ZIS-6

ZIS
Restored ZIS-6 in Saint Petersburg (2019)
ZIS-6
Manufacturer:	Zavod imeni Stalina
Sales designation:	ЗИС-6
Production period:	12 / 1933–01 / 1942
Previous model:	AMO-6 (prototype only)
Successor:	ZIS-151
Technical specifications
Designs:	Flatbed, special bodies
Engines:	Six-cylinder gasoline engine
Power:	54 kW
Payload:	up to 4 t
Perm. Total weight:	8.23 t

The ZIS-6 ( Russian ЗИС-6 , German transcription SIS-6 ) is a truck made by the Soviet manufacturer Sawod imeni Stalina (ZIS or SIS for short), which was built from 1933 to early 1942. The vehicle is the three-axle variant of the two-axle ZIS-5 , which is produced in large quantities and from which essential assemblies were also taken over. The main features of design and technology go back to a truck built by the US Autocar Company in the late 1920s . The vehicle was the heaviest truck manufactured by ZIS before and during World War II and was designed for a payload of four tons. In the Soviet Union in the 1930s, only three types of three-axle trucks were produced; the ZIS-6 was the medium-sized model. For lighter purposes there was the GAZ-AAA , for even larger loads there was the JaG-10, which was built in small numbers .

The ZIS-6 was delivered by the manufacturer with a flatbed or as a chassis , whereby the chassis without loading area made up about ⅔ of the total production and were provided with superstructures in other plants. The vehicle gained particular fame during the Second World War as the mount of the Katjuscha multiple rocket launcher . Production was stopped in 1942, older sources sometimes incorrectly state 1945 as the last year of production. During the war years, however, many existing vehicles - some of them in series production in other automobile plants - were equipped with special bodies for the Red Army . Only in 1948 was the ZIS-151 taken into series production as the successor to ZIS.

Vehicle history

ZIS-6 in wintry conditions on the Kolyma in the Far East of Russia (1938)

Erecting an overhead line mast for a new trolleybus line using an ATK-1 truck crane based on a ZIS-6 in Odessa (1941)

prehistory

As early as 1930, around the start of production of the AMO-2 , a three-axle truck was built in a Soviet research facility based on a US Autocar SD . For the rear axles, a design by the Moreland Motor Truck Company was used . However, this turned out to be unsuitable in practical operation. The project was handed over to the NATI Institute in Moscow for further development .

NATI discarded the prototype and built two new vehicles in 1932 based on the AMO-3 from domestic production. They received a more powerful engine from the Hercules Engine Company and rear axles from the Timken Company . These trucks were named AMO-3-NATI .

Since the AMO-3 in series production was very quickly replaced by the revised ZIS-5 with a more powerful engine, it was decided to use this engine for the three-axle model as well. The six-cylinder gasoline engine was drilled out from 3¾ inches to 4 inches, increasing the displacement from 4.88 to 5.55 liters. This also increased the power from 60 to 73 hp, which was also sufficient for the three-axle vehicle. Nevertheless, a special reduction gear was developed in order to be able to increase the tractive force. From the beginning of 1933, new prototypes with the larger engine were created under the designation AMO-6 .

In fact, the payload increased by a ton was more of a side effect of the development. More importantly, the significantly improved traction and pulling power of the vehicle made it possible to pull larger and heavier artillery pieces . Four-wheel drive trucks were not available in the Soviet Union at the time. It was only later that heavy special superstructures were loaded onto the chassis. This can also be seen in the fact that all flatbed trucks built in series were given the same structure as the ZIS-5, so the loading volume was not increased. The external dimensions of the two trucks are also exactly the same.

Serial production

Serial production of the three-axle model began under the designation ZIS-6 at the same time as the lighter ZIS-5 in December 1933. However, the number of units remained far behind those of the ZIS-5. At peak times, the Moscow plant produced almost 4,500 ZIS-6s per year, and almost 60,000 ZIS-5s were built in the same period. The following table shows the production figures for the ZIS-6 by year of construction.

