Classic Military Vehicle 2017 04 [191]

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NEW CONTENT * NEW FEATURES * NEW LOOK

IssueIssue 189 191

Gorky Parked GAZ 67

Desert Storm

Restored in Cumbria

SAS Land Rovers in the Gulf War

World War One US Forestry Regiment machinery and vehicles

Collectable Kit US Army Jerrycans

Six-wheelers

Russian BA-10 Armoured Cars

£4.50

A civilian owner’s perspective

Bedford And Guy

Wartime British lorries rediscovered

Wargaming.net

How gamers support history

April 2017

Armstrong MT500

Peter DeBella Jeep® Parts Military and Civilian Jeep Parts for MB-GPW, M38-M38A1, CJ2A, CJ3B & CJ5

PDJP is your one stop shop for NOS and high quality reproduction parts. We have over 40 years experience in the jeep hobby. Our aggressive surplus buying over the years has made one of the top dealers of genuine OEM parts in the world. Combined with our quality reproduction parts we are able to supply any restorer with the best parts available.

We maintain two warehouses with over 25,000 sq ft of storage Jeep parts is our main business but we also stock many NOS parts for Dodge, Chevy CCKW and armoured military vehicles. We are your one stop shop for all parts from brake parts to wiring, to accessories.

Brake Kit

Fuel Pump w/Hand Primer

Wiring Kit

First Aid Bracket

B.O. Drive Assembly with Guard

MB-GPW Horn

Rifle Rack

Visit our Website: www.debellajeepparts.com 1319 Pulaski St., Riverhead, New York, 11901

Phone: 631-874-8660 | Fax: 631-874-3831 Monday - Friday 9:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m. Saturday sometimes

Peter DeBella FP.indd 1

20/01/2017 09:17

April 2017 Frontlines

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Rogue Warriors Like many CMV readers, no doubt, I enjoyed watching the recent, three-part BBC Series, Rogue Warriors. It was a documentary about how the SAS was formed in 1941 and its evolving role in World War Two. The series was presented by historian Ben Macintyre and, in the course of this, he was seen in two military vehicles; predictably, a Willys MB Jeep and, less accurately, a post-war M35 ‘deuce and a half’ which I suspect may have been filmed in Morocco. Inevitably, I was reminded of a trip that a group of us made in two Jeeps to follow some Long Range Desert Group routes through Egypt’s Great Sand Sea in 2012. Inaccurate trucks notwithstanding, the TV series was well made and presented and it was especially interesting to see old film clips of SAS veterans talking about their experiences. The organisation that they were founder members of, has endured and become one of the world’s most effective special forces

Editor: John Carroll [email protected] Editorial Assistant: Vicky Turner Chief Designer: Steve Donovan Design: Dave Robinson, Tracey Croft, Andy ‘O’ Contributors: Louise Limb, Jim Kinnear, Scott Smith, Nigel Hay, Tim Gosling, Garry Stuart, Jim Willett & Emrys Kirby Advertising Manager: Michelle Toner Tel: +44 (0)1780 755131 [email protected] Advertising Production: Kay Townsin [email protected] www.cmvmag.co.uk Group Editor: Nigel Price Production Manager: Janet Watkins Group Marketing Manager: Martin Steele Marketing Manager: Shaun Binnington Managing Director & Publisher: Adrian Cox Commercial Director: Ann Saundry Executive Chairman: Richard Cox

John Carroll

Editor John is longstanding military vehicle enthusiast who has owned a variety of green machines from a Scammell Explorer to a Harley 45 via Jeeps and Land Rovers

Willys Jeep on the trail of the LRDG somewhere south east of Siwa Oasis, Egypt in 2012

units. Its role in the Gulf War was similar to that undertaken in the Western Desert in 1941/42 and, in this issue on page 70, we feature an accurate replica of the sort of 4x4s used by the SAS in the 1991 conflict. If the books about it are to be believed, the individuals involved

www.cmvmag.co.uk Subscriptions. Please refer to the main advertisement within this magazine. CMV Subscriptions Department, Key Publishing Ltd, PO Box 300, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1NA, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1780 480404. Fax: +44 (0)1780 757812. Email: Subs: [email protected]. Mail Order: [email protected]. Order subscriptions at www.keypublishing.com/shop Readers in the USA can place subscription orders by visiting www.imsnews.com or by calling toll free 800-676-4049 or by writing to CMV, IMS News, 3330 Pacific Ave, Ste 500, Virginia Beach, VA23451-9828. Classic Military Vehicle (ISSN 1473-7779) is published monthly by Key Publishing Ltd and distributed in the USA by Mail Right Int., 1637 Stelton Road, B4, Piscataway, NJ 08854. Postmaster: Send address corrections to Classic Military Vehicle, Key Publishing Ltd c/o by Mail Right Int., 1637 Stelton Road, B4, Piscataway, NJ 08854. Copies of Classic Military Vehicle can be obtained each month by placing a standing order with your newsagent.

Vicky Turner

Michelle Toner

Editorial Assistant Vicky is crucial to the organisation of the new CMV team and the production of the magazine. She’s also the owner of a classic 1960s Land Rover

relied on the same toughness, spirit, humour and endurance as their predecessors too. Enjoy this issue.

EDITOR JOHN CARROLL [email protected]

Small Print: The editor is happy to receive contributions to Classic Military Vehicle magazine. All items submitted are subject to our terms and conditions, which are regularly updated without prior notice and are freely available from Key Publishing Ltd or downloadable from www.keypublishing.com. We are unable to guarantee the bonafides of any of our advertisers. Readers are strongly recommended to take their own precautions before parting with any information or item of value, including, but not limited to, money, manuscripts, photographs or personal information in response to any advertisements within this publication. The entire contents of Classic Military Vehicle is © Copyright 2017. No part of it can be reproduced in any form or stored on any form of retrieval system without the prior permission of the publisher.

Printed in England by Precision Colour Printing Ltd. Distributed by Seymour Distribution Ltd. +44 (0)20 7429 4000.

Key Publishing Ltd, PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1NA, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1780 755131 Fax: +44 (0)1780 757261 Subscriptions: +44(0)1780 480404 www.keypublishing.com/shop

Ad Sales Executive Michelle is the person to contact with regard to advertising in CMV. She’s happy to discuss companies’ specific advertising needs

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Steve Donovan

Chief Designer Steve has worked with Designer Dave Robinson in redesigning the magazine to produce CMV’s fresh, new look for 2017

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Garage Finds

words Vicky Turner pictures Wargaming.net

Tobin Jones, veteran restorer, went to view a Bedford MW, but ended up with a FAT Guy

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War games and the companies which develop them have a very important role to play in the preservation of military history

‘These people are genuinely interested in conserving both the hardware and the stories for the future too’

NOT SIMPLY CHILD’S PLAY I

f you’ve been a visitor to any of the UK’s military museums over the past few years, you’ve probably noticed that they have become busier, and that the average age of the visitors is dropping. Not just that, but that small boys are turning to their dads and reeling off technical rhyme and verse. Those, who in days gone by would perhaps have been the Hornby train-set buff, collector and track builder, are now, in the digital age, creating and exploring virtual worlds but with equal knowledge, enthusiasm and attention to detail. Games like World of Tanks, World of Warplanes and World of Warships, serve to feed the imagination and to educate the mind. So much research goes into the constructs of these war games that they really do bring history to life for a younger generation. The top brass of Wargaming.net are not all IT specialists; the company employs many historians, military experts and educationalists to ensure that details within game environment are as accurate as can be achieved, without compromising the ‘playability’ of the game. These people are genuinely interested in conserving both the hardware and the stories for the future too. Tracy Spaight, director of special projects at

Armstrong MT500

After years of being dismissed as a ‘Hack’ has it now achieved ‘Classic’ status?

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Krupp-Geländewagen L2H43

The 6x4 Krupp Snout in the centrespread

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Motown to Moscow

Storm word and pictures Louise Limb

With little mass vehicle production experience, the USSR tried to manufacture, like the Ford Motor Company, a motor like the Willys Jeep

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Prior to this KV1 tank being found, there were no KV1 Soviet tanks on Belarusian territory, and fewer than 15 remain anywhere in the world

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FORCE

Not Simply Child’s Play

F

ew vehicles speak more of the valour and fortitude of the Special Air Service (SAS) in battle than the ‘Pinkie’. This 1989 110 Land Rover Hi-Cap pick-up, complete with the sort of equipment the SAS would have taken behind enemy lines in Iraq in 1991, is a clever replica of those which saw active service during that conflict. Stripped down and fitted with a Rover 3,528cc V8 engine for extra power and speed in tight spots, the Land Rover 110 converted by Glover Webb of Hamble and adopted by the SAS Mobility Troop from 1985 as their Desert Patrol Vehicle, got its name after the original ‘Pink Panther’ Series IIA 109in Land Rover. Of course the SAS Land Rovers seeing active service in the Gulf in 1991 weren’t pink and were painted in desert camouflage of sand and a dark blue. They were however, central to the

operation which Peter Ratcliffe describes in Eye of the Storm

(Michael O’Mara Books 2000) as: “The biggest gathering of SAS personnel in a battle zone anywhere in the world since the end of the Second World War.” The SAS would, as Peter ‘Yorky’ Crossland relates in Victor Two (Bloomsbury 1996): “Be fighting behind the lines just like the original World War II SAS back in David Stirling’s time. The main difference was the firepower we carried - enough to take on and destroy just about anything we could find. Hopefully, whatever mayhem we caused would force the Iraqis to deploy large forces in order to locate us, just

This fully kitted out SAS-style Land Rover 110 pays tribute to the First Gulf War

Surprising revelations of the contribution a hi-tech gaming company is making to the preservation of history

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Lumbering up the lines

TOP: The majority of patrols took a full complement of vehicles despite concerns they would be difficult to hide MAIN IMAGE: The heavily armed SAS Desert Patrol Vehicles were initially built around the Land Rover 110 High Capacity Pick Up by Glover Webb of Hamble

The men and machines that supplied timber to the front in World War One

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Playing it Safe

as Stirling had achieved with the Germans in North Africa.” The 110s were at the heart of the mission, built to a tougher specification than civilian 110 Hi-Caps. They carried two spare wheels, had roof, doors and windscreen removed and a sturdy roll bar fitted behind the two front seats. All the lights were painted out to ensure the patrol could not be seen at night. The 110s carried sand channels, lashed to the sides and some vehicles were fitted with powered winches. Stowed inside and outside were Jerrycans of petrol and water, rations, ammunition and other essential equipment. According to Crossland, the amount of personal equipment a real SAS operation

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Echoes of War 1956: Suez Crisis

words John Carroll picture Archive

James Kinnear scrutinises the short but distinguished combat career of the Russian BA-10

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Storm Force

A 1989 Land Rover 110 Hi-Cap pick-up, is a replica of the SAS Desert Patrol Vehicles which gave valuable service in the 1991 Gulf War

B

y the mid-fifties almost 60% of Britain’s oil was being imported by ships coming through the Suez Canal so it was crucial to British trade. There was a good deal of uncertainty in the region; in 1952, the coup d’etat led by General Neguib had forced the abdication of King Farouk. Neguib was replaced by Nasser who became president in 1956. This, and the Arab-Israeli dispute, dominated foreign affairs for the British prime minister Anthony Eden. There was a considerable amount of cold war, tit for tat diplomacy involving numerous countries and issues; the USA, the USSR, Britain, Egypt, Czechoslovakian tanks and the Aswan Dam project. In response to the blocking of Aswan Dam finance by the USA, Nasser nationalised the Suez Canal so that the revenue it generated could be used to finance the dam. This set the cat among the pigeons: Eden was determined that robust action should be taken against Egypt and that Nasser should be removed by military action. Immediate military action was out of the question as there were no contingency plans for retaking control of the Suez Canal if Egypt opposed it and it would take some time to assemble forces within striking range of Egypt. This meant that, in the short term, the diplomat-

’45 Commando and the 16th Parachute Brigade landed by sea and air on November 5’ The original caption to this news photo reads: ‘British paratroopers and military vehicles were hoisted aboard the aircraft carrier Theseus at Portsmouth, England. The ship’s destination was the eastern Mediterranean, where the troops will augment British forces in the Suez area’

ic process continued. By August 1956, British and French military strategists were planning an invasion, while Eden, conscious of the need to get public opinion behind him, debated the issue in parliament and broadcast to the nation. Eden ordered his chiefs of staff to begin planning for an invasion of Egypt using the Cyprus-based 16th Independent Parachute Brigade Group to seize the Canal Zone. The final land order of battle would involve the 16th Parachute Brigade, the Royal Marine Commando Brigade and the 3rd Infantry Division. To make these units battle ready, the regular army reserve and selected national service reservists were mobilised and most were sent to units in Britain and Germany to replace regulars posted to the invasion force. This photograph was taken on August 6, 1956 showing members of the Parachute Regiment and an FV1801A(1) Austin Champ being readied for shipment to the Mediterranean as the diplomatic row got ever more tangled. The Truck, 1/4 ton, Austin Champ is being craned aboard HMS Theseus which was to be used as an emergency

commando carrier during the Suez Crisis. The military did what was asked and invaded; 45 Commando and the 16th Parachute Brigade landed by sea and air on November 5. On the world’s stage, at the UN and elsewhere, the Suez operation was widely criticised and, proof of collusion with Israel and a lack of support from the US, brought Anthony Eden’s career to an end.

Additional Information HMS Theseus was still under construction in 1945 so was used as a training vessel until the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950. The Theseus was deployed to Korea, and used in standard carrier operations during the course of ten patrols. In 1952, she became Home Fleet Flagship and in 1953 took part in the Fleet Review to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. From November to December 1956, helicopters from HMS Theseus transported troops ashore and evacuated wounded soldiers before being placed in reserve in 1958 and broken up at Inverkeithing, Scotland in 1962.

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News

A round-up of news and interesting items to catch our eye about military vehicles old and new, plus our monthly pub visit reviewed

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Military Vehicle Market

What’s selling where and when and for how much

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On the Shelf Collectable Books

Collectable books, old and new, reviewed

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Part two; North Africa to Berlin. How the Jerrycan helped the allies win the war

Calendar Listings

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Month by month events to visit or be involved in, and where to find further information

Museum of the Month

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Four new military vehicle books reviewed

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Collectable Kit

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North East Land Sea and Air Museum, Newcastle Upon Tyne

Echoes of war

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Looking into military vehicles through an archive photograph. This month 1956, Suez Crisis

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April 2017 Contents

Classic Military Vehicle Issue191

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Tony Haworth at the wheel of the Russian GAZ 67 4x4 that he restored in Cumbria

Make great savings when you subscribe to Classic Military Vehicle today. See pages 34-35 for this month’s special offers

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e g a r a GFinds words and pictures Scott Smith

SPECIFICATIONS

Make Guy Model Ant Quad Field Artillery Tractor Nationality British Year 1938 Production Run 444 initial contract 1938-40 Engine Type Four-cylinder Meadows Fuel Petrol Displacement 143 cubic ins Power 60bhp at 2,600rpm Transmission Type Four-speed Gears Four forward one reverse Transfer Box Single-speed Suspension Brakes Mechanical Wheels Four Tyres 10.50x20 Crew/seats Six Dimensions(overall) Length 4.49m Width 2.26m Wheelbase n/a Weight Three tonnes Modifications Lockers capable of carrying 96 rounds of ammunition and eight armour-piercing rounds. Similar bodywork to the Morris-Commercial C8 chassis. Additional Notes Built in six different variants. Early versions offered occupants little protection with only two aero screens and no doors.

