Steyr 1500
The German Wehrmacht was, and still is in many publications, considered a modern and heavily motorized army. However, this was only partly true, some divisions were motorized but most infantry divisions moved as they did in WWI, on foot, and their reinforcements and training were hypomobile. The German army tried to cope with this from the mid-1930s until the end of the war, without much success. German industry was never able to supply enough vehicles for the needs of the army, so vehicles taken from civilian services and not very suitable for army service were used. It must be remembered that at that time there were more than thirty car manufacturers in Germany and most of them were of course trying to get their own types into service. The army command was aware of this state of affairs, and therefore already in the early days of German armaments a considerable number of programmes were launched to improve this state of affairs and to unify the equipment of units as far as vehicles were concerned. The second task of these programmes was to improve the utility of the vehicles selected for the army.
The first stage of these efforts was to unify the vehicles into certain categories and to develop standard parts for these categories which would form the basis for the vehicles ordered by the Army. The first result of these efforts was that uniform chassis - einheits - were developed for the vehicles of each category, on which the individual companies were then to build their vehicles. Of interest to us in this article is the category of off-road passenger vehicles, which also includes vehicles for transporting soldiers, the so-called mannschaftswagen. Included in this category are light medium and heavy off-road vehicles - Leichter, Mittelschwerer and Schwerer Einheist Geländegängiger Personenkraftwagen - the Germans with their penchant for abbreviations referred to them as le.gl. Einheits-Pkw, m.gl. Einheits-Pkw and s.gl. Einheits-Pkw. The most famous representative of the light category was of course the militarised VW - the Kübelwagen. The two heavier categories were produced by Horch, Wanderer, Opel and Ford. Cars of these heavier categories were produced in large numbers between 1937 and 1942 with different bodies according to the specific purpose. Depending on the purpose, the vehicles were also designated by the well-known Kfz. code, e.g. Kfz.31 is an ambulance, Kfz. 15 an infantry transport vehicle. In reality, different companies' units were mounted on a single chassis, so that the engine and transmission could differ even in a similarly marked vehicle. In 1940-41 it became apparent that the cars of these classes were too complex, expensive, faulty and, since they were still being produced by quite a few manufacturers, difficult to provide with parts.
As one of the steps in the effort to unify the vehicle fleet and the production of the German automotive industry just after the start of World War II, a project to develop and produce a standard 1.5 t light truck chassis was commissioned to a few selected automakers (among them the formerly Austrian concern Steyr-Daimler-Puch). These chassis were to be used to build vehicles to replace the previous medium and heavy class of passenger vehicles. This chassis was also to be used for various variants of purpose-built superstructures, including the commander's chassis, and possibly to be produced at other plants. The bodies were to be supplied by subcontractors.
In 1940, Steyr-Daimler-Puch (hereafter Steyr), in developing the above-mentioned chassis, entered into cooperation with F. Porsche KG (hereafter Porsche), which had already developed a chassis design of the classic type known as the Type 146 with front axle drive and independently (single longitudinal torsion bars and double vertical shock absorbers) sprung semi-axles. The chassis was fitted with a Porsche air-cooled V-cylinder, OHV-derived, air-cooled petrol eight-cylinder engine in a combined gearbox/distribution block with twin cooling fans. Later, the same engine (and other chassis parts) was also used in the crawler Raupenschlepper Ost - RSO - apparently fully proven. This engine was designated Porche type 145.
The 4x2 chassis, designated Type 146, was to be followed by many other variants in the production line, with the Type 147 4x4 chassis being the only other type realised and the one on which most hopes were pinned. Steyr used the company designation Type 270 for the Type 147 4x4 chassis, but the military designation, 1500A, became more widely known.
