Steel Division 2 News

Hello commander!

We are back at it again with a new preview of the upcoming Steel Division 2 DLC, The Battle of Turda. This time, we highlight the Romanian Divizia 8 Cavalerie Motorizata, or in English, the 8th Motorized Cavalry Division.

Keep reading to find out all the juicy details.

[h2]Getting the fighting spirit[/h2]
The Romanian Army had no less than 26 cavalry regiments at the start of World War II. By 1941, several of these regiments were regrouped into six brigades, while the remaining regiments were attached to infantry divisions where they would act as reconnaissance elements.



Having watched from the sidelines for the first two years of war, the Romanians thought it was high time to motorize their cavalry brigades. Due to a lack of vehicles, only three brigades managed to convert one of their regiments into a motorized regiment. The 8th Cavalry Brigade was formed on June 12th, 1941, with two horse cavalry regiments, one motorized regiment, and one horse artillery battery.

[h2]Changes on the Eastern Front[/h2]
This brigade served from October 1941 to May 1942 in the Romanian Mountain Corps on the Eastern Front, itself subordinated to the German 11. Armee. After a while, the Romanian forces were then transferred to the German XXX. Korps. Originally set to be converted to a motorized cavalry division in 1942, the disaster of Stalingrad prevented this reorganization of the 8th Cavalry Brigade.



After the defeat of the Romanian troops in the winter of 1942, several divisions were destroyed and needed to be recreated, as well as rearmed and trained. As such, the 8th Cavalry Brigade’s upgrade into the 8th Cavalry Division was limited to the expansion of its horse-drawn artillery battery into a full regiment. After yet another transfer, the newly formed division would once again find itself under Romanian command, this time as part of the VII. Corps.

In a fresh round of reorganization on July 1943, three Romanian cavalry divisions - the 1st, 5th, and the 8th Cavalry Division - were earmarked for conversion into armored divisions. Tanks and armored vehicles were to be delivered by Germany, and personnel trained by German instructors. Four regiments would be motorized, including service units, armored vehicles, etc.



Nazi Germany, however, had different priorities by late 1943, and the delivery of the equipment was insufficient and frequently delayed. As a result, only the 8th Cavalry was converted and received the lion’s share of the equipment. By this time, 1944, the Soviet Iasi offensive prevented any further conversion from happening.

[h2]In Romania[/h2]
The 8th Cavalry Division found itself near Bucharest in training and was thus spared the fate of many Romanian divisions when they were shattered by the advancing Soviets. The German instructors did not sit by idly when the Red Army broke through the Axis lines. They commandeered all the armored vehicles, forming Kampfgruppe Braun, and headed straight to the front with most of the division’s heavy equipment. This German task force is featured in our Iasi campaign from Steel Division 2: Black Sunday.

Deprived of most of its tanks, the formation was rebranded Divizia 8 Cavalerie Motorizata. Much like the 9th Infantry Division, the Divizia 8 Cavalerie Motorizata was one of the few (largely) intact and battle-ready veteran divisions left by the newly Allied Romanian leadership. It was assigned, as the other mobile units, to the Corpul Motomecanizat (Motomechanized Corps).



[h2]Fighting in Turda[/h2]
The fighting for Transylvania for the Divizia 8 Cavalerie Motorizata followed in the footsteps of the 9th Infantry Division. First, there was combat on the river Mures, before being sent to the Oarba de Mures battle. The Romanian soldiers took part in the bloody assaults on the slopes, fighting on the right flank of the 9th Infantry Division. Much like this partner division, after heavy losses, the combat eventually died down and moved over to Hungary proper.

[h2]What can you expect in-game?[/h2]
The Divizia 8 Cavalerie Motorizata has access to a host of different kinds of units across all categories. Such as?

• Recon is pretty good, with plenty of cheap slots and lots of availability. This includes snipers, large cavalry recon squads, light recon armored cars, and (some) recon half-tracks available as transports.
  
