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World War II -- technology land campaigns weapons motor vehicles
World War II Motor Vehicles: Wheeled Vehicles
Figure 1.--Wheeled vehicles appeared and played an important rule in World War I. As motor vehicles developed considerably during the inter-war era and World War II proved to be a war of movement. Thus wheeled motor vehicles proved to be critical to the War. Britain was the only country to enter the War with a fully motorized military. Incredibly, the Germans launched World War II without a fully mechanized military. They overcome this weakness during the early campigns in the West. It proved to be a major weakness in the East. One area the Germans excelled in was motorcycles, in part because they were easier to build than heavier vehicles. The motor cycle proved to be less useful than in World War I. Here boys are given a treat, allowed to sit on the HeerNSU motorcycles. Notice the placards, they identify the motorcycles a belonging to the Wehrkreis XIV (Magdeburg) military destrict. TYhis was a system of replacement armies to funnel men and equioment the fronts.
Wheeled vehicles appeared and played an important rule in World War I. As motor vehicles developed considerably during the inter-war era and World War II proved to be a war of movement. Thus wheeled motor vehicles proved to be critical to the War. Britain was the only country to enter the War with a fully motorized military. America with its huge capacity to build motor vehicles finally retired horses as it was preparing, The Germans despite popular notions enteresd the war still using horses to move both artillery and for logistics. It is tanks that dominate many World War II histories. Less often considered are the more prosaic wheeled vehicles. There were wheeled fighting vehicles such as armored cars. Many armored cars were partially tracked vehicles. Although not often conceived as a major weapon system, the truck proved to be along with the tank, played a critical role in the allied victory. Not only did American trucks make possible the rapid drive liberating France, but Studabaker American trucks delivered to the Soviets through Lend Lease were a key factor in the 1944 battles that demolished the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front. Many American servicemen recall with affection the utilitarian jeep. The motor cycle was important during World War I, but less so during World War II. It found its greatest with the Germans, in part because they lacked the industrial capacity to build utilitarian four-wheeled vehicles as the United States did.
The autmobile combined with the internal combution engine was a German invention. They made fine automon\biles as did the British abd French as well as American manufacturers. They were, however, finely crafted vehicles made in essentially craft shops in small numbers and were very expensive. The automobile was a play thing for the wealthy. Henry Ford took the vital step of applying assembly line manufacturing techniques to motor vehicle contruction and addopted important techmnolofical innoivatiomns (1908). The result was the Model-T--a vehicle for the average man. Many Europeans sneered at the Model-T. It wa not a finely crafted automoble. They saw ita s crude and shoddy, not recognizuing the technology involved. And becuse American workers were paid enought to aford one, the Ameriuacn industry grew exponentioanlly. The result was a huge new industry for America's already expanding industry. Even Ford could not mske a car inepensive enough for German workers to afford.
The United States was already the largest industril economy in the wirld at yhr turn of the century. The automobile industry enabled it to grow far beyond the capacity of the European countrues. When World War I began, transportation was just beginning to make the move from horse carts to trucks (1910s). . In this trasition, Europe was far behind Anerica, in large part thanks to Ford's Model-T. World War I proved to be a major turning point in transportation. Before the War, goods wre mostly delivered to cities by rail and then horse-drawn waggons to wholesalers and reyailers. This shift began in America with the introduction of the Model-T Ford. Soon small trucks began to be built by Ford in large numbers. And the advantages of motorized vehicles soon became apparent. America's principal World War I industrial contribution to the Allies was delvering trucks in large numbrs. And in America this led to the mass production of relatively inexpensive trucks. In Europe the shift was much slower. European companies were less interested in mass production prefering to produce more expensive, better crafted vehicles. This meant a more restricticted market and a substantially smaller industry.
The Roaring Twenties further the Americam lead. We see big powerful cars trimmed with crome, but also inexpensive models that workers could purchase. Ford and General Motors opened subsidiaries in Europe and Japan. The Ruropeans, exopensiveky the Germans, did not masrter massprioduction. The Geramns s could not let go of craftsmanship.
The American automobile industry was hard hit by the Depression (1930s). Curiosly many of the unemployed owned cars. Will Rogers quipped, "America was the first country to go to the poor house in the auromobile." The mass production of cars was still largely an American phenomenon, but Fird and GM Europe was beginning to change.