Tobin Jones was amazed to see the Guy after initially intending just to view the Bedford

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You may be lucky and stumble across one rare vehicle tucked away in a garage but to find two is very special indeed

I

’m sure many in the military vehicle fraternity dream of the day when they open a garage or a barn and standing there is a machine that just makes them rub their eyes in amazement. For Tobin Jones, who has rescued and restored a number of World War Two British vehicles over the years, this dream became a reality back at the start of 2016. As he explained: “I went along to see a Bedford MW I had been told was for sale, but when I walked into the garage there was a Guy Ant Quad and my jaw

‘The FAT carried the same beetle-back body style as the Morris Commercial C8’ dropped as I have never seen one in the flesh.” The model standing in front of Tobin was a field artillery tractor (FAT) variant, being one of 444 that were ordered in November 1938 – with a good

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majority having been lost during the retreat from Dunkirk in May 1940. Designed to tow either the 18 or 25 pounder and a limber, the FAT carried the same beetle-back body style as the Morris Commercial C8 and was supplied in large numbers for use in the North Africa campaign as well as in Europe. Today the number in preservation can be counted on one hand, as Tobin explained: “I don’t know how many are left running but I don’t believe there are more than four in the whole world. “There are quite a few chassis and engines and people working on a couple of other projects but they aren’t yet complete. This one though is virtually all there.” Built by Guy Motors of Wolverhampton, this is an early model with the non-dropdown instrument panel and several other features which confirm its age. It is believed that it was sold after World War Two in order to be converted into a breakdown truck before being found by an enthusiast in the 1980s. He began restoring the vehicle to its original condition before it was placed in a garage where it sat for 30 years. He continued; “The truck was in a very nice condition, all very original. Powered by a Meadows four-cylinder engine, it is a bit underpowered and has cable brakes. It is though much bigger

inside than the Morris and Canadian Chevrolet FATs but they weren’t as well liked as they were a little bit rough to drive and a little bit ‘British’. “The back was taken off this one, as most of them were after the war, to have a recovery

crane fitted for garage use, and there are a lot of photographs showing the back being reconstructed. “Nearly all of the small fittings are there, it is a great little truck and something that is really

ABOVE & BELOW: The Bedford remained in a ‘used’ but almost original condition after being stored in a garage

for more 30 years

TOP: Just days after making its debut at the War and Peace Revival the vehicle was snapped up by a collector ABOVE RIGHT: This MW still sports its Bedford radiator grille badge

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unusual and very rare.” After filling the fuel tank, changing the oil and replacing the spark plugs, core plus and water pump the Guy was able to make its debut at the War and Peace Revival in 2016 – drawing admiring comments from all who saw it. And what of the Bedford MW? Well as you can see Tobin snapped that up as well as he looked to save another British vehicle dating from before World War Two

BOTTOM: From the side view you can see how the Guy carries a similar body to the Morris Commercial Quad BELOW: Radiator badge showing the vehicle’s place of origin in the West Midlands

TOP: The Guy’s restoration was started by a previous owner in the 1980s before the lorry was put in a garage for the best part of 30 years ABOVE & BELOW: Previous work on the vehicle was carried out to a high standard

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SPECIFICATIONS

Make Bedford Model MW General Service Nationality British Year 1938 Production Run 65,995 Engine Type Bedford six-cylinder Fuel Petrol Displacement n/a Power – 72bhp at 3,000rpm Torque n/a Transmission Type Four-speed Gears Four forward and one reverse Suspension Semi-elliptic leaf springs Brakes Hydraulic Wheels Four Tyres 9.00x16 Crew/seats Two

‘Tobin was able to see that the vehicle was registered 704 AUH, with a declared manufacture date of 1938’

Dimensions(overall) Length 4.4m Width 2m Weight 2.2 tonnes

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RIGHT: Dating from 1938 the Bedford

MW is one of the very early models, carrying aero windscreens and no doors BELOW: Thankfully the Bedford came with a logbook to prove it was demobbed in 1962

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As he explained; “I’m not a Bedford expert but as soon as I saw it I thought it was a very nice example. Again, it had gone into the barn a long time ago and it did come with a logbook - something the quad didn’t have. “I was told that it had a new old stock engine out of a box in the 1980s, and it ran beautifully with a fantastic oil pressure.” Due to its log book Tobin was able to see that the vehicle was registered 704 AUH, with a declared manufacture date of 1938. Having served during World War Two it was demobbed in 1962 and sold off in Cardiff. As there are a number of other projects, including a Matilda and Comet, at the head of Tobin’s to-do list, he headed to Folkestone last July with every intention of selling both the Guy and the Bedford. Although the Bedford did sell within days of making its debut on the show scene, the more Tobin drove the Guy during the week the more it made him realise that he wanted to keep it and as such has begun to restore it. It just goes to show that you never quite know what you may stumble upon the next time you go in search of your latest project.

ABOVE: The Guy was a little more spacious inside than any of the other Field Artillery Tractors around at the time

ABOVE: This MW retains many of its original features BELOW: The two garage finds side-by-side, Guy Ant on the left and Bedford MW on the right

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Enigmanhut.indd 1

01/12/2016 09:33

News

[email protected] www.cmvmag.co.uk

Peterborough Classic and Vintage Vehicle Show

Peterborough City Council will stage their fourth classic and vintage vehicle show at The Embankment on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 September.  The show is open to classic and vintage cars, caravans, motorcycles, scooters, buses, commercial, agricultural and ex-military vehicles, as well as other forms of transport from yesteryear to modern classics. The event is aimed at all ages and will offer something to vehicle enthusiasts as well as families looking for a fun and interesting day out. Go to www.peterborough.gov.uk for further information and for vehicle registration forms. RIGHT AND BELOW: Ex-Auxilliary Fire Service Bedford

lorry and military Land Rover Wolf at a previous Peterborough Classic and Vintage Show

Girl Power ammunition, drugs, food, and many other resources. To honour the 75th anniversary, enthusiasts from the Willys Jeep Club decided to remind the leaders of the world powers of their historical unity against common global threats and presented Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump with matching watches designed and produced especially for the occasion.

Putin and Trump can now synchronise the time on matching Willys watches Seventy-five years ago, Lend-Lease brought together the Soviet Union, the US, UK and China in the fight against fascism. It was a programme that saw the United States supply its allies in World War Two with equipment,

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Lieutenant Silje Johansen Willassen has become Norway’s Telemark Battalion’s first female tank commander. This is not the first time that Norway has been ahead of the game regarding women in the armed forces. In 1988 it was the first country to allow women to serve in all combat roles in the military and in 1995, to allow women to serve on military submarines. America’s first female enlisted soldier to graduate from the US Army’s M1 Armor Crewman School was Sgt Erin Smith in 2016. Female soldiers are to be allowed to join British Army tank crews for the first time this year. The King’s Royal Hussars, Queen’s Royal Hussars, and the Royal Tank Regiment permitted female recruits to begin tank training in January, with around 70 expressing an interest so far. Russia has a proud history of female combatants where, unlike in other armies around the world, there has never been a separation between military and non-military positions. Aleksandra Grigoryevna Samusenko, born in Ukraine in 1922, was a Soviet tank commander of the T-34 tank. She was the only female tanker in the 1st Guards Tank Army and was awarded the Order of Patriotic War 1st Class, and the Order of the Red Star for bravery in the Battle of Kursk, 1943, when her tank crew defeated three German Tiger I tanks. Today there are more than 35,000 women working within the Russian armed forces, of which 2,600 are officers and 72 hold commanding positions.

News

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CMV Pub of the Month The area east and producing guns for south of the city the Royal Navy. of London known The building dates since the 1970s back to the early as Docklands is 1700s but its cursynonymous with rent name derives plush residences from the cannon and hi-tech busifired to celebrate ness districts. In the opening of the the past however West India Import it was part of the Docks in 1802. chaotic, cramped They were the Rumour has it, that Nelson held his not-so-secret trysts and crime-rife first purpose-built with Mrs Hamilton here Port of London, docks in the counonce the world’s try and representlargest port. Cold Harbour Road on the Isle of ed, at the time, the single biggest civil engineering Dogs, on which The Gun sits, is a street ignored project ever undertaken. by time and developers and offers a peculiar The Gun is at number 27 Cold Harbour Road. insight into history. The building of the City Canal Number three Cold Harbour Road is known as and the development of the docks isolated it and Nelson’s House, although the evidence of him being consequently left it preserved as an anachronism. actually associated with it is slim. He did regularly The juxtaposition of cobbled streets and glass inspect the cannons though, as the admiralty fleet sky-scrapers is fascinating. was moored nearby. The Gun claims he was a

The Gun Docklands, London There has been a public house on this site since 1720. It enjoyed a lively reputation as a smugglers haunt, with contraband being landed on the Thames frontage and distributed via a secret tunnel: there is still a spy-hole in the secret circular staircase to keep watch for the revenue men. The surrounding area was also home to the riverside iron foundries

The Gun, named after the cannon which was fired to commemorate the opening of the West India Dock in 1802

Storm in a desert

A tank, believed to be older than the state of Israel, was spotted by a young boy who saw the turret protruding from a dune in the Negev sands of Holot Nitzanim. Police demolitions experts also found a land mine and old tank shells nearby, which they made safe in a controlled explosion. Local officials from the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council believe that the Israeli Defence Forces may once have used the tank for training purposes, and that it was only exposed because of recent dust storms. The Holot Nitzanim area was used for years as an IDF training site, and tanks were often placed there as targets. Although the IDF has not held training exercises in the area since the 1980s the council says it is likely that there are still many tank remnants there

frequent visitor to the tavern and apparently he would regularly meet Lady Emma Hamilton in an upstairs room, now called The River Room, as they conducted their very public affair. The pub is now a friendly gastro-pub with a great selection of wines, beers and spirits and a menu making the ‘Best of British’ and if you don’t visit on a cold winter day, an expansive outside deck with seating and stunning views across the Thames to the O2 arena.

Joint operation

This spring sees NATO beginning a joint operation in Russia’s border states which was agreed at the end of President Obama’s administration. Eighty-Seven US tanks including M1 Abrams are being transported to the area, along with 144 armoured vehicles and 3,500 troops, making this the biggest American deployment in Europe since the end of the cold war. They will participate in exercises with the Polish, including a simulated nuclear attack, in a bid to reassure America’s European allies that Washington is committed to their defence. Canadians will also be permanently stationed in Latvia from June and will lead a battalion of between 1,200 to 1,500 soldiers from Albania, Italy, Poland, Slovenia and Spain as part this NATO operation, dubbed ‘Enhanced Forward Presence.

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News B r

iefs

The United States military have gifted three refurbished Toyota vans and an Isuzu truck to The Royal Bermuda Regiment for use by the island’s soldiers to provide support for emergencies and other events. US Consul General Mary Ellen Koenig said: “We are pleased to see the continuation of the long, strong tradition of close ties between the US military and Bermuda.” The Tank Museum in Bovington presents a series of short films on YouTube. The Matilda Diaries follows the restoration of a Matilda II, and explores some of the questions and challenges involved with the project overall, as well as the nitty gritty of dismantling and reassembling a 70-year-old vehicle. https://tinyurl.com/z9abbdf David Fletcher’s Cromwell Tank Chat in which he explains everything you need to know about a particular tank from the museum’s collection is already proving popular. Tanks featured so far include Valentine, TOG II*, Whippet and the A13 Cruiser. The latest video is the Praying Mantis, an experimental machine-gun carrier manufactured in 1943. https://tinyurl.com/je7uyks Russian industry and trade minister Denis Manturov said that Russia has signed a major contract for the supply of T-90MS to an unnamed Middle Eastern country. He suggested more contracts would follow soon. The T-90ms, also known as Tagil, was first unveiled in 2011 and was designed for the Russian army as well as with export in mind. During IDEX 2017, held in February in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai-based Minerva Special Purpose Vehicles, announced that it is building large numbers of their Panthera T6 light armoured vehicles for Egypt. The Panthera T6 was first seen during an Egyptian military parade in 2014 but it now believed that more than 2,000 will be heading to Egypt for both the army and the police force. The T6 is a Toyota Land Cruiser 79-series vehicle with its body replaced by light armour. That makes it cheap, which, when coupled with its small size, makes it an attractive proposition to the Egyptians who have been using the vehicle on the Sinai Peninsula where it has been involved in skirmishes with local Islamic State fighters.

News

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Movement Orders factory – absolutely crammed with military vehicle treasure. Nigel said: “It really was great fun and the owner of the collection soon got the hang of filming – until Bruce discovered the hundreds of Wehrmacht bed bottles and we all kept subsiding into laughter on all but the final take.” Two of the Jackson Five – the quintet of M36 Jacksons imported a few years ago from Slovenia are on the move. Having waited some months for the necessary import permits to get them back into the USA, they are currently en route to their new homes. Each has gone to a major US collector. Currently fitted with T55 engines, it is hoped that Ford GAA power plants will be re-fitted to complete their restorations. A third, the last vehicle from the Normandy tank museum, is currently for sale at €270,000. It isn’t all leaving the UK fortunately. The ever globe-trotting Mike Stallwood has

Rob Lowden and his team at the Australian Armour and Artillery Museum in Cairns are continuing to acquire interesting vehicles from around the globe – including plenty from the UK. In recent weeks they have taken delivery of a Leopard 1, an M4A1 Sherman and a very rare Matilda Dozer tank. Bruce Crompton of Combat Dealers fame was on hand to arrive on top of the Leopard 1 which helped the museum with

some added publicity. This forward-thinking and very well-funded museum is running the Australian version of Tankfest, with their exciting AusArmourFest on September 2-3. Work continues on the ex-Cadman brothers’ Panther tank being restored for the museum by Bruce Crompton’s restoration facility at Axis Track Services in Suffolk. Bruce’s well known Combat Dealers is now running the latest episodes and CMV’s Nigel Hay spent a very pleasant, but very cold, day with Bruce and the team in Normandy at an old cheese

just taken delivery of a very original and ready-to-swim Ford GPA amphibious Jeep he found in Brazil before Christmas. It shared a container with another M3A1 Stuart tank for an enthusiastic restorer. It has always been swum in fresh water and been lovingly cared for by its current owner for several decades. Mike had actually swum it before buying it and hopes it will be swimming with the others at the Amphib rally in July on the river at Henley on Thames. The GPA is ready and for sale at RR Services in Kent.

The mighty are falling One of President Trump’s first jobs in office was to issue an executive order directing James Mattis, Secretary of Defence, to conduct a 30day review of readiness of the armed forces. This comes off the back of the Heritage Foundation’s 2017 index of US military strength giving an overall assessment of capability

as ‘marginal, trending towards weak’ putting this down to many years of budget cuts and overuse. It also noted that the US Army is the smallest it has been since World War One, the air force suffers from a crippling shortage of pilots and maintenance staff, as well as ageing planes,

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which have an average age of 27 years. President Trump has now given the green light to Mattis and the director of the office of budget and management not only to request new emergency military funding in 2017 but also to revise the yet-to-be released budget for 2018.

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News

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The Tank Book Author David Willey Publisher Dorling Kindersley in association with The Tank Museum Year 2017 ISBN 9780241250310 Language English Binding Hardback Pages 256 Size 252 x 301mm (10x11.75in) Price £20.00 www.dk.com

iefs r B s w e N

Petro Poroshenko, president of Ukraine writes on his FaceBook page that the Ukrainian Fantom ‘has entered the top five most interesting military vehicles among the thousands of exhibits from the 50 countries represented at the 2017 Idex’. Defence Blog writes of the unmanned Fantom, that ‘the developers have integrated the anti-tank missile system ‘Barrier’ into Fantom. With such armament, the nearly invisible Fantom is capable of striking heavy and light armoured targets at a distance of 100 to 5,000 meters’ making it a fascinating modern fighting machine. Science Applications International Corporation recently unveiled its first prototype Amphibious Combat Vehicle which it proposes for the US Marine Corps. In partnership with Singapore Technology Kinetics it has tabled the Terrex 2, which features a ‘V’ shaped hull, and room for three crew to transport 11 marines. It is an eight-wheeled armoured amphibious vehicle with improved survivability, mobility, lethality and an output of 600bhp. This is just one of the prototypes being tested by the Marine Corps before decisions are made. The T-90MS is the modernised version of the T-90s main battle tank. At the end of last year, Indian authorities concluded a deal with Russia to buy 464 T-90MS tanks, complete with its Armata endowed 125mm cannon and 7.62mm anti-aircraft machine gun. India has also been manufacturing these tanks under licence, and that licence was extended in February.

The Tank Book, the result of a collaboration by Dorling Kindersley and The Tank Museum, is to be published on April 3. Authored by The Tank Museum’s curator, it covers the 100 year history of the tank from World War One to the unmanned vehicles and the tanks of the future. From early prototypes to the Challenger II, it offers a detailed and chronological look at more than 400 different tanks of

British, US, Russian, and French origin. It introduces key designers such as Mikhail Koshkin of T34 fame and Sir William Tritton the agricultural machinery expert who became involved with the

MOD moves tanks through Channel tunnel.

earliest British tanks, and explains the complex mechanisms behind such vehicles as the Centurion, Hellcat, SV Scout, and T-14 Armata. It also devotes some pages to armoured cars, armoured troop carriers and specialist tanks such as engineering vehicles. Photography is primarily new and of museum collection tanks but a number of archive photographs are used as chapter openers and to tell the story of the early days of the tank. Photographic ‘tours’ of particularly important vehicles show you inside some of the most formidable vehicles to ever go to battle in World War Two, stand ready in the cold war, and fight in conflicts beyond. As a general overview of the tank in all its forms, there is no better book.

