History

The Berliet VUDB was a light personnel carried made and used in France and its colonies in the 1930s. It was not well liked by its users but a few remained in service into the 1940s serving with Vichy forces overseas.

The Berliet VUDB (voiture de prise de contact) was designed for use by French cavalry units.

A prototype was produced in 1929 and fifty vehicles were constructed during 1930 and assigned to cavalry units and French Foreign Legion in French possessions in northern Africa.

Despite having four-wheel drive, the vehicle was not popular because it lacked a turret and had poor mechanical reliably and range.

By 1939 only 32 vehicles remained operational and, after the French defeat in June 1940, 22 served with Vichy French forces in the Sudan.

This model represents a Berliet VUDB in the early 1930s.

Wespe-Retrokit 1/72 kit completed by Leigh Edmonds in July 2012.

Data

MODEL: Berliet VUDB

ROLE: Light personnel carrier

TIME PERIOD: 1929-1945

ENGINES: one 4 cylinder Berliet petrol engine

WIDTH: 1.94m

LENGTH: 4.5m

GROSS WEIGHT: 4,950kg

MAXIMUM SPEED: 53km/h

RANGE: 300km

PAYLOAD: driver and six man squad

ARMAMENT: two 7.5mm machine guns

SCALE: 1/72

GALLERIES:

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