40M Nimród

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40M Nimród
Hungary
WarsWorld War II
Production history
ManufacturerWeiss Manfréd
MÁVAG
No. built135
Specifications
Mass10.5 tonnes
Length5.32 m (17 ft 5 in)
Width2.31 m (7 ft 7 in)
Height2.8 m (9 ft 2 in)
Crew6
Armor6–13 mm on the hull, 28 mm on the turret
Main
armament
40 mm Bofors L/60 AA-gun
EngineVIII EST 107, 8-cylinder, gasoline, water-cooled
150 hp (110 kW)
Operational
range
300 km (180 mi)
Maximum speed 50 km/h (31 mph)

The 40M Nimród was a

air defense
.

Design

The 40M Nimród was a modified, license-built variant of the

SPAAG. The L-62 Anti I was based on the chassis of the Landsverk L-60 tank – the same tank that the Hungarian Toldi light tanks
were also based on.

The L-62 did differ though from the original L-60 chassis. It was longer and wider and had one more roadwheel per side. The 40M Nimród also differed from the original L-62 Anti I design. While the chassis was basically the same as the L-62 Anti I, although utilizing parts from the

38M Toldi
, the turret was modified to house one more crew member from the original 5 of the L-62 Anti I. The crew of the 40M Nimród consisted of six men: commander, driver, two loaders and two gunners.

The vehicle's armament consisted of a Hungarian

rolled homogeneous armor
at a range of 100 m (330 ft), and 30 mm (1.2 in) at 1,000 m (3,300 ft). The Nimrod carried 640 rounds, split into 4 stowages of 160 rounds each.

Late in the war, the vehicle was issued with a 150 mm (5.9 in) muzzle loaded

blank cartridge
loaded in the main gun. The 42M is often found under the name "Kerngranate", which is German for Core Shell.

Service history

The 40M Nimród was manufactured by the Manfréd Weiss Works. A first batch of 46 vehicles powered by a German Büssing-NAG L8V/36TR engine was followed by another batch of 89 vehicles powered by a Hungarian Ganz IP VGT 107 Type II (built under license from Büssing-NAG).

Although it was originally intended for anti-tank use, and it did see some success in destroying Soviet tanks, in 1943 the 40M Nimród was reclassified for anti-aircraft use as it was unable to penetrate the thick armor of the tanks in use by the Red Army by that point.

The following units used this vehicle:

  • 51st Heavy Armor Battalion, 1st Hungarian Armored Division
  • 52nd Heavy Armor Battalion, 2nd Hungarian Armored Division
  • 1st Hungarian Cavalry Division

A total of 135 Nimrods were built, most of which were deployed by the 51st and 52nd Armored Autocannon Battalions of the 1st and 2nd Hungarian Armoured Divisions, respectively. Nimrod batteries attached to armored and motorized battalions were allocated six vehicles each. A platoon consisted of two vehicles.

  • Nimróds at military demonstration, Mátyásföld, Budapest, 1943
    Nimróds at military demonstration, Mátyásföld, Budapest, 1943
  • A 40M Nimród. In the background is Zsámbék, Nicholas Zichy.
    A 40M Nimród. In the background is Zsámbék, Nicholas Zichy.
  • 40M Nimróds anti-aircraft machine guns in marching column near Zsámbék. In the background is the Premonstratensian Monastery.
    40M Nimróds anti-aircraft machine guns in marching column near Zsámbék. In the background is the Premonstratensian Monastery.
  • A Nimród anti-aircraft gun battery in firing position along the Zsámbék Páty road.
    A Nimród anti-aircraft gun battery in firing position along the Zsámbék Páty road.

Comparable vehicles

References

Notes

Bibliography

  • The Royal Hungarian Army, 1920-1945, Volume II, Hungarian Mobile Forces, by Dr. Peter Mujzer
  • A Magyar Királyi Honvédség Fegyverzete, by Attila Bonhardt, Gyula Sárhidai and László Winkler
  • Becze, Csaba. Magyar Steel. Mushroom Model Publications. Sandomierz 2006
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