In 1932, Colonel Heinz Guderian, the "father of the Wehrmacht tank troops", initiated a competition to create a light tank for the needs of the army. Military customers formulated tactical and technical requirements that limited the weight of the vehicle to five tons with bulletproof armor and armament with two 7.92 mm machine guns. Three years later, the index of the first German serial tank "1 LaS" was officially changed to "Panzerkampfwagen I" ("Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.A")
By the early 1930s, Germany was able to recover from the losses suffered in the First World War, but the humiliation that the country experienced, as well as the economic crisis, predetermined the inevitability of the next big conflict. German industrialists and politicians understood that the Weimar Republic badly needed heavy weapons, and although the terms of the Treaty of Versailles forbade the Germans from developing and purchasing them, corporations secretly continued design work in defiance of all prohibitions. First of all, this concerned armored vehicles. To hide the design of tanks, the Germans called them "tractors", and the tests were carried out outside of Germany - in the USSR at the tank track of the joint Soviet-German school KAMA. In particular, the engineers of the Krupp corporation, located in the city of Essen, designed an experimental light tank with a rear engine compartment (hereinafter - MTO), which appeared in the documentation under the name "light tractor" (German - Leichttraktor). There was also its eponymous competitor with a front-mounted MTO, manufactured by Rheinmetall-Borsig Corporation.
Leichttraktor of the Krupp Corporation
Source - icvi.at.ua
From "light tractors" to "agricultural tractors"
By 1931, it became clear that neither Krupp's nor the rest of the "agricultural" equipment would go into series. Work on the machines and their subsequent tests showed that they are imperfect and it is not advisable to bring them "to mind". The front arrangement of the engine and transmission, used by the designers of Rheinmetall-Borsig, did not justify itself - with this arrangement, the view from the driver's seat was insufficient. In addition, the rear location of the MTO showed that tanks with this layout are prone to losing tracks when maneuvering.
On September 18, 1931, the Army Ordnance Department (hereinafter referred to as the UVS) ordered the Krupp corporation to reconfigure the tank with the transfer of the transmission from the MTO to the control compartment (thus, the car had to change the rear drive to the front). The design work on the chassis was planned to be completed by May 1932, and by June 30, a prototype of the "small tractor" base was to be made.
To speed up work at the UVS, they decided to put at the disposal of Krupp's designers the British Carden-Loyd Mk IV tankette tractor, which they intended to buy through a front company in a neutral country. German military officials rightly believed that rather than “reinventing the wheel”, it was easier to “copy” ready-made solutions from the equipment of a potential enemy and build on them in further work. However, the delivery was late, the first instance of the tankette arrived in Germany only in January 1932, so the designers Hogelloch and Wolfert in their design studies had to focus only on the photographs of the “miracle of enemy technology” that they had at their disposal. On November 9, 1931, they were able to provide the UVS with preliminary drawings of the chassis, which, although they copied some of the British designs, nevertheless differed significantly from the design of the Carden-Loyd Mk IV.
Wedge tractor Carden-Loyd Mk IV
Source: thewartourist.com
In 1932, Colonel Heinz Guderian, the "father of the Wehrmacht tank troops", initiated a competition in the Sixth Department of Armored Vehicles and Motorization of the UVS to create a light tank for the needs of the army. Military customers formulated tactical and technical requirements that limited the weight of the vehicle to five tons with bulletproof armor and armament with two 7.92 mm machine guns. Since the tank was planned to be made on the basis of the chassis that were developed in Essen, its design was reduced to the development of an armored superstructure with a turret and weapons.
The five main German armored vehicle manufacturers of that period - Krupp, Daimler-Benz, Rheinmetall-Borsig, Henschel & Son and MAN - received an order for development. However, due to the fact that the work of Krupp's engineers was already in full swing, it was quite expected that their project won the competition.
The Essenes did not meet the initial deadline for creating the chassis of a light tank, being a month late. They were able to show the finished “product” to representatives of the UVS only on July 29, 1932. To prevent the “vile enemy” from guessing that the Germans, spitting on all the restrictions of the Versailles Treaty, began to make tanks, they called the new car an “agricultural tractor”, which is written in German as Landwirtschaftliche Schlepper or abbreviated as LaS. The developed base of the tank suffered from many "childhood diseases" that the tank functionaries and engineers of the Krupp Corporation would be happy to eliminate, but Guderian hurried everyone with the start of mass production, and already in the summer of 1933, the assembly of the first five vehicles of the "zero" series began in Essen.
Landwirtschaftlicher Schlepper from Krupp, tested at the Kummersdorf test site
Source - panzer-journal.ru
In the first half of the 1930s, the German industry did not yet have experience in the mass production of armored vehicles, so the process of launching LaS into a series went with slippage. The armored superstructure developed by Krupp engineers was eventually rejected by the Sixth Department, entrusting its creation to Daimler-Benz, but the first twenty vehicles were assembled with Essen hulls. The prototypes of the "zero" series showed low reliability, but the designers quickly determined the range of necessary improvements, and already in January 1934, the UVS ordered 450 tanks from the industrialists. Fifteen machines of the "first" series were assembled in February-April of the same year at the factories of Henschel & Son - in all documents they appeared under the index "1 LaS" (the designation "Krupp-Traktor" was also used). These machines were equipped with superstructures and towers made in Essen from ordinary structural steel. In total, five companies were involved in the production: Rheinmetall-Borsig, Daimler-Benz, Henschel & Son, MAN and Krupp Grusonwerk (later Wegmann joined them).
Tanks from the first twenty vehicles with Krupp hulls
Source: paperpanzer.com
Work on the new tank took place against the backdrop of rapid political changes that shook Germany. On January 30, 1933, Adolf Hitler became Chancellor, and on February 27, the Nazis organized the Reichstag fire and blamed the Communists for this, which allowed them to arrest the leadership of the German Communist Party. On March 5, Hitler organized parliamentary re-elections (the NSDAP won 43.9% of the vote), and on March 24, the new Reichstag passed the "Emergency Powers Law", which gave Hitler the right to legislate. On August 2, 1934, Hitler received the powers of a dictator, Germany refused to fulfill all the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles and began to openly arm with the full connivance of France, Great Britain and the United States. In 1935, the index of the first German serial tank "1 LaS" was officially changed to "Panzerkampfwagen I" ("Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.A"). In the newly introduced end-to-end numbering of army vehicles, the vehicle received the Sd.Kfz.101 index.
Ausf.A and Ausf.B
As already mentioned, when creating the Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.A, the designers for the first time used the layout that became typical for German tanks of the interwar period and the Second World War (hereinafter referred to as WWII). In front of the hull housed the transmission, which consisted of a two-disk main clutch of dry friction, a gearbox, a turning mechanism, side clutches, gears and brakes. The driveline stretched to her through the entire tank from the aft compartment, which housed the engine.
