Historic WWII Military Vehicle story by Victor Ma

　

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1937 Germany kfz Leicher Einheits-Pkw small 4x4x4 off road vehicle
Model: TypB20/325/R180/R200/G5/R200 Typ40 Einh.Pkw Kfz.2 4wds made by Hanomag/BMW/Stoewer/*Mercedes between 1936-40. (1940-43 Stoewer simplifitied version R200 Typ 40 Special got front wheel steering only) R180,R200,B20,BMW325,G5 total 8400 been made. R200 Typ 40 total around 4700 been made.( only 2 wheel steering. )

Body Style: Open body with 4 door, 3 door, 3, 4seat.

Construction:  Steel open body,3 door or 4 door, with ladder type steel chassis.

Engine: Water cooled 4 cylinder, OHV dry sump motor a)1757cc 42hp,b)1991cc 50hp,c)1997cc 50hp,d) 6 cylinder 1957cc 50hp,e) Mercedes G5 got a 2006cc side valve 4 cylinder engine 45hp. ( all early BMW, Hanomag and Stoewer got R180 1757cc engine )

Transmission: 5 speed ZF full time 4 wd Gearbox with 3 self locking differentials at each Axle and gear box.

Suspension: 4 wheel independent suspension, twin coil spring each wheel part time 4 wheel steering.( 1936 - early 1940 model.) *Mercedes G5 got single coil spring at each wheel. (1937-1941) ( 4 wheel steering for off road use only, under 20km/h )

Brake System: 4 wheel Drum brake cable control mechanic type ( R200 Special Typ 40 2 wheel steering model got hydraulic brake system.)

Max speed: 80 Km/h,4 wheel steering for off road use only. ( all early BMW, Hanomag got Stoewer R180 engine with 1757cc got 75km/h on the road but I believe all Kfz Pkw model speed over 90km/h. )

History: The German successes at the beginning of WWII, was largely due to their tactic of " Blitzkrieg " and demonstrated not only the effectiveness of the mechanization, but also the importance of deploying innovative modern military transport vehicles. After WWI the first light car use by the Reichswehf was the Dixi 3/15 ps., which was the British Austin Seven. Produced under license by Dixi, of Eisenach. In 1929 Dixi was absorbed by BMW and the car was continued under the BMW name until 1931. In the early 30s, army transport decided that the car with a 1.5L engine will be the light car, (Pkw ) The wehrmacht specified large numbers of personnel carriers, constructed on light medium and heavy motor car chassis. Most were available with a civilian rear wheel drive only and the performance was not great. Then in 1935 Stoewer, a very early German auto maker, building cars since 1899, (This Co Total production was about 40000 vehicle from 1899-1945,about 190 Vehicle are know to exist today.)designed a prototype 4x4x4. This vehicle had a high performance and possessed an incredible off road chassis, way ahead of its time, resembling modern specifications not found on vehicles until today. In 1936 Stoewer manufactured the R180 special, but the company was not big enough for the mass production required and BMW ( a motor cycle and light car maker ) plus Hanomag ( a locomotive and heavy tractor, semi track maker ) joined in production of the same car between 1937-1940. This is similar to the how Willys MB and Ford GPW were manufacturing the jeep at same time in the early 40's.

The Germany Army knew how an advanced heavy duty multi-purpose off road truck would be instrumental in providing an advantage in the coming battles and another example of their innovation was the motorcycles, some with side car, and with a 3x2 shaft-drive powering the side car wheel also. They produced many 4 wheeled to 6 wheeled off road trucks, from 1/4 ton to 6.5 tons and Semitracks from 11/2 ton Kettenkraftrad HK 101 to 18 ton-capacity Sd.Kfz.9

As the Nazi war machine continued a military build up, many good designs were funded and many innovative prototypes were developed. If they proved themselves under testing they would go into full production with a big car maker. In the end of 1936, Honamog, BMW and Stoewer got the order to build an incredible advanced high performance 1/2 ton off road small 4x4 vehicle. With an H type steel chassis, front 1.8-2.0L OHV dry sump engine, 5 speed ZF gear box, full time 4 wheel drive system, self locking middle differential at gear box, independent coils all around front and rear suspension, both front and rear axle with self locking Differentials, part time 4 wheel steering,( rear wheel steering for under 20km/h use or for off road only). A steel open body, with a 3 door or 4 door design. The three manufacturers used the same parts to assemble these vehicles.

