Today, an American SUV from the Second World War is easily recognizable in any photographs of the war and post-war years; it is a frequent guest on the movie screen, not only in documentaries, but also in almost all films about this war. The car became a real classic during its lifetime and gave its name to a whole class of cars. Currently, the word "jeep" itself denotes any car with good off-road capability, but initially this nickname was assigned to a very specific piece of technology, whose fate was closely intertwined not only with the United States, but also with the history of our country.
This story began in the spring of 1940, when the US military formulated technical requirements for the design of a lightweight command and reconnaissance vehicle with a carrying capacity of a quarter of a ton with a 4x4 wheel arrangement. The tight deadlines of the announced competition quickly knocked out almost all possible applicants from it, except for two companies, American Bantam and Willys-Overland Motors, which were only later joined by the recognized American auto giant - the Ford concern. You can learn more about the history of the emergence of American jeeps, unfair for some and triumphant for others, in the article "Bow": the first jeep under Lend-Lease. "
After ordering each of the three participants in the competition for a batch of cars of 1,500 copies, the winner was ultimately the Willys company, which in 1941 began mass production of an army off-road vehicle under the designation Willys MB. Since 1942, the Ford concern joined the production of a licensed copy of the Willys, the car was produced under the designation Ford GPW. In total, until the end of the Second World War, American factories have assembled a total of more than 650 thousand cars, which forever went down in history as the first "jeeps". At the same time, the production of "Willis" continued after the war.
Under the Lend-Lease program during the war years, the USSR received about 52 thousand "wilis" who fought on all fronts of the Great Patriotic War. The first deliveries of American SUVs to the Soviet Union began in the summer of 1942. In the Red Army, the car very quickly became popular and was widely used in a variety of roles, including the role of a light artillery tractor, which was used to tow 45-mm anti-tank and 76-mm divisional guns.
Where exactly the nickname Jeep came from is still not known for certain. According to one of the most popular versions, this is the usual abbreviation for the military designation of General Purpose vehicles, GP, which sounds like G-Pee, or Jeep. According to another version, it all boils down to American military slang, in which the word "jeep" was used to denote untested vehicles. In any case, all "Willys" began to be called jeeps, and the Willys-Overland Motors company itself registered the Jeep trademark in February 1943 at the height of the war. At the same time, in the Russian language, this word is firmly entrenched for all imported off-road vehicles, regardless of the manufacturer's company.
In the USA, during the Second World War, jeeps were produced at two factories - Willys-Overland and Ford. It is worth noting that the cars of these two enterprises were almost completely identical, although they had a number of small differences. So, at the very beginning of production on the rear walls of the body of the Willys MB and Ford GPW cars there was a stamp indicating the name of the manufacturer, but over time it was decided to abandon it.
At the same time, an experienced eye could always distinguish a Ford car from a Willis car. In the Ford SUV, the transverse frame under the radiator was made in profile, while in the Willys it was tubular. The brake and clutch pedals on the Ford GPW were cast, not stamped like on the Willys MB. Some of the bolt heads were marked with the letter "F", in addition to this, the rear glove compartment covers had different configurations. During the war years, Willys-Overland produced about 363 thousand off-road vehicles, and Ford produced about 280 thousand vehicles of this type.
The very simple-looking body of a military SUV had its own characteristics. The main ones are the complete absence of doors, the presence of a folding tarpaulin top and a windshield that folds back onto the hood of the car. Outside, on the back of the jeep, a spare wheel and a canister were fixed, and on the sides it was possible to place a shovel, an ax and other entrenching tools.
For the sake of the military purpose of the car, the designers placed the fuel tank under the driver's seat, each time when refueling the seat had to be folded back. The headlights of the "Jeep" were recessed somewhat in relation to the line of the radiator grill. This detail was directly related to the peculiarity of their fastening: it was possible to unscrew one nut at a time, after which the optics immediately turned over with diffusers downward, becoming a light source during a night car repair or allowing the jeep to move in the dark without using a special device for blackout.
