Missions Berliet-Ténéré
The Mission Berliet Ténéré and the subsequent Mission Berliet Tchad were two trans-Sahara expeditions organised by the French truck manufacturer, Berliet. The expeditions demonstrated the ability of Berliet trucks to cross long stretches of desert and wilderness, and also supported geographical and scientific research.
Expeditions
The first expedition
A second expedition set off from Ouargla in October 1960, before taking a new, more easterly route via
As well as drivers and mechanics, the expeditions included scientists researching local biology, geology, archaeology and ethnography.[5] The first expedition also included a substantial press corps. Research uncovered evidence of early human settlement dating back to around 3200 BCE, in areas that are now arid desert. Artefacts included stone tools and pottery.[6]
Vehicles
The core of the Ténéré expedition was a fleet of nine Berliet GBC8 6WD trucks nicknamed "Gazelle". The trucks had been designed for use in desert conditions such as the oilfields of Algeria and were first tested in 1957 in the dunes of Ermenonville, near Paris.[7] The trucks had 7.9 litre, 125 hp engines.[8] Four Series II Land Rovers accompanied the trucks, as well as a Bell helicopter. As well as helping with dune navigation, a Bell helicopter was able to shoot spectacular aerial footage of the vehicles in action as well as hitherto unseen corners of the Sahara. In 2015 the Fondation Berliet released a full-colour, 52-minute DVD.[9]
In addition to most of the above vehicles, the second expedition [10] used four Berliet GLM 10 M HC trucks - a more conventional rear-wheel-drive cargo truck. Each carried 11 tons of cargo.
See also
External links
- Berliet GBC 8 trucks, "Gazelle"
- Newsreel footage of the first expedition
- Photo archive of the second expedition
References
- ^ "1-ere-expedition-mission-berliet-tenere-1959-1960" (in French). Retrieved 11 July 2019.
- ^ Capot-Rey (1964). "Les Missions Berliet Ténéré-Tchad". Annales de Géographie. 73 (395): 108–110.
- ^ "2ème EXPEDITION. MISSION BERLIET: TENERE – TIBESTI – TCHAD 1960" (in French). Retrieved 11 July 2019.
- ^ "MAIS QUE SONT CES BALISES BERLIET ?" (in French). Retrieved 11 July 2019.
- ^ "New route across the desert". New Scientist. 3 March 1960.
- ISBN 9780521215923.
- ^ "BERLIET GBC 8 6×6 OU GAZELLE (1956)" (in French). Fondation Berliet. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ^ "Mission Berliet Ténéré". Journal du 3ème Groupe de Transport (in French). Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ^ "'DVD: Berliet – Les Tonnes de l'Audace. Mission Ténéré 1959'" (in French). Retrieved 11 July 2019.
- ^ "Mission-Berliet-Tchad-1960" (in French). Retrieved 11 July 2019.