📌 Leyland Hippo 10 ton Heavy General Service Cargo Truck, IWM Duxford.
Throughout 1939 and 1940 the British Armed Forces took delivery of 330 Leyland Hippo Mk.I's, also known as the WSW17, the Hippo Mk.I was a Militarised version of the pre-war Leyland Hippo Truck with an open Military cab and body. The Leyland Hippo Mk.II was a new design by Leyland, developed as a result of the planning for D-Day, which concluded that trucks with 10 tons cargo capacity offered considerable logistic advantages over smaller vehicles. Design of the Hippo Mk.II commenced in 1943 with production commencing in late 1944. The Hippo Mk.II arrived too late to see service in the days immediately after D-Day, but roughly 1,000 units were in service by VE Day and they remained in service with the British Army and the Royal Air Force into the 1950's.
The Leyland Hippo Mk.II was a Heavy General Service Cargo Truck used by the British Army and Royal Air Force during World War Two and the immediate Post-War Years. It was a 6x4 wheeled truck, powered by a 100bhp Leyland six-cylinder inline diesel engine, through a five-speed gearbox and two-speed auxiliary gearbox. There was a new two man enclosed steel cab with pull-down windows, the top portion of the cab could be removed to reduce the overall height for shipping. The Mk. II was fitted with single tyres at the rear, the Mk.IIA was fitted with narrower dual wheels at the rear, this necessitating the need to carry two spare tyres for the front and rear.
The Standard General Service Hippo Mk.II body was a steel framed, timber well type incorporating the wheel arches which reduced the loading height, an important consideration given most of the loading and unloading was done by hand. Steel hoops and a canvas cover gave weather protection and prevented identification of the load by the Enemy. Some Hippo Mk.II's were fitted with large van bodies and several with expanding bodies. The sides on the latter were split horizontally, the top half expanding up to give greater roof coverage, the bottom half down to give greater floor space, multiple vehicles could be linked together to form a consolidated workshop area. Post-War bodies included a 2,000 Imperial gallon refueller.
▪︎Type: Heavy Cargo Truck
▪︎Place of Origin: United Kingdom
▪︎In Service: 1944 to 1950's
▪︎Used By: British Army / Royal Air Force
▪︎Conflicts: World War Two
▪︎Designer: Leyland Motors
▪︎Designed: 1943
▪︎Manufacturer: Leyland Motors
▪︎Number Built: 1,000
▪︎Variants: Mk.II / Mk.IIA
▪︎Mass: 8.4 tons / Length: 27ft 3in / Width: 8ft 1in / Height: 10ft 11in
▪︎Crew: 2
▪︎Powerplant: Six-cylinder inline Leyland L6 diesel, 100bhp at 1,800rpm
▪︎Payload Capacity: 11.6 tons
▪︎Drive: 6x4
▪︎Transmission: 5F1Rx2
▪︎Suspension: Live axles on semi-elliptical multi leaf springs
▪︎Maximum Speed: 30mph.
Taken from Wikipedia
📌 Leyland Hippo 10 ton Heavy General Service Cargo Truck, IWM Duxford.
Throughout 1939 and 1940 the British Armed Forces took delivery of 330 Leyland Hippo Mk.I's, also known as the WSW17, the Hippo Mk.I was a Militarised version of the pre-war Leyland Hippo Truck with an open Military cab and body. The Leyland Hippo Mk.II was a new design by Leyland, developed as a result of the planning for D-Day, which concluded that trucks with 10 tons cargo capacity offered considerable logistic advantages over smaller vehicles. Design of the Hippo Mk.II commenced in 1943 with production commencing in late 1944. The Hippo Mk.II arrived too late to see service in the days immediately after D-Day, but roughly 1,000 units were in service by VE Day and they remained in service with the British Army and the Royal Air Force into the 1950's.
The Leyland Hippo Mk.II was a Heavy General Service Cargo Truck used by the British Army and Royal Air Force during World War Two and the immediate Post-War Years. It was a 6x4 wheeled truck, powered by a 100bhp Leyland six-cylinder inline diesel engine, through a five-speed gearbox and two-speed auxiliary gearbox. There was a new two man enclosed steel cab with pull-down windows, the top portion of the cab could be removed to reduce the overall height for shipping. The Mk. II was fitted with single tyres at the rear, the Mk.IIA was fitted with narrower dual wheels at the rear, this necessitating the need to carry two spare tyres for the front and rear.
The Standard General Service Hippo Mk.II body was a steel framed, timber well type incorporating the wheel arches which reduced the loading height, an important consideration given most of the loading and unloading was done by hand. Steel hoops and a canvas cover gave weather protection and prevented identification of the load by the Enemy. Some Hippo Mk.II's were fitted with large van bodies and several with expanding bodies. The sides on the latter were split horizontally, the top half expanding up to give greater roof coverage, the bottom half down to give greater floor space, multiple vehicles could be linked together to form a consolidated workshop area. Post-War bodies included a 2,000 Imperial gallon refueller.
▪︎Type: Heavy Cargo Truck
▪︎Place of Origin: United Kingdom
▪︎In Service: 1944 to 1950's
▪︎Used By: British Army / Royal Air Force
▪︎Conflicts: World War Two
▪︎Designer: Leyland Motors
▪︎Designed: 1943
▪︎Manufacturer: Leyland Motors
▪︎Number Built: 1,000
▪︎Variants: Mk.II / Mk.IIA
▪︎Mass: 8.4 tons / Length: 27ft 3in / Width: 8ft 1in / Height: 10ft 11in
▪︎Crew: 2
▪︎Powerplant: Six-cylinder inline Leyland L6 diesel, 100bhp at 1,800rpm
▪︎Payload Capacity: 11.6 tons
▪︎Drive: 6x4
▪︎Transmission: 5F1Rx2
▪︎Suspension: Live axles on semi-elliptical multi leaf springs
▪︎Maximum Speed: 30mph.
Taken from Wikipedia