Why The Willys Jeep Was America's Unsung Hero Of WW2 | Combat Machines | War Stories
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 มิ.ย. 2024
- In WWII, tanks, ships, and aircraft were well known, but there was also a whole fleet of lesser known vehicles such as the Jeep, the amphibious DUKW and a legendary American GI and his Harley motorbike.
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00:00 Introduction
02:15 DUKW
05:00 HH Promo
05:35 DUKW
11:29 Jeep
21:34 Harley-Davidson WLA
35:56 Red Ball Convoy #WarStories Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free exclusive podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Matt Lewis and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code WARSTORIES bit.ly/3rc7nqm
My grandfather was a sgt 5th infantry division ww2 , he never told war stories but lil things I would catch him saying ever now and then let me price together a lil of his story . One day after I had walked about 3 miles home and I told him I was tired that was long walk he remarked try walking from France to Germany. Another day he was shoveling snow when I saw him I asked for the shovel to finish for him an told him to go inside it was too cold his response "never as cold as it was in bastonge " at that time I didn't know what that ment .at 16 I bought my first jeep and when I pulled up to his porch in that beat up old cj he just smiled an said that buggys grandfather was my best friend in the war , we took a ride through the mud and creeks he smiled and laughed and for a moment I could see the young boy remembering his first jeep ride while he was stationed in Iceland still carefree before June 7 .
In loving memory of
sgt. William Allen carey us army
But most importantly my hero love you poppy.
🫡
a few years ago I was in Yunnan in southwest china. This is the location where the Burma road was being defended by the flying tigers. Today there are many memorials to the Americans who fought the Japanes there. There were life size statues of Americans in uniform with fresh cut flowers at their feet. One city had a flying tiger plane on a pedestal. One particular memorial had rows of statues of American and Chinese soldiers on a hilltop and at the lead was a full size stone Jeep. All of this is still well maintained. The museum has giant paintings of scenes of Americans and Chinese working together in iconic scenes. History is always bigger than what end up in the books. I mean, there is a lot bigger personal experience than the mere depictions that politics preserve.
U.s.a and China once worked well together in war Now in tense situations where a war could happen between them
That's why Taiwan is important to us they were the originals that assisted us in WW2
Then during the Second World War, Japanese militarism did not please anyone in Southeast Asia. The political leaders of China and the United States were able to quickly reach an agreement. More precisely, the United States provided military assistance to all the forces that fought Japan in the Far East. That was American policy at the time. Everything is not so difficult. History is the politics of yesteryear. 🤗
You're right about the experiences. There are experiences for every man who was there, everyday he was there and every hour of the day. Most history is never known and much that is known is eventually lost. All history books are about the same size. In order to keep them manageable, as new things are learned and added to the back of the book, things from the front of the book are removed. There are things in 100-year-old history books that absolutely amaze me. When those books are gone that information will be completely and forever lost.
@@michaelboss7321 Explain for the love of all that is holy why the information will be lost?
The jeep basically replaced the horse. 'Nuff said. Saved a lot of horse lives, too.
the jeep scene in A BRIDGE TOO FAR was nice
I drove a 1/4 ton when I first enlisted in the Army. One thing that was missing from the video is the fuel consumption of the jeep. It is capable of running on almost any type of alcohol.
Any carbureted engine can if it has seals and components that withstand the alcohol and you rejet the carburetor. With rejetting you can even run an engine on kerosene.
@@packrat76 lots of old farm tractors had 2 fuel tanks 1 for gasolene and 1 for kerosene after the engine was warmed up on gas you could switch to kerosene, without changing jets, kerosene requires lots of heat
@@packrat76 The original standard 'Jeep' (G503: MB/GPW) was not truly multi fuel, nor were the Korean War era M38 (MC) or M38A1(MD), though they could be operated on rather low octane gasoline (petrol), kerosene, or high grade alcohol.
From manual TM- 9 9014 (M170 - Ambulance version of M38A1):
_b. Engine (fig. 36). Power is supplied by an F-head, four-cylinder,
four-cycle, water-cooled, gasoline-type engine. This type of engine is
a combination valve-in-block and valve-in-head construction and is
three-point mounted on the frame._
Many farmers ran their surplus 'Jeeps' on 'white gas' (kerosene).
