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Bronco Models has announced an Hungarian Medium Tank 40.M ‘Turan’ I for an early release this year. I think you will agree this is a little different as offerings go.

The 40M Turan 1 was a Hungarian medium tank based on the Czechoslovakian Skoda S-IIC built in 1937. Unfortunately the construction of two pilot tanks was not finished until after the German occupation, when it emerged as the Skoda T-22. Two of these tanks were then passed on to ally Hungary for production, where it became known as the 40M Turan 1. The 40M weighed 18 tons and was powered by a 250bhp Manfred Weiss petrol engine which gave a road speed of 48 km/h. Armour was 50mm thick on the frontal plates giving good protection by 1941 standards. The 40M was armed with a 40mm Skoda A-17 anti-tank gun and two 7.92mm machine guns. Production was slow and only 285 tanks were completed, these did not see action until 1944. By this time 40M was no match for the Soviet T-34/85 and IS-2 battle tanks. In service the 40M was used by the 1st and 2nd Armoured Divisions and 1st Cavalry Division of the Hungarian army
Story by Phil Greenwood