Type	1933	1934	1935	1936	1937	1938	1939	1940	1941	1942	Total by model
ZIS-6 with flatbed	881	341	464	364	505	1187	1331	901	1710	113	7797
ZIS-6 chassis	-	359	1036	1516	1565	1982	3135	2598	2225	-	14,416
Total according to year of construction	881	700	1500	1880	2070	3169	4466	3499	3935	113	total: 22,213

Few changes were made during the construction period. In 1937 the cardan shaft was revised. From 1941, the vehicle was basically equipped with ZIS-16 engines, which came from the bus of the same name . A new light alloy cylinder head has increased the power to 85 hp. An extended ZIS-6 with a six-speed manual transmission was also designed during this period. The project, which ran under the name ZIS-9 , never got off the drawing board .

It is sometimes stated in the literature that production of the ZIS-6 ceased in mid-October 1941. At that time, the manufacturing plant was evacuated from Moscow behind the Urals to protect it from the approaching German troops and the Battle of Moscow . At the same time, the production of the relatively complicated transfer case and the worm gear for the rear axles of the ZIS-6 was discontinued. In fact, ZIS-6s were still being built in series until January 1942, probably from remaining parts. With over 22,000 units, the truck was one of the most frequently built in its class at the time.

Older sources traditionally give a number of 21,239 copies, but this does not include various custom-made items and production after October 1941.

aftermath

Although production at ZIS ended in 1942, many units were converted for use by the Red Army after that date. Many special superstructures were still mounted on the ZIS-6 until the mid-1940s, including tank and workshop vehicles and, in particular, the Katyusha rocket launcher . Only when American trucks became increasingly available through the Lend Lease Act , these tasks were taken over by other vehicles. The Studebaker US6 was often used in place of the ZIS-6 .

ZIS-6 with BM-13-16 rocket launcher as a memorial in Isjum (2009). The rectangular fenders are not original

Today some ZIS-6s have been preserved or restored. Among them are in particular some examples with Katyusha rocket launchers, which were erected as memorials in various places in Russia. There are also a few vehicles in museums, for example in the Military History Museum of Artillery, Engineering and Communications Technology in Saint Petersburg.

The rectangular fenders that can often be seen on the vehicles are not original, but retrofitted. Some of them were attached during general repairs in the 1940s and 1950s, and some were also attached to later, unprofessional restorations. They come from ZIS-5 trucks that were manufactured during wartime and received a greatly simplified body. This modification never existed due to the early end of production of the ZIS-6 ex works.

In 1948 the ZIS-151 was introduced as the successor to the ZIS-6. Like all subsequent models, it had all-wheel drive and was manufactured in large numbers that far exceeded that of the ZIS-6. Together with its successors, ZIL-157 and ZIL-131 , it was a standard truck for many Warsaw Pact armies until the collapse of the Soviet Union . The manufacturer continued to produce trucks until around 2013 in the factory in Moscow where the ZIS-6 was also built.

It is also noteworthy that the six-cylinder gasoline engine of the ZIS-6, albeit under changing names and with steadily increasing performance indicators, was produced a million times and well into the 1980s. It was found in many Soviet standard trucks such as the ZIS-150 , the ZIL-164 , ZIL-157 , some variants of the ZIL-130 or the UralZIS-355M as well as in various Soviet buses, forklifts and construction machinery.

Model variants and structures

Due to the relatively high payload of up to four tons, the chassis of the ZIS-6 served as the basis for various special structures that were too big and too heavy for other trucks. The following list is not exhaustive and only shows the models that have been handed down in the literature.

• ZIS-6 - basic version of series production, delivered by the manufacturer both as a chassis and with a flatbed. Built from 1933 to 1941.
• ZIS-6A - Even before the outbreak of the German-Soviet War , both the ZIS-5 and the ZIS-6 were made especially for the Red Army and, in the case of the three-axle model, were designated as ZIS-6A. They differed mainly in the higher side walls and the presence of a tarpaulin and bow . Only very small numbers of this version were built until the end of production.

