Overvalwagens!
Transport vehicles: Chevrolet 4x2 trucks
Tandjong Priok, the large port of the Dutch East Indies capital
Batavia (Djakarta), saw the advent of a large assembly plant of
General Motors in 1927. This factory would produce large
amounts of GM products throughout the 1930s: mainly
Chevrolets, but also Opels. This picture (by KNIL-Militaire
Luchtvaart) shows the plant around 1935. Note the test range
on the far side of the factory grounds. During WW2 GM would
play a keyrole in supplying K.N.I.L. with much desired transport.
The first evidence of K.N.I.L. using GM products hails from the
early 1930s. We have seen the GMC T18 6x4 artillery tractors
and many ambulance variants. Later Chevrolet and Opel staff
cars and gun trucks were acquired (see the Overvalwagens!
chapters on artillery tractors, staffcars, ambulances and gun
trucks). On this enlarged picture (from Heshusius/Zwitzer) a
1932 Chevrolet truck participates in a parade in Soerabaja in
the late 1930s. It is towing a 40mm Bofors (not on the picture).
The Bofors crew is seated upright in three rows in the back of
the truck on wooden boards. Well before WW2 Chevrolet had
become the favorite brand of K.N.I.L. vehicles. In local Malay it
was often pronounced as "Sipralet".
The early years of K.N.I.L. motorisation saw the
establishment of an Automobielcompagnie, later with
several detachments throughout Java. This was
supplemented in the early 1930's by the Motordienst. If
transport was required for non-motorised units,
commanders could call in the help of the Motordienst to
supply them with trucks. This picture (from Heshusius, het
KNIL van Tempo Doeloe) shows a Motordienst truck on
Java in the 1930s. The troops sit facing backwards, ready
to dismount, on wooden improvised benches. They will
have to hold on to their bamboo hats after departure!
Large K.N.I.L. parades were held
annually in various places (Batavia,
Bandung/Andir AFB, Soerabaja).
Several pictures of these parades
survive and they show most Chevrolet
model years. Here one of many 1938
Chevrolets (and the odd Ford -
exceptions make the rule) can be seen
towing searchlights.
The Australian Army captured this ex-K.N.I.L. 1938
Chevrolet truck from the Japanese Imperial Army and
brought it under new management (picture from the AWM
site). It seems to be in pretty good shape, though the grill
has been removed, possibly to provide better cooling of
the engine in the hot tropical climate. K.N.I.L. Chevrolet
trucks usually did not have their cab doors fitted. We have
no information, but K.N.I.L. truck cabs may have been of
local fabrication, as most trucks arrived CKD (completely
knocked down) chassis and cowl at the GM assembly plant.
This is a lighter version of the Chevrolet truck: a 1939 pick-up
or autolette. It has single rear wheels, a short wooden body
and the K.N.I.L. cab without doors (picture from Indisch Militair
Tijdschrift). We have seen this autolette also as guntruck and
ambulance (see the respective pages). Again, vehicles of
several model years were used.
A lady of the volunteer Women's Drivers Corps
moves a newly delivered and assembled 1940
Chevrolet chassis backwards around at the
GM plant in Batavia.
The door-less cab is well visible.
A local product?
Most K.N.I.L. Chevrolet 1 1/2 ton trucks were
probably equipped with dual rear wheels.
Picture from Bandjir.
Here's one during a parade in Bandung: a 1939 or 1940 Chevrolet
right hand drive WB 1 1/2 ton 4x2 GS truck with wooden stake and
platform body, no cab doors, spare wheel mounted to the left of the
cab, troops on transverse benches (picture form Tanda Mata KNIL).
The emblematic K.N.I.L. truck!
In 1942 K.N.I.L. probably possessed some 1700 1 1/2 ton Chevrolet
trucks of 1940 and earlier models. A further 3000 trucks of various
makes were confiscated from civilian and other sources.
There were survivors.
This picture from AWM
shows just one of these in
use with the allies after the
Japanese surrender.
This particular version has
a low cargo (dropsides?)
body.
But the typical K.N.I.L. cab
gives its origins away.
1940 1 1/2 ton 4x2 Chevrolet COE (cab over engine or
forward control) trucks were also delivered.
In fact they served as basis for the Braat
overvalwagens (see the chapter on Army
Overvalwagens).
This picture (through Hans Heesakkers) shows one of
these trucks, albeit as a left hand drive vehicle, in the
Dutch West Indies (Antilles).
