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Mike Kelly 10-02-21 04:30

Dutch military car
 
1 Attachment(s)
Not seen this car before https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/a...itary%20car%22

Hanno Spoelstra 10-02-21 07:38

2 Attachment(s)
DAF Prototype 4x4 Amphibious vehicle, 1939

No series production

It used driveline components from the Citroen Traction Avant, IIRC

Attachment 119961

Attachment 119962

Lang 10-02-21 07:48

One must ask what insanity even brought this design to prototype stage?

Hanno Spoelstra 10-02-21 07:59

Insanity or innovative?
 
1 Attachment(s)
Mr van Doorne was quite ingenious. His M39 Armoured Car was ahead of its time with its welded unibody construction. By 1939 it was already a case of too little too late

Attachment 119963

Lang 10-02-21 08:23

Thanks Hanno

Lang

Hanno Spoelstra 10-02-21 16:44

Daf mc139
 
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Of course the layout looks a bit silly with that engine mounted centrally. But the DAF MC139 was developed in 1938-1939 as a 4-wheel drive 4-wheel steer amphibious vehicle. 4-wheel drive was selectable, and a propeller could be fitted to propel it as a full-fledged amphibious vehicle. It could also be driven from both sides (not at the same time of course - now, that would have been silly).

I think it is an examplary vehicle of the early days of all-wheel drive military vehicles where concepts like 4-wheel steering, bi-directional driving postions and amphibious capabilities were all put into one vehicle to create the supernatural abilities deemed necessary (this vehicle should have been named after Eugene the Jeep like so many other off-road vehicles). Today we would call this a technology demonstrator.

Its intended role was reconnaissance car. But probably because the Dutch government would find it too expensive (they always do), only one prototype was built. The prototype disappeared without a trace during the German occupation.

Front view:
Attachment 119978

Rear view:
Attachment 119984


The Dutch defence strategy relied heavily on the age-old method of inundation and most equipment was tested to see if it the could overcome these water obstacles. Thus the MC139 was tested on the frozen IJssel river in the winter of 1940 and "performed excellently". It is nice to see it was featured in a newspaper on the other side of the globe.

See a short video of the MC139 being tested here: https://www.openbeelden.nl/media/657233

Attachment 119979 Attachment 119981


Technical data:
Engine: Citroën Traction Avant 7S, 4 cylinder 1911 c.c. 48 hp.
Wheelbase 2500 mm.
Overall length 3500 mm.


Note the MC139 was fitted with the so-called Pilot wheels from the Citroën Traction Avant
Attachment 119983

David Dunlop 10-02-21 16:49

Hanno.

Do you think it influenced the small, German amphibious vehicle development at all?

David

Colin Alford 10-02-21 17:07

Hanno,

Given the two Registration plates visible (N-44943 and N-44945) is it possible that there was more than one prototype?

Hanno Spoelstra 10-02-21 17:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Dunlop (Post 276700)
Do you think it influenced the small, German amphibious vehicle development at all?

David,

I would have to map it against the timeline of the German developments by Porsche (KdF / Volkswagen) and Trippel. I think Hans Trippel had built his first amphibious car by the time DAF did. As the German designs were not as sophisticated as the DAF, I would put a bet on the MC139 prototype being scurried away by the German army to study it in detail and then display it as a captured enemy object. Other Dutch Army vehicles were on display in a large museum in Berlin, all being destroyed in 1945.

Hanno Spoelstra 10-02-21 17:29

2 Attachment(s)
Quote:

Originally Posted by Colin Alford (Post 276701)
Given the two Registration plates visible (N-44943 and N-44945) is it possible that there was more than one prototype?

Colin,

Well spotted! Actually these registration plates are a type of trade plate as they have been spotted on other DAF vehicles under test at times before WW2.


N-44943 - also used on DAF Trado command car prototype:
Attachment 119986


N-44945 - also used on Ford tractor towing DAF trailer with automated container loader:
Attachment 119985

David Dunlop 10-02-21 19:36

So it could very well be one vehicle being tested at two different times with whatever registration plates were on hand.

Are those small bumperettes either side of the front plate, Hanno, or small ditching wheels?

David

Lang 10-02-21 22:53

David

They certainly look like "ditching wheels". A good idea and obviously of some use though these tiny ones would not be much help on a soft bank. You can see similar wheels and rollers on cross country vehicles and machinery going back well before WW1.

That pretty little 6 wheeler looks a much better proposition than the push-me pull-you 4 wheeler. But as Hanno said it was a proof of concept machine experimenting with several different ideas.

Lang

Hanno Spoelstra 11-02-21 22:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra (Post 276699)
The prototype disappeared without a trace during the German occupation.

Sjoerd van de Wal told me the DAF MC139 amphibious vehicle was hidden during the German invasion in May 1940 - it never surfaced again. If the Germans would have found it, it would have been documented by them but there is no paper trail. Also, there are indications that they went out looking for it because they were interested in the double controls.

Lionelgee 12-02-21 10:26

DAF & Ford Six Wheeler
 
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Hello All,

Following on from the earlier post showing the DAF on Ford six wheel vehicle. The attached photo shows a similar vehicle that is complete with wet weather wintering kit. Photo accessed 12th February 2021 from, https://panzerserra.blogspot.com/201...1940-case.html.
The website suggests that there were DAF Chevrolet versions of the Trado as well.

Kind regards
Lionel

Hanno Spoelstra 05-12-21 20:58

1 Attachment(s)
One more pic of the MC-139

Attachment 126353

rob love 05-12-21 21:02

I think there would be arguments about who faced forward. The losers would get to be carsick from riding backwards.

Hanno Spoelstra 06-12-21 10:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by rob love (Post 283784)
I think there would be arguments about who faced forward. The losers would get to be carsick from riding backwards.

You'd just yell "officers ride up front!", let them hop in and then the driver would set off in the other direction :)


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