BA-11 reconnaissance tank based on the chassis of the ZIS-6 (around 1940)

• ZIS-34 (also ZIS-6k ) - Reinforced and shortened chassis of the ZIS-6 for the reconnaissance tank BA-11 . Projected from 1936 and built in small series from 1938 to 1941, a total of 16 copies were made. The vehicles received an increase in performance to 86 and later 99 hp and an on-board network with 12 V, as well as a tank with 150 liters capacity. As early as 1935, the BA-5 was a prototype on the chassis of the ZIS-6 that was not built in series.
• RAF and RSB-F - Since the mid-1930s, short and medium wave radio stations for operation on airfields have been housed in special superstructures on the chassis of the ZIS-6 .
• PM-3 , PM-5-6 and PARM-1B - workshop trolleys with a specially manufactured body for the military, differently equipped and manufactured from the mid-1930s to 1941. From 1938 there were a few examples with bus bodies.
• BS-35 - Airfield tanker based on the ZIS-6 with a capacity of 3200 l. Built from 1935 to 1941, the pumping capacity was 400 l / min.
• BS-41 - From 1941 to 1943, the tanker was built from existing chassis and had a capacity of 3400 liters. The BS-43, built from 1943, was built on the smaller ZIS-5.
• WMS-34 - Special tanker for flight operations, in which both large quantities of water and oil could be heated and pumped around. Built from 1934 to 1940, then loaded onto ZIS-5.
• AES-4 - Military mobile network backup system for supplying larger consumers ( searchlights , hospitals, communication systems) with electricity. A special body with a petrol-driven 30 kW power generator was mounted on the chassis, and a second vehicle transported additional equipment. Built from 1936 to 1941.
• AK-3 - mobile crane for military use and three tons of lifting power. Built from 1938 to 1941.
• AKM Janwarez - further developed mobile crane with a shorter boom and also three tons of lifting power, built from 1939 to 1941 in a factory in Odessa.
• ATK-1 - Civilian mobile crane with structures and parameters similar to the military versions.
• AGW-2 - A cleaning and decontamination system for uniforms and other equipment that was mounted on the chassis of the ZIS-6. Built in 1940.

Originally preserved BM-13 with round fenders in the Artillery Museum St. Petersburg (2008)

• BChM-1 - Armored tank truck on the chassis of the ZIS-6 with a series of compressors and pumps designed to spread chemical warfare agents and create fog sufficient to cover approximately an area of ​​2500 m². A medium or high double-digit number of these vehicles was built between 1937 and 1939.
• PO-15-8 and a. - The ZIS-6 was often used as a mount for anti-aircraft searchlights and acoustic positioning systems in air defense.
• MU-1 and MU-2 - experimental multiple rocket launchers from the 1930s that were loaded onto the ZIS-6.
• BM-13 - Also called BM-13-16, Katyusha or Stalin organ, mass-produced multiple rocket launcher that was used in World War II. From 1939 to 1941 ZIS-6 were used as the chassis, in the later war years mainly Studebaker US6 and after the war other Soviet trucks. Some specimens based on the ZIS-6 have been preserved in various states in Russia as monuments and in museums.
• BM-8 - Multiple rocket launcher built in different versions of a smaller caliber than the BM-13. Here, too, the ZIS-6 served as a carriage in 1941 and 1942.
• BM-31 - Like BM-13, but larger caliber. Installed on ZIS-6 in 1943 and 1944.

Technical specifications

Unless otherwise indicated, the following technical data are taken from the original operating instructions from the manufacturer for the vehicle and correspond to the status of 1937. Since minor changes have been made over and over again over the course of production, data from different sources may differ slightly from one another.

• Engine: in-line six-cylinder petrol engine with carburetor
• Motor type: "ZIS-5"
• Power: 73 HP (54 kW) at 2300 min ^-1
• Displacement: 5.55 l
• Bore: 101.6 mm (4 ″)
• Stroke: 114.3 mm (4½ ″)
• Torque: 28.5 kpm (280 Nm)
• Compression ( ): 4.6 ... 4.8 ${\displaystyle \varepsilon }$
• Carburetor type: MAAS-5
• Firing order: 1–5–3–6–2–4
• Clutch: two-disc dry clutch
• Transmission: manual transmission, 4 forward gears, 1 reverse gear
• Reduction gear: three stages
  • Street: 1: 1
  • Terrain: 1.53: 1
  • backwards: 1.11: 1
• Fuel consumption on paved roads: 36–40 kg / 100 km, corresponds to about 50 l / 100 km
• Fuel supply: 100 l
• Range: 200 km on paved roads
• Top speed: 55 km / h
• On-board voltage: 6 V.
• Batteries: Type 3-ST VII, two pieces of 105 Ah each
• Alternator: GAU-42, 6-8 V, 110 W
• Starter: electric, 0.9 hp
• Seats: 2
• Drive formula : 6 × 4

