HIRIART World War II Hungarian Infantry, Eastern Front (1 Viewer)

[ucla1967]

I commissioned Hiriart to make three non-catalog sets of World War II Hungarian Infantry in their summer uniforms as depicted on an Osprey color plate. I have just received two photos of their completed Hungarians and I am very pleased with the results. They even included the hanging bracket on the back of the Hungarian version of the stahlhelm. The only other manufacturer who made WWII Hungarians that I can recall was Authenticast which had them prone firing. Bob and Fred have taken the other two sets.

 

[jager7080]

Mike ,

Awesome set of WW2 Hungarian...That is another sorely missing segment of WW2...I was able to obtain
a Hungarian soldier , a friend found one in Budapest Hungary for me...Til this day I have not been able to identify the company that made it...I even had Brad & Dave give it a crack , & they came up with it being made by an unknown Russian firm...He is about the same height as Hiriart...

Joe

 

[ucla1967]

Thanks Joe. It is a sorely missed part of WWII history that I am rectifying as far as my collection goes. Nice Hungarian soldier in the greatcoat pick up. That was another Osprey color plate possibility, but I decided to go for the summer uniform with the lighter khaki shirt which contrasts with the darker khaki helmet and pants. There is a bugler in the set that is hiding out of sight behind the formation.

Mike

 

[ucla1967]

The Hungarians contributed the Carpathian Group to Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. It was comprised of the 1st Mountain Brigade, the 8th Frontier Brigade, and the Mobile Corps, which is also known as the Fast Corps. The Mobile Corps was comprised of the 1st Motorized Brigade, the 2nd Motorized Brigade, and the 1st Cavalry Brigade, so it was like a weak division. It included motorized artillery, recon battalions, and bicycle battalions. The armored units were equipted with about 80 Toldi light tanks and possibly Italian Ansaldo tanketts. The Hungarians later formed the 1st Armored Division from the two Motorized Brigades which the Germans supplied with PzKpfw 38(t), III, and IV tanks. The Hungarians operated in Army Group South. The Second Hungarian Army was virtually destroyed fighting on the Don River in 1943, losing 30,000 men plus another 50,000 who were taken prisoner. One doesn't hear much about their contribution to the war and, as a result, they have been largely ignored by toy soldier manufacturers.

 

[ucla1967]

Here is what my Hiriart special commission "Magyar Gyalogsag" World War II Hungarian Infantry look like in their box.