Turkey’s Tank Upgrade The Turkish Government in Ankara gave notice of its intention to upgrade its 200-strong fleet of German and American-made tanks: the contract up for tender reputedly worth around 500 million dollars. Five Turkish companies tendered their bids. Aselsan, an electronics specialist; Roketsan, a missile manufacturer - both state-owned - and three private companies; BMC, Otakar and FNSS, all of whom are Armoured Vehicle producers. The

upgrade programme is to be managed by Turkey’s procurement agency and will involve improvements on 40 M60A3s, 40 Leopard IIA4s and 120 M60Ts. The work expected to be carried out includes armour upgrades and installing ‘active protection systems’ and has probably come about because Islamist radicals damaged a number of Turkish tanks during Turkey’s 2016 military incursion into Syria.

Challenger 2 Revamp Rheinmetall and BAE systems have both been awarded £23m for a two year Challenger 2 life extension programme (assessment phase) contract by the MoD. They will each develop solutions, to address ‘obsolescence’ issues and keep Challenger 2, which first saw active service in 1998, up to date for combat and peace keeping roles for a further 20 years by sustaining capability and operational effectiveness. The companies will effectively complete with a view to winning the eventual £700m upgrade contract. Com-

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pletion of the upgrade programme on the 227-strong fleet will extend the Challenger 2’s ‘out of service’ date by ten years to 2035. Considered advanced when first designed, with augmented reality and 360 degree monitoring, Challenger 2 has now been surpassed by more modern tanks’ technological capability, like the new generation T-14 Armata tank unveiled by Moscow last year. Despite several upgrades over the years, a Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2015 identified the need for a significant overhaul.

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Military Vehicle Market

words and pictures Nigel Hay

Homecoming

Nigel Hay welcomes the news that the War and Peace Revival is returning to the Hop Farm at Beltring

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f ever one piece of news positively affected the military vehicle market, it was the announcement in late January that the War and Peace Revival was returning to its original home, the Hop Farm at Beltring in Kent, after four years in Folkestone. Once the show’s new organiser John Allison, announced the return of the show to Beltring, the scramble for the stalls saw traders who had not attended at Folkestone confirming their bookings – including major dealers like Witham Specialist Vehicles who last traded at War and Peace eight years ago. So War and Peace’s re-revival looks good and seems to be universally welcomed by traders, vehicle owners and re-enactors alike. We always used to say that War and Peace influenced the market – with many traders relying on sales at the show as a significant part of their annual turnover.

BMW R75 up for auction - €45,000-€65,000

It’s good to be going back to the Hop Farm

Back at the Hop Farm that should hopefully now happen – as all of our enthusiasm levels have been topped up again. January, despite the bitterly cold weather, has seen good numbers of vehicle sales right across the board. And again, despite the punitive exchange rates, British buyers are still buying vehicles in Europe. This year’s highest price by far for a Jeep at €34,500 is a 1941 Slat Grille offered by a highend Austrian restorer. It isn’t ‘factory class’ but a really useable combatready example. That compares with a rolling chassis Ford project from an Italian offered at just €3,000 – complete with its matching brass data

to be used by news crews reporting in war zones. Whether it will rock the world of a collector or end up being used in hostile environments once more remains to be seen, but the price of £22,000 is but a fraction of its build cost. It is difficult so far this year to pick a vehicle which will serve as a benchmark for how the market is doing. In recent years the consistently high prices achieved of World War Two armour, Kettenkrads and Ford GPA amphibians have proved to be a useful guide. As we go to press, Artcurial, who achieved these extraordinary prices at the Normandy Tank Museum, have two military lots in their auction at Retromobile in Paris. The guide price

‘We always used to say that War and Peace influenced the market’ Ex-Portuguese Shorland €7,500 for restoration

Armoured Defender 110 - £22,000

plates. We have had plenty of decent Jeeps both wartime and Hotchkiss come up for sale between £12,000 and £18,000 so there is something out there to suit all budgets. Airborne Garage just keep finding older restorations and barn finds and this month it has offered an ex-Portugese Army Shorland armoured car at a viable €7,500 and a very nice M3 White Halftrack – but with price on request. Like buses, armoured Land Rovers don’t come along for ages and then two come along together. On offer by a security company was a LHD Land Rover Defender fully armoured to EN1063:BR6 to protect from 7.62mm and 5.56mm and all lesser ballistic rounds. These were ex-MoD patrol vehicles and then converted with an all-steel hull and all the refinements

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for the BMW R75 is €45,000-€65,000 and a Dodge WC52 with trailer and a nice Harley-Davidson WLA is between €40,000- €80,000 – both plus their fees of about 23%. Bonhams too had a sale at Retromobile and there was one lot of interest – a nice Ford GPA that was imported by RR Services from India some years ago and then restored by a French collector. They were looking at between £120,000 and £150,000 plus fees of 15% on the hammer price. It actually reached just under £100,000 and didn’t sell. So we are watching these sales with interest. Following the highly successful Stoneleigh event in January, it’s only a few weeks to wait for Malvern on March 19, immediately after this issue goes on sale. And that is our season up and running.

On the Shelf New Books

AM General HUMVEE Author Pat Ware Publisher Haynes Year 2014 ISBN 978-0-85733-374-2 Language English Binding Hardback Pages 158 Size 214x276mm (8.5x11in) Price £25 www.haynes.co.uk

This is another in the series of books from Haynes that is a combination of the company’s famous workshop manuals and a history of a specific model. In this book the original military version of

the HUMVEE is profiled in detail through a variety of photography, illustrations, spec charts and informative text. The HUMVEE was produced from 1985 onwards for the US military and later as the Hummer H1 in civilian versions ahead of the different H2 and H3 models. These are all described in the book but its emphasis is on the military models. While the introductory chapter devoted to the origin of the HUMVEE is predictable, the chapter on the development and prototypes and how AM General won the contract is fascinating. For tech heads, John Lawson’s cutaway drawing shows the HUMVEE in detail both on the cover and in annotated form inside. There’s enough charts and detail images to make this book a must-have if you own, model, or are just interested in the HUMVEE. The photographs used to illustrate the book come from a variety of sources but the most interesting are the official US Department of Defence press images that show numerous examples of the HUMVEE in military operations in Iraq and vividly reflect the dust and the danger.

M10/Achilles Author David Doyle Publisher Ampersand Group Inc Year 2016 ISBN 978-1-944367-19-0 Language English Binding Softback Pages 130 Size 280x215mm (11x8.5in) Price £23 www.casematepublishing.co.uk

In the style of other books in this series from Ampersand, this book comprises a visual history of the US Army’s World War Two tank destroyers. The M10 was the US Army’s first fully-tracked, purpose-built tank destroyer and utilised the powertrain and suspension components of the

German Motorcycles of WWII Author David Doyle Publisher Ampersand Group Inc Year 2016 ISBN 978-1-944367-02-2 Language English Binding Softback Pages 122 Size 280x215mm (11x8.5in) Price £17.95 www.casematepublishing.co.uk

As it was the Germans who invented a new form of warfare the Blitzkrieg - that relied on speed and mobility, it’s no surprise that they produced vehicles to deliver this. What is perhaps surprising is how heavily the Blitzkrieg relied on motorcycles in general and motorcycle combinations in particular. The difference between the Germans and the Allies seems to be that the Germans - with machine gun-toting combinations and as infantry transport - used the motorcycle as a weapon much more than the allied forces that largely used them in service roles. This book, through a selection of

diesel-powered M4A2 Sherman, the M10 featured sloping hull armour with an opentop turret carrying a 3in-diameter anti-tank gun. Demand was such that another variant, the M10A1, powered by a petrol Ford GAA engine, was also introduced. Later models were given larger calibre weapons to counter the threat from heavier German tanks. The British addressed this issue by rearming some of the 1,700 M10s that they received with the superb Ordnance Quick Firing 17-pounder antitank gun. These vehicles were designated by the British as 17-pdr. SP M10 Mark 1c. After the war the name Achilles was given to these vehicles. The photography in this book includes a mixture of archive and contemporary shots. The latter includes numerous detail photos of the M10, M10A1 and Achilles machines while the archive photography puts the Tank Destroyers’ role in the fighting in both the European (ETO) and Pacific Theatres of Operations (PTO) very much in context.

Aussie Land Rover Perentie Author Gordon Arthur Publisher Tankograd Year 2015 ISBN N/A Language English Binding Paperback Pages 40 Size 280x215mm (11x8.5in) Price £10.99 www.tankograd.com

black and white archive photographs that accompany contemporary photographs of restored motorcycles in the USA, provides considerable detail about the BMW and Zundapp machines of the German armies. Specifically it looks at the BMW R4, R35, R71 and R74 and Zundapp KS750 models and is strong on the detail of the restored examples of these machines and will be of interest to owners and restorers. It will even interest those building replicas from Russian-made, postwar Neval and Cossack combinations which have a link to the wartime German motorcycles. The black and white photos are useful and interesting so it’s a bit of an omission that the location of many is not given as it would put them in context.

This limited edition book on the Aussie Perentie Land Rovers is still available and relies on 55 colour photographs to tell the story of the antipodean 4x4 and 6x6 Perentie machines. The official names of these Australian Land Rovers are ‘Truck, Lightweight, Land Rover 110 4x4’ and ‘Truck, Light, Land Rover 110 6x6’. The name Perentie came to be used as it was the original project name for the Australian Defence Force’s project to select replacements for its Series IIA and III Land Rovers - the Perentie is a large monitor lizard. Key differences between the original 110 and the Perentie Land Rovers

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are the fitting of a four-cylinder Isuzu diesel engine and use of a different chassis for the 6x6 versions. The book starts with a two-page informational section on the Perentie vehicle in its numerous variants and the remainder of the book comprises photographic coverage of those numerous variants. The photos, most reproduced as full page images, with informative captions, show a selection of models, with hardtops, soft-tops and open Special Forces variants. For UK-based Land Rover enthusiasts, the variety of 6x6 variants will attract attention along with the Australian multi-coloured camouflage schemes. As the Perenties are being phased out of service in Australia some have now been imported to the UK.

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On the Shelf Collectable Books

Up Front

Four Wheels & Frontiers Author Roy Follows Publisher Ulric Publishing Year 2005 ISBN 0-9537577-8-1 Language English Binding Hardback Pages 210 Size 165x247mm (6.5x9.75in) Price £29.95 www.ulricpublishing.com

Author Bill Mauldin Publisher Henry Holt and Company Year 1945 ISBN n/a Language English Bindin Hardback Pages 230 Size 158x235mm (6.25x9.25in) Price £10 - £150 (second-hand)

In the years after World War Two and through the 1950s, a number of people made huge journeys in war-surplus vehicles and wrote books about them; a well-known example is Half Safe by Ben Carlin which details his travels in a Ford GPA. The journey from Singapore to England was made in this era by this book’s author Roy Follows, and his friend Noel Dudgeon, but the story wasn’t published until 2005. Follows and Dudgeon were colonial police officers stationed in Malaya whose time was almost up when

One of the famous cartoons of World War Two shows a tough old cavalry sergeant shooting his battle-damaged Jeep. This frequently reproduced cartoon that reflects the affection soldiers had for their Jeeps is one of many such insightful cartoons that accompany the text which offers an unofficial, but no less valid, history of the US Army in combat in Europe. It is reputed to offer “the truest glimpse most Americans got of the real war.”

they’d bought an ex-army Willys MB Jeep from a scrapyard and were meandering 13,000 miles towards England. Undeterred by the disclaimer, ’Enter Burma at own risk’ endorsed in their passports, the fearless duo take on the challenge of the infamous Ledo Road. While over in Baluchistan, they resolve a life-threatening ambush with the outward calm of nipping to the corner shop for a pint of milk. Fluent in Cantonese, Noel Dudgeon, was the distinct other half of this venture. During his service in the Malay police, Dudgeon commanded a unit of surrendered Chinese terrorABOVE: Book is liberally illustrated with B&W images ists known as the Special BELOW: Maintenance in Zahedan, Iran en route. Operation Volunteer Force, and undertook covert operations they were discussing how to return against the communist guerrillas. to England. ‘Fellows quipped, ”What He later served in Vietnam with the about overland?’’ while chewing on a Australian Army and American Spewad of salted fish, running the spoon cial Forces and finished his career around my mess tin, chasing the last as a major in the Australian SAS. few grains of rice. The minute Noel For those who like old Jeeps looked up, I knew he was hooked on or overland travel stories this is the idea of driving home.’ Reportedly, definitely one to have on the shelf. this chance remark made in a jungle Its plentiful selection of more than den, deep in the heart of Malaya, was 70 black and white photographs the catalyst to a unique overland complements the narrative and adventure. is, in turn, complemented by By February 1958, maps and diagrams of routes probably not currently drivable because of the political situations in numerous countries. The only negative comment is that, in a book quite clearly about an MB, I can’t help but wonder why the spec sheet describes the Jeep as a CJ-3B. Don’t let that detail stop you buying it though.

mountains. Bill Mauldin, was there with the US 45th Infantry Division and noted in Up Front that even Jeeps have limits. He says: “When the mountain fighting in Italy first started to get tough, and it was impossible for trucks or Jeeps to bring food, water, and ammo up the mountain trails, mule companies were mustered and calls for experienced mule skinners went out through the divisions. Mules were sought out and bought

ABOVE: Shaving with the 45th Division in Italy RIGHT: The famous cavalry sergeant cartoon

Mauldin’s distinctive style of illustration relied on heavy black lines and came to prominence in the pages of Stars and Stripes magazine. The, then, 22-year-old infantry sergeant defied US Army censors, German artillery and Patton’s pledge to ‘throw his ass in jail’ to deliver the popular weekly cartoon, Up Front, to the magazine. Up Front’s heroes were the battle-weary, wise-cracking and cynical Dog Faces, Willie and Joe, whose stooped shoulders, mud-soaked uniforms, army slang and city dialects bore witness to the combat and the men who lived and died in it. The Italian campaign followed the cessation of fighting in north Africa and started with amphibious landings on Sicily soon followed by further landings at Salerno and Anzio culminating with a long and bitter drag into the

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from farmers. They carried supplies to many soldiers who hadn’t seen a Jeep for weeks.” I often think that the humanity of Up Front is a far more eloquent tribute to the combat soldiers, especially those killed in action, of the US Army, than many of the official or more textbook-like books about the war in Europe. Others agree, Mauldin (1921-2003) won the Pullitzer Prize in 1945 for his body of wartime work. There’s numerous editions and reprints of this book so while the 1945 edition without the missing dust jacket is shown here, there are versions still readily available including a 2000 edition published by WW Norton and Co.

