Does anyone know how many of the Motor vehicals the Russian Imperial army used during WW I were imported and how many were locally produced?
At alexanderpalace.org in the Alexander palace time machine section there is an online book "Blodstained Russia" there is a picture of a group of ambulances of the American Hospital service in Russia dedicated to the Tsar's daughter the Grand duchess Tatania. Any idea how they were used or got there ect.
I am adding this to the above not all the vehicals sent to Russia got there. In fact on 2 September 1917 the merchant Ship Olive Branch heading to Murmansk with a cargo of war supplies was stopped by the German submarine U-28. The Germans forced the crew to abandon ship and proceeded to sink the ship with it's deck gun. Unfortunetly, for them they hit a hold full of munitions that blew up. It is believed a truck that was part of the deck cargo went flying into the air and hit the U-28 sinking it. The crew of the Olive Branch refused to let any of the survivors into their lifeboats and all of them drowned. More on the Grand duchess Tatania shortly after the start of WW I her mother the Empress Alexandra set up "The Tatania Committee for the Relief of War Victems" to help care for soldiers widows and orphans. It alos helped take care of refugees. Tatania did go to weekly meetings of this organization and brought home paperwork for her mother to look at and discussed what went on. I think the abulances were sent as part of this organization. Just thought you'd like to know.
The history is here (my book): hobbypress.ru/index.php?productID=725
From august 1914 toend of 1917 Russian Imperial army imported from USA, France, GB, Italy, Swiss and Sweden 24500 trucks and cars (incl. special automobiles) and 490 armoured cars.
Russian Land and Town Union imported also ca. 5000 trucks and cars.
It comminc ca. 6000 trucks and cars from mobilisation. Build: only one automobile-work "Russo-Baltique" ca 400 trucks and cars, (also 200 before 1914) and ca. 230 armoured cars of imported and russian chassis (Poutiloff, Ischorski, Obouchoff, Bylinski works).
Befor WW1 was in Russian Army 745 trucks and cars
-- Edited by Ivan on Sunday 4th of March 2012 03:59:20 AM
Was the Russo- Baltique not a Belgian licence built car ?
gemsco
Belgian armoured car division (batalion) in Russia (Le corps expeditionnaire Belge des autos-canons-mitrailleuses en Russie) have: 359 soldiers and 13 officers. Armoured cars: 13 (Peugeot and Mors with motor of Minerva incl. 3 with 37 mm Hotchkiss automatic canon); 6 cars and 20 trucks (Peugeot, Renault, Mors), 18 motorcycles (Harley-Davidson and Indian), many bicycles. Later comming from Russians two AC's -Armstrong-Whitworth-FIAT and Renault-Ischorski (project of Mgebroff).
1918 all Belgian AC's was rearmour in Kiev.
First "Russo-Baltique C 24/30 HP" car was built 1909 on a license of Belgian "Fondu" - two chassis and many parts comming from Begle (I have all letters from Charles Fondu to Russisch-BaltischenWaggon-Fabrik, wroten in bad German). Engineer from Russo-Baltique was from Swiss Julien Potterat, later Ernst Valentin (from Germany). Others Russo-Baltique types was not "Fondu".
Total from 1909 to 1918 buil 634 Russo-Baltique car and truckt (only 39 3t and 5 t trucks). 402 for Russian war departament.
Do I understand correctly that the vehicles of the Belgian ACM were not all destroyed in 1918 ? You wrote that " they were reamour in Kiev" .However no trace of Mors armoured cars later than 1917 ! gemsco
Do I understand correctly that the vehicles of the Belgian ACM were not all destroyed in 1918 ? You wrote that " they were reamour in Kiev" .However no trace of Mors armoured cars later than 1917 ! gemsco
Yes, correct, not destroxed - REARMOUR!
Belgian wonna not, that his AC's to Whites or to Reds come. Look at the picture - Kiev 1918 - "Mors" withoud armour (short time before German ocupation). Armour was destroyed. All cars was with normal passenger body (primitiv) rebuild.
-- Edited by Ivan on Tuesday 6th of March 2012 05:59:16 PM
-- Edited by Ivan on Tuesday 6th of March 2012 06:01:54 PM
This is NOT a final proof : indeed the ACM had a number of softskin vehicles with them. Among which some Mors .
Do you have other proof ? gemsco
I do not have the document, but other proof have studied Russian historians - Maxim Kolomiets - I believe him. In 1918 the Belgians left very few armored cars, some disassembled for spare parts - in Kiev was not more than five AC's are capable of fighting - on the documents they wanted to take Ukrainian nationalists, but the Belgians took off the armor and destroyed it. It is not known whether they took the car with him, I think not - left in Kiev.
Belgians in Russia are respected for what they do not go in the Civil war (in contrast to the Czechs) - they did not want to shoot their brothers in arms - either in White or in Red!
-- Edited by Ivan on Thursday 8th of March 2012 02:53:28 AM