View from the tank commander's seat to the transmission and driveline
Source - nevsepic.com.ua
The armor of the tank was bulletproof, formed from sheets of chromium-nickel armor. The upper frontal part reached a thickness of 13 mm at a slope of 21 °, the middle one - 8 mm / 72 °, the lower one - 13/25 °. The thickness of the sides varied within 13-14.5 mm, the stern of the hull - 13 mm, the bottom - 5 mm, the roof - 8 mm. The thickness of the walls of the tower was also small - 13 mm, the gun mantlet - 15 mm, the roof - 8 mm.
Armor scheme of the Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.A tank
Source - wikimedia.org
The undercarriage consisted of interlocked pairs of road wheels with a diameter of 530 mm (four per side). All of them were supplied with quarter-elliptical leaf springs, with the exception of the front ones, on which spring springs were mounted. To reduce pressure on the ground, the designers placed the tank's sloths at the level of the road wheels. To improve the rigidity of the structure, three rear rollers and a sloth were additionally fastened with a common longitudinal beam (Krupp specialists borrowed this engineering solution from the British Carden-Loyd Mk IV tankette). At the top, each track was supported by three rollers.
View of the undercarriage of the tank Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.A
Source - nevsepic.com.ua
In the control compartment, in addition to the transmission, to the left of it was the driver's seat with control levers, the necessary instruments (speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge) and a five-speed gearbox ZF Aphon FG35 manufactured by Zahnrad Fabrik. The review was provided by two hatches - in the upper frontal armor plate and in the beveled armor plate of the left side. Both hatches were covered by rising armored covers. The driver's landing was carried out through a double-leaf hatch on the left side of the turret box.
Place of the driver Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.A
Source - nevsepic.com.ua
The fighting compartment was combined with the control compartment and was located in the middle part of the tank, where a welded tower was mounted on a chase with a diameter of 911 mm. She did not have a floor, but the seat of the tank commander was attached to the turret with a special bar and rotated with it. The turning mechanism of the tower was primitive, manual. The sides and rear of the tower were formed from one armor plate, in which four cutouts were made for inspection hatches, two of which were equipped with prismatic viewing devices. A single-leaf landing hatch for the tank commander was mounted in the roof.
Tank commander position
Source - nevsepic.com.ua
Two tank machine guns were mounted in the turret mask, for which the Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.A used Dreyse MG 13 caliber 7.92 mm. The ammunition consisted of 61 stores, which were located both in the tower (8 stores) and in the vehicle body (four stacks of 8, 20, 6 and 19 stores). The maximum angles of vertical guidance of machine guns ranged from -12 ° to + 18 °. Aiming at the target was carried out using a Zeiss TZF 2 telescopic double sight. The tank commander could fire machine guns separately.
Tank turret Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.A
Source - nevsepic.com.ua
In the aft engine compartment, a four-cylinder air-cooled Krupp M304 horizontally opposed carburetor engine with a Solex 40 JEP carburetor was originally installed. He developed a maximum power of 57 hp. With. at 2500 rpm. The capacity of the gas tanks located right there was 144 liters (Pz.I tanks could only run on leaded gasoline with an octane rating of about 76). Two exhaust pipes were displayed on both sides.
The electrical equipment was powered by a generator model Bosch GTL 600/12-1200 with a power of 0.6 kW or Bosch RRCN 300/12-300 with a power of 0.3 kW. The generator provided a voltage of 12 V. Tanks were not equipped with walkie-talkies (only FuG2 receivers with whip antennas were installed on command vehicles), while commands were given using rocket launchers and signal flags, a set of which was available on each tank. There was also no tank intercom, so the crew members communicated with each other using a speaking tube.
Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.A, rear view
Source - nevsepic.com.ua
Already in December 1932, it became clear that the engine power was insufficient. To replace it, experts from Essen proposed to install an 80-horsepower air-cooled V-shaped eight-cylinder engine, also developed by Krupp Corporation. At the same time, it was indicated that in order to install it, it was necessary to lengthen the engine compartment by approximately 220 mm, otherwise the engine simply would not fit in the car. The search for a suitable engine continued until 1935, when the choice of UVS specialists settled on a 100-horsepower Maybach inline six-cylinder liquid-cooled model NL 38 Tr.
By this time, Krupp's designers had already created an elongated chassis with an additional fifth track roller and a fourth support roller, and the sloth was raised from the ground. Until 1935, this tank was designated as "La.S.-May", and later it was assigned the index "Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B". The car also received a new five-speed transmission ZF Aphon FG31, which provided the following speed modes:
- in first gear - up to 5 km / h;
- on the second - up to 11 km / h;
- on the third - up to 20 km / h;
- on the fourth - up to 32 km / h;
- on the fifth - up to 42 km / h.
Since 1936, new MG 34 machine guns manufactured by Rheinmetall-Borsig began to be installed on tanks - by this time their ammunition load had increased to 90 magazines with 2260 rounds. The trigger of the left machine gun was located on the helm of lifting the weapon to the left of the commander, and the right machine gun was placed on the turret turret to the right of him. The turret traverse mechanism itself was moved to the right side of the turret mantlet.
No other fundamental changes were made to the design. Now, new additional designations have appeared in German documentation - Pz.I with a Krupp engine (“mit Kruppmotor”) and with a Maybach engine (“mit Maybachmotor”).
Tank Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B
Source: regimiento-numancia.es
"Tractors" are drafted into the army
Since 1935, five German companies have produced Pz.Kpfw.I: Rheinmetall-Borsig, Daimler-Benz, Henschel & Son, MAN and Krupp Grusonwerk. In total, the German industry produced 477 tanks of the Ausf.A model (with serial numbers from 10,001 to 10,477) and 1016 Ausf.B (with serial numbers 10478-15000 and 15201-16500). In 1938, Wegmann additionally assembled 22 hulls. Thus, by the beginning of the first territorial acquisitions of the Third Reich, the Pz.Kpfw.I turned out to be the most massive Wehrmacht tank.
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In order not to waste the expensive motor resources of vehicles, which, moreover, had a habit of breaking down quite often, the Sixth Department simultaneously placed orders for the production of heavy trucks with a payload capacity of 8.8-9.5 tons, designed to transport Pz.Kpfw.I. The most popular of them were Bussing-NAG models 900 and 900A, as well as Faun L900D567. Later, for these purposes, the Wehrmacht began to use captured vehicles of Czech (Skoda 6VTP6-T, Skoda 6K and Tatra T81) and French (Laffli S45TL, Bernard and Willeme) production.
For the transportation of armored vehicles, the German industry also produced special trailers Sd.Anh.115 and Sd.Anh.116 (short for Sonder Anhanger - “special trailer”) with a carrying capacity of 8 and 22 tons, respectively. Hanomag SS100 heavy wheeled tractors or half-tracks could be used to tow them. 18-ton Sd.Kfz.9, although in fact the trailer could tow any tractor with a carrying capacity of more than five tons.
Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B in the back of a Faun L900D567 truck. The second tank truck is towed on a special trailer
Source: colleurs-de-plastique.com
Fifteen tanks of the first series by April 1934 were sent to the Training Group of Automobile Troops in Zossen, where they were used to train new personnel. The following tanks were used to form the materiel of the first three German tank divisions (hereinafter - TD), which were fully equipped with Pz.Kpfw.I tanks by October 15, 1935. With the beginning of the arrival of the Pz.Kpfw.II model vehicles (in 1936), the proportion of "units" decreased to 80% - now each company was equipped with four Pz.I and one Pz.II. In the future, the proportion of "ones" in parts of the Panzerwaffe steadily decreased.
Before the outbreak of World War II, such a number of different kinds of mechanisms - aircraft, tanks, armored cars, amphibians - had never been used in hostilities. Automobiles also played a role - and a considerable one - in this war. "Motor" remembered the cars, thanks to which the Soviet soldiers managed to get a victory, as well as the German cars that opposed them.
Industrialization in the late 1930s in the Soviet Union was in full swing: the USSR produced more military equipment than any other country in the world. By June 22, 1941, the Soviet Union had a huge number of military vehicles - 272,600 units. Plus, in the very first weeks of the war, another 160 thousand 300 vehicles were mobilized from the national economy. The fleet of German troops, in turn, consisted of no more than 150 thousand vehicles.
The seemingly huge advantage was quickly lost - in the very first days of the war, the Soviet Union lost tens of thousands of vehicles. Nevertheless, the Soviet troops managed to recover from this blow and respond to the enemy with an offensive.
Wheels for "Katyusha"
On June 17, 1941, at a military training ground near Moscow, the government delegation was shown the latest weapon - BM-13 multiple launch rocket launchers, which were later called "Katyusha". Three days later, on June 21, an order was issued for the serial production of these units. There were only a few hours left before the start of the war.
Thanks to this weapon, the Soviet Union managed to win many battles. "Katyusha" was installed on the chassis of a variety of vehicles - tanks, tractors, cars. However, tracked vehicles had some significant drawbacks - low speed and high fuel consumption. Yes, and the asphalt was thoroughly destroyed during transportation, so special tractors were needed for transportation. That is why most of the Katyushas were installed on trucks.
ZIS-6. Photo from spectechnika.com
The first vehicle to carry such a rocket launcher was the Soviet ZIS-6, based on the ZIS-5 (4x2 formula). This four-ton truck with a 6x4 wheel formula had excellent cross-country ability and, together with a rocket launcher, received a “baptism of fire” on July 14, 1941 in the city of Rudnya captured by the Germans.
A large amount of German military equipment has accumulated on one of the central squares of this city. From the steep bank of the Malaya Berezina River, a ZIS-6 vehicle with a BM-13 rocket launcher dealt a crushing blow to the enemy. When the volleys of the installation subsided, one of the soldiers sang the song "Katyusha", which was popular at that time. Hence, according to a common legend, the popular name BM-13 came from.
ZIS-6. Photo by Deutscher Friedensstifter from flickr.com
"Katyusha" was installed not only on ZISs. Many cars that were supplied to the Soviet Union under Lend-Lease (mainly British and American) were also used as chassis for Katyushas. Moreover, it was the American Studebaker US6, the world's first truck with three drive axles, that became the most massive owner of this weapon.
Throughout its history, Studebaker has traveled to many places around the globe, but, ironically, has never been used in the United States. Studebakers were the most common vehicles supplied to the USSR under Lend-Lease. During the war years, the Soviet Union received almost 200,000 US6.
Studebaker US6. Photo from militaryimages.net
Thanks to all-wheel drive, the American truck boasted excellent cross-country ability and carrying capacity, which favorably distinguished it from its Soviet counterparts. Compared to the "three-ton" (ZIS-5), Studebaker could carry two tons more - despite the fact that the Americans recommended not to load it with more than two and a half tons. In addition, the car could overcome small river fords without fear of damaging vital parts, as they had a high location.
Thanks to all these qualities, an improved rocket launcher with the BM-13N index began to be installed on the Studer. In addition, the Studebakers were used by the Soviet Army as ordinary trucks, gun tractors, dump trucks and cranes. The car turned out to be so successful that some trucks regularly served the Soviet Union until the 1980s.
"Katyusha". Photo by verdammtescheissenochmal from flickr.com
In the expanses of the USSR there are many monuments to the Katyusha, but not all of them correspond to historical facts. For example, there is a monument to "Katyusha" based on the ZIS-5, on which this installation was never installed, or even on the basis of the ZIS-150 - a car that began to be produced after the war. Of course, this was done solely from the point of view of patriotism, since Studebaker has always been and remained an American. Nevertheless, this car was regularly filmed in numerous Soviet films about the war.
off-road
In 1940, the US Army needed a light reconnaissance vehicle that would effortlessly overcome off-road conditions. Having won the tender, Willys-Overland Motors presented a car that met all these requirements - Willys MA. After the US entered World War II, full-scale production of this car began, and in 1942, Ford began producing Willys, but of a different model - Willys MB. From the assembly lines of Ford, these cars came out under the name Ford GPW. By the way, due to the consonance of the first two letters of the index - "Ji", "Pi" - the name "jeep" came about, which later became a household name.
Willys MA. Photo from autoguru.at
Since 1942, under the Lend-Lease program, "Willis" of various modifications began to arrive in the USSR. The car proved to be excellent in the conditions of hostilities. Depending on the type of troops and the military situation, the vehicle served both as a reconnaissance-commander and as a cannon tractor. Machine guns and other small arms were installed on many Willys. There were also cars for medical care - stretchers were installed in them. There was even a very unusual modification of the car - with railway wheels - for moving on rails.
The all-wheel drive car had a 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine with a capacity of 54 horsepower. The maximum speed was 104 kilometers per hour. But still, the main task of an SUV is to overcome various kinds of obstacles. "Willis" did a great job with this and felt confident on the roads (it could overcome a ford up to half a meter deep, and some modifications even up to 1.5 meters). During the war years, the Soviet Union received about 52,000 Willys.
Willys MB. Photo from army.mil
The American car has become an indispensable assistant and favorite of Soviet soldiers, as well as one of the symbols of the Great Patriotic War. In global terms, Willys has become a model for the creation of light, but at the same time hardy cars.
There were also military jeeps in the USSR. In January 1941, the Soviet government, looking at American cars, instructed two enterprises at once - GAZ and NATI - to develop a light, inexpensive, and most importantly unpretentious SUV. Two months later, two cars were tested at the military training ground at once - GAZ-64 and NATI-AR.
