Book Review of
Barbarossa Campaign in 1941
Hungarian Perspective
Author: Peter Mujzer
Kagero Books
ISBN: 978-83-66673-67-0
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $49.95
ISBN: 978-83-66673-67-0
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $49.95
HISTORY:
The first major campaign of the Royal Hungarian Army was fought against the Red Army in the Ukraine from July until November of 1941.
The Barbarossa campaign started 80 years ago, on 22 June 1941, pitting the forces of the Soviet Union against those of the Third Reich and its allies.
Hungary was among the less willing allies, who participated on the side of the Germans. On the strategically level, the Hungarian involvement during the first phase of the war against the Soviet Union was minimal.
On the other hand, the Hungarians committed their most modern, partially motorized units, the Middle Corps and the elite mountain jagers and border guard troops of the VIII Corps and the selected units of the Hungarian Air Force.
What the war meant for ordinary soldiers, civilians from the Hungarian perspective in 1941 is told.
THE BOOK:
Kagero Books is based in Lublin, Poland.
This book is soft-cover of 152 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows 2 black and white wartime photos.
The one at the top of the cover is of a camouflage Hungarian 35M Fiat tankette with a Hungarian made observation cupula parked next to a village football field, somewhere in the Ukraine.
At the bottom of the cover is a photo of a Junkers Ju-86E-2 bomber of the 3/1 later 4/1 Bomber Squadron and Heinkel He-70K long-range reconnaissance planes of the 1st Long-range Reconnaissance Group, parked at the airfield of Kecskemet.
The book contains 287 black and white wartime photos.
There are 13 battle maps in the book.
Hungarian and Russian infantrymen and officers are shown, aircraft pilots and aircrafts.
Aircrafts shown are:
Six of the Fiat Cr 32 biplane, the Junker Ju-86K-2, the Heinkel He-111P-2/P-4, the Heinkel He-70K, three of the WM-21 Hawk, the Caproni Ca=136. Two Fiat Cr.42 biplanes, a Soviet SB-2 bomber, three of the Soviet I-16 (2 shown wrecked), a Soviet IL-2 Sturmovik, 2 of the Reggiane RE-2000 Falco's.
Many photos are shown of artillery, vehicles and tanks:
Artillery shown are:
The 40 mm 36M Bofors autocannon, three of the 80mm anti-aircraft gun, the 39mm anti-aircraft gun, two of the 37mm anti-tank gun (Czech-built), the 150cm 31M howitzer, the 105mm light howitzer, an abandoned 152mm Soviet howitzer, a 122mm howitzer, an abandoned Soviet 85mm anti-aircraft gun, 2 of a captured Soviet 76.2mm regimental gun, and a Hungarian 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun.
Vehicles shown are:
Two of the 38M truck, the KV-40 artillery tractor, two of the 37m Hansa-Lloyd half-track, two of the Puch G350 motorbikes, 32m bicycles, five of the Krupp Protze trucks, the Fiat Coloniale car, the Mercedes G5 car, two of the 3M Botond truck, the Ford BB (Kfz. 31) ambulance, the Hanomag Sturm car, two of the Italian Isotta-Fraschini D70 heavy artillery tractor, an ex-Polish Sokol M-111 motorcycle with sidecar, two of the Ford Marmon truck, three of the 38M Botond truck, a captured Soviet heavy tractor, an Opel Blitz truck, 3 photos of Soviet BA-10 armored cars, 3 photos of the Toldi 38M truck, 2 photos of Volkswagen Beetles, 3 photos of the Ford-Mormon truck, a 48M Casaba truck, 3 photos of a Soviet ZIS-50, a Soviet Gaz AA truck, a Soviet T-20 Komsomolets tractor and 2 photos of the Hungarian KV-40 tractor.
Tanks shown are:
Four photos of the Italian-built Hungarian CV-35 tankette, four photos of the Italian-built Hungarian 39M Csaba, twelve photos of the 38M Toldi, two photos of the Soviet BT-7A, seven photos of the Soviet T-26, a photo of a wrecked Soviet T-28, a photo of an abandoned Soviet T-60, a photo of a German Pz.Kpfw. IV-F-1, two photos of a Soviet T-25, a photo of a Soviet T-35, a photo of a Soviet KV-2 heavy tank and a photo of a Fiat-Ansaldo tankette.
There are 8 color side-view profiles:
Two each of the 38M Toldi light tank
Two each of the 39M Csaba armored car
Two each of the 35M Fiat Ansaldo tankette
The Heinkel He-111P-2/P-4 bomber
The Fiat Cr-42 biplane
At the end of the book there is the 2 page BIBLIOGRAPHY.
There is a full-page advertisement for Kagero’s book titled “Zitadelle the SS Panzer-Korps on the Attack, July 1943”.
Another page shows cover arts of 5 other books that Kagero publishes:
Hungarian Armoured Forces of WWII, Operational History of the Hungarian armoured troops of WWII, The 38M Toldi Light tank, History of the Turan Medium & Heavy tanks and The History of the 40/42M Zrinyi Assault Howitzer.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the North American distributor of Kagero Books and all Kagero titles can be seen on Casemate’s website at:
The first major campaign of the Royal Hungarian Army was fought against the Red Army in the Ukraine from July until November of 1941.