I own a 44 GPW there no way pure alcohol can be run for any of allotted time due to rubber gaskets in the fuel filter and the carburetor
I hear that army privates can be fueled by any type of alcohol as well. Good to have redundancy like that in supply chains. Smart thinking like this is why USA #1
Had a '44 Willy's in '78. Vacuum powered windshield wipers and non-directional tire treads. Used to take it 4 wheeling. Out climbed EVERY other 4X4.
They actually climb steeper grades in reverse then and forward. Going forward the carburetor can only be tipped a certain amount and it no longer provides fuel. In reverse it just keeps running. I've had a 1942 GPW, a 1947 CJ2A and a 1957 DJ 2A. All with the same basic engine and carburetor system. Actually I still have the CJ 2 A and the DJ disassembled and shoved in the back of the garage.
@@michaelboss7321 yes, true that plus the weight of the engine is then over the "rear" wheels.
My 1942 GPW and 1947 CJ2A had a vacuum wiper on the driver side. No wiper on the passenger side. My 1957 DJ 2A had the vacuum wiper on the driver side but the passenger had the option of a hand operated wiper on his side. If the passenger wanted to see where the driver was going all he had to do was move the lever back and forth. Old simple technology and nothing to go wrong. LOL
my grandfather fought in ww2 in some of the worst of it and wouldn't talk about it very much but he always had a twinkle in his eye when anyone spoke of the Willis jeeps
Absolutely brilliant, thank you so much for showing us so many unsung heroes who stood out for their heroism.
The Liberty ships were the greatest unsung hero of WW2.
I agree. Without the liberty and victory ships nothing would have been delivered overseas to fight the war.
Henry J. Kaiser.
My late Grandpa drove a Jeep in Patton's 3rd Army, including during the Battle of the Bulge. He only opened up and talked about it in the last couple of years of his life.
Patton famously and frequently referred to the Truck, 1/4 Ton, 4X4, G503 (Willys MB / Ford GPW) as "Peeps" and used the word, 'Jeep', for the larger Dodge 'WC' 3/4 ton trucks.
His autobiography, War As I Knew It, confirms this.
The Jeep was NOT unsung. Even Eisenhower identified the Jeep along with the C47 and the LST as machines that won WWII.
That may be so, but you don't really hear anything about them.
Yes,I think the jeeps performance in ww2 is exactly what got people in the civilian world interested in off road 4×4s
@@Clarkem1 its the most famous 4x4 of all time and it’s viewed as one of the biggest assets on the battlefield for the allies.
It was unsung during the war. It wasn't until after battle that it was proven that without the jeeps we wouldn't have won.
Eisenhower was a general so he knew the logistics side of warfare. The regular public thought the war was won with tanks and planes. I knew about the Willys Jeep because of a MASH episode where someone was shipping one home piece by piece. Not because of cultural reverence. The Harley Davidson is known today because of biker gangs not heroics in Belgium.
16:04 - They are wrong here:
Both Willys MB and Ford GPW were referred to by Ordnance as _Truck, 1/4 Ton. 4X4, G503_ as stamped on their dash plate.
The _'GP"_ of GP and GPW indicated _Government, 80" wheelbase_ as P was Ford's internal code for all 80" wheelbase vehicles. GPW indicated _Government_ (contract), _80" W/B,_ (built to) _Willys_ (pattern).
I owned a 1942 Willys Jeep for 2/3 years. I used it for work and hunting. It was a really fantastic vehicle.
We had a 43 on the farm, Dad already had it when I came along in 58 and it was still running strong when I retired, a gentleman from a local vfw post had inquired about using it for various activities so it was donated,, they restored to an "as used and seen" condition with all the proper adornments a war jeep had at the time
I have driven a Jeep the length and bredth of Australia, through deserts, during the dry seasons and the floods. It is truly amazing. Mine was of Korean War era, with the so-called F-head, an conseqently slightly higher bonnet. Otherwise mechanically very similar throughout. It was the most reliable vehicle I ever owned. ☆☆☆☆☆
M38A1, or Kaiser MD.
