Professional Documents
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Go-Anywhere Campers: Haynes Overland Camper Manual
Go-Anywhere Campers: Haynes Overland Camper Manual
Go-Anywhere Campers: Haynes Overland Camper Manual
www.cmvmag.co.uk
Closing date: June 26, 2020
ISSUE 228
Go-anywhere Campers Why ex-military vehicle
conversions are all
the rage!
1p0iring
ins ader
re cts
proje
Andy Kyte’s 1942 GMC CCKW ST6 that he’s converted into a camper. ANDY KYTE
It is amazing how quickly Nazi Germany and in the UK clearer picture of what the everyone who got in touch.
things can change. Just more than one million people year holds in store. The best At time of going to press,
last month my editorial poured into the streets to advice I can give for now is production and dispatch of
was about the ‘exciting celebrate. Organisers of to monitor the relevant show the magazine has not been
times ahead’ as the military many of this year’s events websites and social media affected by the coronavirus
vehicle show season drew were hoping to recreate accounts for updates. Above pandemic. We will continue
nearer. However, Covid-19 the parties that took place all, stay safe and don’t put to update you as best we
has turned our world upside across the country to mimic your health at risk. can. Some postal services
down. Museums have the national outpouring of On a slightly different note, may be delayed. You can
closed and events have been thanksgiving that occurred our call for owners of ex- keep in touch with our latest
rescheduled, or in some 75 years ago. However, military vehicles converted updates by visiting www.
cases completely shelved these have understandably into campers to get in keypublishing.com/FAQs.
like many of those planned been cancelled as the world contact was well received. As always, your feedback is
to commemorate the 75th battles the coronavirus. We had responses from welcomed and appreciated.
Anniversary of VE Day. We took the decision to several countries including
May 8, 1945 is the day the temporarily remove our Norway, Canada, the US, The
Allies officially accepted the events diary from the Netherlands, France and of
EDITOR ANDREW STONE
unconditional surrender of magazine until we have a course the UK so thanks to andrew.stone@keypublishing.com
3
www.cmvmag.co.uk
Features
06 Going Places
10 owners talk about their ex-military vehicle
camper conversions
words and pictures Louise Limb
28 29
34 Family Affair
The Dodge WC-52 and WC-55
40 Remarkable Renault
The FT light tank
52 French Four
Wheeled Flair
The Panhard AML Armoured Car
58 A7V Sturm
Panzerkraftwagen
World War One’s heavy armour
Tank Time Team ‘They decided the easiest option was to drive them into a
field and bury them in a pit’
Craig Moore embarks on a tantalising tank treasure hunt
I
n 2017, I was lucky to be part of Rick
Wedlock’s dig team which recovered a World
War Two Covenanter tank that had been
buried in a 3m deep chalk pit under the Denbies
Vineyard in Dorking, Surrey. The dig was filmed
and became a TV show.
Following the airing of that show, I was sent
information about the location of other buried
tanks around the UK. Many of the stories had
no substance, while the tanks in others had
already been recovered. But there was one story
that continues to intrigue me.
In the late 1940s, Jack Ray was still in the
army. He came home on leave and wanted
to see his brother who was employed as an
agricultural worker at Little Oddynes Farm,
In 2017 a World War Two
Horsted Keynes, West Sussex.
Covenanter tank was dug
Much of the farm bordered the track which out of a 3m chalk pit under a
is now part of the Bluebell Railway. Jack told Vineyard in Surrey. IAN WILCOX
me: “I had arrived home late and went to the
village pub, hoping to find my brother. I met his
workmate, who told me my brother had gone Cromwell tanks were replaced by Comet
away for a few days. We chatted about life in and then Centurion tanks after World
the army and then the conversation changed War Two. The army might have told the
to an incident that had happened at the railway railway company to scrap them. This
station. Cromwell was restored by Rick Wedlock.
RICK WEDLOCK
“He told me, ‘Jack, you will find this interesting
being in the army and all that. I was working
near Horsted Keynes Station when I saw
these tanks coming down the road from the
station. They were driven into a field, parked
up in some pits and then earth put on top of
them. I asked what was going on and one of
the railway workers told me that the tanks had
been brought back from France and had been
standing in the sidings for ages.
‘The railway company kept asking the army
where they wanted them taken to, but the
army kept stalling. Eventually, the army said
they no longer wanted the tanks and that the
Horsted
Keynes railway company could sell them for scrap. The could still be seen as small depressions in the
Railway problem was that the cost of scrap metal was ground near the entrance to Station Road.
Station so low that it would cost money to cut them The Bluebell Railway steam train restoration
signal box up and send them off to a scrapyard. It was workshops are opposite this field. When I
decided the easiest option was to drive them knocked on the door, I found it was tea-break
The technician had into a field and bury them in a pit’.” time. All the volunteers were sitting around
to walk up and down
Jack showed me the field he believed the a large rectangular table devouring cake and
the field with the
geophysical magnetic tanks were buried in. It was called Brick Field biscuits. I introduced myself and asked their
survey equipment and used to be the site of a brick factory. The opinion about how many tanks would a steam
strapped to a chest remains of the buildings were at the top of the train running on the Bluebell Railway in 1945 be
harness hill, and the location of the filled-in clay quarries able to transport?
68 69
68 Time Team
Craig Moore embarks on a tank treasure hunt
www.facebook.com/cmvmag
4
Classic Military Vehicle Issue 228 May 2020 Contents
coronavirus. US ARMY
company Haynes
has added four new
titles to its compact
range of icon
GuideMessKit
manuals. The books
celebrate some
of the mechanical
legends of land,
The Kombat UK Clip Set sea and air and are
KFS sports a fork, knife aimed at enthusiasts
and spoon with a simple and historians with
Travelbag
clip finish for functionality an interest in the Avro
BlockTank
and ease of use, perfect for Lancaster, the Tiger tank, HMS
camping trips. Available from Victory and Flying Scotsman.
genuinearmysurplus.co.uk for The titles would make a great addition
£2.49 to any book collection.
They can be ordered through www.
IconTitles
Titles
haynes.com for £12.99 each
A selection of tools, Complementing its ‘Half Ton’ and ‘Wolf’ T-shirts Retro
equipment and gadgets Eighty brings you this new 101-based design. Screen printed onto
100% cotton T-shirt, sizes range from small to XXXL.
from around the world Available for £22 (freepost in the UK) from www.retroeighty.co.uk
M3Lee
Fuel
Day gift? This could well be
Edition
the perfect present for the
well-dressed tank fan. These
classy, monochrome cufflinks
are made bespoke for The
Tank Museum and fit regular
dress shirts. Available from
Saver
Corgi continues tankmuseumshop.org
to produce its for £14.99
excellent range of
diecast models
Classy
for military
enthusiasts
including this
1:50 scale limited-
edition Bedford QLD
Cufflinks
4x4 general service
This top quality, robust all-steel 20 litre fuel can is ideal for the safe cargo truck of which only 1,100 have been made. The Bedford QL series This M3 Lee Lego compatible brick tank is made up of 530 blocks
storage of a wide range of fuels and other liquids. Easily transportable, utility trucks were some of the most heavily produced British vehicles of and comes with two figures: a US soldier and the tank commander.
it’s also a must-have for emergency situations. It features a wide ‘anti- World War Two and fulfilled a variety of essential communications and The model, which measures (L x W x H) 200mm x 100mm x 115mm,
glug’ mouth for fast, efficient and clean fuel dispensing. supply roles. Available through corgi.co.uk for £49.99 depicts the World War Two-era medium tank armed with a 75mm gun.
Portable
Available from machinemart.co.uk for £27.59 It is available from bricktanks.co.uk for £34.99
Power
Army Cadet 350g
Highlander sleeping
bags are designed to The Dirty Dozen British Army Watch
keep you warm. The outer was inspired by the original The Clarke G1200
material is 100% polyester with ‘Dirty Dozen’ watches Petrol Generator is
a DPM camo print and the lining issued to British forces the perfect generator
is polycotton. The mummy style in World War Two. The for caravanning,
provides for greater heat retention. watch features dual camping trips,
Travel in style Comfort Temperature 5c. Available from quartz movement, boating, markets and
Winter
with this unique genuinearmysurplus.co.uk for £24.99 is battery-operated even for emergency
passport cover and has glow home use thanks
made from vintage in the dark to its compact
silk ‘escape and evasion’ hands and hour dimensions, ease
Warmer
maps. Not only will the markers. The of use, portability
cover protect your passport, watch is and impressively
it will also make it easy to splash and low noise output
identify as yours. Each cover rain resistant. of 68dB(A) at 7m.
is unique depending on which Available from Available from
map is used. Suitable size for a UK epicmilitaria. machinemart.co.uk
passport. They cost £18 through www.nam.ac.uk com for £49.99 for £191.98
Got a product you’d like featured in our Gear Guide? E-mail cmveditorial@keypublishing.com Note: Prices do not include postage and packaging
18 19
18 Gear Guide
Our selection of gadgets, gear and equipment
of the
Month
Visitors travel from far and wide to view the exhibits
The museum has a focus
on World War Two
T
he Australian Armour and Artillery Muse- add some excitement to their day by purchas-
um is privately owned and is the largest ing a ride in our de-commissioned armoured
museum of its kind in the Southern Hem- personnel carrier or join us in our custom-built
isphere. It is dedicated to the collection, pres- shooting gallery (conditions apply).”
ervation, restoration and display of armoured The museum caters to children through a ded-
vehicles and artillery from the 1800’s to the pres- icated ‘Kids Corner’ which gives them oppor-
ent day and the collection includes armoured tunity to take a photo dressed as a real soldier,
A dedicated ‘Kids Corner’ will keep children
vehicles and artillery from both World Wars, but try on genuine army gear or play on the battler entertained
Australian Armour
with a particular focus on World War Two. re-creation table, allowing their imaginations to
As of March, the collection consisted of over run wild. A new addition to the ‘Kids Corner’ is
190 armoured vehicles and artillery pieces. an obstacle course style playground which has
Some of the museum’s star exhibits include a proved a big hit with the younger enthusiasts.
Hetzer, Sherman Firefly, Panzer IV Ausf D, Sen- “As it can take some time for you to see all the
Museum
tinel Mk IV while a fully restored and operational exhibits – especially if you have a real interest
Panther is due to arrive sometime this month in military history – we welcome you to sit, relax
(May). and take a break in our self-service café area
“We are constantly on the lookout for addi- where you can enjoy a tea, coffee, cold drink or
tional pieces of equipment that will make our snack,” said the spokesperson. “We also have
museum a richer experience for those visiting,” a retail section where you will find a diverse Visitors can also get rides around the arena
said a spokesperson. “We aim to offer the per- collection of specialty items if you are looking
fect experience for the whole family. Once you to take a souvenir of your visit home with you.” land, Australia. From here visitors can also
Heavy Metal
are finished exploring the exhibits, visitors can The museum is in Cairns, Far North Queens- access and enjoy the Great Barrier Reef, World
Heritage Rainforests and the Outback while vis-
22 New
iting a city that has all the comforts one would
expect from a renowned tourist destination.
For further information including details of any
Down Under
upcoming events, visit the museum’s website
at www.ausarmour.com You can also follow
the museum on Facebook for weekly updates
on new exhibits and current restorations.
Books
The Australian Armour Museum is the
largest museum of its kind in the Southern
Hemisphere
releases
Email: info@ausarmour.com
Phone: 07 4038 1665
Opening: Hours: 9:30am - 4:30pm
2 Skyrail Drive, Smithfield
QLD 4878 Australia
21
25 Military
Vehicle Market
Nigel Hay on what’s available
74 Moore’s D
Moore’s Manoeuvres words and pictures Craig Moore
Manoeuvres
avid Blower
sent me No 1 of the left section
photographs crosses the main trench
of his great and the support trench.
uncle Donald Gunn’s At the reserve trench, it
handwritten lecture turns left and machine-
notes. Donald had guns all the enemy
enlisted in the Royal troops in that trench.
Tank Corps before Tank No 2 and No 3 of
World War Two. Part the left section follow
of the training course tank No 1 of the left
at Bovington was to section to the reserve
Craig Moore’s
learn about the tactics trench.
that worked in World Tank No 1 of the right
War One and many section drives up to the
Trench Warfare
of the instructors had main trench and turns
served in it. What I left machine-gunning all
military world
found fascinating was a the enemy troops in that
diagram he had drawn trench. It is then joined
during the lecture on by tank No 2 of the right
the tactics for attacking Attacking enemy trenches in a tank section and they cross
TOP: The Mk.IV Male tank 8043 Don Quixote II was armed with machine guns and two six-pounder guns
ABOVE LEFT: Donald Gunn’s lecture note sketch of a tank attack on a German trench system
ABOVE RIGHT: A diagram based on Donald Gunn’s lecture note sketch of a tank attack on a German trench system
BOTTOM RIGHT: The Mk.IV Female tank 2740 was only armed with machine guns
a German trench system with tanks. infantry killing weapons, and that is the main trench, support trench and press
In the 1930s, trench warfare was still why the female tanks, armed with more on to the reserve trench.
considered a possibility in any future war. machine guns than the male tanks, were Tank No 3 of the right section crosses
Many of the accounts I have read show looked on as being more effective. That the main trench on the far right of the
tanks driving up to an objective (a trench) was up until the arrival on the battlefield of attack, and at the support trench turns left
then turning left or right as instructed German Beuterpanzers (captured British and machine-guns the troops in that
while machine-gunning the enemy troops tanks) and Sturmpanzerwagen A7V tanks trench. It then reverses and crosses the
in those trenches to enable the infantry to in early Spring 1918. Then a cannon was support trench and drives on to the
catch up and occupy the trenches. needed to engage in tank-on-tank combat. reserve trench where it turns left to join
The early World War One tanks were Male tanks were armed with two six- the other tanks while machine-gunning
pounder main guns and machine guns. any troops in the reserve trench. I may be
Donald’s diagram showed a three-section wrong on some details of the attack, but
attack with nine tanks, three tanks per this diagram illustrates that World War
section, on the frontline German main One tactics were basically to drive along
trench, the support trench and the reserve the length of enemy trenches killing
trench behind that (sections were called everyone inside.
‘troops’ in World War Two).