Collectable Kit The Jerrycan

words Richard Johnson pictures John Carroll

Winning the War Part Two – from North Africa to Berlin How the Jerrycan helped the Allies to sweep to victory

An American Jerrycan. World War Two and post-war cans were marked USA on one side and QMC (Quartermaster Corps) on the other. The QMC was dropped during the 1950s

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Collectable Kit The Jerrycan

www.cmvmag.co.uk

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n last month’s article we considered the design of the Wehrmacht-kanister, how it addressed the need for a superbly designed fuel container, how three samples were smuggled out of Germany, and how the British copied the design and turned it against the might of the Nazi war machine. Now we must go back a little in time, and see what became of the remaining two Jerrycans which Paul Pleiss had managed to obtain from the stockpile at Berlin’s Templehof airport. After his arrival in India, Pleiss had managed to make his way to France, presumably by air. Now, on September 11, 1939, he sailed from Le Havre, aboard the SS Washington, disembarking in New York on September 18. It seems increasingly likely that Paul Pleiss had contacts within the US War Department, for he swiftly became involved in discussions involving the design of the Jerrycan. At some stage he was told that samples were needed, and, as described last month, he had his car, still containing the Jerrycans, shipped to the USA, via Turkey and South Africa. Pleiss gave the War Department one of the Jerrycans for evaluation, and it was sent to the US Army centre for the research and development of military vehicles, at Camp Holabird near Baltimore. In a report dated September 18, 1940, ‘Advantages of the German Can’, delivered to the ‘Armored Force Board’, the following outstanding features of the German design were listed:1) The German can would stack, and when stored would not shift or roll. 2) The can was light enough to be carried and used by one man, yet strong enough for field use. 3) The full can would float, and the type and loca tion of the handles were ideal for field conditions. 4) The closure required no tools for opening, no accessories for operation. It would not open without intent, and would stay open while pouring, and a vent pipe was provided. 5) Dirt, sand, and water would not collect around the opening. 6) The container could be used for drinking water. For some reason two of the main qualities which made the German design so impressive were ignored by the staff at Camp Holabird. They produced a copy which retained the size and shape of the original, along with the three handles, but lacked the secure cam-operated closure, and the two-piece welded construction. The latter features were replaced by the same screw cap as the existing US World War One cans, and a three-

American Jerrycans have a screw cap

piece construction, with rolled, rather than welded, seams. The reasons for these changes are not well documented, but it is likely that the screw cap was chosen from a financial perspective, as vast quantities of the screw fitting were held in US Army stockpiles, and the rolled seam was seen as more suitable for mass production. As an interesting aside, crates filled with the screwed cap fittings, still coated in protective ‘Cosmoline’, turn up to this day in US military surplus sales! The redesigned Jerrycan was approved for use by the American forces, but the modifications were soon revealed to have shortcomings – the rolled seams were prone to leakages, and the weakness of the screw cap in field service conditions was recognised. The United States Marine Corps ordered Jerrycans which were copies of the German original for their own use, rather than rely on the army design. Last month, at the end of part one, we closed with the British Eighth Army poised and ready to take on the Afrika Korps at El Alamein. By now, using a combination of captured enemy supplies and newly-manufactured British copies, they were equipped with sufficient Jerrycans to minimise the fuel shortages which had plagued earlier operations. General Auchinleck, for whom the unreliable ‘Flimsy’ fuel cans had been a constant source of operational setbacks, had been replaced by Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery, and between October 23 and November 11, the Desert Rats achieved a decisive victory over the Axis forces, turning the course of the war in North Africa, and eliminating the threat to Egypt and the Suez Canal. Rumblings of discontent over the imperfect US design of the Jerrycan in combat situations, combined with a report sent back to Washington by two US quality control officers, led to a reduction in production of the Camp Holabird can. Agreement was reached that British production of the original design would be increased in the build-up of material for the proposed invasion of Fortress Europe.

USA on one side, QMC on the other

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It will never be known exactly how many Jerrycans of fuel were involved as the Allies swept across the continent in the summer and autumn of 1944 – some sources say 19 million, others 32 million. In theory, forward units were supposed to return empty cans, but in practice, many were just dumped. The losses were staggering - in October 1944 alone, over 3,500,000 Jerrycans were lost. Civilians were offered cash incentives for the return of empty cans, though judging by the number of World War Two-dated examples that are offered for sale in Normandy, many never returned to military service! As the supply line from Normandy to the front increased, some means had to be found to keep pace with the problems of distance and need. The way forward was found in the ‘Red Ball Express, effectively a circular convoy system using around 6,000 vehicles, and carrying forward about 12,500 tons of supplies a day. From August 23, until November 16, 1944, it operated continuously. In addition to vehicles carrying ammunition, food and general supplies, many of the GMC CCKW US Army trucks carried nothing but Jerrycans of fuel. The versatile ‘Deuce and a Half’ could carry 875 (US) gallons, keeping the front line moving onwards towards the Third Reich itself. With the capture of the port facilities at Antwerp and the restoration of a functioning railway system, the Red Ball Express could be stood down, but it, along with the Jerrycan, had provided the logistical chain which drove forward the Allied advance. Thus, with the German designed Jerrycan turned against the very people who had identified the need, and created the perfect product to satisfy the demand, we move towards the end of the story. Two things remain - the first is a quotation from the US President. Recognising that without the Jerrycan the campaign could easily have stagnated if fuel shortages had occurred, President Roosevelt wrote in November 1944 that: “Without these cans it would not have been possible for our armies to cut their way across France at a lightning pace which exceeded the German Blitz of 1940”.

G signifies gasoline confirming it as a ‘gas can’

Footman.indd 1

28/02/2017 11:32

Calendar April-December 2017

[email protected] www.cmvmag.co.uk

11 Chatham Fair

Historic Dockyard, Chatham, Kent. ME4 4TZ www.chathammilitariafairs.co.uk

17-18 Wartime in the Vale

10th Anniversary Big Bang Show. World War Two military vehicle and re-enactment. Ashdown camp, Evesham, just off the M5 www.ashdowncamp.com

24-25 Tankfest

Tank Museum Bovington, Dorset www.tankmuseum.org

30-2 July Ingleton 1940s weekend Vintage family funfair, 1940s vehicles and re enactors, parades and displays, dances and entertainment, and parachute display by the RLC Silver Stars. www.ingleton40s.co.uk

July April

9 Chatham Fair

Historic Dockyard, Chatham, Kent. ME4 4TZ www.chathammilitariafairs.co.uk

23 Northern Military Expo

Newark County Showground, NG24 2NY (just off the A1/A46 junction) Trade stalls selling militaria, vehicles, books, vehicle parts and even sell your vehicle. Admission £5 www.northernmilitaryexpo.co.uk

29 Tiger Day

Tank Museum Bovington, Dorset www.tankmuseum.org

May

5 Chelmsford Militaria Fair

Marconi Social Club, Beehive Lane, Chelmsford www.chelmsfordmilitaria.com

6 Military Motorcycle Ride

Sponsored military and vintage motorcycle ride Theale to Hungerford, Berkshire for the ABF/ Soldiers Society. Peter 077 483 10996 www.soldierscharity.org/events/ve-weekend-vintage-motorbike-rally

5-7 Classic Land Rover Show

Austin Champ and Gipsy owners invited. British Motor Museum, Gaydon, Warwickshire www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/events/theclassic-land-rover-show

14 Chatham Fair

Historic Dockyard, Chatham, Kent. ME4 4TZ www.chathammilitariafairs.co.uk

19-21 Haworth’s Annual Nostalgic w/e

Commemorating special forces and the 75th anniversary of the Cockleshell Heroes Events all across the village including vintage vehicle displays www.haworth1940sweekend.co.uk

18-27 Driven to Extremes, Shetland

Part of the ‚‘Feel Low, Drive High‚‘ project aiming to help suffers of PTSD. 10 days of driving through the highlands. You need a 4x4 and a sense of adventure. For more info www.maxadventure.co.uk

21 Chelmsford Militaria Fair Marconi Social Club, Beehive Lane, Chelmsford www.chelmsfordmilitaria.com

23 Kent’s kit, custom and American car show

Aylesford Priory www.kentskitcustomandamericancarshow.co.uk

27-29 Chipping Steam Fair Green Lane Showground, Chipping, Lancashire, PR32TQ Military vehicle class 01995 61866 www.chippingsteamfair.co.uk

27-29 Overlord Military Spectacular

Hundreds of military vehicles and re-enactors from World War One to the modern day. The Lawns, Denmead, Hampshire, PO7 6HS 09.30-17.30 unless camping, www.overlordshow.co.uk

June

3-5 Auf Radern und Ketten

(On Wheels and Tracks) Austria’s largest meeting for historic military vehicles from bicycles to main battle tanks at the Austrian Military Museum, Vienna www.hgm.at or email [email protected]

10-11 Wicksteed at War

Free entry but parking charges apply. Organised by the Military Vehicle Trust, features Armourgeddon Tank Paintball, fly-pasts and tanks, trucks and firepower show. Camping available. Wicksteed Park, Barton Road, Kettering, NN15 6NJ www.wicksteedatwar.co.uk

29

1-2 Capel Military Vehicle Show Adhurst Farm, Temple Lane,Capel, Surrey, RH5 5HJ Tanks, helicopters, military vehicles in action. Battle re-enactments, family fun and musing and dancing Saturday evening. www.capel-military-vehicle-show.com

7-9 Yorkshire Wartime Experience

Hunsworth Lane, Hunsworth, Bradford, BD4 6RN (J26 M62) North of England’s largest military vehicle/re-enactment show over 400 military vehicles plus re-enactment groups and trade stalls. Stuart Wright [email protected] www.ywe-event.info

8 The Garrison Artillery Volunteers at Leeds Castle Classic Concert. Three WW2 25 pounder guns will accompany the Royal Philamonic Orchestra in the 1812 overture finale and National Anthem www.leedscastleconcert.co.uk

9 Chatham Fair

Historic Dockyard, Chatham, Kent. ME4 4TZ www.chathammilitariafairs.co.uk

25-29 War and Peace Revival Hop Farm Show Ground, Paddock Wood, Tonbridge, Kent, TN12 6PY www.warandpeacerevival.com

August

5-6 Croft Nostalgia Festival

includes military vehicle displays and living history encampments along with iconic car racing. Croft Circuit, Dalton On Tees North Yorkshire, DL2 2PL www.croftnostalgia.co.uk

5-6 Baston in the Blitz

Celebrating the music, style and spirit of the Blitz years. Camping, re-enactors and vintage vehicles, plus a Marquee Dance. Weekend pass £10, concession £7. Baston is on the A15, midway between Market Deeping and Bourne. www.bastonblitz.org

Calendar April-December 2017

www.cmvmag.co.uk [email protected]

12-13 The Essex HMVA Military & Flying Machines Show Chigborough Road, Maldon, Essex. CM9 4RE. Open from 10am - 5pm daily www.militaryandflyingmachines.org.uk

13 Chatham Fair

Historic Dockyard, Chatham, Kent. ME4 4TZ www.chathammilitariafairs.co.uk

19-20 Combined Ops Military and Air Show

Headcorn Aerodrome near Maidstone, Kent www.combinedops.co.uk

24-28 Great Dorset Steam Fair Southdown, Tarrant Hinton, DT11 8HX (On A354 between Blandford and Salisbury) www.gdsf.co.uk

26-28 Military Odyssey

Kent Show Ground, Detling, Maidstone. Living History Event. James Aslett 07595 511981 www.military-odyssey.com

26-28 Tanks, Trucks and Firepower show

Dunchurch, Rugby, CV22 6NR 10am-5pm daily, camping available www.tankstrucksandfirepower.co.uk

September

1-3 1st International Army Show Twenthe Airport, an old military airbase in the Netherlands. Camping is available in the recreated ‘army style’ camp. www.armyshow.eu

10 Chatham Fair

Historic Dockyard, Chatham, Kent. ME4 4TZ www.chathammilitariafairs.co.uk

17 Chelmsford Militaria Fair

Marconi Social Club, Beehive Lane, Chelmsford www.chelmsfordmilitaria.com

October

www.chathammilitariafairs.co.uk

19 Malvern Militaria Fair

8 Chatham Fair

Historic Dockyard, Chatham, Kent. ME4 4TZ www.chathammilitariafairs.co.uk

22 Chelmsford Militaria Fair

Marconi Social Club, Beehive Lane, Chelmsford www.chelmsfordmilitaria.com

November

5 Northern Military Expo

Indoor show at Newark County Showground 200 trade stalls selling Militaria and vehicle parts. For more information (traders and public) either call 01302 739000, email [email protected] www.northernmilitaryexpo.co.uk

12 Chatham Fair

Historic Dockyard, Chatham, Kent. ME4 4TZ

30

Three Counties Showground, Malvern, WR13 6NW. Militaria, vehicle spares, books, badges and Jeeps for sale at this well established event. 9am-3pm. Admission £5 Amanda Lycett 01743 762266 [email protected] www.militaryconvention.com

December

3 Chelmsford Militaria Fair

Marconi Social Club, Beehive Lane, Chelmsford www.chelmsfordmilitaria.com

10 Chatham Fair

Historic Dockyard, Chatham, Kent. ME4 4TZ www.chathammilitariafairs.co.uk

BAIV.indd 1

24/02/2017 10:49

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28/02/2017 11:15

words & pictures John Stelling

Museum of the Month North East Land, Sea & Air Museum

T

he original military vehicle museum was in a building in Exhibition Park, Newcastle which eventually became unsafe to use. A new home was found in Sunderland when it merged with the North East Aircraft Museum and is now on what was the domestic site of RAF Usworth, a Battle of Britain airfield. The bulk of the vehicles occupy a Romney building, a type invented during World War Two by the Royal Engineers and used on military sites around the world. The collection has two unique experimental exhibits, a Morris Gosling and a Vickers Armstrong Squeeze Bore Gun, The Gosling amphibious trolley was designed to move parachutists’ radios and stores, the last survivor of ten built during the war. The experimental squeeze bore gun is mounted on a M1922 carriage for testing on the company ranges in Northumberland. The gun barrel diameter was 3.3in at the breach but 2.5in at the muzzle. The major problem was that

Home and Away

View of wartime vehicles, Willys Jeep, Austin Tilly, Bedford MWD and early wooden body No11 Cab C15

ABOVE: General view of the collection View from the top of the Saladin turret, of the vehicle hangar. A Saro Skeeter AO12 (the first helicopter used by the army Air Corps surrounded by various vehicles, a Dodge D15, White Scout Car, and replica of an Austin BYD towing a lightweight 100 gallon water bowser TOP:

A White Scout Car in the markings of 50th Northumberland Division engineers, one of the museum’s late volunteers was the sapper radio operator in one of these when it was strafed by a Me109 during operation Husky - fortunately he survived unharmed

Two six wheel armoured vehicles, the Alvis Saracen APC, painted to represent a vehicle used by local 15/19 Hussars in Malaya and a ex-15/19 Hussars gate guard Saladin currently undergoing restoration after 19 years guarding the barracks in Newcastle

This Morris Commercial is an interesting exhibit

the combination of pressure and velocity on the barrels wore them out very quickly in use. Representing the local Northumberland and 15/19 Hussars is a Saladin, a Saracen two Ferrets - the Mk1 was reunited with the original Northumberland Hussar driver who used it in the 1980s. From the Falklands War there is an Argentinian Tigercat Missile System which complements a Pucara from the aircraft collection. The Air Portable Land Rover is ex-Royal Marines and was reputed to have been part of the task force. From World War Two the museum has a number of locally-produced items, the 90cm Searchlight body was made by Clark Chapmans at Gateshead while the mirror was made by C A Parsons across the river in Newcastle. In Blitz Street is an AFS Sigmund trailer pump built in Gateshead, and a Coles EMA airfield crane built in Sunderland. Missing is an AEC Armoured Command Post or Dingo Scout Car that was bodied at Birtly, only a few miles from the museum. The display includes two Canadian vehicles: an early 11-cab wooden-bodied CMP

33

and a Dodge D15, which represent the Canadian vehicles which were assembled and stored at Team Valley Gateshead, most disappearing in May 1944 prior to D Day. The museum’s aircraft collection includes a Vulcan Bomber in addition to many post-war jet fighters, helicopters and other aircraft, other collections joining the museum on site include fire engines, two of which, a 1936 Leyland Cub and a 1942 Austin K2 Heavy Pump unit, served with Stockton fire brigade during World War Two. A Green Goddess would have also been used by the army during the firemen’s strikes. Finally there is a developing collection of trams and buses opening next year.