They appeared in every theatre of the war in North Africa, some went to the Eastern front and even at Russian They were widely used without any modifications, thus demonstrating the great adaptability and versatility of this vehicle.

In the same time, Mercedes-PKW also built a similar type G5 (W152) with a side valve 45hp 2.0L 4 cylinder engine. It looks same as the Mercedes 170 engine but a little more powerful ). Chassis and suspension, gearbox all close to the specs of the Stoewer, but single coil at each wheel.

The Mercedes-Benz G5 is very interesting, as a military vehicle the Pkw Kubelwagen was mainly used by Germany's allies during WWII, Rumania, Hungary etc, the few that remained in Germany were usually privately bought and used by the German Fire Service or German Alpine Red Cross. As the G5 was not an official German military vehicle, but a private design by Mercedes, it was therefore sold to Germany's allies as there was a very limited choice of customers for privately designed German vehicles during war time. 378 have been made.

This vehicle is very similar to the Stoewer R180/R200,Hanomag B20,BMW 325.It was not a copy. This was the German army had ordered all car manufacturers in 1933 to design a "Einheits-Pkw mit Allradantrieb" , a Uniform Passenger Car with 4WD. All manufacturers had to follow identical blueprints and technical layout. 

At end of 2007 one G5 complete car needing a full restoration and rebuild. The complete rust car Asked over half million Euro.

Meanwhile the USA army does not have any small all wheel drive vehicles until 1940, instead Bantam, Willys and Ford use a 4wd truck design to build a small GP. It uses 4 wheel leaf spring, 2 live axles, an H type ladder chassis, a 2L side valve engine and a 3 speed gear box with part time 4x4 system. We know this as the first US jeep. Willys and Ford build over 600,000 2.2L MB/GPW between 1942-45. Also some Dodge mid size 4x4 made between 1940-45 WC6/WC7/T202-VC1/T211-WC15 and WC56/WC57 base from a 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton Dodge 4x4 truck, front and rear with live axle, 4 wheel leaf spring .

      Today every people believe Jeep = small sturdy multi-purpose motor vehicle with four-wheel drive, can go any where. Than Jeep must be the Germany 1936 made Kfz R180,B20,BMW325 not US 1940 made Willys MA,Bantam MKII,1941 Bantam BRC or Ford GP. At 1941 Ford use a GP chassis to build a all time 4WDS jeep, Willys also build another 4WDS at 1945, But both unsuccessful, because all time 4WS made the driving more difficult, when speed over 25KM/H, the car can not under control.

The British army does not even have a small 4x4 during WWII, Instead they use a lot of 30s civilian 8-12hp rear wheel drive light van chassis manufactured for military use by Morris, Austin, Standard, Hillman, Vauxhall, Wolseley, Humber, Ford, Commer, Guy and Bedford. They all use a 4x2 light truck as the base of this army vehicle. Some just lift the suspension a little and fit over size off road tires on the light van. No performance off road vehicle until 1949, when they use a Willys jeep 2.2L engine chassis to put a Rover 1.6L engine and put the steering in the middle and make a 3 seat 4x4. This was a copy of MB/GP jeep but with less power and only 3 seats, incredibly this was the first Land Rover prototype.

The Soviet Union Army built the GAZ-67B between 42-53, a 4 cylinder 3.3L engine with 4 speed gear box, parts time 4wd system. 2 live axle, leaf springs, like a BM/GPW jeep. Over 60,000 have been made.

Japan at mid of the 1930s produced a Kurogane model 95 small tiny ( some people say "Black Medal") 4x4 with a twin cylinder V shape 1.4L air cooled motorcycle engine, 3 speed gear box, and a unreliable 4wd system. The front IFS got flexible joint without rocker arm cover. to the front differential. A total of 4,775 been made. This car was very unreliable and under power.

Clearly the evidence is that Germany standard military Vehicles were the best in the world at that time. Until today, over 70 years later no SUV or 4x4 had a better mechanical design than the Hanomag/BMW/Stoewer/Mercedes car. It is a super off roader and has a modern performance and reliable design. Both three manufactures built the first series unit as a command car, standard staff car, radio car, field Telephone unit, anti-aircraft car ,maintenance work shop, scout car, etc,. This is a Great off road car of the 20 th Century.

Because the price to made this type small off road vehicle is too high and the capacity is not big enough to carry 5-7 persons and power not enough to towing a Gun.

