Zrinyi II
Contents
Description
The 43M Zrínyi II was a Hungarian World War II assault gun inspired by the German success with the StuG III. Like the StuG, a versatile self-propelled gun built on the chassis of a medium tank, the Hungarians decided to create their own version using the Hungarian Turán tank's chassis. The project was named Zrínyi, after a famous Hungarian noble family and military leader, Miklós Zrínyi. The plan was to produce two variants of the Zrínyi: one with a 75 mm anti-tank gun (Zrínyi I), and one with a 105 mm howitzer for assault operations (Zrínyi II). Around 72 Zrínyi IIs were built and the vehicle saw combat fighting against the Soviets on the Eastern Front and in the defence of Hungary. The production of Zrínyi IIs was severely slowed due to Hungarian factories being targeted by a serious Allied strategic bombing campaign.
The 40/43.M Zrinyi II was introduced in Update "Sons of Attila" as part of the Hungarian subtree in the Italian tech tree. Armed with a powerful 105 mm howitzer, this low-profile Hungarian tank destroyer with adequate frontal armour is a dangerous opponent for almost any enemy tank it might face, whilst still retaining the decent mobility, excellent reverse speed and smoke grenades of the Turán series.
General info
Survivability and armour
The Zrínyi II boasts robust survivability with its frontal armour averaging 75 mm, augmented by an additional 20 mm from tracks placed on the frontal section. This configuration enables confident frontal engagements against opponents, barring high-penetration tank destroyers.
However, not all frontal armour is uniformly 75 mm thick, as the weaker spots include the driver port, gun mantlet, and lower front plate (LFP), each measuring 50 mm. The upper front plate (UFP), with a thickness of only 13 mm, angles at 75°. While this angle provides some protection, effectively safeguarding against impacts ranging from 20 to 50 mm, depending on the angle of impact. Increasing this angle involves cresting hills or other inclines, effectively hiding the LFP and maximizing protection for the UFP.
While the frontal armour of the Zrínyi II provides substantial protection, the side and rear of the vehicle are equipped with a comparatively weaker 25 mm of armour, rendering them susceptible to penetration by most vehicles, excluding light machine guns. The inclusion of side skirts, 8 mm thick, offers additional defence. These side skirts can protect against low-end chemical shells (HE / HEAT) and slightly reduce the penetration of AP shells, effectively offering a combined protection of 29 mm.
It is essential to note the vulnerability of the roof armour, measuring only 13 mm. This thin roof armour is susceptible to strafing attacks from aircraft armed with heavy machine guns or larger weaponry, posing a significant threat to the vehicle and its crew.
Armour type:
| Armour | Front (Slope angle) | Sides | Rear | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | ___ mm | ___ mm Top ___ mm Bottom |
___ mm | ___ - ___ mm |
| Turret | ___ - ___ mm Turret front ___ mm Gun mantlet |
___ - ___ mm | ___ - ___ mm | ___ - ___ mm |
| Cupola | ___ mm | ___ mm | ___ mm | ___ mm |
Notes:
Mobility
| Game Mode | Max Speed (km/h) | Weight (tons) | Engine power (horsepower) | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward | Reverse | Stock | Upgraded | Stock | Upgraded | ||
| Arcade | 44 | 44 | 22.6 | 369 | 496 | 16.33 | 21.95 |
| Realistic | 41 | 41 | 230 | 260 | 10.18 | 11.5 | |
Modifications and economy
| Mobility | Protection | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Armaments
Main armament
| 105 mm Mavag 40/43M | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Capacity | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
| Arcade | 52 | -7°/+16° | ±10° | - | 12.3 | 17.0 | 20.7 | 22.9 | 24.4 | 13.00 | 11.50 | 10.60 | 10.00 |
| Realistic | 8.3 | 9.8 | 11.9 | 13.2 | 14.0 | ||||||||
Ammunition
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
| 10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 2,000 m | ||
| 38/33M | HE | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 |
| 42M | HEAT | 120 | 120 | 120 | 120 | 120 | 120 |
| Shell details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg) |
Ricochet | |||||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| 38/33M | HE | 471 | 15.04 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 2.22 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
| 42M | HEAT | 444 | 17 | 0.05 | 0.1 | 2.3 | 62° | 69° | 73° | |||
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
4th rack empty |
5th rack empty |
6th rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52 | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ |
Usage in battles
The Zrínyi II tank features robust frontal armour, allowing for an assertive playstyle because of the ability to withstand most incoming shells from tanks within its BR range. Notably, the top speed of 40 km/h can be achieved both in forward and reverse, highlighting its agility in various manoeuvres. This versatility caters to both aggressive assault strategies and defensive positions.
Positioning and awareness are key when engaging enemies; it is crucial to expose only the frontal armour and avoid revealing vulnerable side armour. Light tanks should not be underestimated, given their agility, which allows them to flank and attack from the side or rear.
The Zrínyi stands out for its ability to eliminate adversaries with a single powerful shot, primarily when utilizing the High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) shell, which is the recommended option. This shell is capable of penetrating armour up to 120 mm, providing a more effective solution than the default High-Explosive (HE) shell. However, it's important to note that these shells have a low velocity, requiring careful aim, especially at longer ranges. Additionally, users should be mindful of the reload time on this large-calibre cannon, which ranges from 13 to 10 seconds. This aspect, combined with the low shell velocity, underscores the need for strategic positioning and accurate aiming during engagements.
In summary, the Zrínyi II's strategic advantage lies in its well-armoured frontal profile, versatile speed in both directions and potent HEAT shell. Players should exercise caution, leveraging the tank's strengths while being mindful of potential vulnerabilities.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Powerful 105 mm howitzer can easily destroy most tanks it will face
- 120 mm of penetration on the HEAT round is enough to deal with almost any opponent you will face
- Good explosive mass for both rounds
- Has relatively strong frontal armour which can absorb a lot of fire
- Has smoke grenades
- Has an excellent reverse speed
- Has mesh side skirt armour which protects against HEAT and HE projectiles
- Has plenty of ammo
Cons:
- No machine guns
- No AP rounds of any kind, if an enemy is behind a fence, your HEAT/HE shells will just destroy the fence instead of the enemy
- Long reload
- Low-velocity rounds
- No turret
- Roof armour is weak and thus vulnerable to strafing from aircraft
History
Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).
Media
Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.
See also
Related development
Other Hungarian vehicles
Similar vehicles
External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- other literature.
| Italy tank destroyers | |
|---|---|
| Italy | |
| M41 | 75/18 M41 · 75/32 M41 · 90/53 M41M |
| M42 | 75/34 M42 |
| M43 | 105/25 M43 · M43 "G.C.Leoncello" · 75/34 M43 · 75/46 M43 |
| Wheeled | Lancia 3Ro (100/17) · AS 42/47 · Breda 90/53 · Breda 501 |
| Other | L3/33 CC · 47/32 L40 |
| Germany | ▄StuG III G |
| USA | M36B1 · ▄M109G · M113A1 (TOW) |
| Hungary | |
| Zrínyi | Zrinyi I · Zrinyi II |
| USSR | ◔2S1 |
