Engines of the Red Army in WW2

International M-5-6-318 2.5-ton 6x6 Cargo Truck

IHC M-5-6-318, 2.5-ton, 6x6, Cargo

In 1941, the U.S. Quartermaster Corps ordered 500 units of the new M-5-6 truck from International Harvester Co., Chicago (contract W-398-QM-9738).
The order was carried out at the Ft.Wayne Works, sited at Ft.Wayne, Indiana.

It comprised the following four variants :

425 M-5-6-318 short wheelbase (swb) without winch for a price of $ 2,780 each;
25 M-5-6-318 short wheelbase (swb) with winch for a price of $ 3,025 each;
25 M-5-6x4-318 long wheelbase (lwb) without winch for a price of $ 2,770 each;
25 M-5-6x4-318 long wheelbase (lwb) with winch for a price of $ 3,020 each;

The name "M-5-6-318" stood for "M"ilitary-"5"000 pounds payload-"6"wheels-FCB-"318"B 6-cyl. engine.

However, as the price was 20-25% over that of the competitive GMC CCKW 352/3 design, the QMC decided to standardize to the latter and furtheron reserve the M-5-6(x4)-318 for foreign aid, mainly to the Soviet Union and China.

The 500 Ft.Wayne-built trucks (W-460525 to W-461024) were subsequently sent to the Soviet Union thus being among the first 3-axle trucks received by that ally.
Some 3,000 M-5-6x4-318 more would follow...

1940 M-5-6 prototype with M-5H-6 typical open cab

Sparewheels on top of fuel tank

M-5-6-318 without the 10,000 lb. front winch

M-5-6 lined up by dozens in front of Ft.Wayne Works, Indiana...

...and in Russia, side by side with a domestic ZiS-5

Manual reprinted in Cyrillic

Original photo taken at June 1943 test trials at Kubinka

The M-5-6 in its classical role as prime mover

Preparing Two-Unit-Packs for Shipping at the IHC Ft.Wayne Works

For shipment the trucks are crated as follows:
One box contains one chassis with 10 wheels and tires less the cab. Tire are put underneath the chassis and on top of the frame.
The gross weight of the box is 11,170 pounds. The net weight is 8,560 pounds. Size of the box is 237 by 88 by 58 inches-700 cubic feet.
A second crate contains two cabs and four spare wheels and tires.
The gross weight is 2,780 pounds, net weight 1,776 pounds. The box measures 129 by 65 by 66 inches-320.3 cubic feet.
The boxes are packed two together with all bows, tarpaulins, etc, inside. There is no crate as the boxes are wired securely together and shipped without crates. There are no weight or dimensions of the body package. Thus two complete trucks, cabs and bodies, are shipped in four packages.