40M Nimród
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| 40M Nimród | |
|---|---|
Hungary | |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Weiss Manfréd MÁVAG |
| No. built | 135 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 10.5 tonnes |
| Length | 5.32 m (17 ft 5 in) |
| Width | 2.31 m (7 ft 7 in) |
| Height | 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in) |
| Crew | 6 |
| Armor | 6–13 mm on the hull, 28 mm on the turret |
Main armament | 40 mm Bofors L/60 AA-gun |
| Engine | VIII 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
Design
The 40M Nimród was a modified, license-built variant of the
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
The vehicle's armament consisted of a Hungarian
Late in the war, the vehicle was issued with a 150 mm (5.9 in) muzzle loaded
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.
Gallery
-
Nimróds at military demonstration, Mátyásföld, Budapest, 1943 -
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. -
A Nimród anti-aircraft gun battery in firing position along the Zsámbék Páty road.
_Fortepan_44001.jpg)
Comparable vehicles
- Crusader Mk. III Anti-Aircraft Tank Mk. I
- L-62 Anti II
- M19 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage
- Möbelwagen
- Ostwind
- Wirbelwind
- ZSU-37
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
External links
