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| WorldWar2.ro Forum > Romanian Army > MALAXA TIP UE CARRIER |
| Posted by: malkara January 22, 2006 05:06 pm |
| I doing some research for a possible book on the Renault UE. I am interested in any information regarding The Romanian Malaxa tip UE. Also any photos of them in service I have one of two towing trailers that are numbered 018119 and 018120. Does anyone know any more numbers or have any more photos? Here is what I have managed to find out. In 1937 Romania signed an agreement to produce the Renault UE under licence at Bucharest at the Malaxa factory. Originally 300 vehicles were to be built. But with France’s rearmament programme, production was delayed, because whilst the Malaxa factory produced the main bulk of the vehicle it still relied upon Renault to provide many components (particularly engines) and production only started in late 1939. The German invasion of France in 1940 effectively prevented French imports of the parts needed and later the Germans were refurbishing UE’s for their own use, all this meant that in the end only 126 were built by the first months of 1941, when production was stopped. However a June 1941 Army list has some 178 carriers in service, so it seems probable that the Germans supplied another 50 Tankettes. The Romanians used the Malaxa UE’s as artillery tractors for the Army’s new 47mm Schneider anti-tank guns in the anti-tank companies and as load carriers for fuel and ammunition within the motorised cavalry regiments. Twelve were allocated to each infantry division and as many as forty with the 1st Armoured Division. During the fighting in the early years of the campaign in Russia many Malaxa tip UE’s were destroyed or captured by the Russian forces, at least 42 were lost at Stalingrad in 1942 and by 1943 the last 50 were sent back to depots. 33 being used as training vehicles, the other 17 were sent back to the Rogifer factory for repairs and to be converted to tow the German 5cm anti-tank gun, which was done between January and March 1944. They were then sent to various Divisions on the Moldavian front. Most were subsequently, captured by the Russians in August 1944. Regards Mark |
| Posted by: Cantacuzino January 22, 2006 06:54 pm | ||
Malaxa factory. UE production line. Source "Third Axis Fourth Ally "( Mark Axworthy) http://imageshack.us |
| Posted by: Cantacuzino January 22, 2006 06:58 pm | ||
UE Malaxa chenillette at military parade. Source D.M. coll. http://imageshack.us |
| Posted by: malkara January 22, 2006 07:50 pm |
| Thanks everyone, the factory photo is interesting. Regards Mark |
| Posted by: mihnea January 22, 2006 08:05 pm |
| These are some pictures with the Malaxa UE from MMN. http://imageshack.us Interior: http://imageshack.us |
| Posted by: horia January 22, 2006 08:10 pm |
| where exactly in MMN.?I've been there saturday but I didn't saw it. |
| Posted by: mihnea January 22, 2006 08:12 pm | ||
In the last building were the carriages and the locomotive are. But it is there for more than two years. |
| Posted by: horia January 22, 2006 08:43 pm |
| thei told me that the last building is not for visit.the same 2 mounth ago. |
| Posted by: Victor January 22, 2006 08:43 pm |
| Photo courtesy of mr. Dan Antoniu. Looks like it was s/n 87. |
| Posted by: mihnea January 22, 2006 09:11 pm | ||
It might be, they are renovating for some time or the supervising ladies are lazy  and don't want to go there, because it's cold, so they say to the individual visitors that it's closed. |
| Posted by: nox January 23, 2006 05:37 am |
| picture 1 from ebay picture 2 from tankomaster   |
| Posted by: mihnea January 23, 2006 07:48 pm | ||
Are you certain that in this picture these are Malaxa UE and not Renault UE? PS What is “tankomaster”? |
| Posted by: sid guttridge January 23, 2006 09:00 pm |
| Hi Mihnea, I was also wondering that, because the nearest one seems to have a German number beginning "WH......". The Germans had French Renault UEs captured in 1940. What are the external differences between a Renault UE and a Malaxa UE? Are there any? Cheers, Sid. |
| Posted by: Dani January 25, 2006 05:10 am | ||
Russian magazine: http://www.chrisevansbooks.com/tankomaster.html http://www.eastview.com/peri/product.asp?sku=P11081&active_tab=1 |
| Posted by: nox January 25, 2006 05:19 am |
Tankomater is a russian model magazine.  caption of the second picture said "Romanian tankette "Malaxa" captured Red Army units near Stalingrad, Januar, 1943".  I asked the translation to my russian friends.  |
| Posted by: mihnea January 25, 2006 02:25 pm | ||
Absolutely correct Sid, the number on the first carrier is wehrmacht. Germans used captured Renault UE carriers on the eastern front. http://imageshack.us The Romanian Malaxa UE was identical with the French Renault UE. |