Dimensions and weights

• Length: 6060 mm
• Width: 2235 mm
• Height: 2160 mm
• Ground clearance: 290 mm
• Wheelbase: 3360 + 1080 mm
• Track width: 1546 mm at the front, 1675 mm at the rear (double tires)
• Turning circle: 18 m
• Weight chassis: 3630 kg
• Weight cabin and loading area: 600 kg
• Empty weight including tools, spare wheel and with a full tank: 4230 kg
• Payload: 4000 kg, on bad roads and off-road 2500 kg
• permissible total weight: 8230 kg
• Tire dimension: 34 × 7 "

Remarks

1. ↑ The Russian letter З is usually rendered as S in the German language . However, with regard to abbreviations and type designations, the manufacturer appeared internationally mostly under the English spelling ZIS , also with regard to historical vehicles. In this article, only the variant used by the manufacturer is used for the sake of consistency and clarity. See also the former website (in Russian) of the now insolvent Zavod imeni Lichatschowa.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h} Dimitri Daschko: Советские грузовики 1919–1945 . P. 85 ff.
2. ↑ ^{a b} Ministry of Automobile Transport of the RSFSR ; Vehicle Construction Institute NIIAT: Short Automobile Manual (краткий автомобильный справочник). P. 478 f.
3. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p} Yevgeny Kochnev: Автомобили Красной Армии 1918-1945 . P. 265 ff.
4. ↑ ^{a b} Dimitri Daschko: Советские грузовики 1919–1945 . P. 218.
5. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} Yevgeny Kochev: Автомобили Красной Армии 1918-1945 . P. 458 ff.
6. ↑ ^{a b c d e} L. D. Gogolew: Автомобили солдаты . P. 37 ff.
7. ↑ ^{a b} L. M. Shugurow: АВТОМОБИЛИ России и СССР . First part, various pages.
8. ↑ Dimitri Daschko: Советские грузовики 1919-1945 . P. 92.
9. ↑ GUTAP, Zavod im. Stalina: Инструкция по уходу за автомобилем ЗИС-6 (2½ – 4 т) . P. 7 ff.

literature

• A. Karjagin, Ju. Dolmatovsky: Автомобили советского производства . Biblioteka sa rulem, edition 23/24, Schurnalno-gasetnoe obedinenie, Moscow 1935.
• GUTAP, Zavod im. Stalina: Инструкция по уходу за автомобилем ЗИС-6 (2½ – 4 т) . Narkomtjaschprom, gossudarstvennaja kontora sprawotschikow i katalogow. Leningrad & Moscow 1937.
• Ministry of Automobile Transport of the RSFSR ; Vehicle Construction Institute NIIAT: Short Automobile Manual (краткий автомобильный справочник). Transport Publishing House, 6th edition, Moscow 1971.
• LD Gogolev: Автомобили солдаты . Patriot, Moscow 1990, ISBN 5-703-00226-5 .
• LM Shugurov: АВТОМОБИЛИ России и СССР . First part. Ilbi / Prostreks, Moscow 1993, ISBN 5-87483-004-9 .
• Yevgeny Kochnev: Автомобили Красной Армии 1918-1945 . Eksmo, 2009, ISBN 978-5-699-36762-7 .
• Dimitri Daschko: Советские грузовики 1919–1945 . Automobil-Archiv-Fond, Moscow 2014, without ISBN.
• Andy Thompson: Trucks of the Soviet Union: The Definitive History . Behemoth Publishing, Wincanton 2017, ISBN 978-0-992-87695-1 .

Web links

Commons : ZIS-6  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Film recordings from the production of the first ZIS-6 (Russian)