When someone say that the Second World War was a war of engines, they remember, first of all, about tanks and airplanes. However, the largest number of engines in the armies of the fighting states drove cars, among which, in turn, the bulk were trucks. Even in the rifle division of the Red Army, according to the pre-war state of April 5, 1941, there should have been 558 different cars. The saturation of tank and mechanized formations with automotive equipment was even greater.
During the interwar period, the armies of most states were content with ordinary civilian trucks, at best slightly redesigned for military needs. However, it was obvious that during the war, trucks would move not only on good roads. The fighting armies needed reliable, high-quality and unpretentious vehicles with the maximum possible cross-country capability. However, the scale of the war and the increasing need for trucks gave rise to another requirement, which often contradicted the previous ones — a wartime car in a warring country had to be also cheap. The designers solved this problem by simplifying the pre-war samples as much as possible and 'throwing' everything out of the cars that you can somehow do without, including one or even both headlights and windscreen wipers.
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Ursus A, Poland. They were produced since 1928. From 800 to 1200 vehicles were produced, including 375 for the Polish army. Wheel formula 4×2, weight 2.5 tons, engine 35 hp. Speed up to 60 km/h. Load capacity up to 2 tons
Opel Blitz, Germany. The first generation of this model, which took part in the Second World War, was produced from 1930 to 1954. During this time, more than 82 thousand cars were produced. Wheel formula 4 × 2 and 4×4, weight 2.5 tons, engine 54-75 hp. Speed up to 90 km/h. Load capacity up to 3,5 tons
Büssing-NAG G31, Germany. It was produced from 1931 to 1935. About 2600 cars were built. Wheel formula 6×4, weight 1,5 tons, engine 65 hp. Speed up to 60 km/h. Load capacity up to 1.5 tons
ZIS-5 ('Zakhar Ivanovich', 'trekhtonka'), USSR. It was produced from 1933 to 1948. At the automobile plant named after him alone. During this time, more than 570 thousand ZIS-5 and ZIS-5B cars were produced in Moscow. It was also produced at the Ulyanovsk and Ural automobile plants. Wheel formula 4×2, weight 3.1 tons, engine 73 hp. Speed up to 60 km/h. Load capacity up to 3 tons
A tanker based on a ZIS-6 truck refuels a DB-3 bomber. The ZIS-6 was produced from 1933, until the autumn of 1941, 21,239 cars were produced. Wheel formula 6×4, weight 4.2 tons, engine 73 hp. Speed up to 55 km/h. Load capacity up to 4 tons
GAZ-AAA, USSR. From 1934 to 1943, about 37 thousand trucks and vehicles based on them were produced (including 3331 armored cars). Wheel formula 6×4, weight 2.5 tons, engine 40-50 hp. Speed up to 72 km/h. Load capacity up to 2 tons
Polski Fiat 621 L, Poland (in the photo – reconstruction). From 1935 to 1939, about 13 thousand cars were built. Wheel formula 4×2, weight 2.4 tons, engine 56 hp. Speed up to 55 km/h. Load capacity up to 2,5 tons
Alfa Romeo 500DR, Italy. In production from 1937 to 1945. Wheel formula 4×2, engine 75 hp. Load capacity up to 4.5 tons
Büssing-NAG G31, Germany. It was produced from 1938 to 1941. Wheel formula 4×2, engine 105 hp. Load capacity up to 4.75 tons autogallery.org.ru
GAZ-MM ('polutorka'), USSR. It was produced from 1938 to 1949. The photo shows a simplified wartime modification of the GAZ-MM-V with a wooden cabin and one headlight. Wheel formula 4×2, weight 1.8 tons, engine 50 hp. Speed up to 70 km/h. Load capacity of 1,5 tons
AEC Matador, United Kingdom. It was produced from 1938 to 1953, about 9 thousand cars were built. Wheel formula 4×4, engine 95 hp, weight 7,75 tons. Speed up to 60 km/h
38 M. Botond, Hungary. It was produced from 1938 to 1948, 2554 cars were built. Wheel formula 6×4, engine 65-72 hp. Speed up to 60 km/h. Load capacity of 1,5 tons
