WW2 Czech trucks, tractors & staff cars

Summary

The inheritance of WW1

Ancient Czechoslovakian industry found its origins in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. And thus, the latter operated a number of vehicle all originated from this province.

Czech trucks in German service, production and use

Nomenclature of Czech Trucks

Avia

Avia Motors s.r.o. was founded in 1919 as an aircraft maker (so after the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire) which diversified into trucks after 1945. It produced also many biplanes like the famous the B-534 which fought in WW2. Avia ceased aircraft production in 1963.

Its original creators, Pavel Beneš, Miroslav Hajn, Jaroslav František Koch and Václav Malý were indeed passionated about car races and engineering at the start. The company later was integrated into Škoda Works a.s. in 1928. The interwar aircraft manufacturing was moved to Letňany near Prague. The Nazi occupation had the latter working for the German Luftwaffe. In the 1963, the same manuafacturer was "dissuaded" by USSR to go on and concentrated on truck production and aircraft engines. It was split in 1992 between a propeller and a truck section.

Truck production at Avia really took off after 1920. The company manufactured fuel injection pumps, jets and roller bearings and was known for its repair services for Trucks. In 1946 the prototype Škoda R-706 was developed, an a serie in 1947. Avia concentrated on assembling T-805 trucks and from 1961 made the military Praga V3S/S5T. In 1963 Avia also produced the chassis for the OT 64 (SKOT) armoured carrier. Unfortunately Praga did not manufactured trucks under its own label as far as i aware.

Praga

Praga RV (1935)

The Praga RV was an army off-road truck model made by Czech manufacturer Praga between 1935 and 1939. It was mainly used for transporting military cargo, personnel, as ambulance and for towing artillery pieces in Czech and later German and Romanian armies. 3,290 vehicles were slated for use in Czechoslovakia while the rest was exported to Iran, Peru, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey.

Skoda

The strikingly original Skoda PA-II Zelva armoured car. The company was Czechoslovakia's main tank and armoured cars manufacturer, with three armoured cars, and the CKD AH IV, TNH, the latter being the blueprint for the famous Vz.38, later Panzer 38(t) and the previous Vz.35, integrated as the Panzer 35(t).

Automobiles have been produced in Liberec since 1906, when the first Linser passenger vehicle was produced here. Then, in 1907, the Reichenberg Automobil Fabrik - RAF also started its activities. It produced both passenger cars, buses and trucks. In 1913, the RAF became part of the Laurin&Klement company from Mladá Boleslav. The rationalization of automobile production between the two world wars primarily required its accumulation and thus high capital investments.

Because it exceeded the capabilities of the private company Laurin&Klement, in 1925 there was a connection with the then strongest concern in the republic - Škoda Plzeň. The construction and production of trucks with a carrying capacity of 4 tons and more is transferred to Pilsen, and in Mladá Boleslav an extraordinary modernization for that time begins. The production of light commercial vehicles with a load capacity of up to 3.5 tons continued to be carried out in Mladá Boleslav until 1945.

The development of the production of heavy-duty vehicles in Pilsen continued successfully. Škoda Plzeň was one of the first companies to adopt diesel working processes and began to equip heavy and later lighter trucks with these engines.

The extensive needs of the Czech Republic became a significant impetus for the development of heavy trucks in Pilsen. army in 1934-1935. Advanced two- and three-axle off-road trucks were developed as tractors of heavy weapons, various superstructures, etc. In the second half of the 1930s, a groundbreaking innovation for the time - a folding driver's cab - was put into production. An expression of the high quality and reliability of Škoda military vehicles was the fact that a number of vehicles survived field campaigns in the service of Hitler's Germany and served in Czechoslovakia after the war. army or in the civil services.

Interwar Trucks

Praga N (1915)

Successor of the V and T, produced until 1930 without much change. In WW2 they were a rare sight however.

Praga TNSPE (1916)

An armoured car, also largely exported, notably to Romania after the war, the TNSPE belongs to tank encyclopedia but was based on a truck chassis.

Praga MN, LN (1926)

The standard early interwar light lorry. The LN was produced until 1940 but mostly used by the civilian sector.

Praga RN (1933)

Main Czech Medium truck, 24,000 vehicles until 1953.

Praga SND (SNDgs) (1937)

Semi heavy truck, 550 built intil 1942.

Praga RND (1935)

Medium Truck, 17,000 produced until 1952.

Praga T6 (1937)

One of the most common artillery tractor, used by virtually all militaries in central Europe and the Balkans. Tracked, it was produced until 1944 and widely used by the Wehrmacht on the eastern front.

Praga RV (1934)

The main Czech military truck. Used as a troop transport, 2,000 were built until 1938 and th remainder until 1940. Widely exported due to its good off-rod performances, it was also used by the Wehrmacht.

