An inventory of the main jeeps from eight countries during World War II, among which the production of Willys reached as many as 600,000 units

During World War II, basically all countries with an automobile industry would manufacture a large number of military vehicles for their armies, and the most versatile military jeeps were particularly important.

Such vehicles could not only be used for officers' transportation and command, but also be competent for tasks such as field ambulance, battlefield reconnaissance, towing light artillery, and fire support.

So in this article, we will take a look at the main jeep models from eight countries during World War II.

I.Germany: Volkswagen Type 82 Kubelwagen

During World War II, the German army was equipped with a great variety of jeep models, as I mentioned in my previous articles. However, when it comes to the most widely used model during World War II, it was the Volkswagen Type 82 jeep. Due to its neat, angular appearance, it was nicknamed "Kubelwagen" by German soldiers.

The Volkswagen Type 82 Kubelwagen came out in the 1930s. It was derived from the civilian Volkswagen "Beetle" compact car, but as a military vehicle, the Volkswagen Type 82 was superior in terms of engine performance, horsepower, and off-road mobility.

During World War II, the Volkswagen Type 82 jeep could be seen on almost all fronts, whether in Africa, the Western Front, or the Eastern Front. In the German army, it served both as a passenger vehicle for German officers and a combat vehicle for soldiers.

The officer's version was equipped with a canvas roof to shield against rain or sandy weather, while most of the soldier's combat versions had an open-top structure, usually mounted with an MG34 7.92mm general-purpose machine gun for combat. During World War II, the Volkswagen Type 82 Kubelwagen was deeply loved by German officers and soldiers, and it was also favored by the Allied forces after being captured.

II. United States: Willys MB Jeep

During World War II, the United States was a major automobile-producing nation. Not only were there a large number of cars in civilian use, but the number of combat vehicles in the military was even more massive, basically achieving full mechanization. At that time, the U.S. military was equipped with the Willys MB series military jeeps.

This model began development in the 1930s, initially named Willys MA, and later renamed Willys MB. In the early 1940s, it began to be equipped with the U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps.

The Willys MB jeep, featuring a simple structure, low cost, and rugged durability, was deeply loved by the U.S. military during World War II. It also had a huge production volume, with approximately over 600,000 units manufactured throughout the war, not counting the subsequent GPW series produced by Ford.

The Willys MB jeep was also highly popular among both the U.S. military and Allied forces at that time. It proved capable of undertaking various tasks on the battlefield, such as towing light artillery, transporting the wounded, providing fire support, conducting battlefield reconnaissance, and serving as a vehicle for officers and soldiers. In short, it had a wide range of uses. After the war, the Willys jeep was adopted by other countries, and many civilian off-road vehicles at that time were developed based on the MB. It can be said that Willys is also regarded as the ancestor of modern SUVs.

III. Soviet Union: GAZ-67 Jeep

Although the Soviet Union's automobile industry was not as mature as that of Germany or the United States during World War II, the Soviet military still had quite a number of domestically produced military vehicles. The most commonly used jeep in the Soviet army during World War II was the GAZ-67, which was also referred to by the Soviet troops as the "GAZ-67 multi-purpose vehicle".

This model was developed in the early 1940s, improved from the previous GAZ-64. Compared with its predecessor, it had a wider body and stronger off-road capabilities.

After its introduction, the GAZ-67 jeep began to replace the underperforming GAZ-64. Soon, it became the mainstay of the Red Army, with a total production of less than 100,000 units during World War II.

On the World War II battlefields, it had the same role as the U.S. Willys, such as being used for transporting officers and soldiers, providing fire support, conducting reconnaissance, and towing light artillery. Moreover, the officer transport version of the GAZ-67 was also equipped with a soft roof.

IV. United Kingdom: Humber Personnel Carrier

Although the British Army's combat units during World War II continued to use the Bren Gun Carrier, it was a tracked vehicle and not a jeep. At that time, Britain also produced its own military jeeps, such as the Humber Personnel Carrier.