The supporting element of the Willys MB body was a spar frame, to which continuous axles equipped with locking differentials were connected by means of springs supplemented with single-acting shock absorbers. An in-line 4-cylinder engine with a working volume of 2199 cm3 and a power of 60 hp was used as a power plant on the car. The engine was designed to run on gasoline with an octane rating of at least 66. It was combined with a three-speed manual gearbox. With the help of the transfer case, the front axle of the SUV could be turned off and also downshifted.
An important feature of the light, agile, but narrow army off-road vehicle was the drum brakes on all wheels with a hydraulic drive. At the same time, a compact and lightweight jeep could easily overcome a ford up to 50 cm deep, and after installing special equipment - up to 1.5 meters. The designers even provided for the possibility of getting rid of water that could accumulate in the box-shaped body; for this purpose, a special drain hole with a plug was made in the bottom of the car.
In the transmission of the car, a two-stage transfer case Dana 18 by the "Spacer" company was used, which, when the driver switched on a downshift, reduced the number of revolutions going from the box to the axles by 1.97 times. In addition, it also served to deactivate the front axle while driving on highways and paved roads. The fuel tank of the jeep contained almost 57 liters of fuel, the carrying capacity of a small car reached 250 kg. The steering used a Ross mechanism with a worm gear. At the same time, there was no power steering in the steering system, so the steering wheel of the jeep was quite tight.
The open doorless body, designed for four people and the installation of a lightweight removable canvas top, was all-metal. His equipment was truly Spartan, according to the principle - nothing superfluous. Even the wipers on this car were manual. The front glass of the car had a lifting frame; to lower the height of the jeep, it could be folded forward onto the hood. Both arches of the tubular awning in the folded position coincided along the contour and were located in the horizontal plane, repeating the outlines of the rear of the Willys MV SUV. At the back of the protective-colored awning, instead of glass, there was a large rectangular hole.
Speaking of the Willys MB car, it is difficult not to note the extremely successful, thoughtful and rational design of the body shape, as well as its unique charm that has survived to this day. The SUV's aesthetic was impeccable. This is the very case when, as they say, neither subtract nor add. Overall, the jeep was perfectly configured. The designers managed to provide a convenient approach to the units and assemblies of the car during their dismantling and maintenance. Also "Willis" had excellent dynamics, high speed on the highway, good maneuverability and sufficient cross-country ability.
The small dimensions of the vehicle, especially its width, made it possible to drive without any problems through the front-line forests, which were accessible only to infantrymen. The car also had pronounced shortcomings, which included low lateral stability (the reverse side of a small width), which required competent control from the driver, especially when cornering. Also, the narrow track often did not allow the car to fit into the track that was punched by other cars.
The entire Willys car was painted, without exception, in American khaki (which was closer to olive), while it was always matte. The tires of the car were black and had a straight tread pattern. The steering wheel of the jeep with a diameter of 438 mm was also painted olive. There were 4 indicators on the instrument panel, including the speedometer, all of their dials were also painted in a khaki color. When the car was moving, doorways could be blocked by special detachable wide seat belts.
Beginning in the summer of 1942, Wilis began to enter the USSR en masse under the Lend-Lease program. The American SUV has proven itself well in military operations. Depending on the military situation and the type of troops, the car served both as a reconnaissance command vehicle and as a tractor for guns. Machine guns and other small arms were installed on many Willys. Some of the ball's machines were specially converted for medical care - a stretcher was placed in them. Interestingly, in the Soviet Union, all SUVs became known as Willys, although many Lend-Lease SUVs were not products of Willys-Overland, but of Ford.
In total, about 52 thousand cars of this type got to the USSR. Some of these vehicles were delivered to the Soviet Union unassembled, in boxes. These American vehicle kits were assembled at special assembly sites, which were deployed in Kolomna and Omsk during the war. The main advantages of this car were good throttle response and high speed, as well as good maneuverability and small dimensions, which made it easier to camouflage the jeep on the ground. The vehicle's maneuverability was ensured by a good level of its cross-country ability and a small turning radius.