• Infantry forces are well-rounded, with the usual complement of Rosiori, Pionieri Calari and the new Calarasi Moto unit fielding two MG-42s. Another new unit is also featured: the Vânãtori de Garda. These soldiers were the original elite bodyguards of the recently deposed Axis Romanian ruler Antonescu. Following the Conducãtor’s demise, the bodyguards were reorganized into the two-battalion Regimentual 115 Infantrie. Regarded as unreliable in the new political context, this well-trained and equipped regiment was sent to the front, away from the capital. And so it came to pass. The formation was attached to the Corpul Motomecanizat and thrown into the meatgrinder that was Oarba de Mures in support of the 8th Motorized Cavalry Division. The Vânãtori de Garda squads are veteran troops equipped with 4x SMGs, 4x rifles, and 2x ZB-30 LMGs.

• Historically, no tanks were found with the division. However, the Corpul Motomecanizat managed to capture several Hungarian and German tanks, and used them to great effect against their former owners. We have regrouped them with the Divizia 8 Cavalerie Motorizata. You can field a few captured Turan II and Zrinyi II, as well as Hetzer tank destroyer (the latter in the AT tab).
  
• A classic Support category but with plentiful machine gun units, from Schwarloze to ZB-53 and even heavy French 13,2mm Hotchkiss.
  
• Anti-Tank features the Hetzer, as mentioned above. One of the few units the Germans didn’t commandeer and take off with was the new TACAM R-2 tank destroyer. Additionally, the efficient Resita, PaK 50mm and Soviet 45mm anti-tank guns are available. Slots are plentiful and cheap.
  
• The Anti-Aircraft category is pretty decent and features many choices. This includes older French 25mm guns and twin Hotchkiss on a flatbed truck, German Flak 37mm, Swedish Bofors 40mm and even the British Vickers 75mm.
  
• The division can count on some pretty strong artillery, which are numerous but light in caliber. This includes mortars, 75mm and 100mm howitzers.
  
• Air forces are powerful as well, with plenty of slots. This category features quite a lot of Romanian Ju-87 Stukas and Ju-88 bombers, as well as Bf-109 G2, G-4/R6 fighters and Hs-129 tank busters.
  

[h2]A brief summary[/h2]
In case you missed it, the latest DLC for Steel Division 2, The Battle of Turda will contain the following.

• One new Army General campaign centered on the Battle of Turda, Transylvania, pitting Axis Hungary versus Allied Romania.
  
• Six new divisions.
  • Of which three will be Romanian, including the Divizia 9 Infanterie and the Divizia 8 Cavalerie Motorizata.
    
  • And two will be Hungarian, with one German. This includes the Hungarian 2. Páncéloshadosztály (2nd Armored Division) and 25. Hadosztály (25th Infantry Division).
• Mixed divisions, with units from various nations, such as Romanian-Soviet or Hungarian-German.
  
• One or two new maps.
  
• 2 Aces: the Hungarian tank commander Lieutenant Ervin Tarczay and Romanian fighter ace, Captain Dan Vizanti.
  

[h2]Until next week![/h2]
That’s all for this week! Keep a close watch on our Steam forums and Instagram to keep up to date with the latest Steel Division 2 talk. Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page and get involved with the lively Steel Division 2 community!

See you on the battlefield, commander!

Hello, hello, hello!

Advancing ever forward, today’s post will be another deep dive into our upcoming new Army General DLC, The Battle of Turda.

We’ll look at a new Axis Hungary division with today’s spotlight shining brightly on the Hungarian 25. Hadosztály (or in English, the 25th Infantry Division).

But first, some much-needed info on the other Steel Division 2 currently in the works: Nemesis: Raid on Drvar.

[h2]Nemesis: Raid on Drvar[/h2]
We know you have been waiting for an update on Nemesis: Raid on Drvar. We don’t have a definite date yet - but the DLC should come soon! What’s been keeping it so long?

• We divided the Yugoslav partisans’ acknows into three parts: Serbian, Bosnian and Croatian.
  
• Each language was translated separately and then recorded. Serbian and Croatian came back without issue, with some good acting in our opinion for the Serbian partisans and Chetnicks.
  
• With Bosnian, on the other hand, we had difficulties finding good actors. On top of that, we realized when it came to record the lines that our translation wasn’t good… not good at all actually.
  
• So, in short: we are translating everything again, getting it checked, and recorded once more.

[h2]A little bit of history[/h2]
As a young formation of the Hungarian Army, the history of the 25. Hadosztály is closely intertwined with Transylvania. We already mentioned this before, but this region was the prime cause of the hostilities between Romania and Hungary at the tail-end of World War II. The northern part of Transylvania was awarded to Romania in 1920 with the Treaty of Trianon, the result of the dissolution of the Austrian-Hungarian empire after World War I. However, Hungary could lay claim on the same land through historical reasons and resented the decision.

