GAZ 46
Encyclopedia
The GAZ-46, army designation MAV (Russian, малый автомобиль водоплавающий, small floating vehicle), is a Russian-made light four-wheel drive
amphibious military vehicle, that entered service in the 1950s and has been used by many Eastern Bloc
allied forces since.
During the Second World War Canada, Britain and the US forwarded large quantities of military materials to Russia. Among those were jeeps
, trucks, and amphibious vehicle
s like the 6x6 DUKW
and the 4x4 Ford GPA
. The latter were used to help men and equipment get across the many rivers of Eastern Europe and combat the Germans. After the war, Russia decided to develop two similar vehicles, the BAV-485, an equivalent of the DUKW, and the GAZ-46 MAV, an equivalent of the Ford GPA.
Due to bad reception of the Ford GPA 'Seep'
by Allied soldiers, most of them were routed to Russia under the US Lend-Lease
program, before production was halted prematurely in 1943. The Russians however badly needed jeeps with the GPA's ability to cross rivers and inland waters, so they acquired a license from Ford to start manufacturing the GPA themselves even before the war ended. After Ford had transferred all documents, tools and dies, Russian Seeps were built under license as the GAZ 011 from 1944 to 1945 http://homeusers.brutele.be/mithril/GPA%207177%20production.html.
After the war pre-production prototypes of the type GAZ-46 were built on the frame of the GAZ-67
B 4x4 in production during the war. Series production GAZ-46 vehicles were based on the post-war GAZ-69
4x4 half-ton light truck, of which production started with the Gorki factory of 1952. The principal functions of the GAZ-46 MAV were to make light work of crossing lakes and rivers for men and materials, as well as performing river reconnaissance. As of the end of the fifties the latter role became reserved for the BRDM-1
, a much more powerful 4x4 amphibious vehicle.
Although the GAZ-46 MAV used the mechanics of existing Russian GAZ 4x4 "jeeps" as well as being created somewhat bigger for better buoyancy
, its design is heavily inspired by that of the wartime Ford GPA. Just like the 'Seep', its hull is entirely out of steel, welded to a steel chassis. The layout is the same: engine compartment in the front, crew compartment in the center, and the spare wheel horizontally mounted on the rear deck. The driver and the commander of the vehicle have individual seats in the front with a three-seat bench behind them. The windshield can be folded down, and if necessary, a cover can be installed to close the cockpit. The engine is coupled to a manual three-speed gearbox and a two-speed transfer-case. Also there is a screw-propellor for in the water propulsion, driven by a power take-off
, and a proper rudder provides good maneuverability. Front and rear suspension is in the form of leaf-sprung rigid live axles. Thanks to its steeply raked front and rear and four-wheel drive, the GAZ can manage reasonably steep river banks before swimming across.
Four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4×4 is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...
amphibious military vehicle, that entered service in the 1950s and has been used by many Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
allied forces since.
During the Second World War Canada, Britain and the US forwarded large quantities of military materials to Russia. Among those were jeeps
Willys MB
The Willys MB US Army Jeep and the Ford GPW, were manufactured from 1941 to 1945. These small four-wheel drive utility vehicles are considered the iconic World War II Jeep, and inspired many similar light utility vehicles. Over the years, the World War II Jeep later evolved into the "CJ" civilian...
, trucks, and amphibious vehicle
Amphibious vehicle
An amphibious vehicle , is a vehicle or craft, that is a means of transport, viable on land as well as on water – just like an amphibian....
s like the 6x6 DUKW
DUKW
The DUKW is a six-wheel-drive amphibious truck that was designed by a partnership under military auspices of Sparkman & Stephens and General Motors Corporation during World War II for transporting goods and troops over land and water and for use approaching and crossing beaches in amphibious...
and the 4x4 Ford GPA
Ford GPA
The Ford GPA 'Seep , was an amphibious version of the WWII Ford GPW Jeep. Unlike the jeep, the seep was not a successful design being too slow and heavy on land and lacking sufficient seagoing abilities in open water...
. The latter were used to help men and equipment get across the many rivers of Eastern Europe and combat the Germans. After the war, Russia decided to develop two similar vehicles, the BAV-485, an equivalent of the DUKW, and the GAZ-46 MAV, an equivalent of the Ford GPA.
