When Hungary began her rearmament in 1938, among the many steps taken was the formation of a paratrooper unit. Many qualified soldiers responded to the call to volunteer and a unit of four-hundred tough paratroopers was trained. Equipped with automatic small arms, they saw action first in 1941, during the German/Hungarian drive into Yugoslavia, when Hungary sought to recover the lost territory of Southern Hungary.

Hungarian Paratroopers (Ejtoernyosok) in Action

The Hungarian paratroopers during the WW2 era were transported by Italian-built Savoia Marchetti planes, like the one above, which proved to be quite reliable in service.

Hungarian Paratroop Transporter

As the Soviet summer offensive unfolded, in a defensive position by the Dniester River, two Hungarian infantrymen are eating their lunch seemingly uneasily, staying close to their small mortar.