Austrian Trucks, Cars and Tractors
+80,000 built for 9 brands
Context: The Austrian Army prior to 1938
Austria had a dynamic industry in the interwar, with roots going back to the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, part of which was split between Austria and Chechloslovakia. Austrian brands responsible for trucks and cars were many, but of relatively small size, such as Austro-Daimler, Austro-Fiat (ÖAF), Fross-Büssing, Gräf & Stift, Perl, Puch, Saurer and Steyr. Austria satisfied its demands in trucks and staff cars already before World War I and even pioneered the armoured car with its Austro-Daimler Panzerautomobil.
Its innovative three-axle lorries from Austro-Daimler and Steyr sold well internationally as well. Postwar, the treaty of St. Germain maintained Austrian armed forces down to 22,000 men and production of any armoured vehicles was forbidden, even though on this chapter, it had been very limited anyway in WWI. Motorisation was again entirely civilian in the interwar.
The Bundesheer was created as the new national military under First Austrian Republic (1918–1938), defined under theTreaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye with a maximum strength raised to 30,000 men, all volunteers, no Tanks, heavy artillery or aircraft, no General Staff, albeit soon a “training section” covertly acted as one. By 1938, the Bundesheer modestly expanded and was semi-modernized with about 22,000–25,000 active personnel, plus reserves and auxiliary forces, notably the Heimwehr militia under command of the Federal Minister of Defence Karl Buresch and later Wilhelm Zehner as Chief of Staff. Under the authoritarian Austrofascist regime (1934–38) reforms were made to try create a more potent force that can be rapidly expanded in tims of war.
There were seven infantry divisions (Landwehr divizione) numbered 1–7 that were regional units and two small regiments of dragoons that were partly motorized and still partly on horseback. All thse Landwehr unit had organic artillery, but it was reduced to light field artillery only with a few motorized antitank units dedicated to the Bohler AT gun. Air support was negligible, about 50 aircraft by 1938, most obsolete, and secretly expanded with Italian and German support (CR.32 biplanes and Junkers 86). In support were the Police and Heimwehr, usable as paramilitary forces used to support the regime and bolster the army’s limited manpower.
Under Engelbert Dollfuß and Kurt Schuschnigg the army was mostly tasked for internal security, not external defense and relations with Italy were close. The infantry carried WWI era stock rifles such as Steyr-Mannlicher M95 as well as platoon-based machine guns and motorization as limited. There were no tanks but 27 armored cars, the
Austro-Daimler ADGZ. The army had still high professional standard among officers but limited field experience and resources and in 1938, morale was mixed as the army was divided by pro-Nazi sympathies in some ranks.
Ideological aligment meant in March 1938 as the Germans entered Austria, mobilization was ordered, but the Bundesheer received no clear orders to fight. There was no significant opposition and the Austrian Army was formally absorbed into the Wehrmacht on 14 March as all its motorized assets. The Wehrmacht took over some hundreds of high quality motor vehicles and Austrian companies were quickly integrated into the German defence production and delivered massive amounts of new vehicles to the Wehrmacht.
Austrian Manufacturer's trucks, cars and tractors
A part of these Landwher units was motorized, while the rest was going on foot, like the Wehrmacht. For these motorized batallions, the army tried to obtain off-road trucks from 1935. Austro-Daimler had been forcibly merged in 1934 into a conglomerate with Steyr and Puch to become Steyr Daimler Puch AG in order to rationalized production and impose standards. One of its key model was the 3-axle all terrain lorry Austro-Daimler ADGR manufactured from 1936 to 1940 (361 made) with a payload of 3 tons, powered by a 6-cylinder, 72 HP engine and rear dual-tyre arrangement. Another interesting vehicle was the Austro-Daimler ADMK convertible tractor (334 made). Other models were relatively confidential.
Gräf & Stift made trucks in WWI already but later focused on civilian cars until 1938 and manufactured limited numbers of V 6 D and V 7 lorries. Under German supervision, the Gräf & Stift V 17 NDZ became its main wheeled artillery tractor production for the Wehrmacht before veering into the licene production of the Steyr RSO/01 (700 made 1942-44).
Österreichische Automobil-Fabriks-AG (formerly Austro-Fiat (ÖAF)) was established in 1907, and before 1938 produced Lorries and Omnibuses, notably after licence agreement for the production of diesel engines was contracted with MAN in 1935. Under German supervision, production concentrated on the MAN ML 4500 S and 4500 A under License production in 1940-45 (ca 2,000 manufactured).
