on line - of note being the relatively thin armor protection and the small-caliber main gun.
When forced to face off against the latest in Soviet armor progression - particularly the fabled, war-winning T-34 Medium Tank - the Turan series was wholly outclassed in its original form, forcing Hungarian authorities to request a revised version fitted a more powerful, short-barreled 75mm main 41M gun. This new gun (based on the Bohler 75mm 18M field gun), in turn, forced the development of a larger turret to fit all of the corresponding parts of the weapon system as well as leaving room for ammunition storage, critical systems and turret crew. Even in this revised guise appearing in May of 1943, the new "41M Turan II" simply could not contend with the thick armor of the Soviet T-34 or its related KV heavy tank counterparts. Conversely, Soviet tanks had little trouble in dealing with the Turan tanks, even at distance. Due to the lack of available options within Hungary and Germany's inability to produce Panzers on a large scale for all of her allies, the Turan tank soldiered on without much help. Production ran until 1944 at which point control of Hungary fell to the Soviet occupation. There were also plans for a "43M Turan III" appearing in 1944, this fitting the German 75mm L/43 (PaK 40) main gun with side skirt armor - though this endeavor fell to naught and existed in prototype form only. However, existing Turan I and Turan II tanks adopted the intended side skirt armor from the abandoned Turan III initiative.
Beyond the Turan I and Turan II production forms, Manfred Weiss took the Turan tank chassis and modified it to serve as the "Zrinyi II" - a 105mm armed, four-crew, self-propelled, tracked, armored assault gun of 22 tons. The system maintained the complete running gear of the Turan tank but did away with the traversing turret. In its place was a fixed superstructure mounting the 105mm MAVAG 40/43M L/20.5 howitzer with applicable recoil and breech system. Armor protection was 75mm at its thickest. The vehicle was intended to support joint combat tank actions as well as infantry movements. As many as sixty-six of the type are thought to have been produced though their involvement and success in the war appears to have been limited. The "Zrinyi I" design preceded the Zrinyi II and fitted the 75mm 43M howitzer for tank destroyer duties - however, as with the Turan III proposal, the Zrinyi I only existed in prototype form.
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