WesWorld

Argentina will have a similar vehicle too next year, the Nandú. Seems to be lots of choice in this market.

Quoted

Originally posted by Hood
Argentina will have a similar vehicle too next year, the Nandú. Seems to be lots of choice in this market.

Unfortunately, and I can say this from a professional perspective, the proliferation of different types in one army's inventory brings its own problems. Colonel Milosavljevic and his people will have his work cut out for them in finding a happy medium.

Police Headquarters, Karlovac, Monday, 26 June 1944

Captain Ivan Tuksor ran the Major Case Squad on a light leash, allowing his investigating officers considerable leeway to conduct their inquiries. That did not mean he was uninformed. That was why he had asked Detective Ivo Bogdan to brief him on the progress made in the case of Judge Vladimir Bakaric.

"What have we got so far," Tuksor asked.

"Not too much," replied Bogdan, "but even that tells us something." Bogdan had a reputation for loquacity and thinking outside the box - habits which made him a good investigator, but which sometimes drove Tuksor to distraction. "The crime lab pulled five identifiable slugs from Judge Bakaric, fired from two different guns; the entry wounds were from behind - which is consistent with the judge being surprised while working at his desk. We found no shell casings at the scene."

"Two assailants, with revolvers then," Tuksor summarised.

"Yes," Bogdan continued. "The medical examiner says that the angle of entry suggests that the judge had begun to turn around, as if he had heard someone behind him, but he was shot before he could finish. Nothing appears to have been taken from the home - so robbery was not the motive. We found several sets of footprints on the grounds near one of the windows at the back of the house, but the window had not been tampered with."

"Which means it could have been opened from the inside," Tuksor concluded. "I presume you have interrogated the judge's household staff?"

"And all of them deny any knowledge of it," Bogdan said in an off-hand manner. "We are checking their statements and their background. So far there is nothing too unusual, except that the chauffeur is from FurlanijaJulijska krajina - his family fled here in 1933."

Tuksor raised an eyebrow at the mention of the occupied province. "Are you think that they could be a link to the Alfieri case?"

"It would not be impossible," Bogdan concluded. "The conviction of the Alfieri brothers, while a small thing in itself, embarrassed the Camorra, and exposed them to public scrutiny. But Judge Bakaric has also ruled on at least five high-profile cases over the last three years. I will be questioning the principals in those cases during the next few days, to see if any of them might have wanted the judge dead, and was willing to pay to get it done."

"Keep me informed," Tuksor nodded, and dismissed his subordinate.

"Criminal payback or political assassination?" he wondered. "Only time is going to tell."

The Ministry of Defence Building, Belgrade, Friday, 30 June 1944

Colonel Dragoslav Milosavljevic and his staff had worked long hours preparing the formal briefing for General Stefanovic and the other service chiefs - General Gavrilo Marinkovic for the Royal Yugoslav Army itself, Brigadier Lav Rupnik representing the Royal Yugoslav Air Force and Rear Admiral Mihailo Lukic representing the Royal Yugoslav Navy. Milosavljevic was well aware that the Air Force and the Navy were small players in the matter of motor vehicles - their requirements were miniscule compared with that of the Army, but he had included provisions for their needs in his proposals in order to gain their support in swaying the final decision.

"Attention," rang out the cry as General Stefanovic entered the briefing room, and everyone in the room stood. "Be seated," said the chief of staff, "my apologies for being late."

There was a scraping of chairs on the floor as everyone took their seats, and at a nod from Stefanovic Milosavljevic stood and took the podium. "Sir, as you requested my staff has worked up a series of formal recommendations to address the shortfalls in our motor vehicle inventory; copies of the report are in the portfolio before you and summary charts have been prepared for display. With your permission I would review each in turn."

Stefanovic had already read an advance copy of recommendations the colonel would now present, and he had formed his own conclusions on them. The purpose of the meeting was to assure that there was agreement between the services, and that no one got greedy. "Proceed Colonel," he replied.

Milosavljevic turned the cover sheet of the large pad of paper upon which his charts had been drawn and began to deliver his recommendations.