Tank No 1 of the middle section drives
up to the main trench and turns left
machine-gunning all the enemy troops in
that trench. Then tank No 2 of the middle
Author Craig Moore is an editor for tanks-en- section crosses the main trench, and
cyclopedia.com and runs tank-hunter.com, a
guide to where you can find surviving World at the support trench, it turns left and
War One and World War Two tanks machine-guns all the enemy troops in that
trench. It is followed by tank No 3 of the
74
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5
words Andrew Stone pictures as credited
6
Going 1
insp
0
iring
Places
reader
projects
W
hen we put out a request on social
media for owners of ex-military
vehicle campers to get in touch for
this feature, little did we expect the
avalanche of replies we received. Overwhelmed by
the response, we’re unfortunately not able to publish
the story of everyone who replied. It’s clear from the
‘We love the feedback that former military vehicles make great
campers and that their owners wouldn’t trade them for
Kraken as an the world. If you’re considering heading down this route,
off roader
the choice of vehicles is wide – from World War Two-era
lorries to more modern-day Land Rovers. There is no right
and camper
or wrong answer when it comes to selecting a vehicle.
Instead, you need to carefully consider your options and
during inclement decide what’s right for you. Hopefully, our selection of reader
stories will help point you in the right direction.
7
preparing for a trip across Africa. In the
end, he never took part in the trip but
shipped his 101 home to Hamden.
“Driving and owning a 101 takes a
little getting used to,” he said. “First you
have to plan more time to get to where
you’re going. Not so much because it
isn’t as fast as modern vehicles – I have
changed the high gears ratio in its LT95
transmission to Range Rover gears so
it will do 70mph, although it’s comfort
range is at 60mph or below – but because
whether you are stopped for fuel or food
or to just regain hearing and blood flow to
Chris Verladi’s ‘Kraken’,
a 1975 Land Rover 101 the legs, everyone from young children to
Forward Control the elderly has to ask questions about it
and take pictures.
8
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10
and I do as much of the maintenance push them when driving. We’ve taken it to
work as I can and it’s certainly a vehicle I’d Europe, and it is pretty reliable.
recommend to anyone looking to build a “I get around 18 to 20 miles per gallon.
camper. Some guys think they are too big I do most of the maintenance and repair
but for my family it’s great. We’ve got bunk work myself. That’s the good thing about
beds for the kids who are six and four and owning a Land Rover, they are relatively
a double bed for us.” easy to repair and maintain, although I
would recommend that you need to be
The Music Man mechanically competent if you plan to
Colin Foster, 61, from Swanley in Kent own one.
is the proud owner of a 1970 Land Rover “Overall, we’re very happy with it and
Marshall Body Ambulance IIA. To keep it suits my Land Rover,
the vehicle original, Colin and his wife Gill, camping and classic
who are regulars at live music festivals, car needs. I’m in
have adapted their camping needs to the the process of
vehicle instead of the other way around. downsizing my
“I’m a Land Rover fan and this is my first collection of
foray into military vehicles,” explained Colin, vehicles but we’ve
who is a member of the Military Vehicle already decided
Trust. “We go to festivals quite a bit and that this is one
used to camp, but a couple of years back we plan to
we started looking at campervan options. keep.”
I found this one in Coventry but when the
owner heard what I wanted to do I could
tell he was disappointed so I promised I
would keep it as is.
“I’ve always collected classic vehicles
and appreciated that this was an original,
so we ended up adapting our camping
needs to the vehicle. When camping,
we remove the stretchers and other
ambulance equipment from the back and
put a futon mattress in for us to sleep on.
There’s not a lot of headroom and it’s
not for everyone, but it suits Gill and
me and is far better than a cold bed
on the ground.”
Colin said it was also an affordable
and relatively simple option for
people looking to get into the
campervan market. “If you shop
around you can pick them up for
around £5,500 to £8,000,” he said.
“They are quite heavy vehicles on
the road and you obviously can’t
11
“I managed to get a box body and
converted it into a camper. I don’t know
the full military history of the vehicle, but I
have finished it with School of Signals at
Catterick markings.”
The camper interior features bench seats
that convert to a double bed, a sink and
cupboards for storage. “There isn’t really
room for a toilet or shower, so we just use
it for sleeping and cooking purposes,” said
Stuart. “I’ve used tents and caravans in the
past and this is the best option. You don’t
get wet if it rains, it rocks you to sleep if
The Single Dad Paul, beds for his children aged nine and windy and it’s warmer than a tent.”
Single dad, Paul Jackman, 47, from 12, gas heating, skylights and plenty of As for the vehicle, Stuart said if you look
Lincolnshire recently took ownership of wardrobes. “We’re also making it so the after the Austin and keep up with regular
his 1994 Leyland DAF T244 overlander one side can fold down and open it up,” maintenance and services, you’ll be OK.
which he plans to live in fulltime. Paul had he said. “In total, I’ll have spent about “The Austin K9s are reliable and pretty
the ex-British Army truck converted by a £50,000 on the project, but that’s because basic to fix if something goes wrong,” he
private company. “LGF Commercials did I’m including loads of extras as I make it said. “I build trucks for a living so do all
the conversion for me,” he said. “This is completely self-sufficient with the use of of the maintenance and servicing myself.
the first time the company did an overland solar and wind power. I’ll also have things I’d say you need some common sense
box, although they have experience at like a smart TV and games station. But we if you own a vehicle like this. Things do
building boxes for commercial use. We’ve also enjoy the outdoors lifestyle so plan to sometimes stop working and you need
kept it as lightweight as possible to keep go hiking and exploring more. I work in the to sort them out, otherwise, it’s all good.
the weight down. I’m not planning to travel printing industry and my shift work allows There are of course pros to owning a
vehicle this old in that you don’t have to
MoT it and its also tax-exempt.”
‘I’m not planning to travel around the The Specialist
world in it but will be living in it and Martin Howdle, 47, has plenty of experience
around the world in it but will be living in it me quite a bit of time off, so I expect to
and travelling around the UK.” travel quite a bit every year.” Paul runs a
Paul said this had been one of the most YouTube channel and Facebook page
affordable ways to get into a camper. “I (The Offgrid Nomad UK) where you can
first tried looking to buy one, but they are follow his adventures.
really expensive, he explained. “I eventually
bought the vehicle privately for £6,000. It’s The Awesome Austin
a 1994 ex-military flatbed truck and was Military Vehicle Trust member Stuart
running perfectly. But it’s not the vehicle or Sandford from Essex owns a 1954 Austin
even the box itself that is the real cost, but K9 that he and wife Vicky use to attend
the interior. The more luxurious you make military shows. Stuart, 48, has owned
it, the more it will cost.” the ex-military vehicle for about 11 years
The ‘box’ features a separate shower and said it had proved a reliable runner.
and toilet, kitchen area, a double bed for “It was a flatbed originally,” he explained. Martin Howdle has done a fantastic job on his
1997 Pulse 130 Battlefield Ambulance
12
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13
14
The ’Shedford’
Tom Duckworth, 25, is in the was done on a tight budget.
process of building a camper I’d seen loads of tiny houses
conversion business after in the US and wanted to do
converting his own truck and something similar, only on the
others. Tom bought his ex- back of my lorry. I ended up
British Army Bedford MJ three collecting pallets and by the
years ago, a 1988 left-hand time I had finished it looked
drive model that had seen more like a shed than I had
service in Germany. Once it intended, which is why I call it
was decommissioned, it was the Shedford. I’ve been living
sold and went through the in it full-time for the past two
hands of five private owners years.”
before ending with Tom. “I paid Having been involved in
£4,350 for it, which was the restoring classic and vintage
exact amount I had in my bank cars, Tom wanted something
account at the time,” he said. older when he started looking
“Work on the camper back for a suitable vehicle to convert
to a camper. “Military vehicles, on holiday somewhere, like
while they may have worked on a recent trip to Scotland.”
hard, have been well looked He said having a truck had
after,” he said. “It was in good allowed him to stay places
running condition when I got one normally couldn’t. “So, I
it and I do all the maintenance have saved costs not staying
and repair work that I can in B&Bs and hotels.” Tom said
myself. It’s quite a simple lorry he was not a regular yet on the
to work on in that there’s no military vehicle show scene
electronics, but you will need but would be in the future. “It
to have a basic understanding is something I’d like to get
of mechanics if you plan on more involved in,” he said. “I
getting one. They are just big have social media accounts
tractors really. where people can follow me
“Parts can be quite and see the conversion (web:
expensive as some have been thelorrylife.com
reconditioned and it does drink blog: thelorrylife.wordpress.
fuel, but I don’t drive excessive com; Instagram:@the_
kilometres unless I’m going lorrylife).”
day, I’ll get around 12 miles to the gallon to the show each year for the past seven Tom. “He phoned me one day to say he
and on a bad day around nine. We use years and it had turned into their annual had found one for us, so we viewed the
it mostly for short trips around the UK, family holiday. Having their 1985 Bedford vehicle and ended up buying it. We don’t
although I do have plans to take it further MJ camper made the time spent at the have any regrets at all, it’s great. We use
afield and would like to take it back to show all that more comfortable. it for a few military shows around Norfolk
Sweden at some stage.” “We also own an ex-military Series III and the furthest we go each year is to War
The fitment of a rear and a side camera Land Rover that we take with,” said Tom. and Peace. The boys love it and love going
has helped overcome the challenge of He said they were not particularly looking to the show.”
having a left-hand drive vehicle in the UK. for a camper when they bought the He said the left-hand drive Bedford was
“It’s mechanically reliable and nothing has Bedford five years ago. not the easiest vehicle to manoeuvre due
ever gone wrong with it,” said Jon. “Once “A friend of mine had a Bedford which to a lack of power steering, but it was
you’ve got it up to a certain level it’s fine he’d converted to a camper,” explained otherwise straightforward.
to maintain and run.” The interior of the “It would help to have some mechanical
camper can sleep two and has seating knowledge if you plan on getting one,” he
for up to eight people, a two-burner gas recommended. “That’s half of what being
cooker and sink with running water, fridge an enthusiast is about – doing things
and cupboards. A portaloo is stored in a yourself. You don’t want to be sending it to
cupboard. “It’s a great vehicle and ticks all a mechanic each time something goes
the right boxes for us,” said Jon. wrong. I’m a truck technician so I do all the
servicing and maintenance on ours. It’s
The Family Friend relatively straightforward to maintain and I
Norfolk residents Tom and Clare Read get around 12 to 13 miles per gallon when
and their sons Mason, 8, and Heath, 6 have driving, but because we don’t use it that
become regulars at The War and Peace much and don’t drive it too far it does not
Revival. Tom, 34, said they had been going work out to be too expensive for us.”.
15
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16
centre stage
community celebrations due to take place on
the bank holiday weekend of 8th to 10th May.
“It is right and proper that people should be kept
safe and healthy. My sincere thanks to everyone
who registered their events and were looking
forward to celebrating VE Day 75. I know how After several successful years running the
disappointed you will be that these cannot ‘War in the Valley’ event, last year saw the
now go ahead. Churnet Valley Railway in Staffordshire
However, we are expand the 1940’s event with new
still encouraging branding and a refresh of attractions and
the solo piping entertainment resulting in ‘Staffordshire
Commemoration events to element to continue at War’. The event’s team is looking to
mark VE Day 75 have been from a safe and build on the local connections forged
scaled back due to the ongoing suitable location, last year and so this year’s event will see
spread of coronavirus. In line such as their ‘Staffordshire at War – Operation Shelton
with advice from Public Health homes.” Steel’ take centre stage. Like in 2019, this
England and guidance on mass All may not be lost year’s event aims to give visitors a taste
gatherings, the UK government though as Bruno said of what the war years were like, not just
announced plans to mark he hoped many of the in Britain but also in occupied Europe. As
the 75th anniversary of the events that had been visitors take a steam train journey each
end of World War Two will be ‘so carefully planned’ station will have adopted a theme with
changed. As part of the new could be held over the suitable attractions, entertainment and
plans the veterans’ procession weekend of August 15 re-enactors to help visitors engage and
down the Mall and the events and 16 when VE Day experience what life was really like in the
in St James’s Park will no and VJ Day celebrations 1940’s. Leekbrook station (accessible
longer go ahead. However, could be held. For up by rail only) will be the main focus as the
government and the devolved to date information, base of the Allied forces with an
administrations were working visit https://ve-vjday75. encampment complete with a battlefield
on new plans to ensure the gov.uk or https://www. hospital and an assortment of military
public could still thank the veday75.org equipment and vehicles on display.
Cheddleton station will see the Axis
forces and their equipment on display as
they ‘occupy’ the station and surrounding
Tanks’ printed in 1917 village. Meanwhile, Consall station will
can be inspected in The play host to a village fete with games and
Tank Museum Library. activities for children of all ages while
This has a section on ‘The Froghall station will host some smaller
Lucas Electric Lighting displays and entertainment through the
Set’ which among other weekend. Each station will showcase a
things says that there variety of demonstrations and talks giving
is a switchboard ‘above visitors the chance to learn more about
floor level on the right what life was like in the 1940’s and to
hand side of the get up close to vehicles and equipment
differential casing, used during this period. A highlight of
looking from the front the daytime events will be the battle
of the tank’ it contains at Leekbrook, which will see Allied and
three switches amongst Axis forces battle. Entertainment at the
which ‘Switch S controls stations will allow visitors to experience
the festoon lamps inside different music and they will even have
the tank’. Now, I have to say that having been the chance to learn the Charleston Step,
Since you will probably get dozens of other inside the Mark IV at Bovington many times the Jitterbug and other period dances.
replies to Peter Herret’s question, the tank I have never seen this switchboard but it may Saturday evening entertainment will see
photographed in India (CMV issue 226 still be visible in the Mark IV ‘GRIT’ in Canberra, an ‘Allo Allo’ themed dining train travel
March 2020) is the remains of an M4A2 Australia which is the most complete along the line where passengers are
Sherman DD or Duplex Drive amphibian. Not surviving Mark IV that I know of. I always served a feast of black-market delights
only has the floatation screen been removed understood that the festoon lamps were onboard the railway’s luxurious dining
and the propellers of course along with the switched on or off individually in their train while enjoying scenes from the
hull machine-gun, but the rear suspension sockets and the same handbook says ‘The popular television series. Visitors
unit appears to be missing plus the gun and festoon lamps can be rotated in their sockets dressed in 1940’s attire will receive a
mantlet look like fabrications. A complete to throw the light upwards, and can also reduced entry fee (visitors in fancy dress
M4A2 DD can be seen in The Tank Museum be switched off singly by further rotation.’ type costumes will be charged at full
at Bovington if anyone is interested. Perhaps later the circuit remained live and indi- price). This year’s event takes place on
However, I also wanted to back up Tim vidual lamps were turned on or off in this way. June 20 and 21. For information and to
Gosling’s letter in the same issue. A hand- Regards, book tickets visit https://1940sbyrail.
book known as Training Note No. 2, sub titled David Fletcher co.uk or contact the railway directly on
‘Tank Driver’s Handbook Marks I, II and IV Dorset 01538 758491.
