David EilersDecember 29, 2020

1942 Jeep Convoy of Russians

This photo was published in the November 21, 1942, issue of the Los Angeles Times. It shows the convoy of a Russian antitank outfit.

SE Pennsylvania SteveDecember 29, 2020 at 2:48 PM
I think the bulk of the original 1500 jeeps made by Bantam were shipped to the Soviets. Maybe that's what we're looking at here.
David EilersDecember 29, 2020 at 6:23 PM
Steve, agreed. They are most likely lend-lease jeeps.
Mark S.December 29, 2020 at 9:16 PM
I think they are Willys slat grills, with the 1942 date, probably lend-lease jeeps.
Barney GoodwinDecember 29, 2020 at 9:38 PM
These are Slats, but I believe Steve is right. The bulk of the first run protos went to the Russians through lend lease who were already in the war. That's why of Willys, Ford and Bantam, there are so few protos found today.
Shane MillerDecember 30, 2020 at 5:41 AM
Russia was not approved as a lend lease recipient by congress until early/mid November 1941. The majority of the jeeps that ended up in the hands of the Russians early on were indeed prototypes but they were diverted from an allotment destined for the British and purchased(outside of official lend lease channels) by a US based Soviet owned business called The American Trading Company(AMTORG). The Bantam jeeps that were sent were of a special contract and were not part of the first 1500 Bantam produced. They were a separate contract for 1,000 jeeps of which only approximately half have any verifiable documentation of delivery to Russian ports