In 1940, the dispute took a twist. Early in the war, Axis Hungary was part of Nazi Germany’s “winning team” alliance, while Romania found itself stranded alone. The Romanians had counted on the French and British as guarantors for their proclaimed neutrality, but after the defeat of the Allies in the Battle of France, the situation on the ground changed rapidly. Before the year was over, fascists had taken control of Romania. In the meantime, Hitler saw fit to force Romania to give up coveted Transylvania to Hungary.



[h2]Getting the fighting spirit[/h2]
So what does this have to do with the 25. Hadosztály? Having only been formed in 1943, most of its recruits were from Transylvania, and therefore originally Romanian-born (and Romanian-speaking). Intended to be part of the IX. Corps, also known as the Székler Command, the formation was initially placed on the Romanian frontier, guarding against any hostile incursion from the “frenemy.” However, due to its composition, the 25. Hadosztály was regarded with suspicion by the Hungarian high command. Transferred to the First Army in March 1944, it was ordered into Galicia by the Germans a month later.

During its time on the frontline, the green soldiers of the 25. Hadosztály got ample opportunity to gain combat experience, including beating off multiple Soviet mechanized assaults and performing local counter-attacks. It was also here that the news of Romanian’s switch to the Allies became known. As a result, both the 25th Infantry Division and the 2nd Armored Divison were ordered to advance into Transylvania before the end of August 1944.



[h2]Destination: Turda[/h2]
Arriving piecemeal by train meant that the 25. Hadosztály could only deploy individual detachments at the start of the Hungarian campaign. The formation followed the 2nd Armored Division’s offensive into Romania. The 25. Hadosztály took up defensive positions near Turda and on the Mures river, being aware of Romanian reinforcements and Soviet troops moving through the Carpathian mountain passes. Understrength, the 25. Hadosztály put up a spirited fight when it clashed with the advancing Allied units.



From the first encounters on September 13th, the battles raged ahead against the Soviet armored vanguard, supported by Romanian infantry, which was trying to secure Turda. This took until September 15th, when the outskirts of Turda were reached before further advance was checked by 25. Hadosztály. Heavy fighting erupted across the hills and countryside, with frequent artillery duels and bloody counter-attacks. With fresh reinforcements, the 25. Hadosztály destroyed a large portion of Soviet troops north of the Mures river on September 19th but was unable to wipe out the Red Army’s bridgehead. The Soviets prepared for their own attack and, on September 22nd, after heavy fighting, reached Turda. The 25. Hadosztály repelled attack after attack, either alone or with support of the 10th Assault Gun Battalion or 2nd Armored Division. With a dire situation, the timely arrival of the 23. Panzer at night brought some much-needed reinforcements.



During the Battle of Turda, the 25. Hadosztály was almost wiped out, with several battalions suffering 50% to 80% casualty rates. In a specific battalion, the III/25th, which launched several counter-attacks to stop and repel Soviet assault troops from gaining control of Turda, the survivors were so few and so heroic that, in a rare decision, every single soldier was promoted by one rank in recognition of the formation’s outstanding defense. After the Turda campaign, the division avoided being trapped in the Budapest encirclement and fought alongside the Germans during the counter-offensive on Lake Balaton in March 1945. Fighting to the very end of the war, the Hungarian division surrendered in May 1945 in Croatia.

[h2]What can you expect in-game?[/h2]
It might not come as a surprise, but the 25. Hadosztály is a very infantry-centric division, able in defense, but only with limited means of (armored) counter-attacks.

Although it’s missing two of its battalions during the events of the Battle of Turda, it received some replacement units, including the 10th Assault Guns Battalion, the 2nd Mountain Replacement Brigade, and the late German StuG-Abt. 1179 with its Hetzer light tank destroyer.

• The division’s Recon forces are pretty standard, save for the presence of Disheartened Határrendőrség (Border Police) squads. These are a motley assortment of customs officers or postmen pressed into service with the border guard battalions - supposedly because they knew the area well.
  