FIAT 626, Italy. They were produced since 1939. Wheel formula 4×2, engine 65 hp. Speed up to 63 km/h. Load capacity of 3 tons
Austin K2/Y, United Kingdom. A medical vehicle based on the Austin K30 truck. Trucks of the Austin K30/K2/K3/K4 family with a 4×2 wheel formula and a load capacity of 1.5 to 3 tons were produced for the British Army since 1939. They were equipped with engines with a capacity of 60-63 hp
Bianchi Miles, Italy (pictured, a British soldier captures the crew of an Italian truck in the Western Desert in June 1942). From 1939 to 1945, about 10,000 cars were built. From 1939 to 1945, about 10,000 cars were built. Load capacity of 3 tons
Bedford QLD, United Kingdom. From 1941 to 1945, 52,247 cars were produced. Wheel formula 4×4, engine 72 hp. Speed up to 65 km/h. Load capacity of 3 tons
Bedford OYD, United Kingdom. It was produced from 1939 to 1945. 72,385 cars were built. Wheel formula 4×2, engine 72 hp. Speed up to 65 km/h. The load capacity of 3 tons (a shortened version of the Bedford OXD with a load capacity of 1.5 tons was also produced). 1772 «Bedford» QLD, OYD, and OXD were sent to the USSR (275 of them did not reach their destination)
Studebaker US6, USA. From 1941 to 1945, more than 200 thousand of these cars were produced, of which about 100 thousand were delivered to the USSR. Wheel formula 6×6 (about 20 thousand cars were produced with the formula 6×4), weight 4.5 tons, engine 95 hp. Speed up to 65 km/h. The load capacity recommended by the manufacturer is up to 2.5 tons, but it transported up to 5 tons
Chevrolet G506, USA. It was produced from 1940 to 1945. 168,603 cars were built, of which from 47,700 to 151,053 (according to various sources) were sent to the USSR. Wheel formula 4×4, engine 83 hp. Speed up to 77 km/h. Load capacity of 1,5 tons flickr.com
Austin K5, United Kingdom. It was produced from 1941 to 1945. 12,280 cars were produced. Wheel formula 4×4, weight 3.7 tons, engine 85 hp. Speed up to 65 km/h. Load capacity 3 tons trucksplanet.com
GMC CCKW, USA. From 1941 to 1945, 562,750 cars were produced, of which about 6,700 were delivered to the USSR. From 1941 to 1945, 562,750 cars were produced, of which about 6,700 were delivered to the USSR. Load capacity of 2,5 tons
Mack NR, USA. In the photo-carrying a disguised British tank «Valentine». From 1941 to 1945, 26,965 Mack N-series army trucks were built (including 16,548 NR), of which more than 800 were delivered to the USSR. Wheel formula 6×4, engine 131 hp. Speed up to 70 km/h. Load capacity of 10 tons
Fordson WOT6, United Kingdom. It has been produced since 1942. Wheel formula 4×4, engine 85 hp. Speed up to 70 km/h. The load capacity is 3 tons. About 30,000 cars of this model were produced (and about 2500 WOT8 with a shortened base and a load capacity of 1.5 tons). 868 WOT8S were sent to the USSR, 731 trucks reached the goal
Ford G8T («Ford-6»), USA. A commercial truck, almost without alterations, got into military service. From 1941 to 1945, about 78 thousand cars were produced, of which about 61 thousand were delivered in the form of machine kits in the USSR. Wheel formula 4×2, engine 90 hp Speed up to 88 km/h. Load capacity 2 tons retrotruck.ru
M20 Diamond T, USA. It was used as a tank tractor. From 1940 to 1945, 6554 trucks were built, of which from 296 to 471 copies were delivered to the USSR. Wheel formula 6×4, engine 185 hp. Speed up to 37 km/h. Could pull a trailer weighing up to 50.8 tons
When someone say that the Second World War was a war of engines, they remember, first of all, about tanks and airplanes. However, the largest number of engines in the armies of the fighting states drove cars, among which, in turn, the bulk were trucks. Even in the rifle division of the Red Army, according to the pre-war state of April 5, 1941, there should have been 558 different cars. The saturation of tank and mechanized formations with automotive equipment was even greater.