After the victory, thousands of cars left on the move were transferred to the national economy of the country, where they no longer drove the military, but collective farm chairmen, state farm directors and various middle and lower-level managers. Sometimes even regional committee workers drove in these jeeps in the outback (perhaps following the example of Presidents Roosevelt and de Gaulle). Over time, cars from the army and from various civilian organizations fell into private hands. Thanks to this fact, many copies of "Willis" have survived in our country to this day, becoming real collector's items.
The performance characteristics of Willys MB:
Overall dimensions: length - 3335 mm, width - 1570 mm, height - 1770 mm (with awning).
Clearance - 220 mm.
The wheelbase is 2032 mm.
Empty weight - 1113 kg.
Carrying capacity - 250 kg.
The power plant is a 2.2-liter 4-cylinder 60 hp engine.
The maximum speed (on the highway) is 105 km / h.
The maximum speed with a 45 mm gun trailer is 86 km / h.
The capacity of the fuel tank is 56.8 liters.
In store down the highway - 480 km.
Number of seats - 4.
Knowing firsthand what a front and a military operation were, Hitler was well aware that a large-scale military operation could not be carried out without proper support of the forward units. 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. To implement them, all-wheel drive vehicles were needed that could cope with the Russian off-road and the sands of Africa.
In the mid-thirties, the first motorization program for the army units of the Wehrmacht was adopted. The automotive industry in Germany has begun the development of off-road trucks of three standard sizes: light (with a carrying capacity of 1.5 tons), medium (with a payload of 3 tons) and heavy (for the transport of 5-10 tons of cargo).
The military 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 car factories received an application for the production of special army vehicles for command and intelligence. 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 was unified, but the manufacturers mainly installed their motors.
Source: wikimedia.org
German engineers have created excellent cars that combine four-wheel drive with independent coil-spring suspension. Equipped with locking center and cross-axle differentials, as well as special "toothy" tires, these SUVs were able to overcome very serious off-road conditions, were durable and reliable.
While hostilities were waged in Europe and Africa, these vehicles completely satisfied the command of the ground forces. But when the Wehrmacht troops entered Eastern Europe, disgusting road conditions began to gradually but methodically destroy the high-tech construction of German cars.
The "Achilles' heel" of these machines was the high technical complexity of their designs. Complex components required daily maintenance. And the biggest drawback was the low carrying capacity of army trucks.
Whatever it was, but the fierce resistance of 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-consuming to manufacture trucks were good during the almost bloodless European campaign, and in the face of real confrontation, Germany had to return to the production of simple and unpretentious civilian models.
Source: wikimedia.org
Now "lorries" began to do: Opel, Phanomen, Stayr. Three-ton units were produced at: Opel, Ford, Borgward, Mercedes, Magirus, MAN. Cars with a carrying capacity of 4.5 tons - Mercedes, MAN, Bussing-NAG. Six-cars - Mercedes, MAN, Krupp, Vomag.
In addition, the Wehrmacht operated a large number of vehicles from the occupied countries.
The most interesting German cars of the Second World War:
"Horch-901 Type 40"- a multipurpose version, a basic medium command vehicle, along with the Horch 108 and Stoewer, which became the main transport of the Wehrmacht. They were equipped with a V8 gasoline engine (3.5 liters, 80 hp), various 4-speed gearboxes, independent suspension on double wishbones and springs, locking differentials, hydraulic drive for 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 Stoewer control from 1938 to 1943. Stoewer is the founder of a family of light, standardized 4x4 command and reconnaissance vehicles.
The main technical features of these machines were permanent all-wheel drive with lockable center and cross-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 maximum 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 cars in Germany was the multipurpose half-track tractor. NSU NK-101 Kleines Kettenkraftrad ultralight class. It was a hybrid of a motorcycle and an artillery tractor.
In the center of the spar frame was a 1.5-liter engine with 36 hp. from Opel Olympia, which transmitted torque through a 3-speed gearbox to the front sprockets of the propeller with 4 disc road wheels and an automatic braking system for one of the tracks.