Simplicity and durability won't let you down
@@-oiiio-3993 Willys CJ-3B, with the 2.2 litre Hurricane F-head motor. I added free-wheeling hubs to reduce wear on the power train forward of the transmission case. So when not needing four-wheel-drive, I simply stopped and hopped out and disengage the front axel. It takes seconds. This, together a higher profile tyre, 750 Bar-tread, it greatly improved fuel economy and enhanced cruising speed and comfort. If I wasn't going off-road for a while, I'd swap over to a set of 'city-tyres', still 750. 👌
No one ever believed me when I told them the mileage I was getting. The tachometer plus a vacuum gauge were my best friends. I rebuilt the motor myself and loved it.
@@kevin-parratt-artist Selectable hubs and the Warn (Saturn) overdrive are the best additions to an early Jeep Universal.
The one I presently drive is titled as '46 Willys 2A, has hopped up Buick 225 'Odd Fire' V6, 4 speed, Warn overdrive... .
The surplus Willy's jeep became the iconic jeepney in the Philippines 🇵🇭 after the war..
When I was stationed in Heidelberg, Germany, we had a couple of units out in Swetigen, a transport unit and a bridge unit. The motor transport unit had duce and a half's and the bridge builders, the Combat Engineers had both duce and a half's and DUKW's. This was back in the 1970's. We still used Jeeps up till the Gulf War... My father was a Military Policeman in the Pacific in WWII, he told me about them teaching the MP.'s how to ride the old Indian Chieftain motorcycles on the black sand beaches and how to safely lay down their bikes at speed if necessary. He used them a lot during the Japanese Occupation to gain greater mobility. The same reconnaissance riders got bit by the bug and continued riding their Harleys and Indians after the war... They became the genesis of the biker clubs of today, both good and bad.
These videos are fantastic!!!!
Visit the Philippines and see Willys Jeep greatest legacy - they are called jeepneys and is found everywhere as basic transport.
100% Agreed, Jose. Even as a tall man, I have shoe-horned myself into many Jeepneys riding into different parts of Luzon. Love it as a Filipino cultural icon.
I would hire the trikes because the jeepneys wouldn't get me back to the ship in time from Barrio Barretto!
Also 'owner type' Jeeps.
OMG! I was in a Jeepney once when this kid ran up and placed a firecracker(firecrackers go BOOM in the Philippines, not "pop") on the back bumper and ran off. When I saw the locals in the jeepney cover their ears I covered mine too before it went off with a "BOOM!", and a lot of smoke lol.
My neighbor has two Ww2 are jeeps, one is in a desert paint scheme and he’s got an OD green one that was supposedly brought back to the UK from France in the 50s, then to the States in the 80s.
One of my neighbors had a willy's jeep in his garage when I was about 5 or 6 yrs. old. That was about 1948 or 49. All the kids thought it was so cool!
They still are.
I drive a hot rod '46 Willys 'Jeep' with hopped up 225 Buick V6, Warn overdrive... .
@@-oiiio-3993 I don't care...
So nice and informative documentary, Jeep Willis MB started new era for automobiles
The US's WLA motorcycle had a side valve engine. The German R75 had an overhead valve engine, NOT a side valve engine as stated in this video.
Eisenhower said the Jeep was one of the 4 factors that won the war.
I've owned 5 Jeeps so far, including my 1943 Ford GP I've got sittin in my garage right now. The body is stock, but other than that, it's a Ford 289 K-Code powered badass...🤘🏻🇺🇸
My 'civvy' '46 Willys runs a Kenne Bell equipped 225 Buick 'Odd Fire' V6 with MSD, Warn overdrive... .
Windshield down, goggles and a grin.
The tires are the unsung heroes. Nobody talks about the tires. But think about it, no tires no transportation!
What I remember most of the Jeep was being loaded aboard Aircraft Carriers and taken out to sea, to be dumped. It would have ruined car sales if they were allowed back into the USA after the war, so I was told. Think of it, thousands of GI's familure with the Jeep back home. A very few made it home to farms, and the famous TV show Roy Rogers "Nellie Bell".
My dad was WW2 Army vet. He bought a Dodge WC after the war. I learned to drive on it when I was 6. Incredible vehicle.
Wow, a 6 year old driver.. Woooowwww !!
Amazing, 6 years old. i was like 8, when i drove a car for the first time, a Willys M38A1. I bought a Dodge WC in 2019 when i was 14, i'm retstoring it now, and it will be a challenge when i learn to drive it
That 2-1/2 ton truck is called a "Duece and a half." Built by GMC. Nicknamed "Jimmy" for that company especially for trucks.
