Memorial Day Military Machines

It's better late than never! I finally completed the memorial day post. Apologies for the tardiness.

Albert Einstein once said, "I know not with what weapons World War 3 will be fought, but World War 4 will be fought with sticks and stones." 

I find all war to be reprehensible, but I do find it, as others who find war to be reprehensible, to be absolutely necessary at times. And when it is, I feel a great debt to those honorable men and women who take up the torch to defend freedom. Yet as much as I disdain the destruction of life, I have a curious interest in obscure military transportation vehicles. I find myself wanting to own obscure militaria. There is a Vespa that was produced with a massive cannon like barrel that the rider straddled as a seat with the barrel protruding through the front shield (Pictured Right). I'm not a gun guy and I'm sure that I'd be nervous straddling a cannon and riding it around like a battering ram. But I'd feel like a badass, and that is exactly what Military transport is all about. It typically is the least efficient means of transportation, its heavy, clunky, armored, and usually get a mile to the gallon. But they are innovative, advanced and push the boundaries of what is capable. And they are built for badasses.

Willy's Military Jeep

On July 11, 1940, The United States Military began accepting bids from 135 American manufacturers to produce an outline of a vehicle meeting the Army's specifications. The bid had to be submitted within 11 Days, with proof prototype 49 days after bid submission and 75 days to produce 70 vehicles. Specifications included: Four wheel drive, wheelbase no more than 75" and tracks no more than 47", fold down windshield, 660 lb payload, engine of 85 ft lbs, and an empty weight of 1300 lbs. Three companies completed the prototype and all three received orders from the US Gov. for 1500 units. Final car was delivered at 2150 lbs.
The "flatty" Jeep (also known as the Goat) was credited with enabling the US forces to out mobilize the Axis Powers. The flatty stands as a symbol of American might and while our Men were in the field, our women were building these amazingly adaptive machines.

Volkswagen Schwimmwagen

There aren't any misconceptions about how important technology and advanced machinery were to the Nazi party. In 1934 Ferdinand Porsche was invited to Berlin to meet a "private investor" interested in his new independent car company. To the surprise of Ferdinand Porsche after he was seated in the restaurant, Adolf Hitler stepped out to greet him. Porsche was then told that he was going to produce a 3 cylinder Diesel peoples car which would sell for 1000 Reichsmarks. This car was meant to connect Germany, to bring the farmers into towns and create and stimulate commerce. It took 4 years of development to produce the first predecessor to the beetle, the W2. From that 4 cylinder gas chassis, Hitler then had multiple military vehicles models created for his troops. The Schimmwagen and the Kubelwagen were the most commonly used in military action. The Schwimmwagen was a fully amphibious 4 wheel drive vehicle. Though 15,584 of these amazing machines were produced, only 163 are known to still exist today.

Volkswagen Kubelwagen

The Kubel was known as the German command vehicle. Produced along side the Schwimmwagen, the Kubelwagen was developed to be the workhorse of the German military. The Kubel was constructed by a Military Coachbuilder named Trutz. Porsche reinforced the chassis and added a locking differential to compete with the 4x4 Jeeps of the Allied forces. Over 50,000 units were produced between 1940-1945. Volkswagen would later produce the VW Thing as a variant to the Kubelwagen to appeal to the American markets.

Mercedes Unimog

The Unimog is a massive all wheel drive freight train on wheels. These cars are designed to access every terrain out there. Most European, African, and South American Military's still use Unimogs in their fleets. These cars are extremely durable and versatile with massive 4 wheel drive components with a diesel drive-train. These trucks have been used by off-road aficionados for years and are now being converted to full camping spec RV's. Earthroamer, and American based company which builds adventure RV's for long distance wilderness travel launched their Unimog series RV. Since that time the expensive Unimog has been replaced with a Ford 650 Super Duty. If you have an extra $500,000 laying around and are looking for a small travel RV and don't want to throw a pop up trailer behind your jeep, they look pretty nice. For more information you can view them at http://www.earthroamer.com/.

Lamborghini LM002

The LM002 is widely known as an immense failure. In 1977 Lamborghini attempted to get into Military Defense contracting. They began by producing a rear engined four wheel drive prototype that was demolished by the US military in testing. They produced a second prototype with the same configuration which met with the same fate. Finally the LM002 was born. Using the Bizarrini V12, a variant of the same engine used in the Miura and the Countach, Lamborghini created a $89,000.00 temperamental offroad vehicle in 1986. The LM002 competed with a superior quality, more robust and more efficient vehicle, the Hummer H1 for $64,000.00. Only 328 were ever produced and out of the program, 0 were ever sold into military service.

Hummer H1 Deisel

The Willy's Flattie and the Hummer H1 are the most influential military vehicles in modern warfare. From transporting wounded soldiers to delivering rations to nearly frozen and starving soldiers in the Alps in WW2 to locating and detonating IED's in Iraq and Afghanistan. The H1 has been in service for almost 30 years and since that time has protected American armed forces on miscellaneous missions on almost every continent. The H1 seems to be impossible to improve upon. Rarely has the military not upgraded equipment or technology for over a 30 year period, yet the H1 still stands, rarely improved, as the workhorse of the US military.

Wherever your views stand on war or the current wars being fought, I hope that we all take time this week to express gratitude for the blood shed by patriots to maintain the freedoms we enjoy so much, and to thank veterans or current servicemen for their many sacrifices on our behalf.

Scott Madsen
- Zagato's Ghost