GAZ-64 showed better results than its competitor, but the main thing was that its production did not require large amounts of money and time. Many components of this car were already installed on the models produced by the plant - the GAZ-61 sedan and the GAZ-MM truck. Serial production began immediately, and already in August 1941, the first Soviet off-road vehicle, the GAZ-64, rolled off the assembly line.
GAZ-64. Foo from autoclub-gaz.ru
Before the appearance of the American "Willis" in the Soviet army, the GAZ-64 was an indispensable military assistant. He could easily overcome steep climbs, mud, sand and snow. On a flat road, the car reached speeds of up to 90 kilometers per hour, and on impassable roads - up to 25 kilometers per hour, which no other Soviet car could do.
In 1943, the plant developed a new SUV model - the GAZ-67 (an upgraded version of the GAZ-64). It differed from its predecessor by a wider track and reinforced suspension. The engine power was also increased, however, due to the increased width, the SUV lost dynamic performance, and the maximum speed dropped to 88 kilometers per hour.
GAZ-67. Photo by W.Grabar from flickr.com
In 1944, the GAZ-67 received some design changes, after which it was assigned the "B" index. Among the people, he received his "indexes". He was lovingly called "goat", "goat", "pygmy", "gazik", "Chapaev", "flea-warrior", "HBV" ("I want to be" Willis ") and" Ivan-Willis ". The Soviet SUV on the war fronts showed its best side. He was more unpretentious to fuels and lubricants and more maintainable, unlike his American brother "Willis".
Zakhar and his team
A truly iconic truck in the war was the ZIS-5. Among the people, he received the names "Zakhar", "Zakhar Ivanovich", "Three-tonka". His reliability was unmatched. The 5.5-liter engine started easily in any weather and was unpretentious to the quality of gasoline. With its own weight of 3 tons on board, he could take the same amount. We must also pay tribute to the cross-country ability of the Zakhara - with a 4x2 wheel arrangement, the truck overcame various obstacles, and behaved almost like an all-wheel drive vehicle on military off-road. The flexible frame of the ZIS-5 deserves special attention - when it hits an obstacle, it bends, helping the car to drive through the bumps more gently. The maximum speed of this truck was 60 kilometers per hour. By 1941, ZIS-5 trucks accounted for almost half of the Soviet Union's military fleet.
ZIS-5. Photo by W.Grabar from flickr.com
In the first months of the war, a large number of cars were destroyed. Partial mobilization of vehicles of the national economy temporarily solved the problem, but the front and rear urgently needed trucks in large quantities.
To save material, ZIS-5 trucks began to make the most simplified modifications. Instead of an iron cab, they put a plywood one, there were no front brakes, they also installed only one headlight (driver's) on the truck, and for some time these cars were produced without any headlights at all! The plant saved 124 kilograms of metal on each truck.
GAZ-AA. Photo from alter.gorod.tomsk.ru
On the basis of the ZIS-5, a huge number of special-purpose vehicles were built. These are fire trucks, buses (named ZIS-8 and ZIS-16), mobile printing houses, meat processing plants, snow plows and even armored vehicles. Behind the cockpit of the ZIS-5 one could see huge air defense searchlights, as well as anti-aircraft guns.
But the most common truck during the Great Patriotic War was the GAZ - AA, popularly referred to as the "one and a half". In fact, it was a modernized version of the American Ford-AA truck. The production of this car began long before the war - in 1932. Until 1933, cars were assembled from American car kits, but their quality was not entirely suitable for use in our road conditions. The specialists of the Gorky Automobile Plant made a number of design changes to the GAZ-AA, and since 1933 the car began to be assembled entirely from Soviet components.
GAZ-AA. Photo by W.Grabar from flickr.com
In 1938, the car received a new engine of almost 3.3 liters with a capacity of 50 horsepower, and became known as the GAZ-MM. The car boasted a maximum speed of 100 kilometers per hour, was faster than its "colleague" - ZIS-5. But the carrying capacity was two times lower than that of the "three-ton". Hence the nickname - "one and a half".
During the war years, the truck lost almost the same nodes as the Zakhar. Only one headlight and one wiper on the driver's side were installed on the GAZ-MM. The front brakes were missing. The wings of the car were made from ordinary roofing iron. In the rear of the car, instead of four, only two wheels were often placed. The roof and doors of the cabin were made of tarpaulin, which was a plus: in case of fire, flooding or shelling of the car, you could quickly jump out of it.
GAZ-MM. Photo from denisovets.narod.ru
These truly heroic cars were the first to cross the frozen Lake Ladoga to bring food to besieged Leningrad. On the way back, GAZ-MM took out people, industrial equipment and cultural property. But not all "one and a half" and "Zakharov" had a way back. Many cars fell through the ice, going to the bottom of Lake Ladoga.
Over the long years of the war, the "lorry" managed to win the hearts of soldiers. A trouble-free engine was started from half a turn, however, often with a manual starter, since a working battery in a war is a rarity. The motor was unpretentious and to gasoline. They poured fuel of any quality - the car even ran on kerosene and alcohol.
German cars
Some German cars from a technical point of view were head and shoulders above domestic ones, and showed excellent results both on the roads of Europe and in the sands of Africa. But, faced with the conditions of the Soviet front, they often turned out to be weaker and more defenseless than domestic vehicles.
It was global and lasted from 1939 to 1945. During these years, the basis of military logistics was an ordinary horse. Thus, infantry companies were supplied with ammunition, which was brought with the help of horses. At a higher level of supply (battalion, regiment, division), the German army and the Red Army used trucks. Trucks played a vital role in transporting troops, supporting supply lines and serving as fire engines.
Unlike our country, in Germany at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the automotive industry was developed. For example, already in the 1920s there were many companies that produced 3-ton trucks. As a result, the Wehrmacht did not have a shortage of trucks. For example, when attacking France, the German army received many 10-ton trucks.
Fortunately, there were no German autobahns in the USSR. So many truck models that were used during the war in Europe could not be used on our territory. This is Russia - come on, goodbye!
By the beginning of World War II, the Red Army was armed with 272.6 thousand vehicles, including 257.8 thousand trucks and special trucks, of which the vast majority of vehicles were GAZ-AA and ZIS-5.
The Wehrmacht had half a million vehicles. And they were good trucks, including off-road ones. In 1941, 333 thousand cars were produced in Germany, 268 thousand in the occupied countries, and another 75 thousand cars were produced by the allies of the Third Reich.
We have collected for you the most interesting German trucks that were used by the German army.
1. Krupp L2H43
Light truck used by German forces during World War II. An air-cooled vehicle with a 4-cylinder engine with a speed of 70 km / h mainly served to transport and tow Pak35 / 36 37 mm anti-tank guns.