Praga AV (1936)

A 6x6 staff car and military command vehicle. 400 made until 1940 for the Czech army and passed onto the Wehrmacht.

Skoda in WW2

Škoda military assembly line in 1938. The most prolific model of the Czech army was the LT vz.35.

Already during the Second World War, Škoda trucks for the post-war period began to be prepared, certainly not with the permission of the German military authorities. Essentially speaking, "in the dark", starting from 1943, the development of the vehicle later designated as Škoda 706R and the 706RO bus was started.

The leader of these development works was undeniably Eng. Oldřich Meduna, later a full professor at the University of Liberec. Škoda 706 R vehicles with a flatbed or tipping platform were classic, hooded designs, but Škoda 706RO buses were modern trambus designs from the beginning.

On the military front the company was completely focused by Germany on the TNH light tank from 1938, produced in the thousands for the Wehrmacht as the Panzerkampfwagen 38(t). It was so reliable and sturdy between its engine and chassis, that dozens of variants were born from its chassis, including the famous tank hunter Hetzer in 1944-45; See also.

Postwar renaissance

The production of these vehicles was started after a very short technical preparation in 1946, but not in Pilsen or Mladá Boleslav, but in the AVIA aircraft factories in Čakovice. In the post-war euphoria, it seemed that aircraft production would no longer be needed, and therefore as part of the overall reorganization of the Czechoslovak Republic. of the automotive industry, the production of Škoda 706 R and RO vehicles was introduced at Avia.

It remained here until 1951, when it was decided to quickly resume aircraft production and move vehicle production to northern Bohemia. This decision was also the reason that the actual start of production in the Rýnovice, Mnichov Hradiště and Liberec Hanychov plants considerably preceded the date of the official creation of the n.p. LIAZ.

LIAZ

LIAZ MT

LIAZ as a company was created in 1951 from the division of Skoda. The acronym came from "LIberecké Automobilové Závody". The company specialized in trucks and its first products were the R series (1952–1958) which suceeded the RT series (1957–1990) and MT series (1969–1990). LIAZ 100-400 series: The only military ones were the 200 series from 1991, delivered in 4WD versions. The 100 series sarted in 1974, the name ŠKODA LIAZ was dropped in 1990, but LIAZ is defunct from September 1, 2003, and reverted to a simple integrated division of ŠKODA today.

Tatra

Tatra 26 one of the first successful interwar Tatra truc family. Designed by Hans Ledwincka, the first serie was produced in 1926-1927 followed in 1927-1931 by the Tatra 26/30 and 1931-1933 by the 26/52. Most were still around in WW2.

Origins and WWI

Tatra was a Czech vehicle manufacturer of Kopřivnice, third oldest car marker in the world with an unbroken history as it was founded in 1850 as Ignatz Schustala & Co, and renamed in 1890 as the German Nesselsdorfer Wagenbau-Fabriksgesellschaft, and start producing wagon and carriages. In 1897, Tatra made the very first motor car in the whole of Central Europe, the "Präsident".

In 1918, the company became Kopřivnická vozovka a.s.. In 1919 it adopted the Tatra badge, and took the name of the nearby Tatra Mountains, on the Czechoslovak-Polish border.

Interwar

The interwar saw Tatra taking an international stature, not only with its range of sturdy, affordable cars (using its trademark backbone tube chassis fropm the engineer Ledwinka) combined with reliable in-house air-cooled engines. The Tatra 11 (1923) was one of such success. The company pioneered aerodynamics, notably with the spectacular Tatra 77 (1934) and streamlined later its whole range. The company was also famous for its trucks.

In 1919 already, the TATRA apeared on first mass produced trucks since 1914, the NW TL2 and NW TL4 used by the Autro-Hungarian Army. Kopřivnická vozovka, a.s. was integrated into the Ringhoffer Corporation and by 1936 the company evolved, and was renamed Ringhoffer TATRA Werke A G in 1938 after the partition.

Tatra 57/57K (1932-1940)

The Tatra 57 were popular two-door compact cars built from 1932 and known as the "Hadimrška". The model was upgraded as the 57A in 1936, 57B in 1938 but as the company soon fell under German supervision, a military adaptation was quickly derived, the 57K, (L standing for Kübelwagen) which production spanned 1941-1945, woth more than 5,000 Tatra Kübelwagens delvered. The "Leichter Personenkraftwagen" (le. Pkw.) Tatra 57" in German ordnance was often used by the Gestapo in central Europe.

Tatra 72 (1932)

The Tatra 72 was an army off-road truck derived from the Tatra 26 () manufactured between 1933 and 1937. It was mainly used for transporting military cargo (mainly ammunition), personnel and towing artillery pieces in Czech and later German armies. The design was also license-built in France by Lorraine-Dietrich, as the Lorraine 72.

