A story about a new hero lend-liza It should start with a simple axiom. Among the military has no first and no last. No secondary. Have respected and award-winning sparkling scouts. There are severe laconic snipers. There are "gods of war" with its really scary and beautiful assistants. There are always smelling fuel oil tankers.
And there are cooks, repairers, tankers, nurses… They do not depict the posters. And the awards they can not boast. But try to attack or defend themselves without these humble, often clumsy and good-natured to the antics, of people. war war, and lunch routine. This is a sacred rule of the army.
Similarly, it is with military equipment. Look at any military parade, where the show equipment and weapons. Tanks, missiles, gun, armored vehicles of different specialties. Only in very rare cases tankers, bakeries, REMy, "Engineers" and other "worker".
These machines have the most important qualities for any military equipment. They are not only durable, They have powerful motors and undemanding to the fuel. they are simple! Easy to repair! Repair such machines can be virtually "on the knee". Any node or unit is arranged so, that the repairman is not necessary to disassemble half the car to replace it.
One of these invisible heroes of the war and is today's hero. Meet, Pest (Wrecker). In this car is called the military repair and evacuation vehicle Kenworth-573 (M1A1). The machine has an interesting fact, that actually piecework. Tow M1A1 produced only 840 units. Of which about 100 They were sent to the USSR.
Many readers saw in Russian (and not only) expensive cars of this brand. And Hollywood has tried to promote a brand. It is therefore necessary to linger in the firm Kenworth. it, probably, explain shtuchnost produced by cars.
so, company's origins are from Seattle. It was there in the beginning 20 century (the second decade of the century) He worked as one of the founders Edgar Worthington (Edgar K. Worthington). rented hangar. Repair of any equipment. almost survival. And that is where the decision to build the first truck. It was there that created the company Gerlinger Motor Car Co.
AT 1914 was the first truck start collecting. AT 1915 year, enterprising engineers managed to build his first car. It was a cargo bed with six-cylinder engine and a frame of solid metal. Truck was named «Gersix». Today it sounds strange, but for the beginning of the century to produce truck in just one year it was really a feat.
AT 1917 the company was buying himself Edgar Worthington along with a new business partner Frederick Kent (Captain Frederick Kent). That this was the cause of the Kenworth name. although 1917 the company was still renamed «Gersix Motor Company», the title is already known in the US truck.
Production of trucks still remained MMA. AT 1922 the company was able to gather all 53 truck. And then in the case entered a new generation - the son of Frederick Kent Harry. He then gave us a chance. Playing on the stock exchange, Harry Kent managed to attract in your own company 60 000 $. A lot of money in those days.
AT 1923 he created a company already on the basis of «Gersix Motor Company». The new company is named after two founders. Surnames simply cut and joined. Ken (by Kenta) и worth (by Uortington). In this way, and there was «Kenworth Motor Truck Company».
And what is our hero? Where did this car?
The thing is, that «Kenworth Motor Truck Company» was initially specialized in the Recovery vehicles. TO 1941 It was produced by several quite modern tow M1. This machine was four wheel chassis with the wheel formula 6 × 6.
I.e, actually undertook truck, He pumped by a true American whiskey, and steroids and - voila!
The main competitor «Kenworth Motor Truck Company» has been the company "Ward Lafrance" little-known today. Known firms brought fire trucks. But "up" really "France" on participation in the program of the United States War Department to create a range of military tow trucks with load capacity from 4 to 20 t. That is what made the firm the head producer of all-wheel drive recovery vehicles 6-ton class.
AT 1941 Kenworth, the program is enriched tow truck "570" with a six-cylinder gasoline engine "22R" manufactured by Continental. Exactly the same engine installed and competitors.
Engine power was 145 Horse power, It was established as a five-speed manual transmissions manufactured by Fuller, two-stage transfer case and drive axles firm Timken. During a five-ton crane cabin located in a beam-crane, manufactured by Gar Wood.
In the civil sphere, these trucks had the name «Kenworth-570" which had its counterpart «Ward-LaFrance-1000", from which apparently has a more rounded shape civil sample cab, a rectangular protective grille, lack of air slots on the sidewalls of the hood, and even a number of small parts.
It is 570 and was nicknamed "Vreditely». Strange nickname for the car, which should help. Soviet soldiers would come up with something gentle. Like sanitation for iron or assistant. The Americans have all the easier. "What do I see, I sing ", corn viskar and banjo.
"Pests" 570 th became only because, that had the original bumper. Angular, resembling a bulldozer blade. And use it the same way, as the blade. The car when driving on rough terrain this bumper simply leveled the ground and take away small obstacles such as trees and shrubs. A and could remove the obstruction from the road, good, enough forces.
AT 1942-43 Years manufactured version 571 series has upgraded the crane, at 1943 year - model 572 with six-ton crane, who received mechanical drive transmission from the truck.
AT 1943-45 years both firms to collect the same tow M1A1 - «Kenworth-573» and «Ward-LaFrance» series 5, to obtain an open cabin and a soft-top machine gun turret, paramilitary front fascia with angular wings and wide flat grille, while bumper remained the same power, and angular.
ТТХ «Kenworth-573»:
Total weight: 13,5 t
Length: 7,92 m
Wheelbase: 4,57 m
Width: 2,51 m
Height: 3,10 m
Engine: Continental 22P volume 8,2 l, 6 cylinders, petrol
Power: 145 l. from.
full speed: 60 kmh
Fuel consumption: 70 L / 100 km
The range of the fuel: 400 km
capacity:
— front winch: 9 tonnes
— rear winch: 21,5 tonnes
— crane: 9,75 tonnes, working angle of rotation 180 °
In total, the «Kenworth» factory built 840 tow and 100 chassis for airfield fire trucks, and the company «Ward-LaFrance» built 4 925 tow Trucks.
Finishing the story about «Americans», which, though not walking in the forefront of attacking the enemy of Soviet tanks, SAU and all of our technical power, but he pulled out the wounded and the dead, repairing injured, strong rear was coming, I want to repeat, It is written at the beginning of the material. In war there is no second place. All first. And tanks, and Recovery.
A technique, which we did not have and could not appear in the short term, we measured out fate in the period, we had. Not from God. from Allied. And remember this is necessary…