North East Land Sea and Air Museum The museum is situated north of Sunderland on the A19, opposite the Nissan offices. It is open from 10am-5pm seven days a week from March until the end of October. Winter closing time - dusk NELSAM, Old Washington Road, Sunderland SR5 3HZ. 0191 5190662 www.nelsam.org.uk

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Worthwhile

INVESTMENT

The Armstrong MT500 is losing its ‘old hack’ status and is now regarded by some as a classic; Jim Willett explains why he bought one

MT500s are one of the cheapest big trail bikes on the market today

36

words Jim Willett pictures Garry Stuart

O

ver the past century, armed forces across the world have used a variety of motorcycles to perform a range of roles, both during conflict and in peace time. To a large extent, the role of the motorcycle has become less important, and only a few are left in service. Where motorcycles were a quick way to transport messages and light items by road or across country, today, bulky and sophisticated equipment takes care of the communications and requires increasingly large vehicles to transport it. Any ex-military motorcycle can be a very practical classic to own; relatively cheap to buy, run and insure, simple to maintain and takes up little space. Military motorcycles are not drastically different from their civilian counterparts. Matt green paint, extra bracketry for luggage and minor modifications to the electrical system are the only common details which stand out when a military specification machine is compared to a civilian trail bike. This makes them every bit

as practical as the civilian machine, with the added interest of military history. In addition, the British Army envisaged the Armstrong as a general purpose motorcycle; therefore it had to be at home on long roads and tracks as well as capable when crossing rough terrain. This has resulted in the MT500 being more comfortable over long distances than civilian trail bikes, set up predominantly for off-roading and shorter commutes. Prior to starting production of the MT500 in 1984, Armstrong-CCM Motorcycles had taken on the licence to build the MT500’s predecessor, the Can-Am Bombardier, for military

‘A sense of humour and a large left leg are essentials for prolonged Armstrong ownership’

37

customers. Armstrong-CCM could trace their heritage back to building modified BSAs for off-road competition in the 1970s and they continue today as CCM Motorcycles, still working with both civilian and military customers. Originally built in Canada, the Can-Am Bombardier was lightweight and agile, but its Austrian-built 250cc two-stroke Rotax engine was not ideal for military service. Like the Bombardier, the MT500 used a Rotax engine, but this time a more suitable 481.3cc four-stroke version. Despite being assembled in Lancashire, the Armstrong was quite a multi-national beast. The design seems to have been based on that of an XN Tornado from the recently defunct, Italian manufacturer SWM. Some parts were also Italian, as well as British, German and the Austrian Rotax engine. The Rotax engine is both one of the MT500’s assets and the source of its major flaw. As with most air-cooled four-stroke singles of the era, the 481.3cc unit is reliable and has a sufficient spread of torque to chug along just

is upgraded to a Dellorto or Mikuni item. My current MT500 is fitted with the Dellorto carb and the previous one had a Mikuni, but both could still be obstinate starters. Being ex-military, fuel systems have often suffered due to ingress of sand and dirt off-road, poor fuel and the effects of being left unused for long periods, either during, or after service. A thorough strip and clean of the entire fuel system considerably improved starting on my current Armstrong. Its predecessor however, could be so stubborn, that its starting procedure became quite an attraction at rallies; much kicking, spark plug changing and pushing would cause enormous hilarity among onlookers. A sense of humour and a large left leg are essentials for prolonged Armstrong ownership. The standard five-gear ratios are quite close; off tick-over, or to blast up to, and comfortably maintain, the national speed limit. In the 1980s, the Rotax was by no means outmoded, with features such as a balancer shaft, magnesium casings, four overhead valves and a belt-driven camshaft. Despite this specification, maintenance and repairs remain simple, most fasteners are off-the-shelf metric items and the engine is ‘safe’ in the event of timing belt failure (the valves will not contact the piston). The Achilles heel of the MT500 however, is poor starting: with no electric start, the left hand kick is renowned for needing more than a few prods to coax the engine into life. Aside from being mounted on the left, the starting lever is easily swung, even without use of the de-compressor; just as well, as plenty of kicks can be required to get the engine running. Many owners have developed techniques to get their bike to start in a couple of kicks if well set-up. It is conventional wisdom that starting is improved when the factory Amal carburettor

‘Today, it will take some searching to find even a project bike for under £1,000’ first is low enough for gentle green lanes, and most A-road hills can be negotiated in fifth, although when riding at 60-70mph, the engine sounds quite busy. A sprocket change to raise or lower gearing for commuting or serious off-roading, respectively, would be beneficial, but the factory set-up is definitely best if the bike is to be used as an all-rounder. The front and rear drum brakes are, at best, adequate. While reliable, many owners choose to upgrade to disc brakes to improve stopping distance. Wheels, suspension and other components

are all of a decent specification and stand up well to on or off-road use all year round. Offroad knocks are soaked up well and relatively light weight and low seat height ensure that the bike remains sure-footed across rough terrain. The last batch of Armstrong MT500s was delivered to the British Army in 1987 before production rights were sold to Harley-Davidson. When Harley-Davidson’s MT350 entered service alongside the remaining MT500s in 1993, it had received some small but significant upgrades. Although the smaller capacity engine offered marginally less performance, this was more than offset by the welcome addition of an electric starter. The MT350’s front and rear disc brakes were also a very worthwhile improvement and fitting an MT350 front end has long been a popular modification for 500s. In fact, walking around a recent MT Riders Club event, all machines present had been fitted with electric starters and front disc brakes. My MT500 was released from the MoD in 1997, so would have served alongside TOP RIGHT: D623 ELL has remained unmodified during its 20 years in civilian ownership TOP LEFT: Number plate mount is better suited to a six-digit military plate BELOW: The four-stroke Rotax is not the fastest, but pulls smoothly, right from low revs

38

SPECIFICATIONS

Make Armstrong Model MT500 Nationality British Year 1987 Production Run 1984-1987 Engine Rotax Type Four-stroke single cylinder, single overhead camshaft Fuel Petrol Displacement 481.3cc Power 32bhp@6200 R.P.M. Torque 38Nm@5500 R.P.M. Transmission Manual Type Constant Mesh Gears Five Transfer Box N/A Suspension Aluminium tele-hydraulic front and twinshock swinging-arm rear Brakes Drums Wheels Alloy hub and rim with steel spokes. Security bolts prevent tyre turning on rim Tyres Enduro 90/90 R21 front and Enduro 4.00R18 rear Crew/seats Rider only

Standard luggage rack is robust and would have been accompanied by side racks and removable bags when in service

Dimensions (overall) Length 2140mm Width 835mm Wheelbase 1445mm Weight 161kg/354lbs (Dry unladen)

Instrument panel is basic but clear to read

Modifications: Dellorto carburettor Additional Notes: Bought as a project in 2016 having been stood for several years. First registered in 1997. MoD history unknown. Owners Club: MT Riders Club: www.mtridersclub.co.uk

Fuel tank bears the scars of a hard life

ABOVE: Side-stands are found on the left or right hand side of some bikes, centre stands are also common ABOVE MIDDLE: Vents prevent high front mud guard obstructing air flow to engine TOP: Front drum brake is adequate at best; many owners upgrade to a disc-braked front end from an MT350

The silencer is intricately shaped to clear the rear suspension, and suffers from heavy corrosion

39

Different front and rear sprockets are available for owners who wish to alter gearing for commuting or off-road use

Original manual-start MT500 engine: The ultimate upgrade is to install the electric start 604cc Rotax from a CCM

The ratchet on the left hand kick-start can begin to slip after years of starting the 481.3cc Rotax

Foot pegs are well designed for shrugging off knocks and preventing muddy boots from slipping off

The MT500 is very much the Land Rover of bikes: not suitable where refinement is more important than ruggedness

‘The Achilles heel of the MT500 however, is poor starting’

MT500 is at home off the tarmac: easy to ride and far from fragile

MT350s for its last four years. The British Army continued to buy MT350s until 2000, with numbers in service gradually diminishing from then on. The supply of both Armstrong and Harley-Davidson versions direct from the MoD has now dried up, so bikes will have to be obtained from civilian sources. You may still come across a machine which has not been registered for road use since its release, but most will now have civilian registration numbers and have been used by one or more civilian owners. This has resulted in bikes on offer having varying degrees of modification and conditions being anything from concourse restorations to basket-case projects. This is reflected by a wide range of asking prices, all of which have risen sharply over the past five years: Today, it will take some searching to find even a project bike for under £1,000, yet in 2012 I got less than this for a running MT500 with six months MOT. Despite the increased prices, MT500s remain one of the cheapest big trail bikes on the market and many have led hard lives as off-roaders or winter commuters. Most parts are readily available from specialist suppliers, but can be expensive to buy, whether new or secondhand. Even the latest MT500s are now 30 years old, so they have every chance of being worn out or of having been heavily repaired, so check

40

carefully the quality of any work completed previously. Rising prices over the past few years mean that genuine, complete, really cheap MTs seldom become available. However, this does not stop them representing good value for money as they are still at the top end of the ‘old bike’ price range and are only just beginning the transition to being priced as a classic. Furthermore, a 1980s classic is a far more usable proposition than slower and more outdated bikes from earlier decades. For this reason, prices can only continue to rise and now is as good a time as any to get an Armstrong yourself. Once running, the Armstrong is one of those bikes which make the rider smile

41

041_CMV_APR17_ad.indd 1

01/03/2017 09:56

www.cmvmag.co.uk

The 6x4 Krupp-Geländewagen L2H43 (Kraftfahrzeug 69) in rolling chassis form. It was designed by Friedrich Krupp AG in 1933 with an innovative coil-sprung independent rear suspension system. Power came from an air-cooled, M304 four-cylinder ‘boxer’ 60bhp petrol engine of 3308cc displacement that made it capable of up to 70kph. The side-mounted spare wheels would rotate freely to assist with off-road use. The sloping bonnet earned the truck, which was supplied with a variety of bodies especially those for artillery and signals roles, the nickname of Krupp-Schnauzer - ‘Krupp Snout’ - from German soldiers. It was also referred to as the Krupp-Protze - Kruppe Limber. Production ran from 1934 until 1936 when the improved L2H143 was introduced and production continued until 1942.

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Centrespread 1934

43

MOTOWN w o sc to

o M

The GAZ 67 was the Soviet equivalent to the Jeep, with its track width being extended on later models

44

words Emrys Kirby pictures Garry Stuart

Originally established to build the Ford Model A under licence, the Gorky Automobile Plant went on to produce the GAZ 67, a Soviet alternative to the Jeep

T

he GAZ 67 is unmistakably a vehicle of Soviet origin; solid, based on old technology with absolutely no frills and yet very stylish and appealing in its own utilitarian way. Built

from 1943 to 1953, it was a contemporary of the ubiquitous MB Jeep and it owes much to both Willys and Ford Motor Company for inspiration and mechanical components. Even so, the GAZ 67 had number of unique features that that mark it out as a historically significant military vehicle. It demonstrated Russian ingenuity, adapting existing mechanical components to develop a vehicle in double-quick time. Car ownership in the west had expanded significantly in the late 1920s and 1930s. In particular the

45

Ford Model T and later the Model A made mass transport affordable to the general public. In the United States some 28 million cars were in use in 1928 yet in the USSR, the figure was less than 21,000. To address this huge imbalance, in 1929 the Russian government embarked on a plan to build a large car production plant in Nizhny Novgorod, located some 400km east of Moscow in the Volga-Vyatka Region. However, the Russians had a lack of expertise in mass vehicle production so this led to a contract arrangement with the Ford Motor Company to build a version of the Model A (passenger variant) and Model AA (truck variant) under licence. The plant was originally titled Nizhegorodsky Avtomobilny Zavod and the models were the NAZ-A and NAZ-AA. The first NAZ trucks rolled off the production line in January 1932. The following year the town and the vehicle models were renamed; Nizhny Novgorod became Gorky in honour of the influential socialist political writer Maxim Gorky and the factory became

Tex-Magna style indicator switch

Tiny speedo and odometer

ABOVE: Off-road performance is very good BELOW RIGHT: Some 92,000 GAZ 67s were built from 1943-1953

Basic instrumentation

Vehicle identification and date plate

the Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod. The models became the GAZ-A and GAZ-AA and in fewer than four years, more than 100,000 GAZ vehicles had been produced, transforming the automotive industry in Russia. The Red Army used GAZ-AA and AAA (a triple axle variant) models and even had an armoured version, the BA-3. However, all models showed considerable limitations in winter conditions during the 1939-1940 Russian-Finnish war and this was the impetus to develop an all-new cross country four-wheel drive model. By this time, the company had already started to develop their own models, including the GAZ 11, GAZ M2 and a four-wheel drive vehicle variant called the GAZ 61, one of the world’s first all-wheel drive passenger cars. This was a low-volume production vehicle designed by Vitaly Grachev based on existing Ford components and often used to carry army commanders. In 1941, Grachev was commissioned to lead a team to design a new light 4x4 utility vehicle, which became known as the GAZ 64. The prototype was based on GAZ 61 mechanicals and the body based on newspaper photos of the American Bantam BRC-60. Incredibly, it took the team just 50 days to produce the first model. By the end of the year, more than 600 units had been built and were in service on the Russian Front. By this time, the Russians

46

also started to use the Bantam BRC-40, the Ford GP and Willys Jeeps under the Lend-Lease arrangement with America, Canada and Britain. In service, the GAZ 64 proved to have a number of problems and was inferior to the American vehicles. A redesign based on lessons learned from comparative tests with the Jeeps followed very quickly and in 1943, the new model, known as the GAZ 67 arrived. While it looked similar, it had a stronger chassis, wider track giving better stability and a slightly more powerful engine. Further developments in 1944 brought about the GAZ 67B which continued in production until 1953, by which time almost 93,000 GAZ ‘jeeps’ had been produced. The GAZ 67 was based on a C-section steel ladder chassis and a steel body, very like the ubiquitous Jeep. The beam axles were sprung via double quarter elliptical multi leafs at each wheel with double lever shock absorbers. The main mechanical components were still of Ford Model A origin with a 3,285cc petrol engine producing 54bhp at 2800rpm and running through a four-speed gearbox. For off road use, a lever controlled drive to the front axle. First gear was incredibly low (6.4:1), indeed so low that rear axle breakages were not uncommon, especially if used in two-wheel drive. The GAZ 67B saw action in the latter stages of World War Two and proved to be a competent

Screen can be folded down

Extra under-seat fuel tank

rival to the Jeep with which it served. The offroad and towing performance was considered by many to be superior to the American offerings but there is no doubt that it was based on old technology. Fuel consumption was high but a saving grace was that it was able to run on a multitude of fuel grades including kerosene, a huge advantage on the battlefield. The mechanical brakes were pretty poor and hard to maintain and the wartime materials used were not of the highest quality. Even so, the GAZ 67 had a number of well

thought out ideas. Like the Jeep, the body was covered by a basic canvas tilt with a frame that folded flat into the rear tub. However, this was further improved by the fitment of canvas doors for poor weather conditions. To deal with the severity of Russian winters, vents were fitted to the back of the bonnet to direct heat from the engine onto the windscreen, a system that was adapted from the German Tempo G1200. Internally, the vehicle had minimal instrumentation and controls but the bulkhead scuttle also

Useful storage box on the wing

Vents direct engine heat onto the windscreen

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SPECIFICATIONS

Make GAZ Model 67 Production run 1943-1953 Engine GAZ built Ford Model A (retro fitted here with Land Rover 2,495cc petrol) Engine type Four stroke Fuel type Petrol Fuel system Carburettor Cylinders In-line four Displacement 3,285cc Power 54bhp Transmission Four speed Transfer Box Part time 4x4 Brakes Drum Tyre size 700-16 Lever suspension dampers

Dimension (overall) Length 132in

ABOVE RIGHT: Very basic interior BELOW: Retro fit Land Rover engine –

original was a heavy 3.3 Ford engine

Rear axle was prone to breakages if used in 1st gear in 4x2 mode

Twin quarter elliptical springs

Modern lights with indicators are still in keeping with the vehicle

incorporated a 40-litre fuel tank with a second full restoration on this vehicle and has adfuel tank located under the driver’s seat. dressed some of the original design flaws while maintaining the classic looks. He has fitted it At the end of the war, tensions with the Americans grew over how to build a lasting peace in with a tuned 2,495cc petrol Land Rover engine, running through a four-speed Series Land Rover Europe and their conflicting political ideologies could no longer be put aside. The Cold War is gearbox and an Ashcroft high ratio transfer box. commonly considered to have started in 1947, The mechanical brakes have been upgraded with hydraulic cylinders to cope and in 1948, Stalin’s Berlin with the extra speed. He also blockages were underway, owns a Ford Model A, the preventing food, materials and supplies from entering West vehicle that initiated the whole Berlin. The next cold war crisis GAZ project. Today the GAZ was the Korean War in 1950 plant is the largest enterprise in the Russian automotive where the Russians actually industry, producing light and supplied the North Koreans with GAZ 67Bs. medium sized commercial The GAZ 67B featured here vehicles, buses and specialist vehicle components. Over 80 belongs to Tony Haworth, a years, the plant has produced military vehicle and Land Rover enthusiast from south more than 18 million cars Owner Tony Haworth Cumbria. He has carried out a and trucks.

