The German truck Opel Blitz (German Blitz - lightning) was actively used by the Wehrmacht during the Second World War. There were several generations of this famous truck, which differed in both design and construction. Different versions of the car were produced from 1930 to 1975. At the same time, in Russia, the most famous cars are only the first generation of 1930-1954 in a modernized version (after 1937). They became known because of their widespread use by the Wehrmacht, including on the Eastern Front, and also because of their significant presence as captured vehicles.
The Opel Blitz truck is recognized as the best three-ton truck in the Wehrmacht. At the same time, this is the only truck that was produced throughout the war until the defeat of Germany. This truck was produced at a specially built for this purpose Opel automobile plant in Brandenburg - "an exemplary National Socialist enterprise". Since 1944, Daimler-Benz has joined the production of this truck. Of the 129 795 three-ton Opel Blitz trucks produced, approximately 100 thousand were delivered directly to the Wehrmacht and the SS troops, and the rest were used in the defense sectors of the national economy of Nazi Germany.
Opel Blitz is rightfully considered one of the best and most popular German trucks. Its design was standard, yet robust and relatively simple. On the basis of this truck, a large number of various special-purpose vehicles were built. In addition, its modifications were produced, equipped with engines of different power. An all-wheel drive model of this car was also produced. In order to save scarce metal at the very end of the war, the Germans began to produce trucks with wooden ersatz cabins.
Opel Blitz 3.6-6700A
On the basis of the Opel Blitz truck, many special vehicles were built - ambulances, workshops, mobile radios, buses, fire trucks, etc. Often this chassis was also used to accommodate small-caliber anti-aircraft guns. The bodies of most Opel Blitz trucks were in the form of a platform with installed wooden sides and an awning, but trucks equipped with metal box bodies were also produced.
The German company Opel was especially respected by the Nazi government, which allowed it in the second half of the 30s of the XX century to quickly become the leader in terms of production of automotive equipment and become Germany's largest manufacturer of army trucks of the Blitz series.
In March 1929, the American company General Motors acquired an 80% stake in Adam Opel. At the same time, it was Opel who was the first in Germany to establish a bank and an insurance company to finance car sales on credit. In 1931, the American company expanded its stake in Adam Opel to a full 100%. At the same time, Opel received 33.3 million US dollars for both deals, becoming a 100% subsidiary of General Motors. It is curious that this company actively financed the NSDAP in the 1933 parliamentary elections. The company employed about 13 thousand people who assembled up to 500 cars and 6,000 bicycles every day.
As a result of the influx of foreign investment, by the mid-1930s, Opel underwent a second wave of restructuring and reconstruction of production. In just 190 days, a new assembly plant for the company was built in Brandenburg, as well as a network of German enterprises - subcontractors that were engaged in the supply of components. Huge investments made it possible to increase the headcount of the company by almost 40%. In 1936, Opel was already producing 120,923 vehicles a year, becoming the largest car manufacturer in Europe.
In 1937, after many years during which Opel was also the largest bicycle manufacturer, the company decided to discontinue production, handing it over to NSU. At the same time, it was decided to fully concentrate on the production of automotive equipment. In 1940, the millionth car was produced at a German company.
Since the American leadership of GM, which then owned the company, opposed the release of military products, by the beginning of the war, the Opel Blitz was late, until 1940, only a civilian version of the truck was assembled at the plant. However, in 1940, the Opel company was nationalized by the Nazis. At the same time, in October 1940, the assembly of passenger cars was completely discontinued. Since 1940, the Opel Blitz truck began to enter the army. During the Second World War, the company's enterprises supplied about half of the total number of trucks available in the German army.
Servicemen of the 5th SS Panzer Division "Viking" (5 SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking") repair the wheels of the Opel Blitz 3.6-36S truck
Opel Blitz truck
As a result, the unified 3-ton truck “Blitz” of models “3, 6-36S” (4x2) and “3, 6-6700A” (4x4) received the greatest popularity and distribution among the troops. These cars have been produced since 1937 in huge numbers - about 95 thousand copies. These were durable and easy-to-operate vehicles with a carrying capacity of 3, 3 and 3, 1 tons, respectively. The cars were distinguished by the presence of closed all-metal cabins, a high radiator with a vertical lining and an emblem in the form of a stroke of lightning, as well as stamped rounded fenders.