| Posted by: malkara January 25, 2006 03:35 pm |
| I do not think that there are any differences at all from the Renault as the UE Malaxa UE was built under under licence so I guess there used the same drawings Mark |
| Posted by: malkara August 13, 2006 11:02 am |
| The Romanian used the Malaxa UE’s as artillery tractors for the Army’s new 47mm Schneider anti-tank guns I have recently found a photo of some UE,s towing what I think are these guns does anyone have a photo to compare? In fact they are same guns as in Cantacuzino earlier photo. The nearest vehicle in my photo has the number 118 on the front. |
| Posted by: Dénes August 13, 2006 01:31 pm |
| Malkara, please post your photo here, so we all can see what type of cannon is towed by the Malaxa UE tractor. Gen. Dénes |
| Posted by: mihnea August 13, 2006 01:38 pm |
| I would also like to see that picture; most of the pictures I have seen show the Malaxa carrier towing the French Puteaux AT gun. |
| Posted by: malkara August 13, 2006 02:32 pm |
| Sorry I cannot post photos for some reason. But as I said they are certainly the same guns as in Cantacuzino earlier posted photo in this topic. Are these 47mm Schneider anti-tank guns? |
| Posted by: mihnea August 13, 2006 03:31 pm |
| The one in the picture posted by Cantacuzino is a French 1937 Puteaux 25mm gun. You can see all the Romanian AT guns here: http://www.worldwar2.ro/arme/?section=18 . |
| Posted by: malkara August 13, 2006 03:42 pm |
| My photo also shows a rear view it not that clear but like in the Cantacuzino photo. If the photo was from the front I would have recognized it as a Puteaux 25mm gun. But thank you for the postive id. |
| Posted by: nox September 21, 2007 08:12 am |
from Militaria 191 Barbarossa 1941 vol.I |
| Posted by: nox July 17, 2008 09:40 am |
 source ebay  source Freiburg Staatsarchiv via Cantacuzino  source ebay pics 2-3 are already posted in armata romana forum |
| Posted by: Victor July 21, 2008 05:56 pm |
| Sources please. |
| Posted by: Agarici April 03, 2010 09:08 am | ||||
Cantacuzino, do you know when was the photo taken (before September 1940)? In the left of the picture, attending the parade, there are a couple of individuals apparently wearing "cavalerii Ordinului Mihai Viteazul" (the knights of "Mihai Viteazul" order) white outfit - which was very fashionable during Carol II reign. Thank you! |
| Posted by: MMM April 03, 2010 09:45 am |
| Why are you sure it's before sept. 1940? |
| Posted by: Agarici April 03, 2010 11:04 am |
| To be more specific, before the Carol's abdication. |
| Posted by: MMM April 03, 2010 03:22 pm |
Yes, exactly! Why? Why not a parade in 1941? As far as I know, there were very few available in 1940: according to Axworthy (3-rd Axis, 4-th Ally), their manufacturing started in the second half of 1939 and ended prematurely in march 1941, at German orders.  |
| Posted by: Dénes April 03, 2010 05:44 pm | ||
What is this allegation based on? Gen. Dénes |
| Posted by: MMM April 03, 2010 07:23 pm |
Allegation?!?!?!  Better ask Mr. Axworthy, 'cause I didn't look further than pages 34-37 of the book mentioned above (of course read it entirely, but in this particular matter I chose to believe him). He says that - given the fact that France, who was the supplier of the important parts of the carrier fell to Germans and they decided to stop the production of those parts and probably (I guess) to replace them with parts appropriated for Wehrmacht's needs - the Germans ordered the ceasing of the imports towards Romania.Is it clear(er) now? |
| Posted by: Agarici April 04, 2010 06:50 am | ||
It could very well had been 1941 or later - that's why I'm asking. My argument for a pre-Antonescu regime event is the full "M. Viteazul" order attire - cap and coat - which I am not aware to continue to be worn after Carol's reign ended. HAPPY EASTER everyone! |
| Posted by: Dénes April 04, 2010 09:05 am | ||
The additional explanation indeed made the issue clear(er). Therefore, the Germans did not order directly the cessation of the series production in Rumania - they were not in the situation to do so - only the spare parts' supply dried out. That makes sense. Gen. Dénes P.S. Axworthy's book - although a reference work in its field - should not be taken always as granted, and all statements at face value. |
| Posted by: MMM April 05, 2010 02:42 pm | ||||
Oh, I am very well aware of the "taken as granted" stuff, no problem there. And to get back in the "malaxor"  , I understood that not only the supplies dried out, but also the Germans "advised" (!) the Romanians to stop asking and manufacturing those silly cartwheelers! |
| Posted by: dragos April 05, 2010 03:52 pm |