During the interwar period, the armies of most states were content with ordinary civilian trucks, at best slightly redesigned for military needs. However, it was obvious that during the war, trucks would move not only on good roads. The fighting armies needed reliable, high-quality and unpretentious vehicles with the maximum possible cross-country capability. However, the scale of the war and the increasing need for trucks gave rise to another requirement, which often contradicted the previous ones — a wartime car in a warring country had to be also cheap. The designers solved this problem by simplifying the pre-war samples as much as possible and 'throwing' everything out of the cars that you can somehow do without, including one or even both headlights and windscreen wipers.
If the background of the photos makes it difficult to read the background information of the photos, you can hover your mouse over the text — this will darken the background of the caption
Ursus A, Poland. They were produced since 1928. From 800 to 1200 vehicles were produced, including 375 for the Polish army. Wheel formula 4×2, weight 2.5 tons, engine 35 hp. Speed up to 60 km/h. Load capacity up to 2 tons
Opel Blitz, Germany. The first generation of this model, which took part in the Second World War, was produced from 1930 to 1954. During this time, more than 82 thousand cars were produced. Wheel formula 4 × 2 and 4×4, weight 2.5 tons, engine 54-75 hp. Speed up to 90 km/h. Load capacity up to 3,5 tons
Büssing-NAG G31, Germany. It was produced from 1931 to 1935. About 2600 cars were built. Wheel formula 6×4, weight 1,5 tons, engine 65 hp. Speed up to 60 km/h. Load capacity up to 1.5 tons
ZIS-5 ('Zakhar Ivanovich', 'trekhtonka'), USSR. It was produced from 1933 to 1948. At the automobile plant named after him alone. During this time, more than 570 thousand ZIS-5 and ZIS-5B cars were produced in Moscow. It was also produced at the Ulyanovsk and Ural automobile plants. Wheel formula 4×2, weight 3.1 tons, engine 73 hp. Speed up to 60 km/h. Load capacity up to 3 tons
A tanker based on a ZIS-6 truck refuels a DB-3 bomber. The ZIS-6 was produced from 1933, until the autumn of 1941, 21,239 cars were produced. Wheel formula 6×4, weight 4.2 tons, engine 73 hp. Speed up to 55 km/h. Load capacity up to 4 tons
GAZ-AAA, USSR. From 1934 to 1943, about 37 thousand trucks and vehicles based on them were produced (including 3331 armored cars). Wheel formula 6×4, weight 2.5 tons, engine 40-50 hp. Speed up to 72 km/h. Load capacity up to 2 tons
Polski Fiat 621 L, Poland (in the photo – reconstruction). From 1935 to 1939, about 13 thousand cars were built. Wheel formula 4×2, weight 2.4 tons, engine 56 hp. Speed up to 55 km/h. Load capacity up to 2,5 tons
Alfa Romeo 500DR, Italy. In production from 1937 to 1945. Wheel formula 4×2, engine 75 hp. Load capacity up to 4.5 tons
Büssing-NAG G31, Germany. It was produced from 1938 to 1941. Wheel formula 4×2, engine 105 hp. Load capacity up to 4.75 tons autogallery.org.ru
GAZ-MM ('polutorka'), USSR. It was produced from 1938 to 1949. The photo shows a simplified wartime modification of the GAZ-MM-V with a wooden cabin and one headlight. Wheel formula 4×2, weight 1.8 tons, engine 50 hp. Speed up to 70 km/h. Load capacity of 1,5 tons
AEC Matador, United Kingdom. It was produced from 1938 to 1953, about 9 thousand cars were built. Wheel formula 4×4, engine 95 hp, weight 7,75 tons. Speed up to 60 km/h