This model was also equipped with the British Army in the early 1940s and came in two versions: a pickup version and a fully enclosed roof version. The pickup version was mainly used to transport ammunition, firearms, or military supplies, while the other version with a roof had more versatile uses, such as transporting officers and soldiers, field ambulance services, or field maintenance.

The vehicle also features 4x4 off-road capability, is equipped with the "Super Sniper" light chassis, and has an 85-horsepower engine. Its mobility is comparable to that of the U.S. military's jeeps. Additionally, it has a larger body and a higher load capacity, with the pickup version being able to carry 400 kilograms of cargo.

Although the British Army's Humber Personnel Carriers were far less numerous than the jeeps of the German and U.S. armies, they still made significant contributions to the British forces during World War II.

V. Japan: Type 95 Light Passenger Car

Although the Japanese army during World War II heavily equipped officers and scouts with sidecar motorcycles, this did not mean they never had jeeps. The Japanese troops in the Pacific theater and the Kwantung Army stationed in Manchukuo were equipped with jeeps, specifically the domestically produced Type 95 light passenger car.

This model came out in the 1930s. As Japan's first four-wheel-drive military jeep, it was also among the earliest four-wheel-drive off-road vehicles in the world.

However, the Type 95 jeep of the Japanese army was quite unique. It had a short and small body, and the rear row could only seat one person. That is to say, including the driver, the vehicle could only carry three people, which was quite different from the military jeeps of other countries.

During World War II, this type of jeep was rarely equipped for Japanese combat operations. Most of them were allocated to field officers for use, with a foldable canvas roof added. A small number were used for reconnaissance and message delivery on the Pacific battlefield. Compared with the Willys and Volkswagen Kübelwagen, the Japanese Type 95 had a relatively weak presence.

VI. Italy: Fiat Model 508

During World War II, the Italian army was also equipped with many domestically produced military vehicles, and the commonly used jeep model was the Fiat 508. This model came out in the late 1930s and served in the Italian army until the end of World War II.

The Fiat 508 jeep was equipped with a Fiat 108C four-cylinder gasoline engine, with a maximum power of 32 horsepower, and was fitted with a four-speed manual transmission.

During World War II, most of these vehicles were also equipped for Italian officers as passenger vehicles, with only a small number allocated to soldiers for combat or reconnaissance purposes.

VII. Canada: Ford 81Y Light Vehicle

Although the Canadian military had a relatively small number of troops participating in World War II, their weapons and equipment were quite good, and most of the troops had achieved mechanization. The jeep model equipped at that time was the Ford 81Y light vehicle.

As the name "Ford" suggests, this model was not independently developed by Canada. Instead, it was produced in Canada with technology provided by the American Ford Motor Company.

The vehicle was equipped with an 85-horsepower V8 engine, finalized in the late 1930s, and later served in the Canadian military, with a small number participating in World War II alongside Canadian troops.

Canada's Ford 81Y jeep was purely used as a passenger vehicle in the military and could not transport goods or be fitted with weapons for combat. It had three rows of connected seats, allowing a total of 8 people including the driver, and was only equipped for officers' use at that time.

VIII. France: Laffly V15T Multi-Purpose Vehicle

France also had its own military jeep during World War II, which was also multi-purpose – the Laffly V15T multi-purpose vehicle, finalized in the late 1930s.

This model had a wide range of uses in the French army, such as towing anti-tank guns, transporting soldiers, being allocated to officers for use and command, etc.

The design of this vehicle was quite unique compared to regular jeeps. Its front section was very long, resembling a big nose, and there were two small wheels at the front end, which could assist in crossing trenches or traversing complex terrains.

Unfortunately, due to France's rapid defeat, the Laffly V15T jeep did not get to play its role in the French army.

The above are the main military jeep models from eight countries during World War II. If there are any errors or inadequacies in the article, we sincerely hope that you can point them out for improvement. For more related content, please remember to follow us, and we will continue to bring you updates in the next issue.