38M Toldi

The Hungarian general staff wanted a modern light tank as soon as possible, after the domestically developed V-4 turned out to be too expensive by 1936 and work on it progressed slower than expected.[1]

Meanwhile, the Swedish AB Landsverk finished its recent development, the Landsverk L-60 in October, and was looking for a customer to cover the costs. After a series of trials in 1937 with the V-4 and the Panzer I, the MÁVAG heavy industries decided to purchase the license of the L-60, with a prototype for further development.[2]

The turret of the vehicle was then modified, making space for the radio and other devices, with a cupola being placed on top (since the L-60 was still unfinished and lacked in many necessary features).[2] The original main armament, the 20 mm Madsen was also replaced initially by a 25 mm Bofors autocannon, and then by the 20 mm Solothurn anti-tank rifle, as it was already in service in the Hungarian army.[3] The hull would then be changed on the front, upper sides, and rear, to riveted plates instead of welded for faster and easier production, with the original Scania-Vabis 1664 engine being replaced by the German Büssing L8V.[4]

At first, 80 vehicles were ordered from MÁVAG, then an order for 110 more vehicles were placed in 1940.[4] In total, 202 units were produced.

• 38M Toldi I (A20) - first variant armed with a 20 mm Solothurn anti-tank rifle,[5] 80 made.
• 42M Toldi II (B20) - variant with thicker front armour, 110 made.
• 42M Toldi IIA (B40) - modification developed in 1942, armed with the 37/42M 40 mm gun and a larger turret - 80 tanks of earlier variant were rearmed this way.
• 43M Toldi III (C40) - improved variant with thicker armor and schürzen plates, 12 made.
• 43M Toldi Páncélvadász ('Toldi tank destroyer') - Toldi hull with a German 7.5 cm Pak 40 anti-tank gun in an open casemate. Only 1 prototype made.[6]
• Toldi II armed with heavy anti-tank rocket launchers - modified Toldi II with its gun removed and a twin mount for 44M Buzogányvető heavy anti-tank rocket launchers mounted on the rear of its turret. One photograph is known to exist of this variant, so at least 1 made.[7]

Hungarian Toldi tanks on the Eastern Front

The Toldi tanks first saw action with the Hungarian Army in the 1941 Invasion of Yugoslavia.[4] These tanks were then mostly used against the USSR between 1941 and 1944. Because of their light armour, armament and good communications equipment, they were mostly used for reconnaissance. The design was effective against Soviet light tanks widespread during the early stages of Operation Barbarossa, such as the obsolete T-26 and BT-5. However it was totally inadequate against the Soviet T-34 medium tanks encountered during the later stages of the war on the Eastern Front.

The Toldi entered Hungarian service in 1940. They were used extensively in the Invasion of Yugoslavia and on the Eastern Front. From 1942, the Toldis were reassigned to reconnaissance, command and ambulance roles.[4]

Several Toldi tanks were captured by the USSR late in the war, two of them were transported to Kubinka for testing and are still preserved there.[2]

A few Toldis were captured by the Romanians after Romania switched sides following the 1944 coup d'état. Their fate is unknown.[8]

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  The only surviving 38M Toldi I in Kubinka Tank Museum – it has been damaged and modified. The Toldi IIA can be seen in the background.
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  The only surviving Toldi IIA (H501) in Kubinka Tank Museum.

Two Toldi tanks (one Toldi I and one Toldi IIA) are preserved on display at the Kubinka Tank Museum in Moscow, Russia. It can be seen that on the surviving 38M Toldi I the gun mantlet, guns, lights and rails have been modified or removed, and the right fender is damaged.

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  38M Toldi tanks in Budapest, Hungary, 1943
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  A Toldi IIA light tank
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  Toldi tanks undergoing maintenance in Hungary, 1943
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  42M Toldi II with its crew, 1942
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  A Toldi I in 1941
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  A 38M Toldi I in Villány, Hungary, 1941
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  A 38M Toldi I on the move, 1943
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  A Toldi tank in Budapest, Hungary, 1943

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Toldi (tank).

• War Is Over - Russian Army Database