17
Gear
GuideMessKit
The Kombat UK Clip Set
KFS sports a fork, knife and
spoon with a simple clip finish
Travelbag
for functionality and ease of
BlockTank
use, perfect for camping
trips. Available from
genuinearmysurplus.co.uk
for £2.49
A selection of tools,
equipment and gadgets
from around the world
Limited
Fuel Edition
Saver
Corgi continues
to produce its
excellent range of
diecast models
for military
enthusiasts
including this
1:50 scale limited-
edition Bedford QLD
4x4 general service
This top quality, robust all-steel 20 litre fuel can is ideal for the safe cargo truck of which only 1,100 have been made. The Bedford QL series
storage of a wide range of fuels and other liquids. Easily transportable, utility trucks were some of the most heavily produced British vehicles of
it’s also a must-have for emergency situations. It features a wide ‘anti- World War Two and fulfilled a variety of essential communications and
glug’ mouth for fast, efficient and clean fuel dispensing. supply roles. Available through corgi.co.uk for £49.99
Available from machinemart.co.uk for £27.59
Cover Style
Filled with 100%
polyester fibre,
these British
Army Cadet 350g
Highlander sleeping
bags are designed to
keep you warm. The outer
material is 100% polyester with
a DPM camo print and the lining
is polycotton. The mummy style
provides for greater heat retention.
Travel in style Comfort Temperature 5c. Available from
Winter
with this unique genuinearmysurplus.co.uk for £24.99
passport cover
made from vintage
silk ‘escape and evasion’
Warmer
maps. Not only will the
cover protect your passport,
it will also make it easy to
identify as yours. Each cover
is unique depending on which
map is used. Suitable size for a UK
passport. They cost £18 through www.nam.ac.uk
Got a product you’d like featured in our Gear Guide? E-mail cmveditorial@keypublishing.com
18
Retro T
Publishing
company Haynes
has added four new
titles to its compact
range of icon
manuals. The books
celebrate some
of the mechanical
legends of land,
sea and air and are
aimed at enthusiasts
and historians with
an interest in the Avro
Lancaster, the Tiger tank, HMS
Victory and Flying Scotsman.
The titles would make a great addition
to any book collection.
They can be ordered through www.
IconTitles
Titles
haynes.com for £12.99 each
Complementing its ‘Half Ton’ and ‘Wolf’ T-shirts Retro
Eighty brings you this new 101-based design. Screen printed onto
100% cotton T-shirt, sizes range from small to XXXL.
Available for £22 (freepost in the UK) from www.retroeighty.co.uk
Classy
Cufflinks
This M3 Lee Lego compatible brick tank is made up of 530 blocks
and comes with two figures: a US soldier and the tank commander.
The model, which measures (L x W x H) 200mm x 100mm x 115mm,
depicts the World War Two-era medium tank armed with a 75mm gun.
Portable
It is available from bricktanks.co.uk for £34.99
TimeKeeper
Power
The Dirty Dozen British Army Watch
was inspired by the original The Clarke G1200
‘Dirty Dozen’ watches Petrol Generator is
issued to British forces the perfect generator
in World War Two. The for caravanning,
watch features dual camping trips,
quartz movement, boating, markets and
is battery-operated even for emergency
and has glow home use thanks
in the dark to its compact
hands and hour dimensions, ease
markers. The of use, portability
watch is and impressively
splash and low noise output
rain resistant. of 68dB(A) at 7m.
Available from Available from
epicmilitaria. machinemart.co.uk
com for £49.99 for £191.98
SSOOUU m o u red
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KIDS5
Kids
2 Skyrail Drive, Smithfield (Cairns), Queensland, Australia 4878
T: +61 7 4038 1665 E: info@ausarmour.com W: ausarmour.com
Open 7 Days 9:30am - 4:30pm* 175 exhibits as of
*Closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day and Good Friday
^Conditions apply
October 2019
T
he Australian Armour and Artillery Muse- add some excitement to their day by purchas-
um is privately owned and is the largest ing a ride in our de-commissioned armoured
museum of its kind in the Southern Hem- personnel carrier or join us in our custom-built
isphere. It is dedicated to the collection, pres- shooting gallery (conditions apply).”
ervation, restoration and display of armoured The museum caters to children through a ded-
vehicles and artillery from the 1800’s to the pres- icated ‘Kids Corner’ which gives them oppor-
ent day and the collection includes armoured tunity to take a photo dressed as a real soldier,
A dedicated ‘Kids Corner’ will keep children
vehicles and artillery from both World Wars, but try on genuine army gear or play on the battler entertained
with a particular focus on World War Two. re-creation table, allowing their imaginations to
As of March, the collection consisted of over run wild. A new addition to the ‘Kids Corner’ is
190 armoured vehicles and artillery pieces. an obstacle course style playground which has
Some of the museum’s star exhibits include a proved a big hit with the younger enthusiasts.
Hetzer, Sherman Firefly, Panzer IV Ausf D, Sen- “As it can take some time for you to see all the
tinel Mk IV while a fully restored and operational exhibits – especially if you have a real interest
Panther is due to arrive sometime this month in military history – we welcome you to sit, relax
(May). and take a break in our self-service café area
“We are constantly on the lookout for addi- where you can enjoy a tea, coffee, cold drink or
tional pieces of equipment that will make our snack,” said the spokesperson. “We also have
museum a richer experience for those visiting,” a retail section where you will find a diverse Visitors can also get rides around the arena
said a spokesperson. “We aim to offer the per- collection of specialty items if you are looking
fect experience for the whole family. Once you to take a souvenir of your visit home with you.” land, Australia. From here visitors can also
Heavy Metal
are finished exploring the exhibits, visitors can The museum is in Cairns, Far North Queens- access and enjoy the Great Barrier Reef, World
Heritage Rainforests and the Outback while vis-
iting a city that has all the comforts one would
expect from a renowned tourist destination.
For further information including details of any
Down Under
upcoming events, visit the museum’s website
at www.ausarmour.com You can also follow
the museum on Facebook for weekly updates
on new exhibits and current restorations.
21
On the Shelf New Books
Kursk
War Two. To this day it still captivates the
imagination of armour enthusiasts and
1943
military historians. ‘Kursk 1943’ by author
Ian Baxter uses rare photographs, maps and
colour illustrations to tell the story of how the
Wehrmacht and its elite Waffen-SS panzer
divisions tried and failed to
force their way through the
Publisher Casemate strong defensive lines of the
Author Ian Baxter Soviets. The battle would
Year 2019 mark the last German offen-
ISBN 9781612007076 sive in the East.
Language English Verdict: The book forms part
Binding Softback of Casemate’s Illustrated
Pages 128 series and is divided into 10
Size 25.4cm x 17.8cm chapters giving coverage
Price £19.99 of the build-up to the battle,
www.casematepublishers.co.uk how it played out and the
aftermath. It’s a good read,
The battle of Kursk was the well-illustrated and will
largest and perhaps most make for a decent reference
famous tank battle of World resource.
Operation ‘Torch’
The Invasion of North Africa
Publisher After the Battle is a large book, both in physical size and
Author Jean Paul Pallud number of pages – more than 300 – and
Year 2019 the use of maps and colour and black and
ISBN 9781870067966 white images along with
Language English the detail of research is to
Binding Hardback be commended. It covers
Pages 321 an operation in World War
Size 30cm x 21.7cm Two which hasn’t always
Price £39.95 received the same attention
www.afterthebattle.com as many others, but one
which marked an important
Jean Paul Pallud’s offering, point in the war – the deci-
Operation ‘Torch’ The Invasion sion by the western Allies
of North Africa provides a to launch a second front in
comprehensive and impres- North Africa.
sively detailed and illustrated Verdict: Well written and
account of the Allied landings exceptionally well-illustrated,
that took place in North-West a great addition to any World
Africa in November 1942. This War Two book collection.
22
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24
I
am writing this column from Normandy under
a state of absolute lockdown. Interestingly,
several local military vehicle collectors I
spoke to told me that although it was all very
worrying, it has given them a lot more time to
get on with restoring and servicing their vehicles
in preparation for whenever it is we are allowed
out again – and then to any shows that have not
been cancelled.
As in all aspects of daily life, things have
changed, been put on hold or cancelled
altogether. I had to smile in our local shop when
a man came in wearing a full 1960s French army
The highest
chemical warfare mask and respirator. If he had price GPA ever
done that a few weeks ago, they would surely - at €205,000
have called security and removed him.
This month’s entry-level vehicle is a stripped
inside and out Mk1 Ferret. For £250 this is a
viable starting point for someone wanting to
build a Ferret from scratch. However, it’s hard to Good replica
tell if the sum of the parts to build one this way Kubelwagen at £15,000
will be more, less or even near the retail value of with some film history
the finished vehicle.
A good looking, but compromised, 1944
Canadian Universal (Bren) Carrier MKII, located
Nigel Hay’s round up of the military vehicle market
in Southern California was offered for a modest
LET’S ALL
$25,000. The seller admits it isn’t perfect as On the same day came a replica Blank Firing
his primary use of it was recreational desert Pak 36 at just £2,000 from a separate seller.
enjoyment with family and friends. But for This would have made a very nice and realistic
KEEP
the money, it is certainly good value and for pairing with the Kubelwagen.
someone wanting a Carrier to get started with, Another entry-level project that came up
most of the real work has been done. for sale was a German-built Ford Eifel 1937.
CVRTs continue to come up for sale at A quasi-military vehicle, these were used by
respectable money – including a just-finished the Wehrmacht and German government
CVRT Striker at £25,500 and a fully refurbished departments. But for the re-enactor at €2,500,
CALM
Cummins Diesel powered CVRT Alvis Spartan at this is a viable project and will enhance any
£26,950. living history display. We also had a restored
A good quality replica Kubelwagen that has and ready to show 1939 Peugeot 202 for sale at
been around the film industry since the 1960s €7,500 and many of these were impressed by
was offered for a realistic £15,000, around 30% of German forces during the occupation of France
the value of a real one. It immediately got many and Belgium.
enquiries and should please its new owner as it Aalderson Vehicles in Holland always has
has already appeared in a selection of war films. a nice selection of turnkey World War Two
vehicles and the company this month offered a
Bedford QLR at €15,950 and a Ford C60L APT
at €12,750. Meanwhile, Reos seem to have
dropped off the radar recently so it was a delight
to see Andy Camp’s well known M35A2 Reo
Turbo cargo truck – dry stored for the past 30
years since its release – come up for sale at
a realistic £12,950. The MoD has released a
batch of seven Land Rover Wolf models – hard
and soft top – which are offered by JR Cars
from £7,500 each – reflecting the increased
availability of the Wolf Land Rovers.
1937 German Ford Eifel
at €2,500 - perfect for Well known French militaria and historic vehicle
Stripped bare - entry-
level Mk1 Ferret at £250. the re-enactor auctioneers, Aiolfi is selling the reserve collection
of the MM Park Museum at La Wantzenau in
Fun in the sun with this Universal (Bren) Carrier Eastern France. This is not the whole museum
MKII at $25,000 contents, but it will include some significant
wartime vehicles. Like all museums in France
it is currently closed but once it re-opens it
is a ‘must-see’ museum with an eclectic and
carefully planned collection.
The exact catalogue should now be online via
Milweb’s Auction Feed as you read this. It will be
a very significant sale and one to watch with
interest. Quite how the military vehicle market
will be affected by the Covid 19 pandemic is
anyone’s guess. We just have to keep calm and
M35A2 Reo Turbo Whistler at £12,950
carry on buying and selling.
25
Enjoy
wherever you are in the world
The classic military vehicle world is in a healthy state. There’s an exciting array
of restorations on the go, an increasing number of military shows taking place
and new military museums opening, making it a thrilling time to be involved. The
team at CMV are proud to be at the forefront of covering these events, and much
more, for our readers. With our newly introduced digital bundle subscriptions you
continue to get your magazine delivered with the added benefit of instant access
to a digital copy to read anytime, anywhere.
Andrew Stone, Editor
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28
T
he short, sharp and brutal carried national pride as well as thousands
Falklands War of 1982 is still of British troops, bringing together the SPECIFICATIONS
very recent history. Many will British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Make Rover
remember the hastily gathered Force in an urgent bid to rid a British Model One-Tonne Forward Control (Truck,
naval task force: 127 ships ploughing overseas territory of an invading force. General Service, 1 Tonne, 4x4, Rover)
8,000 miles through the waves towards a Land Rovers had always been essential Nationality UK
distant archipelago in the South Atlantic. on the Falkland Islands, but the vast Year 1976
Famous liners the QE2 and Canberra, stretches of boggy terrain demanded Used by UK and Allies
along with merchant ship SS Atlantic amphibious, tracked vehicles such as the Production Run 1974 to 1978
Conveyor, were requisitioned. The aircraft Scottish firm Cuthbertson’s ‘Water Buffalo’ Engine Rover
carrier HMS Hermes was the flagship of tractor, which could extract heavy plant Type V8
the task force, continuing to serve until such as diggers and excavators even from Fuel Petrol
1984. The rescue mission to the Falklands marshy ground. Displacement 3,528cc
There are still two of these vehicles on Power 128bhp@5000rpm
the Falkland Islands from an original three Torque 185lb/ft @2500rpm
sent out there for land drainage work in Transmission Rover
Type Manual four-wheel
the early to mid-1960s.
