Continuing the story about Lend-Lease, today we present, if I may say so, the "coat of arms" of Western supplies to the USSR during the Great Patriotic War.
Maybe someone will disagree with us and say that a plane ("Airacobra", for example) can become a coat of arms or there, a flag, or there, a tank …
But if we are talking about our opinion, then this is it. Willys MV.
It is clear that our modern knowledge, with numerous additions of ideology and home-grown "historians" from vocational schools, is simply teeming with inaccuracies and obvious inventions. And the Lend-Lease itself turned into exactly the same arena of ideological warfare, like almost any episode at the beginning of the defense, and then the offensive of the Red Army.
And you don't have to go far for evidence, just re-read the comments to any article about Lend-Lease, even on our resource, but anywhere. The result will be the same.
We do not intend to fight "for ours" or "for theirs". And to answer stupid questions, like whether we could have won without help, too. They could. And they would have won. But how many more hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Soviet people would have perished on the fields of war? To convince someone of the loyalty of this common truth is stupid. We will not, but simply continue our stories.
So, the Lend-Lease symbol. A car that even today is known to every Russian precisely as a military, Soviet military of those years.
This is an American off-road vehicle Willys MB. The one who still drove our officers and generals in Russian films. The one who, during the war, "dragged" anti-tank guns along the front edge. The same one that was used by Soviet intelligence officers to quickly move along the front line.
It is about this car that our story today. And let's start with the history of the creation of this legend. More precisely, legends. Because this model of army vehicles rolled off the assembly lines of such factories as Willys-Overland Motors and Ford (having a different name: Ford GPW). The differences between these cars are below, especially since thanks to the museum of military equipment of the UMMC in Verkhnyaya Pyshma, we had the opportunity to get acquainted with both models.
So, there is a tenacious, but hardly plausible version of the creation of this car. The version is akin to the Soviet version, like "The party said it must - the Komsomol answered there is!" It took a car - American automakers did. And this version appeared due to the really short development time of this jeep. The Pentagon announced the need for such vehicles for the American army in the spring of 1940. And the serial production began already in 1941.
In fact, it was the American army that needed such a car. And not even to participate in World War II. We needed a car for the border areas to transport command personnel and reconnaissance of border areas with the possibility of operations on enemy territory. In the initial terms of reference, there was no talk about the possibility of transporting guns and mortars.
From a technical point of view, the Pentagon has put forward rather stringent requirements. It was strictly stated that an SUV must have a maximum speed of at least 80 km / h, a ford depth of 29 cm, drive on all wheels, an unladen weight of no more than 585 kg, a ground clearance of 16 cm, and a carrying capacity of at least 270 kg. The only point on which the customers made at least some compromise was the mass. She changed several times and in both directions.
For the auto business, the order was really a tidbit. Almost all (about 100) car manufacturers were involved in the development of the car. However, it quickly became clear that the harsh conditions of the army required many design innovations. Mass manufacturers refused such developments. Only three of them took the risk of bailing out their army. The tough guys are American Bantam, Willys-Overland and Ford Motor.
The engineers and designers of American Bantam were the first to solve the problem. Based on their own Bantam 60, they created the Bantam BRC SUV.
Bantam 60
Bantam brc
The car almost completely met the requirements of the army. Except for a fairly serious deviation in weight. The army commanders decided to test the car in action, but did not dare to launch the series.
Be that as it may, but the company still produced 2605 units of this car. True, they were not used on the American continent.
And then the detective begins.
The Bantam BRC was tested by competitors' engineers and designers. Both Ford and Willis developed their own cars, but some of the components, in particular the suspension, did not work out. And so, for the first time in the history of the American automotive industry, the designers decided to copy the suspension elements from competitors. In fact, the industrial spies were at work. This was done especially well on the Willys.
It was Willis who, two months later, presented his own version of the SUV for testing. True, the main drawback of Bantam was stolen - weight.