The 1500A chassis designation refers to the ability to carry a 1500 kg load and to "Allradantrieb" - i.e. all-wheel drive. The /01 and /02 were added to the designation for the older and newer production versions, with the newer 1500A/02 being co-produced with Auto Union AG, specifically its Wanderer subsidiary in Siegmar-Schonau, Saxony, near Chemnitz. Interestingly, Auto Union AG had developed its own variant of the 1500A chassis, but the Wehrmacht opted for the Steyr model and Auto Union AG then had to co-produce it. From the beginning of 1944, chassis were also produced at the Audi (again Auto Union AG) branch in Zwickau, Saxony (well known here for the later production of the Trabant).
It is clear that production was carried out in several factories simultaneously in order to ensure its continuity even in the event of a successful bombing of one of the factories by the Allied air force.
Reportedly, 12450 chassis were produced at Steyr in Austria by the end of the war, and approximately 5600 more 1500A chassis were produced at the German Audi and Wanderer plants.
Most of the 1500A chassis were produced at Steyr between 1941 and 1943, with production at Auto Union running from 1942 to 1944. The chassis from the Steyr plant were usually outfitted with bodies from the Vienna-based Lohner-WerkeGmbH as Kfz. 12, 15 and 70, i.e. as a "long kübel" troop transport vehicle with minor modifications. Other chassis were fitted with an enclosed cab and a box body for cargo transport or a box body for staff, ambulance and other purposes, the rounded edges of these bodies being typical.
Only about 20 of the 1500A chassis were fitted with a body marked Kfz.21, as convertibles for use by senior staff officers and generals. This variant of the vehicle had an elegant four-door body with a relatively luxurious interior, including seats convertible into comfortable recliners. Similar bodywork was fitted to the Horch m.E.Pkw. chassis, and exceptionally also to the s.E.Pkw. and Mercedes L1500A. All these vehicles were produced in 4x4 configuration and were designated in the Wehrmacht as Kfz.21 Schwerer gelandegangiger Personenkraftwagen - otherwise abbreviated as s.g.Pkw.
Source:
Encyclopedia of Historical Military Vehicles, by Bart Vanderween, published by Ivo Železný Prague 1999 ISBN 80-240-0805-X
The German Wehrmacht was, and still is in many publications, considered a modern and heavily motorized army. However, this was only partly true, some divisions were motorized but most infantry divisions moved as they did in WWI, on foot, and their reinforcements and training were hypomobile. The German army tried to cope with this from the mid-1930s until the end of the war, without much success. German industry was never able to supply enough vehicles for the needs of the army, so vehicles taken from civilian services and not very suitable for army service were used. It must be remembered that at that time there were more than thirty car manufacturers in Germany and most of them were of course trying to get their own types into service. The army command was aware of this state of affairs, and therefore already in the early days of German armaments a considerable number of programmes were launched to improve this state of affairs and to unify the equipment of units as far as vehicles were concerned. The second task of these programmes was to improve the utility of the vehicles selected for the army.
The first stage of these efforts was to unify the vehicles into certain categories and to develop standard parts for these categories which would form the basis for the vehicles ordered by the Army. The first result of these efforts was that uniform chassis - einheits - were developed for the vehicles of each category, on which the individual companies were then to build their vehicles. Of interest to us in this article is the category of off-road passenger vehicles, which also includes vehicles for transporting soldiers, the so-called mannschaftswagen. Included in this category are light medium and heavy off-road vehicles - Leichter, Mittelschwerer and Schwerer Einheist Geländegängiger Personenkraftwagen - the Germans with their penchant for abbreviations referred to them as le.gl. Einheits-Pkw, m.gl. Einheits-Pkw and s.gl. Einheits-Pkw. The most famous representative of the light category was of course the militarised VW - the Kübelwagen. The two heavier categories were produced by Horch, Wanderer, Opel and Ford. Cars of these heavier categories were produced in large numbers between 1937 and 1942 with different bodies according to the specific purpose. Depending on the purpose, the vehicles were also designated by the well-known Kfz. code, e.g. Kfz.31 is an ambulance, Kfz. 15 an infantry transport vehicle. In reality, different companies' units were mounted on a single chassis, so that the engine and transmission could differ even in a similarly marked vehicle. In 1940-41 it became apparent that the cars of these classes were too complex, expensive, faulty and, since they were still being produced by quite a few manufacturers, difficult to provide with parts.