Gears Four-speed
There’s also a Roadless Traction Series
Transfer box Two-speed
IIA Forest Rover now owned by Nick
Pitaluga. It escaped being commandeered
Suspension Semi-elliptic leaf springs with
by the Argentine forces in 1982 but
front anti-roll bar
another of his Land Rovers famously
Brakes Vacuum servo-assisted drums front
did see action, seized under Argentine and rear
occupation and deployed again by British Wheels Steel well base six stud
Forces in the period after liberation. Tyres 900x16 bar grip
Planning for the recapture of the islands, Crew/seats Two plus rear accommodation
the British saw that wheeled vehicles
would struggle and even supporting Dimensions
combat vehicle reconnaissance tracked Length 4,330mm (170.5in)
vehicles such as Scorpions and Scimitars Width 1,842mm (72.5in)
(and one Sampson recovery vehicle) were Wheelbase 2,565mm (101in)
deployed very hesitantly. Weight unladen 1,924kg 12v GS soft top
model (4,242lb)
29
Bob Wilson opens the
clever bespoke serving
hatch designed by Coffee
Latino
Pearson Engineering has recently fitted a grab handle between the door and air intake to make it
easier for Bob to climb into the cab, the camper conversion added Defender seats to provide comfort
Swedish tracked Bandvagn BV202s stayed on, acquired by a local farmer who
would manage the peat bogs but most used it to transport supplies. It gained
A NATO tow hook sits on the front bumper as
well as one at the rear troops, once on land, were on foot. 2 Para a Falklands Islands civilian registration,
(2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment) F565C but returned to the UK in 2013,
fought its final battles around Port Stanley somewhat battered from the wet and
on foot without any mechanised support. windy climate.
Land Rovers however, were used in It is now working hard again, helping
small numbers, as can be seen from veterans back into employment and
television footage. The 12 Argentinian assisting them with the many challenges
Panhard AML-90 armoured cars were of civilian life through the charity Forward
confined to the streets of Port Stanley. Assist. It is a perfect new chapter for a
As a result of the war, and during the 101 that had once seen troops face the
succeeding years with a reinforced toughest of military tests.
garrison, bomb disposal and mine Manufactured at Solihull on December
clearance and the building of the Mount 13, 1976, the Forward Control carries the
Pleasant Complex for the HQ for British military serial number 67 FL 19, making it
Force South Atlantic Islands in 1985, the part of contract number WV9615.
islands acquired even more Land Rovers. It was one of a batch of 718 Cargo,
Heavy-duty front and rear Salisbury axles The 1976 Land Rover Forward Control general service RHD models, registered
underpin the 101 Forward Control 101 One-Tonne you see here helped in January 1977 and with an asset code
secure the Falklands during the war and of 1840-0750, it is described in military
30
nomenclature as a truck, general service,
1 tonne, 4x4, Rover. The ‘101’ refers to the
wheelbase length and Forward Control to Reporting a distant war
the driving and engine position.
Unlike some 101s, it did not have a 24-volt News from the front is often sketchy and firmly
electrical system and was not equipped controlled and the Falklands was no different.
with a winch, or for any specialist function Myths have grown up over the years concerning
such as radar tracking or gun tractor. Some how many Land Rovers and other assets went
were equipped with radio or ambulance down with the Atlantic Conveyor.
bodies and especially for Cold War Likewise, it has been very difficult to
electronic warfare, the Mobile VHF direction ascertain which vehicles went to the Falklands.
system, known as the Vampire, came with Meanwhile, memoirs from news reporters on the
a sophisticated extending radio mast. ground have authority on the experience of the
How many were sent to the Falklands war which was mostly fought on foot.
The 101 as it arrived back in Britain after
is hazy but there are photographs from Max Hastings, then of the Evening Standard its time in the Falklands and before its
the victory parade later in London of 101s and criticised later of jingoism for his reporting camper conversion
towing Rapier missile systems and they tone, looked back in 2012, calling the war,
have their own asset code, 1833-0750, “maybe the last really popular war that Britain will ever fight”. He had stayed close to the
detailing that they had 24-volt systems to troops and along with 2 Para was among the first into Port Stanley on June 14, 1982.
cope with the technology. He remembers too that the Argentinians were no pushover, neither in the air nor at sea.
This vehicle may well have assisted in Hastings recalls being served bacon and eggs by a cheery Royal Marine on a landing craft,
carrying artillery across the island and after he had completed a gruelling overnight tramp, sometimes under fire, only to find that
there are records connecting it with the the same landing craft was hit by an airstrike and all on board killed just days later.
RAF and the Welsh Guards, the latter It was on the ground, against the Argentine force of “wretched conscripts” that the
regiment suffering the loss of 48 men war was finally won. The calibre of the British troops was “vastly superior’”and Hastings
when RFA Sir Galahad was bombed on recalls a conversation with a Royal Marine commander who had captured one of the
June 8, 1982, at Port Pleasant, Fitzroy. mountains around Port Stanley.
Back in the UK, the 101’s new owners “He looked at this terrific mountain, which the Argentines had been defending and
stripped it completely and undertook a said that with 50 Germans he could have died of old age holding the place... we shouldn’t
chassis-up refurbishment, converting it to pretend that the Argentine Army was the Wehrmacht... The real difficulty was fighting this
a camper and registered it in the UK with campaign at such a very long range.”
an age-related plate. However, it was BBC Correspondent Brian Hanrahan’s famous broadcast line which at
They replaced the original Rover V8 the time set the tone for a brief war fought a long way from home and has stood the test
engine with a 2,495cc 300Tdi engine of time; “I’m not allowed to say how many planes joined the raid, but I counted them all
and matching five-speed gearbox and out and I counted them all back.”
high-ratio transfer box. With the wiring By the time the Union Jack was confidently flying again on June 14, 1982, Argentina’s
renewed, they fitted rear lights from a dead totalled 649, Britain had lost 255 of its servicemen and three Falkland Island women
Land Rover Defender TD5. died in ‘friendly fire’ during the British naval bombardment of Port Stanley on June 11,
The body was refurbished with 2mm 1982. Its inhabitants released from house arrest, the tiny group of islands, with weather
thick aluminium sheet over a 2in box- reminiscent of the Scottish town they are named after, gradually returned to a life as
section frame which in turn was built British as its pubs and red telephone boxes.
onto the rear. Everything was sealed Most of the soldiers returned home too, some gravely injured and others damaged
and a considerable amount of chequer- mentally as well as physically. Had it existed in 1982, many would have benefited hugely
plate used in creating new cappings and from a charity like Forward Assist.
coverings. In particular, the cab was
31
rebuilt and re-styled to suit a camper
conversion with the addition of fresh
seats and aluminium dash. They also
Forward Assist, making a difference
painted it in the distinctive orange and
black tiger stripes you still see today.
Forward Assist, an award-winning forces
charity Based in Dudley, North Tyneside,
looks for innovative ways to support
veterans.
In 2016 it was looking for a suitable truck
for its venture, Salute Coffee, the latest
in a series of initiatives. With ex-Royal
Marine CEO Tony Wright’s drive and
inspiration, coffee company Starbucks
came on board with the offer of training
and catering supplies and the partnership
has so far resulted in six fully trained
baristas.
Sabby Gill, Sage managing director, UK and Ireland lends his support to Forward Assist
Forward Assist was launched in 2009 by former Royal Marine, Tony Wright, who had
been forced to take early discharge after a serious shoulder injury. He then went
into social work and with the personal experience of leaving service early, founded
About Turn, a community interest company, helping former service personnel who
were struggling to adapt to civilian life. As its web site explains, Forward Assist now
provides ‘support, advice, guidance and advocacy. We provide a variety of projects
to reduce social isolation, loneliness and activities that improve the physical and
mental health of veterans accessing our services’.
For Bob Wilson, AKA ‘Bob the Driver’, Forward Assist has been vital. After many years
of service with the Royal Artillery, deep personal problems came after retirement.
With the support of the Forward Assist team, Tony and Paula Edwards (who
is also the women veterans’ project lead) he has found a new lease of life. He
volunteers with the various veterans’ engagement projects Forward Assist has
launched, from staffing the Salute café at the John Willie Sams community and
leisure centre in Dudley to helping out with art exhibitions and other initiatives.
However, it is the 101 Forward Control that has become Bob’s domain, enabling
Falklands stickers remind all of its military and him to relive the driving he used to do in the army and feel invested in its upkeep. He
civilian life while North American Specification also makes a mean cup of coffee!
Defender tail lights replace the originals Forward Assist is an award-winning charity (Centre for Social Justice Awards
2015) and a full member of the Confederation of British Service Charities.
Find out more about Forward Assist here: https://preview.tinyurl.com/skrcr39
Scouring the auction sites, Tony had driver for the coffee truck, his extensive
spotted the 101 which fitted the bill service experience with the 101 in the
perfectly. With help from Starbucks and 1970s and his newly-acquired skills as a
a grant from the Northstar Foundation, barista a huge asset.
the deal was done and the Forward Recently, Forward Assist forged links with
Control went to Coffee Latino, a specialist defence engineering company Pearson
conversion company based locally in Engineering, also based in Newcastle,
Blaydon. when the latter kindly undertook a few
Bob serving coffee at a Sage Foundation event for With the expert guidance of Ric Allan, small but vital jobs on the truck.
local people north of Newcastle, summer 2019 co-owner, managing director and one-time It has provided grab handles adjacent
graphic designer, a neat, bespoke design to the doors, making access to the cab
was soon in place. With all the equipment easier and added steps, which avoid the
state-of-the-art, the Salute Coffee truck need for the not-so-agile to clamber up
was ready to go and now has a regular the front wheel hub step rings. Together
pitch at frequent lively corporate social with the fine work that Forward Assist
responsibility events at the nearby Sage achieves, the 101 and Sankey pair
software group headquarters, together certainly make an impressive ‘salute’ to
with other bookings. their previous military roles.
The coffee truck was followed swiftly The 101 Club has forums and resources
by a coffee roaster installed in a Sankey for those interested in finding out more
trailer, also kitted out by Coffee Latino. about the 101 Forward Control. They can
Bob is entirely at home wrestling with the heavy In recent months, veteran of the Royal be found here: https://preview.tinyurl.
steering of the 101 Artillery Bob Wilson has become the main com/um3sav2
32
33
Family Affair
The Dodge WC series of vehicles came in several
variants that all contributed towards the war effort
A
staggering number of Dodge The model was designated the Dodge denoted by a four-digit engineering
trucks were built during World half-ton 4x4 Series VC and since most code as the first part of the engine serial
War Two. More than 400,000 were built in 1940, were assigned the number, stamped on the left side of the
of these rugged, yet versatile year as the model number. The VC series block just below the head. Based on
wartime warriors were manufactured never saw action in the war, however, Chrysler Corporation figures from 1946,
from1941 to 1945, demonstrating the and a redesign of the hood and cab saw nearly 80,000 units were produced during
industrial might wielded by the US during the introduction of the 1941 Series WC 1941 and 1942.
the conflict. Dodge half-ton 4x4. It was the first all- While regarded as being successful, the
To put that number in perspective, in military design Dodge developed in the half-ton series was then replaced by the
1937, just two years before the outbreak build-up to full mobilisation. three-quarter-ton series in 1942. The new
of war, the US Army had a fleet of 11,600 The lightweight Dodge WC-series series carried the T214 engine code but
vehicles, with about a third to a half of (W:1941, C: half-ton) trucks were offered retained the six-cylinder in-line, L-head
those bearing the Dodge name badge. in various body styles, the most common engine. The redesign gave the Dodge WC
As the threat of war grew, the army being the command car, weapons carrier, series a very different look, most notably a
quickly realised it needed to add half-ton a hardtop-cab pickup, a panel truck, a lower profile cargo area that was now able
vehicles to its fleet and, having already hardtop-cab emergency repair truck, to seat an eight-man rifle squad and their
supplied the military, Dodge was in the ambulance and a carry-all. gear on top of the rear wheels, instead of
driving seat to deliver more. Production was broken into three series, between them as in previous models.
34
The vehicle was a non-
runner when Steve took SPECIFICATIONS
ownership, but he soon Series WC-52
got it working again Total built 59,114
Weight 2,518kg
Length 4.48m
Width 2.1m
Payload 680kg
Engine Dodge T-214
Type six-cylinder four-cycle inline
petrol 74 kW
Suspension Semi-elliptic leaf spring
Operational range 290km on road
Speed 89km/h on road
Series WC-55
Total built 5,380
Weight 3,330kg
Length 4.52m (with winch)
Width 2.24m
Payload 540kg
Crew Four: Commander, gunner, loader,
driver
Main armament 37mm gun
Engine Dodge T-214
reliable vehicle’
Speed 89km/h on road
35
The WC-52 is fitted with the original T214
engine
Other changes included under-seat While the vehicles pictured are almost
The WC-52 is differentiated from the WC-51
by the winch storage and a distinctly different flat identical, the one on the left in the main
bonnet design. The vehicles were picture is a WC-52 while the one on the
also widened and shortened, altering right originally came out the factory as a
their proportions. Despite these WC-55 before being converted back to a
changes, service parts remained 80% 52 during the war.
interchangeable with the previous series,
which allowed for ease of maintenance WC-52
and repairs. It also meant the three- The fact that the three-quarter-ton
quarter-ton models could be deployed WC-series vehicles share many of the
quickly while the earlier WC-series trucks same features can make it difficult to
remained in use until the end of the war. differentiate between them. The WC-51
In total, more than 255,000 three-quarter- and WC-52 were the most prolific of the
ton WC-series trucks were built from 1942 series, with the two models making up
to 1945. Models included the WC-51 and nearly three-quarters of the 255,000 units
WC-52 weapons carrier, WC-56, 57 and 58 built. Some 123,541 received the WC-51
command or Reconnaissance cars, WC- (without winch) designation and 59,114
A map-reading board slides out from under 53 Carryall, WC-54 Ambulance and WC-55 the WC-52 (with winch) designation for
the dash
Gun Motor Carriage. a total of 182,655 units. This number
36
The three-quarter-ton WC series featured wider and lower proportions compared to previous models
37
WC-55 armour at the same distance or a High
The WC-55, also known as the 37mm Explosive (HE) projectile.
Gun Motor Carriage M6 or M6 Fargo was A total of 5,380 units were built between
a modified WC-52 featuring a light anti- April and October 1942 with one online
tank gun. Used by the US Army for infantry source giving a cost of $4,265 per unit.
support and as a mobile anti-tank gun, The intention was for WC-55 crews to
it was in use from late 1942 to January defend against enemy tanks attacks while
1945 in the Mediterranean, Europe and Allied tanks would be used in infantry
Pacific but ultimately saw limited use. The support roles.
vehicle was not popular with troops as it However, the introduction of more
provided no armoured protection other powerful tank destroyers featuring 75mm
than the armoured gun shield and had to and 76mm guns soon rendered the
be reversed into firing position because WC-55 obsolete. Many had their 37mm
the gun could not be fired forwards guns removed and were converted back
due to the blast effect on the crew and to WC-52 cargo trucks, like David ‘Paddy’
windshield. Walden’s vehicle pictured here.
