Yugoslavia and Chevrolet trucks - 1940

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Tom from Cornwall
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Yugoslavia and Chevrolet trucks - 1940

#1

Post by Tom from Cornwall » 12 Feb 2017, 15:28

I found the following details in the War Diary of the British GHQ, Middle East Intelligence Branch for January 1941 and wondered if anyone else had any more details about the Chevrolet trucks and their delivery:
WO169/924
Appendix IX.42
SECRET
GSI/IV/5.
G.H.Q., M.E. INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY No. 256.
From 1200 hours 30.1.41 to 1200 hours 31.1.41

G. YUGOSLAVIA.

(iii) Equipment. It is now reported that the greater part, if not all, of the 1,000 Chevrolet trucks received from the U.S.A. in October are being kept to provide a mechanical transport pool for the General Reserve in event of war. Nothing has been seen of these trucks since they arrived, and the vehicles allotted to 3 Cavalry Division are of the PRAGA type delivered in April, 1940.
Regards

Tom

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MarkoZ
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Re: Yugoslavia and Chevrolet trucks - 1940

#2

Post by MarkoZ » 19 Feb 2017, 23:45

Light: Chevrolet VTZ. - ditto for VTZ (Military Technology Institute in Kragujevac, after war known as Crvena Zastava, this is where they used to build those crappy Yogo cars, now it's Fiat Serbia). The trucks were being referred to as Chevrolet's, no distinction was being made between imports and domestically produced ones. About 400 1 1/2-ton Chevy YS-4403 trucks have been assembled 1939-1940 from parts sent from USA, an unknown number from an order of additional 1000 of domestic production 1 1/2-tons was built before the factory was run over by Germans.

Taken from another forum Jps Panzers and wargaming.


Tom from Cornwall
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Re: Yugoslavia and Chevrolet trucks - 1940

#3

Post by Tom from Cornwall » 20 Feb 2017, 21:44

MarkoZ,

Many thanks for the information. If I understand you correctly then, in the same way as many current defence contracts, the US first sent Chevrolet components for local assembly before allowing the Yugoslavs to build their own to a Chevrolet design.

Thanks.

Regards

Tom

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MarkoZ
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Re: Yugoslavia and Chevrolet trucks - 1940

#4

Post by MarkoZ » 10 Mar 2017, 20:37

All the data on this page are from Maslacak Vojkan, press-coordinator of Yugoslavian Society of motoring Historians. Maslacak Vojkan together with Miroslav Milutinovic wrote the book on this topic and now are looking for editor to issue a book. Hope to see this book printed soon.)
Below are fragments from his messages regarding Chevrolet assembly in Yugoslavia:
in 1939/40 the Yugoslavian Kingdom Army bought 400 from Chevrolet, 11/2-ton trucks, long wheelbase, double wheels at rear, straight 6 cyl. OHV, carburetter motor, 85 HP. To minimize expenses those trucks were sent disassembled to main components and assembling was made in Kragujevac in the VTZ (Vojno Tehnicki Zavod), - later, after WW II, this factory was renamed to Crvena Zastava, then to Zavodi Crvena Zastava and now that is Zastava-Automobili.
About 20 of these trucks were send totally disassembled for personal (Mechanic and Driver) training purposes.
Sorry, no photos of this assembling - that was Army secret, and all the Chevrolets have been destroyed/disappeared during the War.
And almost no documents - everything was lost in the war. Only a remembers of mans who was involved in this assembling.
I don't have a photo of Yugoslavian Chevrolets, but I'll send you a front page of original prospekt (56k file), that I received from one of the officers who was involved in Military Negotiations with Chevrolet.
You are welcome to write me by E-mail Contact. Andrei Bogomolov.
Entrance Gallery Trucks Chevrolet Chevrolet cars Sale Links
Last updated 19 X 2002.

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MarkoZ
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Re: Yugoslavia and Chevrolet trucks - 1940

#5

Post by MarkoZ » 10 Mar 2017, 20:39

Above is from Oldtimer trucks website

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