Rightly and deservedly main worker WWII recognized among motorcycle heavy motorcycle M-72, which is produced in large enough and serially produced in the Soviet Union 1941 by 1960 year. The bike was originally created for the army, so for a long time it was not available in the civil sale.
Thus in the Great Patriotic War in the Soviet Union attempted to create a more powerful motorcycle, including stroller wheel drive, like German counterparts. One of the motorcycles, Created in Tyumen during the war years, I became four-wheel drive motorcycle TMZ-53, which was released in the amount of two prototypes.
A distinctive feature of the bike has been on the sidecar wheel drive. This feature of the assembled Germans, and we decided to implement the new Soviet motorcycles. In terms of the domestic off-road four-wheel drive it was far more than the solution.
Unfortunately, TMZ-53 despite the prospects of development, It was very difficult to manufacture, master its production under wartime conditions failed, and serial production motorcycle and did not go. More surprising, that of the two prototypes produced up to now preserved at least one, which can be seen today in the collection of the Polytechnic Museum in Moscow.
Motorcycles M-72 are sent to the front
The situation with the production of motorcycles in the USSR
By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War in the Soviet Union motorcycle park remained numerically small, four Motoplant commercially produced all 7 motorcycle models:
- Izhevsk Izh let-7, 8 and 9;
- in Leningrad, L-300 and L-8;
- Podolsk PMZ-A-750;
- AM-600 in Taganrog very rapidly.
In this case, all of these motorcycles were civilians models, for the war they are not adapted. According to their power ratings and performance indicators, as well as cross-listed models do not meet the requirements of the Red Army and not very suitable for the acquisition of motorcycle parts.
Thus up to 1932 , the serial production of motorcycles in the USSR just simply did not exist, a all with 1932 by 1941 year in the Soviet Union produced about 60 thousands of motorcycles. Most mass production models were motorcycles IZH-7, Complete 8, Izh-9 and L-300, representing a copy of the German DKW motorcycle model «Luxus 300" of the late 1920s.
In this case, the only motorcycle with sidecar was AM-600, which was manufactured at the Taganrog tool factory (METIZ). This model is equipped with four-stroke engine with capacity of 16 HP. Another motorcycle with sidecar PMZ-A-750 stopped in Podolsk release before the start of the war in 1939 year. In this way, In the prewar USSR virtually no military models of motorcycles, meet invasion 22 June 1941 The Soviet Union was forced to the existing fleet of motor vehicles.
Red Army soldiers on a motorcycle TIZ AM-600
Impact in terms of producing motorcycles for the country's plants was to be the third five-year plan (1938-1942 years), when it was planned to get close to the mark 11 thousands of motorcycles produced in a year. In this case, the flagship model was to be Izhevsk Izh-9, received a new 4-stroke engine. The bike was good for communication and intelligence, but still it was not fit for the role of the main army model, because it was not originally designed for the installation of the stroller.
At the same time at the beginning of 1940 it was decided to create a motorcycle parts, states, armament and equipment were developed the Main Armored Directorate of the Red Army. At the same time in the first half of the year have been tested 15 various classes of motorcycles, which were designed to identify the most reliable and hardy model.
In tests defeated German motorcycle BMW R71, which at that time I was already in service with the Wehrmacht and was proven successful during military campaigns. Especially for the testing and further copying five motorcycles BMW R71 anonymously bought in Sweden. Its role and had the, that established on the basis of the Moscow pilot plant "Iskra" Specialized Design Bureau for heavy motorcycling led H. P. Serdyukov, held with 1935 by 1940 year internship at the BMW plant.
In the Soviet Union a copy of the German motorcycle was designated M-72, and under this name the car and went into a series of, becoming the main Soviet army motorcycle during the Great Patriotic War.
At the same time the beginning of the war to launch a new model in the series and failed. Only two months after the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Moscow and Kharkov Motoplant managed to set up production of the motorcycle M-72, in this release does not meet the demands of the Red Army, and the catastrophic situation at the front, which required the evacuation of enterprises, It did not improve the rate of release. So the head of Moscow plant for the production of M-72 in November 1941 , it was hastily evacuated to Irbit, up to this point in the MMZ had to produce all 2412 Motorcycle M-72. The situation was complicated by the fact, that developed before the war cooperative enterprises for the production of a new model of motorcycle was seriously disrupted.