These trucks were equipped with a robust spar frame consisting of U-shaped steel profiles. Also, a 6-cylinder engine with a volume of 3.6 liters was installed on the car, it was borrowed from the Opel Admiral passenger car. Also, the truck was equipped with a dry single-plate clutch, a new 5-speed gearbox, hydraulic brakes, rifled axles on longitudinal semi-elliptic springs and rear dual wheels. Cars of both types received tires of the same size 7, 25-20 with a developed tread pattern. Only these two trucks were produced in series of about 70 and 25 thousand units, respectively. At the same time, in 1944-1945, the Daimler-Benz concern manufactured more than 3, 5 thousand rear-wheel drive trucks "Blitz", equipped with a simplified cab under the Mercedes index L701.
The basic model of the rear-wheel drive truck "3, 6-36S" (Blitz-S) had a gross weight of 5800 kg and was produced from 1937 to 1944. The car had a wheelbase of 3600 mm, and its curb weight was 2500 kg. The car was supplied with one 82-liter fuel tank and was adapted to towing a two-ton trailer. Since 1940, in parallel, Opel plants have been producing an all-wheel drive version under the designation "3, 6-6700A" (Blitz-A), which was equipped with an additional two-stage transfer case and a wheelbase shortened to 3450 mm. In addition, the car was distinguished by a slightly increased track size and a larger fuel tank capacity - 92 liters. The curb weight of the all-wheel drive version was 3350 kg. The maximum permissible weight when driving on the highway is 6450 kg, on the ground - 5700 kg. The truck could move at speeds up to 90 km / h on the highway, and fuel consumption, depending on the driving conditions, was equal to 25-40 liters per 100 km, the cruising range was 230-320 km.
The fact that the Opel Blitz was equipped with a carburetor six-cylinder in-line engine from an Opel Admiral passenger car with a working volume of 3626 cc. see, it was common practice for those years. At 3120 rpm, this engine produced 73.5 hp, which was the same power as the Soviet ZIS-5, but the volume of the German engine was less. The engine crankcase was aluminum and the cylinder head was made of gray cast iron. For every 100 km of run, the car consumed 26 liters when driving on asphalt, 35 liters on a dirt road. The maximum cruising range on the highway was 320 km.
The main advantage of the German truck was its high speed. On a good road, "Lightning" could reach a speed of 90 km / h. The reason for such a good indicator for a truck of those years was the use in the main gear of the same gear ratio (equal to 43/10) as on the Opel Admiral car. However, this decision led to the fact that the Blitz did not cope well with towing heavy trailers, and the use of a trailer off-road was completely excluded.
The compression ratio also referred to the "passenger car" value - 6 units, which required the use of only first grade gasoline. For this reason, the use of captured gasoline on the Eastern Front was almost completely ruled out. Because of this, in January 1942, Germany began production of a modification with a reduced compression ratio in the engine. Thus, it was adapted for the use of 56th gasoline, and the gear ratio in the main gear was also increased. In the course of the changes, the engine power was reduced to only 68 hp, and the maximum speed on the highway fell to 80 km / h. In order for the car to maintain the same range, it was equipped with a 92-liter fuel tank. At the same time, fuel consumption increased to 30 liters on the highway and up to 40 liters on dirt roads.
Opel Blitz TLF15
Cars based on Opel Blitz
Trucks Opel Blitz 3-ton class were used in almost all German-fascist military formations and performed all military functions of transporting goods, towing light artillery pieces, transporting infantry, carrying special-purpose superstructures. A variety of models of wood-metal and wooden bodies with different side heights, with awnings and benches, numerous options for rectangular standard vans or special designs with various components were installed on the trucks. On this chassis, tankers, tanks, fire trucks, gas generators, etc. were created. Cars for SS units were equipped mainly with closed all-metal bodies for special purposes.