Source: wikimedia.org
The single front 19-inch parallelogram wheel, the driver's seat and the motorcycle-style steering were borrowed from the motorcycles. 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 Typ 82.
Ferdinand Porsche thought about the possibility of military use of the new car back in 1934, and already on February 1, 1938, the Armaments Directorate of the Ground Forces issued an order for the construction of a prototype of a light army vehicle.
Tests of the experimental Kubelwagen have shown that it significantly outperforms all other Wehrmacht passenger cars, despite the lack of front-wheel drive. In addition, the Kubelwagen was easy to maintain and operate.
The VW Kubelwagen Typ 82 was equipped with a four-cylinder boxer air-cooled carburetor engine, the low power of which (first 23.5 hp, then 25 hp) was quite 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 - the captured "kübelwagens" were used by both the Allied troops and the Red Army. The Americans especially loved him. Their officers exchanged Kubelwagen with the French and British at a speculative rate. Three Willys MBs were offered for one captured Kubelwagen.
On rear-wheel drive chassis type "82" in 1943-45. also produced the VW Typ 82E headquarters vehicle and a closed-body vehicle for the SS Typ 92SS troops from the pre-war KdF-38. In addition, an all-wheel drive VW Typ 87 staff vehicle was produced with a transmission from the mass army amphibious VW Typ 166 (Schwimmwagen).
Amphibious vehicle VW-166 Schwimmwagen, created as a further development of the successful KdF-38 design. The Armaments Directorate issued Porsche with the task of developing 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 type 166 floating passenger car was unified in many units and mechanisms with the KfZ 1 all-terrain vehicle and had the same layout scheme with an engine installed in the rear of the hull. To ensure buoyancy, the all-metal body of the machine was made sealed.
Most people see military equipment at parades or in television coverage. As a rule, these are high cross-country vehicles with formed engines. In our review of the 25 "coolest" military vehicles, which certainly would not refuse fans of extreme sports, and simply lovers of technology.
1. Desert Patrol Vehicle
The Desert Patrol Vehicle is a high-speed, lightly armored buggy that can reach a top speed of almost 100 km / h. It was first used during the 1991 Gulf War, and then massively used during Operation Desert Storm.
2. Warrior
Warrior is a British 25 ton infantry fighting vehicle. More than 250 FV510 infantry fighting vehicles were modified for the desert war and sold to the Kuwaiti army.
3. Volkswagen Schwimmwagen
The Schwimmwagen, which translates to "Floating Car", is a four-wheel drive amphibious off-road vehicle that was used extensively by the Wehrmacht and SS troops during World War II.
4. Willys MB
Manufactured from 1941 to 1945, the Willys MB is a small SUV that became one of the symbols of WWII technology. This legendary car, which could reach a top speed of 105 km / h and travel almost 500 km at one gas station, was used in several countries during World War II, including the USA, Great Britain, France and the Soviet Union.
5. Tatra 813
A heavy army truck with a powerful V12 engine was produced in the former Czechoslovakia from 1967 to 1982. Its successor, the Tatra 815, is still used throughout the world for both military and civilian purposes.
6. Ferret
The Ferret is an armored combat vehicle that was designed and built in the UK for reconnaissance purposes. More than 4,400 Rolls-Royce powered Ferrets were produced from 1952 to 1971. This car is still used today in many Asian and African countries.
7. ULTRA AP
In 2005, the Georgia Research Institute introduced the concept of the ULTRA AP combat vehicle, which boasts bulletproof glass, the latest lightweight booking technology and excellent fuel economy (the car needs six times less gas than a Humvee).
8. TPz Fuchs
The TPz Fuchs amphibious armored personnel carrier, which has been produced since 1979 in Germany, is used by the German army and the armies of a number of other countries, including Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, the United States and Venezuela. The vehicle is designed for troop transport, mine clearance, radiological, biological and chemical reconnaissance, as well as radar technology.
9. Combat Tactical Vehicle
The Combat Tactical Vehicle, which was tested by the United States Marine Corps, was built by the Nevada Automotive Test Center to replace the famous Humvee.
