Very Heavy Trucks

Discussion in 'Weapons, Technology & Equipment' started by Dave55, Sep 12, 2014.

  1. Dave55

    Dave55 Atlanta, USA

    I'm looking for information about very heavy WWII trucks

    Did any countries produce trucks like the Diamond T 980 and M-26 Dragon Wagon?
    I've seen some 10 wheeled Krupps and Mercedes but they were only about 3 tonners.
    Even the Scammell Pioneer seems more like a light-heavyweight compared to the largest American trucks.

    The Germans had some very heavy halfracks but I like trucks better. They had some big three axle trucks to tow some V-2 parts, didn't they? But I think there were civilian models.

    Can't find any really heavy French, Italian or Japaneese ones either.

    Thanks
     
  2. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Hard to draw the line on what's very heavy.
    Quick scan through the blessed Vanderveen.
    7t up?

    More from the US:

    Ford/E&L transport - For moving Bombers about.
    Federal 604 Artic.
    Bilderman F1 Artic.7.5t
    Corbitt 50sd6 Artic. 7.5t
    Nothing beyond the 10t, but with trailer.

    Mack EXBX transporter 18t
    Mack NR4 transporter 13t
    White 920 transporter 18t
    White/Ruxtell 922 18t

    Soviets:
    YaG-10 8t
    YaAZ-214 7t

    Japan:
    Isuzu TH10 (dump truck) biggest machine on Japanese strength.
    Isuzu TB60 7t

    Italy:
    Fiat TP50 ?t
    Breda 130 artic up to 40t

    UK
    Albion CX24s transporter 20t
    Scammell TRMU/30/TRCU/30 30t
    Leyland Hippo 1 & II 10t
    Foden DG6 10t
    Albion CX6 10t
    Albion CX23n 10t
    Commer Q2 - & 'Queen Mary' aircraft trailer - big combo (just postwar?)
    (Postwar - Mighty Antar - now that's a big machine)

    Germany:
    Faun ZR Artic. up to 40t
    Kaelble Z6V2A/Z6WA Artic Civvy based
    Hanomag SS55 Artic. Civvy based
    Bussing Nag 900A
    Faun L900D567 transporter

    Czechoslovakia:
    Tatra 111 10t
    Tatra 111/8000 8t produced for the Wehrmacht


    So some sort of contenders, but I do see what you mean; few in that list really with the same 'blimey!' presence as the M26 etc., though maybe that's due to more familiarity & actual encounters with the big septic machine.
    I know I've seen one of the German Fauns somewhere, and it was B I G.
     
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  3. Dave55

    Dave55 Atlanta, USA

    Wow. That's some list. Thanks. I haven't even heard of Faun or Kaelbie before.
    I'll spend a lot of happy time looking for pictures and specs on all of these.
     
  4. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Dave, maybe have a look around for this book, mate.

    vanderveen.jpg

    It really is the basic bible for vehicles as far as I'm concerned.
    Sadly, I see it may be out of print and reaching silly prices, but no harm in digging about. (And there are other, older Vanderveen titles that cover similar ground.)

    I'll have a shufti in Wheels & Tracks tomorrow - see if I can dig out some decent Heavy Lorry articles.
     
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  5. Dave55

    Dave55 Atlanta, USA

    Piece of cake.

    upload_2022-3-4_11-16-5.png
     
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  6. Dave55

    Dave55 Atlanta, USA

    Saw this on American Classic Trucks group:

    "The term 15 speed came from a five speed with two, two speed rear axles in a twin screw with a 5 speed transmission. Later you had an overdrive 5 with an inverted 4th and 5th gear in a reduction and splitter on the shift stick popular with larger horsepower in the late 70s and 80s calling them a 15 over, but they never truly had 15 gears. You run them as a ten speed and repeated your last two gears to get out of deep reduction."
     
  7. Dave55

    Dave55 Atlanta, USA

    Ford didn't build a truck powerful enough to pull the B-24 assemblies they were making so they made these. Powered by two of their V-8 flathead car engines. 478 cubic inches (239 x 2) was still relatively small displacement.

    upload_2023-12-16_16-37-16.png

    upload_2023-12-16_16-39-5.png

    upload_2023-12-16_16-40-19.png
     
    Last edited: Dec 17, 2023
    Chris C likes this.
  8. Warlord

    Warlord Veteran wannabe

    What did Jerry use to haul Dora / Karl shells? Was it Panther conversions or heavy wheeled rigs?
     
  9. Osborne2

    Osborne2 Well-Known Member

    Warlord, Is your motto also a Russian infantryman's nightly prayer?
     
  10. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Were these made by Ford or the airplane factory? Confused.
     
  11. Dave55

    Dave55 Atlanta, USA

    Ford built a huge B-24 factory called Willow Run. I thought they built the twin engine trucks themselves but this article says that there were several manufacturers.

    Willow Run - Wikipedia

    https://www.hemmings.com/stories/20...gn-revisited-more-on-the-twin-engine-ford-coe

    Seems to me that they could easily have used some of the pontoon tractors or tank transporters that Autocar, Mack, Diamond T etc were churning out by the hundreds but Henry was probably just being stubborn :)

    You probably already know that Ford built almost half of all the WWII jeeps too.

    Ford GPW
     
    Chris C likes this.
  12. Warlord

    Warlord Veteran wannabe

    I really don't know, mate. I learned it while visiting the main SF training base down here, but cannot tell if it is of WW2 vintage; however, I would not be surprised if it is, as it sounds very logical militarily speaking.
     
  13. Ewen Scott

    Ewen Scott Well-Known Member

    Per Wiki for Karl

    "Twenty-two Panzer IV Ausf. D, E and F chassis were modified with a superstructure capable of carrying four shells that replaced the turret and outfitted with a crane as Munitionsschlepper für Karl-Gerät ammunition transporters/loaders.[5] Two or three of these Munitionsschlepper were assigned to each weapon."

    https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/german-siege-mortar-karl.html
     
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  14. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Super interesting. I knew about the jeeps, and tanks, but not aircraft!
     
  15. Ewen Scott

    Ewen Scott Well-Known Member

    Dave55 likes this.
  16. Dave55

    Dave55 Atlanta, USA

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