The technique of the French concern Citroen has always been famous for its high quality. But the Germans during the Second World War did not like it, and there were reasons for this. But is it really all about the poor quality of the famous trucks, or was there something else? As it turned out, everything is much simpler, although the company really created the problem.
1. How it all started
The famous company was born in 1919. in May. And by 1939, when World War II began, the cars produced by this manufacturer had already established themselves as high-quality, durable and stylish vehicles. This applies to cars as well as trucks.
When the war began, France did not want to take the side of Germany. She did not agree with her position and, accordingly, did not want to interact with the Nazis, to cooperate, just like the leadership of the Citroen auto concern. But for obvious reasons, the concern could not declare directly about the refusal to support the Third Reich. In order not to put themselves at serious risk, the company's employees were forced to go for one trick.
The occupation of France began in the fortieth year of the last century. Almost immediately, all large enterprises, factories, among which was the concern, had to work for the Reich. The concern was headed at that difficult and dangerous time by Pierre-Jules Boulanger, a Frenchman. He was a smart and wise man and perfectly understood that he would have to cooperate with the invaders.
If the Nazis had been directly refused, the leadership would have been replaced by those who would not argue. Well, since against the wishes of Pierre, his company would still have to assemble military trucks, he took advantage of his ingenuity. It was his decision that helped to deceive the enemy.
2. Boulanger's resourcefulness
The idea was actually ingenious and was kept from the Nazis, like the methods of the company, in secret. We learned about it relatively recently. This operation, very risky, real sabotage, was described by John Reynolds, a writer from Canada, in his work "Citroen 2CV".
Boulanger in 1940 ordered all work on the production of cars to continue at the same pace, but not to rush during the assembly of trucks. Basically, the Wehrmacht was interested in the T45 truck model. This is understandable, since it had excellent cross-country ability in off-road conditions, rarely broke down and was unpretentious in maintenance.
But it soon became clear that this car was reliable only for the French. When the Germans began to use it, the truck quickly broke down, unable to withstand the increased load. Naturally, the Germans initially had some suspicions, but the best German engineers and mechanics did not find anything suspicious in the design of the equipment.
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3. What was the trick
Boulanger's idea, which turned out to be successful, was actually distinguished by its simplicity and at the same time genius. He suggested putting the minimum mark on the dipstick designed to determine the oil level slightly lower than necessary. Nothing special, but it worked.
In wartime conditions, the machines worked for wear, the oil in them quickly ran out, and the mechanics did not could understand what happened, because in a short operational period the cars came to full worthlessness. No one has been able to figure out why. There seemed to be no problems, but the equipment completely refused to work. And if this happened in a remote area, then often the trucks jammed the engine.
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As a result, the Germans decided that the quality of Citroen technology was too exaggerated. But for the soldiers of the Soviet army, such trucks, received as trophies, worked almost perfectly. But there is nothing unusual here either. Our oils never spared and always filled it, so to speak, with a margin, a little above the maximum level mark. So it turned out that his level was always normal. But how could such a thought have occurred to a German, a representative of a nation distinguished by its pedantry.
The manufacturer's plan worked 100%. The sabotage was a success, besides, it was easy to implement it, and there was no particular need for financial costs. The result was achieved: the cars were assembled strictly according to plan, the company's employees remained intact, and the enemy got a lot of problems on his head.
Continue reading on the topic what tanks the UK supplied to the USSR and how they influenced the course of the war.
A source: https://novate.ru/blogs/221021/60976/