"The single largest deficit facing the services, and the Army in particular, is in the category of quarter-tonne field cars, where our total tables of establishment currently call for more than eighteen thousand examples of the M40 Triglav. Our current inventory is less than five thousand vehicles. Between now and December 1945 we expect to receive no more than six thousand examples, even with the entry of the Massey-Harris Machine and Tractor Works into the production group. At that rate the window of vulnerability will be prolonged well into the latter half of the decade; to avoid that there are two possible courses of action - invest more in the expansion of the domestic motor vehicle industry or procure vehicles abroad."

"The Government is not likely to write a blank cheque to Zastava again," said Rupnik. In that he was correct; of course the Royal Yugoslav Air Force had its own priority demands on the Government's purse. "What foreign vehicle would you have us buy?"

Milosavljevic smiled. "Sir, I agree with you - massive investment in expansion of the automobile industry would not be the wisest course; however, it is not necessary to acquire a foreign type to complicate our logistic system. We have received an unsolicited proposal from the Latil firm in France; they would undertake the manufacture of the M40 Triglav to our specifications and thus help meet our shortfall."

General Marinkovic raised an eyebrow at this news. "And just when would the first French-made Triglavs become available?"

"If the decision were made quickly," Milosavljevic replied, "they assure us that deliveries would begin in September of this year and that six thousand vehicles - the equivalent of our production - could be delivered well before December 1945."

There was a murmur among the chiefs at this news but Stefanovic quickly brought them back to target. "Very well Colonel, this would go far to filling that yawning gap between needs and what we have."

"Quite so sir," continued Milosavljevic, "It would allow us to shift more of our Ford Marmon Herrington half-ton trucks presently substituting for Triglavs to meet the transport needs of the reserves, the other services, and permit establishment of an attrition reserve."

"Then please proceed to the next category," Stefanovic directed.

Milosavljevic turned to the next chart. "The light truck category is nearly as vulnerable as that of field cars. Even with substituting of types between units barely fifty percent of current needs are being met, and that includes starving the Air Force and Navy. Production of the Zastava M41 truck is not forecast to significantly exceed five thousand units before December 1945, and the Novi Sad M44 three-ton truck not much more than two thousand vehicles."

"So we are faced with the same decision - invest or buy abroad," griped Marinkovic.

"Yes sir, but the details of the situation are slightly different here," Milosavljevic replied soothingly. "We have in hand the tooling for the Skoda 6LT two-ton truck, and my staff has determined that if it is shifted to the Progress Machinery and Railway Equipment Factory in Zagreb that facility could begin production by December of this year. While its production would small compared to the overall requirements, it would allow us to backfill shortages in those units destined to use the Skoda 6LT, have a source for attrition replacements and spare parts, and would minimize the number of light trucks to be purchased abroad."

Rear Admiral Lukic looked up from reading his copy of the report. "I see you recommend that we purchase from the United States."

"Yes Admiral," Milosavljevic answered. "The Chevrolet G-7107 is a near match for the Zastava M41, which was designed very much along American lines. We recommend the purchase of one thousand five hundred vehicles, which the Americans indicate can be delivered before the end of this year." He knew that immediate delivery would overcome the scruples of the service chiefs in buying foreign.

"What of the heavy truck situation Colonel," Stefanovic inquired.

"In some respects sir that is where we are best served," Milosavljevic admitted. Orders have already been placed with Raba for additional Botond gun tractors, and we recommend a further order for next year; likewise we recommend continued procurement of the Tatra 111 ten-ton truck to provide for eventual expansion of the general service transport regiments and to meet the Air Force's requirements for service vehicles. We also recommend making use of the existing tooling for the Skoda 6ST heavy truck and re-open a production line for that type at the Zagreb Railway Rolling Stock Factory - those vehicles not required to meet the Army's requirements can easily be used to fulfill the Navy's needs. Acquisition of additional Saurer 4CT1D trucks from Switzerland is an option - they would be needed to address the needs of the Air Force and the reserves, which are practically without motorised transport of any sort."

"I see you also recommend acquisition of additional Superb 3000 tenders from Skoda," said Brigadier Rupnik. "Thank you for keeping us in your calculations Colonel."

"Of course sir," Milosavljevic nodded. "Fortunately the type is still in production."