Somua, an acronym for ''Société d'outillage mécanique et d'usinage d'artillerie'', was a French company that manufactured machinery and vehicles. A subsidiary of
Schneider-Creusot
Schneider et Cie, also known as Schneider-Creusot for its birthplace in the French town of Le Creusot, was a historic French iron and steel-mill company which became a major arms manufacturer. In the 1960s, it was taken over by the Belgian Empain ...
, Somua was based in
Saint-Ouen, a suburb of Paris.
Overview
In 1930 Somua introduced several models of trucks equipped with advanced diesel engines, half cabins and three axles and with payloads from 10 to 13 tonnes. Somua also produced a lighter range with five to eight tonnes payload, equipped with gasoline engines. In 1936 Somua produced a railcar for
PLM, the XS 1 to 11.
Arguably the most famous product in Somua's history was its 20-ton
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
tank, the
Somua S35
The SOMUA S35 was a French cavalry tank of the Second World War. Built from 1936 until 1940 to equip the armoured divisions of the Cavalry, it was for its time a relatively agile medium-weight tank, superior in armour and armament to its Frenc ...
and the
Somua S40
The Somua S40 was a prototype French tank developed before Second World War. It was based on the Somua S35. Compared with the latter, the S40 had a new diesel; its hull was longer than the S35; and an extra pair of wheels was added on the suspens ...
. Furthermore, France's first tank in 1916, the
Schneider CA1, as well as later in 1918 some
Renault FT
The Renault FT (frequently referred to in post-World War I literature as the FT-17, FT17, or similar) was a French light tank that was among the most revolutionary and influential tank designs in history. The FT was the first production tank to ...
tanks, were manufactured by Somua in their Saint-Ouen facility during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
Somua's production of trucks practically ceased between 1943 and 1946. However, in 1944 the company developed a truck under license from the Swedish
Hesselman company. Named the JL 12 and equipped with a flex-fuel four cylinder engine, the vehicle did not impress the "Commission des plans de modernisation de l'automobile", which decided in 1946 to merge Somua with
Willème and
Panhard
Panhard was a French motor vehicle manufacturer that began as one of the first makers of automobiles. It was a manufacturer of light tactical and military vehicles. Its final incarnation, now owned by Renault Trucks Defense, was formed ...
to form a new company, the Générale française de l'automobile (GFA).
In 1946 Somua launched a new range of trucks, named JL 15, with a five-speed transmission to exploit the 130 horsepower delivered by the 8.6 liter six-cylinder diesel engine. It was available with six choices of chassis: 6.30 meters to 10.89 meters and 2 or 3 axles, supporting 11 to 16 tonnes payload. The JL 15 was available in truck or bus configuration - the models were respectively the JL 15T and JL 15LO.
In 1948 Somua built two double 1500 V DC
EMU
The emu () (''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is the second-tallest living bird after its ratite relative the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus '' Dromaius''. The emu ...
rail engines for
SNCF. They mainly operated in the South West region of France.
Delivery began in 1950 of the Somua OP5 bus model to Paris public transport operator
RATP.
In 1955 Somua introduced the JL 19, available with two or three axles and powered by a six-cylinder diesel engine, the D615 9.3 liter engine, producing 180 hp and with a manual ten speed transmission. The JL 19 was available as a carrier or tractor, with five different chassis, and bore a payload of up to 26 tonnes. Around this time
Latil
Latil was a French automaker specializing in heavy duty vehicles, such as trucks, agricultural equipment, and buses, from 1898 to 1955. It had factories in Paris, Suresnes, and Marseille.
History
In 1897, Auguste Joseph Frederic Georges Latil ( ...
, the heavyweight vehicle division of
Renault
Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufacture ...
, and Somua were merged under the LRS brand, which later became
Saviem
The Société Anonyme de Véhicules Industriels et d'Équipements Mécaniques (), commonly known by the acronym Saviem (), was a French manufacturer of trucks and buses/coaches part of the Renault group, headquartered in Suresnes, Île-de-France ...
.
In 1962, Somua introduced a new JL range, with a new cab with four headlights (which came from the Saviem group). The base JL model had a 6.8 to 12.75 tonnes payload. The JL20 tractor had a 520D6T
Henschel
Henschel & Son (german: Henschel und Sohn) was a German company, located in Kassel, best known during the 20th century as a maker of transportation equipment, including locomotives, trucks, buses and trolleybuses, and armoured fighting v ...
direct-injection six-cylinder 204 horsepower diesel engine and a 10 speed transmission and 35 tonnes gross weight.
