Lend Lease Vehicles

During the campaign on the eastern front, the Russians received considerable assistance from the western allies in the form of lend lease shipments. In addition to tanks they received large numbers of armoured cars, halftracks, jeeps and trucks. These vehicles enabled the Red Army to conduct the large-scale offensives, which swept the Germans out of Russia and carried the advance onwards into Poland and Germany during the latter stages of the campaign.

Weight: 3.5 tons.

Armour: 10mm

Speed: 48kmh (30mph).

Range: 210km (130 miles).

The Carrier, Bren No.2 MkI, or universal carrier, entered service in 1936. Designed as scout machine for mechanised units it carried a radio set and featured a high-sided armoured enclosure for the operator, behind the driver. The next vehicle in the series was the Carrier, Cavalry MkI, which was introduced in 1938 and designed to carry six men. They sat on either side of the rear compartments facing the engine. This was not a popular vehicle, as its occupants were not protected from enemy fire.
The final variant, the Loyd Carrier was introduced in 1940. It featured a simple container, armoured if required, with engine at the rear driving the sprockets at the front. This configuration allowed easy access to the vehicle via the rear and was much favoured by troops.

Armament: 1 x 0.5 inch Browning mg and 1x 0.3 inch Browning mg.

Weight: 9.5 tons.

Armour: 12mm

Speed: 64kmh (40mph).

Range: 280km (175 miles).

Among the weapons the Red Army lacked the most during the war were armoured personal carriers, such as the SdKfz 250/251 series used by the German Army. The Americans were already in mass production of armoured halftracks and many of these vehicles were supplied to Russia as part of the lend lease programme.
This vehicle was introduced in 1941 and was built by Autocar and White. Its shortened fighting compartment only allowed a limited crew of commander, driver and 7 passengers. It was among the first halftracks to be delivered to the Russia in late 1942. Improvements were made to the vehicle with the introduction of spring-loaded idlers, smaller headlights, mine racks and a winch, which featured on later vehicles.

M3 Halftrack

Armament: 1 x 0.5 inch Browning mg and 1x 0.3 inch Browning mg.

Weight: 9.5 tons.

Armour: 12mm

Speed: 60kmh (38mph).

Range: 200km (125 miles).

This vehicle was introduced in 1942 and was built by Autocar and White. The M3 was slightly longer than its predecessor, the M2 and could and carried a crew of commander, driver and 10 passengers. The M3 Series enjoyed good mobility due to its powerful engine and driven front axles. However the vehicle suffered from poor track durability and had no floor armour, making it vulnerable to mines. The M3 used the same chassis and mechanical components as the M2, but featured an extended rear armoured body. Improvements in the M3 paralleled those in the M2, with the introduction of spring-loaded idlers, smaller headlights, mine racks and a winch, which featured on later vehicles.

International M5 Halftrack

Armament: 1 x 0.5 inch Browning mg and 1x 0.3 inch Browning mg.

Weight: 9.5 tons.

Armour: 12mm

Speed: 60kmh (38mph).

Range: 200km (125 miles).

This vehicle, introduced in December 1942 and produced by the International Harvester Company, was an adapted version of the M3 halftrack. The vehicles were introduced onto the eastern front in late 1943 and were used as artillery tractors and command vehicles in reconnaissance units of the Red Army. The vehicle tended to perform poorly on soft ground and also did not adapt well to the use of low-octane fuels experienced in Russia.

Armament: 1 x 0.5 inch Browning mg and 1x 0.3 inch Browning mg.

Weight: 5.8 tons.

Armour: 12mm

Speed: 96kmh (60mph).

Range: 403km (251 miles).

This vehicle was built by the White Motor Company and introduced in 1938. The vehicle was based on a commercial truck chassis, with an armoured body added. The vehicle was designed for high speed, all terrain scouting and was fitted with a roller mounted on the bumper that could be lowered to prevent it bogging down in soft ground. The windshield was made of shatterproof glass and armoured shutters protected the radiator. The vehicles rear compartment, which housed six bucket seats and the radio set, had solid armour plate around it for crew protection. The vehicle was armed with two machine guns that were fitted on a 'skate rail' around the interior body in order to give a 180° traverse. An improved variant, the M3A1E1 was introduced in 1941. It was fitted with a diesel engine and an armoured roof.