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Vintage Military Vehicles John D. Ferrie P.O. Box 1562 Fort Collins, Colorado, 80522

1942 Dodge WC-53 from the desert

M-3A1 Scout Car, Restored

Various Sport Cars From the Desert

1942 Dodge WC-27 Ambulance, Restored

Ford GTB, runs, $3800

M-119A1 Motor Gun Carriage, Restored

1944 Clark Airborne Bulldozer CA-1

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1942 M-2A1 Restored, from the desert

1942 Dodge WC-56 Command Car

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‘These people are genuinely interested in conserving both the hardware and the stories for the future too’

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words Vicky Turner pictures Wargaming.net

War games and the companies which develop them have a very important role to play in the preservation of military history

NOT SIMPLY CHILD’S PLAY I

f you’ve been a visitor to any of the UK’s military museums over the past few years, you’ve probably noticed that they have become busier, and that the average age of the visitors is dropping. Not just that, but that small boys are turning to their dads and reeling off technical rhyme and verse. Those, who in days gone by would perhaps have been the Hornby train-set buff, collector and track builder, are now, in the digital age, creating and exploring virtual worlds but with equal knowledge, enthusiasm and attention to detail. Games like World of Tanks, World of Warplanes and World of Warships, serve to feed the imagination and to educate the mind. So much research goes into the constructs of these war games that they really do bring history to life for a younger generation. The top brass of Wargaming.net are not all IT specialists; the company employs many historians, military experts and educationalists to ensure that details within game environment are as accurate as can be achieved, without compromising the ‘playability’ of the game. These people are genuinely interested in conserving both the hardware and the stories for the future too. Tracy Spaight, director of special projects at

Prior to this KV1 tank being found, there were no KV1 Soviet tanks on Belarusian territory, and fewer than 15 remain anywhere in the world

Wargaming.net says: “We are passionate about history and committed to an exacting recreation of each of our tanks.” They’ve even gone so far as to record actual engine noise from real tanks, going uphill, traversing gravel or on the road, so that the tanks featured in the game sound exactly as the real deal does in each situation; and this is for each of the tank types; it isn’t just one generic engine noise. Having access to the hardware is imperative to the success of the games. Historical accuracy is critical to the players who are mostly highly knowledgeable and come to these games because of their interest in the subject matter. Feedback gleaned from their players tells Wargaming.net designers that it is a turn-off for example, if the specifications are inaccurate or for the scale of the vehicles to be wrong. New and expensive technology, like 3D scanning, enables the designers to get it right, but only if the hardware is available to be scanned. The realisation that this hitech company needed access to historical artefacts, led them to seek partnerships with their custodians. In doing so, they have made anincalculable contribution to the preservation of the archives and to keeping history alive. Alex Babko, head of global special projects sums it up by saying: “We do well by doing good,” and then makes reference to corporate social responsibility. Wargaming.net has invested a “not insignificant figure” in conservation work, recovery of historically important vehicles, sponsorship, docuThis type of restoration project preserves both the artefacts and the skillset necessary for their maintenance and long-term preservation

mentaries and exhibition design. This includes 360 degree filming and applications aimed at getting visitors access to areas previously denied them for practical reasons, but which, through technology, can become accessible. Of course, all this benefits Wargaming.net by showcasing their technological excellence, as well as gaining them brand exposure. It is their commercial strategy to associate their brand with institutions that the public admires and trusts and to highlight their games to the audiences most likely to be interested in playing them. Crucially though, it truly is a symbiotic relationship as the varied worldwide institutions they are partnering are also benefiting enormously. These include the Imperial War Museum, the Pacific Battleship Centre, the National Museum of Romanian History, the Australian Armour and Artillery Museum in Cairns, the National Museum of the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force Museum. Richard Smith, director of Bovington Tank Museum says: “Our partnership with Wargaming has introduced a new generation of armoured warfare enthusiasts to the importance of heritage. We’ve seen growth in both our social media channels and our visitor numbers from World of Tanks players who are keen to learn more about historical tank men and to see the genuine artefacts. “In particular we have seen the impact this has had on events like Tankfest, which now attracts younger visitors from across the globe and sells out every year as a di-

ABOVE: This KV1 was a very rare discovery, equipped as it was with one of only 141 L11 guns ever fitted to these tanks BELOW: KV1 hauled from the River Don in Russia, 2014. It was deemed beyond repair

52

rect result of our association with Wargaming.” World of Tanks sponsor Bovington’s Education Centre, as well as their annual Tankfest event. Museums are undergoing a renaissance; it’s not so much that dusty displays are gone, but that they are being brought to life in the 21st century with the addition of technology and the encouragement of interactivity. Today, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) supplement the visitor experience. In VR, one sees a completely new world or environment whereby the headset transports the wearer ‘elsewhere’, but in AR, the onlooker is presented with an overlay of some sort, usually in the form of an app on a mobile device into their actual, and still visible, physical environment.

Partnership Track Record

Not all of the initiatives Wargaming.net has been involved in are hi-tech and futuristic, but many are. Here is a summary of just a few of the varied projects they’ve been involved in over recent years.

Dornier 17

In 2013 a salvage operation saw a German Dornier 17 bomber eventually lifted from Goodwin Sands, three miles out in the English Channel. Wargaming.net gave £75,000 to the

Tracy Speight, head of special projects, stands proudly next to the recently exhumed Dornier 17 remains

Royal Airforce Museum at Cosford to fund the ‘Interpretation Zone’ where the recovered plane now resides. A number of displays, in different mediums tell the story of the Dornier, its recovery and conservation.

Google Cardboard

Recently The Tank Museum, Google and Wargaming.net worked together to create the first virtual reality military museum exhibition and at the time, the largest ever VR event. More than 10,000 foldable cardboard headsets designed for use with

smartphones, were distributed over the course of Tankfest 2015, and were also shared with 50 members of parliament in a special parliamentary session showcasing the ‘Best of British’ future technology. The app developed by Wargaming.net for use with the headsets creates an immersive experience of five different tanks in motion, including Tiger131 and an M4 Sherman, and gives an intimate view inside the vehicles, an area normally ‘off-limits’ to visitors.

ABOVE: Trafalgar Square 2016. A replica on display forms part of the commemorative activities marking 100 years of the tank ABOVE RIGHT: Trafalgar Square 1918. Tanks were driven here to help raise capital for the war effort; warbonds were being sold BELOW: A replica Mark4 from the film Warhorse, driven through Admiralty Arch

53

KV1

In 2014, a KV1 was hauled from the River Don in Russia, but it was in a poor condition so no work was done

ABOVE: Many military vehicles have been recovered from bogs in Belarus as their crews sought to destroy them rather than have them recovered by the enemy BOTTOM: World of Tanks sponsors the Education Centre at Bovington Tank Museum, as well as the annual Tankfest Event

to restore it. Its remains can be found at the Kublinka Tank Museum near Moscow. You can see the video of it being raised from the depths on https://tinyurl.com/jej6vxu In November 2015, fragments of a 1940 KV-1 were discovered and extracted from a bog in the Vitebsk region, Belarus. Salvage experts found a near-complete turret equipped with a rare L-11 gun, and fragments of the running gear, as well as a part of the hull’s underside. The tank had been undiscovered and left to rust for more than 60 years but Wargaming.net joined forces with The Historical and Cultural Complex, from Stalin Line Museum, to bring the KV-1 back to being fully functional. It has now become part of the museum’s vehicle collection and participates in films and historical reenactments. https://tinyurl.com/jvy3b5h

T-34, Resurrection and Restoration

An award-winning documentary, funded by Wargaming.net and directed by one of their employees, Slava Makshun, charts the progress of three professional tank restorers from Belarus as they tackle the restoration of one of the few remaining T-34-76s, from a rusting empty hull retrieved from a bog, to full running order. To retain the vehicle’s authenticity, nearly all the parts used were either original or contemporary 1943 parts. The film focuses on the men, their passion and their skill rather than the technical aspects of the project. https://tinyurl.com/z3slopw Later, another film was made: Tanks Smell of the Bog, https://tinyurl.com/hlxcohs following these same three men as they travel around Belarus seeking the parts for further restoration projects, hunting them out in old battlefields or where locals told them vehicles had deliberately been sunk to prevent them getting into the hands of the enemy. https://tinyurl.com/gwekacf shows a T34-85 restored to full running condition in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

films being created which explore tanks, ships and planes located in areas difficult for most historians or enthusiasts to get to. Dan said of the initiative: “VR is a paradigm shift. Now anyone, anywhere in the world, is going to be able to access this ship, walk around it, and actually experience it almost as if they were here.”

Tank100

Last year, marking the centenary of the first ever deployment of tanks, at the battle of the Somme, the Tank Museum at Bovington ran a special programme. Along with historical app developer Ballista Digital, Wargaming created the Tank100 app. The Mark 1 tank was placed ‘virtually’, using geo-fencing technology, in 100 locations across the UK, and if you were at any of those locations, with your phone and the app, you could see a 3D augmented-reality image of the tank. 360-degree videos were also produced. A working replica of the Mark 4, used in the film Warhorse, was driven from Trafalgar Square, where tanks were positioned during the war to drum up support for the purchase of warbonds, through Admiralty Arch on its way to Buckingham Palace to launch the series of commemorative events. All of the 360-degree videos mentioned are free to watch and can be streamed, if you have a device with the YouTube app or with the Littlstar app via the link http://vr.worldoftanks. eu. To find the restoration documentaries simply type the links above into your browser, the Tank100 app can be downloaded from iTunes and Google Play Market.

‘Museums are undergoing a renaissance’

A Hotchkiss M201 followed by an Austin Champ tackles a steep descent

Battle Re-enactments

A 1941 tank battle featuring T-34 and Panzer III tanks, artillery, warplanes and dozens of infantrymen was recreated in the grounds of the Stalin Line Museum in Minsk and the 360 degree, virtual reality film shot of the event by Wargaming’s VR experts, teleports the viewer into the heart of the battle. T-34, a painstaking labour of love restoration, conducted over six months by three professional Belarusian tank-restorers. Every part used was contemporary to this 1943 T-34 tank, although not necessarily originally from it

Virtually Inside

Early 2016 saw a team of 360-degree filmakers from Wargaming.net meet historian Dan Snow aboard HMS Cavalier to create a virtual tour of the ship. This is just one in a series of

54

The Next Chapter... A fascinating new exhibit will be unveiled at the upcoming Tiger Tank exhibition launching this month. Richard Cutland, former tank commander and now head of European military relations for Wagaming said: “Using the latest digital technology, visitors will be able to see a fullsized Sturmtiger in the exhibition with the use of our augmented reality app.

Bookworld.indd 1

02/02/2017 09:35

words Tim Gosling pictures Archive

Tim Gosling examines the role of lumber in World War One and finds out more about the men who supplied it

D

ue to the enormous number of diverse uses that it could be put to and the vast quantities that would be required, lumber (along with guns, ammunition and many other pieces of military equipment), was considered to be a vital munition of war. The majority of

cut lumber would be destined for the front line where it would be used in the construction of trenches, tunnels, fire steps and duck boards as well as being used in no-man’s land as pickets to support the barbed wire. Lumber was also necessary for the many

56

supporting tasks such as the construction of barracks, hospitals, warehouses, railway tracks, telegraph poles and road surfaces. The best quality wood of all (spruce) was used for the manufacture of aircraft, while that of lesser quality and the offcuts were used as a conven-

Trees e f i L f o

The products of Twin City remained in their factory colour scheme of grey and red, indicating they were not used very close to the front-line

Delivering another heavy load of lumber, the exhaust on this White TKA-ATC is venting downwards and is blowing up a great big cloud of dust

The radiator on this heavily laden Mack is located behind the engine, so the bonnet has probably been removed to assist cooling

The International 15-30 tractor was fitted with a 114-litre four-cylinder horizontally opposed engine and transmitted power to the back wheels by chain drive

ient heating fuel. The variety of uses it was put to was enormous and the process set up by the US Army Engineers in France to locate, harvest, fell, transport and cut it to size took a great deal of organisation and effort. At the time of the armistice the US Engineers (being the largest of

the technical services) had 174,000 personnel of which 18,500 were employed in the French lumber industry. They were assisted in this difficult task by a variety of specialist equipment and vehicles, many of which were unique to the US Engineers Forestry Regiment.

57

Delivering wood is this US Army Dennis subsidy lorry on loan from the British. Its battered and muddy appearance suggests it is having a hard life

The payload of the Mack was five tons which has probably been exceeded with this load of logs. Note the primitive A-frame used for loading

Shortly after arriving in France the head of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) General Pershing became acutely aware of the desperate need to source their own timber in France rather than rely on imports from the USA due to the shortage of transport ships and docks. To remedy the lack of deep water ports required for the unloading of the larger transport ships coming from America, US Engineers started the construction of a deep water port at Bassens

(near Bordeaux) which required extra-long wooden piling. One shipload of these had arrived from the Pacific coast of the USA, but when they were unloaded they were found to have been cut in half to make them easier to load which unfortunately made them useless.

The Forestry Regiment

In June 1917 the 10th Forestry Regiment was formed with the express objective of undertaking

forestry work in France in anticipation of the arrival of the rest of the AEF. The army approached the forestry service of the US Department of Agriculture to bring together key personnel and identify the specialist equipment that would be required. When the advance guard of the American foresters arrived in France they found the French Forestry Service would only allow them to cut the trees that they directed them to. The French were rather environmentally conscious at this time and wanted to ensure that the forests were not over harvested so that they would be sustainable for the future. As another blow to the Americans the French advised them that they would be unable to supply them with any of the machinery for cutting, sawing and transportation of the lumber and this would all have to come from the United States. As the 10th Forestry Regiment disembarked on October 2 they were disappointed to find that very little of their specialist equipment had arrived with them so they set to work without it, improvising when necessary. To transport the freshly cut tree to the saw mill, harnesses made out of rope and sacks with motive power coming from either horses or teams of engineers were used.

‘Power to the drum came via a chain powered by the four-cylinder Waukesha engine’

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ABOVE: Instead of a radiator the International was fitted with a water tank. Towing three trailers of logs this model 15-30 is near the town of Gironcourt BELOW: Instead of rear wheels the Gray tractor had a rear drum which was supposed to make it easier to cross muddy ground

A Twin City powering a Bolter sawmill. In an attempt to keep the weather at bay a temporary structure has been built over the sawmill

Thankfully this back-breaking task came to an end with the gradual arrival of their trucks, tractors and narrow gauge railways which were soon put to work to transport the lumber from the forest to the saw mills. The most impressive machine used was the enormous Twin City Type 40 tractor which was manufactured by the Minneapolis Steel and Machinery Company. These machines weighed just under 11 tons and were powered by a fourcylinder, 24.5-litre kerosene engine giving it a top speed of about 10mph. Speed was not a concern though as it had only one forward and one reverse gear. What was important was its ability to tow very heavy loads and then power machinery from the flywheel. The method of cooling the engine gave the machine its steam traction engine-like appearance. Sitting in front of the engine was a large water tank with 130 metal tubes running through it. This worked like a steam engine boiler in reverse, pulling cold air through the tubes to cool the water in the tank. The Type 40 entered into production in 1916 and ended in 1925. There are several examples in preservation - at least one of which is within the UK.

The Gray tractor was said to be very uncomfortable to drive with the driver allegedly needing a day to recover after a day of driving!

59

Much smaller in stature to the Twin City was the International Model 15-30 tractor. Just 365 of these four-ton tractors were built in 1918 with production ending in 1921. Fitted with a horizontally opposed four-cylinder 11.4-litre kerosene engine it generated 26 drawbar bhp and 37 bhp on the flywheel. The US Engineers used these tractors in small numbers for both road making and for hauling trailers of lumber. The lightest of the tractors bought by the US Engineers was the Gray Model 18-36. Like the tractors described previously this was of a commercial design specifically for use in orchards.

