Mercedes-Benz L 3000
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Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartere ...
L3000 was a 4x2 3-tonne rear axle drive
truck A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame constructi ...
used by
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
in
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, powered by a Daimler-Benz OM 65/4 74 hp 4-cylinder diesel engine. It was used alongside the
Opel Blitz Opel Blitz (''Blitz'' being German for "lightning") was the name given to various light and middle-weight trucks built by the German Opel automobile manufacturer between 1930 and 1975. The original logo for this truck, two stripes arranged loo ...
, and proved even more reliable in rough terrain; and was used in all fronts and extensively by the
Afrika Korps The Afrika Korps or German Africa Corps (, }; DAK) was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African Campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of its African colonies, the ...
. It was manufactured in three versions, the L3000, the L3000A, and the L3000S, from 1938 to 1944. When production was discontinued, more than 27,700 L3000 type trucks had been built, making it the most produced
Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartere ...
truck of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
.


History

From 1896,
Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (abbreviated as DMG, also known as ''Daimler Motors Corporation'') was a German engineering company and later automobile manufacturer, in operation from 1890 until 1926. Founded by Gottlieb Daimler (1834–1900) and ...
built not only passenger cars, but also light and heavy trucks with a payload of up to 10 t for the civilian and military sectors. The Reichswehr also used 3-ton trucks as a personnel carrier. Daimler-Benz in 1934 produced some off-road test vehicles under the name Mercedes-Benz LG 63, which went on to successful testing as a Mercedes-Benz LG 3000 in mass production and were delivered from 1936 to the Wehrmacht, Reichspost, Reichsbahn and business operations. The L3000 was used in all major theaters of World War II where German forces were deployed, and was also used by civilian fire departments.


Variants

*L3000 - civil version *L3000A - military version with all-wheel drive *L3000S - military version using some standardized parts


Technical data

() Figures in brackets: For driving offroad


In Popular Culture

A replica of an L3000 based on the chassis of a GMC CCKW appears in the 1981 film '' Raiders Of The Lost Ark''. It is involved in the film's most famous chase scene.> A modified Lo 2000 or L3000 truck carrying a detachment of SS Einsatzkommandos appears on the village arrival scene of the 1983 British Horror film '' The Keep'', set in Romania in 1941.


See also

* Mercedes-Benz Lo 2000


References


Notes


Bibliography

* Oswald, Werner: ''Kraftfahrzeuge und Panzer der Reichswehr, Wehrmacht und Bundeswehr''. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1982. ''(in german)'' *Frank, Reinhard: Mercedes im Kriege - Personenwagen, Lastkraftwagen, Sonderaufbauten. PODZUN-PALLAS-VERLAG, Dorheim. 1985.


External links


Mercedes Benz L 3000 S
kfz der Wehrmacht

(in German)

(in German) World War II vehicles of Germany Military trucks of Germany L Military vehicles introduced in the 1930s Military vehicles of Germany {{Germany-WWII-stub