100 million tons on truck
“In modern warfare, because of the great saturation of the active troops with military equipment and the great need for ammunition, fuel, spare parts, and also because of the need to have greater troop mobility, the automobile is of exceptional importance.”
During the years of the Great Patriotic War, more than 100 million tons of cargo were transported by military vehicles. In the summer of 1945, there were 645,000 vehicles in the Soviet army. A third of them were received under Lend-Lease, a tenth was captured.
The main vehicle was the GAZ-AA truck. The article “Soviet Automobile” (No. 19–20, 1940) stated: “On November 14, 1939, the millionth Soviet car rolled off the assembly line of our automobile factories. In the production of trucks, we have long since surpassed all the capitalist countries of Europe and we have taken second place in the world.”
In June 1941, there were 151,100 “one and a half” in the Red Army. And in total, 138,600 GAZ-AA were produced in 1941-1945.
Major Srednov’s articles “Motorized transport in modern warfare” were mainly about the technology of the Wehrmacht. But the conclusions were general.
Cars in uniform
Automotive equipment for the army is now no less important than in the 40s of the twentieth century. War has become more mobile. The number of military vehicles in the modern Russian army exceeds 410,000, by mass they exceed all types of military equipment by many times.
MLRS (multiple launch rocket systems) are placed on the chassis of the truck, which play an important role in modern warfare. For a long time, the main command vehicle in the Russian army was the UAZ-3151, a modernized UAZ-469. Now it has been replaced by the UAZ Patriot. GAZ-2330 “Tiger” is much more expensive.
Armored vehicles, such as the GAZ-233014 “Tiger”, serve in reconnaissance units, providing mobility and protection to small battlegroups.
As Captain Serpionov wrote in 1940 in the article “Through Water Barriers”, “… the main task of the armored car is reconnaissance. Tank troops, cavalry and infantry conduct reconnaissance using armored vehicles. Using the high mobility of armored units, the command can quickly send them from rear to front, from one part of the front to another..
But trucks do most of the work. They provide communications, transport military personnel and ammunition, fuel and food. The injured are evacuated in AC 4350 ambulances on the chassis of the four-wheel drive KAMAZ-43501 (carries 15 injured, 9 of them on stretchers). Or “Lens” on the chassis of the Typhoon-K K-53949 armored car. However, ordinary army trucks are more often used for this task.
The most massive
About 400 models and modifications of cars are in service in the Russian army. Along with many new products, the backbone is formed by machines made many years ago.
GAZ-3308 “Sadko”. Load capacity 2.5 tons. Wired 4-wheel drive with self-locking cross-axle differentials. There are versions with a 125 hp petrol ZMZ-5231.10 and a diesel engine MMZ D-245.7. In the Russian army since 1997. Came to replace the GAZ 66-40. The same bridges and transmission are used in the design, and the cab is from GAZ-3309. In January 2020 the model was discontinued, but there are still many of these machines in the military.
KAMAZ-4326. Load capacity 4 tons. Permanent four-wheel drive. Diesel engine KAMAZ-740.31-240 develops 240 hp. and 912N.m at 1100–1500 rpm. Adopted in 1995. By the way, chassis 4326 became the basis for the “Dakar” KAMAZ-4326VK, which won the rally marathon 8 times!
KAMAZ-5350 of the Mustang family. Manufactured by the Kama Automobile Plant since 2003. Load capacity 6 tons Wheel formula 6×6. The diesel engine KAMAZ-740.30 develops a power of 260 horsepower. The truck can cross water barriers up to 1.75 m deep.
Urals-4320. Load capacity 7 tons Wheel formula 6×6. The YaMZ diesel engine with a working volume of 14.9 liters develops 240 horsepower. and 883N.m at 1250–1450 rpm. Has been in service since 1977. On the chassis of the Ural-4320, an armored version 4320-31 was created with a cabin formed from a single armored plate and a number of other military modifications.
Urals-5323. Carrying capacity is 10 tons Permanent four-wheel drive on 8 wheels. The diesel engine develops 300 hp. at 2000 rpm and 1180 N.m at 1200–1400 rpm, consumption about 40 l/100 km diesel fuel. Has been in service since 1989. This car was commissioned by the Ministry of Defense and handed over to NAMI and the Ural Automobile Plant in the mid-1960s.
military drivers
In the Russian army, motorists are assigned to a special structure – car troops. They are subordinate to the Main Armored Directorate of the Department of Defense (GABTU). In a modern combined arms brigade, the number of motorists reaches 20% of the personnel.
Officers for the automobile troops are trained by the Omsk Armored Institute and seven civilian universities (military departments).
Military drivers are trained by DOSAAF units commissioned by the Department of Defense and in Army training units.
And we have already talked about soldiers and sergeants who became heroes behind the wheel.
As Major Sobolev wrote in the article “Military and Army Rear Guard” (No. 19, 1940), “… the combat situation is rich in surprises. Sometimes a driver working on an army transport vehicle has to carry ammunition not only to the corps exchange office, but also directly to the battlefield. Such cases occurred during the defense of the borders of the Mongolian People’s Republic and during the battles with the White Finns. They will be in new wars. You always have to be ready for this.”
This is correct so far.
Correspondent Major Srednov in 1940 wrote a series of articles “Motor transport in modern warfare”, published in the magazine “Behind the wheel”. Some points are still relevant.
