The Armour of Hitler's Allies in Action, 1943–1945: Rare Photographs from Wartime Archives

By Ian Baxter

While much has been written about the Nazis’ panzers, comparatively little is known about the armored vehicles in service with the other Axis armies. This classic Images of War book redresses the balance by covering in detail the equipment operated by these nations supporting Hitler’s war machine.

Using rare and often unpublished photographs with full captions and authoritative text, it provides a comprehensive coverage of Romanian, Bulgarian and Hungarian tanks and other armored fighting vehicles. In addition, it describes Yugoslavian, Serbian and Slovakian armor in addition to armor originating from the Fatherland.

Examples of tanks and assault guns are the Romanian TCAM R-2 (Panzer 35t tank destroyer), TACAM T-38 (Panzer 38t), the Bulgarian Jadgpanzer 38(t), StuG40 Ausf.G, Pz.Kp.IV AusH and the Hungarian StuG.III Ausf.G, not forgetting Tigers & Panthers.

As well as giving technical specifications, the book traces the fighting record of these vehicles between 1943 – 1945. It shows how armored units fought bands of partisans, and were used to defend their frontiers against the overwhelming might of the Red Army, until they were either captured or destroyed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pen and Sword
• Release date: Feb 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9781399085458

Ian Baxter

Ian Baxter is a military historian who specialises in German twentieth-century military history. He has written more than fifty books. He has also reviewed numerous military studies for publication, supplied thousands of photographs and important documents to various publishers and film production companies worldwide, and lectures to various schools, colleges and universities throughout the United Kingdom and Southern Ireland.

Book preview

Introduction

While the German Panzer is widely known, little is known about the armour sold by the Nazis and given to their allies during the Second World War.

This book in the classic ‘Images of War’ series reveals these vehicles that were acquired to build up the allied forces in order to support the German war machine against the Red Army and anti-partisan operations.

Using rare and often unpublished photographs with full captions and authoritative text, it provides a comprehensive coverage of Romanian, Bulgarian and Hungarian tanks and supporting vehicles.

The book traces the employment of these vehicles, many of them with their own distinctive identification and markings. There were tanks and assault guns such as the Romanian TACAM R-2 (Panzer 35(t) tank destroyer), TACAM T-38 (Panzer 38(t)), the Bulgarian Jagdpanzer 38(t), StuG 40 Ausf.G, Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.H and the Hungarian StuG III Ausf.G including the use of Tigers.

Supporting these German-supplied vehicles were allied tanks too. The book details the various vehicles such as the Hungarian-built Toldi, Nimród, Turán and the Romanian TACAM R-2 and T-60. All of them were used in order to combat the might of the Red Army and to fight the endless partisan war that raged in these and the neighbouring countries.

Chapter One

Joining the Axis Powers

When the German war machine invaded the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, there was a very real chance that the Wehrmacht together with its powerful Panzerwaffe would win the war on the Eastern Front before the winter set in. Countries such as Romania and Hungary were only too willing to be part of that victory. For some time in Romania there had been growing resentment towards its government as the fascist and military factions grew. When the government was finally overthrown and Marshal Ion Antonescu took control in September 1940, he steered his regime towards joining the Axis powers on 23 November 1940.

Three days earlier, under pressure from Germany, Romania’s neighbour Hungary was forced to join the Axis powers and sign the Tripartite Pact. In December the Hungarian Prime Minister Pál Teleki then signed the ephemeral Treaty of Eternal Friendship with the kingdom of Yugoslavia, which was led by Regent Prince Paul. Months later on 25 March 1941 Prince Paul eventually signed the Tripartite Pact on behalf of Yugoslavia. However, two days later, a Yugoslavian coup removed Paul from power and replaced him with King Peter, who had no ambitions to see his country joining Germany’s crusade in the East. Hitler could not afford the Eastern European countries not to be in alliance with his ambitions against the Soviet Union, so asked the Hungarian government to support his invasion of Yugoslavia. In return he promised to hand over territory to Hungary in exchange for military co-operation.

On 3 April 1941, unable to prevent Hungary’s participation in the war alongside Germany, Teleki committed suicide and was quickly replaced by the fascist radical László Bárdossy as prime minister. Three days later the Germans attacked Yugoslavia and then Nicholas Horthy, the regent of the kingdom of Hungary, ordered the Hungarian Third Army to occupy Vojvodina. Horthy was obsessed by the Communist threat and the need to neutralize countries that did not favour destroying the Soviet Union. Hungary was now entering into complex political manoeuvres with the Nazi regime, and it would see Horthy playing a greater and more public role in navigating his country along a dangerous and crooked path.

Yet despite Horthy’s desires to see Russia destroyed, Hungary did not instantly participate in the invasion of the Soviet Union as Hitler was confident of immediate military success. However, this did not deter the Hungarians from participating in the war. Their eagerness to contribute initially was in order to persuade Hitler not to support Romania’s demands as a result of border revisions in Transylvania.

Another country that was determined to obtain territorial gains was Bulgaria. The country was economically dependent on Germany, with the majority of its trade coming from the Reich. It was also bound by an arms deal. Although Bulgaria was initially a neutral country, in February 1941 Hitler demanded that Bulgaria join the Tripartite Pact and allow German forces to pass through Bulgaria to attack Greece in order to assist Italian forces to capture the country. The offer was too tempting for the Bulgarians, especially as they were promised Greek and Yugoslavian territories. However, they also feared that resistance to the Führer’s demands could possibly mean the threat of a German military invasion of their country.

On 1 March 1941, Bulgaria officially joined the Axis Powers. Though the Bulgarian army did not participate in the invasion of Yugoslavia or the invasion of Greece, they were only too ready to occupy their prearranged territorial gains immediately after the surrender of each country.

As a new member of the Axis Powers the Bulgarians were not obliged to officially join their German counterparts in the invasion of Russia. This was a relief to Tsar Boris as his country’s forces were not properly equipped or modernized to adequately fight the Soviet army. They did not declare war on the Russians either as they were concerned that they could be drawn into battle with