39M Csaba

Infobox Weapon
name=Armoured Scout Car, 39M Csaba
origin=flagicon|Hungary|1940 Kingdom of Hungary
type=Armored car
is_vehicle=yes
is_UK=no
used_by=Hungarian Army
designer=Nicholas Straussler
design_date=1930s
manufacturer=Weiss Manfred, Csepel
service= 1939 -
wars=Second World War
production_date= 1939 - 1944
number=
length= 14 ft 8 in (4.52 m)
width= 6 ft 10 in (2.1 m)
height= 7 ft 4 in (2.27 m)
weight= 5.95 tonnes
speed= 40 mph (65 km/h)
vehicle_range= 93 mi (150 km)
primary_armament= 20mm cannon
secondary_armament= 2 x 8mm MG
armour= 9 mm
engine= Ford, 8 cylinder
crew= 3
engine_power=90hp

The 39 M Csaba was an armoured scout car produced for the Royal Hungarian Army during World War II.

Hungarian ex-patriot Nicholas Straussler designed several armoured cars for Britain while living there between the two world wars. Straussler came to an agreement with the Weiss Manfred factory of Csepel, Budapest to produce vehicles from his designs for use in his home country - the most prominent was the Csaba (named after the son of Attila the Hun) which was designed based on his experience of the Alvis AC2 armoured car.

After successful trials in 1939, the Hungarian Army placed an order for 61, and a further order for an additional 40 vehicles was placed in 1940. Of these, twenty were used as actual fighting vehicles, with the remainder serving as armoured command cars and reconnaissance vehicles.

The Csaba had a 20mm cannon and an 8mm machine gun fixed on a centrally mounted turret, with 9mm armoured plating. The vehicle was also equipped with a detachable 8mm light machine gun fired through the rear hatch in the anti-aircraft role. The crew could dismount and carry this MG when conducting reconnaissance on foot. It also had two driving positions - one at the front as normal, and an additional one at the rear.

The 40 M Csaba was a command version armed only with the turret mounted 8mm machine gun. This vehicle was fitted with a second R-4T radio which had a large lattice radio mast.

References

*cite web | url=http://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/hun/Hungary.html
title=Hungarian Tanks | accessdate=2007-08-02
*cite web | url =http://www.ordersofbattle.darkscape.net/site/sturmvogel/Hung2Army.html
title=Hungarian Army in Russia | accessdate=2007-08-02
*cite web | url=http://www.ww2incolor.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3523
title=WW2 in Color | accessdate=2007-08-02