Soviet Army's automobile stocks, losses and deliveries

[Art]

I uploaded the translation of the first part of the report of the GAVTU's supply department giving general information on Red Army's automobile stocks, deliveries and losses (see the attached file). The original document in russian was published in the fourth volume of the series of documents of the Red Army's Main Tank and Automobile Departments and can be found online, for example, here:
http://eugend.livejournal.com/82017.html
Hope it would be interesting, sorry for any mistakes made.

[Art]

I added the second part of the report (deliveries of automobiles from the domestic industry) - see the attachment.

[cortodanzigese]

Thanks! Look interesting.

[Art]

I translated and uploaded the part three of the report (Import of autombiles and general conslusions). Note that data on routes of foreign automobiles ddeliveries and breakdown by models generally coincides with these tables:
http://www.o5m6.de/Numbers.html#MAP
http://www.o5m6.de/Routes.html
reproduced from the article by V.Vorsin. It seems that information came from the same source.

[Der Alte Fritz]

Art
Very interesting article with lots of information.

Points that came to my attention were:

The classification of the various vehicles into cars, cross country cars, prime movers, trucks and special vehicles. There was a clear distinction of the types used as Prime Movers.

The number of unseviceable vehicles at 18%
The shortfall in establishment by 27% in 1944
How the vehicle park was not used fully due to lack of fuel and other reasons so that an average of 55-60% availability was achieved.

The Lend Lease section gives a bit more detail to the first section and shows quite clearly how many of the US trucks were used as prime movers for artillery. Some of the figures do not seem to match those in the first section.

For instance the number of 3/4 tonne vehicles delivered under Lend Lease totals 39,000 while the tonnage of trucks table only shows 17,000. There are several possible explanations for this such as the trucks going to industry or national organisations with military uses such as the National Railways.

[Art]

The classification of the various vehicles into cars, cross country cars, prime movers, trucks and special vehicles. There was a clear distinction of the types used as Prime Movers.

Apparently all-wheel drive trucks.

The Lend Lease section gives a bit more detail to the first section and shows quite clearly how many of the US trucks were used as prime movers for artillery. Some of the figures do not seem to match those in the first section.

Sections 3 list all vehicles received from abroad (312 600) while section 1 - only those issued to the Army (282 100 by the end of the war). They were also issued to the Navy, NKVD and NKPS forces, allied forces and civil economy. The report says in particular that 30 thousands automobiles were transferred from the army to the civil sector during the war. Discrepancy about Dodge 3/4 is strange indeed.

[Art]

The Lend Lease section gives a bit more detail to the first section and shows quite clearly how many of the US trucks were used as prime movers for artillery. Some of the figures do not seem to match those in the first section.

If you are interested here are stats on issue of foreign automobiles by 1 April 1943:
Destination - number
Main Automobile Directorate of the Red Army (autotransport units) - 2 486
Main Armor&Tank Directorate - 9 430
Main Guards Mortar Directorate (rocket launchers) - 5 066
Main Artillery Directorate- 11 215
Main Roads Directorate (road maintenance) - 179
Main Signals Directorate- 490
Main Air Defense Directorate (PVO) - 269
Formations Directorate (rifle units formed and reconstructed) - 2 554
Main Chemical Directorate - 190
Army Air Force - 31
Fronts - 3434
Armies - 466
Misc. units - 1 493
Other commissariats - 1 524
Total issued - 40 443
Almost 2/3 were issued to artillery, mechanized and rocket launcher units. The priorities are clear. There is also a breakdown by types. For example of 7 309 Willys jeeps issued 6 226 were received by artillery (anti-tank units). Of 5 359 Studebakers - 3 077. Note that trucks used as chassis for rocket launchers disappear from statistics on motor transport. That would also partly explain the difference between "Received" and "Issued" in the report discussed.

[ML59]

I deleted three messages posted by me that were just repetition of previous messages posted by Art. Sorry for messing it up.

[Der Alte Fritz]

Question: The stock of artillery tractors such as the STZ-5 of which 10,000 were made up until Dec 1942 in Stalingrad. Do they appear on the inventory of GAU Artillery Directorate rather than in this report. Confusingly the report mentions the half tracked ZIS-42 artillery tractors.

Details of the STZ-5 here: http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=79&t=74221

[Art]

Until December 1942 automobiles and tractors were the area of responsibility of the Main Auto-Tank Directorate (GABTU), after that a new Main Automobile Directorate (GAVTU) was founded, all matters relating to tractors were transferred to the mechanical draft department of the Main Artillery Directorate (GAU) Doc. So eventually - yes.

[Art]

Automobiles of the Soviet Armed Forces as of 1 January 1943. Total (army and navy) 407 434. Of them trucks - 297 403, including 239 577 operational, 35 672 in need of medium repair, 17 767 in need of capital repair. Cars - 30 387, of them 22 471 operational.
Distribution of automobiles between commands:
Karelian Front - 9516
Leningrad Front - 19 295
Volkhov Front - 18 021
North-West Front - 18 727
Kalinin Front - 30 091
West Front - 47 423
Bryansk Front - 6 963
Voronezh Front - 11 176
South-West Front - 20 244
Don Front - 15 487
South (Stalingrad Front) - 22 192
Transcaucasus Front - 44 466
7 Separate Army - 3 942
Transbaikal Front - 24 451
Far East Front - 33 876
Moscow Defense Zone - 2 073
Moscow Air Defense Front - 3 943
Arkhangelsk Military District - 1 928
Moscow Military District - 23 016
Volga MD - 9 260
Ural MD - 3 356
South-Ural MD - 2 983
Central Asia MD - 9 991
Siberian MD - 2 627
2 Reserve Army - 154
3 Reserve Army - 265
NKO central apparatus - 5 978
Navy - 16 000
Total 407 434
Source: appendix to the GKO decree No.2793 of 13.01.43.
About the same time 149 102 trucks and 38 138 cars were reported belonging to civil sector.

[Der Alte Fritz]

This is first rate information as it is so early in the war. It clearly shows that the Military Districts had forwarded many of their vehicles to the Front and that the key Fronts such as Transcaucasus were getting additional vehicles.
Thanks

[Art]

The numbers were more or less proportional to the personnel strength, the rule of thumb is some 1000 vehicles per 20 000 men on the front.

[Der Alte Fritz]

Art
Is there anywhere that I can see the original document of the GATVU report as I am finding some discrepancies in the tables and would like to check against the original if possible.

[Art]

Here are tables online:
http://www.teatrskazka.com/Raznoe/AutoS ... oSnab.html
Original publication was in "Главное автобронетанковое управление. Люди, события, факты в документах" Vol. IV? (I guess). Not sure that you can find it anywhere.