Newly delivered and assembled 1941 Chevrolets 1 1/2
ton 4x2 trucks, right hand drive chassis/cowl driven by
women drivers (picture from Bandjir). These trucks
clearly shows their civilian origin: lots of chrome. Note
dual rear wheels.
K.N.I.L. 1941 and 1942 Chevrolets were delivered both
as chassis/cowl and chassis/cab. All seem to have
been right hand drive trucks, with dual rear wheels.
Delivery may have been a mixture from US and
Canadian sources and from both military and civilian
stocks. We do not have exact information presently.
These chassis/cowl trucks have been
converted to trooper trucks
(manschappenauto's). They are about to be
handed over to the territorials of the Batavia
Stadswacht.
Note the beautiful wooden troop benches. The
chrome grill has been painted over.
Picture from Bandjir.
Before handing over the
trucks, the ladies of the
Women's Drivers Corps made
a propaganda run through
Batavia city (source Bandjir).
These slightly different trucks (the seat
configuration is not the same as the Batavia
Stadswacht trucks) are used to transport
Dutch Marines from Soerabaja Naval Dockyard
in a demonstration for the international press
(still from the BritishPathe film: Dutch Marines
land on Java).
These trucks were probably on loan from the
Soerebaja Stadswacht as Dutch Marine
veterans do not recall these trucks in service
with the Navy Battalion.
The Soerabaja Stadswacht on parade.
Note the trooper sitting on the side.
The Chevrolet trooper trucks operated in
the Stadswacht mobile columns on a ratio
of two trooper trucks and one
Overvalwagen, as was envisaged in the
Stadswacht plans. Total numbers of these
trooper trucks may have been around 120
units.
Picture from Soerebaja: Beeld van een
stad.
Parade of the Soerakarta
Stadswacht in Central Java.
Note the ratio of one
Overvalwagen and two
unarmoured trooper trucks.
This picture stems from a Polish
publication on the Imperial Japanese
army in WW2. It shows Japanese
troopers apparently in New-Guinea.
They are clearly manning a Dutch East
Indies Stadswacht Chevrolet trooper
truck. Note the bench configuration
and the rear steps! These trucks must
have been shipped out from Java to
New Guinea...
Information from David Hayward, GM historian, reveals that at least two orders were placed by the
Dutch authorities after 1940 for Chevrolet trucks: one of 750 trucks and one of 2000! The first order
must have been completed and must have consisted of 1941 models. The second order was placed by
February 1942 and cannot have been executed fully.
A week after Pearl Harbour the NEI carried out an emergency plan for the GM plant. All equipment at
Batavia was loaded on a hundred newly assembled trucks and these drove off to Central Java, to the
isolated village of Wonosari near Djokjakarta, where a new camouflaged plant was set up. 400
experienced workmen came with the plant and output was 15 vehicles per day rising soon to no less
than 30 per day! Shipments came in through the still safe port of Tjilatjap on Java's south coast.
Apparently drinking water had to be brought to Wonosari from miles away! There was no power, so
diesel generators had to be commandeered from all over Java. The staff improvised an open-sided
teakwood cab with canvas cover, because steel was in short supply. The factory escaped Japanese
detection. After the fall of Java, the factory became a Japanese run facility, probably under Toyota
management
Though it is not possible to identify this truck as a
Chevrolet, this trooper truck in service with the
Navy Battalion in Eastern Java shows a simple
improvised wooden body with canvas cover
(picture from a publication of the Mariniers
Museum).
The Navy Battalion (a 400 men ad hoc unit created
just before the invasion of Java that was made up
of the remaining Dutch Marines and local
European conscripts) received its vehicles through
K.N.I.L. (see also the Jeeps chapter).
So K.N.I.L. may have used trucks with similar body
types.
This picture (taken from Jacob Zwaan,
Gouvernementeel Intermezzo) shows an
ex-K.N.I.L. Chevrolet truck loaded with
Japanese troops entering Soerabaja in March
1942.
The truck must have been taken over by the
Imperial Japanese Army on its way to the city,
a practice not uncommon to invading armies in
a hurry that are short of transport.
Semarang, May 1942.
A Japanese
commander honors his
troops during a
(victory?) parade in
the occupied city.
The trucks look quite
smart and may have
been brand new.
Picture from
Semarang: Beeld van
een stad.
These trucks
survived the war to
be used again by
the allies on Bali in
late 1945 (picture
from Vrij!).
Note the Japanese
star on top of the
grill.
Another survivor,
this time in
Australian service.
This one looks
slightly battered
and the cab doors
are missing.
Picture from the
AWM site.