German military car. Red Army against Wehrmacht: Special Cars

With the coming to power on January 30, 1933, the new Reichskanzler Adolf Hitler received a ruined and impoverished country with six million unemployed and declining the economy. Apparently, the Nazis did not have a certain plan for the conclusion of Germany from the deep crisis, and therefore they began to act simple and only by them in understandable ways that were very effective. To begin with, at least the unemployed work was to be given, and simple people - faith in a bright future. Works in Germany turned out to be a lot: the reconstruction of old enterprises and the creation of new industries, intensive construction and the incarnation of the ambitious project "Imperial Autoban" - transport infrastructure of Germany, network of nationwide concrete highway-autobahn. At the same time, the planning of economic development and the training system of qualified personnel were introduced, trade unions and strikes were prohibited, while maintaining the average wage, the duration of the working day was constantly increasing and taxes increased, forced-voluntary contributions to the main industries, important projects and the development of Nazi Party. All this quickly brought positive results, and after a couple of years, Germany, renamed the third Reich, entered the circle of the most developed countries of the world with the most powerful automotive industry. It is enough to compare several digits: if in 1932 only 64.4 thousand cars of all kinds were built in the country, then in just three years, in 1935, their number reached 269.6 thousand units, and in the prevailed 1938 - 381.5 thousand pieces - incredible growth almost 6 times. By the end of the 1930s, German cars were recognized as one of the best and most advanced in the world, which proved regular higher achievements of unique German racing chas that have established 136 international records and 22 worlds.

Already by the mid-1930s, Germany became closely in its own borders, but instead of improving the welfare of his own people, the Nazis adopted the program of military aggression, total militarization of the economy and the accelerated Motorization of the Reichsvera - the German Armed Forces created at the end of the First World War. On March 16, 1935, the Reichsver was transformed into a Wehrmacht, which included land forces, air-air (Luftwaffe) and naval forces, and since 1940, the SS troops were also. The Supreme Commander since 1938 was Adolf Hitler. Until the autumn of 1940, he managed to engage in the Nazi block Italy and Japan, as well as annex or occupy most Western European countries, whose industry humbly began to work for the benefit of the Third Reich. With the invasion of the German fascist troops on September 1, 1939, the Second World War began to the territory of Poland. June 22, 1941 she spread to the Soviet Union.

By the mid-1940, Germany had a huge military potential and the most powerful automotive industry of almost all enslaved Western Europe, who accelerated the implementation of the ambitious military plans of the Third Reich. With the beginning of the war, the situation in the German automotive industry has radically changed. After its transfer to the martial law, the release of ordinary cars began to quickly decline in favor of army trucks, half-sized tractors and armored vehicles. In 1940, Germany manufactured only 67.6 thousand passenger cars against 276.8 thousand cars in 1938, and army options prevailed. At the same time, trucks were collected by 87.9 thousand units, almost 40% more than the last peaceful year. In 1941, these figures amounted to 35.2 and 86.1 thousand cars, respectively. According to official German statistics, for the period 1940-1945, all the factories of the Third Reich released 686,624 cars of various types, including half-barrel tractors. In this amount, the share of passenger was 186,755 units. The greatest part of the products accounted for trucks - 429,002 cars, of which the sector of the most running 3-ton trucks reached 75-80% of the annual output; Machines of 1.5-ton class - 15-20%. The rest of the amount was heavy trucks, various wheeled tractors and special chassis. Over the years of World War II, 70,867 units were built by various half-selling tractors, trucks and chassis. In total, from the beginning of the 1930s before the spring of 1945, 537.8 thousand wheeled vehicles of all kinds were built for the German armed forces in German enterprises. These achievements provided the Wehrmacht to the glory of one of the most motorized and high-free military formations with the highest share of diesel trucks. The contribution of the Satellites of the Third Reich, Annexed and Occupied European countries in the Wehrmacht, the time of war is estimated quite high - up to 100 thousand new cars different species excluding a huge and non-accountable number of requisited civil cars.

According to the Versailles peace treaty, Germany was forbidden to have their own major military formations and produce severe military technique, including army trucks and armored cars. From the mid-1920s, the military equipment was held in Germany secretly. They began with the development of a family of three-axis cargo-passenger cars, then turned into army trucks, and future armored vehicles were tested under the guise of training layouts on passenger chassis. By the beginning of 1933, the German automotive industry represented a complicated web from several dozen companies - from numerous small to the largest concerns of their time led by the Daimler-Benz group (Daimler-Benz), produced Mercedes-Benz brand cars (Mercedes-Benz ). Together, they made a different and different-line family of machines of different classes, which should immediately bring strict and pedantic army order immediately. In 1934, the management of armaments of the land forces of the German military department adopted a promising program of standardization of military vehicles "Ainheits" (EinHeits), aimed at creating unified all-wheel drive families of passenger and trucks, which could be collected from general nodes at once on several firms. As a result, quite perfect cars with all driving wheels, gasoline and diesel enginesThe most unified with civil products and equipped with the same aggregates and details. An even clearer and deep unification was introduced in the program of semi-barrier transporters-tractors, served by the base of the family of the most effective and efficient armored personnel carriers of their time. In order to save funds and the fastest expansion of the production of the assembly of identical tractors, several German firms were also needed simultaneously.

In the same 1934, Colonel Neringa (Nehring) developed "Instructions for military planning", according to which all the development of the German automotive industry was proposed to subjugate the strategic interests of the militant third Reich, and the control over the design of new types of vehicles on all firms should be carried out by military representatives. As a result, state investment in the national automotive industry Rah brands in 1933 increased from 5 million years to 8 and 11 million. Marks in 1934 and 1935, respectively. In their "instructions", Nening paid special attention to a full refusal of use in the German military vehicles of any nodes and aggregates of foreign origin. This immediately led to the construction of enterprises in Germany to produce their own components and enhanced state subsidy of German branches of American Corporations "General Motors" and Ford (Ford), which already in 1935-1937 moved to a fully autonomous production regime . At the same time, another interesting fact deserves attention, who disavowed the military plans of the Third Reich: before the beginning of the first hostilities, Germany managed to buy a number of specially important automotive units, nodes and details in the United States and UK, which were then addressed against their former owners.