This enormous 11-ton Twin City Type 40 is towing a portable Bolter sawmill to a new location where it will provide the motive power

‘The most impressive machine used was the enormous Twin City Type 40 tractor’ It had been designed and marketed by a fruit grower named W Chandler Knapp whose company was taken over by the Minneapolis-based Gray Tractor Manufacturing Company in 1914. To improve traction the original idea of having two rear wheels was replaced with a drum. Power to the drum came via a chain powered by the four-cylinder Waukesha engine. The whole contraption was covered in corrugated metal to protect it from the elements although no such protection was afforded to the driver. The tractor was described as being difficult to manoeuvre and tiring to drive. At the end of the war Gray exported a large number of these tractors to Europe for the civilian market and several still survive. The favourite truck of the US Engineers was the Mack Model AC Bulldog. These exceptionally rugged machines were put to a variety of uses and most photographs seem to show them heavily over-loaded. By the end of 1918 the US Engineers would have taken 1365 of the five-ton and 278 of the 3.5-ton versions over to France. Fitted with a flat bed and connected to a bolster the Macks could carry exceptionally long and heavy loads. Another truck that was unique to the forestry regiments was the White Model TKA-ATC. Fitted with a 60bhp six-cylinder engine and running on metal wheels with no tyres, this machine was ideally suited for work in the forests. Just 34 of these machines were used in France. There were never enough of these specialist trucks to equip the forestry regiments so the shortfall was made up with the more readily available four-wheel-drive FWD and Nash Quad

the forestry engineers, the saw mill. Used for cutting lengths of tree trunk into useful sizes they came in three models. The portable Bolter Mill which had a single rotating saw driven by a petrol engine was used for cutting short pieces of wood (up to about 12 feet in length) into planks. The complete mill weighed about 3,000 pounds and would occupy a space of approximately 28x10 feet. Not so portable were the 10M and 20M mills which were able to cut 10,000 and 20,000 feet of planks in a ten-hour period. These were quite substantial machines, powered by a 200bhp engine which had to be dismantled to be relocated. Two of these engines might be assigned to a single forestry camp where 3,000 men were employed. On November 11, 1918 the forestry engineers working in the woods were alerted that the war had ended by the constant sounding of the steam whistle on the engines that powered

the mills. The engineers who came out of the woods to hear the news were told that there would be no time for celebration as cut lumber would still be required. Strangely, at almost all of the camps, the mills suddenly developed problems or found that a crucial part of the machinery had gone missing and work had to be stopped until replacements were found. By the end of the war the forestry engineers had in service 282 saw mills, 1,850 logging wagons, 12,500 horses, 128 tractors, 2,300 motor trucks and trailers, 85 railway locomotives, 2,070 railway wagons and they had laid 400 miles of railway track. During this time (and into early 1919) they had cut more than 212 million feet of lumber, just short of ten million railway sleepers and nearly two million wooden poles. Records show that they had also built to order numerous huts, stables, furniture, picture frames and apparently one surf board!

The White TKA-ATC was a monstrous machine designed for lumber haulage. The wheels have no tyres so you wonder how it coped in muddy conditions

The Saw Mill

The destination of all freshly cut lumber would be the most important piece of equipment for

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THE WORLD’S BEST-SELLING CLASSIC LAND ROVER MAGAZINE April issue includes: RETURN OF THE NATIVE A 1955 Series I that spent 60 years overseas before being repatriated to the UK READY FOR ‘OWT A classic motorcycle restorer turns his hand to revitalising a Series III Lightweight hybrid SCOTTISH ASSEMBLY CLR joins a family reunion at the Mudmaster Navigational Trial in Scotland KEEPING IT STRAIGHT Richard Dickenson shows us how its possible to have both a lovely vintage vehicle and an RTV trialler in one

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02/03/2017 10:59

Playing words James Kinnear pictures Archive

James Kinnear examines the role the Russian BA-10 armoured car played in World War Two

62

g it Safe This BA-10A, rebuilt from a wrecked hull, was displayed at the Motors of War show held in the village of Chernogolovka near Moscow in late June 2014 (PHOTO CREDIT: ANDREY AKSENOV)

63

BELOW: A column of BA-10 and BA-10M armoured cars, July 20, 1944 (KULIKOV COLLECTION) BOTTOM: Several angles of the immaculate rebuilt BA-10A

T

he BA-10 was the final production model of the BA series of armoured cars that had begun with the BA-I in 1932. It was also the standard medium armoured car in service with the Red Army at the outbreak of the war on the Eastern Front on June 22, 1941. The majority of BA-10 armoured cars were destroyed in the opening months of the war, and as such, most surviving photographs show them in various states of disrepair.

It had a distinguished, if short, combat career in the years leading up to total war in 1941, and small numbers survived in Red Army, and also in German and Finnish, service, throughout World War Two. At the end of the civil war following the Russia Revolution in 1917, the fledgling Red Army possessed a grand total of 243 armoured vehicles of all types, the majority of which were local modifications based on imported chassis or captured vehicles. The number of vehicles in service actually fell off during the 1920s as the inherited vehicle park disintegrated and vehicles were incapable of further repair and return to service.

64

It was only at the end of the 1920s that the Red Army received its first indigenous armoured car type, the BA-27 (Brone-Avtomobil - literally armoured car - M-1927) that had been developed in 1926-27 at the armoured department within the Moscow AMO (later ZiS) plant. The BA-27 was a light reconnaissance and infantry-support vehicle, mounted on the 4x2 AMO-F-15 truck chassis, and armed with a turret- mounted 37mm PS-1 gun. It was series produced in small numbers between 1928 and 1931, and gave the Red Army its first experience with the deployment of a domestically produced armoured car. Approximately 200 vehicles were built in total. The BA-27 light ar-

ABOVE: BA-10Ms cross Manezh Square en-route to Red Square, Moscow, May 1, 1940 BELOW: BA-10M armoured cars belonging to the 172nd Motorised Division, Crimea, September 1941 (WARTIME PHOTOGRAPHER – CHERNOV)

‘The new two-man armoured steel turret was armed with a 45mm M-1932 (20K) tank gun’ moured car was the first generation of its kind used by the Red Army. It would be followed in the years ahead by the FA-I, FAI-M and later the BA-20 and BA-64 series, all of which were primarily used as reconnaissance and communications vehicles. In the meantime the Soviet Union pursued the idea, popular during World War One and the civil war years, of mounting relatively heavy armament on wheeled armoured vehicles, resulting in the development of a family of medium armoured cars, mounted on 6x4 truck chassis and armed with turret mounted tank guns. These were also used as reconnaissance and communications vehicles, but usually employed as infantry support vehicles, effectively wheeled tanks, with varying degrees of success depending on the year and the opponent encountered. The first of these from the Soviet Union was the D-13, developed at the Izhor-

skiy plant under the direction of N I Direnko and based on the imported 6x4 Ford-Timken chassis. A small series was built primarily for evaluation trials purposes, but the D-13 was deemed too complex for series production with available machine tooling and labour skills. The design concepts used on the D-13 were however used on another Izhorsk-developed medium armoured car, the BA-I (BroveAvtomobil-Izhorskiy), developed by a team under the direction of A D Kuzmin. Based, like the D-13, on the 6x4 Ford Timken chassis, the BA-I was technologically advanced for its time, featuring an all-welded hull with a 4-6mm armour basis, and also armed with a turret-mounted 37mm PS-1 gun as used on the BA-27. There was a co-axial machine gun in the turret and a secondary ball mounted machine gun located in the front of the fighting compartment to the right of the driver. The rear of the fighting compartment was lower than the front section where the

65

driver-mechanic was located, maintaining the lowest possible vehicle silhouette, despite the large rear mounted turret with its tank gun armament. The five- tonne BA-I had reason-

able performance for such a large and heavywheeled vehicle, with a maximum road speed of 63km/h and a range of 150km. The BA-I was, from 1934, replaced in production at the Izhorsk plant by the modernized BA3. The main improvement was the installation of the same turret and armament as was then being fitted on the T-26 M-1933 light tank. The new two-man armoured steel turret was armed with a 45mm M-1932 (20K) tank gun. The ammunition complement was greatly increased from the 34 37mm rounds of the BA-I to 60 rounds of 45mm located within the BA-3. For ease of production, the BA-3 returned to a combination of riveted and welded construction. Performance remained similar to the BA-I,

though the introduction of band type ‘overall’ tracks, fitted over the rear wheel pairs and kept in place by track horns running between the double tyres on the rear axles, improved traction in soft ground. In the early 1930s the GAZ plant located at Gorky had begun production of the GAZ-A passenger car and the 4x2 GAZ-AA 1.5 tonne truck, both based on Ford prototypes. These vehicles werejoined in production in 1935 by the 6x4 GAZ-AAA, and the chassis replaced the earlier Ford Timken chassis on all subsequent Soviet medium armoured cars. The BA-3 was later modified as the BA-6, which featured the same armour layout, armament and ammunition complement as the BA-3 but was slightly different dimensionally due to the new chassis on which it was mounted. The BA-6 weighed just over five tonnes, slightly more than its predecessors. Performance was unaffected as the BA-6 was powered by a GAZ-AA engine developing 40bhp as used in both the GAZ-AA

and GAZ-AAA trucks. The BA-6 closely resembled the earlier BA-3, but employed greater use of welded armour and didn’t have a door in the rear of the fighting compartment. The BA-6 was also the first medium armoured car to be fitted with ‘GK’ bulletproof tyres. The BA-6 was series-produced at the Izhorsky plant from 1936-38 on chassis supplied by the GAZ plant in Gorky, with 386 being built in total, making the BA-6 the most common of the BA medium armoured car series, second only to the later BA-10. A major modification of the BA-6 was undertaken at the Izhorsky Plant design bureau in 1936, resulting in the BA-6M, which, though similar in appearance to the BA-6 had a 600mm shorter chassis, reducing internal fighting compartment volume and thereby the overall weight of armour. It was fitted with the improved GAZ-M1 engine developing 50bhp, and had a series of other modifications including a new transmission, a 52-litre fuel tank, strengthened front suspension, improved brakes and improved fighting

ABOVE: The NII-38 Kubinka museum’s BA-6 at the Paklonnaya Gora Park,

Moscow, in 1993

ABOVE RIGHT: The main distinguishing feature of the BA-6 was the removal of the

rear fighting compartment door

BELOW: A BA-10M in the village of Vyazma, 250km west of Moscow, 1943

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compartment fume extraction. The most noticeable change however was the use of a new conical welded steel turret in place of the much larger T-26 M-1933 tank turret of the earlier BA-6. After prolonged trials with several prototypes, the BA-6M was accepted for series production in April 1937, after the elimination of some defects discovered during evaluation. The armoured car entered series production as the BA-10. The BA-10 series was armed with a 45mm M-1932 tank gun (later replaced with the M-1934), with a 7.62mm DT machine gun mounted co-axially in the turret and a secondary machine gun mounted in the front of the fighting compartment next to the driver. The vehicle had an ammunition complement of 49 45mm rounds and 2079 7.62mm rounds. The BA-10 originally had a combat weight of 5.12

the wheel-guard mounted fuel tanks. The planned production was in fact achieved, with 975 BA-10s (actually BA-10As) produced at the Izhorsk plant in 1940. In total, 3331 BA-10s of all types were built from 1938-1941. The Izhorsk plant was evacuated in September 1941 to the premises of the Baltiskiy Plant in Leningrad, rather than by rail to east of the Ural mountains where most evacuations, including plants being evacuated from Leningrad, were heading. A small number of BA-10Ms were built in Leningrad, the last in November 1941, with the BA-10 being used in combat in small numbers during the Siege of Leningrad. Several specialised prototypes of the BA-10 were produced, including the BA-22 armoured ambulance, developed at the Vyksunskiy DRO Plan in 1938, which could evacuate 10 seated wounded or 12 on stretchers. BA-10 ZhD and BA-10M ZhD “Zheleznaya Dor-

The BA-6M introduced the smaller, conical turret that distinguished the later BA-10 series from the earlier BA-3 and BA-6, both fitted with the same turret as the T-26 M-1933 light tank. The BA-6M was effectively the prototype for the production BA-10 series (MBARYATINSKY)

‘The rear of the fighting compartment was lower than the front section where the driver-mechanic was located’ oga” (literally steel road) rail versions of the BA10 and BA-10M were produced. These vehicles had their standard road wheels replaced with flanged steel railroad wheels and were used as armoured scout vehicles for armoured trains. A prototype with additional concrete armour was developed in 1940, designated BA-10Ts.

The fate of many BA-10s, a BA-10M burns in the summer of 1941, with a KV-2 in the background

BA-10 Combat History

The BA-10 featured a conical welded turret, as seen here at the Technical Museum, Krasnogorsk, near Moscow

tonnes, rising to 5.50 tonnes on the BA-10M, with a maximum road speed of 53km/h and a range of 300km, which was double that of the original BA-I. Commander’s BA-10 series armoured cars were fitted with a 71-TK-1 radio. The BA-10 entered series production in the spring of 1937; however production was initially slow, with only 60 built during the year. A modified ‘series version, with the defects discovered in early production eliminated, entered series production as the BA-10A, which had a planned production output of 900 vehicles per year, a significant increase considering the teething troubles encountered in early series production. The BA-10A was again modified at the end of 1939 as the BA-10M, with a modified fighting compartment and the addition of two additional armoured fuel tanks, each of 54.5 litres capacity, mounted over the rear wheel guards. The BA-10M now had a combat weight of 5.50 tonnes, some 10% heavier than earlier variants, but with no loss in performance due to increases in engine power output, and with significantly increased range. In service the ‘overall’ tracks introduced earlier were often stowed on top of

The BA-10 armoured car had its ‘first blood’ during the battles of the Khalkin Gol against Japan in the Far East, where 203 vehicles were engaged in the first week of combat in the region. The vehicle performed well against Japanese infantry, artillery and light tanks during battles in the region of Khalkin-Sumye and Debden-Sumye. The BA-10 was widely used by the Red Army in the 1939-40 ‘Winter War’ against Finland, and during the invasion of Poland. The vehicle was used during World war Two for reconnaissance duties, and also as an infantry support vehicle, accompanying infantry in attack formations in a similar manner to a light tank. As with most Soviet armour, the BA-10 suffered massive losses against advancing Wehrmacht forces in the late summer and autumn of 1941. The BA-10 was however relatively powerfully armed for an armoured car, the 45mm M-1932/34 tank gun being the same gun as used on the T-26 light tank and the BT fast tank at a time when most German tank and anti-tank guns were of 37mm calibre. The BA-10 was thereby actually a direct match for German light tanks, with some rare successes. On June, 22 1941, the first day of the war, six BA-10s commanded by Lt. Surovtsev ambushed and destroyed six German light tanks. In another documented action, 19 whitewash camouflaged BA-10s engaged German forces on January 18, 1943 in an infantry support function against German forces in the town of Schlisselberg east of Leningrad, resulting in the destruction of several enemy guns and

67

A column of BA-10s lined up on Manezh Square, Moscow, awaiting a military parade

A BA-10M in Red Army service

ABOVE: Nightime shot of the rebuilt BA-10 RIGHT: The BA-27M was the first Soviet heavy

armoured car. The sole survivor is located at the NII-38 museum at Kubinka

the capture of 120 German prisoners during a combat engagement that lasted ten hours. Vehicles captured by the Wehrmacht were pressed into service as the Panzer-Spahwagen BA-203 ( r ), with captured rail versions also being pressed into service in rail scout roles.

The Finns captured a significant quantity of BA-10s, which were used against their original owners by the Finnish Army during the Winter War and later Continuation War. The Finns had 24 vehicles in service on June 1, 1943, and used them until the end of the

Continuation War in 1944. A few were modified with a Ford V-8 engine developing 95bhp and used post-war for training purposes. One was converted to a mobile crane in 1962, the vehicle remaining in service until as late as 1978.