Automobilfabrik Perl AG (1911) also produced a few lorries before 1938 such as the Perl L 6, L 6-31, L 600, LG Schnelllastwagen and T 6, omnibuses and passenger cars. Its post-1938 production is unknown, as its assets were integrated into another manufacturer early on: Financial difficulties led to an interest group formed in 1923 with Gräf & Stift, leading to a complete takeover by the latter in 1924.
Adolph Saurer AG was created in Arbon, Lake Constance already back in 1853. Commercial vehicles were produced from 1903 and it was known as the most important Swiss manufacturer of heavy lorries. They were soon made under licence in 1911, under the International Motor Company and with a cooperation with MAN from 1915. The Österreichische Saurerwerke AG was created in Vienna in 1906, and became its main shareholder until 1937, also producting military vehicles for the Austrian army (and later for the Wehrmacht). There were a large range of lorries until 1938 such as the Saurer 2-5 CRD family and the BH series.
The Saurer 5 BTDv S was its last model before the Anchsluss. production was later rationalized with the Saurer BT 4500 made for the Wehmacht in 1941-1942, the Saurer SGS 4500 & SGA 4500 in 1942-1943 (240 made) and Mercedes Benz L 4500 A under license. As well as half-tracks such as the leichter Zugkraftwagen 1t (Sd. Kfz. 10) Demag D 7 and mittlerer Zugkraftwagen 8t (Sd. Kfz. 7) Typ KM m 11. But its most interesting, albeit confiugential models were wheel-vum track models, the mittlerer Instandsetzungskraftwagen (Sd. Kfz. 254) Saurer RK 7 and mittlerer gepanzerter Beobachtungskraftwagen (Sd. Kfz. 254) Saurer RK 7/2.
ADMK Mulus
A. Fross was created in Vienna, initially a supplier for railway signalling devices by by 1907, Anton Fross married the daughter of Heinrich Büssing and Fross received the Büssing licence with several types made and a partially own developed driver's cabs and engine bonnets. Before 1938 the company produced the Fross-Büssing II FB 5 (1936), Fross-Büssing 50 (1936, c50 made), the Fross-Büssing II FB 5 D (1938) and Fross-Büssing FB O1 Rapid from 1939, Fross-Büssing III FB Kondor and Fross-Büssing V FB Greif. But under the Schell-Plan it manufactured the Fross-Büssing 4000, MAN E 3000 and MAN F4/F5 under licence from 1940. The next Fross-Büssing E 3000 was mass-produced under license of the MAN E 3000 until 1943 to around 2,000 vehicles.
Puchwerke AG was created from a first venture in Graz known as Erste Steiermärkische Fahrrad-Fabriks-AG, by Johann Puch in 1899, making bicycles and from 1901 motorcycles, then from 1906 light automobiles. In 1914 renamed Puchwerke AG. it made lorries for the Army but postwar financial difficulties led to be absorbed partially by Austro Daimler AG and stopping production of cars and lorries, until a full merger in 1928 as Austro Daimler Puchwerke AG and cooperation with Steyr in 1930 to create Steyr Daimler Puch AG in 1934. Puch provided the bulk of the Austrian Army motorcycles, such as the Puch 250 (T, E, L, R & T3) from 1929 to 1938 (19,505 made) and other series. Under German supervision Puch delivered the Puch 200 (1937-1940, 9,585), Puch 350 GS
(1938-1944, 2,500) and Puch 125 (1940-1945 ca. 4,000). It was appreciated by Werhmacht couriers and as part of the Reconnaissance units vanguards as the "leichtes Kraftrad 125 ccm Steyr-Daimler-Puch Typ 12".
Steyr Daimler Puch AG: Daimler Puch AG started as a rifle factory created in Steyr by Leopold Werndl in 1830 and from 1894 it started to produce bicycles. After 1918 from there, it started to manufacture automobiles. From 1923, it was renamed Steyr Werke AG. In 1928, Steyr Daimler Puch AG emerged from the fusion of Austro-Daimler AG with Puch-Werke AG. In 1934 another fusion with Steyr Werke AG created the Steyr Daimler Puch AG group.
Steyr Austria provide to Germany already some 24,807 passenger cars by December 1938. After the German takeover of the production, it was redirected to produce 1,200 Kübelwagen type Steyr 250, in addition to those already provided to the Austrian army. The company six-wheels all terrain lorries for the Austrian arm and continued to do so for the Wehrmacht but these were complex machines, even by German standards. Until 1941, 4,500 lorries were manufactured with the type 1500 A becoming the new 4x4 personnel carrier and lorry. Steyr provided to the Wehmacht no less than 12,450 vehicles, plus 5,600 by Auto-Union work Wanderer. From August 1944, the company started production of the simplified (Speer was there) type 2000 A, with 6,400 made until February 1945.