ePub Priam’s Gold: Schliemann and the Lost Treasures of Troy (Tauris Parke Paperbacks) by Caroline Moorehead in History

Description

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 ŒPuma1 Fighter Regiment was committed to action over Kharkov in April 1943; numerous aces started to rapidly build there scores. One year later the unit returned home in order to defend Hungarian cities from American heavy bombers; and pilots such as Dezsö Szentgyörgyi and György Debrödy scored the bulk of their kills in desperate battles against American fighters and bombers. Unlike most of Germany1s Eastern European allies; Hungary did not capitulate during the Russian advances of 1944; and its fighter pilots fought on until May 1945.