May 9th. Victory Day in Russia. A date to remember, even for those who never went to war. So much blood spilled, so many lives lost. The pride and the grief of my nation. Veterans and memories are still alive. But what’s next? History lessons and books are not enough, I guess. “The web-age” doesn’t add much to the genetic memories of a nation, unless a nation wants it.

Yes, we remember. We remember allies that supported our nation’s war effort, sending shiploads of trucks and canned meat, munitions and locomotives. The physical evidence of the greatest war is still here – buried in the form of UXOs in the vast forests of Russia’s north-west or rusty tanks laid to rest in the depths of Belarusian swamps. Some have been recovered, restored and put on display, keeping the memories alive.

Here are some examples. A 4X4 light armored vehicle BA-64. Designed in 1941, it entered the war a year after as a recon vehicle, but also known are the facts that it was used as an infantry support and even ambulance.

BA-64

Equipped with an in-line 4-cylinder, 4-stroke, 50 HP engine, it was capable of reaching 80kph top speed (highway). Armament: 7.62 DT-29 machine gun.

Basically, BA-64 was an armored version of the GAZ -64 4X4, a lookalike of a Willys-Overland MA & MB and Ford GPW cars.

Willys MB

­They had many differences, though. One of them was highly-praised by Soviet troops. The Russian GAZ had a wider wheelspan of 1275 (front axle) and 1245mm (rear axle) against Willys’s 1230, and thus was less likely to flip over in a U-turn. “Americans” had more power and were definitely faster than the GAZ, having 60 HP, and 104kph top speed.

Willys MB

Funnily enough, all of the Willys MAs – precisely 1552 cars – were sent to the Soviet Union under the Lend Lease program. All in all, 52.000 Willys’s MA and MB models went to the USSR.

Willys MB

Another venerable “brother in arms” – GAZ-67, nicknamed “Ivan Willys” or “billy goat” (Why that? It’s simple – rear suspension kicked and bounced, making the car hop like a billy goat).

GAZ-67

GAZ 67 was a deep modification of its predecessor – a 64 model. To name a few: more powerful engine, reinforced undercarriage, auxiliary fuel tank and a 385mm, 4-spiked steering wheel with a wooden rim. Wartime simplified technology had a sudden and unexpected “warm welcome” on the front – in winter, carbolite plastic rims were cold and slippery to drivers’ hands.

GAZ-67

GAZ-67

Please note, this car with a black plastic steering wheel has been installed – not an authentic part, but the type used mostly on GAZ trucks in the post-war period.

The Gorky plant rolled out the first 67’s in 1943, and kept this “war machine” in the production line until 1953.

Next is a top-ride for Soviet army CO’s – GAZ M1.The first M1s were made as early as 1936, with a number of modifications – including ambulance, taxi-cab, pick-up truck and…an “NKVD interceptor”.

GAZ M1

­The latter item was quite rare – having a Ford V8 engine, it was completely removed from service in 1941. The reason was quite pragmatic – all V8’s were installed into T60 light tanks. The majority of GAZ M1s were painted black – it looks a bit frightening, especially when someone says “black raven”, referring to the shiny black body of a car. Soviet citizens nicknamed NKVD cars “Black Ravens”, reflecting the natural habit of these birds to feed on dead bodies.

In 1941, the cars were mobilized to the front and served the right cause – the army.

Well, I haven’t mentioned one interesting M1 modification – GAZ 61. It was a 4X4 limo. Marshals Georgy Zhukov, Ivan Konev and Konstantin Rokossovsky used these rare cars – less than 200 were built until 1943.

Finally, a couple of words about ZIS-5 three-tonne truck, a workhorse of the Soviet Army. Simple, rugged, reliable, and almost indestructable. A legend. Over half-a-million of them were made and they carried troops over all the Eastern Front and bread to the besieged Leningrad, as well as towing cannons at the V-day parade on Red Square. Now one of them stands peacefully in a Moscow museum accompanied by two more Soviet military vehicles: M-72 bike and a GAZ 67B.

M-72 bike, GAZ 67 and GAZ-5

The three legends that brought the peace…

Yours, OldTimeR

PS Speaking of details: A couple of days ago I witnessed a theatrical show hosted by one of Russia’s media agencies. War vets wearing medals, young boys and girls singing “Katyusha” and “Den Pobedy” (Victory Day), a long line of people standing in a queue to a real army chow wagon. I had seen it all before and it felt quite good and patriotic. But something was wrong in the looks of the “soldiers” who were serving meals. Gotcha! One of the guys was wearing a replica of the Soviet Army uniform – precisely of that period, but with a badge “Excellent Serviceman” that had been introduced 12 years AFTER the Great Patriotic War ended. But I experienced an even a greater shock less than a second later…the third guy was wearing aSoviet “pilotka” (a garrison cap in Russian) and…a BDU suit with British camo pattern, DPM. That of 1968 issue! Thank God it was not SS “blacks” by Hugo Boss or a Nazi paratrooper smock in “Splinter B”. Should I say my prayers now?

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.