Nazi military leadership could not put up with a variegated German car park. In the second half of the 1930s, in Germany, including annexed Austria and Czechoslovakia, there were 55 types of passenger cars and 113 options for trucks, on which 113 types of starters, 264 generator generators, 112, 112 brake cylinders, 264 types of light bulbs, etc. Generalizes this data in the fall of 1938 Colonel Adolf von Shell (Adolfvon Schell), authorized General Staff for automotive technician, in the future, Major General, developed a program for the guidance of the order in the vehochet's motor vehicle. The final version of Shell Program, adopted in November 1939, provided for the need for the needs of the Wehrmacht only 30 types of passenger and 19 trucks of five categories of lifting capacity from 1.0 to 6.5 tons. Its fulfillment was instructed by head German automotive companies in conjunction with enterprises of Austria and Czechoslovakia . The largest German firms developed and issued the military vehicles entrusted to them on their own, but for a number of new types of cars to reduce the time and costs of designing and organizing the work of the work carried out by the joint efforts of four international groups of companies formed in accordance with the "Shell program". The main army trucks were recognized by two-axis 3-ton-class machines with a drive to rear wheelsAnd 1,5-ton trucks were supposed to use for auxiliary needs. Little heavy trucks served to deliver light tanks and install special equipment or weapons. The implementation of Shell plans was led in 1940 to the disappearance of most more or less perfect and sometimes very original designs of German military vehicles, but brought strict order in the supply system of military auto vehicles Wehrmacht with strict submission of all firms to state plans and requirements. Thus, in the new military conditions of total savings and in anticipation of large-scale hostilities, all major wheel machines and vermural vehicles have been standardized and the most unified with their civilian mass production options, and the release of most former cars that did not meet themselves on the battlefield was discontinued.

As a result of such a cardinal, very rigid and urgent measures in the summer of 1941, Wehrmacht entered a new phase of the Second World War with a more slender and combal Arsenal of the most advanced military automotive equipment created with special care and capable of performing all the necessary functions from the transport of light military military cargo to direct participation in hostilities theoretically in any climatic conditions. For German expeditionary forces in North Africa in the early 1940s serial cars They were produced in a special tropical configuration, but they never managed to cope with Russian off-road and harsh frosts: German military vehicles, well-proven in 1938-1940 during lightning blinks on the smooth roads of Germany and Western European countries, with the opening of the Eastern Front turned out to be An unsuitable for new combat realities.

From the second half of 1941, after victorious hikes to the West, the most difficult stage of checking the true advantages of the third Reich vehicles. The defeat near Moscow and the entire Russian campaign led to a hasty rethinking of decisions previously taken in the quiet military offices, to the reorganization of their industry and military program of automotive equipment. At this time, the main betting rate of Wehrmacht made to use mainly more efficient all-wheel drive and half-sized equipment, expanding the production of the most simple, durable and cheap vehicles with diesel engines, as well as various means of increasing passability. New major lesions under Stalingrad and Kursk, as well as a catastrophic position in the economy of the Third Reich led to another reorganization of the structure of the vehochet automotive technology. In October 1943, the military department introduced the so-called hell anti-crisis plan, which provided for the release of only six types of military passenger cars and trucks that received primitive angular wooden cabins and simpler nodes. During 1944, the edition of most wheeled military vehicles in Germany was discontinued, and until the spring of 1945, there were only a few ordered trucks and tractors. The once most powerful and most perfect military car arsenal of the Third Reich was not possible to achieve superiority over the Armed Forces of the USSR and its allies. By the end of the war, the overwhelming number of German military automotive equipment was destroyed.

Despite the complete defeat of the Wehrmacht in World War II, in the field of design and mass production of army vehicles, German-fascist Germany left a rich inheritance. Its most important achievement are: the creation of the first standardized families of army cars of different classes, first serial and experienced amphibians, two-, three- and four-axis all-wheel drive cars and chassis for armored vehicles, the world's best diesel engines, the most effective semi-barrier tractors and armored personnel carriers, fundamentally new species of artillery tractors, staff and combat vehicles, heavy-duty armored limousines for military elite. It is worth adding to this that all this was created by the forces of only one country, even recently standing on the verge of an economic collapse, and without any official orientation for imports.

The creation of a fundamentally new standardized family of army 2,5-ton diesel trucks and chassis with a wheel formula 6x6 is considered one of the highest achievements of pre-war in Germany. In it, German designers managed to allow several serious technical and technological problems at once, a few Western companies worked for a long time and stubbornly: the creation of a working and reliable diesel engine, a very complex and expensive drive of all wheels, including front controlled; ...

It is difficult to say who and when the first began to use cars in the army. It is important that the fact of recognition of vehicles by military departments different countries turned out to be one of the turning in the history of the automotive industry - in fact it was a recognition that the car became really reliable and effective tool Movement and transportation.

However, the recognition of cars did not become widespread and unanimous. Some armies were so imbued with the idea of \u200b\u200btechnical progress, which is entirely to fully built their doctrine on the use of vehicles. Others did not particularly trusted everything is not sufficiently reliable and tied to fuel bases. vehiclesIn addition, off-road qualities of which caused serious doubts. Horse parts looked much more familiar and reliable. Both of these doctrines have passed a major verification during World War II.

And if the use of trucks practically did not arouse disputes in their effectiveness, and, as a result, the need for passenger vehicles was much more complicated.

Second World War Cars

Before the beginning of the Great Patriotic War In the Red Army, there were no specialized army cargoes - the usual "civilian" gas M1 (EMCA) and Gas (Soviet version of the legendary Ford A, the license for the production of which was purchased with Ford AA, which became the legendary "half-timer ").

Naturally, these cars were used to transport mid-level command formulation. The Higher Command was relying "Soviet Biuki" - prestigious winters.

However, it cannot be said that this situation satisfied the army. Both passenger car products gas were purely "civilian" machines - close and not sufficiently off-road. In winter outfit and with personal weapons, they did not accommodate, and the power supply for towing anything, for example, a light gun or an ammunition with ammunition, was clearly not enough. Although on the basis of "Emki" and produced limited quantity Pickups, in the army they were not quite to the place - the car was more suitable for the supply of small shops and canteens. The elite winters are generally difficult to imagine anywhere, except for the central streets of Moscow and Leningrad.

Help legend

One of the first specialized army cars in the Soviet Army is the legendary Jeep Jeep Jeep, produced in the United States at once several plants. For its simplicity on the verge of primitiveness, but at the same time reliability and functionality, this passenger car of World War II loved to all who had to serve with him. Until now, this machine is popular with lovers of authorities.

The base of the jean is a rigid steel frame, which attached knots, units and an open body. The four-cylinder engine with a volume of 2.2 liters was 60 liters. s., and accelerated a jipic to about 100 km / h. Four-wheel drive and successful design, providing solid corners of the congress, gave sufficient stock of off-road qualities.

Despite the relatively small load capacity - 250 kg - Willis confidently transported four fighters (including the driver), if necessary, a light gun could be towed or mortar. But the most important thing - the Willis was equipped with a sufficient number of nodes for fastening all kinds of beneficial things, like canisters with fuel, shovels or kirks. This was especially appreciated in the army. Primitive, but at the same time, the universal design of the car allowed her own hands to make it necessary for their need. The lack of any comfort drivers compensated for who could. Most often, the car was equipped with homemade awning, covering the rides from precipitation and wind.