As one of the steps in the effort to unify the vehicle fleet and the production of the German automotive industry just after the start of World War II, a project to develop and produce a standard 1.5 t light truck chassis was commissioned to a few selected automakers (among them the formerly Austrian concern Steyr-Daimler-Puch). These chassis were to be used to build vehicles to replace the previous medium and heavy class of passenger vehicles. This chassis was also to be used for various variants of purpose-built superstructures, including the commander's chassis, and possibly to be produced at other plants. The bodies were to be supplied by subcontractors.
In 1940, Steyr-Daimler-Puch (hereafter Steyr), in developing the above-mentioned chassis, entered into cooperation with F. Porsche KG (hereafter Porsche), which had already developed a chassis design of the classic type known as the Type 146 with front axle drive and independently (single longitudinal torsion bars and double vertical shock absorbers) sprung semi-axles. The chassis was fitted with a Porsche air-cooled V-cylinder, OHV-derived, air-cooled petrol eight-cylinder engine in a combined gearbox/distribution block with twin cooling fans. Later, the same engine (and other chassis parts) was also used in the crawler Raupenschlepper Ost - RSO - apparently fully proven. This engine was designated Porche type 145.
The 4x2 chassis, designated Type 146, was to be followed by many other variants in the production line, with the Type 147 4x4 chassis being the only other type realised and the one on which most hopes were pinned. Steyr used the company designation Type 270 for the Type 147 4x4 chassis, but the military designation, 1500A, became more widely known.
The 1500A chassis designation refers to the ability to carry a 1500 kg load and to "Allradantrieb" - i.e. all-wheel drive. The /01 and /02 were added to the designation for the older and newer production versions, with the newer 1500A/02 being co-produced with Auto Union AG, specifically its Wanderer subsidiary in Siegmar-Schonau, Saxony, near Chemnitz. Interestingly, Auto Union AG had developed its own variant of the 1500A chassis, but the Wehrmacht opted for the Steyr model and Auto Union AG then had to co-produce it. From the beginning of 1944, chassis were also produced at the Audi (again Auto Union AG) branch in Zwickau, Saxony (well known here for the later production of the Trabant).
It is clear that production was carried out in several factories simultaneously in order to ensure its continuity even in the event of a successful bombing of one of the factories by the Allied air force.
Reportedly, 12450 chassis were produced at Steyr in Austria by the end of the war, and approximately 5600 more 1500A chassis were produced at the German Audi and Wanderer plants.
Most of the 1500A chassis were produced at Steyr between 1941 and 1943, with production at Auto Union running from 1942 to 1944. The chassis from the Steyr plant were usually outfitted with bodies from the Vienna-based Lohner-WerkeGmbH as Kfz. 12, 15 and 70, i.e. as a "long kübel" troop transport vehicle with minor modifications. Other chassis were fitted with an enclosed cab and a box body for cargo transport or a box body for staff, ambulance and other purposes, the rounded edges of these bodies being typical.
Only about 20 of the 1500A chassis were fitted with a body marked Kfz.21, as convertibles for use by senior staff officers and generals. This variant of the vehicle had an elegant four-door body with a relatively luxurious interior, including seats convertible into comfortable recliners. Similar bodywork was fitted to the Horch m.E.Pkw. chassis, and exceptionally also to the s.E.Pkw. and Mercedes L1500A. All these vehicles were produced in 4x4 configuration and were designated in the Wehrmacht as Kfz.21 Schwerer gelandegangiger Personenkraftwagen - otherwise abbreviated as s.g.Pkw.
Source:
Encyclopedia of Historical Military Vehicles, by Bart Vanderween, published by Ivo Železný Prague 1999 ISBN 80-240-0805-X