Description
ABOUT THIS PRODUCT
Like Germany, Hungary was forbidden from having an air force following the
defeat of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of World War 1. However,
again like Germany, the new state of Hungary created an air arm in secret
during the 1930s. Hungarian fighter pilots first saw action against their
Slovakian neighbours in early 1939, following the annexation of
Czechoslovakia by Germany. In June 1941, Hungarian armed forces joined the
Germany in the invasion of Russia, and pilots from the I/I Fighter Group saw
continuous action into 1942. Flying CR.42s, Re.2000s and Bf 109Es, pilots
scored a modest number of kills. However, when the Bf 109G-equipped
Hungarian 101 Puma1 Fighter Regiment was committed to action over Kharkov
in April 1943, numerous aces started to rapidly build their scores. One year
later the unit returned home in order to defend Hungarian cities from
American heavy bombers, and pilots such as DezsÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃö SzentgyÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃörgyi and GyÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃörgy
DebrÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃödy scored the bulk of their kills in desperate battles against American
fighters and bombers. Unlike most of Germany's Eastern European allies,
Hungary did not capitulate during the Russian advances of 1944, and its
fighter pilots fought on until May 1945.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
GyÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃörgy Punka is an aviation engineer based in Budapest. He has written
several books and numerous articles on the Hungarian Air Force during World
War 2. This is his first volume for Osprey.Stephan Boshniakov is an aviation
researcher based in Sofia. He has done work in the past for the Bulgarian
Aviation Museum. This is his first volume for Osprey.
CONTENTS
The Eastern Front
The First Hungarian Bf 109s
The Pumas' Retreat
Home defence
The Last Battles
Appendices
Colour plates commentary
Index
