Like many avid modelers of WW2 armor, I have to admit that until recently I had a major blind spot regarding Hungary’s contribution to the Axis cause. Amazingly for such a relatively small economy, Hungary possessed even then a robust arms industry. They did purchase armor from other sources, the most notable being Germany and Italy, but even so their home-grown products were comparable to some of the best equipment in the world at the time. I really have no idea how they’ve slipped under the modeling radar until recently.

Mr. Martinez’s book is absolutely stuffed with never-before-seen pictures of Hungarian armor, both indigenous and otherwise, and although printed completely in French, it still provides an excellent overview of this poorly documented subject. I spent some time translating the chapter and subchapter headings, which gives you some idea of the contents:

• The Birth of the Hungarian Armored Forces
• 1938 – Hungary tries to find a place for itself in Europe
• 1939 – Debut of the Second World War
• 1940-1941 Hungary under German Aid
• The Pact with Germany
• The Campaign in USSR in 1941
• 1942 Operations in the Ukraine
  • Occupation Missions and Return to the Front
  • First Battle of Uryv
  • First Battle of Korotoyak
  • Second Battle of Uryv
  • Second Battle of Korotoyak
  • Third Battle of Uryv
• 1943 Disaster and Reorganization
  • The Soviet Compressor Makes Its Appearance
  • Armored Formations of the Occupation Troops
  • Separate from Germany or Not?
• 1944 Back to the Wall
  • The Battles of 1944
  • The Battles for Galicia
• The 1st Hungarian Assault Artillery Group (March 1943 – July 1944)
  • The Magyars in Poland
  • Battles in the Carpathians and in Transylvania
  • The Battle of Torda
  • The Battles for Southern Hungary: Arad, Tisza, Szentes
  • Debrecen, the Door to Budapest
  • The Siege of Budapest
• 1945 Ultimate Battles
  • The Swan Song of the Hungarian Armored Forces
  • The Rescue Attempt for Budapest
  • The offensive of Lake Balaton
  • Final Battles
• Appendix 1: Insignia of the Hungarian Armored Forces
• Appendix 2: Armored Vehicles of the Hungarian Army
• Appendix 3: Armored Hungarian Trains
• Appendix 4: Numbers of Armored Vehicles Employed by Hungary
• Appendix 5: Markings

The last appendix also lists some of the currently-available kits of Hungarian armor, mostly from Bronco. Happily, the list is now longer than what is shown in the book, so you can put the contents of this useful reference to good use. Despite being only in French, this volume is absolutely chock full of fascinating pictures, supplemented with some useful artwork, and sheds much light on a relatively little-known subject.

My thanks to Heimdal Publishing for releasing the book and to IPMS/USA for the chance to get a glimpse into this interesting subject.