When Allied bombing became frequent during 1943-1944, the Hungarian air defense service became very active in informing the public about approaching enemy bomber forces. The national radio and local sirens were utilized for this purpose, and the planes, mainly US, usually flew in from the SW, that is from Italy.

Air Defense Office, Hungary

Istvan Horthy trained to be a fighter pilot and he is shown here in the cockpit of his Heja (Hawk) fighter plane during 1942, not long before his tragic death, which many suspected to have been caused by a sabotage. (Gulfview)

Horthy and His Fighter Plane, 1942 (Hungary)

The Horthy regime, hoping for a quick German victory on the Russian front in 1941, hardly anticipated a drawn-out struggle, particularly with the United States. But the American participation was soon felt not only on the Eastern front, where US supplies and weapons played an important role, but also by the many bomber raids aimed at military and industrial targets. The  Bofors-MAVAG 800mm AA gun above, hidden in a cornfield, was  a component of Hungary's  limited air defenses.