Willys Quad, and this is the name the new car received, weighed 1100 kg. After many improvements, the weight was reduced to 980 kg. The new model was named Willys MA.
But Ford's engineers weren't idle either. The Ford Pygmy SUV was created. With the same characteristics and the same disadvantages.
So, the US Army received three vehicles with the same test score: "Satisfactory." Not good or bad. Technically, the best car was the Bantam.
However, better handling and performance cost more than the simplicity of the competition. They had to choose the one that would become the main SUV of the American army.
As readers have probably already guessed, in these conditions, the price of an SUV became the main thing.
Bantam's price was the highest. Ford cars were a little cheaper, and the Willys turned out to be the cheapest - only $ 738 and 74 cents.
All three variants of cars were almost identical and differed only in small details. It is clear that this determined the choice of the military: with a tough military budget, the number of cars was an important factor.
The contract was signed with Willys, and after it rolled off the assembly line the last copy of the Willys MA, immediately launched mass production at the plant in Toledo Willys Military Series B.
And this is where the question of "Ford" arises. How did the Ford factories come into production?
It's simple. The Willis company was unable to fulfill the order it had received on its own and had to ask Ford for help. Naturally, Ford gladly agreed to share the profits. But with one condition. A copy of "Willis" will bear the name "Ford". Copies of the technical documentation for the Willis became the basis for Ford SUVs. This is how two almost identical cars with different names appeared on the Soviet front: Willys MV and Ford GPW.
Now it's worth taking a closer look at the car. The car is really interesting. It is not for nothing that the production of this SUV continued for many, many years in various countries of the world.
The car body was completely open, load-bearing, with a sufficiently high seating position and was designed for 4 passenger seats. The load-bearing element of the Willis MB was a spar frame. Through springs with single-acting shock absorbers, continuous-type bridges equipped with locking differentials were connected to the frame.
To provide the car with good weight distribution, the designers installed the power unit longitudinally, on the front wheelbase. As a result, the supporting elements of the body became perfectly flat, the chassis was fully balanced, and during the movement the weight was evenly distributed over all 4 wheels.
Another feature of the Willis body was the complete absence of doors. This was done so that in extreme conditions it was possible to easily jump or jump out of the car. Nevertheless, there was no danger of "falling out" of the body while driving, since the seats in the cabin were slightly sunk.
But if the situation became critical, the process of leaving the car took seconds.
The windshield, which had a fairly wide and sturdy frame, folded back onto the hood if necessary. Such a "trick" was developed not only to conveniently aim and shoot forward (especially if the weapon is massive and heavy, and this should be done while driving), but also to lower the contour of the machine when you need to hide.
Plus to camouflage was given by painting with a special matte paint, which did not give glare in the sun. Patented. But in our reality, Soviet fighters got along quite normally with oil paint, and they also did not shine especially.
The designers have not forgotten about the engine-powered wipers. Many critics consider this detail to be completely unnecessary and, given that the body is open, there is some truth in this. But we must not forget the fact that the car was equipped with a folding tarpaulin top, which was stored rolled up on the back of the SUV. It was not used very often, even during bad weather.
One spare wheel was attached to the rear of the vehicle. On the left side of the body, one could see a tool necessary in the field - an ax and shovels, which were fastened with special belts. Also, special handles were welded on the left and right sides. They were present not so much for the convenience of passengers, as so that, if necessary, it was possible to pull the car out of the ford or pit.
The cabin itself was quite cramped, and the driver's landing seemed a little difficult. As for the driver's seat, the tightness, combined with a thin three-spoke steering wheel of a sufficiently large diameter, made it possible to more confidently hold off-road, hold the steering wheel firmly and not risk losing control, driving over large stones or bumps.
In fact, the car only seems so … small and uncomfortable. Everything there is fine with the landing, one of the authors checked with his pretty boar carcass of 90 kg. Accordingly, a normal soldier of 70-80 kg plus a quilted jacket or overcoat could fit quite comfortably.