Tatra 82 (1935)

The Tatra 82 was a heavy-duty car produced bewteen between 1935 and 1938, mainly used for military cargo and personnel, as a large staff car. It was given an air-cooled OHC 4-cylinder boxer engine (2490, 55 hp) on 3 axles and a gearbox with 8 fwd gears and one reverse gear. Loaded at 3,150 kg (6,945 lb) it still reached 65 km/h (40 mph). 325 were produced, the last given the V8 from the Tatra 87.

Tatra 92 (1937)

Early and late Tatra 92

The Tatra 92 was an army off-road truck manufactured between 1937 and 1941, transporting military cargo and personnel, declined as an ambulance, field kitchen and utility mobile workshop. Construction went on from 1938 under German supervision to proviede the Wehrmacht as well and was prominetl used on th eastern front although most went to Romania. It was powered by an air-cooled OHC V8 engine and in 1939, 80 Tatra 93 were converted as true 6x6 fr the Romanian Army only. 200 Tatra 93 trucks were acquired Romania in all, for 529 produced in all until late 1941. The Germans then pressed for a new model, which was the famous Tatra 111.

Under Nazi rule 1938-1945

Following the 1938 German-Czechoslovak war and Munich Agreement, the town of Kopřivnice was occupied by Nazi Germany and Tatra's production was directed towards military production. Trucks like Tatra 111 (1942) became instrumental both for the German Nazi war effort as well as post-war reconstruction in Central Europe and Soviet Union.

Tatra 81 (1939)

The Tatra 81 was the heavy-duty Tatra truck, produced between 1940 and 1942, with its development ordered by German government to be used by the Ordnungspolizei, and the Wehrmacht as heavy cargo. It had a large 8-cylinder diesel (12,467 cc) capable of 117.8 kW (158.0 hp) and the naked chassis was 5,700kg alone, with a 6,500 kg payload and still capable of 65 km/h (40 mph). Only 220 were produced.

Tatra 111 (1939)

The T111 was entirely developed by Hans Ledwincka under German supervision and specifications. It was manufactured as a heavy truck to be mass-produced for the Wehrmacht, starting in 1942 and until 1945, but the base vehicle was so good, production resumed and went on under Soviet supervision for twenty more years, until 1962 and the the Tatra 138. Total production was above 50,000, with perhaps 2,000 during the war.

Under Soviet supervision

After 1945 the company became famous for its TATRA 111, which remained in production for the next 16 years and until 1962. It became so successful it earned its its own monument. It was later derived into the T 141 heavy towing vehicle.

Another "legend" was the 1959 TATRA 138, further developed into the T 148 version range. It gaained a new 8-cylinder and synchronized transmission with inter-axle differentials. Heavy tatra trucks were widely used in Eastern Europe, less in USSR as considered a bit too complex, but their excellent reputation made them exported to 53 countries on five continents. At the end of the sixtie, Tatra presented a cab-over-engine design, the T 813 8x8 Kolos, first four-axle with the 12-cylinder air-cooled diesel and new transmission enabling 20 forward gears, 4 reverse.

100,000 T 148s had been cranked up when the line closed in 1982, but the ranges were fusioned into the T 815 (COE cab and later EURO 2 spec engine). The Trambus T 815 was powered by a new air-cooled V8 engine with supercharging and intake air cooler which power was more than doubled over time. After the fall of USSR and partition, in 1989 LIWA project was launched but only for a short time.

Tatra Today

Today, Tatra's production focuses on heavy off-road trucks based on its century long development of backbone chassis, swinging half-axles and air-cooled engines. Core of its production are Tatra 817 intended primarily for military operators and Tatra Phoenix (Tatra chassis with DAF cabin and Paccar water-cooled engine) aimed primarily for civilian market. In 2023, the company plans to produce over 2.000 trucks. Post-WW2: Tatra 138 (1959-71)
Tatra 148 (1972-82)
Tatra 158 Phoenix (2011)
Tatra 163 (1999)
Tatra 810 Mil (2008)
Tatra 813 Mil (1967-82)
Tatra 815 (1983)
Tatra 815-7 Mil (2008)

Src/ read More

Tatra wiki
Avia wiki
okiemtruckera.pl
LIAZ wiki
cat wiki
liaz.cz/
avia.cz

Videos

WW1 Vehicles

Allied ww2 Vehicles

---

Axis Trucks

Purchase this pagemarker and support the site !

Sd.Kfz 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 were half-tracks designed just before the war as prime movers, to carry supplies, ammunition, personal, and tow artillery. Many were also converted during the war as armored versions carrying AA FLAK guns (Flakvierling, 37 mm, or the legendary 88 mm Rheinmetall als used as tank hunters), or were converted as nebelwerfer (rocket launching armored vehicles). They were built by Hanomag, Steyr, Mercedes-Benz, Bussing and many other manufacturers until 1945, over 20,000 half-tracks.

---

Cold War & Modern Vehicles

Modern Trucks