Weight: 0.75 tons.

Speed: 86kmh (53mph).

Range: 340km (212 miles).

This vehicle was introduced in 1942 and from 1943 onwards, Russia received the vehicle as part of the lend lease programme. The vehicles became as ubiquitous on the Eastern battlefields as the Studebaker US6 and the Jeep. The vehicle had all wheel drive and was primarily utilised as a gun tractor or troop carrier. Beside the WC51 and the WC52, which was fitted with a winch, lend lease deliveries to Russia also included small amounts of the WC53 as well. The WC series were widely considered to be the most successful wheeled vehicles of WW2.

Weight: 2.5 tons.

Speed: 72kmh (45mph).

Range: 384km (240 miles).

This vehicle was introduced in June 1941 and came in 13 variations, including 6x6 and 6x4, with both short and long wheelbase. Almost all of the US 6x4 U7 Cargo trucks produced between 1942 and 1945 were delivered to Russia as part of the lend lease programme. The "Studer", as it was nicknamed, became the reliable workhorse of the Red Army. Russian drivers soon called the Studebaker 'King of roads'. The Studebaker demanded more service attention and better fuel than its Russian counterparts and the vehicles performance was often reduced due to constant overloading, insufficient maintenance and the use of low-octane fuels. From late 1942 until 1943 the vehicle was fitted with the soft cab, but there after was fitted with a solid cab. The 6x4 had a payload up to 5 tons and was widely used for hauling cargo over longer distances.

Studebaker US6 U3, 2½-ton, 6x6, with BM-8-48 Rocket Launcher

In August 1941, the first 82mm rocket launcher was produced, the BM-8-36 on the Russian ZIS-6 chassis. The BM-8 launcher differed from the more common BM-13 launcher in that it had a complete 360° traverse. As the Studebaker US6 U3 became more readily available, it began to replace the ZIS-6 as a launch platform transporter.

Studebaker US6x6 U3, 2½-ton, 6x6, with BM-31-12/16 Rocket Launcher

After the successful combat debut of the M-13 rocket in the summer of 1941, the need for a larger rocket arose. This led to the introduction of the M-30 rocket, with shorter range but a larger payload. The new rockets were initially launched from wooden frames 'Rama', a Russian copy of the German Wurfrahmen. At the end of 1942, an improved version of the M-30, with increased range was introduced, called the M-31. In March 1944, the launch platforms began to be installed on the Studebaker US6 chassis, thus dramatically improving the weapons mobility.
In April 1943 the Studebaker US6 also became the standard chassis for the BM-13-16 rocket launcher.

Willys MA, Jeep ¼-ton, 4x4, Command and Reconnaissance Car

Weight: 0.75 tons.

Speed: 104kmh (65mph).

Range: 460km (287 miles).

Being the pre-production model of the Willys MB, the Willys MA's main difference from its successor was its deeper body side cutouts, the single handrail and the slightly lower windscreen. The majority of the Willy's MA vehicles were shipped to Russia as part of the lend lease programme from late 1941 onwards, fulfilling the role of a command and reconnaissance car.

Weight: 0.75 tons.

Speed: 104kmh (65mph).

Range: 460km (287 miles).

The Willys MB was first produced in December 1941. In order to fulfil the increasing requirement for vehicles, Willys sub-contracted to Ford in January 1942 to build the MB under license agreement with the Ford Motor Company. The vehicles built by Ford, known as the GPW, were almost identical to the MB. The great majority of jeeps delivered to Russia as part of the lend lease program were the Willys MB and the Ford GPW.

Bantam BRC40 ¼-ton, 4x4, Command and Reconnaissance Car

Weight: 0.75 tons.

Speed: 98kmh (61mph).

Range: 600km (375 miles).

The first of these jeeps were issued to Russian forces in late 1941. They were built by a relatively small firm called American Bantam. Though technically equal if not superior to its competitors, financial difficulties experienced by its manufacturers saw production of the Bantam cease prematurely. The Russians mainly used the vehicle as a command vehicle and were so enthusiastic about the machine that they would have preferred it to its successors, the Willys MA and the Ford GPW.