• Infantry slots are many and cheap, with the core made up of the usual Lövész troops. This includes a single card of these soldiers with the Fanatical trait, featuring extra machine guns and SMGs, representing the unbreakable III/25th Regiment. Additionally, some Határvadász (Border Guard) can be deployed. They are large squads, well trained and equipped, but even though featuring the Raider trait, they lack experience and are veterancy locked.
  
• There are not many tanks available, but you will be able to deploy the Zrinyi II assault gun, considered one of the best Hungarian armors of the war, comparable to the StuH 42 with a good HEAT round.

• A very standard Support category, but the division fields a large amount of machine-guns.
  
• Anti-Tank forces are considerable, including 40M 40mm and PaK 40 75mm guns. The 25. Hadosztály can also count on a single card of German Jagdpanzer 38(t).
  
• Anti-Air is average with only a few Bofors 40mm and one card of Hungarian 88mm towed guns. We are including the last existing models of a rather unusual unit, which were known to be last used in combat at this period, although at inknown location. As a matter of fact, it was one of the very first models of SPAAGs: the old World War I design of the Raba Vr self-propelled 76,5mm gun truck!
  
• A large variety of artillery pieces can be encountered, including mortars, 75mm, 105mm, and 149mm howitzers, as well as off-map 105mm with the new WM-21 Solyom biplane spotter.
  
• Air support is likewise strong, featuring the Fw-190F-8 and Me-210 CA-1 fighters, as well as several variants of the Ju-87 D-5 Stuka. This includes one with the German WB-81B pod totaling two 20mm guns and twelve(!) 7,62mm machine-guns. Another unique addition is the Hungarian Héja as recon fighter, which is a license-built Italian Re.2000.

[h2]A brief summary[/h2]
The latest DLC for Steel Division 2, The Battle of Turda, will contain:

• One new Army General campaign centered on the Battle of Turda, Transylvania, pitting Axis Hungary versus Allied Romania.
  
• Six new divisions.
  
  • Of which three will be Romanian, including the Divizia 9 Infanterie.
    
  • And two will be Hungarian, with one German. This includes the Hungarian 2. Páncéloshadosztály (2nd Armored Division) and 25. Hadosztály (25th Infantry Division).
• Mixed divisions, with units from various nations, such as Romanian-Soviet or Hungarian-German.
  
• One or two new maps.
  
• 2 Aces: the Hungarian tank commander Lieutenant Ervin Tarczay and Romanian fighter ace, Captain Dan Vizanti.
  

[h2]Until next week![/h2]
Keep a close watch on our Steam forums and Instagram to keep up to date with the latest Steel Division 2 talk. Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page and get involved with the lively Steel Division 2 community!

See you on the battlefield, commander!

Hello commander,

Hope you are well! In last week’s Battle of Turda DLC post, we let the Hungarian 2. Páncélos, or the 2nd Armored Division, take center stage. This week, it's high time to preview an Allied formation of our upcoming new DLC: the Romanian Divizia 9 Infanterie (or 9th Infantry Division).

Keep reading to find out more!

[h2]The Romanian 9th Infantry Division[/h2]
The Romanian Divizia 9 Infanterie was an old formation in the Romanian Army, almost as venerable as the modern Romanian state itself. It was formed in 1879, shortly after the independence of the Kingdom of Romania from the Ottoman Empire, as the “Divizia Activă Dobrogea” (or “Dobrogea’s Active Division”). The formation was headquartered in Constanța, where it was renamed the Divizia 9 Infanterie.

The formation experienced an illustrious career in combat, including World War I, where it won the honorific title “Mărășești” for the part it played in the last major battle between Germany and Romania in 1917. The outcome kept north-east Romanian free from Imperial German occupation until the end of the war.



[h2]On the Eastern Front[/h2]
Fast forward to World War II. The Divizia 9 Infanterie took part in Operation Barbarossa fighting with the Romanian Third Army in Ukraine and southern Russia. Advancing toward Odessa and Sevastapol, it was among the formations covering the flanks of the German Sixth Army attempting to capture Stalingrad. As the Red Army sprung its trap with the brilliant counter-stroke in Operation Uranus, encircling the Axis troops in the city, the Soviets punched through the weakly held frontlines manned mostly by Romanian forces.