‘The BA-6 was also the first medium armoured car to be fitted with ‘GK’ bulletproof tyres’ BELOW: BA-10s during a Red Army parade

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Storm word and pictures Louise Limb

FORCE This fully kitted out SAS-style Land Rover 110 pays tribute to the First Gulf War

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F

ew vehicles speak more of the valour and fortitude of the Special Air Service (SAS) in battle than the ‘Pinkie’. This 1989 110 Land Rover Hi-Cap pick-up, complete with the sort of equipment the SAS would have taken behind enemy lines in Iraq in 1991, is a clever replica of those which saw active service during that conflict. Stripped down and fitted with a Rover 3,528cc V8 engine for extra power and speed in tight spots, the Land Rover 110 converted by Glover Webb of Hamble and adopted by the SAS Mobility Troop from 1985 as their Desert Patrol Vehicle, got its name after the original ‘Pink Panther’ Series IIA 109in Land Rover. Of course the SAS Land Rovers seeing active service in the Gulf in 1991 weren’t pink and were painted in desert camouflage of sand and a dark blue. They were however, central to the

operation which Peter Ratcliffe describes in Eye of the Storm (Michael O’Mara Books 2000) as: “The biggest gathering of SAS personnel in a battle zone anywhere in the world since the end of the Second World War.” The SAS would, as Peter ‘Yorky’ Crossland relates in Victor Two (Bloomsbury 1996): “Be fighting behind the lines just like the original World War II SAS back in David Stirling’s time. The main difference was the firepower we carried - enough to take on and destroy just about anything we could find. Hopefully, whatever mayhem we caused would force the Iraqis to deploy large forces in order to locate us, just

as Stirling had achieved with the Germans in North Africa.” The 110s were at the heart of the mission, built to a tougher specification than civilian 110 Hi-Caps. They carried two spare wheels, had roof, doors and windscreen removed and a sturdy roll bar fitted behind the two front seats. All the lights were painted out to ensure the patrol could not be seen at night. The 110s carried sand channels, lashed to the sides and some vehicles were fitted with powered winches. Stowed inside and outside were Jerrycans of petrol and water, rations, ammunition and other essential equipment. According to Crossland, the amount of personal equipment a real SAS operation

TOP: The majority of patrols took a full

complement of vehicles despite concerns they would be difficult to hide MAIN IMAGE: The heavily armed SAS Desert Patrol Vehicles were initially built around the Land Rover 110 High Capacity Pick Up by Glover Webb of Hamble

71

carries is “vast” and they were supported by a Unimog, stripped out to carry the bulk of the ammunition, stores and vehicle spares. Motorcycles were vital for recces and passing messages along the column, radio silence as important as those painted-out lights to conceal an SAS presence behind enemy lines. The substantial armoury varied from one Land Rover to the next. Mounted on the bonnet of Ratcliffe’s vehicle, was a 7.62mm GPMG and on a mounting behind him, facing rearwards, was a World War Two 0.5in Browning M2 heavy machine gun. They also carried an 8mm mortar, a grenade

The combined weight of the armoury, equipment and men gave the V8 3,528cc Rover engine plenty to do despite losing all the body

Repairing most damaged vehicles, the highly skilled Mobility Troop also ensured the simple-to-service Land Rovers were kept roadworthy

‘He managed to jump clear as the vehicle bounced and leapt into space’

Formed in 1941, Lieutenant David Stirling’s L Detachment Special Air Service (SAS) Brigade was the first really effective special forces unit in the British Army, transported by the Long Range Desert Group, they destroyed 60 aircraft on three airfields in Libya. Further North African successes followed and in Italy, supporting the Allied Landings. By D Day in 1944, they used their own armed Jeeps and along with the French SAS caused mayhem behind the enemy lines. Disbanded briefly after World War Two, by 1956 the new 21 SAS Regiment numbered five squadrons with the Malayan Scouts renamed 22 SAS Regiment in 1952. Post- war, Land Rovers became the natural choice for vehicle deployment

LAND ROVERS AND THE SAS

and for short range operations in Oman, 88in wheelbase Series One Land Rovers were stripped down and fitted with twin Vickers machine guns on a raised commander’s seat. A .30 calibre machine gun faced rearwards and was manned by the vehicle’s radio operator. From 1967 the SAS progressed to the Series IIA 109in Land Rover which could carry more and support longer range operations than the Series One.

Painted a dusky pink which was a very effective desert camouflage, these ‘ Pink Panthers’ or ‘Pinkies’ remained in service for nearly 20 years, equipped first with the Vickers and .30 cal

machine guns, which were phased out in favour of general purpose machine guns and Browning .50 calibre heavy machine guns. The latter carried these forward as part of the armoury for the coil sprung, V8 110 HCPU (High- Capacity Pick- Up) which replaced the Pinkie in 1985 to become the SAS Desert Patrol Vehicle until the end of Land Rover’s 110 production in 2016. The sand and dark blue camouflage of the 110 ‘Pinkie’ was effective in Iraq’s western desert

72

launcher, their personal weapons (M16s) and a Milan anti-tank missile launcher. Designed for ease of access to weaponry, the Land Rover’s one disadvantage in sub-zero conditions was that it offered no shelter against the wind and sleet. Initially, thanks to inadequate forward intelligence, troops froze while wearing the desert tunics and

RIGHT: 1990 Magellan GPS reminds us the Persian Gulf War

was the first to use modern digital technology

FAR RIGHT: Small ‘man pack’ transceiver used sparingly; the

patrols moved in radio silence under cover of darkness

73

shemaghs they were issued with but later, supplies of local goatskin coats were sourced and these doubtless saved lives. Mechanical problems were mercifully few as Mike Curtis describes in Close Quarter Battle (Transworld Publishers 1998): “The track rod ends are stuffed. They’re getting bent by the rocks. It’s a miracle we didn’t break one.” Mobility Troop had an ingenious solution to straightening them. They took them off, wrapped plastic explosive around the track rods and lit them to create some heat. Then they bent them back into shape. Minimising any losses of the heavily-armed Land Rovers was uppermost. Accidents however did happen especially when the troops were sleep-deprived, as Crossland relates: “We had been driving for two hours when… the sound of metal hitting metal rang out; the rear vehicle had run into the

Every inch of the door-less Land Rover is festooned with equipment and weaponry

The rear load bed houses the radio operator’s seat (Note seat belt) and allows space to operate the huge .50 cal Browning machine gun on its 360 degree pintle mount. Stores sit over wheel arches

Sets of four smoke dischargers front and rear can be operated from the dashboard to provide cover under fire

Behind the wheel, apart from the general purpose machine gun above the commander’s ( passenger) seat the dashboard and controls are reassuringly Land Rover 110

The chassis on this 110 shows no sign of any underseal like those destined for dusty conditions A Hotchkiss M201 followed by an Austin Champ tackles a steep descent

MIRA thermal imaging device for night sight sits alongside the Milan missile launcher’s tube on top of the roll bar

74

back of a Unimog…the collision had wrecked the radiator on the Land Rover and shunted the dashboard over on to the passenger side, where the officer in charge was sitting.” Luckily, serious injury was avoided but the driver had fallen asleep at the wheel and on inspection the Land Rover was beyond repair and had to be abandoned. But not before they’d taken two wheels off for spares, de-rigging it completely before concealing it with rocks, dirt and a spare camouflage net. Driving errors could have cost lives and Ratcliffe recalled a getaway across a steep bank: “We charged towards the berm and raced up the side. Then, just as we reached the top, Mugger let the revs drop and we stalled right on the crest, rocking slightly back and forwards.” Winching the vehicle back down cost valuable seconds and, with the enemy only 600m away, “with the revs rising to a howl we surged forwards…at the top, the 110 leapt the crest, flipped nose down and we were suddenly rushing and sliding down the far side and onto the road.” Later, leaving after a successful operation where tow chains had been used to silently extract fibre-optic cable from beneath a manhole cover, Crossland, concentrating on rocky terrain co-drove off a ridge into a ravine. He managed to jump clear as the vehicle bounced and leapt into space and watched horrified as the Land Rover rolled completely over. Fortunately Pat, the driver, was protected by the roll bar and the high-mounted Browning machine gun saved the two men in

The UN set a deadline for Saddam to withdraw from Kuwait by January 15, 1991 or face military action. Talks in Geneva had broken down by January 9 and on January 15, the US made the first statement launching Operation Desert Storm with the first air strikes taking place on January 17. Commander in Chief of the Allied Forces in the Gulf, General Norman Schwarzkopf was sceptical of any role Special Forces might play, remembering his poor experience of them in the Vietnam War. The SAS were ready at Victor, their forward operating base in Saudi and Sir Peter de la Billiere, once an SAS director of operations and now commander of the British Forces in

Inadequate intelligence regarding the weather left troops freezing in their desert uniform, and local goatskin coats were brought in by Chinook helicopter BELOW: Skilfully flown Chinook helicopters resupplied the SAS behind enemy lines ABOVE:

THE SAS IN THE GULF WAR 1991

the Gulf would ensure a role for the regiment. Hunting the Scud missile launchers that had already started bombing Israel was a huge responsibility for the SAS. Peter Ratcliffe put it succinctly: “Singlehandedly, 22 SAS had been tasked with saving the coalition, which would undoubtedly fragment if Israel struck at Iraq.” They crossed over the border into Iraq’s western desert unnoticed in late January 1991. Squadrons A and D were split into half squadron units of about 30 men, each allocated eight Land Rover 110s, a Mercedes Unimog and as many motorcycles as they needed. B Squadron was similarly split with one half remaining at Victor to tackle

the rear from injury any more serious than broken ribs. With all the Jerrycans, ammunition and stores safely back in the righted Land Rover, the 110 carried on its way. Writing about the same incident, Ratcliffe commented later: “They were amazing vehicles, those Land Rovers. We refuelled Pat’s battered 110 once it had been checked over and it started first time. We didn’t experience a problem with any of them.” Operating with the Land Rovers under camouflage netting could be cramped, especially when there was enemy engagement but they were essential to success, as Cameron Spence observes: “Four bodies battling to get organised in a camouflaged tent, ninetenths of which was filled with fighting vehicle. I hunkered down behind the front of our vehicle, elbows propped on the bonnet, my 16 trained on the advancing column of dust.” Later, the camo nets would stay wrapped around the roll bar. Friendly fire having wreaked havoc elsewhere, they could not take the risk of being hit by the coalition fighter jets and instead spread large Union Jacks on the ground at Lying-Up Points. The 110s’ speed, manoeuvrability and resilience, together with their formidable firepower saved skins when the patrols were compromised while successfully destroying Scud communications installation Victor Two in early February 1991. It was usual to do daily checks of tyre pressures, oil and water levels and clean as much sand as possible from the weapons. Mobility Troop was charged with the repair and servicing of the Land Rovers and very few were lost by the time Saddam had backed down sufficiently for orders to be given for the SAS to withdraw.

any anti-British terrorist activity and the other sub-divided into eight-man patrols, two setting out on foot. One of these was given the call sign Bravo Two Zero and much has been documented about this patrol’s fate. A key target, again the subject of written accounts from members of Alpha One Zero patrol was Victor Two, a Scud communications installation which turned out to be much more heavily defended than intelligence had suggested and for the SAS it was a classic operation, planting explosives and making a fighting withdrawal under cover of fire from the Land Rovers. Following the success of Victor Two over February 7-8,1991, and coinciding with a resupply convoy between

75

February11-17, Peter Ratcliffe as RSM called an extraordinary sergeants’ mess meeting at Wadi Tubal on February 15, partly as sergeants from all squadrons would be there and importantly, to reinforce discipline and emphasise to all that the SAS did not falter under fire. Audacious and extraordinary it may seem to onlookers, for the regiment it was business as usual and General Schwarzkopf’s signature is on the minutes. He was impressed. The letter of commendation from General Schwarzkopf concludes that the exemplary performance of the SAS was: “In keeping with the proud history and tradition that has been established by that regiment.”

CORNWALL MVT’S SAS V8 110 HI-CAP

Although this 1989 110 Hi-Cap pick-up is an expertly built replica, there are a number of genuine parts including the Milan missile launcher and the MIRA thermal imager, along with inert ammunition. The other weaponry is also genuine including the general purpose machine gun which, like everything else, is of course deactivated. In addition to the equipment which came with the Land Rover, the current owner has sourced a Browning .50 calibre heavy machine gun and a pintle mount for the rear which he understands was used on a Sherman tank in the film Fury. The offside wing sports a beautifully painted cartoon depicting the Pink Panther as a crusading knight, wielding a bent lance and atop a sorry nag, an exasperated, sweating Inspector Clouseau depicted as Saddam Hussein. For more information on the Military Vehicle Trust go to www.mvt.org.uk and for Cornwall area activities see www.cornwallmvt.co.uk ABOVE: Cartoon painted on the bodywork sits within a long tradition of artwork on fighting vehicles and aircraft BELOW: Armoury and equipment varied between the Land Rovers, eight 110s allocated to each half squadron of

approximately 30 men BOTTOM: MILAN missile launcher, LAW 90 light anti-tank weapon, Browning .50 calibre machine gun on a 360 degree pintle mount; the Land Rover is not short of weaponry

After a gruelling operation in which the SAS regiment lost a total of four men, withdrawal from Iraq at the end of February 1991 was poignant as well as momentous. Ratcliffe describes the occasion: “As we were about to pull out for the border, I took my crew’s Union Jack which had been spread out as usual on the ground near my wagon and tied it to the aerial be-

‘The 110s were at the heart of the mission, built to a tougher specification than civilian 110 Hi-Caps’ hind the driver. The crews of the other vehicles followed suit, and as we neared the border we must have appeared like some ancient band of crusaders emerging from the desert with colours flying.” Daring and brave as they were, without the Land Rover 110 Hi-Cap 22 SAS Regiment may well have struggled.

Further Reading Storm Command General Sir Peter de la Billiere (Harper Collins 1992) Bravo Two Zero Andy McNab ( Bantam Press 1993) The One That Got Away Chris Ryan (Century 1995) Victor Two Peter (Yorky) Crossland (Bloomsbury Publishing PLC 1996) Sabre Squadron Cameron Spence (Michael Joseph Ltd 1997) Close Quarter Battle Mike Curtis (Transworld Publishers Ltd 1998) The Eye of the Storm Peter Ratcliffe DCM (Michael O Mara Books Ltd 2000) The Real Bravo Two Zero Michael Asher (Cassell and Co 2002) Soldier Five Mike Coburn (Bullet Publishing and Media 2004)

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Echoes of War 1956: Suez Crisis

words John Carroll picture Archive

The original caption to this news photo reads: ‘British paratroopers and military vehicles were hoisted aboard the aircraft carrier Theseus at Portsmouth, England. The ship’s destination was the eastern Mediterranean, where the troops will augment British forces in the Suez area’

B

y the mid-fifties almost 60% of Britain’s oil was being imported by ships coming through the Suez Canal so it was crucial to British trade. There was a good deal of uncertainty in the region; in 1952, the coup d’etat led by General Neguib had forced the abdication of King Farouk. Neguib was replaced by Nasser who became president in 1956. This, and the Arab-Israeli dispute, dominated foreign affairs for the British prime minister Anthony Eden. There was a considerable amount of cold war, tit for tat diplomacy involving numerous countries and issues; the USA, the USSR, Britain, Egypt, Czechoslovakian tanks and the Aswan Dam project. In response to the blocking of Aswan Dam finance by the USA, Nasser nationalised the Suez Canal so that the revenue it generated could be used to finance the dam. This set the cat among the pigeons: Eden was determined that robust action should be taken against Egypt and that Nasser should be removed by military action. Immediate military action was out of the question as there were no contingency plans for retaking control of the Suez Canal if Egypt opposed it and it would take some time to

assemble forces within striking range of Egypt. This meant that, in the short term, the diplomatic process continued. By August 1956, British and French military strategists were planning an invasion, while Eden, conscious of the need to get public opinion behind him, debated the issue in parliament and broadcast to the nation. Eden ordered his chiefs of staff to begin planning for an invasion of Egypt using the Cyprus-based 16th Independent Parachute Brigade Group to seize the Canal Zone. The final land order of battle would involve the 16th Parachute Brigade, the Royal Marine Commando Brigade and the 3rd Infantry Division. To make these units battle ready, the regular army reserve and selected national service reservists were mobilised and most were sent to units in Britain and Germany to replace regulars posted to the invasion force. This photograph was taken on August 6, 1956 showing members of the Parachute Regiment and an FV1801A(1) Austin Champ being readied for shipment to the Mediterranean as the diplomatic row got ever more tangled. The Truck, 1/4 ton, Austin Champ is being craned aboard HMS

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Theseus which was to be used as an emergency commando carrier during the Suez Crisis. The military did what was asked and invaded; 45 Commando and the 16th Parachute Brigade landed by sea and air on November 5. On the world’s stage, at the UN and elsewhere, the Suez operation was widely criticised and, proof of collusion with Israel and a lack of support from the US, brought Anthony Eden’s career to an end.

Additional Information HMS Theseus was still under construction in 1945 so was used as a training vessel until the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950. The Theseus was deployed to Korea, and used in standard carrier operations during the course of ten patrols. In 1952, she became Home Fleet Flagship and in 1953 took part in the Fleet Review to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. In Suez, from November to December 1956, helicopters from HMS Theseus transported troops ashore and evacuated wounded soldiers before she was placed in reserve in 1958 and broken up at Inverkeithing, Scotland in 1962.

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