Patton preferred and requested Dodge trucks, was supplied mostly with GMC and Chevrolet.
My dad was a crew chief on B 17s in north Africa at a captured german air base. He had a BMW motorcycle. He had saddle bags full of spark plugs that he had to change every other day because he was using gas from the USA, higher octane. The German gas was 65 octane.
Hadn't heard that explains a few other things
the soviet union went to berlin on us/british high octane fuels & canned food
@@sotabaka Petro quiz
makes no sense
@@galenamall2061 car was built to run on lower octane but was being run on high octane
I was born in Toledo, Ohio down the road from the Jeep factory. Our street was Willys Parkway.
So great channel
The James Carrol story was very touching. I tear up every time I watch this. Thanks.
Every Harley dealership should have a picture of James Carrol in the showroom.
Around 27:00: A small correction: While the German BMW R75 originally was planned to be powered by a side valve engine which was derived from the R71 this power plant this never made it past the earliest pre production bikes. All production models which saw service were powered by the all new OHV engine which should eventually become the technical ancestor of BMW's post WW II twins R51/3, R67 and R68
To bad American Bantam gets little credit for inventing the vehicle. They couldn't meet the demand.
Can confirm. Think i got airbourne when i hit a poorly constructed expansion joint on I25 in Denver doing 75mph bumper to bumper in my shitbox 96 XJ two days ago. Ol thunderguts took it like a true champion. Jeep really used to be onto something.
I just saw a video about about The Coast Guard looking for a truck bigger than the Jeep but smaller than the Deuce and a half after the war. They ended up cutting a Jeep in half and adding like 4 feet behind the front seats. It looked pretty badass but I’m not sure how many more they made.
I just saw that as well and looked into the history ,it was dubbed the willys mb uscg" invader,"the standard mb was stretched one yard and seating for 10 was added , also bigger flotation tires it was stated it could reach 60 mph on the beach some I'm guessing a motor upgrade was done a total of 4500 were produced between 43-44.
If you look at any pictures of the Philippines. You’ll see hundreds. If it’s the same design or just a necessary evolution of the Jeep. For passengers. Welcome the Jeepney.
There was a 'stretched' version of the M38A1 in later years, the M170 Ambulance.
Civilian version was the CJ6.
@@aaronmcconnell7358 Very interesting.
I'm 'Googling' those now. How did I never hear of these before?
Now I see... I'd always read of them being referred to as 'Super Jeep'.
An EWillys article provides these quotes:
1) From the May 06, 1944, Perth Mirror in Australia:
TRAVELS 60 MPH OVER SANDY BEACHES
At a Coastguard Station on the Atlantic Coast, U.S. Coast Guards men recently demonstrated a new super-jeep, carrying 10 men and traveling up to 60 miles an hour over sand. Officials said the super-jeep was developed to meet special problems of Coast Guard shore patrols. Chassis of a regulation jeep was halved and steel shafts inserted to add one yard to its wheelbace. Seats for 10 were installed and specially designed wheels employed to permit travel over any kind of beach.
2) Volume 70 of the U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings discusses the results of the Coast Guard Jeep. Unfortunately I don’t have access to the whole document. I do have this:
As a basis for comparison, the regular Army jeep tried to follow the super-jeep over the same course, but foundered in the deep sand. The super-jeep was developed in the Coast Guard transportation office to meet the special demand that branch of services has for a vehicle capable of moving through sand . . .
Super Jeep: th-cam.com/video/DVl8S-iHMIE/w-d-xo.html
What a wonderful historical coverage of Vehicles existed in WW2 used by Allies troops..wonderful introduced 👏🏻 👌 👍🏻 thanks for sharing..reminds liberated massage of USA 🇺🇸, Britain 🇬🇧 at that times...thanks for sharing
I drove jeeps a lot in the Marines, and I'll be the first to say that I was happy they went out and the Humvees came in. Sorry to any jeep fans out here, but I didn't miss them at all.
Since I own a Jeep Gladiator, I found this historical piece very interesting
6:55. Now you know why it's called Military Intelligence.
Jumbo shrimp?
Deafening silence?