The Divizia 9 Infanterie was situated in the northern sector. By chance, the Romanian formation was lucky enough not to be in the direct path of the Soviet juggernaut. The neighboring Romanian 7th Cavalry Division was not as fortunate, being cut in two by the offensive, the survivors joining the Divizia 9 Infanterie soldiers in a headlong retreat west in freezing conditions. In brutal weather, the Romanian formation was decimated.



[h2]Fighting for home[/h2]
Sent home to be refitted, the Divizia 9 Infanterie was posted on the Black Sea in 1943, in Dobrogea, as the Romanian military leadership feared a Soviet amphibious landing in the area. This would prove advantageous a year later. Once again, by chance, the formation was spared the same (almost in a rerun of Stalingrad) fate of the neighboring divisions, which were destroyed in the Iasi-Chișinău (Jassy-Kichinev) strategic offensive on the Romanian border.

By the time of the Soviet operation, the Divizia 9 Infanterie had ballooned in size, thanks to the amalgamation of the training battalions into its regiments. Typically, each division left several training battalions at home; they served as bare-boned skeleton formations, training up recruits before sending them off as replacements for field duty. In Divizia 9 Infanterie’s case, these training elements were almost full strength and well-trained. And they were not just raw recruits, with the whole formation retaining a strong cadre of Stalingrad veterans.



A direct result was that during Romanian’s switch from Axis to Allies, the Divizia 9 Infanterie could be considered one of the best and most powerful Romanian infantry divisions able to fight.

[h2]Destination Transylvania[/h2]
After the coup, the Divizia 9 Infanterie disarmed the local German troops. Having done this successfully, the division was entrained to Bucharest and in early September sent, along with the 8th Cavalry and Detasamentul Blindat "Gen. Niculescu" (Niculescu Armored Group), to Transylvania. This group of forces was known as the Corpul Motomecanizat (Motomechanized Corps).

The Detasamentul Blindat was the only armored unit the Romanian High Command could send to Transylvania. The core was made up of the Mechanized Training Center battalion, also known as the Armored Group “Jupiter,” hastily formed on August 24th. It contained recon groups equipped with German armored cars, a company of T-4 (Panzer IV), a company of Tas (StuG III G), and a force of the new TACAM R-2 tank destroyers. The ubiquitous (and excellent) Resita anti-tank guns were also featured. This group would fight the Hungarians until deep into November 1944.



The Corpul Motomecanizat met with the invading Hungarians north of Mediaş, stopping the assault in its tracks. After days of fighting, the Corps established a bridgehead across the Mureș river. Further combat saw the Divizia 9 Infanterie square up against German reinforcements, specifically the 8. SS-Kavalerie-Divison “Florian Geyer”.

Here, one of the bloodiest and most important battles of modern Romania occurred: the battle of Oarba de Mureș. Directed by their new Soviet “friends,” the Romanians were ordered to assault the well-entrenched Germans and Hungarians across clear terrain devoid of cover, up a steep hill in plain sight.



This bloody counter-offensive took over ten days, and despite the odds and lack of artillery or air support, the Romanians set a tentative foot on the crest, only to be repelled by immediate counter-attacks. Ultimately, it became a bloody stalemate, and the Divizia 9 Infanterie suffered the brunt of it. After pulling out the line at the end of September, it was rapidly brought back into the fighting in early October to support the second attempt at capturing Turda. Afterward, combat shifted to Hungary proper, and the Divizia 9 Infanterie was found fighting in Czechoslovakia when the war ended in 1945.

[h2]What to expect in-game?[/h2]
What can you expect of the oversized and well-trained Romanian Divizia 9 Infanterie in Steel Division 2?

• Thanks to the “Jupiter” task force, the 9th Infantry Division has turned almost into a full-blown mechanized infantry division.
  
• Its Recon tab includes a variety of light armored vehicles and cars, including German-made SdKfz. 222 and SdKfz. 250/9, as well as cavalry scouts.
  
• There is a large amount of infantry on offer, with regular Infanterisiti and Vanatori Moto or the more basic Recruti squads.
  
• Although an infantry division, the Tank category can count on several slots of either Panzer IV or StuG III G armor.
  
• The Support tab is pretty standard, though Commanders can tour the battlefield with a classy Ford V8 Sedan, a Romanian license-built Traction-like command car.
  