As part of Land-Lisa, more than 52 thousand of these machines were delivered to the USSR, which made the Willis most popular Army sUV Great Domestic. It is not surprising that so far the jerks are relatively frequent, and in almost every major city of Russia you can find an instance on the go.

Our answer is capitalistam

It cannot be said that the current situation with the lack of army cars of the domestic production all arranged - the development of machines for the army was carried out by different design bureaus, but the lack of experience, capacity for the production of wide range of spare parts for different machines, and periodically changing requirements of the main customer, were not allowed to effectively complete the development.

Finally, the volitional decision of the country's leadership was established the issue of GAZ-64 - the first Soviet car increased passibility. It is believed that the army's army inspired the American competitor to Bantam to create an SUV - Bantam. Indirectly, this is confirmed by their external similarity. It is said that from there came and an overly narrow car rift came - only 1250 mm, which has been extremely negative impact on its sustainability.

The design of the car has strongly crossed with the cars already produced, which in military time looked at an indisputable advantage. So, the engine from gas-mm ("half-timer" of increased power) not only unified production, but also gave the car a good power supply. Load capacity GAZ-64 was about 400 kg. The car was equipped with shock absorbers that for that time it was something unheard of who was somewhere there, in the world of winters and Emok.

GAZ-64 was produced for about two years, from 1941 to 1943. In total, about 600 cars were released, because of which it is almost impossible to meet a real, not converted gas - 64 today.

Much more popular was the descendant of GAZ-64 - SUV GAZ-67, which was a deep modernization of the first. The car's track was expanded, which had a positive impact on his transverse stability. Also, due to the use of other power elements, the stiffness of the structure increased. The front axle shifted a little forward, which increased the angle of entry and the height of overcome obstacles. The engine also became more powerful. The car got a tarp awn. There were "doors" with celluloid windows.

As a result, the army received not only excellent SUV, but also a good tractor for light artillery. Also on the basis of Gas- 67, the Easy armorAutomobile BA-64 was produced. Partly this explains the small number of gas-67 issued during the war.

During the period of the Great Patriotic War, only about 4500 SUVs were released, but the total release of the 67th is not small - more than 92 thousand cars. But military and post-war specimens have serious differences in appearance.

Intermediate

It is easy to notice a serious gap in the carrying capacity of cars of different classes of RKKKA. The lower segment was represented by conventional cars of GAZ-67 and Willis (loading capacity of 250-400kg), there were only the legendary "half-timer" of GAZ-AA, the legendary "half-timer" of GAZ-AA (loading capacity of 1.5 tons, from where and nickname).

The passenger cars were transported by a maximum of four fighters, or could be towed weak artillery. At the same time, they could be used in intelligence, as they were small, but possessed good permeability. Gas-aa was a typical truck. It is capable of transporting 16 people in the body, was used as a tractor, various types of weapons were mounted on his chassis. However, it was problematic to use it in intelligence.

The resulting gap successfully filled "Dodge Three Quarters" - large by the standards of the time Jeep Dodge WC-51 received its nickname for the unusual carrying capacity of 750 kg (¾Tonny). The creators of the car simply and effectively emphasized his destination - WC is an abbreviation from Weapon Carrier, "Military Carrier".

I must say that the car coped with his role perfectly. Simple, technological and maintainable design, reliability and functionality are all that the army required the army of that time. Unlike the younger fellow, the installation of a large-caliber machine gun was provided for Dodge or 37-mm gun. The car confidently took on board six or seven passengers, had regular places for attaching a shovel, cans, boxes for ammunition.

At first, Dodge in the Red Army was used as a tractor, but soon began to act in all the kind of troops, where he showed himself what is called, in all its glory, acting as a role and personal transport officers, and the combat vehicle intelligence groups. In total, more than 24 thousand cars of this family were delivered to the USSR.

German SUVs of the Second World War

The ideology of Nazism serves as an excellent basis for the policy of supporting the domestic manufacturer. That is why the third Reich army had in service the most detached park of passenger cars of its own production. At the same time, the Germans with their dirtiffs characteristic did not work according to the principle of "still buy", and produced really high-quality cars with quite and very good characteristics.

The conquest of almost all of Europe not only replenished the fleet of the German army, but also made it more different, turning the life of supplying units into a nightmare.

Formally, the park's unification began approximately from the middle of the war, but in the soldiers of the jargon it happened a little earlier: so all small open jeeps in the German army called "Kübelvagen", that is, a "tin car".

An example of such a class of machines in the German army was the Volkswagen KFZ 1 - a rear-wheel drive car, with a motor twice as smaller than that of the Willis (both in terms of volume and in power), the prototype of which the Ferdinand Porsche itself drew. But there were many of them, and light amphibian was produced at its base.

However, there were more serious cars in the third Reich. A certain analogue of Dodge "Three Quarters" performed by Horch 901 (KFZ 16). Stoewer, BMW and Ganomag firms produced an analogue of American Willis.

Now, seven decades later, disputes about that whose cars The Times of World War II were better - high-tech and pedantically accurate German, primitive, but unpretentious Soviet, universal American, somewhat eccentric French ... Motorists of all countries are actively looking for the remains of mechanical satellites of soldiers, restore them, lead to proper technical condition. Often, such cars are passing around the victory parades in different cities.

Probably, now these disputes are already irrelevant - too much water has flowed from those times. The modern army car was changed dramatically. This is no longer a tin trolley with a motorist, where our grandfathers drove half of the Soviet Union and Europe.

As a rule, it is protected by high-quality armor SUV, under the hood of which is not one hundred "horses", and whose protection systems will be able to protect the crew even in the zone of radiation damage. But that war has proven that the car has long been able to replace the familiar manpiece traction force, And the experience of operating SUVs World War II is used in world fueling to this day.

The most famous and best in its class car World War II - Willys MB. Easy, well-managed and dynamic machine was equipped with a 60-strong engine with a volume of 2.2 liters, a three-stage gearbox and lower transmission

The fate of victory was solved not only in the headquarters, but also on the battlefields. Engineers who developed various techniques were fought

Most of the fleet of the two main opposing forces of the Second World War, especially in the early years of the war, were ordinary commercial trucks and cars. At best, they were to some extent adapted for army needs, often simply simplifying body and cabins. But in the second half of the 1930s, the plants paid a lot of attention to models designed precisely for military needs, and with the beginning of the Great Patriotic War of such cars in the Red Army and the Wehrmacht became more and more. Similar cars Fascist Germany and the USSR provided not only their own factories, but also the enterprises of the allies.

Academy of Penthood

The best car of the Second World War in the class of compact commander and intelligence cars, undoubtedly was American Willys MV. And the secret of his success was that the "Willis" was built with a "pure sheet", unlike the German KDF 82 and even our GAZ-67, which was the original model, but still based on serial nodes and pre-war adjustments Gorky machines. The need for such structures was particularly understood in the second half of the 1930s - before the worldwimate world war.

Decent analog american Willys. MB did not do the Germans. Although, without all-wheel drive cars, of course, did not remain. Probably the most interesting - TEMPO G1200. It was equipped with two two-cylinder motors of 19 hp, each of which led his own - front and rear wheels. And all the wheels were manageable. TEMPO's passability was almost phenomenal, but the design turned out quite capricious. The cars served mainly at the border guards and in the SS troops. They were in the Finnish army, but they did not do on the theater of military operations.

German all-wheel drive TEMPO 1200G with two engines by 19 hp had managed and front, and rear wheels. Until 1943 manufactured 1253 cars

The idea of \u200b\u200ball controlled wheels blocked engineering minds of pre-war years. Such were the more solid staff BMW 325, and the Hanomag and Stoewor unified with it. But the most massive boat vehicles were large, heavy, but powerful HORCH cars. Model 108 also had all controlled wheels. However, during the war they began to produce a simpler version with a conventional rigid rear axis. Horch 108 equipped with the same engine as the most common HORCH 901 - the pre-war V8 of 3.5 liters and with a capacity of 80 hp. By the way, they made fifty cars with a body of a cabriolet from this civil car. The analogues of the Horch 901 also made Opel and Wanderer. These solid, strong, powerful cars were good, but complex and roads in production, as well as extremely voracious.

All-wheel drive car of the middle class - Stoewer R200 with a 2-liter 50-strong engine and all controlled wheels (the driver could block the rear rotation). Analogs made OPEL and BMW
Large staff all-wheel drive cars HORCH 901 with a 3.5-liter Motor V8 with a capacity of 80 hp Made more than 27,000

Perhaps the most close analogue of the family of German large all-wheel drive cars was the American Dodge series W50 / W 60. Machines that are nicknamed by our drivers "Dodge three quarters" (for carrying capacity - 750 kg), produced in a variety of modifications. Basic - cargo-passenger with shops in the body. But they did commander cars with two rows of seats and other officer attributes, such as a retractable table for cards. Dodge equipped with a powerful 6-cylinder engine of 3.6 liters, developing 92 hp. - More than the German Pre-G8, used on Horch and Wanderer.

The American Dodge WC series 50 is a universal cargo-passenger and commander car - equipped with a 92-power engine of 3.8 liters. During the war, about 260 thousand such cars were released, of which 20-25 thousand were received under the Lend-Lisa Treaty in the USSR. WC family 60 with wheel formula 6 × 6

Before the war, several large German firms began the production of all-wheel drive trucks based on standard machines. The most famous and mass became, again, with all the leading wheels. Wehrmacht received about 25,000 such machines, which were collected in Brandenburg to the bombing of the plant in 1944.

All-wheel drive Opel Blitz 3.6-6700A equipped with a 75-strong motor, five-speed gearbox and two-step distribution. Until 1945, about 25,000 cars were made

Our auto industry of the serial analogue did not do the German all-wheel drive truck. Designed and brought to the production of ZIS-32 - a three-touch version close to German according to the characteristics. But in 1940-1941. Made of only 197 such zisov. In the autumn of 1941, the plant was hastily evacuated, and the model range, it was clearly reduced.

All-wheel drive ZIS-32 would be very useful for the Red Army. But such cars until the autumn of 1941 built only 197 pieces

To some extent, the lack of all-wheel drive trucks in the Red Army was compensated by three-axle gas-AAA and ZIS-6 with a wheel formula 6 × 4. They were made from the first half of the 1930s, but the production of ZIS-6 was turned in 1941, and Gaz-aaa did to the bombardment of the Gorky Plant in 1943. And they could not fully compete with all-wheel drives.

ZIS-6, although it was not all-wheel drive, had a wheel formula 6 × 4. Until 1941, 21,239 cars were manufactured. The first guards mortars - the famous "Katyusha" - mounted on the ZIS-6 chassis. ZIS-36 with a wheel formula 6 × 6 existed only in the form of a prototype
On the basis of a three-axis truck with a wheel formula of 6 × 4 GAZ-AAA in Gorkom, GAZ-05-193 and GAZ-05-194 are produced in the bitter. But this car is most likely the fruit of the works of an unknown military plant

By the 1943th major trucks of the Red Army were American models. The main is the famous three-axle Studebaker US6. It was done in the version of 6 × 4, but most cars with a load capacity of 2.5 tons were all-wheel drive. The six-cylinder engine developed 87 hp, gearbox - five-speed, plus - two-stage transfer case. "Stuser" (as an American car called our chauffeur) appreciated for the passability, reliability and relatively easy control (Even compared to some Soviet post-war trucks). Close characteristics and GM CCCKW. Such trucks with 91-strong engines, albeit in smaller than Studebaker, the quantities also supplied to the Red Army. They made them with two wheeled bases, in a variety of options, including dump truck.

The famous "knock" - Studebaker US6 - equipped with a 87-strong engine. Trucks supplied in options 6 × 6 and 6 × 4. From 200-220 thousand cars built about 80% sent to the USSR

Just below the class stood Chevrolet G7100 with a loading capacity of 1500 kg with an 83-strong engine. Like some other models received by the USSR under the Lend Lisa Treaty, part of Chevrolet collected from machine collectors in our factories. In general, American all-wheel drive trucks were, in fact, the best cars of the Great Patriotic.

American Chevrolet G7100 in Gorkovsky Auto Plant. Car with a carrying capacity of 1.5 T had a four-wheel drive and an engine in 83 hp

Compensate the lack of standard vehicles tried to produce half-art car. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, many firms around the world, including our factories, were fond of such a scheme. During the war on the basis of gas-MM and ZIS-5, GAZ-60 and ZIS-22 were carried out, later - 42 and 42m. Direct German analogues of steel trucks under the general name Maultier (Mul). Sleeping machines built on the basis of Opel Blitz also did under brands Ford. and Mercedes-Benz. The main disadvantages of half-car car, regardless of the country of origin, were one: poor handling in thick dirt and viscous snow, huge fuel consumption. In general, in this battle won all-wheel drive models.

The most massive Soviet half-barrier trucks of the Red Army - ZIS-22 and upgraded ZIS-42 (since 1942) with a lifting capacity of 2250 kg. First produced about 200, second until 1946 - 6372
Half-barrier Opel Blitz Maultier (Mul). Analogs made several other German factories

Separate, albeit a completely small class of car time of the war - Light amphibians. The most famous - KDF 166, made on the basis of the Light Staff "Kübel" KDF82, based on the same "Beetle". At amphibians under the name Schwimmwagen (floating vehicle) stood forced to 25 hp motor. This option, in contrast to the standard "Kubel", was all-wheel drive and even had a lower transmission. Such amphibians came, mainly in the SS troops, and built them a lot - 14 283 copies. A similar floating car in Germany also was tested under the name Trippel SG6. The firm, which created him, was engaged in amphibians since the mid-1930s, but until 1944 built only about a thousand cars with a 2.5-liter 55-strong Opel engine.

Amphibian KDF 166 Schwimmwagen equipped with a 25 hp engine, fully driveLowering transmission. Of the more than 14,000 cars, most went to the SS troops
Trippel amphibians SG series came, mainly border guards. 65-strong cars put on the car opel motors

The Soviet industry is a similar car-46 car serially began to do only eight years after the end of the war. And in the period of the Great Patriotic Red Army, the Ford GPA was obtained on the Land Ledis, created on the basis of the GPW model - Willys MB analogue with the same 60-strong engine.

Ford GPA - Floating Ford GPW - Direct Analog Willys MB. Most of the cars with 60-strong engines entered the Red Army

Service service

Heavy cargo trucks during the Great Patriotic War was relatively few. The need for the military in them, of course, was, but not all the plants could master the release of the giants. Let's say, in the USSR in front of the war, there was only a five-touch yag-6. Yes, and it is impossible to calculate this car with a wheel formula of 4 × 2, although most of the ease of more than 8,000 Yag-6 issued in the Red Army.

For decent roads, all-wheel drive Mercedes-Benz L4500A was able to carry up to 10,400 kg of cargo. On the car stood a 112-strong motor volume of 7.2 liters

In Germany, a whole family of trucks with a carrying capacity of 5-10 tons, including in the all-wheel drive version with powerful diesel engines, Daimler-Benz has made up to 1944. By the way, German businesses made trucks with heavy fuel engines, but such a motor did not receive a single German tank. In the Red Army, all cars (including those supplied by the allies) had gasoline engines. But the Soviet tanks and self-containers received a very successful diesel B2 with a capacity of 500 hp. - The best, despite the mediocre quality of manufacture, the second world tank motor.

One of the most powerful and strong trucks of the time of war supplied the Wehrmacht Czech plant Tatra. Model 111 had a traditional ridge frame for the plant and an air cooling engine, which, at a volume of 14.8 liters, developed 210 hp. By the way, this successful car, the production of which began in 1942, then did two decades.

Czech Tatra 111 with 6 × 6 wheeled formula - one of the most powerful trucks of war. Car with a carrying capacity of 6350 kg equipped with an airflower in 210 hp Maximum speed - 65 km / h

Another heavy tractor - the Unicum, in its kind, was produced under the brand name Famof3 in Breslau, and then they were collected in Warsaw. Huge half-barrel tractor was able to tow trailers full mass up to 18 tons. The basic version was calculated on towing heavy guns and calculation. Tractor with a 250-strong MAYBACH engine used also to evacuate damaged tanks, in engineering parts.

The half-barrel artillery tractor FAMOF3 was able to tow a trailer weighing up to 18 tons. Such machines with V12 MAYBACH motors (10.8 l, 250 hp) made about 2500

Analogs of heavy vermochet red army supplied Americans. The tractors wore the stamps Reo, Diamond and Mack. The latter had a load capacity up to 10 tons. REO 28 SX towed semi-trailers with a complete weight of up to 20 tons. By the way, the analogue of REO - American Diamand T980 - served as the basis for the design of KRAZ-210. But it was after the victory ...

American Diamond T980 had a 6-cylinder 11-liter engine, developing 150 hp

By the end of the war, the fleet of the Red Army was much more effective than German. Many plants of the Third Reich reduced huge model rowsAnd later the production stopped at all. The Red Army still possessed not so diverse park. But american carsMass in our troops were much more perfect, reliable and better adapted to the terrible war. We will not forget, however, that simple, the frequency Soviet three-trunks and two-sided shine stubbornly went to the west, bringing us victory ...

By virtue of understandable reasons, the Industry of Nazi Germany is associated exclusively with military equipment. But in fact, in the third Reich produced rather interesting civil cars.

The thirties of the twentieth century are not the easiest period in the history of Germany. The country just began to come to herself from the Great Depression, which directly affected the lives of citizens.

It is not surprising that the Nazis who captured power in the country actively played on these sentiments. The automotive industry is not 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 new power can make people life better with the help of cars.

Today we will tell about what cars were popular in Germany of that period, and you still learn what car traded a fictional Soviet intelligence officer Otto von Stirlitz. Just in case, we will mention: we will in every way condemn the Nazi ideology, and in no case are in no way trying this publication to defend the activities of the Third Reich. The results of the Second World War and the Nuremberg process are not subject to revision! We only give curious examples of the technique of the 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 head, many immediately arise a fairly stable image - Adolf Hitler rides on the car. We must admit, nothing surprising in such associations - Nazi propaganda actively showed the Fuhrera in his films and television journals. Most often in them, the leader of the Nazis drove to Mercedes-Benz 770K with numbers "1A 148 461".

At the time of appearance in 1930, Mercedes-Benz TYP 770, also known as Großer Mercedes ("Greater Mercedes") was really the biggest and expensive car German brand. Under the hood of this car was located 7.6-liter engine, which developed 150 hp In the usual version and 200 hp - on the version with the supervision. Transmission - 4-speed mechanics. Of course, in the decoration of the "Big Mercedes" salon, only the best materials were used, including leather and wood. And another 770 had a convertible version.

In general, Mercedes-Benz TYP 770 was a difficult car, and, given the initial price of 29,500 Reichsmarock, could not allow him. But the car very much loved the elite, and not only Nazi. For example, on such a car, Reich Spronsident Paul von Hindenburg, Japanese Hirokhito Emperor, Pope Pima Xi Xi and Pee XII. Well, in 1931 the list replenished and Adolf Hitler. Moreover, the Führer preferred exactly the open version of the car.

Maybach SW38.

In the same way as today, MAYBACH cars occupied a prominent position 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 what two letters "M" on the emblem of the brand are explained). But by the 30s, Maybach already had a real history and glory of the pioneer over the shoulders, because it was Wilhelm Maibach once helped Gottlibu Daimler in creating a first car in the world.

In general, there is nothing surprising in the fact that the SW car, who received a nickname "Little Maybach" turned out to be the most massive pre-war car brands. The first version - Maybach SW35 - which appeared in 1935, was equipped with a 3.5-liter motor capacity of 140 hp But only 50 pieces were built such cars.