Maintenance and supply of spare parts were another major problem, as they were deployed to Eastern front, North Africa and on the Russian. In 1940 the production stopped, Hanomag model less than 2000 unit and BMW made 3225 unit. The more simple easy maintenance low cost, light weight off road vehicle VW 82 KdF Kubelwagen was in full production.

At the same time, Steyr 1500A, Horch 108, Auto Union/Horch 901Type40 also built a 1-1.5 tonnes 7seat with a powerful V8 3.5-3.8L big size multi-purpose vehicle for towing, although Stoewer was still making some Kfz (but without 4 wheel steering model R200 Special Type 40.) From 1936-1944.Around 7,500 were made by Stoewer.

As all the early 4WDS Kfz1,Kfz.2,Kfz3,Kfz4,20B and LEPkw used from beginning of the WWII in North Africa and on the Eastern front and Russian, until the end of the war. This type of small high performance off road vehicle were mostly destroyed during the war. After the War not many have survived, most of Stoewer later R200 Type 40 model were used by the fire Dept, air port service and used in Eastern Europe after the War.

Today not many early R180.B20, BMW 325 and Mercedes G5 4wds models have survived, you still can find a few in the world; A little No. of Stoewer later model R200 Typ 40 in Museums and others on historic vehicle collectors hand in Europe. The one we have acquired is from France and was shipped to New York and now in Hong Kong at our 4wd Co. We believe this is only one in Asia, it is very complete no rust and in reliable running condition, with 3 door model Kfz.2 and it is use for Radio/ field Telephone or a field maintenance vehicle at WWII use by the German Army at Eastern front. We belive some OE parts still at Eastern Europe and Russian. if you know some early R180,B20,BMW325 parts, or a complete car, please kindly e mail us at metaltankmodel@yahoo.com or put at www.tankmodel.com ,We will pay cash to buy them, any parts, like engine parts, gear box, axle, suspension, differentials, shock, chassis, body parts, door, light, cv joint, propeller shaft, steering box, wheel or a rust body, etc. We also need war time picture and manual, magazine, history, every thing about this early type B20/R180,325/G5,R200 Typ 40.Shipping is not a problem, we will pay the fright.

If you got one such as R180,B20,BMW325 or even a Stoewer R200,Mercedes 170VL,Mercedes G4,G5,Horch 901,Auto Union/Horch 108,Steyr 1500,KdF 60,82e,87,82,166, Trippel, Tempo, etc, please e mail us. We will have some nice new metal parts for your collection, such as alloy made fuel tank, War time head light cover, new radiator etc. We can hand made some metal parts to help your car running. we also made 1:8,1:6 WWII metal tank model in HK. Here are our tank model website www.tankmodel.com

　

跨世紀四驅始祖

原文:馬大立
www.4wdco.com/WWIIB20.asp
中文翻譯: Eric Ng 
車輛由香港四驅專門店提供

提起吉普車(Jeep)，大家都會認為美國的Willys是始祖，事實上在它出現之前數年，德國經已成功研製出一部比其先進得多的輕型四驅車，不過因產量不多，而且在戰爭中幾乎全被摧毀，令認識它的人不多，名氣完全被盟軍Willys掩蓋，但在它身上的先進設計，就連現今越野車都望塵莫及，是一輛比別人「行先」四分三個世紀的四驅車始祖，它就是今期要介紹的1937年kfz B20四驅車了。這樣罕有的四驅老爺納粹軍車，香港竟有收藏家擁有，車主經過千辛萬才購得，是現時全亞洲唯一的一輛，而全世界亦只有幾輛。它見證了整個二次世界大戰人類自相殘殺的慘痛經歷，在戰後如果有汽車工程師把這車的設計寫為大學書本，今日汽車設計必然先進百倍。愛好四驅車的你又怎能錯過這裡的介紹呢？

難以置信的越野性能：

只要我數一數此車具備的先進設備，相信認識四驅車的你一定會目瞪口呆，甚至覺得難以至信！kfz B20的先進設備包括H形鋼製車陣、前置引擎、五前速手動波箱(當年一般汽車只有三前速)、恆時四驅系統、(許多人以為70年的Range Rover是恆時四驅的始祖)前、後軸及波箱的差速設有差速鎖(當今號稱越野性能超卓的福士Touareg亦只配中及後差速鎖)、四輪獨立避震、四輪轉向(今日沒有一輛4x4及SUV可以在樹林內穿梭自如 因為此車的迴旋半徑不足3.3米)頂置凸輪軸設計1.8公升引擎(當時引擎全為side valve 倒吊氣閥)及乾油池式引擎潤滑系統(目前世界一級方程式賽車亦採用此設計)，相信現今最先進，擁有最高越野性能的四驅車亦不像kfz B20般將這麼多先進設備集於一身，原因好簡單，因為要生產這樣先進的汽車，成本極高。可見當件日耳曼民族的汽車設計智慧。

