World War II Database

In order to standardise their vehicle fleet the German Army (which by the late 1930s had more than 100 different vehicle designs in service, leading to massive logistical difficulties), opted for a pre-war commercial truck design by Adam Opel AG of Brandenburg to become their standard cargo truck With only slight modifications to meet military requirements, the Opel Blitz would quickly become one of the most widely used Axis vehicles throughout the war years, being used in all theatres of the war and in a variety of roles. The usual body style was a flat cargo bed with a canvass cover, but others were fitted out for such roles as Field Ambulance, Mobile Workshop and Command vehicles.

Powered by a 3,600cc Opel six-cylinder petrol engine developing 73.5 hp (54.8 kW) driving only the twin rear wheels, the Blitz had an enclosed steel cab and wooden bodywork (although late in the war some were built out of pressed card to conserve steel), the Blitz could carry a payload of 3,000kg, or tow a load of up to 5,000kg, and although well built, suffered from being rather too complicated for reliability in the rugged conditions found on the Eastern Front.

To improve cross-country performance, from 1940, a limited number were built with four-wheel drive (under the designation "Allrad"). Additionally, in 1942-1943 a number of these trucks were converted in to half-tracks (Maultier) by replacing the rear wheels with a Carden-Loyd pattern track unit with two bogies on each side. Although these performed quite well the track units was not really designed for heavy load-bearing, and thus the payload was limited to a maximum of 2,000 kg (or 3,000 kg towed).

In total over 70,000 Opel Blitz trucks were supplied to the German Armed Forces during the war years with production only ending in 1944, when a combination of Allied bombing and ground advances resulted in the closure of the factories.

SPECIFICATIONS

Kfz. 305 Blitz

Machinery	One Opel 3600cc 6-cylinder gasoline engine rated at 73.5hp
Crew	1
Length	6.02 m
Width	2.26 m
Height	2.17 m
Weight	3.2 t
Speed	80 km/h
Range	410 km

Photographs

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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Bill says:
   12 Nov 2009 05:59:03 PM
   
   During World War II German Industry produced
   130,000 vehicles, built in different versions
   over 25,000 were built as four-wheel drive.
   The blitz was in development from 1931 onward it was reliable, easy to maintain,
   It was built as a 1.5 or 3 ton truck, a half-
   track version was also built.
   With most military equipment, it was used for
   other duties mounted anti-aircraft and anti-
   tank guns. The Opel Blitz was a jack of all
   trades.
   The production of the blitz continued after the war. I saw many different versions of the blitz in civilian livery, working the
   streets in West Germany during the 1960's.
   The best one was the beer tankers, we see
   fuel tankers bringing fuel to the gas stations,here in the states,in Germany they haul that great german beer!. What was the price of that beer back then, one mark, now that was a deal and you could buy yourself a
   steak dinner for eight marks little over two
   dollars.
   "Those were the days my friend, we thought
   they would never end ,we'd drink and laugh
   the night away"...
   Remember that 1960's song

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