The gas tank was located under the driver's seat (apparently, no one asked the driver for his opinion on this topic), and in order to refuel the car, you had to fold back the pillow every time. At the back there was a soft sofa without armrests, but on both sides (behind the rear wheel arches) there were kind of glove compartments for tools and other equipment.
The front wheels as such did not have arches, and there was a fairly large gap between them and the hood. Instead of the front bumper, a wide and thick sheet of metal was welded, which protruded forward by 30 centimeters. This was done so that the car could overcome obstacles (for example, bushes, sticks, tall weeds, etc.) without damage to itself, or so that soldiers could effortlessly pull out a stuck car by tying a cable to this frame.
The radiator grille had many thin vertical spokes, and the headlights were slightly recessed in it. This was demanded by their special design, which made it possible to raise the headlights and turn them down with diffusers (especially important when you had to repair the engine at night or move around without additional blackout devices).
Since March 1942, the radiator grille already had seven spokes and a stamped lining, and 5 months later, an additional headlight with a "visor" and a protective metal ring in front appeared on the left wing.
The Jeep motor is interesting, which is recognized as the longest stroke in the world. Jeep's four-cylinder engine was in-line, had a volume of 2199 cc and a capacity of 60 horsepower. Fueled with A-66 gasoline and, despite the highest quality and durability, was very sensitive to low-quality gasoline, which could quickly fail.
Another important part is the manual transmission. Three-stage and fully interlocked with the engine itself. Synchronizers were installed at the 2nd and 3rd stages, and a transfer case was docked to the gearbox itself. Thanks to the joint shafts, the power is evenly distributed to the rear and front axles.
Now it was necessary to drive the car not only with the help of one gearbox lever, but also with two more - transfer case levers, one of which served to connect the front axle, and the other to disconnect and downshift.
The car's braking system was hydraulic and extended to 4 wheels, which was a huge plus.
Despite the fact that all the wheels were driving, the engineers for some reason did not provide for a differential between the axles, so the moment was not distributed between the front and rear axles. The thrust was distributed only between the wheels themselves, with conventional bevel differentials without blocking units.
Since the car was designed for the most difficult and extreme conditions, it more than once had to overcome deep fords, which in some cases reached almost one and a half meters. Therefore, the designers decided to make a drain hole in the bottom of the body, which was closed with a plug.
After a rather serious description of the car itself, it is worth "seeing" the little things that made Willis popular.
If you look closely at the headlights on the "Willis", you can see the "utter stupidity" of American engineers. The headlights are fastened with "lambs". Why do you need a wing nut to mount a headlight under the hood of a car? Nonsense, but, when repairing the engine at night, it is easy to unscrew the headlight, turn it 180 degrees towards the engine and work like a king. A trifle? There are no trifles in war …
By the way, according to the recollections of veterans, the headlights of the "Willis" were suitable for almost all American technology. And vice versa. Even Harley motorcycle headlights were interchangeable with this SUV.
There is another interesting detail that makes the Willys simply ideal for the army. This vehicle requires little or no battery. Even a cold engine in a normal state starts with a few turns of the "curve starter". True, you can get your hands on it decently … And on a hot engine, the engine starts up almost "half a stroke". Those batteries that were nevertheless installed on the Willys were weak, 6-volt.
And one more find of "Willis". Windshield that can be lowered onto the bonnet. How easy it is to reduce the dimensions of the car and solve the problem of firing from machine guns and machine guns forward in the direction of travel … We subsequently used the same scheme on the GAZ-66 landing version and the GAZ-69, UAZ-469 jeeps.
By the way, the very name "jeep" came into our language precisely from "Willis". This is a common abbreviation for General Purpose's military vehicle designation, GP, which sounds like "G-Pee" or "Jeep." But this is only a version. Although Willys-Overland Motors registered the Jeep trademark in February 1943 at the height of the war …
If we look at the numerous surviving and restored Willys, one can draw attention to fairly frequent differences, not only between Wilis and Ford, but also between Fords or Wilis from different parties. What is the reason?
