Historical Topic - French Cars in Russia.

[jaahn]

What could possibly go wrong with that combo ?? I hate to think what happens if you get into a spin and hit something backwards. Just cut that out Brakes ?? what brakes ?? Or do the front wheels toe in and out for brakes !
Jaahn

 

[Russell Hall]

This is the British prop driven armored car developed for desert use in WW1. Would have been an exciting vehicle to use.

 

[Russell Hall]

How to get a 202 off a freight train
These soldiers think having a 202 convertible is a great lark but a Russian winter may have changed their view.
French vehicles delivered to the German authorities.
A column with a 202 has been hit.
German colour photo of occupied Kharkov with a Peugeot van.
Pair of sailors posing with a Luftwaffe Renault convertible that is powered by a gas digester.
401 truck with an improvised shelter on the rear.
The Bernard was the largest French truck.
Hotchkiss with the pair of wheels under the nose favored by French heavy duty four wheel drive makers.
I'm not sure how much help the warning sign would be. The Germans made wide use of motorcycle units. Their order of travel was motorbike, armored car then tank to reveal any ambush. Not sure what the riders thought of it. Field police unit.

 

[Russell Hall]

An early 202 with the wipers at the top of the screen
French markings on this DK5 are curious - probably not repainted but could be French fascist volunteers in Russia.
Peugeot DMAH that wasn't going home
French Laffily in the Central Army Museum in Moscow displaying the under nose wheels
This cut down 02 might have been easy to get in and out of and looked racy but at minus 40 might have lost its charm
Unfortunate 402 DS - only a lowly corporal
Peugeot DMAH out of luck
French Matford has been hit and is on fire
In France - the French Army going into captivity
flat tyre army 402- unknown location

 

[Russell Hall]

Back in France - the German Blitzkreig resulted in thousands of people fleeing along the roads so that they became hopelessly clogged. Made worse by strafing attacks. The 1952 film by Rene Clement Jeux Interdits (forbidden games) gives a bleak view of this with a family fleeing Paris in a 301 cabriolet. The Germans pushed the wrecks off the road and they were later recovered for scrap. This 402 taxi from Paris has been well looted. French looters always took batteries and spare wheel.
Recovery of the wrecks proving you don't need a crane with enough labour.
This is tagged as French refugees in France
While we're still in France, the French army imagined 202 decouvrables made effective mobile anti-aircraft units. No protection for the crews, I wonder how they performed with a Stuka diving on them.
Before we leave France - the Oradour 202.
Is this Citroen driver reading a newspaper or consulting a map?
Expensive cars were not exempt from seizure - a Delahaye and again a dog.
Renault trucks being ferried across a major river, perhaps the Don, on a boat raft.
Another Renault on a boat raft.

 

[Russell Hall]

As the war went on older and older vehicles were confiscated, but this early Renault is the oldest I've seen. Probably shipped by train.
Simca 8 coupe
This 1920's model is the earliest Peugeot I've seen in German service
The Citroen 45 was staple of the German forces. The French Army had a fleet of some hundreds that were handed over.
The Renault AGR was another staple of the Wehrmacht. Renault under the direction of Prinz von Urach produced 28,000 for the Germans. Postwar publicity manager for Daimler Benz. Note the dog.
Panhard Dynamique
Citroen Kegresse captured by the Russians with T34 in the foreground. No doubt the Russians put captured vehicles to use but with no spares they probably went to scrap rather quickly.
Peugeots in a Russian village. One source gives 15000 new 202's and 402's produced for the Germans.
Shot up Citroen
They don't look very enthusiastic about pulling the Matford out

 

[Restorer]

As well as the dog in the Renault truck photo , note the debogging equipment on the running board just in front of the back wheel. Have been .looking for a photo showing my first girl friends father , who served on the Eastern front , survived and came to Australia with his mechanical expertise servicing Beetles and providing me with expert mechanical advice in my first restoration. I can see now with all these oddball vehicles that the Germans used , that they would become experts at any vehicle.

 

[Russell Hall]

The markings on the mudguards indicated the division and unit. Find out his unit. The photos are mostly of relaxed men posing for the camera. Not often of people in combat gear or under stress (except for mud). These are photos from private collections, with notes on the back their only clue. Sometimes the faces are blacked out - why? Most of these photos are by ordinary soldiers who had cameras. In Russia or Greece soldiers could photograph anything and did but in France photos of executions and so on were not allowed. Chances are lots of these photos were kept because the soldiers didn't come home.