德軍在二次大戰初期節節勝利，戰術策略運用得宜是主因之外，軍隊機械化令部隊行動效率提高亦是原因，但不能忽視軍方採用現代化軍車的重要性。早在第一次世界大戰之後，德軍已洞悉到軍車在戰事中擔當重要的角色，所以軍方在選用軍車方面有很高的要求，並與車廠合作生產各類型的軍車作測試，1935年德國老牌車廠Stoewer就為軍方研製了多輛性能超卓的軍車，R180便是一個好例子，但當時Stoewer(斯托汰 德國一所老牌汽車生產商)未有足夠資源大量生產此車，於是軍方要求BMW(寶馬 剛剛成立不久的小型汽車生產商)及Hanomag(哈諾馬克/哈諾馬格 火車頭、重型獅身人面裝甲車及拖拉機生產商)共同生產，情況就與上世紀四十年代美國的Willys及福特合作生產MB與GPW一樣，雖然擁有不同的車名，但其實所有配件都是一樣的1935-37年初期生產的型號，連引擎都是R180，後來才用各自的2公升引擎。軍隊簡稱Kfz Pkw

先進軍車陸續推出：

德國納粹黨野心大，同時解不開第一次世界大戰戰敗國身份的鬱結，更不服「巴黎和會」訂下的嚴苛條約，早已立定向世界報復的決心，軍力迅速增長，投放在軍備發展的資金充裕，就以軍車為例，遇到有好的設計，納粹黨及希特勒都在在資源上全力支持，因此研製出不少革新的原形車。

1936年，Honamog、寶馬及Stoewer接到軍方指令，要生產一輛極其先進的高性能半噸輕型四驅車，就是這裡介紹的kfz B20。其後平治亦按照相同的底盤設計，配上兩公升倒吊氣閥四汽缸引擎(設計和平治170v引擎大分像)，生產了一批為數三百多輛的民用型w152稱為G5。此車出現於不同戰線，包括非洲、歐洲東部前線，甚至俄羅斯，這樣廣範地使用，證明Kfz Pkw擁有極強的可用性及適應性。

其他國家的情況：

其間，美國軍方並無任何輕型軍用四驅車，直至1940年Willys MA,Bantam MKII,1941 Bantam BRC or Ford GP的出現。但此車是以四驅卡車作為藍本，無論底盤設計或機械設備，都遠不及kfz Pkw的先進。至於英國，到了二戰期間仍沒有一輛正式的輕型軍用四驅車，只好以民用前置引擎後輪驅動小車改裝而成，根本沒有越野能力可言，直至1949年以Willys吉普的底盤，放棄原有2.2公升倒吊氣閥引擎，配上路華小汽車用的1.6公升馬力不足引擎，這輛三座位中置軚盤的恐怖四驅車，就是越野路華Series I的原形車。蘇聯軍方面則有GAZ-67B，是一輛於1942至1953年期間生產的輕型四驅車，採用四汽缸3.3公升引擎及四前速波箱，底盤設計與Willys相若，十分笨重。而亞洲的日本，在上世紀30年代中，生產了一款採用電單車二汽缸1.4公升引擎配三前速波箱及四驅系統的小型四驅車。但因日本四驅系統萬向節技術仍未成熟，加上引擎容積過小，是一輛不可靠兼馬力不足的四驅車 ，此車每行不到200公里必須用人手在車軸加油，只生產了4775輛。

由此可見，德國的Kfz Pkw在上世紀三、四十年代，是全球最先進的型號。即使72年後的今天，亦沒有一輛輕型越野車的越野設備及設計比Kfz Pkw先進。因為生產此車的成本實在很高，保養維修及備用零件又是另一個問題，最終在1940年宣告停產，因為比Kfz Pkw生產成本更低、維修更簡易的福士82 KdF Kubelwagen已全面投產。四年間kfz的總產量8400輛，1940-44年Stoewer另外還生產了4700輛前輪轉向簡化R200 Type40型號。今日大家在歐、美汽車博物館見到的全是40年以後生產的簡化型號。