. Hitler was promoting mass production and the Volkswaggen for the German worker. He was to anxious to launch his War, however, to wait for the Germn automobile industry to grow. Thus the German automoble industry was not fully capable of equipping the Wehrmacht. By contrast the American automobile industry was fully capable, but American did not have a substantial army to equip. Instead American automobile companies in 1939 were having their first good year since the onset of the Depression, chuning out sleek new cars using large uany\tuies of steel, copper, and chrome.
Importance
Wheeled vehicles appeared and played an important rule in World War I. As motor vehicles developed considerably during the inter-war era and World War II proved to be a war of movement. Thus wheeled motor vehicles proved to be critical to the War. The truck may well be one of the most under under-appreaciate vehicles of the War. In fast moving mobile waefare, the truck was essential. It was not a fighting vehicle, but was needed to keep fighting vehicles and fast moving mototized infantry supplied.
Tanks might punch a hole in enemy lines, but it was the humble truck that was essentially to effectively exploit any break through. Britain was the only country to enter the War with a fully motorized military. America with its huge capacity to build motor vehicles finally retired horses as it was preparing, The Germans despite popular notions enteresd the war still using horses to move both artillery and for logistics. The Red Army also relied heacily on draft animals at the onset of the War. The arrival of American Lend Lease trucks in huge numbers raducally transformed the Red Army from a plodding behmouth to a modern firce which was not only larger than the Wehrmacht, but much more naneiverable. The impact in the East was a bwildring series of battle victories that destroyd one German army after another.
It is the tank that dominate many World War II histories and the interest of the casual reader. Less often considered are the more prosaic wheeled vehicles. There were wheeled fighting vehicles such as armored cars. Many armored cars were partially tracked vehicles. Although not often conceived as a major weapon system, the truck proved to be along with the tank, played a critical role in the allied victory. The German Blitkrieg was able to deal with short campaigns on the relatively small bsttlefields, but in the Soviet Union the shortages of trucks was a significant contraint. Not only did American trucks make possible the rapid drive liberating France, but American trucks delivered to the Soviets through Lend Lease were a key factor in the 1944 battles that demolished the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front. All the major automobile companies made trucks (GMC, Crysler, and Studabaker). The Soviets seem to remember Studabaker trucks best. Many American servicemen recall with affection the utilitarian jeep. The motor cycle was important during World War I because of its usefulness in communicatiins. It was less used during World War II as electronic communications were more advanced. The motor cycle found its greatest with the Germans, in part because they lacked the industrial capacity to build utilitarian four-wheeled vehicles as the United States did.
All the major World War II combatant countries had industrial companies producing wheeled vehicles. The United States had the largest industrial capacity, but did not enter the War until 1941. Even so, as a result of Lend Lease (March 1941), American military equioment had begun to reach first Britain and then the after the German invasion (June 1941), the Soviet Union. With the Japanese carrier attack on Pearl Harbor, America finally was drawn into the War (December 1941). It already was devoting a substantial proportiin of its industrial capacity to motor vehicles, but primnarily civilian cars and trucks. As a result of war mobilization following Pearl Harbor, the industrial output of military vehicles was massively expanded. This took some time, but by 1943 an incredible flow of American vehicles began to reach not only American fighting men as well as America's allies. The sitiation was very different for Germany. Not only did Germany have a much smaller indudtrial base, but the counytry did not begin to fully utiulize its industrial capacity until after the battlefiels situation had begun to shift. German companies were not as fully auotmated with assembly line methods as American compaies. And they tended to produce more complicated finally crafted vehicles than American countries. This both reduced the number of vehicles that could be built as well as created maintenance problems in the field. This weakness was partially rectified by using the output of manufactuers in occupied countries. France was especially important. Renault trucks were very important to the Wehrmacht. The Germans also seized used vehicles. This provided many of the vehicles needed for Barvarossa, but it created a logistical nightmare. German repair crews had to learn to service many vehicke types as well as required a huge range of spare parts as well as items like filters and tires. Even with the vehicles obtained in the West, the vaunted German Wehrmacht still had to rely heavily on draft animals. German armies were noted fir their fighting skill, but logistics was a weakness in the best of time. And trying to maintain vehicles of many different makes and types proved a daunting undertaking. American and Soviet vehicles tended to be simpler and were limited to a much smaller number of types. This made them easoet to produce and maintain. The Siviets produced trucks before the War. American automobile compam=nies were important here. Production was, however, not adequate to meet the needs of the Red Army which, like the Germans, still relied heavily on draft animals. The arrival of American Lend Lease trucks transformed the capabilities of the Red Army pn the eastern battlefield.