Due to bad reception of the Ford GPA 'Seep'
Ford GPA
The Ford GPA 'Seep , was an amphibious version of the WWII Ford GPW Jeep. Unlike the jeep, the seep was not a successful design being too slow and heavy on land and lacking sufficient seagoing abilities in open water...
by Allied soldiers, most of them were routed to Russia under the US Lend-Lease
Lend-Lease
Lend-Lease was the program under which the United States of America supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, China, Free France, and other Allied nations with materiel between 1941 and 1945. It was signed into law on March 11, 1941, a year and a half after the outbreak of war in Europe in...
program, before production was halted prematurely in 1943. The Russians however badly needed jeeps with the GPA's ability to cross rivers and inland waters, so they acquired a license from Ford to start manufacturing the GPA themselves even before the war ended. After Ford had transferred all documents, tools and dies, Russian Seeps were built under license as the GAZ 011 from 1944 to 1945 http://homeusers.brutele.be/mithril/GPA%207177%20production.html.
After the war pre-production prototypes of the type GAZ-46 were built on the frame of the GAZ-67
GAZ-67
The GAZ-67 and the subsequent GAZ-67B were general purpose four wheel drive Soviet military vehicles built by GAZ starting in 1943. By the end of the war, it was the Soviet equivalent of the Willy's Jeep...
B 4x4 in production during the war. Series production GAZ-46 vehicles were based on the post-war GAZ-69
GAZ-69
GAZ-69 is a four wheel drive light truck, produced by GAZ between 1953 and 1955. From 1954 until 1972 it was produced by UAZ, as UAZ-69, though they were commonly known as GAZ-69s as well...
4x4 half-ton light truck, of which production started with the Gorki factory of 1952. The principal functions of the GAZ-46 MAV were to make light work of crossing lakes and rivers for men and materials, as well as performing river reconnaissance. As of the end of the fifties the latter role became reserved for the BRDM-1
BRDM-1
The BRDM-1 was an amphibious armored scout car used by Russia and the former Soviet Union...
, a much more powerful 4x4 amphibious vehicle.
Although the GAZ-46 MAV used the mechanics of existing Russian GAZ 4x4 "jeeps" as well as being created somewhat bigger for better buoyancy
Buoyancy
In physics, buoyancy is a force exerted by a fluid that opposes an object's weight. In a column of fluid, pressure increases with depth as a result of the weight of the overlying fluid. Thus a column of fluid, or an object submerged in the fluid, experiences greater pressure at the bottom of the...
, its design is heavily inspired by that of the wartime Ford GPA. Just like the 'Seep', its hull is entirely out of steel, welded to a steel chassis. The layout is the same: engine compartment in the front, crew compartment in the center, and the spare wheel horizontally mounted on the rear deck. The driver and the commander of the vehicle have individual seats in the front with a three-seat bench behind them. The windshield can be folded down, and if necessary, a cover can be installed to close the cockpit. The engine is coupled to a manual three-speed gearbox and a two-speed transfer-case. Also there is a screw-propellor for in the water propulsion, driven by a power take-off
Power take-off
A power take-off or power takeoff is a splined driveshaft, usually on a tractor or truck, that can be used to provide power to an attachment or separate machine. It is designed to be easily connected and disconnected...
, and a proper rudder provides good maneuverability. Front and rear suspension is in the form of leaf-sprung rigid live axles. Thanks to its steeply raked front and rear and four-wheel drive, the GAZ can manage reasonably steep river banks before swimming across.
Literature
- René Pohl: Mit dem Auto baden gehen. HEEL Verlag, Gut-Pottscheidt Konigswinter 1998, ISBN 3-89365-702-9
See also
- DUKWDUKWThe DUKW is a six-wheel-drive amphibious truck that was designed by a partnership under military auspices of Sparkman & Stephens and General Motors Corporation during World War II for transporting goods and troops over land and water and for use approaching and crossing beaches in amphibious...
- ZiS-485 BAVBAV 485The ZiS-485, army designation BAV , is a Soviet amphibious transport, similar to the DUKW....
- Ford GPAFord GPAThe Ford GPA 'Seep , was an amphibious version of the WWII Ford GPW Jeep. Unlike the jeep, the seep was not a successful design being too slow and heavy on land and lacking sufficient seagoing abilities in open water...
- LandwasserschlepperLandwasserschlepperLandwasserschlepper was an unarmed amphibious tractor produced in Germany during World War II.-Origins and development:Ordered by the Heereswaffenamt in 1935 for use by German Army engineers, the Landwasserschlepper was intended as a lightweight river tug with some capacity to operate on...