• The division’s Anti-Tank forces are well-supplied, including the brand-new TACAM R-2 tank destroyer, which is an up-armored and up-gunned cousin of the TACAM R-60 sporting a ZiS-3 instead of an F-22 gun. The Resita towed anti-tank gun can also be found.
  
• A weak point is the formation’s AA, with only a few self-propelled twin Hotchkiss, German 20mm, and French 25mm pieces as its sole defense against enemy planes!
  
• Artillery forces are rather lackluster, with a basic complement of mortars, from 60mm, 81mm to 120mm units. Additionally, 75mm and 100mm howitzers are also available in decent numbers - but nothing heavier.
  
• Airforces are pretty strong and include the Romanian ace Dan Vizanti with his IAR-81C fighter plane.

[h2]A brief summary[/h2]
The latest DLC for Steel Division 2, The Battle of Turda, will contain:

• One new Army General campaign centered on the Battle of Turda, Transylvania, pitting Axis Hungary versus Allied Romania.
  
• Six new divisions.
  
  • Of which three will be Romanian, including the Divizia 9 Infanterie.
    
  • And two will be Hungarian, with one German. This includes the 2. Páncéloshadosztály (Hungarian 2nd Armored Division).
• Mixed divisions, with units from various nations, such as Romanian-Soviet or Hungarian-German.
  
• One or two new maps.
  
• 2 Aces: the Hungarian tank commander Lieutenant Ervin Tarczay and Romanian fighter ace, Captain Dan Vizanti.
  

[h2]Au revoir and until next week![/h2]
That’s everything for this week. Next week, we’ll be back with another preview of the The Battle of Turda DLC.

Until then, keep a close watch on our Steam forums and Instagram to keep up to date with the latest Steel Division 2 talk. Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page and get involved with the lively Steel Division 2 community!

See you on the battlefield.

Hello there!

As you know, we are working on our next Steel Division 2 DLC. We are going to highlight an often overlooked part of the Eastern Front - and two combatants not typically put in the spotlight.

The Battle of Turda was a hard-fought campaign pitting Axis Hungary against freshly Allied Romania, which saw heavy fighting in the Northern Transylvania region in September 1944.

In last week’s blog post, we summarized what you can expect with this new DLC. You won’t only get to play in a massive new Army General strategic campaign, but also several new divisions and two new Aces will be featured.

Today we will take a long look at our first Battle of Turda division. It might not come as a complete surprise, but let’s welcome to the stage the Hungarian 2nd Armored Division.

[h2]The Hungarian 2nd Armored Division[/h2]
The 2. Páncéloshadosztály (or in plain English, the 2nd Armored Division) was Axis Hungary’s best equipped and most powerful division by the summer of 1944. The formation was originally formed in October 1941 as part of the second stage (Huba II) of the Huba Army Expansion and Mobilization Plan. This plan was the main pre-war guideline for Hungary’s force expansion during World War II. The original structure - which was tweaked and influenced by events on the ground and the difficulty of equipping all units with heavy weaponry - foresaw a Hungarian Army in 1943 with 25 light infantry divisions, 2 armored divisions, 1 cavalry division, 2 mountain brigades, and more.

According to this plan, the 2nd Armored Division (or 2. Páncélos) was supposed to be combat-ready by early 1942. In reality, only the close cousin armored formation, the 1. Tábori Páncéloshadosztály (1st Field Armored Division), was deemed fit for the front (with obsolete tanks) by spring 1942. After the 1. Páncélos was shipped to the front, the 2. Páncélos receives its much-needed share of equipment and vehicles.



Even if the tanks arrived slowly, the motorization of its troops remained a serious problem for Hungary. Civilian trucks equipped the Hungarian Army in 1942-43, only to be lost during the Don retreat in 1943. The losses of Hungary’s motor pool during that time were over half of the total the country fielded. As a result, in early 1944, the 2. Páncélos much like other formations, was still missing the vital transports and trucks. Some units were even downgraded back to horses!

[h2]A fit fighting force[/h2]
Interestingly enough, the number of tanks was not the issue in the early war years of 2. Páncélos. This gave its crew plenty of opportunities to train; so much so, that the armor started to break down after too intense training use.

The prospects of Nazi Germany losing became increasingly clearer after 1943. Hungary started to think seriously about war coming to its frontiers. As such, the army kept its best divisions (2. Páncélos and 1. Lovas) close to home. In early 1944, the Hungarian leadership began secret negotiations with the Allies to seek a separate peace. However, Germany got wind, and in Operation Margarethe in March 1944, Hungary was swiftly occupied with the Hungarian government replaced by a puppet regime.

After this bloodless coup, the Hungarian's fresh fighting forces were dispatched to stem the tide of the incoming Red Army. As you know, 1. Lovas ended up in Belarus, during the Baranovichi scenario of Operation Bagration, featured in our Steel Division 2 base Army General campaign.

2. Páncélos’s fate was nearer to home. First, the armored division was assigned to the Hungarian First Army, and ordered into Galicia. It repelled Soviet counter-attacks before being pulled back into reserve, covering the retreat of other Hungarian troops. In a month of fighting, the 2. Páncélos had proven itself well. Its equipment, however, was completely obsolete. The formation received some second-hand German tanks, including a handful of Panthers and Tigers. One (reduced) battalion came to be fully regrouped with German war machines, while another battalion was brought up to full strength with Hungarian vehicles.



[h2]End of the war[/h2]
After the refit, and back in Hungary, the division, much like the rest of the country, prepared to defend their soil against the inevitable Soviet invasion. However, Romania’s change of sides changed the strategic calculation in one fell swoop. The Hungarian II. Corps was ordered into Romania, with 2. Páncélos spearheading the offensive. There were several objectives of the assault, but the offensive was in no small part fueled by Hungarian’s wish to (re)gain control over Romania’s Northern Transylvania region.

The 2. Páncélos division advanced deep into Romanian-held territory, but couldn’t break through the front completely. Failing to secure the Carpathian Mountains’ passes before the Red Army arrived, the Hungarian offensive stalled and turned into a drawn-out battle for the city of Turda on the Arieș river.



The 2. Páncélos battled and managed to stop a number of Romanian-Soviet counter-attacks. After several pauses in combat, the formation was relieved by the German 23. Panzer at the end of September. A mere shadow of its former self, the 2. Páncélos was decimated in the defensive actions near the Ipel River, in Hungary proper, in late December 1944, before ultimately surrendering to Soviet forces in Austria in April 1945.

[h2]What to expect in-game?[/h2]
All right: history lesson over. What can you expect of our 2. Páncélos, aka 2nd Armored Division in Steel Division 2?

- The defining feature of the division will be its large choice of tanks: from Hungarian Toldi II, Turan I and II, but also Panzer IV H. You will also encounter a single card each of Panther A (as well as Ervin Tarczay featured in a single Panther commander tank) and Tiger E. There are going to be plenty of cheap slots and choices, with the pick of the litter being Hungarian armored vehicles (and Germans, but less so).



- The division’s infantry will be Mot. Lovesz infantry, organized much more like a typical German squad. All squads have a machine gun, in many cases an MG-42, while others retain the Solothurn 31M but also field the Hungarian Bazooka, a 44.M rocket launcher. This latter weapon is a crossover between a bazooka and a Panzerschreck; technologically, it's closer to the former, with more armor penetration.



- Anti-tank guns include a mix of 97/38M old pieces, as well as the more modern PaK 40. It will also feature the StuG III G, used in this division as a tank destroyer.



- Another feature of the 2. Páncélos is the huge (unmatched by any other division during the war) number of self-propelled anti-air guns (SPAAGS), amounting to 40x Nimrod vehicles, not including towed Bofors and 80mm AA guns. That’s a serious amount of AA!

More details will come in the future.

[h2]A brief summary[/h2]
In case you missed it, The Battle of Turda DLC will feature:

• One new Army General campaign centered on the Battle of Turda.
  
• Six new divisions.
  
  • Of which three will be Romanian.
    
  • And two will be Hungarian, with one German.
    
• Many of the above divisions will be mixed, with units from various nations, such as Romanian-Soviet or Hungarian-German.
  
• One or two new maps.
  
• 2 Aces,Hungarian tank commander Lieutenant Ervin Tarczay, and Romanian fighter ace, Captain Dan Vizanti.
  

[h2]Au revoir and until next week![/h2]
That’s all! We’ll be back next week with the first look at a new Allied division for the The Battle of Turda.

Until then, keep a close watch on our Steam forums and Instagram to keep up to date with the latest Steel Division 2 talk. Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page and get involved with the lively Steel Division 2 community!