10. Transporter 9T29 Luna-M
The 9T29 Luna-M transporter made in the USSR is an armored heavy truck for transporting short-range missiles. This large 8-wheeled truck was widespread in some communist countries during the Cold War.
11. Tiger II
The heavy German Tiger II tank, also known as the "Royal Tiger", was built during World War II. A tank weighing almost 70 tons, with forehead armor of 120-180 mm, was used exclusively in heavy tank battalions, usually consisting of 45 tanks.
12. M3 Half-track
The M3 Half-track was an American armored vehicle that was used in the United States and Great Britain during World War II and the Cold War. The car could reach a maximum speed of 72 km / h, and there was enough refueling for 280 km.
13. Volvo TP21 Sugga
Volvo is a world renowned car manufacturer. However, only a few fans of technology know that under this brand cars for military use were also produced. The Volvo Sugga TP-21 SUV, which was produced from 1953 to 1958, is one of the most famous military vehicles that were made by Volvo.
14. SdKfz 2
Also known as the Kleines Kettenkraftrad HK 101 or Kettenkrad, the SdKfz 2 track bike was produced and used by Nazi Germany during World War II. The motorcycle, which could accommodate a driver and two passengers, developed a maximum speed of 70 km / h.
15. German heavy tank Maus
The super-heavy German tank of the Second World War was huge (10.2 m long, 3.71 m wide and 3.63 m high), and also weighed a whopping 188 tons. Only two copies of this tank were built.
16. Humvee
This army SUV has been produced since 1984 by AM General. The four-wheel drive Humvee, which was designed to replace the Jeep, is used by the US military and has also found use in numerous other countries around the world.
17. Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck
HEMTT is an eight-wheel diesel off-road truck used by the US Army. There is also a four-wheel drive ten-wheel version of the truck.
18. Buffalo - vehicle with mine protection
Built by Force Protection Inc, the Buffalo is an armored vehicle equipped with mine protection. A 10-meter manipulator is installed on the car, which can be controlled remotely.
19. M1 Abrams
Unimog multipurpose military truck.
The Unimog is a Mercedes-Benz multipurpose all-wheel drive military truck used by troops in many countries around the world.
23. BTR-60
The eight-wheeled amphibious armored personnel carrier BTR-60 was released in the USSR in 1959. The armored vehicle can reach speeds of up to 80 km / h on land and 10 km / h in water, while carrying 17 passengers.
24. Denel D6
Manufactured by Denel SOC Ltd, a South African government-owned aerospace and defense conglomerate, the Denel D6 is an armored self-propelled artillery vehicle.
25. ZIL armored personnel carrier
Custom-made by the Russian army, the latest version of the ZIL armored vehicle is a futuristic-looking four-wheel-drive armored vehicle with an 183 hp diesel engine that can carry up to 10 soldiers.
It should be noted that military equipment is sometimes no cheaper than luxury cars. For example, if we are talking about, then even their rent costs millions of dollars.
The Second World War was the first real "war of machines" - a record amount of equipment was involved. What kind of transport did the USSR and opponents use?
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 thousand 600 pieces. Plus, in the very first weeks of the war, another 160,300 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 named Katyusha. Three days later, on June 21, an order was issued for the serial production of these installations. There were only a few hours 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 wide variety of vehicles - tanks, tractors, cars. However, tracked vehicles had some significant disadvantages - 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 Katyushas were installed on trucks.
spectechnika.com
The first vehicle-carrier of such a rocket launcher was the Soviet ZIS-6, created on the basis of the ZIS-5 (formula 4x2). This four-ton truck with a 6x4 wheel arrangement had excellent maneuverability and, together with a rocket launcher, received the "baptism of fire" on July 14, 1941 in the captured city of Rudnya.
A large amount of German military equipment has accumulated in 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 died down, one of the soldiers sang the song Katyusha, popular at that time. Hence, according to a widespread legend, the popular name BM-13 originated.
