Hungarian Forces

Hungarian Tank Ace Lt. Tarczay, during 1944-1945

This serious and dedicated young Hungarian was trained in tank warfare with the Hungarian-made Turan I and Turan II medium tanks in mind. He was in command of a unit of Turan II tanks during the 1944 spring offensive of the Hungarian First Army ordered to fight in Galicia. When the Turan tanks proved to be only partially capable of taking on the Russian T-34, their depleted numbers were replaced by a limited number of German Panzer IV, Panther, and even Tiger tanks. First commanding Tiger and later Panther panzer units, Tarczay (Taar-tsaa-ee) proved to be a no-nonsense, aggressive leader, whose bold actions often tipped the scales of battle. He was fearless, often directing the battle from an open turret, and his heroism earned him many military decorations, including the German Iron Cross. Hi is credited with over ten confirmed enemy tank “kills,” garnering the Hungarian “tank ace” designation. Ervin Tarczay ultimately gave his life in battle, along with many hundreds of thousands Hungarians.