The company was a minor manufacturer of
trolleybus
A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or trol ...
es, building a total of just 55, one in 1938 and the others in the period 1947–55.
[Murray, Alan (2000). ''World Trolleybus Encyclopaedia'', pp. 23, 100, 149. Yateley, Hampshire, UK: Trolleybooks. .] Another French manufacturer,
Vétra
Vétra (or Vetra), or more formally the ,Dölling, Gerhard (1993). ''Straßenbahnatlas Schweiz 1993'', p. 12. Berlin: Arbeitsgemeinschaft Blickpunkt Straßenbahn e.V. . , supplied the "overwhelming majority"
of trolleybuses in use on French systems during the relevant period. Somua-built trolleybuses used electrical propulsion equipment from
Westinghouse.
Gallery
File:Somua MCL 5.jpg, French medium Kégresse track
A Kégresse track is a kind of rubber or canvas continuous track which uses a flexible belt rather than interlocking metal segments. It can be fitted to a conventional car or truck to turn it into a half-track, suitable for use over rough or soft ...
SOMUA MCL-5 in 1939
File:Fort de Fermont and its museum -SOMUA MCL6 heavy artillerie tractor pic1.JPG, SOMUA MCL6 heavy artillery Kégresse track tractor, Fort de Fermont museum
Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-297-1701-18, Nachschub per Eisenbahn, Somua-LKW.jpg, SOMUA MCG
Somua, an acronym for ''Société d'outillage mécanique et d'usinage d'artillerie'', was a French company that manufactured machinery and vehicles. A subsidiary of Schneider-Creusot, Somua was based in Saint-Ouen, a suburb of Paris.
Overview
...
Somua MCG recovery in Lussinpiccolo 1943.jpg, SOMUA MCG
Somua, an acronym for ''Société d'outillage mécanique et d'usinage d'artillerie'', was a French company that manufactured machinery and vehicles. A subsidiary of Schneider-Creusot, Somua was based in Saint-Ouen, a suburb of Paris.
Overview
...
recovery in Lussinpiccolo in 1943
File:Somua MCG with PaK 40 in north italy.jpg, SOMUA MCG
Somua, an acronym for ''Société d'outillage mécanique et d'usinage d'artillerie'', was a French company that manufactured machinery and vehicles. A subsidiary of Schneider-Creusot, Somua was based in Saint-Ouen, a suburb of Paris.
Overview
...
Kégresse track with PaK 40 in north Italy.
File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-300-1863-30, Riva-Bella, Waffenvorführung Panzerwerfer.jpg, Armoured SOMUA MCL Kégresse track modified by Alfred Becker
Alfred Becker (20 August 1899 – 26 December 1981) was a German engineer and artillery officer who served during the World War I, First and World War II, Second World Wars. During the Second World War he took captured British and French vehicl ...
for use by the Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...
File:140907-Marxzell-Museum-12.jpg , SOMUA Kégresse track tractor
File:Somua OP5.jpg, SOMUA OP5 Paris bus
See also
*
SOMUA MCG
Somua, an acronym for ''Société d'outillage mécanique et d'usinage d'artillerie'', was a French company that manufactured machinery and vehicles. A subsidiary of Schneider-Creusot, Somua was based in Saint-Ouen, a suburb of Paris.
Overview
...
*
SOMUA SM
The AMX 50 (official designation) or AMX-50 was a French heavy tank designed in the immediate post Second World War period. It was proposed as, in succession, the French medium, heavy, and main battle tank, incorporating many advanced features. ...
*
SOMUA S35
The SOMUA S35 was a French cavalry tank of the Second World War. Built from 1936 until 1940 to equip the armoured divisions of the Cavalry, it was for its time a relatively agile medium-weight tank, superior in armour and armament to its Frenc ...
References
* Davies, Peter J. (2003). ''L'Encyclopédie mondiale des camions''. Genève: Manise. ()
* ''L'Atlas des camions français'', éd. Atlas, éd. Glénat ()
External links
{{Authority control
Defence companies of France
Trolleybus manufacturers
Companies based in Île-de-France
Bus manufacturers of France
Truck manufacturers of France
Electric vehicle manufacturers of France