This did at least allow for a quick exit It’s not easy to distinguish between the
from the battlefield when the enemy two, but tell-tale signs are still visible on
started firing back. The 37mm gun was the chassis of Paddy’s vehicle where it
also considered too small to render it was strengthened to prevent twist when
effective against German armour of the gun was fired. As a WC-55, it would
the time. It fired projectiles that could have had a 37mm gun mounted in the
penetrate 3.6cm of armour at 460m in load area, two short seats in the cargo
The spare tyre located on the driver’s side of addition to Armor Piercing Capped M51 area instead of the long bench seats and
the vehicle
projectiles that could penetrate 6.1cm of storage for projectiles in the four corners.
A top schematic showing the Dodge WC-55 M6 Gun Motor Carriage. WIKICOMMONS / US ARMY
38
Paddy Walden’s vehicle,
which originally came out
of the factory as a WC-55
was later converted back
to a WC-52
39
words and pictures Bernard Holloway
A Remarkable SPECIFICATIONS
Renault
Type Renault FT
Tracks/Wheels Full-tracked
Armament Machine gun - 8mm Hotchkiss
machine gun (see text for others)
Cannon – 37mm Puteaux SA 18
Engine Renault four-cylinder, 4.48 litre,
39hp, water-cooled
Transmission Four forward, one reverse
Suspension Semi-elliptic leaf spring
Power to Weight Ratio 5.1 bhp/ton
Maximum Speed (road) 4.78mph
Type (fuel) Petrol
Maximum Armour Thickness (hull) 22mm
It has been hailed as one of the most influential Number (crew) Two
T
anks were first used in battle on casualties, maybe more, aside from the the German barbed wire defences, cross
September 15, 1916, at Flers- collateral damage to families of those broken ground and trenches and break the
Coucelette during the Somme killed or injured. deadlock of a war reliant on infantry.
campaign. It was a campaign And for what? Historians tell of an allied Such are the pressures of war, they were
fought between July and November gain varying between six to seven miles pressed into service before sufficiently
that year with trench warfare and hand- along a 15-mile front. Most of us can’t developed and the tactics issued by
to-hand combat at its most brutal and imagine the horrors that beset these men, the generals and advisors in their first
bloodiest with push and counter push. or indeed any other campaign during deployment were not of the best.
Combined with the devastating effect of subsequent wars, but into that slaughter Consequently, despite the psychological
machine gun fire, aerial bombardment, on that September day rolled 32, some effect on the enemy and playing their part
subterranean mines and poor strategy, authorities advise 48, rhomboidal shaped, in the advance, many broke down before
it cost both sides a total of 1.1 million Mk 1 tanks designed by the Allies to crush reaching their objective. Just under a
40
quarter remained operational, a further ten compromised trench crossing ability.
were damaged by the enemy, nine broke The operation was further hampered by
down and five were abandoned. Weighing poor vision and manoeuvrability, but unlike
in at just over 28 tons when combat-ready, the Mk 1, it carried one howitzer in a single
they were slow and difficult to manoeuvre sponson and a pair of Hotchkiss machine
and the crew of eight had to withstand guns.
temperatures that peaked at more than Some of the shortfalls were partially
38°C, inside the cramped, noisy and poorly addressed by an improved version built
protected hull. Combined with the petrol by Forges et Acieres de La Marine et
fumes and carbon monoxide from the d’Homecourt based in St Chamond near
engine, no firewall separating the engine Lyon. The 30-ton Saint Chamond was
from the crew and a lack of suspension, armed with a central forward-facing 75mm
these conditions engender great respect field gun and four Hotchkiss machine Weald Foundation goes to great lengths to obtain the
for the crews who fought in them. guns, but it was still difficult to manoeuvre correct equipment for all its exhibits and that extends
The locations of either the six-pound and operate, despite electric transmission to researching and authenticating the correct colours
cannon or machine guns on the flanks which proved unreliable, a reoccurring scientifically with its paint conservation specialist
partner Lincoln Conservation
further restricted the field of fire. theme for these early weapons.
But development, modifications and The Schneider saw action in April 1917,
improvements were made to ensuing in a misguided assault on the Hindenburg
models. In time, a proven case was made Line under the overall command of the
for the tank as an offensive weapon French commander-in-chief. Of the 132
although it had one obvious shortcoming: Schneiders committed, 57 were destroyed
a requirement for a better traverse for and many more were rendered incapable
laying down fire against an enemy that lay of further use.
dead ahead. Casualty figures neared 120,000 and
Concurrent with the development and during May at Laffaux Mills, three of
deployment of the British Mk 1s the the 16 Saint Chamonds deployed were
French, under the influence of Gen Jean destroyed.
Baptiste Estienne, a French artillery Before the emergence of the Renault
specialist and engineer and thought of FT, reliance had been on slow, heavy,
today as the father of the modern tank, unreliable machines with a limited range. Timber metal banded idler wheel and sprung
were developing a solution. It’s only fair to comment that technically suspension made for a softer ride than the earlier
heavy tanks
The approach was not as organised these machines were the best that could
as the British under the auspices of be engineered at that time.
the ‘Landship Committee’ but through Still, a rethink was required for a more
non-collaborating companies. The versatile and mobile tank. Enter the FT.
first attempt, the ‘Schneider CA1’, the Conceived by Gen Jean-Baptiste Estienne
forerunner of the modern-day assault gun, and manufactured under the control of
was based on a Holt caterpillar tractor the Renault Company, it would become
which had been modified and developed the world’s first mass-produced tank with
as a wire cutter. a primary role, like the Mk 1, to cut through
The principal drawbacks of the type were barbed wire and provide infantry support.
excess weight, poor cross-country ability Gen Estienne approached Louis Renault
because of long overhangs affecting who had rejected his initial approach in
approach and departure angles which also 1915 with a proposal to manufacture
41
the first ‘heavy’ tanks. However, a year introduced later, it was still necessary to
later his proposition to develop and build remain standing when firing. A firewall
a lightweight mobile tank met with an separated the crew from the rear-mounted
enthusiastic reception from Renault. four-cylinder, gravity-fed petrol engine
Aware of the power limitations of which was designed to keep running when
the petrol engines of the time, Renault on an incline.
instructed his leading designer Rodolphe As per its contemporaries, internal noise
Ernst-Metzmaier to develop a tank around was such that verbal communication
a Renault engine that would not exceed between driver and commander was
seven tons. It should also be easy to nigh on impossible, so a system of hand
operate and repair in the field, fast, mobile signals and taps from the commander’s
with a hull offering a narrow frontal profile boot became the norm.
The spartan interior. A seat for the driver and, and capable of being deployed en-masse The ride was considerably better than the
on later models, a strap for the commander, in battle, a method that Gen Estienne heavy assault-type tanks thanks to sprung
both offer little support. The latter would likened to a swarm of bees. It heralded a suspension and automatic tensioning
stand to operate the weaponry radical departure from established tank of the tracks, although the unprotected
design and use. track mechanism including the metal-
It also had another first. Although banded laminated timber idler wheels was
not a new concept, as it had been vulnerable to attack.
used on various armoured cars in the The driver gained access via two hatches
past including those manufactured by in the elongated nose and the commander
Renault, the FT was the first truly modern via a rear hatch, but the design changed
tank, with a hand-operated, cast turret depending on the type of turret fitted. The
that could rotate through 360°, a clear exterior was frequently fitted with the usual
The turret access hatch for the commander is a advantage over flank sponson-mounted or paraphernalia of equipment including a pick,
tight fit. He would often prefer to ride externally fixed front-mounted armaments. shovel and chains for towing. A prominent
on the rear of the turret rather than seated or The prototype of this two-man tank was design feature was the elongated rear skid
standing given the interior space and layout
completed by February 1917 and met to balance the tank when crossing trenches
with approval from high command and an and craters and hopefully eliminating the
order was placed with Renault. To counter problems of bogging.
initial criticism that it was too lightly The FT was first deployed with the 501st
armoured with its ball-mounted 8mm tank regiment in support of ground troops
Hotchkiss machine gun in a cast turret, on May 31, 1918, near Ploissy-Chazelle
Renault designed an eight-sided slightly and proved successful when used in
sloping riveted steel plate turret known as numbers just as Estienne had predicted.
the ‘omnibus’ turret. The tank’s size and agility proved useful,
This was fitted to some of the initial particularly in the forests where larger
tanks ordered as it was also capable of tanks could not be deployed.
carrying either a machine gun or a 37mm Nine regiments (the 501st to 509th) were
Puteaux gun as an alternative. The hull equipped with FTs for an overall strength
Relatively sophisticated suspension design was designed to be a little more than of 27 battalions. Each battalion comprised
with coils and large timber metal banded idler a man’s width with the driver sitting at of three companies. At full strength, these
wheel. Ease of maintenance and repair in the the front and the commander/gunner were equipped with one armed HQ tank,
field was a primary design objective standing behind. three platoons of five tanks, five in reserve,
Although a leather-slung strap seat was and a recovery platoon of three tanks, plus
42
The Weald Foundation’s FT with seven-
sided turret contrasts with the TSF. The
foundation’s carefully restored Zundapp
KS Type 750 makes up the trio
43
www.cmvmag.co.uk
44
Photospread 2020
Pictured are Viking vehicles from Armoured Support Group Royal Marines, conducting snow and ice driver training
at Setermoen, approximately 15 miles south of Bardufoss in Norway. As part of Commando Logistics Regiment,
Viking Squadron are 3 Commando Brigade’s experts in protected mobility. Operating the formidable, highly mobile
Viking all-terrain vehicle (protected), they support the lead commando group both on land and at sea. The Viking
has greater step, wade, swim and gap-crossing capabilities than any other fighting vehicle and has the ability
to move rapidly across the majority of different kinds of terrain to outmanoeuvre the enemy. Its ability to swim
allows the brigade to deploy forces rapidly across an area of operations. The primary role of Viking is in protected
mobility for the Marines it transports, it is also used in battlefield reconnaissance, fire support and as a command
platform. Having proved itself in action during numerous tours of Helmand Province, Afghanistan, its main focus
now is on amphibious assault, delivering Marines to the beaches and beyond. CROWN COPYRIGHT
45
words and pictures James Kinnear
From Tractors
to Tanks
The Stalingrad Tractor Plant was not originally built to produce
tanks, but rather to assemble tractors for agricultural purposes
T
he Stalingrad Tractor Plant Stories of unpainted tanks moving production was a later consideration, as
(STZ) is one of the most famous directly into combat may be slightly it was at several Soviet manufacturing
military production plants in exaggerated, but the location of the plants now primarily known for tank
history, not least due to its status plant and its central role in the battle production.
as having remained in production until the of Stalingrad are historical facts. The The city of Stalingrad, as with several
plant itself became the epicentre of the plant was not however originally built to cities on the Volga river, is very long
battle that turned the war on the Eastern produce tanks, but rather to assemble but also narrow, stretching today 70km
Front in favour of the Soviet Union. tractors for agricultural purposes. Tank along the west bank of the River Volga.
46
As such, the whole city was within enemy
artillery range for much of the battle,
the results of which can still be seen in
places today.
The city was renamed Volgograd in
1961 as part of the Soviet de-Stalinisation
programme following Stalin’s death in 1953.
The Battle of Stalingrad began in August
1942, when the German 6th Army and 4th
Panzer Army started the attack on the city
and its environs. It lasted until the surrender
of the aforementioned army by Gen Friedrich
Von Paulus in February 1943 after the last
Axis-held airstrip in the region had been
captured, denying resupply from the air.
Stalingrad was one of the largest battles
in the history of land warfare, with the Red
The Stalingrad developed STZ-15/30, built-in Army facing down German, Romanian,
Stalingrad as the STZ-1, was later also built at the Hungarian and other Axis forces. The
Kharkov Tractor Plant (KhTZ). This Kharkov-built
example is in the (old) military museum in Minsk actual losses are disputed, but Axis
forces lost between 647,000 and 948,000
killed, wounded and captured. The Red
Army lost an estimated 479,000 killed
or missing in action in the immediate
environs of Stalingrad. Comparing
A destroyed these figures with the combined Allied
SKhTZ-15-30 losses for all of World War Two gives
(Kharkov- built)
tractor in the some perspective as to the intensity and
summer of 1941 ferocity of the single battle.
47
Early Days
The STZ was originally built to produce
wheeled and tracked tractors for use
in industry and agriculture, and latterly
also for the Red Army. The STZ-15/30,
sometimes also designated STZ-1, was
the first series-production tractor built
in the Soviet Union for agricultural use
as the country rapidly modernised and
mechanised in the early 1930s.
The huge STZ factory on the banks of the
River Volga began production of the STZ-1
‘International’ tractor with the design and
A typical retouched Soviet-era illustration of engineering assistance of the McCormick
STZ-3 tractors at the STZ plant in April 1945, Company. The first STZ-1 wheeled tractor
after production had restarted according to the
original photograph caption left the STZ production line on June 17,
1930. By 1932, the plant was producing
144 STZ-1 tractors per day.
The STZ-1 was a rudimentary ‘all-metal’
tractor, with even the road wheels being
made entirely of stamped parts, but
eminently suitable for Russian agricultural
conditions. From 1931, production of the
same tractor began at the Kharkov Tractor
Plant (KhTZ) as the SKhTZ-NATI.
An interior photograph
of the plant taken
A grainy photograph showing an STZ-3 in the in the 1930s.
despatch area of the STZ plant in Stalingrad WIKICOMMONS
48
The STZ-3 was later adapted specifically
as a forward control cab artillery tractor for
military service. This is a prototype STZ-5
based on the STZ-3 chassis but with forward
control cab, rear cargo area and ‘road’ tracks.
MIKHAIL SVIRIN
‘By 1932, the plant was been built to produce wheeled and tracked
tractors for agriculture and industry, albeit
producing 144 STZ-1 with the Red Army latterly taking delivery
of more specialised tractors for use as
tractors per day’ artillery and general-purpose transport use.
In 1940, the same department within
STZ that had earlier organised limited T-26
built in Kharkov as the SKhTZ-NATI. built, making the STZ-5 one of the most production at STZ worked to prepare the
The ‘S’ meaning ‘Selskoye Khozeistvo’ common of all Red Army specialised Kharkov-designed T-34 medium tank for
– agricultural use, KhTZ being the artillery tractors. production at the same plant.
manufacturer and NATI the Moscow- STZ used the technical documentation
based tractor design bureau where the T-34 Medium Tank Production provided by Plant №183 in Kharkov to
design was originally penned - for series Production of the T-34 was originally develop T-34 production in Stalingrad, with
production at Stalingrad and Kharkov. planned at Plant №183 (the former modifications to allow for local production
Kharkov Steam Locomotive Plant - KhPZ) requirements and alternative local sub-
STZ-5 Artillery Tractor and the ‘Dzherzhinsky’ plant (STZ) in component contractors.