Deutscher Friedensstifter @ flickr.com
Katyusha was installed not only on ZIS. 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 visited many places around the world, but, ironically, it has never been used in the United States. The Studebakers were the most common vehicles supplied by the USSR under Lend-Lease. During the war years, the Soviet Union received almost 200 thousand US6.
militaryimages.net
Thanks to the all-wheel drive, the American truck could boast of excellent cross-country ability and carrying capacity, which favorably distinguished it from its Soviet counterparts. Compared to the "three-ton" (ZIS-5), the Studebaker could carry two tons more - despite the fact that the Americans recommended not to load it over two and a half tons. In addition, the car could overcome small river fords without fear of damaging vital parts, since they had a high location.
Thanks to all these qualities, an improved rocket launcher with the BM-13N index was installed on Studer. In addition, the Studebakers were used by the Soviet Army as conventional trucks, cannon tractors, dump trucks and cranes. The car was so successful that some trucks served the Soviet Union regularly until the 1980s.
verdammtescheissenochmal @ flickr.com
In the vastness of the USSR there are many monuments to "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 machine 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 remains an American. Nevertheless, this car was regularly filmed in numerous Soviet war films.
Off-road
In 1940, the US Army needed a light reconnaissance vehicle that would effortlessly navigate off-road terrain. Having won the tender, Willys-Overland Motors presented a car that met all these requirements - the Willys MA. After the United States entered the Second World War, full-scale production of this car began, and in 1942 Ford began producing the Willys, but already of a different model - the Willys MB. From the conveyors 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.
autoguru.at
Since 1942, under the Lend-Lease program, Wilis of various modifications began to arrive in the USSR. The car has proven itself well in military operations. Depending on the type of troops and the military situation, the vehicle served both as a reconnaissance commander and as a tractor for cannons. Machine guns and other small arms were installed on many Wilis. There were cars for medical care - a stretcher was installed in them. There was even a very unusual modification of the car - with railway wheels - for traveling on rails.
The four-wheel drive car had a 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine with 54 horsepower. The maximum speed was 104 kilometers per hour. Still, the main task of an SUV is to overcome all kinds of obstacles. Willis coped with this remarkably and felt confidently off-road (he could overcome a ford up to half a meter deep, and in some modifications up to 1.5 meters). During the war years, the Soviet Union received about 52 thousand Wilis.
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. Worldwide, Willys has become a model for the creation of lightweight, but at the same time hardy cars.
The USSR also had its own military jeeps. 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 vehicles were tested at a military training ground - GAZ-64 and NATI-AR.
GAZ-64 showed better results than a competitor, but the main thing was that its production did not require a lot of money and time. Many units of this car were already on the models produced by the plant - the GAZ-61 sedan and the GAZ-MM truck. Serial production began immediately, and in August 1941, the first Soviet off-road vehicle, the GAZ-64, rolled off the assembly line.
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 developed a speed of up to 90 kilometers per hour, and off-road - up to 25 kilometers per hour, which no other Soviet car could do.
In 1943, the plant developed a new model of an off-road vehicle - the GAZ-67 (a modernized version of the GAZ-64). It differed from its predecessor in a wider track and reinforced suspension. The engine power was also increased, however, due to the increased width, the SUV lost its dynamic characteristics, and the maximum speed dropped to 88 kilometers per hour.
W.Grabar @ flickr.com
In 1944, the GAZ-67 received some design changes, after which it was assigned the B index. In the people, he received his own "indexes". He was lovingly called a goat, a goat, a pygmy, a gazik, Chapaev, a flea-warrior, KhBV (I want to be a "Willis" and Ivan-Willis. The Soviet SUV on the war fronts showed its best side. He was more unpretentious to fuel 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, Trekhtonka. In terms of its reliability, he had no equal. The 5.5-liter engine was easy to start in any weather and was unpretentious to the quality of gasoline. With its own weight of 3 tons on board, he could take as much more. We must also pay tribute to Zakhar's cross-country ability - with a 4x2 wheel arrangement, the truck overcame various obstacles, and behaved on military off-road almost like an all-wheel drive vehicle. The flexible frame of the ZIS-5 deserves special attention - when hitting an obstacle, it bent, helping the car to drive over unevenness more smoothly. 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 vehicle fleet.
