Posted by Brian in Oregon on September 22, 1999 at 08:54:01:
In Reply to: NEEDED: photo's/evidence of 1/2 ton ww2 dodges in Europe posted by dave on September 22, 1999 at 05:50:24:
Most 1/2 tonners were pulled out of front line use in late 42 and nearly all were gone by 43. Most were sent rear areas until 3/4 tonners replaced them too.
Most 1/2 ton usage in ETO was in Britain in the early days of the USAAF operations, and most of these were ambulances. Most photos show 3/4 ton ambulances, but a close look at these pics show later planes like B-17G's (w/chin turret), so this was much later. Most pics of 1/2 ton ambulances show B-17F's (w/o chin turret) in the background.
Other than ambulances, I have not found pics of any 1/2 tonners in front line use in the ETO or MTO. Even though it is known they went to N. Africa and also, supposedly, a few continued in use in Sicily and early in the Italian campaign. I wonder if these may have been special bodies like radio trucks and repair bodies, until the 3/4 tonners replaced them.
I have a strange pic in a german aircraft book showing a german marked 4x4 whose cab remarkably resembles a Dodge 1/2 tonner. I mean a dead ringer. The pic is supposedly in Sicily. The bed has been replaced with a full width high mounted box, and a vertical spare behind the cab. The wheels look British and the tires are larger than the normal 7.50x16's. They look like the ones on CDM vehicles. I can't identify it. I have no such vehicle in any of my Wehrmacht or Luftwaffe books. I wonder if it was a captured British truck like a Bedford or if we supplied closed cab cab/chassis 1/2 tonners to the British or Canadians and they modified them for desert use. The truck is also obviously a much lighter color than OD. Probably light tan or sand. It is possible the pic may have been taken in Africa and is mismarked Sicily. (Why would the germans ship or fly back an American or British truck from N. Africa? For various reasons I doubt the pic was taken after the invasion of Sicily, so that kind of nixes on captured after the invasion.)
If only these photos could talk!