Indholdsfortegnelse for January 2025 i Military Trader

Owning n historic military vehicle means different things to different people. Some folks love every minute of the time and effort that goes into doing a complete restoration. For others, the main reason for owning an HMV is to drive it. Since age 16 I’ve put many miles on various military vehicles, starting with my first of over a dozen jeeps, an M38. I drove my first M37 round-trip from Arizona to Alaska back when most of the Alaska Highway was unpaved, and have also owned a GTB, two M211s and two DUKWs. I have also worked on and driven many other military vehicles, and the most important thing I’ve learned from experience is that an HMV owner should be as self-sufficient as possible when it comes to tools and…

The Allied invasion of Normandy marked a watershed moment in military history. As the largest amphibious assault to date and the first successful cross-channel attack in eight centuries, it was nonetheless just the initial step toward liberating France and pushing into Germany. Following the landings, Allied progress stalled. German defenders held Montgomery’s forces at bay near Caen until 10 July 1944. Operation Goodwood was conceived to capture the Bourguebus Ridge while decimating German tank forces. On 18 July, over 1,000 Halifax and Lancaster bombers unleashed their payloads on the 21st Panzer Division’s positions at Colombelles and Cagny. An hour later, British artillery joined the fray, followed by American bombers striking the 16th Luftwaffe Division as fighter-bombers engaged German strongholds. The British 11th Armoured Division advanced under a rolling barrage from…

When Benito Mussolini, “IL Duce” (the Leader) of the Italian “Partito Nazionale Fascista” (National Fascist Party – PNF) came to power in 1922, he governed Italy as a charismatic, but ruthless dictator, ruling over a demoralized people who yearned for a return of their former pride and peace. Before this, the country had been a nation in chaos, with numerous strikes, political divisions and struggles between factions in the government and the Papacy. Mussolini sought to unify Italy through his stance on anti-socialism, extreme nationalism, antisemitism, a modernization of the country and improvements to the economy. In addition, his “cult of personality” promoted “Spazio Vitale” (living space), Italian expansion into other countries, somewhat similar to what would be Adolf Hitler’s “Lebensraum” in the years that followed. His appeal centered on…

For the second year, the Military Vehicle Collectors Club of Michigan, (MVCCMI) joined forces with the Steam Railroading Institute, (SRI) at their location in Owosso, Mich., to produce the Arsenal of Freedom Festival. The show mixed military vehicles with the iconic Pere Marquette locomotive 1225, now back in service after a lengthy rebuild. For those not familiar, 1225 was built in December 1941, and is the last to remain of the 39 2-8-4 “Berkshire” type steam locomotives produced. Attendees were welcomed by sunny skies and very pleasant conditions for the event, which saw a nice influx of new vehicles. Bucking recent trends, Jeeps were very popular with a handful of Ford GPWs on display. And while last year’s show featured three ½-ton Dodges, this year saw three post-war, ¾-ton Dodge…

For decades, the FWD Museum was a small collection of rare vehicles housed in the tiny machine shop where Otto Zachow and his brother-in-law William Besserdich invented America’s first four-wheel-drive car. The two machinists turned to local lawyer Walter A. Olen to help them establish the Four Wheel Drive Auto Co. of Clintonville, Wis. When he retired in 1952, Olen was honored as the oldest truck maker in the United States. Known as FWD-Seagrave after purchasing the fire truck maker in 1963, the company reflected a strong sense of history with a tiny “Birthplace of Four Wheel Drive” museum. Thanks to the efforts of Olen’s granddaughter Marcia, a Clintonville native named Mark Thomas and many volunteers, the FWD Museum has added a larger factory building where Topp Stewart tractors were…

Historic vehicles and aircraft, known as gate guardians, are sometimes to be seen on display outside regimental museums or airfields to where they usually have a historical connection. At the Tank Museum at Bovington, Dorset in England, there are several of these sentinels, and for the most part are easily recognizable. However, until 2007 there used to be one vehicle which stood out from the rest for its sheer size. The vehicle did not have any information by it, not even a name plate to say what it was. It turned out that it was a rare relic, known as the ‘FV4005’, left over from experiments conducted in the 1950s, during the period known as the “Cold War”. It was the only surviving example of three such vehicles from which…