See you!

Hello commander!

We already shared the first historical tidbits of our new Army General the Battle of Turda. Today we’ll lift the tip of the veil even further - on all the gameplay content you can expect in this new Steel Division 2 DLC, including a highlight on two new Aces.

Keep reading to find out more.

[h2]A brief summary[/h2]
The Battle of Turda pits two nations at a cross-roads: Axis Hungary and Allied Romania. By the time of the events depicted in our Army General campaign, the two had been reluctant allies on the side of Nazi Germany for the duration of World War II. During the massive Red Army offensive into Romania proper, in August 1944, Romania under King Michael I switched teams. This created a period of chaos, with retreating Axis troops, Romanians fighting against former allies, and Soviets hurriedly gaining as much territory as possible.

Hungary and Romania had a complex relationship stemming from grievances over territory exchanges after World War I. In September 1944, Axis Hungary saw an opportunity to deliver a decisive blow, enter northwest Romania, gain valuable land, and establish a forward defensive line away from Hungary’s frontiers. When the armed forces of these two frenemies clashed near Turda, they were supported by their “big brothers,” Germany and the Soviet Union, but most of the fighting was done by the minor nations themselves.



[h2]What to expect?[/h2]
At Eugen, we love to shine a spotlight on the battles, armies, events, and campaigns easily overlooked in the history books. The Battle of Turda is one of those. So what can you expect of our new DLC?

• One new Army General campaign centered on the Battle of Turda.
  
• A whopping 6 new divisions (more details in the future).
  
  
  • Of which, 3 will be Romanian.
    
  • And 2 will be Hungarian, while 1 will be German.
    
• Note that some of the above divisions will be mixed, with units from various nations, such as Romanian-Soviet or Hungarian-German.
  
• One new map.
  
• 2 Aces (read more about them below).

As you know, Romania is already in the game (listed under the Axis). With the Battle of Turda, we will “double” the Romanians as an Allied nation as well.



[h2]The Aces[/h2]
One thing we can do, is to provide more details on the two new Aces to be featured in the Battle of Turda DLC. Let’s welcome to the stage Hungarian tank commander Lieutenant Ervin Tarczay, and Romanian fighter ace, Captain Dan Vizanti.

[h2]Ervin Tarczay[/h2]
Our Hungarian tank commander was part of the Hungarian 2nd Armored Division, becoming the nation’s most prolific tank ace. During World War II, Ervin Tarczay gained plentiful experience in a Turan II tank, fighting the Red Army in Ukraine and on the frontier of the Carpathian Mountains. After transitioning to Tiger 1 E heavy tanks, his company ended up being equipped with Panter tanks. Using these, Tarczay overcame the first Romanian resistance when advancing from the Hungarian border towards Turda in early September.



During the course of the Battle of Turda, our Ace was fighting against ever-stiffening resistance, including reinforcing Red Army armored formations. Tarczay’s unit claimed a host of tanks and other vehicles before being surrounded at the end of October. Pushing through, he continued to fight in Hungary and near Vienna until being mortally wounded in the middle of March, 1945.
In Steel Division 2, he will be featured in his "231" Panther A command tank (see screenshot above).

[h2]Dan Vizanti[/h2]
The Romanian Dan Vizanti was the nation’s fourth top-scoring ace during World War II. He first distinguished himself on the Eastern Front, with multiple combat missions flown and kills confirmed from the very beginning of Operation Barbarossa. Having completed over 50 missions over the Soviet Union, Vizanti later defended Bucharest and the Ploesti oil fields against Allied strategic bombing attacks.



After the country’s switch, he continued flying, but this time against his former comrades-in-arms. At the end of World War II, he had accumulated 43 personal victories against Soviet, American & German pilots! Mostly ignored by his Romanian compatriots after the war, it took various decades before Vizanti was honored more prominently, including several French awards.
In Steel Division 2, we will feature him in a Romanian-made, Bambi-adorned IAR-81C fighter plane (see screenshot above).

[h2]Au revoir and until next week![/h2]
That’s it for this week.

Keep a close watch on our Steam forums and Instagram to keep up to date with the latest Steel Division 2 talk. Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page and get involved with the lively Steel Division 2 community!

See you on the battlefield, commander!