During the years of World War II, the Krupp L2H143 truck was very popular with the Wehrmacht troops due to its good driving characteristics and became the standard truck for German infantry divisions deployed in France, Poland, the Balkans and Russian battlefields.
2. Phanomen Granite 1500A
Initially, Phanomen Granit cars were used by the German army as ambulances. But they had insufficient patency, which is important on the battlefield. As a result, modernized Phanomen Granit 1500A cars were produced on the basis of old cars.
3 Burgward B3000
The medium trucks produced by the German forces during World War II were mainly needed for transporting people and materials, as well as for towing artillery.
4. Magirus-Deutz Deutz A300
The half-track truck used by the Germans during World War II, like other half-track trucks, was mainly used on the battlefield. By the way, these machines were in service with the German army after the end of World War II (until the 60s of the 20th century).
5. Ford G917T
The American truck was manufactured by a German subsidiary run by Ford. The German Ford G917T/G997T trucks are nearly identical to the British Ford-Ferderson E88. In total, 25,000 vehicles were produced in Germany, which were used by the German army.
6. Ford V3000S (G198TS)
This series of trucks was not originally made in the USA, unlike many other American vehicles. The first models of Ford V3000S trucks were manufactured by car factories in France, Belgium, Italy, Romania and Spain. The shortage of raw materials in Germany at the end of the war led to the simplification of the production of military vehicles. First, during the production of trucks at the end of World War II, the amount of tin was significantly reduced. For example, instead of metal, car bumpers and cabs were made from hardwood.
It is noteworthy that due to lack of funds, the Ford V3000S (G198TS) trucks lost even their headlights. As a justification for the absence of headlights in the description of the terms of reference, it was indicated that the headlights are not needed, as they make the car visible to the enemy. In general, by the end of the war, Ford trucks were unreliable and had poor equipment. In total, Ford produced 24,110 vehicles for Germany during the war.
7. Ford V3000S: half-track version
The original version of Ford V3000S trucks was designed by British engineers. But during World War II, the German army needed special vehicles. There was a special need for moving around roadless Russia. As a result, German engineers decided to modernize the classic Ford trucks by equipping them with a caterpillar drive. In total, from 1942 to 1944, Germany produced 21,960 tracked Ford V3000S, most of which were used by the Wehrmacht in Russia and other countries of Eastern Europe.
8. Henschel 33 D1/G1
From 1937 to 1941, about 22,000 Henschel 33 D / G trucks were delivered to the German army. In general, Henschel 33 trucks are powerful and very reliable vehicles with excellent cross-country ability and endurance. These are purely German trucks, produced in the late 1930s by a large industrial company in Germany.
9. Krupp L3H163
Krupp L3H163 trucks were produced in 1936-1938. These are 6x4 trucks. The maximum weight is 9 tons. The cars were equipped with 6-cylinder water-cooled gasoline engines. The volume of engines was 7.8 liters. Maximum power - 110 liters. With.
This heavy truck could carry out many transport tasks that came in handy for the German troops during World War II.
10. Mann ML4500A
Mann ML4500A vehicles are heavy 4x4 trucks produced by Germany during World War II. Basically, these machines were used to transport people and materials. Due to the complexity of production and high production costs, production of the machines was discontinued at the end of World War II. As a result, the plant was converted to the production of Opel trucks.
11. Mercedes-Benz MB L6000
Heavy duty truck manufactured by Mercedes-Benz. Equipped with a 6-cylinder diesel engine with a capacity of 95 liters. With. The truck was all-wheel drive. Produced from 1936 to 1940. The car had a 6x4 layout.
Due to its technical characteristics (strength), this vehicle was produced in various versions, which during the Second World War performed different tasks, ranging from carrying artillery to transporting tanks in tow.
12. Mercedes L3000A trucks
These 3-ton trucks equipped with diesel engines were produced by Daimler-Benz. From 1939 to 1944, 27,668 modified trucks were produced. In 1944, the Mercedes plant stopped production, as the German military department believed that Opel 3-ton trucks with gasoline engines were more adapted to the difficult military conditions in Russia, since they were easier to maintain.
13. Mercedes L4500A
The Mercedes L4500A is a German heavy utility vehicle, originally designed for civilian use, widely used by German troops on the Western and Eastern fronts after the outbreak of World War II.
Between 1939 and 1944, a total of 9,500 cars were produced. Despite the number of vehicles produced, these truck models became the backbone of the logistics of the German army.
Mercedes L4500A was equipped with a 7.2-liter diesel engine. On the basis of this machine, special versions were produced at the Mercedes plant: vehicles for the field kitchen, artillery vehicles, ambulances, and so on.
14. Mercedes l4500r Half-Truck
This Mercedes l4500 Half-Track model is equipped with a caterpillar drive to the rear axle. This modification allowed to reduce the weight of the machine. But, despite this, the maximum speed of the truck dropped to 36 km / h. The car was equipped with a 6-cylinder diesel engine with a capacity of 112 liters. With. The main disadvantage of this half-tracked vehicle is fuel consumption, which was 200 liters per 100 kilometers. Nevertheless, the German army did not refuse to use it, since it was he who helped the Wehrmacht drive through the endless impenetrable fields of Russia.
It is worth noting that in the period from 1943 to 1944, the Mercedes L4500R became one of the main horses of the Eastern Fleet. During this period, Mercedes produced 1,486 vehicles.
15 Opel Lightning Truck
The Opel Lightning Truck was in high demand by the German forces during World War II. This truck was used by the Wehrmacht in various modifications and versions on the battlefields, ranging from Northern Europe and Africa and from West to East. Such popularity of the truck speaks of its reliability and patency. But on the battlefields in Russia, the German army had problems with this car - in the harsh winter conditions, the car began to act up and was recognized as unreliable.
By the way, since 1943, the Mercedes plant has also produced this truck. Despite the difficulties of its use in Russia, Opel and Mercedes factories produced about 100,000 cars during World War II.
16 Opel Lightning 6700
The Opel Lightning 6700 is an upgraded version of the original Opel Lightning truck. Compared to the original truck, the Opel Lightning 6700 model had a simplified design to reduce costs and increase production speed. Since the model was simpler, it was more suitable for movement in Russia.
17. Truck Skoda 6x4
Truck Skoda 6x4, which was produced in 1935-1939 of the 20th century. During World War II, it was mainly supplied to the Romanian front.
18. Swiss truck Berner
A Berner truck, mainly used by SS units, in 1945 in Italy. April 27, 1945 on the Austrian border was captured. Today, this truck is on display at the Museum of the Liberation of San Lazaro in Bologna.
19. Half-track German tractor Sd Kfz 7/1 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug)
This half-track tractor was equipped with an 8.8 cm anti-aircraft gun and a 150 mm howitzer. The Wehrmacht also used Sd Kfz 7 tractors with 20 mm and 37 mm anti-aircraft guns. The disadvantage of these machines is that compared to wheeled vehicles, half-track tractors are more difficult to maintain, as a result of which they often fail.