As the STZ-3 agricultural tractor was being Stalingrad on the banks of the River Volga By comparison with Plant №183 in
developed at the NATI institute in Moscow, in southern Russia. Kharkov, T-34 production was also
work was undertaken in parallel on a
forward control cab version specifically
The Stalingrad STZ-5 on
designed as a medium artillery tractor for
parade on Red Square,
the Red Army. The STZ-5 featured a small Moscow, May 1, 1940
cab and a rear cargo area to accommodate
the gun crew and ammunition.
Mechanically the STZ-5 was identical
to the STZ-3, but it was fitted with small
link ‘road’ tracks as opposed to the
grouser tracks of the agricultural STZ-1,
which were designed for fields rather
than road transport. The load platform
could accommodate 1,500kg, and the
STZ-5 could tow artillery of up to 8,000kg.
The STZ-5 was built at STZ from 1937
until 1942, latterly in parallel with T-34
assembly until production was terminated
as all priority was by then on tank output.
A total of 9,900 STZ-5 tractors were
49
slow to start at STZ and pre-war remained as they were referred to in official Soviet
more modest in scale, with only 226 STZ documentation, using hull and turrets sets
built T-34 tanks being delivered to the Red provided by the ‘Krasny Oktyabr’ (Red
Army before the outbreak of the ‘Great October) plant in Stalingrad.
Patriotic War’ on June 22, 1941. The plant Hence the situation whereby Plant №264
continued to assemble new T-34s on a built T-34 hull and turret sets for final
massively increased scale during the war assembly at STZ, while receiving T-60 hull
and undertook capital repairs of damaged and turret sets from the nearby Krasny
T-34 tanks and the repair of V-2 diesel and Oktyabr plant for final assembly of T-60
M-17 petrol engines. After the evacuation tanks within its territory. These plants are
of the Kharkov plant to Siberia in the not as widely publicised as the STZ plant
autumn of 1941, the STZ plant remained but were equally critical in the defence of
one of the main suppliers of new tanks to the city in its darkest hours.
An STZ-5 in Red Army service, complete with the Red Army until the early summer of In total, starting from the autumn of
guitar carrying gun crewman, August 1942 1942. By this time the newly-established 1941, Plant №264 built 1,174 T-60 tanks
‘Tankograd’ cities of Chelyabinsk (ChKZ before production ceased in July 1942
also having formerly been a tractor plant), to concentrate on the production of T-34
Nizhny Tagil and Sverdlovsk were online components for STZ and also due to
and Axis forces were threatening the loss the T-60 having been replaced at a state
of Stalingrad. Production of T-34 tanks was instruction level by the better armed
STZ produced T-34 tanks during delivery acceptance. Note the mix of cast and
welded turrets, the latter with the distinctive STZ ‘chisel’ in the frontal turret
armour, the sloped STZ gun mantlet shield and the all-steel road wheels
finally stopped at STZ only on September and armoured T-70 light tank - primarily
13, 1942, when the fighting was literally produced at GAZ in Gorky.
T-34 turrets, of cast and welded construction, on the territory of the plant. STZ produced
are today located at strategic points around a total of 3,405 T-34 tanks during the war Stalingrad Today
modern Volgograd defining specific points in before being temporarily overrun during Stalingrad, today Volgograd, was always
the Battle of Stalingrad the battle that sealed the fate of the Third a city with a large industrial presence. As
Reich on the Eastern Front. with other cities such as Chelyabinsk, the
founding of a tractor plant would in the
T-60 Small Tank Production years ahead form the basis of mass tank
In addition to T-34 production at STZ, production that would play a determining
tank production was also undertaken at role in the outcome of the war on the
Plant №264 at Krasnoarmeisk, then a Eastern Front.
suburb of Stalingrad. The Krasnoarmeisk As has been related, the T-34 production
shipyard had been established in 1931, at STZ is the best-known result of the
being renamed Plant №264 in 1940, industrialisation of the city and its role in
at which time it was primarily building the subsequent war, but there were, and
Type 1124 river launches which were remain, several other defence plants in
armed with T-28, and latterly T-34 the city the role of which was also not
turrets. From 1940, the plant built T-34 inconsiderable.
hull and turret armour sets which were It is an amazing feat that STZ, which
This T-34 M-1942 today stands outside the former shipped to the nearby STZ plant for final began producing rudimentary wheeled
STZ plant in Volgograd in proud recognition of the assembly. But after the outbreak of war tractors in 1930, would only one decade
workers who kept the plant operating during the and the evacuation of Kharkov and its later be producing the T-34 medium tank,
1941-45 ‘Great Patriotic War’ manufacturing facilities, the plant began while a shipyard along the river would also
to produce complete T-60 ‘small’ tanks be producing smaller tanks. For a few
50
turrets located around the city centre, that
The T-60 tank was also demarcate the front line at different times
assembled in Stalingrad in
1941-42 at Plant №264, which
of the battle, which ultimately included
also fabricated T-34 hull and the territory of the Stalingrad Tractor Plant
turret sets for final assembly itself.
at STZ along the river The turrets are an ever-present reminder
of the past, not imposing, but omnipresent,
standing guard around the modern city,
something hard to capture in words alone.
Military production remains a major
enterprise in modern Volgograd, with
the manufacture of everything from light
armoured vehicles to the final assembly
of road-mobile intercontinental rocket
systems.
But in Volgograd, it is the sense of history
that prevails, a city that would not surrender
despite the odds, but also would ultimately
witness the surrender of the German 6th
Army and 4th Panzer Army, and the capture
of the remaining 91,000 troops of what
months after the fall of Kharkov, STZ was, nearby museum now being surrounded by was at one time a force of over well over
in fact, the main T-34 production centre, a collection of tanks and other vehicles. 600,000 men.
while mass T-34 assembly was being The old STZ factory remains in production For those interested, they can research the
re-organized behind the safety of the Ural today, with a T-34 M-1942 located on a varying statistics, but the Red Army claims
Mountains in Siberia. plinth outside the main office entrance. to have recovered more than 250,000
As with the situation with the Siege of Another T-34 is plinth-mounted as a German, Romanian and Hungarian Axis
Leningrad, having a tank assembly plant memorial in the south of the city, with a fallen on the battlefield, with totals as high
located within the city, two in the case third T-34 behind the massive monument as 800,000 Axis soldiers killed, wounded,
of Stalingrad, played no small part in the to Mother Russia at Mamaev Kurgan, the captured or missing in action.
eventual outcome of events. hill to the west of the city centre which To give some sense of scale, that is
As might be expected, modern Volgograd dominates the landscape. more than eight times the entire size of
still has many visible references to the As is often related, grass would not grow the current British Army lost in a single
famous role of the city as the turning point on the hill for many years after the war due battle.
of World War Two on the Eastern Front. to the sheer level of metals embedded in And the STZ tractor plant was
The famous Gerhardt Mill building the earth on one of the most contested metaphorically and physically at the very
remains in the state it was left after the areas of ground on the planet. epicentre of the battle, known around the
battle, a sobering reminder of just how Another specific feature of Volgograd world even to those with no interest in
hard-fought the battle was, the building and today is the pedestal-mounted tank history, military or otherwise.
51
words David Garden pictures David Garden / as credited
French
Four-Wheeled
Fl a i r
T
here have been mixed opinions on the
value of armoured cars, particularly
concerning four-wheeled vehicles.
The US armoured forces did not
value their contribution in World War Two and
discontinued their development and service.
Other nations such as Britain and France found
them useful for reconnaissance and policing
and went on to develop successful vehicles
after 1945. France produced a great example in
the Panhard AML, but its Gallic flair was based
on a solid British design.
France entered World War Two fielding one of
the best four-wheeled armoured cars in the world,
the Panhard 178. The Germans used as many
captured vehicles as they could, believing it was
at least as good as their designs. After the war
in July 1945, Paris decided to develop modern
armoured cars such as the Panhard EBR which
entered service in 1950.
Meanwhile, the French had been supplied
with several Daimler Ferret armoured cars from
Britain. These proved successful in the Algerian
war due to their mechanical reliability, but like
France’s other armoured cars such as the M8
Greyhound, lacked fire-support weapons.
North African service showed the need for a
The Panhard AML has
light vehicle that was simple to maintain and proved that wheeled
operate.
The Ferret was ideal, and France ordered armour can have military
200 from the UK and seriously considered
building the Ferret under licence in France. The
value in the hands of well
single machine gun armament was, however, trained and motivated
considered inadequate and French firms of
Saviem, Berliet and Panhard petitioned vigorously crews
to produce an armoured car with heavier
armament.
In 1956 the Ministère de la Défense gave
52
Left-hand
view of
Saumur’s
AML-60. This
is painted in
French Olive
Green
53
Front view of Israeli AML-90 at Latrun
SPECIFICATIONS museum. The vehicle is finished in IDF
Type Armoured Scout Car sand-grey. WIKICOMMONS
Nationality France
Manufacturer Panhard
Production 1960-1987
Number produced 4,812
Engine Panhard petrol 1.99 litre four-
cylinder air-cooled developing 90hp at
4,700rpm
Power/Weight ratio 16.36/tonne
Ground clearance 0.33m (1 ft1in)
Fuel Capacity 156 litres (41 US gallons)
Operational range 370 miles (600km)
Speed 37mph (60km/h)
Crew Three-commander, gunner and driver
Dimensions
Mass 5.5 tonnes (six tons)
Length 3.79m
Width 1.9m
Height 2.07m
54
it needs a big effort to turn the steering wheel
on the move. Like the Ferret, rear-wheel drive is
transmitted by bevel boxes.
No clutch pedal is needed as the motor
and gearbox are linked by a centrifugal clutch
with electromagnetic control. There are two
gearboxes, one each for high (on-road) and low
gear (off-road). Power is supplied by a Panhard
1.99-litre, four-cylinder, air-cooled engine giving
90hp (67kW). This proved underpowered for a
six-tonne armoured car and was liable to break
down in humid climates. In temperate climates, it
was adequate and gave 26,000km service before
replacement.
The AML has a simple hull consisting of only
13 welded armour plates. The driver sits in the
front and behind him is the turret basket. The Side view of the UN
latter is extremely cramped due to the large Panhard shows how
the 90mm gun and
90mm gun breech and ammunition storage.
turret dominates the
The commander sits on the left of the turret little vehicle
and the gunner on the right. Seven periscopes
are provided for the turret crew and three for
the driver, one of which can be changed for an Irish peacekeeping
infra-red or image intensifying periscope for troops with UN white-
night operations. painted AML-90.
There are two hull access doors, one on either IRISH DEFENCE FORCES /
side below the turret ring. The left door which WIKICOMMONS
mounts a spare tyre or fuel Jerrycans opens to
the rear in opposite to the front opening right
hull door. The rear-mounted engine is separated
from the crew compartment by a bulkhead and
accessed by two panels in the rear hull top.
For crossing obstacles such as ditches, two
sand channels are bolted to the hull front as on
the Ferret. The AML uses nitrogen inner tubes to
enable the car to have run-flat tyre capability.
Due to its simplicity of operation, low running
costs and powerful armament the Panhard AML
was an export success. Sales were mostly to
African, South American and Far East militaries.
However, Israel (29 AML-90s), South Africa (100
AMLs), Spain (140 AML-60 and 90s) and Ireland
(33 AMLs) were also customers.
I found no fewer than 36 current operators
with varying numbers of vehicles. Kenya has 82
refurbished by the Israelis, Saudi Arabia has 235
operational vehicles, the United Arab Emirates
have 90 and Yemen has 95 still in service. With
such large sales to so many users, it is not
surprising that the combat history of the Panhard
AML is a long one.
After the Algerian War, France saw two
separate uses for the AML. The first was the
classic armoured car use in reconnaissance
and combat and the second as a rear-guard
defence in the case of Warsaw Pact airborne
forces which had indigenous armour such as the
ASU-57, ASU-85 and BMD-1. The latter French
forces were designated Défense Opérationnelle
du Territoire (DOT) and were armed with AML-60
and AML-90s.
The air portable AML became a stable of the
Foreign Legion’s rapid deployment force. The
legion perfected assaults where AML-90s were
directly unloaded from Transall C-160s with
infantry parachute drops. AMLs were used
by the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment as direct
fire support for legion regiments. The AML-90
saw combat against FROLINAT rebels in Chad,
defeating forces equipped with BTR-152s, EE-9
Cascavel armoured cars and even T-55 tanks.
The AML’s speed and mobility allowed the French
crews to take on the main battle tanks by
55
outflanking them and hitting the tanks on the considerable action in the civil war. Many were
sides and rear. The last AMLs were retired from stolen by LAF members joining local militias and
the French army in 1991 being replaced with the the remaining vehicles suffered from a shortage
Panhard ERC and AMX-10RC. of trained crews. Lebanese Front AML-90s in the
Portugal acquired about 50 AML-60s from Port District of Beirut fought Charioteer tanks
France between 1965 and 1968. These equipped of the Lebanese Arab Army (LAA) and Amal
reconnaissance platoons in Angola, Mozambique militants. The crews used debris from buildings to
and Guinea-Bissau being largely used for convoy shield their vehicles from RPG-7 fire from Muslim
escort duties. The African dust and tropical infantrymen.
environment caused transmission and engine The powerful 90mm guns on the Panhards
damage which led to the engines being replaced demolished fortified buildings with HE fire
by a liquid-cooled four-cylinder General Motors and, supported by truck-mounted ZSU-23-2
powerplant. When Portugal withdrew from anti-aircraft guns, overcame all resistance and
Angola, about five AML-60s were taken over by advanced to the waterfront. Counter-attacks led
Angolan militias. by Charioteers and M41 Walker Bulldogs could
A pair of French AML-60s patrol in Africa. Both are
Israel obtained 29 AML-90s for its Defence not make their way through the rubble and could
camouflage-painted and carry sand channels. FORUM
Force (IDF) in 1960 believing the high mobility and WARTHUNDER.COM only offer inaccurate fire on the AML-90s.
simplicity ideal for airborne forces. About nine Iraq received 106 AML-60 and 40 AML-90s
AML-90s were used in the Six-Day War helping during 1968 and 131 AML-60s and 101 AML-90s
to capture Ramallah. Later they were the first IDF between 1972 and 1980.
armour to cross onto the West Bank, the heavier The Iraqi Panhards first saw action in the 1980
armour having been held up by tank barriers invasion of Iran where several were knocked out
which the nimble armoured cars could bypass. by Iranian Cobra attack helicopters. In the 1991
Joined later by Sherman tanks and M3 half- AMLs were used against US Marine Corps and
tracks, the AMLs helped to repulse a Jordanian Saudi National Guard during the Battle of Khafji.
counter-attack led by M48 Patton tanks. The Iraqis failed to use the Panhard’s mobility
In the War of Attrition, Israeli AML-90s battled and stuck to static positions where they were
Jordanian M48s when screening Israeli destroyed by artillery. During the liberation of
Centurions during the battle of Karameh. Kuwait, Iraqi AMLs were knocked out by attack
Several were knocked out by tank-fire from the helicopters before they could observe or attack
entrenched M48s and the type was withdrawn coalition forces. Others were knocked out by US
from service soon after. However, in Israeli M1 Abrams tanks.
An AML-90 of the Lebanese Army waits by a building
service, the AML-90 knocked out at least 13 in Beirut. This picture indicates the type of fighting In the Falklands War, Argentinian forces
Egyptian and Jordanian tanks including T-54s. that took place in the ruins of buildings. WIKICOMMONS deployed 12 AML-90s near Port Stanley. The only
The latter required multiple hits or a well-aimed armour vs armour engagement of that war was
shot on the turret rim near the driver’s hatch. village of Tel Merai where the IDF claimed to have fought when the Argentinian AMLs took on FV101
Panhard won an order for the Royal Saudi destroyed most of the Saudi armour. Surviving Scorpions and FV107 Scimitars of the Blues and
Army against opposition from Alvis UK (Saladin) AMLs and their crews were integrated with the Royals. All the Panhards were abandoned in Port
and Cadillac Gage US (V-100 Commando). The Jordanian 40th Armoured Brigade. Saudi Arabia Stanley shortly after.
Saudi Army had favoured the Saladin but the ordered a further 200 to 220 AML-90s in 1968. The Panhard AML has proved that wheeled
AML-90 was much cheaper. Saudi AML-90s were The Saudi Army has phased out its AMLs and armour, simple to operate and maintain, can be of
airlifted by Iranian Lockheed C-130s to assist exported many to Senegal, Morocco and Niger. considerable military value. In the hands of well
Syrian defenders on October 1973 during the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) received 74 trained and motivated crews, these vehicles can
Yom Kippur War. The AMLs were used as static AML-90s between 1970 and 1975 which saw take on tanks and very much punch above their
guard vehicles and to patrol the Damascus to weight.
Daraa road keeping open lines of communication If you want to model the Panhard AML in 1/35th
between the Arab armies. At least one AML-90 scale you are in luck. The AML-60 has been
was captured and displayed by the Israelis as produced by Takom and the AML-90 by both
proof of Saudi involvement. Takom and Tiger Model (the latter includes a full
The IDF’s 36th Armoured Division fought Saudi interior.) As usual, thanks must go to Lt Col Pierre
AMLs on reconnaissance duties on October 16, de Garnier de Labareyre of Saumur tank museum
but the Saudis quickly withdrew. Shortly after, for his kind permission to use photographs taken
all the Saudi AMLs attacked Israeli forces in the at the museum.
The line-up of ex-Saudi army Boxart from one of Takom’s AML-90 models.
AML-60s and AML-90s in the This is a limited edition French regiments edition
service of the army of Niger.
WIKICOMMONS
56
GrahamSykes_FP.indd 1 01/12/2017 16:47
words and pictures David Fletcher
I
n mechanical terms, the German A7V with Holt-style tracks and suspension completed as unarmoured Flakpanzers,
was a much better tank than the British from Austria. True, the Germans did armed with captured Russian 7.62mm
Mark IV, its closest contemporary. The try to overcome the track problem with guns, while one appeared, again
A7V had a much more sophisticated their A7V/U design, but it was tied to a unarmoured, as a mobile trench-digging
transmission and a proper sprung conventional A7V chassis and performed machine. Both were perfectly acceptable
suspension, albeit tucked under an badly during its trials. variants but perhaps not at such an early
armoured shell and lacking the sort of The A7V/U weighed around 40 tons, stage of tank production, which was
profile suited to rough, uneven ground. compared with 28 tons of a Mark IV, the already at the mercy of limited supplies of
The German tank was also rather top- prototype tested at Mainz on June 25, armour plate.
heavy and prone to fall over at the least 1918. Twenty production tanks were A typical A7V in fighting trim weighed
provocation. However, the main drawback ordered in September 1918, but none had about 33 tons. It was powered by a pair
seems to have been the disparity in been built by the time the armistice came of Daimler, four-cylinder, water-cooled
numbers; only 20 A7V were completed, into effect, so no more appeared. engines rated at 100hp each and located
whereas almost 1,000 Mark IV fighting One of the problems was that the side by side in the centre of the vehicle.
tanks were built. So on that score alone, A7V played second fiddle to the supply Since the two engines together
the A7V was outnumbered by about 50 to tank version, the chassis made quite developed 200hp, the German tank was
one. a good tractor but not a tank. Another a good deal more powerful than the
Although several firms were recruited problem, due as much as anything else British Mark IV. However, it was said that
to manufacture different parts of the to in-fighting in the Prussian military a pair of engines doubled the time for
tank, final construction was undertaken system, was the diversion of chassis for maintenance since each one required the
by Daimler-Benz of Marienfelde, Berlin other purposes. For example, three were same treatment.
58
and deal with other mechanical problems
An A7V tank chassis – a gunner and loader each to man six
under construction
showing the engine machine-gun positions around the hull
layout and radiators, plus a gunner and loader working the
enormous gearbox 57mm gun at the front of the tank.
casing at the rear and A larger crew was often carried,
the fuel tanks in front sometimes bringing the total up to 24
men. Not only could some of these men
replace wounded members of the existing
crew if required, but they were also carried
to jump down and occupy captured
trenches. At first, the plan was to produce
male and female versions of the A7V.
Females would predominate and out of
every ten tanks, only two would be male.
The gun chosen was a 57mm Nordenfelt
weapon captured from Belgian sources
but originally British, which meant that it
was very similar to the 57mm Hotchkiss
It is a problem the British Whippet of on the gearboxes this was not a problem. gun in British tanks.
1917 and, much later, of course, the A12 The A7V had a minimum crew of 18 Armour was 30mm thick at the front,
Matilda of 1938 were also subjected to. which included a driver and commander 20mm at the back and 15mm thick
One British report says that the engines who occupied a platform above the everywhere else. Some of the tanks later
were difficult to service where they were engines and sat facing forwards towards had extra armour fitted around the driver’s
and that an engine would probably have the gun. Other crew included two men cabin at the top which seems to have come
to be removed to work on, but you can nominated as engineers – who were from the mudguards. Armour produced by
hardly expect a British investigator to be supposed to be able to fix a faulty engine Krupp at Essen was found to be bent and
objective, let alone charitable about an
enemy tank.
The Daimler engines drove into two
three-speed gearboxes contained within a
large casting, the final drive of which was
so low at the rear of the tank that it tended
to compromise the ground clearance.
Reverse was separate and applied to all
three speeds since the idea was that the
A7V could travel in both directions, but
only backwards for short distances since
the driver was always facing the other way.
A British report said that it was possible
to drive each engine, and therefore each
track in opposite directions, creating what
was in effect a neutral turn. Since there
were a pair of reverse gear levers acting
An underside view of Elfriede after
the tank tumbled into a hole and
turned over. Note how the final
drives are below chassis-level
59
stuck or rolled over. ran out of lubricating oil and had to be
If a Mark IV wanted to hit anything with abandoned. The oil shortage was caused
its side-mounted guns it was best to by a leak which started when it was hit by
stop, otherwise, vibration made accurate a British shell, so one way or another the
shooting impossible. On the move, an A7V British tank had knocked out the German
made a better gun platform, due to its machine.
sprung suspension. Even so, the result has been called
One of the problems we have when trying a stalemate by one author. Nixe was
to tell an accurate story is the different ultimately recovered by the Germans
attitude of British and German reporters but two other A7V tanks – 504 Mephisto
or their supporters. For example, take the and 542 Elfriede were abandoned, the
events of April 24, 1918, the day of the latter having rolled over. In due course
very first tank versus tank action. both were recovered by the Allies and
It was described as the ‘Day of Triumph’ Mephisto, now in Brisbane, Australia, is
in one book devoted to German tanks. the only surviving A7V from World
According to Frank Mitchell, who War One.
Breaking up the A7V Schnuck at the commanded a British Mark IV male Two A7V tanks, Hagen 528 and Schnuck
original Imperial War Museum site at the tank, on this occasion, he ordered the 504 were captured and displayed for
Crystal Palace
tank to halt to enable the gunner to aim some time on Horse Guards Parade in
and therefore score several hits on the London. One of them, probably Schnuck,
German tank, one of which killed or then joined the Imperial War Museum’s
wounded some members of the open-air collection at Crystal Palace but
German crew. was ultimately broken up.
A German account says that seeing the Today only the gun from one of them
British male tank stopped, they assumed survives. A7V No. 562 Herkules was also
it had broken down or been knocked out, captured by British troops but does not
Mephisto, the only surviving A7V in so they turned their attention to a pair seem to have left France.
Brisbane, Queensland
of female tanks that were also in the The French recovered No. 542 Elfriede
vicinity. If true this was a dangerous, not and displayed her with other captured
to mention a foolish thing to do, the male equipment in Paris but she too was
tank was a threat to the A7V, the females ultimately broken up. The US received
could not hurt it, so a couple of rounds 529 Nixe II in a rather battered condition
into it, even if it was incapacitated, would and had the tank on display at Aberdeen
be the prudent thing to do. Proving Ground in Maryland, but it was
Anyway, the A7V stopped, and Lt Biltz, towed away and scrapped in 1942. Now
who commanded it (the German tank No. there is only one left, No 506 Mephisto,
561 was named Nixe) ordered the crew although the Germans have built a non-
to evacuate it in case it blew up. Once it operating replica to full size and named it
was apparent that the tank was not going Wotan.
to blow up the crew got back in again, the What I knew as an uberlandwagen is
tank began to make its way back towards now called a gelandwagen but I shall
Uberlandwagen on the road, loaded Villers-Bretonneux where it had come simply refer to the supply carrier version
with stores from. as a tractor.
It only managed about 2km before it The exact number built is still being
60
A poor but unusual picture of a topless Uberlandwagen
towing a captured Mark IV female tank backwards.
Considering a Mark IV weighs 28 tons that’s quite a load
for one of these machines to tow
argued about, but it seems that 75 was never to have happened in service. The tractor had a pair of heavy-duty
about the top limit (although certain Artillery ammunition appears to have towing hooks attached to the chassis at
sources say no more than 30). In any been a popular load although of course, each end. One tractor described as a ‘land
case, it outnumbered the tank and without the vehicles could carry almost anything. boat’ that was captured in October 1918
the armoured superstructure had an Some sources credit the vehicle with a was shipped to Britain after the war and
improved cross-country performance. total payload of ten tons, which it was joined a huge dump of captured vehicles
The German firm Durkoppwerke of probably capable of carrying but the at Aldershot.
Bielefeld came up with a rival design of extra weight would inhibit cross-country It was examined and a report was
supply carrier, the chassis of which could performance and could obstruct the view written, two extracts from which have
also serve to mount a tank body, but it was forward of the two-man crew. already been quoted. Measurements
regarded as underpowered and was never As a tractor, it is said to be capable of showed that it already exceeded the
considered to replace the Bussing design. towing 15 tons yet there is a photograph British railway loading gauge and it
The tractor seems to have had a payload of one apparently towing a British Mark appears to have been stripped to the
of around four tons, carried in the front IV tank, which weighed 28 tons, so such basics to overcome this. It was broken up
and rear trays. Side and end pieces could figures probably depend to some extent on when finished with, so no example of this
be removed if required but this seems the kind of ground they are towing over. interesting vehicle survives.
‘On good
ground, the
A7V had a
top speed
of about
10km/h’
61
words Bill Siuru pictures as credited
Made in the
USSR Bill Siuru looks at the Soviet offshoots
of the International KR-11
SPECIFICATIONS
Type ZiL 150
Wheelbase 4m
Overall Length 6.7m
Width 2.4m
Turning Radius 7.9m
GVWR 7,899
Payload 4,000kg
Tyres 9.00x20
Engine
No of cylinder Six
Displacement (cc) 5,555
Horsepower 90 @ 2400 rpm
Transmission Five-speed
62
SPECIFICATIONS
Type IHC KR-11
Wheelbase 4m
Overall Length 6.8m
Width 2.4m
Turning Radius 8.8m
GVWR 8,164kg
Payload 4,431kg
Tyres 9.00x20
Engine
No of cylinder Six
Displacement (cc) 7,390
Horsepower 148 @ 2,600 rpm
Transmission Five speed
International
Harvester KR-11
supplied the USSR
under Lend-Lease
(right), ZiS-150 built
in the USSR (below).
WIKICOMMONS
D
uring the ‘Great Patriotic War’, the Even though many trucks were cloned
US supplied the Soviet Union with from US models, they were modified to
large amounts of war material suit Russia’s harsher road and climate
under President Roosevelt’s Lend- conditions as well as its more limited
Lease Program. This included most of the manufacturing capabilities.
Bantam Reconnaissance Car ‘Jeeps’ built, Before World War Two, the Soviets
most of the US6 trucks manufactured wanted to replace the ZiS-5, which first
by Studebaker and REO, thousands of appeared in 1934 and was an update
GMC CCKW deuce-and-a-half trucks and of an AMO (Avtomobilnoe Moskovskoe
1,243 five-ton 4x2 dump trucks. Most of Obshchestvo) series of trucks dating back
the dump trucks were KR-11s built by the to 1931.
International Harvester Company. They were essentially American
Like many other things during the Autocar Dispatch SA trucks built under
communist days, the Soviets cloned license. The result was the prototype
the KR-11 after the war, initially calling ZiS-15 in 1938. When World War Two
it the ZiS-150. Reverse engineering intervened, the USSR had to go to war
allowed them to quickly get products into with the 4x2 ZiS-5 and a ZiL-6 6x4
production without investing the time variant along with the equally antiquated
and cost involved in development from GAZ-AA and GAZ-MM that were
scratch. Also, copying successful designs essentially Ford AA trucks.
during Stalin’s reign was good insurance By 1944, Zavod imeni Stalina (ZiS) was
against producing a poor design that developing a replacement for the ZiS-5,
could result in an extended stay in a gulag, but not the ZiS-15. Instead, it went with
or worse. the ZiS-150, a clone of the International
Many trucks built during the USSR days KR-11. The ZiS-5 remained in production
were probably reverse-engineered, but until 1947, after 1947 as the Ural ZiS-
the ZiL-150 is the most obvious. The 355 or ZiS-355. The IHC KR-11 was
contemporary GAZ-51 was a somewhat International’s popular, heavy-duty four-
less obvious copy of the Studebaker US6. wheel truck between 1941 and 1947.
The KR-11 and ZiS-150 differ mainly in It had a low 6:1 compression ratio
powerplants. The KR-11s were mostly because of the low octane petrol available
powered by an International FBC-401 in the USSR. The ZiS-150 had a five-speed
six-cylinder engine with a displacement of transmission, a first for a Soviet truck.
6,571cc and 114hp. The ZiS-150 used a Production of the ZiS-150 started on
version of the American Hercules Engine October 30, 1947, replacing the Zil-5 on
Company’s WXB six-cylinder engine. It the Moscow production line.
had already been used in the preceding Until 1950, the cab of ZiS-150 was
ZiS-5 and its predecessor AMO-2/-3/-4 constructed of plywood and faux-leather
built between 1931 and 1934. Since the panelling because of a shortage of steel
Russians already had the manufacturing in the USSR at the time. The ZiS-150
facilities for the WXB, it was logical that a featured air brakes, but no pre-heater
version of the engine would be used in the or cabin heater. Its top speed when
ZiS-150. The 5,555cc WXB was rated at 90 fully loaded was 40mph. There were
to 94hp. many variants of the ZiS-150 including a
64
Thousands of ZiS-150/ZiL-150s
provided transport throughout Russia.
It was even used for fire engines.
WIKICOMMONS
65
was widely used by the People’s Liberation
Army. Production continued until 1986.
At least one prototype called the Chollima
was built in North Korea.
The ZiS-150/ZiL-150 and its many
variants, plus similar trucks produced
in Romania and China, made it one of
the most prolific trucks produced during
the post-war communist era. These
trucks, whose heritage can be traced to
International trucks supplied to the USSR
during World War Two, saw military
duty and civilian versions proliferated
on the roads of the USSR, its satellites
and China. They also were exported to
countries ranging from Afghanistan and
Cuba to North Korea and Zambia. Some
of these are still in use decades after
they were built.
The Steagul Rosu (Red Flag) SR-101, manufactured in Romania, looked different to the Zil-150
To further increase its footprint for better for mountainous Georgia. Externally KAZ-
traction, a centralised inflation system 150 differed from the ZiS-150 grille with
allowed the tyre pressure to be reduced its vertical bars. From 1959, KAZ built a
from the cab for soft surfaces, then re- version of the ZIL-164.
inflated for road use. The ZIS-150 was manufactured in
After 1951, an improved version of the Brasov, Romania from 1954 to 1960 as
ZiS-150 was produced by the Kutaisski the Steagul Rosu (Red Flag) SR-101.
Awtomobilny Sawod in Georgia as the China’s First Automobile Work (FAW) built The BTR-152 was a six-wheeled armoured
personnel carrier using the chassis and drive
KAZ-150. An increased rear gear ratio the ZiL-150 as the Jie Fang CA-10. The train from the ZiS-151. WIKICOMMONS
improved traction since it was designed Jie Fang CA-30, a copy of the 6x6 ZiL-157,
66
67
68
‘They decided the easiest option was to drive them into a
field and bury them in a pit’
I
n 2017, I was lucky to be part of Rick
Wedlock’s dig team which recovered a World
War Two Covenanter tank that had been
buried in a 3m deep chalk pit under the Denbies
Vineyard in Dorking, Surrey. The dig was filmed
and became a TV show.
Following the airing of that show, I was sent
information about the location of other buried
tanks around the UK. Many of the stories had
no substance, while the tanks in others had
already been recovered. But there was one story
that continues to intrigue me.
In the late 1940s, Jack Ray was still in the
army. He came home on leave and wanted
to see his brother who was employed as an
agricultural worker at Little Oddynes Farm,
In 2017 a World War Two
Horsted Keynes, West Sussex.
Covenanter tank was dug
Much of the farm bordered the track which out of a 3m chalk pit under a
is now part of the Bluebell Railway. Jack told Vineyard in Surrey. IAN WILCOX
me: “I had arrived home late and went to the
village pub, hoping to find my brother. I met his
workmate, who told me my brother had gone Cromwell tanks were replaced by Comet
away for a few days. We chatted about life in and then Centurion tanks after World
the army and then the conversation changed War Two. The army might have told the
to an incident that had happened at the railway railway company to scrap them. This
station. Cromwell was restored by Rick Wedlock.
RICK WEDLOCK
“He told me, ‘Jack, you will find this interesting
being in the army and all that. I was working
near Horsted Keynes Station when I saw
these tanks coming down the road from the
station. They were driven into a field, parked
up in some pits and then earth put on top of
them. I asked what was going on and one of
the railway workers told me that the tanks had
been brought back from France and had been
standing in the sidings for ages.
‘The railway company kept asking the army
where they wanted them taken to, but the
army kept stalling. Eventually, the army said
they no longer wanted the tanks and that the
Horsted
Keynes railway company could sell them for scrap. The could still be seen as small depressions in the
Railway problem was that the cost of scrap metal was ground near the entrance to Station Road.
Station so low that it would cost money to cut them The Bluebell Railway steam train restoration
signal box up and send them off to a scrapyard. It was workshops are opposite this field. When I
decided the easiest option was to drive them knocked on the door, I found it was tea-break
into a field and bury them in a pit’.” time. All the volunteers were sitting around
Jack showed me the field he believed the a large rectangular table devouring cake and
tanks were buried in. It was called Brick Field biscuits. I introduced myself and asked their
and used to be the site of a brick factory. The opinion about how many tanks would a steam
remains of the buildings were at the top of the train running on the Bluebell Railway in 1945 be
hill, and the location of the filled-in clay quarries able to transport?
69
Achilles self-propelled 17-pounder anti-tank
guns.
Comet tanks and Sexton self-propelled
25-pounder guns would still be used by the
British Army until the early 1950s. They would
not be scrapped. Cromwell, Churchill and
Sherman tanks would seem to be the most
likely candidates as they would have been
considered obsolete at the arrival of the new
Centurion tank in late 1945.
Jack Ray had lived with this story for 75
years. He said to me that he felt a great sense
of relief that he was not going to his grave
without someone else who was interested in
military history, knowing about it.
I could see no reason why Jack had been lied
to by his brother’s workmate. I could not speak
The Bluebell
to Jack’s brother or his workmate as they
Railway has the
largest collection had both died. I went back to Horsted Keynes
of South Eastern and located the new owner of Little Oddynes
and Chatham Railway Farm. Unfortunately, the farmer’s father who
locomotives, carriages and owned the farm during the 1940s suffered
wagons. This is a SE&CR ‘P’ from severe dementia and could not answer
Class No.323 ‘Bluebell’ 0-6-0T any questions about Brick Field. The farmer
locomotive built-in 1910 permitted me to survey the field and signed a
land-owner/detectorist contract form.
I was shocked when they said one steam train sidings and that Brick Field had clay quarries I now had the job of finding a qualified
could pull between 12 and 14 tanks loaded on in the lower half of the field near the railway technician who could carry out a geophysical
railway flats. Were there 12 to 14 tanks buried station. magnetic and ground-penetrating radar
in that field? I got excited. They also confirmed An aerial photograph taken in 1947 showed survey. A hand-held metal detector would not
that Horsted Keynes Railway Station was the the depressions of the filled-in clay quarries. I be able to go down deep enough into the clay
only place on the old Lewes and East Grinstead tried to work out what type of tanks would be soil. Most of the companies that provide this
Railway (now the Bluebell Railway) that had brought back from war-torn Europe. service work for big building companies and
long sidings. Britain sold a lot of its surplus armoured charge big prices. I managed to find a Sussex-
Back home, I continued researching the vehicles to the newly liberated countries. For based archaeological research company that
location. I found several old maps dating back example, the post-war Belgium Army used only charged £350 and not £1,000 to £2,000
to 1899 that confirmed the site of the railway British Sherman Firefly 17-pounder tanks and for a day’s work.
70
‘On the day of the
survey, the cows
were still in the
field. They were
Wellington boots were essential because of the cowpats
very inquisitive’
Brick Field is now used as a cow meadow. In After the initial excitement in the morning of of them to other friendly nations. It needed
the winter, it is waterlogged, so I had to wait learning that there was a lot of metal buried to dispose of the excess tanks that were now
until the ground had dried and hardened. I in the field, this was a big disappointment. I considered obsolete. The price of scrap metal
notified the farmer of the date I intended to believe there are buried World War Two tanks after World War Two was low because of
do the survey and requested that the cows be near the Horsted Keynes Railway Station in the available amount. Unfortunately, I do not
moved to an adjacent field. Sussex. I have no idea in which farmer’s field have the money or time to survey all the local
But on the day of the survey, the cows were they could be buried. Jack’s story, in my opinion, farmer’s fields.
still in the field and they were very inquisitive. I is credible. The post-war British Government If you or anyone you know has any further
spent the whole time chasing them away from had too many tanks for its needs. It sold many information on this, please get in touch.
the technician.
The technician searches typically for small Sherman tanks were replaced by Comet
metal objects like Roman coins, brooches, and then Centurion tanks after World War
buttons and jewellery on archaeological sites. Two. The army might have told the railway
He told me he was delighted to be looking for company to scrap them
tanks - something he never expected. He first
started to survey the field using his geophysical
equipment that measures the magnetic and
gravitational fields below the surface.
Very quickly, his machine began to emit a
deafening beeping sound. He turned around to
me with a big grin on his face and said: “It does
not usually do that. I usually only hear quiet
beeps when I find a coin or other metal artefact.
I think we have found something big and metal
at depth.” He did a little jig with excitement
before carrying on across the field.
As he walked into each depression that
indicated the location of a filled-in clay quarry
the same loud beeping noise could be heard
from the machine. After surveying the whole
field, he came back to see me. “Something is
a bit strange,” he said, “I get very loud readings
over the old clay quarries indicating that there is Are Churchill
Mk.VII Crocodile
a lot of metal buried in them, but I would expect
flamethrower tanks
the reading to continue over a bigger area. A buried in a field in
tank is a large rectangular shape that is six to Sussex?
seven metres long. I am not getting continuous
readings over an area that large. I want to
double-check my findings with my ground-
penetrating radar equipment.”
This machine looks like a strange lawnmower.
The results were very disappointing. The
technician reported: “I am sorry, but I cannot
find any evidence of tanks being buried in
this field. I would have been able to see large
rectangular shapes on the readout. I have not
found any. There is a lot of significant heavy
metal archaeology in this field. I suspect that
the clay quarries have been used by the railway
company workshops as rubbish pits.”
71
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D
avid Blower middle section. Tank
sent me No 1 of the left section
photographs crosses the main trench
of his great and the support trench.
uncle Donald Gunn’s At the reserve trench, it
handwritten lecture turns left and machine-
notes. Donald had guns all the enemy
enlisted in the Royal troops in that trench.
Tank Corps before Tank No 2 and No 3 of
World War Two. Part the left section follow
of the training course tank No 1 of the left
at Bovington was to section to the reserve
learn about the tactics trench.
that worked in World Tank No 1 of the right
War One and many section drives up to the
Trench Warfare
of the instructors had main trench and turns
served in it. What I left machine-gunning all
found fascinating was a the enemy troops in that
diagram he had drawn trench. It is then joined
during the lecture on by tank No 2 of the right
the tactics for attacking Attacking enemy trenches in a tank section and they cross
TOP: The Mk.IV Male tank 8043 Don Quixote II was armed with machine guns and two six-pounder guns
ABOVE LEFT: Donald Gunn’s lecture note sketch of a tank attack on a German trench system
ABOVE RIGHT: A diagram based on Donald Gunn’s lecture note sketch of a tank attack on a German trench system
BOTTOM RIGHT: The Mk.IV Female tank 2740 was only armed with machine guns
a German trench system with tanks. infantry killing weapons, and that is the main trench, support trench and press
In the 1930s, trench warfare was still why the female tanks, armed with more on to the reserve trench.
considered a possibility in any future war. machine guns than the male tanks, were Tank No 3 of the right section crosses
Many of the accounts I have read show looked on as being more effective. That the main trench on the far right of the
tanks driving up to an objective (a trench) was up until the arrival on the battlefield of attack, and at the support trench turns left
then turning left or right as instructed German Beuterpanzers (captured British and machine-guns the troops in that
while machine-gunning the enemy troops tanks) and Sturmpanzerwagen A7V tanks trench. It then reverses and crosses the
in those trenches to enable the infantry to in early Spring 1918. Then a cannon was support trench and drives on to the
catch up and occupy the trenches. needed to engage in tank-on-tank combat. reserve trench where it turns left to join
The early World War One tanks were Male tanks were armed with two six- the other tanks while machine-gunning
pounder main guns and machine guns. any troops in the reserve trench. I may be
Donald’s diagram showed a three-section wrong on some details of the attack, but
attack with nine tanks, three tanks per this diagram illustrates that World War
section, on the frontline German main One tactics were basically to drive along
trench, the support trench and the reserve the length of enemy trenches killing
trench behind that (sections were called everyone inside.
‘troops’ in World War Two).
Tank No 1 of the middle section drives
up to the main trench and turns left
machine-gunning all the enemy troops in
that trench. Then tank No 2 of the middle
Author Craig Moore is an editor for tanks-en- section crosses the main trench, and
cyclopedia.com and runs tank-hunter.com, a
guide to where you can find surviving World at the support trench, it turns left and
War One and World War Two tanks machine-guns all the enemy troops in that
trench. It is followed by tank No 3 of the
74
N
Pacific Hell is a 116-page
EW
special magazine which
looks in detail at the attack by
!
Japanese carrier-borne aircraft
on the U.S. Pacific Fleet base at Pearl
Harbor on 7 December 1941, an attack
which stunned the world.
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