Zvezda Military 1/100 Soviet ZIS5 Truck Snap Kit

An industrial war like World War II requires enormous logistics to keep the troops on the front supplied so they can continue fighting. Accomplishing this feat requires trucks, and a lot of them. For the Soviet Red Army, that often meant the sturdy and reliable ZIS-5, also known as “Tryohtonka” for its three-ton payload capacity. It was built with a 68 horsepower engine, measured about six meters in length, and weighed just over 3000 kilograms.

Named for the assembly plant where it was constructed, the Zavod Imeni Stalina (or “Plant of Stalin’s Name”), this truck first entered production in 1933 and was still produced as recently as 1955. Over those two decades, about 1 million ZIS-5 trucks were built. During the war years, chronic shortages of raw materials forced many changes and simplifications to the design of the ZIS-5. Some components were constructed from wood instead of metal, front brakes were removed, as were the bumbers.

The ZIS-5 was a multi-purpose vehicle, and it served on all fronts during the war. In addition to the transport of supplies and cargo, it could be used to tow artillery, carry troops (up to 25 soldiers at a time), haul fuel, act as an ambulance, or even function as a mobile AA platform.