W.Grabar @ flickr.com
In the first months of the war, a large number of cars were destroyed. Partial mobilization of the machines of the national economy temporarily solved the problem, but the front and rear urgently needed large quantities of trucks.
To save material, ZIS-5 trucks began to make the most simplified modification. Instead of an iron cab, they put a plywood one, there were no front brakes, and only one headlight (driver's) was installed on the truck, and for some time these cars were produced without headlights at all! The plant saved 124 kilograms of metal on each truck.
W.Grabar @ flickr.com
A huge number of special-purpose vehicles were built on the basis of the ZIS-5. These are fire trucks, and buses (named ZIS-8 and ZIS-16), and mobile printing houses, and meat processing plants, snow plows and even armored vehicles. Behind the ZIS-5 cockpit one could find huge air defense searchlights, as well as anti-aircraft guns.
But the most widespread truck during the Great Patriotic War was GAZ - AA, popularly referred to as "lorry". 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 vehicle kits, but their quality was not quite suitable for operation in our road conditions. Specialists of the Gorky Automobile Plant made a number of design changes to the GAZ-AA, and from 1933 the car began to be assembled entirely from Soviet components.
W.Grabar @ flickr.com
In 1938, the car received a new engine with a volume of almost 3.3 liters with a capacity of 50 horsepower, and became known as GAZ-MM. The car boasted a maximum speed of 100 kilometers per hour, was faster than its "colleague" - the ZIS-5. But the carrying capacity was two times lower than that of the "three-ton". Hence the nickname - "lorry".
During the war years, the truck lost almost the same components as Zakhar. Only one headlight and one wiper on the driver's side were installed on the GAZ-MM. There were no front brakes. The fenders of the car were made from ordinary roofing iron. In the rear of the car, instead of four, only two wheels were often put. The roof and doors of the cockpit 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.
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These truly heroic vehicles were the first to cross the frozen Ladoga Lake to bring food to besieged Leningrad. On the way back, GAZ-MM took out people, industrial equipment and cultural values. But not all "lorry" and Zakharov had a way back. Many cars fell through the ice, sinking to the bottom of Lake Ladoga.
Over the long years of the war, the "lorry" managed to win the hearts of the soldiers. A trouble-free engine was started with a half-turn, however, often with a manual starter, since a working battery in a war is a rarity. The engine was also unpretentious to gasoline. Fuel was poured of any quality - the machine even ran on kerosene and alcohol.
According to British media reports, a collector from England recently managed to purchase a rare car rarity for 60 thousand pounds at one of the online auctions - a brand new original Willys MB Jeep 1944 SUV, i.e. during the Second World War. It was doubly lucky that the Willys, produced more than seventy years ago, turned out to be in excellent condition, because the collector got not just an SUV, but a kit car or a car for self-assembly, which many years ago was securely packed in a large wooden box.
During World War II, Ford and Willys produced approximately 648,000 jeeps and light trucks. The main part of them, or rather just over 361 thousand units, were Willys MB Jeep SUVs. These vehicles were used during the US military operations in virtually every corner of the world. For example, judging by the serial number, the Jeep purchased by the collector was intended to be sent to Europe or the Pacific region. By the way, Willys MB Jeep SUVs were delivered to the USSR under lend-lease in the form of kit cars during the Great Patriotic War.
Water transportation of cars in the form of whale cars made it possible to stack wooden boxes on top of each other. Thus, it was possible to transport many more cars, in addition, the cars themselves were better protected from water ingress.
The jeeps were going very quickly:
Fortunately, footage of the military chronicle has survived, on which you can see how the unpretentious Wilis served faithfully during the hostilities:
Our "new" seventy-year-old Willys MB Jeep was no worse than its other brothers. After a little maintenance, the rare SUV began to delight the new owner with its dedicated service, this time for peaceful purposes.
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