So what was the difference between the Ford GPW and the Willys MB?
Let's start with the basics. The machines of both companies were continuously modified and this was not so much due to changes in customer requirements, but because of production capabilities. That is why it is difficult to classify modifications by time. It is much easier to see the differences in schedule lines.
Both machines (and in the USSR both were called "Willis") have three modifications. Depending on the delivery time.
"Willis":
early (November 1941-March 1942), standard (March 1942-December 1943), composite (December 1943-October 1945).
Ford:
standard (April 1942-December 1943), transitional (December 1943-January 1944), composite (January 1944-June 1945).
Let's start with the bodies. The early "Willis" had its name embossed on the rear panel of the body, a 10-spoke radiator and no glove compartment. The stamping of the Standard Willys was already located on the wheel arch under the tool recess lock. He also got a glove compartment, a bottom of two reinforcing ribs, a leg support and a rectangular rear seat bracket.
As for the "Ford", its standard modification had a front support bracket of the ACM II type, the body number was absent, the name stamping was in the wheel arch under the niche lock, and the logo was on the rear panel; the rear seat had a triangular bracket, and the taillights had vertically mounted brackets. In addition, in comparison with the "Willis", the early models of "Ford" already had a glove compartment, and a bottom with two reinforcing ribs, and support for the rear passengers' feet.
The transitional "Ford" was equipped with a triangular amplifier for the rear body panel, a rectangular bracket was installed on the rear seat, but the car name stamping on the side parts of the wheel arch on both sides of the rear seat bracket disappeared.
Now the frame. The Willys had a tubular front transverse beam and the shock absorber brackets were rectangular box-shaped, while the Ford had a rectangular beam (like an inverted U) and the brackets were in the form of an influx.
The battery stand also had differences - the Willys' one was in the form of a rectangular sheet of metal, and the Ford one additionally had an oval hole in the center.
Comparing both cars, you can see differences in the image of the frame and engine license plates. By the way, it was by the engine number that it was possible to determine the car as accurately as possible: for Willys MB, the number consisted of the MB index and six digits, and for the Ford GPW, it consisted of the GPW index and the same six digits.
Year of production: 1941-1945
Body: load-bearing, open, doorless
Dimensions (length / width / height): 3335/1586/1830 mm
Weight: 1020 kg
Payload: 250 kg (with driver and passenger - 363 kg)
Maximum speed: 104 km / h
Fuel consumption: 13.2 l / 100 km.
Entry / exit angles: 45/35 degrees
Towed weight (max): 453 kg
Turning radius: 5.3m
Engine: 4-cylinder, petrol, low-valve
Cylinder diameter: 79, 37 mm
Working volume: 2, 2 l.
Power (at 3600 rpm): 60 hp
Transmission: mechanical, 3-speed
Transfer case: mechanical, 2-speed, with a range
During the war, both companies produced almost 700,000 (real figure 659,031) cars. Of these, 52 thousand were sent to the USSR.
Think about this figure: 52,000 cars!
Moreover, perhaps for some readers it will be a revelation, but … Some of these cars were delivered to the Soviet Union disassembled in boxes. And they gathered in Omsk and Kolomna at special assembly sites. So the American also has Siberian roots.
There is practically nothing to compare this car with. The USSR could not produce everything at once. Therefore, it is worth remembering this unprepossessing war worker, on board which, quite deservedly, you can place the inscription: "He took everything and everyone."
And the cart from "Vilis" completely left
Transportation of the wounded
Anti-tank guns and mortars …
Commanders of all levels
52 thousand. Despite the fact that our industry has produced a very small number of four-wheel drive vehicles. And it is worth remembering that "Willis" became the father of "Ivan-Willis", that is, a whole family of Soviet military all-wheel drive vehicles.
Well, and some more information from the UMMC Museum of Military Equipment in Verkhnyaya Pyshma:
