by
David Lehmann » 25 Nov 2007, 01:07
Hello,
I am not skilled in mechanics at all, but I am not sure one can generalize about French trucks being generally badly designed or not reliable etc. There are so many different companies, models, versions, modifications. Some might be worse than others, that's sure. And indeed I guess Russian mud and winter were hard for all kind of vehicles. There were also standard light/medium/heavy trucks beside all-terrain trucks like the Laffly series and halfracks.
Many French trucks (Laffly, Citroën, Panhard, Peugeot, Renault, Unic, Matford, Willeme, etc.) or halftracks (Citroën-Kégresse, Unic, Somua) were impressed (booties) in German service.
Then the occupied French industry produced also extra vehicles for the Germans:
- Berliet:
Various Berliet trucks were used by the German army (DGRA, GDC, GDM, VDCA etc.) and about 30 Berliet tank carriers were used by the Wehrmacht. During 1943-1944 e.g. 1,262 extra trucks (5t) were produced for the German army.
- Bernard:
A few Bernard trucks (fuel tank trucks etc.) were used by the German army.
- Citroën:
Many booty cars, trucks and halftracks (Citroën Kégresse P14, P17, P19) were captured and used by the Germans. The Citroën-Kégresse P19 = Ci380(f) can for example be found in the Schnelle Brigade West. Many other vehicles were produced for the Germans between 1941 and 1944 like for example:
- 3,700 type 23 trucks
- 6,000 type 32U trucks
- 15,300 type 45 trucks (the majority of the trucks of Schnelle Brigade West)
(snip)
- Ford:
At the beginning of WW2, the French Ford factories located at Poissy and Asnières were controlled by the Laffly company. They transformed 1,000 Ford trucks in halftracked trucks (Maultier) and produced spare parts for the Ford trucks captured in Europe.
(snip)
- Hotchkiss:
During the occupation, Hotchkiss produced spare parts, engines and several chassis for the Germans from 1940 to 1944 . Some Laffly vehicles (R15R, S20TL, W15T etc.) and several Hotchkiss personal cars (PKW Typ680, 686 and 686 PNA) were also produced for the Germans.
- Isobloc:
Numerous buses had been produced for the French army. Several W843M medical buses were used by the Germans. They could carry 30 lying wounded soldiers or a whole mobile chirurgical antenna.
- Laffly:
Many Laffly V15R, S15R, S20TL, W15T etc. were captured and used by the Germans.
A small number of armored SPW based on the W15T were produced for the Schnelle Brigade West.
(snip)
- Latil:
Many Latil trucks and utility vehicles had been captured by the Wehrmacht. Some of the heavier trucks (Latil TAR H2) were again produced for the German forces.
(snip)
- Matford (in Strasbourg, Alsace):
Matford was born from the fusion between Ford and the French Mathis company. A few trucks were produced but mainly spare parts for the French booty Matford trucks like the Matford F917.
- Panhard & Levassor:
About 2,000 Panhard trucks were delivered to the Germans army and about 1,000 couples of tracks for the SdKfz-7 have been produced.
(snip)
- Renault:
For Renault, most of the archives have disappeared during the allied bombings of 1944 but in François Vauvillier's book "l'automobile sous l'uniforme" it is indicated that about 28,000 Renault trucks had been produced for the Germans during the occupation (AHS, AHN, AHR, AGC, ADK, ADH etc.). The Renault factories were administrated by Prinz Von Urach (who will later be the press attaché of Daimler-Benz after WW2).
About 23,000 Renault AHS trucks were used by the Germans (captured and produced). From 1941 to 1944 4,000 Renault AHN and 2,000 Renault AHR had been produced for the German army. In 1943, 704 AGC3 were delivered. Renault produced also spare parts for the SdKfz-7 and SdKfz-11.
- Saurer:
Several trucks were still produced for the Germans, especially the Saurer type 3CT which was liked. For example between 1943 and 1944 some 1,800 3CT trucks were delivered to the Germans.
(snip)
- Willeme:
A few Willeme type DU10 (10t) heavy trucks were used by the German army.
Beside the booty vehicles, the main companies (Renault, Peugeot, Citroën, Panhard, Berliet and Saurer ...) produced about 90,000 new trucks for the German army between 1941 and 1944.