Many more attention deserves Maybach SW38, equipped with a 3.8-liter 140-power 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 Veneer. Moreover, in different years, several versions were released: 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 the auction of Sotheby "S for $ 1,072,500.

By the way, in 1939, Maybach issued a new modification of the car of the SW - 42 family. It was already a sedan with a fundamentally different body and a 4.2-liter engine, the power of which due to the features of the then technical outlet remained the same - 140 hp. True, to gain the mass distribution and the popularity of this model prevented the same obvious reason - the war.

Volkswagen Käfer.

Volkswagen Käfer.

If the party bonsides of the Third Reich went to "Mercedes" and "Maybahha", then simple burghers had to get a car easier. These Nazis wanted to demonstrate the growth of the well-being of citizens. That is why Ferdinand Porsche on the order of Hitler engaged in the development of a truly "folk car". Actually, the name of the Volkswagen brand is exactly what is translated.

The result of the works became Käfer, or in translation - "Beetle". For the first time, a new model was shown in the spring of 1939 at the exhibition in Berlin, although then "Beetle" was not yet "Volkswagen", but was produced under the KDF-Wagen brand. The car of the back-engine construction was equipped with a 25-strong engine with air cooled And it was extremely easy to maintain and production. Of course, the audience was very much and very favorable to such a car.

Volkswagen Käfer.

True, a interesting nuance was connected with the purchase of Volkswagen Käfer. Although the nominal price of the car was 990 Reichsmarocks, it was impossible to buy a car for cash. Instead, it was necessary to acquire a special "cumulative book" and special stamps inclusing every week. Any missed payment meant the loss of all invested funds. Nevertheless, the Germans still stretched for "folk car",

True, in 1939, more than 330,000 people still remained without the desired "beetle." The reason is the factory where Käfer was produced, was already fully translated into military rails. Only in the 60s management Volkswagen. He went to meet deceived depositors and offered them a discount on new cars. Well, and the "Beetle" himself safely survived this period, and with various changes, it was produced as much as 2003. True, the last copy of this model was not made in native Germany, but in Mexico.

Opel Kadett.

Another "folk car", which appeared in the third Reich was Opel Kadett. This car was built on the basis of another model Opel - Olympia, and since 1937 was produced at the plant in Rüsselsheim.

I must say that Opel Kadett turned out to be a very progressive car for his time. First, the model inherited from the "Olympia" design with a all-metal bearing body. Secondly, the car was distinguished by a very advanced design. What are the headlights integrated into the wings alone! Finally, thirdly, and on the equipment of Opel Kadett gave odds to many competitors. For example, hydraulic brakes were installed here for all four wheels, and in the cabin attended, for example, the fuel residue sensor and oil pressure sensor.

The Opel Kadett movement was driven by a 1.1 liter four-cylinder engine capacity of 23 hp. Although it is a bit, due to its small mass of 750 kg, the car could accelerate to 90 km / h, which was considered very a good indicator. And also Opel Kadett cost 2100 Reichsmarocks - let it be more expensive to "beetle", but the car could immediately buy.

However, our Opel Kadett readers will be interesting for another reason. The fact is that this model has become the basis for the future soviet car "Moskvich-400". And there is no secret in this. The fact is that on reparations the Soviet side received technical documentation and equipment of the Opel plant in Brandenburg. And although the original Opel Kadett was produced elsewhere - at the plant in Rüsselsham, the Soviet factory of small cars due to the help of German designers actually recreated the model and gave her the name "Moskvich-400". By the way, they say that the choice in favor of Opel Kadett was also not accidental - supposedly this model liked Joseph Stalin.

Mercedes-Benz G4

Mercedes-Benz G4

If you have a six-star Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG 6x6 SUV, then you will probably like his distant relative - Mercedes-Benz G4. This car was originally created in the third Reich for the needs of the army. The car was initially brought in a five-liter eight-cylinder engine with a capacity of 100 hp. And had a complex system of full drive.

Military car did not like. But in the Reichskancelary, they were delighted, and since 1938 began to use it for trips to the occupied territories, first of all - in Czechoslovakia and Austria. By the time the Mercedes-Benz G4 was already equipped with another V8 motor - 5.2-liter 115-strong 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 quite quickly turned almost into the parade limousine. In addition, this model was one of the models on which Adolf Hitler traveled personally. And one car Führer presented to Generalissimus Spain Francisco Franco. True, the G4 circulation was rather small: only 57 cars were released for all the production time. Of these, only three cars survived to this day. One of them, the car belonging to Franco, is now kept in the car collection of the Spanish royal family. Another car on which Hitler took a parade in an annexed sundan region is stored in the Museum of Technology in Sinsheim. Finally, the third car is in American Hollywood, where it was repeatedly used when shooting films.

What about BMW? Did the Bavarians not produced cars during the Nazi dictatorship? Released. True, it is impossible to forget that, first, BMW became a car company only in 1929, and before that it was engaged in the production of aircraft engines and motorcycles. Secondly, call completely "Bavarian" bMW cars That time will not be quite true. The fact is that in 1929, BMW acquired the plant in Eisenach, which is located in another part of Germany - Thuringia.

But the BMW managed to quickly adjust the release of cars there, and by the mid-1930s, Mark pleased buyers with rather interesting machines. Such as, for example, the BMW 326 is a four-door model, produced in the body of a sedan and a convertible. The car was equipped with a two-liter six-cylinder motor with a capacity of about 50 hp, combined with a four-stage transmission. The maximum speed is 115 km / h, which at the time was considered a very good indicator.

BMW 326 turned out to be a fairly successful model. From 1936 to 1941, 15,936 cars were produced, despite the fairly high price. For example, for a convertible, which was considered small, asked 6,650 Reichsmarocks. It is not surprising that in 1940 in BMW planned to replace the 326th new modelBuilt by the same scheme - BMW 332. However, the World War II left from these plans only three pre-seventive prototypes.

In 1932, the "father of the tank troops of the Wehrmacht" Colonel Heinz Guderian initiated a competition for the creation of a light tank for the needs of the army. Military customers formulated tactical and technical requirements that limited the mass of the car with five tons in anti-taller booking and armament of two 7.92 mm caliber machine guns. Three years later, the index of the first German serial tank "1 LAS" was officially replaced by Panzerkamp.fwagen i "(" pz.kpfw.i ausf.a ")

By the beginning of the 1930s, Germany was able to recover from losses incurred in the First World War, but the humiliation, which has experienced the country, as well as the economic crisis predetermined the inevitability of the next large conflict. German industrialists and politicians understood that heavy weapons are extremely needed, and although the conditions of the Versailles of the Versailles prohibit the Germans of their development and purchase, the Corporation secretly continued design work, contrary to all prohibitions. First of all, it concerned armored vehicles. To hide the design of tanks, the Germans called them "tractors", and the tests were performed outside the Germany - in the USSR on the tankodrome of the Joint Soviet-German school Kama. In particular, the Krupp corporation engineers who were located in the city of Essen designed an experienced light tank with the rearmost location of the motor-transmission department (hereinafter - MTO), which in the documentation appeared under the name "Light Tractor" (it. - Leichttraktor). There was also his uniform competitor with the front location of the MTO, manufactured by RheinMetall-Borsig.

Leichttraktor Corporation Krupp.
Source - ICVI.AT.UA.

From "Light tractors" to "agricultural tractors"

By 1931 it became clear that neither the Kruppovsky nor the rest of the "agricultural" technique would not go to the series. Work on the machines and their subsequent tests showed that they are imperfect and bring them to the mind "inexpedient. The front arrangement of the engine and the transmission applied by the designers of the company Rheinmetall-Borsig, not justified itself - with such a layout, the review from the site of the driver was insufficient. In addition, the rear location of the MTO showed that tanks with such a layout are prone to loss of caterpillars when maneuvering.

On September 18, 1931, the management of the land forces (hereinafter referred to as the UCU) ordered Krupp Corporation Reconnecting a tank with a transmission transfer from MTO to the Office Department (Thus, the car should have changed rear drive on the front). Design work on chassis was planned to complete to May 1932, and by June 30 - to make an experienced sample of the "small tractor" base.

To accelerate works in UCU, they decided to provide the British Taper Tractor-Loyd MK IV to the British-Loyd MK IV, which was assumed to buy through a submersible company in a neutral country. German military officials rightly believed that what to "invent a bicycle" is easier to "draw" ready-made solutions from the technique of a likely enemy and in further work to be repelled from them. However, the delivery was late, the first instance of the tanket arrived in Germany only in January 1932, so designers of Hohellohu and Volfert in their design surveys had to be focused only on the photograph of the photograph of the enemy technician. " On November 9, 1931, they were able to provide chassis preliminary drawings in the UCU, which, although they copied some British decisions, but, nevertheless, they differed significantly from the design of Carden-Loyd MK IV.

CARDEN-LOYD MK IV Tancake Tank
Source - Thewartourist.com.

In 1932, the "Father of the Wehrmacht Tank Troops" Colonel Heinz Guderian initiated in the sixth department of armored vehicles and motorizations of UVS competition for the creation of a light tank for the needs of the army. Military customers formulated tactical and technical requirements that limited the mass of the car with five tons in anti-taller booking and armament of two 7.92 mm caliber machine guns. Since the tank was planned to be done on the basis of the chassis, which were developed in Essen, its design was reduced to the development of an armored superstructure with a tower and weapons.

The development order was received by five major German manufacturers of armored vehicles of that period - Krupp, Daimler-Benz, RheinMetall-Borsig, Henschel & Son and Man. However, due to the fact that Krupovsky engineers have already been in full swing, it was quite expected to defeat their project in the competition.

The initial term for creating the chassis of a light tank Essentians could not withstand, late for a month. They were able to show the representatives of the UCU ready "product" only on July 29, 1932. In order for the "dignity of the enemy" that the Germans, having spoiled on all the limitations of the Versailles, began to make tanks, they called the new car "Agricultural Tractor", which in German is written as Landwirtschaftliche Schlepper or abbreviated LAS. The developed base of the tank suffered from many "childhood diseases", which the tank functionaries and engineers of Krupp would be glad to eliminate, but Guderian hurried everyone with the beginning of a mass release, and in the summer of 1933, the first five cars of the "zero" series began to build in Essen.

Krupp's Landwirtschaftlicher Schlepper, held by testing at the Kummersdorf Polygon
Source - Panzer-journal.ru.

In the first half of the 1930s, the German industry has not yet had experience in the flow of armored vehicles, so the las startup process in the series came with slipping. The Sixth Department developed by Kruppovsky engineers, eventually rejected, confusting its creation of Daimler-Benz, but the first twenty cars were collected with Essen enclosures. The prototypes of the "zero" series showed low reliability, but the designers quickly determined the circle of necessary improvements, and in January 1934, UVS ordered 450 tanks industrialists. Fifteen cars "First" series gathered in February-April of the same year at Henschel & Son plants - in all documents, they appeared under the 1 LAS index (Krupp-Traktor designation was also used). These machines were supplied 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, the company WEGMANN was joined.

Tanks of the first twenty machines with Krupp design cases
Source - Paperpanzer.com.

Work on new tank was held against the background of rapid political changes that shocked Germany. On January 30, 1933, Adolf Hitler became Reichskanzler, and on February 27, the Nazis organized arson of Reichstag and accused the communists in this, which allowed them to arrest the leadership of the German Communist Party. On March 5, Hitler organized parliamentary re-elections (NSDAP scored 43.9% of the votes), and on March 24, the New Reichstag adopted the "Actual Authority Act", which Hitler had the right to issue laws. On August 2, 1934, Hitler received the authority of the dictator, Germany refused to fulfill all the conditions of the Versailles and the beginning and began to arrange openly with full connivance of France, Great Britain and the United States. In 1935, the index of the first German serial tank "1 LAS" was officially replaced by Panzerkampfwagen i ("pz.kpfw.i ausf.a"). In the innovative end-to-end numbering of the army equipment, the machine received the index "SD.KFZ.101".

Ausf.a and ausf.v.

As already mentioned, when creating pz.kpfw.i ausf.a, the designers first applied the layout, which became typical for the German tanks of the interwar period and the times of World War II (hereinafter - VMV). In the front of the case there was a transmission, consisting of a two-disc first friction friction friction, gearbox, a mechanism of rotation, onboard friction, transmission and brakes. The cardan transmission stretched to it through the entire tank from the feed compartment in which the engine was located.

View from the place of the commander of the tank on the transmission and the cardan transmission
Source - Nevsepic.com.ua.

Booking a tank was an opponent formed from chromnichel armor sheets. The upper frontal part reached the thickness of 13 mm with a slope of 21 °, the average - 8 mm / 72 °, the lower - 13/25 °. The thickness of the sides varied in the range of 13-14.5 mm, the corps feed - 13 mm, the bottom - 5 mm, the roof is 8 mm. The thickness of the walls of the tower was also a small - 13 mm, a gun mask - 15 mm, roofs - 8 mm.

Booking Scheme PZ.KPFW.I AUSF.A
Source - Wikimedia.org.

The chassis consisted of a challenged pairwise support rollers with a diameter of 530 mm (four on board). All of them were supplied with quarter-elliptical leaf springs, with the exception of the front, on which spring springs were mounted. To reduce the pressure on the ground, the designers placed the sloths of the tank at the level of support rollers. To improve the stiffness of the design, three rear rink and sloth additionally brought the total longitudinal beam (this engineering decision Krupp Corporation Specialists borrowed at the British Carden-Loyd MK IV Wanney). At the top of the caterpillar supported three rollers.

View of the running part of the tank pz.kpfw.i ausf.a
Source - Nevsepic.com.ua.

In the control department, in addition to the transmission, the place of the driver with the control levers, the necessary devices (speedometer, tachometer, fuel sensor) and a five-speed gearbox of ZAHNRAD \u200b\u200bFABRIK manufactured by Zahnrad Fabrik was installed. The review was provided by two hatches - in the upper frontal armored tape and the left side of the left side of the left side. Both hatches were covered with rising armored cars. Planting the driver was carried out through a two-rolled hatch in the left side of the undercarround box.

Place Mechanics - Driver Pz.KPFW.I AUSF.A
Source - Nevsepic.com.ua.

The combat department was combined with the department of management and was located in the middle of the tank, where the welded tower was mounted on the pursuit of a diameter of 911 mm. She did not have a polish, but the seat of the tank commander was attached to the tower with a special barbell and turned together with her. The tower rotary mechanism was primitive, manual. The side and feed of the tower was formed from one armorist, in which four cuts were made under observation hatches, in two of which prisred reviewing devices were installed. In the roof mounted a single-door landing hatch for the tank commander.

Place commander tank
Source - Nevsepic.com.ua.

Two tank machine guns were mounted in the tower mask, which were used on PZ.KPFW.I AUSF.A Dreyse Mg 13 caliber 7.92 mm. The ammunition consisted of 61 stores, which were placed both in the tower (8 stores) and in the machine housing (four styling of 8, 20, 6 and 19 stores). The maximum angles of vertical guidance of the machine guns were from -12 ° to + 18 °. Guidance on the goal was carried out with the help of a telescopic double sight of Zeiss TZF 2. The tank commander could fire from machine guns separately.

Tank tank pz.kpfw.i ausf.a
Source - Nevsepic.com.ua.

In the feed engine compartment, a four-cylinder carburetor horizontal Opposite engine Krupp M304 air cooling with a SOLEX 40 Jep carburetor was installed. He developed the maximum power of 57 liters. from. at 2500 rpm. The capacity of the gas tanks located immediately was 144 liters (pz.i tanks could only ride on eaten gasoline with an octane number of about 76). Two exhaust pipes Disposed on both boards.

Electrical equipment was powered by a BOSCH GTL 600 / 12-1200 model with a capacity of 0.6 kW or Bosch RRCN 300 / 12-300 with a capacity of 0.3 kW. The generator provided a voltage in the network of 12 V. radio tanks not equipped (only on the commander machines, FUG2 receivers with pin antennas were installed), the teams were given away with the help of rockets and signal flags, the set of which was available on each tank. The tank negotiation device was also absent, therefore, the crew members were associated with the help of a negotiation tube.

Pz.kpfw.i ausf.a, rear view
Source - Nevsepic.com.ua.

Already in December 1932 it became clear that the engine power is insufficient. To replace it, specialists from Essen offered to set an 80-strong V-shaped eight-cylinder engine with air-cooled, also developed by Krupp. In this case, it was indicated that for its installation, it is necessary to lengthen the engine compartment by approximately 220 mm, otherwise the engine in the car simply does not fit. Search suitable motor It continued until 1935, when the choice of UVS specialists stopped at a 100-strong row six-cylinder product of the company MAYBACH model NL 38 TR with liquid cooling.

By this time, the Kruppov designers have already created an elongated chassis with an additional fifth support roller and the fourth supporting roller, and the sloth raised from the ground. Until 1935, this tank was indicated as "La.s.-May", and later he was assigned the index "Pz.kpfw.i ausf.v". The car received a new five-speed transmission of ZF APHON FG31, which provided the following high-speed modes:

• on the 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, the tanks began to establish new MG 34 machine guns manufactured by Rheinmetall-Borsig - by this time their ammunition increased to 90 stores with 2260 cartridges. The ending hook of the left machine gun was located on the helm of the weapon of the weapon to the left of the commander, and the right - on the steering wheel turning the tower to the right of him. The tower turning mechanism itself was transferred to right side From the tower mask.

Other fundamental changes in the design were not introduced. Now in the German documentation, new additional designations appeared - pz.i with the Krupp motor ("Mit KruppMotor") and with the MAYBACH engine ("Mit Maybachmotor").

Tank pz.kpfw.i ausf.v.
Source - regimiento-numancia.es.

"Tractor" are called in the army

Since 1935, Pz.kpfw.i produced five German companies: Rheinmetall-Borsig, Daimler-Benz, Henschel & Son, Man and Krupp Grusonwerk. In total, the German industry manufactured 477 tanks of the AUSF.A model (with serial numbers from 10 001 to 10 477) and 1016 AUSF.V (with serial numbers 10478-15000 and 15201-16500). In 1938, 22 buildings were additionally collected by WEGMANN. Thus, by the beginning of the first territorial acquisitions of the Third Reich pz.kpfw.i turned out to be the most massive tank of the Wehrmacht.

Tank output statistics pz.kpfw.i

							Total

In order not to spend the expensive motorway of cars, which, moreover, had a habit of breaking quite often, the sixth department placed in parallel placed orders for heavy trucks with a carrying capacity of 8.8-9.5 tons intended for transportation of pz.kpfw.i. The most popular of them were Bussing-Nag models 900 and 900a, as well as FAUN L900D567. Later, the Wehrmacht began to use Czech trophy machines (Skoda 6VTP6-T, Skoda 6k and Tatra T81) and French (Laffli S45TL, Bernard and Willeme) production.

For transporting armored vehicles, the German industry also released special trailers SD.anh.115 and SD.anh.116 (abbreviated from Sonder Anhanger - "Special Trailer") by a lifting capacity, respectively, 8 and 22 tons. For their towing, heavy wheel tractors Hanomag SS100 or semi-member 18-ton SD.KFZ.9, although in fact the trailer could tow a bit of more than five tons with a lifting capacity.

Pz.kpfw.i ausf.v in the body of the truck FAUN L900D567. The second tank truck towers 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 automotive troops in Zosssen, where they were used to prepare new frames. The following tanks were used to form the material part of the first three German tank divisions (hereinafter referred to as TD), which were fully equipped with tanks pz.kpfw.i by October 15, 1935. With the start of receipt in terms of machines PZ.KPFW.II (in 1936), the proportion of "units" decreased to 80% - now each company has completed four pz.i and one pz.ii. In the future, the share of "units" in parts of Panzerwaffe has steadily declined.