The Barbarossa campaign started 80 years ago, on 22 June 1941, pitting the forces of the Soviet Union against those of the Third Reich and its allies.
Hungary was among the less willing allies, who participated on the side of the Germans. On the strategically level, the Hungarian involvement during the first phase of the war against the Soviet Union was minimal.
On the other hand, the Hungarians committed their most modern, partially motorized units, the Middle Corps and the elite mountain jagers and border guard troops of the VIII Corps and the selected units of the Hungarian Air Force.
What the war meant for ordinary soldiers, civilians from the Hungarian perspective in 1941 is told.
THE BOOK:
Kagero Books is based in Lublin, Poland.
This book is soft-cover of 152 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows 2 black and white wartime photos.
The one at the top of the cover is of a camouflage Hungarian 35M Fiat tankette with a Hungarian made observation cupula parked next to a village football field, somewhere in the Ukraine.
At the bottom of the cover is a photo of a Junkers Ju-86E-2 bomber of the 3/1 later 4/1 Bomber Squadron and Heinkel He-70K long-range reconnaissance planes of the 1st Long-range Reconnaissance Group, parked at the airfield of Kecskemet.
The book contains 287 black and white wartime photos.
There are 13 battle maps in the book.
Hungarian and Russian infantrymen and officers are shown, aircraft pilots and aircrafts.
Aircrafts shown are:
Six of the Fiat Cr 32 biplane, the Junker Ju-86K-2, the Heinkel He-111P-2/P-4, the Heinkel He-70K, three of the WM-21 Hawk, the Caproni Ca=136. Two Fiat Cr.42 biplanes, a Soviet SB-2 bomber, three of the Soviet I-16 (2 shown wrecked), a Soviet IL-2 Sturmovik, 2 of the Reggiane RE-2000 Falco's.
Many photos are shown of artillery, vehicles and tanks:
Artillery shown are:
The 40 mm 36M Bofors autocannon, three of the 80mm anti-aircraft gun, the 39mm anti-aircraft gun, two of the 37mm anti-tank gun (Czech-built), the 150cm 31M howitzer, the 105mm light howitzer, an abandoned 152mm Soviet howitzer, a 122mm howitzer, an abandoned Soviet 85mm anti-aircraft gun, 2 of a captured Soviet 76.2mm regimental gun, and a Hungarian 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun.
Vehicles shown are:
Two of the 38M truck, the KV-40 artillery tractor, two of the 37m Hansa-Lloyd half-track, two of the Puch G350 motorbikes, 32m bicycles, five of the Krupp Protze trucks, the Fiat Coloniale car, the Mercedes G5 car, two of the 3M Botond truck, the Ford BB (Kfz. 31) ambulance, the Hanomag Sturm car, two of the Italian Isotta-Fraschini D70 heavy artillery tractor, an ex-Polish Sokol M-111 motorcycle with sidecar, two of the Ford Marmon truck, three of the 38M Botond truck, a captured Soviet heavy tractor, an Opel Blitz truck, 3 photos of Soviet BA-10 armored cars, 3 photos of the Toldi 38M truck, 2 photos of Volkswagen Beetles, 3 photos of the Ford-Mormon truck, a 48M Casaba truck, 3 photos of a Soviet ZIS-50, a Soviet Gaz AA truck, a Soviet T-20 Komsomolets tractor and 2 photos of the Hungarian KV-40 tractor.
Tanks shown are:
Four photos of the Italian-built Hungarian CV-35 tankette, four photos of the Italian-built Hungarian 39M Csaba, twelve photos of the 38M Toldi, two photos of the Soviet BT-7A, seven photos of the Soviet T-26, a photo of a wrecked Soviet T-28, a photo of an abandoned Soviet T-60, a photo of a German Pz.Kpfw. IV-F-1, two photos of a Soviet T-25, a photo of a Soviet T-35, a photo of a Soviet KV-2 heavy tank and a photo of a Fiat-Ansaldo tankette.
There are 8 color side-view profiles:
Two each of the 38M Toldi light tank
Two each of the 39M Csaba armored car
Two each of the 35M Fiat Ansaldo tankette
The Heinkel He-111P-2/P-4 bomber
The Fiat Cr-42 biplane
At the end of the book there is the 2 page BIBLIOGRAPHY.
There is a full-page advertisement for Kagero’s book titled “Zitadelle the SS Panzer-Korps on the Attack, July 1943”.
Another page shows cover arts of 5 other books that Kagero publishes:
Hungarian Armoured Forces of WWII, Operational History of the Hungarian armoured troops of WWII, The 38M Toldi Light tank, History of the Turan Medium & Heavy tanks and The History of the 40/42M Zrinyi Assault Howitzer.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the North American distributor of Kagero Books and all Kagero titles can be seen on Casemate’s website at:
Highly recommended.