The German firm "Meisen" installed rounded sanitary bodies on the standard Blitz chassis, which were intended for transporting the wounded or placing in them field laboratories and operating rooms. In the midst of the war, the truck-based company produced a range of simple army multi-purpose fire trucks. The basic one was a typical LF15 automobile pump on a rear-wheel drive chassis, equipped with a simplified closed wood-metal body with a double cab. In the back there was a water pump with a capacity of 1500 l / min. The TLF15 fire tanker was already installed on an all-wheel drive base and was equipped with an open-sided water tank with a volume of 2000 liters.
A variant of the basic rear-wheel drive version of the car were two cars with an extended base and a carrying capacity of 3.5 tons - Opel Blitz "3, 6-42" and "3, 6-47", which had wheelbases of 4200 and 4650 mm, respectively. The total mass of the cars was 5, 7 and 6, 1 tons. These cars were also equipped with various options for side bodies, special superstructures and equipment, vans. These trucks were not widely used. The Wehrmacht used them mainly for the installation of closed bodies with a double cab, they were also equipped with fire-fighting equipment and Koebe water pumps. In the onboard trucks Blitz 3, 6-47, machine gun or cannon systems were usually installed with a stock of ammunition.
Opel Blitz W39
The most famous execution of the Blitz 3, 6-47 truck chassis was the W39 army bus, which had an all-metal body made by Ludewig (Ludwig). The bus capacity was 30-32 seats. From 1939 to 1944, 2,880 of these buses were produced. Opel Blitz W39 buses were used to transport Wehrmacht officers, calculations of armored vehicles, which were delivered along the highway on trailers. They were also used as ambulances, headquarters, printing houses, mobile sound broadcasting stations, etc. All of these variants could reach the same highway speed as the basic version of the truck, and their average fuel consumption was 30 liters per 100 km.
In 1942-1944, on its chassis 3, 6-36S, Opel also produced about 4 thousand half-track 2-ton trucks SSM (Sd. Kfz.3) of the Maultier (Mule) series. These trucks used a lightweight tracked propulsion system from the English Carden-Loyd tankette. Germany bought a license for its production from Great Britain even before the start of the war. "Mules" were equipped with four disc road wheels on a lever-spring balanced suspension, as well as a steering device with a mechanical system for changing the speed of rewinding tracks, which allowed the tractor to perform sharper turns. When using only the front steered wheels, the turning radius was 19 meters, and with the braking of one of the propellers - 15 meters. The vehicle's ground clearance has increased from 225 to 270 mm.
In terms of performance, the Opel half-track truck was the most successful option in the Maultier series; it occupied an intermediate position between similar vehicles from Klöckner-Deutz-Magirus and Ford. Gross vehicle weight was 5930 kg, fuel consumption - 50 liters per 100 km. At the same time, the tractor truck could reach a speed of no more than 38 km / h. The disadvantages of the machine were called increased load on the transmission, low speed, which was artificially limited due to the rapid wear of the propulsion elements and, oddly enough, poor cross-country ability. Of the total produced, 2,130 of these half-track trucks were sent to the Eastern Front.
Opel maultier
Already at the height of the war, about 300 Sd. Kfz.4 / 1 launchers, the first German self-propelled multiple launch rocket systems, were assembled on the semi-armored chassis 3, 6-36S / SSM with an anti-aircraft gun or searchlight. They were equipped with a package of 10 tubular guides designed to launch rockets of caliber 158, 5 mm. The maximum firing range was 6, 9 km. The Germans tried to oppose these vehicles to the Soviet Katyushas. The partially armored chassis could also be used as ammunition transporters, but all such structures were inactive and too heavy.
In the summer of 1944, both major Opel factories were severely damaged by Allied bombing raids. The production of 3-ton trucks had to be moved to the Daimler-Benz plant. After the war, the remaining equipment from Brandenburg was exported to the Soviet Union. And Opel again with American help was able to restore its production, the production of Opel Blitz trucks, famous for the war, was continued.