| Those "silly cartwheelers" were also used by the German Army. In fact any mechanized mean of transportation at hand was impressed by Wehrmacht, because it was better than the regular horse-drawn transport. |
| Posted by: MMM April 05, 2010 07:12 pm |
| Of course they were; much better than the PzKwI chassis that were later used for self-propelled artillery! |
| Posted by: nox February 02, 2011 09:18 am |
 from ebay |
| Posted by: mihai February 08, 2011 09:12 am |
| Which item in ebay? Can you show the lins or URL? MIhai |
| Posted by: Dénes February 08, 2011 10:29 am |
| Mihai-san, The item was already sold. Gen. Dénes |
| Posted by: nox February 16, 2011 10:11 am |
 http://cgi.ebay.de/Parade-Rumanischen-armee-Franz-Panzer-UE2-/260738181600?pt=Militaria&hash=item3cb534e9e0#ht_500wt_1156 |
| Posted by: 21 inf February 16, 2011 12:19 pm |
| This looks like a parade in a transylvanian saxon town. I am curious were it could be. |
| Posted by: muggs February 16, 2011 04:40 pm |
| It's in Piata Mare, Sibiu |
| Posted by: nox March 14, 2011 10:30 am |
 Sibiu Rumänien http://cgi.ebay.de/Foto-Panzer-UE2-Pak-Schlepper-16-Pz-Div-Sibiu-Rumanien-/170615339290?pt=Militaria&hash=item27b977791a#ht_1120wt_1167 |
| Posted by: muggs March 14, 2011 02:19 pm |
| Nice pic, quite a lot from the same album on ebay, unfortunately only 2 pics with armor |
| Posted by: Agarici September 03, 2011 07:10 pm | ||||||
Any similarities between the image above and that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk9WjORKKCI (see the „Mihai Viteazul" Order white cape)? |
| Posted by: Mircea87 September 03, 2011 11:57 pm |
| Some frames with Malaxa Tip UE carriers can be seen here: http://anr.infoideea.ro/basarabia1940/page8.html |
| Posted by: MMM September 04, 2011 04:39 pm |
| I would very much like to read about the behaviour on the frontline of the above-mentioned "carriers"; I haven't found any infos yet... |
| Posted by: Florin September 05, 2011 08:02 pm | ||
Hi MMM, Just looking to the photos in this topic, it is obvious that the tracks and their damping system were not able to absorb the shock happening at high speeds - assuming that the engine would be able to reach such speeds. Also, the tracks are narrow, prone to sink in the mud with the first chance available. The small wheels supporting the tracks could get easier stuck than in later track designs. So it looks like an average vehicle with tracks, in no way better or worse than many others deployed by the Axis in the first two years of Eastern Front. I am assuming you know that any time the self propelled vehicles got stuck in the mud, the good old horse was called to the rescue. |
| Posted by: MMM September 06, 2011 06:51 am |
| Hi, Florin! I've noticed all the above, as I already studied the data about all the armour of Romania at the beginning of Barbarossa! I presumed quite easily that it was an average vehicle - or less - but I wanted to know if there are any statistics about them, like there are about the tanks! Like that: http://www.worldwar2.ro/arme/?article=236 |
| Posted by: Radub September 06, 2011 09:17 am |
| The Malaxa UE carrier was simply a mechanised method of replacing the horse or ox. Its purpose was simply to tow loads, be they cannons or trailers of supplies. Basically, they were "tractors". Radu |
| Posted by: Agarici September 06, 2011 09:20 am | ||||||||
Thanks to Mircea87 (see the post and link above), things are clear now: the chenillete was photographed and filmed at the 10 Mai parade, 1940, in Bucharest. Same origin for the AA trucks photos posted by Cantacuzino in this older topic: http://www.worldwar2.ro/forum/index.php?showtopic=1404 |
| Posted by: dragos September 06, 2011 10:38 am |
| The Soviets made use of a similar tractor: Komsomolets. The captured pieces were used by Romanian Army under the designation of Ford rusesc de captura http://worldwar2.ro/arme/?article=247 http://battlefield.ru/ru/tank-development/31-traktors-and-trucks/44-komsomolets.html |
| Posted by: MMM September 17, 2011 08:21 am | ||
OoT, but I really would like to find out the truth: in the documents (and books) I have consulted, both German and Romanian authors are stating that Romanian horses were much less stronger than those of the Wehrmacht. How comes that? Did they have such a good "type" of army-horses, opposed to our conscripted animals? |
| Posted by: Radub September 17, 2011 08:44 am | ||||
I do not know how big horses were in WW2, but I can tell you for sure that the horses you see pulling carts nowadays around Romania are tiny compared to draft horses I had the chance to see at various shows in Great Britain and Ireland. It is likely that some German Warmbloods were stronger breeds of draft horse, purposely selected and bred for extra strength. Radu |