 

[Russell Hall]

Citroen with an odd grille
202 cabriolet decked out for a military funeral. Early in the campaign.
Hard at work on a 402.
Renault Novaquartre in bombed Russian town
Matford passing bombed horse convoy.
The French supplied more than road vehicles. They handed over one of the largest tank forces in Europe, well maintained, hardly used, armed and fueled, only the markings needed to be changed. Somua and Hotchkiss tanks in Oslo.
Peugeot leading Renault tanks
Gas powered Panhard
Peugeot supplied 12500 402 DK5's according to a new source. These were one tonners with a 2 litre 55bhp engine. Often used as ambulances and general transport vehicles. Watch any old film of the German army in Russia and you'll eventually see a Dk5.
With massive casualties, thousands a week, the Germans used hospital trains the ambulances ran to. Supposedly Delahaye ambulances.

 

[Russell Hall]

The Peugeot DMAH was a forward control two tonne truck designed specifically for use by the Germans. Power was the 2 litre 55 bhp 402 engine. It was the only new wartime design by Peugeot. About 15000 were made. It was kept in production for a time after the war. Often seen in German convoys but all wheel drive would have been an asset. Note the neat jerrycan carrier in the first photo.
This Bugatti would have been a prize for what we can assume was a fighter pilot.
Not sure what is going on with this Citroen. Men in combat gear but no rifles.
Neat little Renault dozer
Peugeots, a Citroen and a Humber Snipe staying or lunching.
Berliet car leading a convoy
Early Renault
Officer with a newly delivered 202. The paint seems dull and presumably had a matt finish. None of these wartime produced Peugeots ever seem to turn up nowadays.

 

[Russell Hall]

Impressive looking Renault tanker truck with the tow cable dragging on the ground to send up sparks.
1939 Renault Juvaquatre
Bugatti Type 57. Officers got the best cars.
Peugeot DK5 signals truck. Perhaps Crimea or the Caucasus. The Germans knew the importance of good real time radio communications. The French didn't. Some of these trucks were used to intercept enemy radio communications. Used to good effect by Rommel in the Western Desert before the RAF took them out before El Alamein.
Citroen intelligence vans being sent to Kommando 7. Rail was very important given the distances and bad roads involved but easy to disrupt.
These drivers seem well pleased with their Citroen convertibles but it is summer.
Nice looking 202 cabriolet that has fallen into bad company. Field police and the friendly gentleman may be Gestapo. Likely taken in France.

 

[Russell Hall]

Last pictures for the moment.
New DK5's delivered to a transport unit. German military colour was a dark olive green. They don't have blacked out lights.
Hard to know what's going on here. German humour was an acquired taste but it could be for real. Note the fully equipped combat soldier. Some of the photos show armed soldiers as well as transport troops for security.
Bugatti cabriolet. The German mechanics had an impossible collection of vehicles to deal with but it would have been considered easy compared to tank mechanics. Heavy engineering, turret off to replace a motor, five makes of tank with non interchangeable parts. The Russians mainly fielded one tank and their mechanics had an easier time. Working on tanks could be required under fire such as in the massive tank battle at Kursk in 1943 that ran for ten days. Repairing a Peugeot was easy work.
Has the rear guard on this Citroen been removed to ease mud build up?
Don't know the markings on this 202.
A salmson
I doubt if this solid tired Renault was taken to Russia but some of the French artillery was still pulled by trucks as old as these. Which was better than the Germans had because they still used horses.
Licorne
Comms cable laying Peugeot. The shape of the front encouraged people to sit on them.
Grim looking crew in a 202.
Postscript: There is an odd connection to the French motor industry. In the 1920's a French Russian Jew named Ilya Ehrenburg wrote a book, The Life of the Automobile, about Andre Citroen's attempt to introduce assembly line work and the devastating effect this had on the workforce. In the late 1970's serialized on ABC radio. When France fell in 1940 he returned to Russia. When the Germans invaded he became chief Soviet propagandist. His writing was really very good and exceptionally powerful. It went to all the troops. Didn't like Germans.

 

[ianrobbo]

Thank you Russell all very interesting