Yes, as promised, we are starting a series of analytical stories about the equipment obtained under Lend-Lease and the comparison of this technique with what we had.
But at the very beginning, faced with a huge problem, we immediately admit that it is far from always possible to compare, because often we had no analogues, unfortunately. This is especially true of the topic with which we decided to start our story. From cars.
Yes, in general, it is not a secret that with the automotive industry we had everything very sad at all times. Even today. If it were not for the Renault-Nissan concern, which began to produce its own models, they would have gone on the “basins”.
It was no better in the 1930s. In total, we had three pillars of the automotive industry: Moscow (ZIS), Nizhny Novgorod (GAZ) and Yaroslavl. What was - what was, had what they had. Another question is that cars made in the USSR, unfortunately, are very difficult to compare with those produced by the same "big three" in Detroit.
One of the proofs of this is our today's hero, "Dodge" (forgive us the Russian spelling), who bore the nickname "three quarters". Dodge WC-51.
Typical military off-roader-bugay. The nickname is not just like that, the carrying capacity is 750 kg, that is, ¾ tons.
Dodge WC51 technical data:
weight - 2 315 kg;
base - 2.5 m;
length / width / height - 4, 23/2, 12/1, 87 m;
front wheel track - 1.6 m;
rear wheel track - 1.65 m;
ground clearance - 27.3 cm;
type of power unit - a gasoline six-cylinder engine with a volume of 3, 8 liters, with a capacity of 92 liters. with.;
revolutions per minute (max.) - 3200;
maximum speed - 88 km / h;
fuel consumption per 100 km - 29 liters on the highway;
lifting capacity - 750 kg.
In general, such a "jock on steroids" is drawn, ready for anything.
Need to steal something? No problem. A mortar, a 45-mm anti-tank gun, even a 76-mm battalion are not a problem. Will carry away. Throw a kitchen closer to the front line? Ha! Together with a cook and a stock of food.
There is an interesting additional feature. The floor has five stiffening ribs and is adapted for mounting a rack designed for a small-caliber cannon (up to 37 mm inclusive) or a large-caliber machine gun. Such an American "Browning" from 12, 7 mm and beyond.
The American started up with an electric starter. The six-cylinder engine is quite powerful and had excellent power for those times.
The main drive axle is rear, the front axle was connected as needed by a lever next to the "handbrake".
Synchronizers on the gearbox? Come on, this is a war machine! The simpler and cheaper, the better it is. Therefore, there are no synchronizers, but for a Soviet person who is not spoiled by novelties in technology, double squeezing is a common thing.
There is no demultiplier, but the power of the engine allows you to wade even through the Russian mud. And you can start from the second, the engine will not endure so much.
Knowledgeable people from the reenactment environment assure that this bugai is very well controlled, despite the absence of any power steering. And in general, there is no place for weaklings in war, especially behind the wheel of such a transport for real peppers.
The wheelbase, let's say, is of medium size, makes it possible to turn around normally and quickly in small areas.
The brakes are hydraulically actuated, here the manufacturers were not stingy. The main thing is not to brake "into dead ends" during towing, there were accidents when a gun or mortar fell off the towing device and the frame ended up in the body. Not fatal, of course, but nonetheless.
I noticed: the passenger has a hand-operated windshield wiper.
That is, you have to turn the "janitor" drive back and forth with your hand. But from the driver's side - a miracle of the American car industry: a vacuum drive from the engine!
The higher the engine speed became, the faster the driver's "janitor" worked.
In fact, the 51st and subsequent modifications had only one drawback: an open cockpit. It wasn't even unpleasant on our winter. And in summer, in conditions of smoke or strong winds in the Rostov steppes, a cabin open to these winds is a dubious pleasure.
Some sources talked about the allegedly heavy steering. Well, this was said by those who did not sit behind the wheel of a Soviet three-ton. And since at that time only the one who was driving the "lorry" did not sit behind the wheel of a three-ton truck.
Translating: no problem. And the technique was even more trenchant.
And now about the figure that crosses out all comparisons and comparisons.
25,000 "Dodge" WC-51 were delivered to the Red Army under Lend-Lease.
The overgrown jeep, as it is, "entered". The anti-tank gun tractor, as it was originally installed, began to carry everything in general, from reconnaissance patrols to kitchens and commanding staff.
The most unpleasant thing is that there is nothing to compare it with.
The GAZ-4 is the most suitable for the class.
This is a pickup truck made on the same GAZ-A / Ford-A platform, produced in a series of 10, 5 thousand cars.
GAZ-4 was not a competitor to Dodge. Lighter (1080 kg empty), with a weaker Ford-A engine (4 cylinders, volume 3,285 cc, 40 hp at 2,200 rpm), faster (113 km / h) and less voracious (12 liters per 100 km).
But GAZ-4 lost in the main thing - carrying capacity (500 kg versus 750 for the Dodge) and cross-country ability. In terms of cross-country ability, I was completely losing. The American (although GAZ-A is not particularly Soviet) swallowed from the Dodge regularly ate twice as much gasoline, but did not ask questions about where and how to drag the attached load. Or loaded into the back.
All-wheel drive "emka", GAZ-61?
Yes, this car was in perfect order with cross-country ability. The only problem is that no more than 200 of all modifications of the GAZ-61 were produced. Yes, the car was loved by Soviet military leaders, GAZ-61 drove Voroshilov, Budyonny, Kulik, Timoshenko, Shaposhnikov, Zhukov, Meretskov, Konev and Tyulenev.
Yes, of course, the “emka” had more comfort. But alas, engines were needed for light T-60 tanks, and all-wheel drive Soviet vehicles were no longer produced.
And then the Doji and Willys came under Lend-Lease, which filled the sector of light and medium four-wheel drive vehicles of the Red Army.
But the cars were good, weren't they?
By the way, out of 25,000 museums we have only 2 (!) Dodge WC-51 left. One is in the Museum of Russian Military History in Padikovo, the second is in the Museum of Military History of the UMMC in Verkhnyaya Pyshma.
In private collections of military history reenactors, the 51st is also found. But not often. The rest, apparently, rolled away for years.
But the Dodge WC-51 did its main job perfectly. I think the majority will agree with me on this.