Nevertheless, the Germans did not abandon these combat vehicles, as they had excellent off-road maneuverability. True, the speed of movement on the highway left much to be desired. But in the off-road conditions of Russia, this car was indispensable for the Wehrmacht.
20. Half-track armored personnel carrier Sd Kfz 251 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug)
The German medium half-track light armored personnel carrier participated in almost every military operation of the Germans during the Second World War. The car had various modified versions that could perform various transport tasks. Due to the sloped armor, it had a high mine protection.
21. Cargo tractor Steyr RSO/01
The Steyr RSO / 01 tractor is an Austrian-made tracked truck for the Wehrmacht, designed for transportation in difficult terrain. However, high fuel consumption (45-75 liters per 100 km) and a low maximum speed (15 km/h) did not allow the Steyr RSO/01 cargo tractor to be used to transport people over long distances. Therefore, the main task of the tractor was towing artillery on the front line. From 1942 to 1945, more than 25,000 tractors were sent to the front.
For obvious reasons, the industry of Nazi Germany is associated exclusively with military equipment. But in fact, quite interesting civilian cars were also produced in the Third Reich.
The thirties of the twentieth century are not the easiest period in the history of Germany. The country has just begun to recover from the Great Depression, which directly affected the lives of citizens.
It is not surprising that the Nazis, who seized power in the country, actively played on these sentiments of the population. The automotive industry is by no means an exception. This is one of those areas in which the rulers of the Third Reich tried to show the superiority of their ideology over others, and clearly demonstrate how the new government can make people's lives better with the help of cars.
Today we will tell you about what cars were popular in Germany of that period, and you will also find out what car the fictional Soviet intelligence officer Otto von Stirlitz drove. Just in case, let's make a reservation: we strongly condemn the Nazi ideology, and in no case do we try to whitewash the activities of the Third Reich with this publication. The results of the Second World War and the Nuremberg trials are not subject to revision! We only give curious examples of the technology of that period, and we consider these cars exclusively from a historical point of view.
Mercedes-Benz 770
Mercedes-Benz 770
With the phrase "cars of the Third Reich" in the mind of many, a fairly stable image immediately arises - Adolf Hitler is driving a car. Admittedly, there is nothing surprising in such associations - Nazi propaganda actively showed the Fuhrer in their films and television magazines. Most often, the Nazi leader drove around in them in a Mercedes-Benz 770K with the numbers "1A 148 461".
At the time of the appearance in 1930, the Mercedes-Benz Typ 770, also known as the Großer Mercedes ("Big Mercedes"), was indeed the largest and most expensive car of the German brand. Under the hood of this car was a 7.6-liter engine that developed 150 hp. in the regular version and 200 hp. - on the supercharged version. Transmission - 4-speed manual. Of course, only the best materials were used in the interior decoration of the "Big Mercedes", including leather and wood. The 770 also had a convertible version.
In general, the Mercedes-Benz Typ 770 was not an easy car, and given the initial price of 29,500 Reichsmarks, not everyone could afford it. But the elite fell in love with the car, and not only the Nazis. For example, Reich President Paul von Hindenburg, Japanese Emperor Hirohito, Popes Pius XI and Pius XII drove such a car. Well, in 1931, Adolf Hitler added to the list. Moreover, the Fuhrer preferred the open version of the car.
Maybach SW38
Just like today, Maybach cars were prominent in Nazi Germany and were among the most prestigious. True, then Maybach was not a division of Mercedes-Benz, but a separate company - Maybach-Motorenbau (this is precisely what explains the two letters "M" on the emblem of the brand). But by the 30s, Maybach had a real history and the glory of a pioneer behind it, because it was Wilhelm Maybach who once helped Gottlieb Daimler to create the first car in the world.
In general, there is nothing surprising in the fact that the SW family of cars, nicknamed the "little Maybach", turned out to be the most massive pre-war car of the brand. The first version - Maybach SW35 - appeared in 1935, was equipped with a 3.5-liter engine with 140 hp. But only 50 of these cars were built.
The Maybach SW38 deserves much more attention, equipped with a 3.8-liter 140-horsepower engine and a 4-speed transmission, which was produced from 1936 to 1939. The body of this car was created in the studio of Hermann Shpon. Moreover, several versions were released over the years: there was a four-door convertible, and a two-door car with an open top, and a special roadster. It is not surprising that in the summer of 2016 one of these cars went to auction at Sotheby's for $1,072,500.
By the way, in 1939 Maybach released a new modification of the SW - 42 family car. It was already a sedan with a fundamentally different body and a 4.2-liter engine, the power of which remained the same due to the features of the then technical regulations - 140 hp. True, the same obvious reason - the war - prevented this model from gaining mass distribution and popularity.
Volkswagen Kafer
Volkswagen Kafer
If the party bosses of the Third Reich drove Mercedes and Maybachs, then ordinary burghers should have received a simpler car. With this, the Nazis wanted to demonstrate the growth of the welfare of citizens. That is why Ferdinand Porsche, commissioned by Hitler, began to develop a truly "people's car". Actually, the name of the Volkswagen brand is exactly what is translated.
The result of the work was Käfer, or in translation - "Beetle". For the first time, the new model was shown in the spring of 1939 at an exhibition in Berlin, although at that time the Beetle was not yet a Volkswagen, but was produced under the KdF-Wagen brand. The rear-engined car was equipped with a 25-horsepower air-cooled engine and was extremely easy to maintain and manufacture. Of course, the public was very, very supportive of such a machine.
Volkswagen Kafer
True, an interesting nuance was associated with the purchase of Volkswagen Käfer. Although the nominal price of the car was 990 Reichsmarks, it was impossible to buy a car for cash. Instead, it was necessary to purchase a special "Cumulative Book" and paste special stamps into it every week. Any missed payment meant the loss of all invested funds. Nevertheless, the Germans were still reaching for the "People's Car",
True, in 1939 more than 330,000 people were still left without the coveted "Beetle". The reason is that the plant where Käfer was produced had already been completely transferred to the war footing. Only in the 60s, Volkswagen management went to meet the deceived depositors and offered them a discount on new cars. Well, the Beetle itself successfully survived this period, and was produced with various changes right up to 2003. True, the last copy of this model was not made in his native Germany, but in Mexico.
Another "people's car" that appeared in the Third Reich was the Opel Kadett. This car was built on the basis of another Opel model - Olympia, and since 1937 it was produced at the plant in Rüsselsheim.
I must say that the Opel Kadett turned out to be a very progressive car for its time. Firstly, the model inherited from the "Olympia" design with an all-metal load-bearing body. Secondly, the car was distinguished by a very advanced design. What are the lights alone, integrated into the wings! Finally, thirdly, and in terms of equipment, Opel Kadett gave odds to many competitors. For example, hydraulic brakes for all four wheels were installed here, and in the cabin there was, for example, a sensor for remaining fuel and oil pressure.