TMZ-53 in the exposure of the Museum
AT 1942 the production of M-72 were able to establish in Irbit at the new plant IrbMZ, as well as in Gorky (GMZ), where they gathered 1587 and 1284 motorcycle, respectively, it was still very little, since the plan had to be the release of motorcycles 11 thousand units. In the Tyumen, which was evacuated TIZ, master production of M-72 in general could not, releasing only 187 Motorcycle AM-600, mainly of spare parts and still unfinished in Taganrog motorcycles.
The only year of the war, when Soviet factories almost managed to fulfill the production plan for motorcycle M-72, It was 1944 year, when Irbit and Gorky gathered 5380 M-72 (90 % plan).
Creating a four-wheel drive motorcycle TMZ-53
In the end of November 1941 , arrived evacuated Taganrog tool factory in Tyumen, Housed in Tyumen brewery. for the full 1942 year enterprise, which suffers from a lack of personnel and lack of machinery equipment, It failed to pass the military only 187 Motorcycle AM-600. Establish serial production of M-72 in Tyumen Tyumen new Motoplant (TMP) and could not.
Despite this it is in Tyumen was an attempt to create a national four-wheel drive motorcycle. Model TMP-53, developed by specialists of the plant in 1942 year, It has become a bright page in the history of the company. Motorcycle itself was a response to numerous German counterparts with a drive to the sidecar wheel, encountered at the front, Soviet troops.
Experienced motorcycle heavy class terrain has been developed Tyumen under the guidance of designer I. AT. paper. The machine can be called a motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle. Judging from the sample, in addition to the drive wheel on the sidecar TMZ-53 has also received a large diameter wheel with a tread developed off-road type.
The new bike was maximally unified with the model M-72, it seemed logical and correct decision. Like its predecessor, it was equipped with boxer engine. Opposed cylinders (oppositely) motorcycle provided a low center of gravity and good motor cooling air flows counter.
As M-72, the new model is easy to transport three fighters with small arms, and thanks to all-wheel drive cross-country on all types of roads only increased.
Four-wheel drive motorcycle TMZ-53
In this two-cylinder four-stroke boxer engine cooling air was boosted, its volume increased to 1000 cubic centimeters (in M-72 746 "Cubes"), and engine power increased to 28 HP. at a rotational frequency of the crankshaft 4800 rev / min. This engine was enough, to ensure the TMZ-53 maximum speed 90 kmh.
The main feature of the bike has been on the sidecar wheel drive (wheel was sprung). Also in the new motorcycle transmission, in addition to a 4-speed shift gearbox and the PTO drive, appeared reverse gear and Splitter. The differential of the rear axle on the new product could be blocked from Tyumen.
In four-wheel drive motorcycle ignition system TMZ-53 housed dvuhiskrovoe magneto. The wheel of the new bike had a dimension of 6h16 inches, which provided a good bike ride height - 180 mm.
The new four-wheel drive motorcycle TMZ-53 were tested together with German motorcycles BMW R-75 and Zundapp KS-750, similar trophies in the Red Army had enough. The tests took place in the summer and winter, including in difficult road conditions. Data on the dynamics of motorcycles are equivalent, and off-road sample was constructed in Tyumen showed even better results, especially on the climbs more 26 degrees.
TMZ-53 lost only the famous "Tsundapu" - in terms of efficiency and power reserve, model has been installed tank of smaller volume. The tests have demonstrated, four-wheel drive motorcycle that TMP-53 could be used for towing 45mm cannon, and in some circumstances could draw even 76-mm artillery system.
TMZ-53 at the Polytechnical Museum
Especially for the new motorcycle was designed stroller version with the possibility of installing a 7.62-mm machine gun DS-39. Also, designers have presented a variant with a flamethrower - flamethrower stroller (OM). These developments have been waiting for the same fate, as the motorcycle itself TMZ-53, that in spite of the good results of the tests, mass production has not gone.
Adjust its production in Tyumen, where not cope with the release of M-72, it would be problematic, and to start production at other plants, who could not cope with the plans for the production of M-72, it was also not the best solution in terms of the war. In addition, at the beginning of 1944 the plant was forced to move again, now the city of Gorky.
Another attempt to create a four-wheel drive motorcycle during the war was the model M-73, the first of which took place in the test 1944 year. This model also did not go to series. According to the Commission, increase the complexity and cost of production did release a new motorcycle unprofitable, and serious advantages over serial 72-M all-wheel drive motorcycle had.
/Sergei Yuferev, topwar.ru/
