Leyland Hippo Mk II

Leyland Hippo Mk II
Type - Heavy cargo truck
Place of origin - United Kingdom
Service history
In service - 1944-1950s
Used by - British Army & Royal Air Force
Wars - World War II
Production history
Designer - Leyland Motors
Designed - 1943
Manufacturer - Leyland Motors . No. built - ≈ 1,000
Variants - Mk II & Mk IIA
Specifications
Mass - 8.3 long tons (8.4 t)
Length - 27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)
Width - 8 ft 1 in (2.46 m)
Height - 10 ft 11 in (3.33 m)
Crew - 2
Engine - Six-cylinder inline Leyland L6 diesel . 100 bhp (75 kW) at 1,800 rpm
Payload capacity - 11.4 long tons (11.6 t)
Drive - 6x4
Transmission - 5F1Rx2
Suspension - Live axles on semi-elliptical multi leaf springs
Maximum speed - 30 mph (48 km/h)
References - Chris Bishop & Pat Ware

The Leyland Hippo Mk II was a heavy general service cargo truck used by the British Army and Royal Air Force during World War II and the immediate post-war years.
History
Throughout 1939 and 1940 the British Armed Forces took delivery of 330 Leyland Hippo Mk Is. Also known as the WSW17, the Hippo Mk I was a militarised version of the pre-war Leyland Hippo truck with an open military cab and body.
The Leyland Hippo Mk II was a new design by Leyland, developed as a result of the planning for D-Day, which concluded that trucks with 10 long tons (10 t) cargo capacity offered considerable logistic advantages over smaller vehicles. Design of the Hippo Mk II commenced in 1943 with production commencing in late 1944. The Hippo Mk II arrived too late to see service in the days immediately after D-Day, but roughly 1,000 were in service by VE Day and they remained in service with the British Army and the Royal Air Force into the 1950s.
Design
The Leyland Hippo Mk II was a wheeled 6x4 truck, powered by a 100 bhp (75 kW) Leyland six-cylinder inline diesel engine, through a five-speed gearbox and two-speed auxiliary gearbox. The Hippo Mk II had a new two man enclosed steel cab with pull-down windows, the top portion of the cab could be removed to reduce the overall height for shipping. The Mk II was fitted with single tyres at the rear, the Mk IIA was fitted with narrower dual wheels at the rear, this necessitating the need to carry two spare tyres for the front and rear.
The standard general service Hippo Mk II body was a steel framed, timber well type incorporating the wheel arches which reduced the loading height, an important consideration given most of the loading and unloading was done by hand. Steel hoops and a canvas cover gave weather protection and prevented identification of the load by the enemy. Some Hippo Mk IIs were fitted with large van bodies and several with expanding bodies. The sides on the latter were split horizontally, the top half expanding up to give greater roof coverage, the bottom half down to give greater floor space, multiple vehicles could be linked together to form a consolidated workshop area. Post-war bodies included a 2,000 imp gal (9,100 L) refueller.

British Commonwealth utility vehicles of the Second World War

Artillery tractors
- AEC Matador
- Albion CX22S
- Albion FT15N
- CMP FAT
- Guy Quad-Ant FAT
- Morris CDSW
- Morris C8 FAT
- Scammell Pioneer
Tank transporters
- Diamond T tank transporter
- Mack EXBX
- Scammell Pioneer
Trucks and lorries
- Austin K2/Y
- Austin K5
- Bedford MW
- Bedford OYD
- Bedford OXD
- Bedford QL
- CMP Truck
- Commer Q2
- Fordson WOT 1, 2, 3, 6 & 8
- Guy Ant
- Karrier K6
- Leyland Hippo (Mk I & Mk II)
- Leyland Lynx
- Leyland Retriever
- Mack EH series
- Morris PU
- Morris CS8 (15cwt)
- Morris C9
- Thornycroft Nubian
- Thornycroft Tartar
Utility and cars
- Car, 4-Seater 4×2
- Car, Heavy Utility 4×2 Ford C11
- Car, Light Utility ("Tilly")
Motorcycles
- BSA M20
- Harley-Davidson WLA
- Royal Enfield WD/RE
- Welbike

Leyland Hippo Mk II, 1944

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