Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2020 i Military Vehicles

I feel like Br’er Rabbit getting thrown into the briar patch. While a rusty Ford GPW rolling chassis and a pile of loose parts that I bought at an auction in February may have looked impossible to salvage, this ol’ rabbit had a few tricks left. I thought it would make a good project for next winter. At the rate that I am proceeding on the project, I will have it ready to go to a show — before there is a show to go to. NOT AS THORNY AS IT LOOKS I have resurrected 15 war-time Jeeps during the last 12 years. When I built a new shop a few years ago, my wife, Beverly, was happy to see the pile of parts finally leave the ping-pong table in…

As 2020 marks the 75th anniversary to the end to hostilities in the European and Pacific theatres of World War II, I thought it would be appropriate to look at what Ford Motor Co.’s Allied efforts during those most crucial years. During World War II, the entire automobile industry switched over to the manufacture of much-needed wartime goods, and America’s ability to provide materials at a faster rate than the Axis could destroy helped win the war. When most people think about Ford’s contribution to the world conflict, they usually come up with the little 4x4 jeep GPW (“W” for Willys) produced under license from Willys-Overland, or the giant B-24 Liberator bombers that were built at Ford’s Willow Run complex outside of Ypsilanti, Mich. Ford’s effort found it being awarded…

We love to see and share photos of our readers’ HMVs. Here are few that appeared on our Facebook page. To see more, share your own photos or to simply “join the conversation,” log onto your own Facebook page and type “Military Vehicles Magazine” in the search bar at the top of the page. “LIKE” us to receive the most recent news and hobby chatter. Follow us on Facebook: Join Facebook.com and search for Military Vehicles Magazine…

After close to sixty years of working with, driving, rebuilding and repairing trucks and equipment, including several hundred military vehicles, I’ve heard many legends, stories, and myths that go with the territory. As far as stories, there’s the one about four American soldiers in Vietnam who were driving along a narrow trail through rice paddies in an M151 when they suddenly came under enemy fire. There was no cover, no place wide enough to turn around and retreat, but the GI’s jumped out, each grabbed a corner of the MUTT, and they lifted and turned it around. As the story goes, when they arrived back at base and told of their escape no one believed them — “four men cannot lift an M151.” And, when they tried to duplicate this…

Zündapp G.m.b.H. had built detonators for the German Army during WWI, and like BMW, transitioned to motorcycles after the war. The new Zündapps were strong and light with rear wheel drive, hydraulic brakes, and a preheating element to allow starts on cold mornings at the Russian front. The German government facilitated an arrangement between BMW and Zündapp to design motorcycles with interchangeable parts. Zündapp began series production in the spring of 1941. Over the next eight years, Zündapp produced 18,695 KS 750 in their Nuremberg factory. Military production of the Zündapp KS 750 stopped in early 1945. Production resumed in 1946 for the Finnish Army and the civilian market.…

My G-506 was produced in November 1942, Ronnie Guin of Mt. Olive, Ala., did most the restoration work, though I added some missing items and did some additional restoration on the gauges and switches. I rebuilt the pedal shaft to remove excess play and made a few other repairs including a new battery box and the steel “mud flaps” for the rear wheels. I’m also sharing a couple of photos from my Father’s WWII service. They show G-506s in the service of the 3rd Air Force at MacDill Field, 1943. Dad was in a B-26 Marauder group: the 387TH Bomb Group, 559TH Squadron. The vehicle markings confirm the group and two different squadrons.…

In March 2020, the commandant of the Marine Corps released Force Design 2030. The guidance provides a common direction to where the Marine Corps is heading in the future and why. Force Design 2030 states the Marine Corps will integrate more with the U.S. Navy and reaffirms their strategic partnership. It also promises the Marine Corps “will adapt to increase the range, accuracy, and lethality of their modern weapons.” “We have shortfalls in expeditionary long-range precision fires, medium to long range air defense systems and short-range air defense systems,” said U.S. Marine Corps General David H. Berger, the commandant of the Marine Corps, in his planning guidance. “There are some capabilities that I assess we are over-invested in.” Tank battalions, according to Berger, were one of the capabilities in which…

The future of our hobby is the younger generation getting involved: Then Active Duty USMC Gunnar Sigrist took leave to join the 2017 MVPA Route 66 convoy. He put some of his training to use changing brake shoes and cylinders on the New Zealander’s M37 during a convoy rest day at a Walmart parking lot. Note the use of chock blocks and jack stands for safety. Photo and caption by Gunnar's late father and our friend, Mark Sigrst. If you have a suitable photo for SNAFU, send it to Snafu, Military Vehicles Magazine, 5225 Joerns Drive, Suite 2, Stevens Point, WI 54481, or email a high-resolution scan to jadams-graf@aimmedia.com.…

I have an M59 armored personnel carrier (APC). These were made from 1953 until 1960 before it was completely replaced by the M113 APC. It has a pair of GMC 302-cu. in, straight-6 engines, one installed on each side. With maximum armor about 1” thick, this unit weighs about 41,000 lbs. And despite the weight, it is amphibious! The rear ramp drops down with enough room inside to accommodate a Jeep . It is rated to haul 10 fully equipped soldiers plus the driver and a gunner. Currently, it as a replica (non-firing) cannon mounted on it from when the APC was used during the filming of the movie, “Fox Catcher.” Originally, it would have had a .50 cal. machine gun. I bought the M59 from the movie company after…

As the spread of the Corona Virus cancelled shows in early 2020, we looked for ways to keep our hobby vibrant and engaging. One of those efforts was the creation of the “All-World Virtual Military Vehicle Show in March 2020. Using Facebook’s “Groups” feature, we invited our 42,000+ followers to participate by posting photos of their vehicles and vote for their favorites by “liking.” Over the next five months, more than 1,400 joined the group. More than 100 entered their vehicles. Thousands of people viewed and voted. The show ended on August 31, 2020. Based on the popularity of this show, we will host another one: The Spring 2021 All World Vehicle Show. Log onto our Military Vehicles Magazine Facebook page and watch for details. Be safe and “Keep ‘em…

Vehicle: WWII Dodge 3/4-ton Weapons Carrier G-Number: G-502 Also known as: “WC” If you are looking for a WWII-era vehicle that is larger than a Jeep but small enough to fit in an average home garage, then a WC would be an excellent choice. Except for Jeeps, Dodge 3/4-ton trucks of WWII are probably the most popular military vehicles with collectors and drivers today. The 3/4 ton WC Dodges were basically improved models of the 1/2-ton Dodge 4x4s of pre- and early WWII production. The 3/4-ton trucks can be most easily differentiated from the 1/2 models by their flat grilles (the 1/2 trucks usually had rounded grilles). WC-51s and WC-52s Weapons Carriers are nearly identical. The primary differences are that the WC-51 has no winch, whereas the WC-52 has a…

ALLIED LANDINGS IN PROVENCE Herman Pfauter sent these photos from the French MVCC which commemorated the 76th anniversary of the Allied Landing in Provence on August 17, 1944. MEMORY BORMES 1944  “Mémoire Bormes 1944” pays tribute to French liberators every year in August The goal of the event is to perpetuate the memory of the engagement fought by Allied soldiers on French soil.…

Military Vehicles Magazine welcomes photo submissions from its readers of any MVs, new or old. Send photos with a brief description to: Military Vehicles Magazine, Attn: Reader Photos, 5225 Joerns Drive, Suite 2, Stevens Point, WI 54481 or email high-resolution images directly to jadams-graf@aimmedia.com. All submissions become property of Active Interest Media, and may be considered for inclusion (with proper credit) in other features.…