38 M. Botond, Hungary. It was produced from 1938 to 1948, 2554 cars were built. Wheel formula 6×4, engine 65-72 hp. Speed up to 60 km/h. Load capacity of 1,5 tons
FIAT 626, Italy. They were produced since 1939. Wheel formula 4×2, engine 65 hp. Speed up to 63 km/h. Load capacity of 3 tons
Austin K2/Y, United Kingdom. A medical vehicle based on the Austin K30 truck. Trucks of the Austin K30/K2/K3/K4 family with a 4×2 wheel formula and a load capacity of 1.5 to 3 tons were produced for the British Army since 1939. They were equipped with engines with a capacity of 60-63 hp
Bianchi Miles, Italy (pictured, a British soldier captures the crew of an Italian truck in the Western Desert in June 1942). From 1939 to 1945, about 10,000 cars were built. From 1939 to 1945, about 10,000 cars were built. Load capacity of 3 tons
Bedford QLD, United Kingdom. From 1941 to 1945, 52,247 cars were produced. Wheel formula 4×4, engine 72 hp. Speed up to 65 km/h. Load capacity of 3 tons
Bedford OYD, United Kingdom. It was produced from 1939 to 1945. 72,385 cars were built. Wheel formula 4×2, engine 72 hp. Speed up to 65 km/h. The load capacity of 3 tons (a shortened version of the Bedford OXD with a load capacity of 1.5 tons was also produced). 1772 «Bedford» QLD, OYD, and OXD were sent to the USSR (275 of them did not reach their destination)
Studebaker US6, USA. From 1941 to 1945, more than 200 thousand of these cars were produced, of which about 100 thousand were delivered to the USSR. Wheel formula 6×6 (about 20 thousand cars were produced with the formula 6×4), weight 4.5 tons, engine 95 hp. Speed up to 65 km/h. The load capacity recommended by the manufacturer is up to 2.5 tons, but it transported up to 5 tons
Chevrolet G506, USA. It was produced from 1940 to 1945. 168,603 cars were built, of which from 47,700 to 151,053 (according to various sources) were sent to the USSR. Wheel formula 4×4, engine 83 hp. Speed up to 77 km/h. Load capacity of 1,5 tons flickr.com
Austin K5, United Kingdom. It was produced from 1941 to 1945. 12,280 cars were produced. Wheel formula 4×4, weight 3.7 tons, engine 85 hp. Speed up to 65 km/h. Load capacity 3 tons trucksplanet.com
GMC CCKW, USA. From 1941 to 1945, 562,750 cars were produced, of which about 6,700 were delivered to the USSR. From 1941 to 1945, 562,750 cars were produced, of which about 6,700 were delivered to the USSR. Load capacity of 2,5 tons
Mack NR, USA. In the photo-carrying a disguised British tank «Valentine». From 1941 to 1945, 26,965 Mack N-series army trucks were built (including 16,548 NR), of which more than 800 were delivered to the USSR. Wheel formula 6×4, engine 131 hp. Speed up to 70 km/h. Load capacity of 10 tons
Fordson WOT6, United Kingdom. It has been produced since 1942. Wheel formula 4×4, engine 85 hp. Speed up to 70 km/h. The load capacity is 3 tons. About 30,000 cars of this model were produced (and about 2500 WOT8 with a shortened base and a load capacity of 1.5 tons). 868 WOT8S were sent to the USSR, 731 trucks reached the goal
Ford G8T («Ford-6»), USA. A commercial truck, almost without alterations, got into military service. From 1941 to 1945, about 78 thousand cars were produced, of which about 61 thousand were delivered in the form of machine kits in the USSR. Wheel formula 4×2, engine 90 hp Speed up to 88 km/h. Load capacity 2 tons retrotruck.ru
M20 Diamond T, USA. It was used as a tank tractor. From 1940 to 1945, 6554 trucks were built, of which from 296 to 471 copies were delivered to the USSR. Wheel formula 6×4, engine 185 hp. Speed up to 37 km/h. Could pull a trailer weighing up to 50.8 tons