The Opel Kadett was powered by a 1.1-liter four-cylinder engine with 23 hp. Although this is not much, due to its small mass of 750 kg, the car could accelerate to 90 km / h, which was considered a very good indicator. And the Opel Kadett cost 2100 Reichsmarks - even if it was more expensive than the Beetle, but the car could be bought right away.
However, our readers will be interested in Opel Kadett for one more reason. The fact is that it was this model that became the basis for the future Soviet car Moskvich-400. And there is no secret in this. The fact is that the Soviet side received technical documentation and equipment from the Opel plant in Brandenburg as part of the reparations. And although the original Opel Kadett was produced elsewhere - at a plant in Rüsselsham, the Soviet Small Car Plant, thanks to the help of German designers, actually recreated the model and gave it the name "Moskvich-400". By the way, they say that the choice in favor of the Opel Kadett was also not accidental - supposedly Joseph Stalin liked this model.
Mercedes-Benz G4
Mercedes-Benz G4
If you like the six-wheeled off-road monster Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG 6x6, then you will surely like its distant relative - the Mercedes-Benz G4. This car was originally created in the Third Reich for the needs of the army. The car was initially driven by a five-liter eight-cylinder engine with a capacity of 100 hp. and had a complex all-wheel drive system.
The military car did not like it. But in the Reich Chancellery they were delighted, and from 1938 they began to use it for trips to the occupied territories, primarily to Czechoslovakia and Austria. By that time, the Mercedes-Benz G4 was already equipped with another V8 engine - a 5.2-liter 115-horsepower unit. And over the next two years, it was replaced by a 5.4-liter "eight" with a capacity of 110 hp.
In general, from the "SUV" Mercedes-Benz G4 pretty quickly turned into almost a front limousine. In addition, this model was one of the models that Adolf Hitler personally drove. Moreover, the Fuhrer presented one car to Generalissimo of Spain Francisco Franco. True, the circulation of the G4 was quite small: in total, only 57 cars were produced during the entire production period. Of these, only three cars have survived to this day. One of them, a car that belonged to Franco, is now kept in the automobile collection of the Spanish royal family. Another car in which Hitler took the parade in the annexed Sudetenland is stored in the Museum of Technology in Sinsheim. Finally, the third car is located in American Hollywood, where it has been repeatedly used in the filming of films.
But what about BMW? Did the Bavarians really not produce cars during the period of the Nazi dictatorship? Released. True, we must not forget that, firstly, BMW became an automobile company only in 1929, and before that it was engaged in the production of aircraft engines and motorcycles. Secondly, it would not be entirely true to call BMW cars of that time completely "Bavarian". The fact is that in 1929 BMW acquired a plant in Eisenach, which is located in another part of Germany - Thuringia.
On the other hand, BMW managed to quickly start producing cars there, and by the mid-30s, the brand pleased customers with rather interesting cars. Such as, for example, the BMW 326 - a four-door model produced in a sedan and convertible body. The car was equipped with a two-liter six-cylinder engine with a capacity of about 50 hp, combined with a four-speed transmission. The maximum speed is 115 km / h, which at that time was considered a very good indicator.
The BMW 326 proved to be a fairly successful model. From 1936 to 1941, 15,936 cars were produced, despite the rather high price. For example, for a convertible, which was considered small, they asked for 6,650 Reichsmarks. It is not surprising that in 1940 BMW planned to replace the 326th with a new model built according to the same scheme - the BMW 332. However, the outbreak of World War II left only three pre-production prototypes from these plans.
Auto-Union-Rennwagen
Auto-Union-Rennwagen
It may seem that in the Third Reich there were only cars for the top of the NSDAP, cheap cars for the common people, and, well, military equipment. Actually, this is not so. There were also racing cars in Nazi Germany. First of all, this is Auto-Union-Rennwagen.
At the end of 1932, Ferdinand Porsche began work on a racing car, the main feature of which was the placement of the engine behind the driver in front of the rear axle. The car was developed under the order of the Auto Union AG concern to participate in the Grand Prix. The car called Typ A was equipped with a 4.4-liter sixteen-cylinder engine that developed 295 hp. and 530 N m. The result was not long in coming: already in 1934, the racer Hans Stuck set three world records on this car, accelerating to 265 km / h on the Berlin AFUS track.
Auto Union Type C V16 Streamliner
Incidentally, the Typ A was far from the only racing car produced by Auto Union AG. The "Type A" was followed by the cars Typ B, Typ C, Typ C / D and Typ D. Moreover, for example, Typ C, equipped with a six-liter 520-horsepower engine, was generally a unique car. It was on it that the racer Bernd Rosemeyer in 1937 managed to accelerate to 400 km / h on a regular road and set several world speed records.
In general, Auto-Union-Rennwagen clearly demonstrates that both time and money were devoted to motorsport in the Third Reich. For example, Auto Union and Mercedes-Benz received 500,000 Reichsmarks for the development of motorsport. But, despite the records and achievements of these machines in peacetime, the Second World War and, in particular, the opening of the Eastern Front, actually destroyed the development of motorsport in the Third Reich.
Horch 830
A quick question: what car did the Soviet intelligence officer Stirlitz drive? If you watch the movie "Seventeen Moments of Spring", then you can see the Mercedes-Benz Typ 230 (W153) in the frames. But it's on the screen. And in the original book by Y. Semenov, you can read "Stirlitz opened the gate, got behind the wheel and turned on the ignition. The reinforced engine of his Horch rumbled evenly and powerfully."
True, the author does not specify what kind of Horch model is in question. It is possible that we are talking about the Horch 830 - a rear-wheel drive car, first presented at the Berlin Motor Show in 1933. Initially, this car was offered with a three-liter 70-horsepower engine, but a year after the premiere, the Horch 830 had an upgraded version with a 3.25-liter engine of the same power. Subsequently, this engine gave way to a 3.5-liter, which in different versions produced 75 and 82 hp. And the most powerful versions were the Horch 830 BL and Horch 930 V, introduced in 1938. These cars were equipped with a 3.8-liter 92-horsepower engine.
However, regardless of the engine, Horch 830 was a prestigious car that not everyone could afford. The price is about 10,150 Reichsmarks, almost twice as expensive as the Mercedes-Benz Typ 230. And although 11,625 Horch 830s were produced at the Zwickau plant from 1933 to 1940, only representatives of the highest elite could buy it. It was impossible to imagine an SS standertenführer on such a machine - the relevant authorities would immediately become interested in them. So, as they say, Stirlitz has never been so close to failure.
Thus, by the time of entry into the Second World War, Nazi Germany had a fairly developed automobile industry. It is not known how her fate would have developed if it were not for the ideas of racial superiority, the desire to start a war for "living space" and "finally solve the Jewish question", covering the minds of the country's leaders. However, this is a topic for a completely different article.
Knowing firsthand what a front and a military operation are, Hitler was well aware that without proper support for advanced units, a large-scale military operation could not be carried out. Therefore, a significant role in building up military power in Germany was given to army vehicles.
Source: wikimedia.org
In fact, ordinary cars were quite suitable for conducting military operations in Europe, but the Fuhrer's plans were much more ambitious. For their implementation, all-wheel drive vehicles were needed that could cope with Russian impassability and the sands of Africa.
In the mid-thirties, the first motorization program for the army units of the Wehrmacht was adopted. The German automotive industry has begun developing off-road trucks of three sizes: light (with a payload of 1.5 tons), medium (with a payload of 3 tons) and heavy (for transporting 5-10 tons of cargo).
Army trucks were developed and manufactured by Daimler-Benz, Bussing and Magirus. In addition, the terms of reference stipulated that all cars, both externally and structurally, should be similar and have interchangeable main units.
Source: wikimedia.org
In addition, German automobile plants received an application for the production of special army vehicles for command and reconnaissance. They were produced by eight factories: BMW, Daimler-Benz, Ford, Hanomag, Horch, Opel, Stoewer and Wanderer. At the same time, the chassis for these machines were unified, but the manufacturers installed their own motors for the most part.
Source: wikimedia.org
German engineers have created excellent machines that combine all-wheel drive with independent suspension on coil springs. Equipped with locking inter-axle and inter-wheel differentials, as well as special "toothy" tires, these SUVs were able to overcome very serious off-road conditions, were hardy and reliable.
While hostilities were taking place in Europe and Africa, these vehicles completely satisfied the command of the ground forces. But as the Wehrmacht troops entered Eastern Europe, abhorrent road conditions began to gradually but methodically destroy the high-tech design of German cars.
The "Achilles heel" of these machines was the high technical complexity of the designs. Complex assemblies required daily maintenance. And the biggest drawback was the low carrying capacity of army trucks.
Be that as it may, but the fierce resistance of the Soviet troops near Moscow and a very cold winter finally "finished off" almost the entire fleet of army vehicles available to the Wehrmacht.
Complex, expensive and energy-intensive trucks were good during the almost bloodless European campaign, and in the conditions of this confrontation, Germany had to return to the production of simple and unpretentious civilian models.
Source: wikimedia.org
Now "one and a half" began to make: Opel, Phanomen, Stayr. Three-tons were produced by: Opel, Ford, Borgward, Mercedes, Magirus, MAN. Cars with a carrying capacity of 4.5 tons - Mercedes, MAN, Bussing-NAG. Six-ton - Mercedes, MAN, Krupp, Vomag.
In addition, the Wehrmacht operated a large number of vehicles from the occupied countries.
The most interesting German cars from WWII:
"Horch-901 Type 40"- a multi-purpose variant, the basic medium command vehicle, along with the Horch 108 and Stoewer, which became the main transport of the Wehrmacht. They were completed with a V8 petrol engine (3.5 l, 80 hp), various 4-speed gearboxes, independent suspension on double wishbones and springs, lockable differentials, hydraulic drive of all wheel brakes and 18-inch tires. Gross weight 3.3-3.7 tons, payload 320-980 kg, developed a speed of 90-95 km / h.
Source: wikimedia.org
Stoewer R200- produced by Stoewer, BMW and Hanomag under the control of Stoewer from 1938 to 1943. Stoewer became the founder of a whole family of light, standardized 4x4 command and reconnaissance vehicles.
The main technical features of these machines were permanent all-wheel drive with lockable inter-axle and inter-axle differentials and independent suspension of all driving and steered wheels on double wishbones and springs.
Source: wikimedia.org
They had a wheelbase of 2400 mm, a ground clearance of 235 mm, a gross weight of 2.2 tons, and a top speed of 75-80 km/h. The cars were equipped with a 5-speed gearbox, mechanical brakes and 18-inch wheels.
One of the most original and interesting machines in Germany was a multi-purpose half-track tractor NSU NK-101 Kleines Kettenkraftrad ultralight class. It was a kind of hybrid of a motorcycle and an artillery tractor.
A 1.5-liter engine with 36 hp was placed in the center of the spar frame. from Opel Olympia, which transmitted torque through a 3-speed gearbox to the front propeller sprockets with 4 disc road wheels and an automatic braking system for one of the tracks.
Source: wikimedia.org
From motorcycles, a single 19-inch front wheel with parallelogram suspension, a rider's saddle and motorcycle-style controls were borrowed. NSU tractors were widely used in all divisions of the Wehrmacht, had a payload of 325 kg, weighed 1280 kg and developed a speed of 70 km / h.
It is impossible to ignore the light staff car produced on the platform of the "people's car" - Kubelwagen Type 82.
The idea of the possibility of military use of the new car came from Ferdinand Porsche back in 1934, and already on February 1, 1938, the Army Armaments Office issued an order for the construction of a prototype light army vehicle.
Tests of the experimental Kubelwagen showed that it significantly outperforms all other Wehrmacht passenger cars, despite the lack of front-wheel drive. In addition, Kubelwagen was easy to maintain and operate.
The VW Kubelwagen Typ 82 was equipped with a four-cylinder boxer air-cooled carburetor engine, whose low power (first 23.5 hp, then 25 hp) was enough to move a car with a gross weight of 1175 kg at a speed of 80 km / h. Fuel consumption was 9 liters per 100 km when driving on the highway.
Source: wikimedia.org
The advantages of the car were also appreciated by the opponents of the Germans - captured "Kubelvagens" were used by both the Allied forces and the Red Army. The Americans especially liked him. Their officers bartered Kubelwagen from the French and British at a speculative rate. Three Willys MBs were offered for one captured Kubelwagen.
On a rear-wheel drive chassis type "82" in 1943-45. They also produced a staff car VW Typ 82E and a car for the SS troops Typ 92SS with a closed body from the pre-war KdF-38. In addition, an all-wheel drive staff car VW Typ 87 was produced with a transmission from the mass army amphibian VW Typ 166 (Schwimmwagen).
amphibious vehicle VW-166 Schwimmwagen, created as a further development of the successful KdF-38 design. The Arms Department gave Porsche an assignment to develop a floating passenger car designed to replace motorcycles with a sidecar, which were in service with reconnaissance and motorcycle battalions and turned out to be of little use for the conditions of the Eastern Front.
The floating passenger car type 166 was unified in many components and mechanisms with the KfZ 1 all-terrain vehicle and had the same layout with an engine installed in the rear of the hull. To ensure buoyancy, the all-metal hull of the machine was sealed.