Well done, thank you! An enjoyable side light to my year in the Republic of Vietnam in the US Army was filling in as a Deuce and a Half (2.5 Ton) driver. It gave me a touch-point with my old life "back in the world."
They don't have plastic bumpers
@@dennisholst4322 YES!!! No electric windows, cruise control, smog control and foo-foo fuel only. Our "Jeep" in Vietnam was actually a Ford. (Our Duece was a Kaiser.)
@@donalddodson7365 did Kaiser make the Hudson or Packard cars they had bumpers
@Dennis Holst I don't think so. Packard and Hudson were separate automobile manufacturers near the end of their survival. Kaiser became famous during WWII making ships and other industrial products. They tried to enter the automobile market but never really caught on. The "Henry J" was a compact car which Kaiser and Sears Roebuck planned to sell at Sears stores. The Kaiser Deuce and a Half 6x6 started production in the 1950's. Ours was a 1967 model.
The jeep was the "unsung hero" of the second world war?
The net is full of quotes from generals and war correspondents singing the Jeeps praise. I realize the title is just a hook to get views but I think the jeep deserves better.
We loved them till the GM Blazers replaced them and loved them even more because we missed them. For our purposes they were great.
Tanks for your WW 2 history. An Army Vet 19K 🇺🇲
Great video! I happen to have a DUKW and a Bantam BRC-40, but they are pretty rough.
Lol. Nobody 'happens to have' these treasures. Thanks for keeping them alive.
Where?
An old acquaintance of mine by the name of Don Prine was involved in the development of the original Jeep. If you've seen the news clip of President Roosevelt riding a Jeep on the capital steps. Don Prine was driving. He said he was taking the president for a ride and The president asked if he thought it would make it up those steps. Don said I think so and the president said let's go. In his collection he had Patton's Jeep that was used in Europe.
Old Don is long gone now.
I thought this was all about jeep but the title really sells this video short!
I retired from the US Army in 1991 after 20+ years. I remember the Jeep and the duce & 1/2 very well. Although I never had one assigned to me or my section. I did drive them whenever we were on long trips where the assigned drivers need some rest. It was kind of fun driving that 5 speed manual transmission on the duce &1/2. At 50 mph tops we did not make many German friends while driving in convoy on the Autobahn. I just wished either one had come with a heater.
They weren't designed to keep you warm. They were designed to get you there and back. LOL Even the civilian Jeeps the heater was optional. My 1947 CJ did have a heater if you could call it that but no defrost. When the windshield fogged up and could no longer be kept wiped off you had to open the windshield and push it out to see clearly. As clearly as you can see with snow and rain blowing in your face.
@@michaelboss7321 Wool clothing is a Jeep's 'heater'.
@@-oiiio-3993 And warm gloves and boots. LOL
When I grow up I wanna have a jeep like that
I haven't grown up.
Recently bought a restored Willys MB to go with my other flat fendered Jeeps.
Thank you for discussing the Red Ball and contribution of the Black support troops.
Far to seldom mentioned.
I've read that only about 10% of troops were actually in front lines combat
You can find all these trucks for not terrible prices
You can buy a Jeep (MB or GPW) for as low as 15k I built mine for about 25~
GMC or Chevrolet trucks (CCKW/ G506) can be found even cheaper, just good luck moving/storing one
There's a DUKW in Missouri for sale rn for dirt cheap....it just needs a new hull
The bikes....I'd just buy a few more Jeeps for that price
I really wish Jeep would come out with the Willys again and sell it as a side by side to get around emissions an safety tests
Mahindra Roxor.
Great instructional compilation of historical, tactical and creative manufacturing of vehicles that were manned by dedicated, brave, ingenious soldiers. God bless them all.
Willy's Jeep found on the Metal Gear video game on Nes
Cool
A Brit should know it's not "Willy's" - there is no apostrophe - It's Willys, same as Bruce Willis. In English "I" and "Y" are often used as alternates with the same sound. The vehicle's namesake was John North Willys (pronounced same as Willis).
* Excellent video, nonetheless.
The Jeep can be equipped/fitted with an M2 Machine Gun something the HiLux is capable of and had continued the tradition.
Being a nimble buster machine.
Andy Rooney wrote about his GP (Jeep) in his war memoir.
GP was 'Fordspeak' for Government, 80" wheelbase as 'P' was Ford's designation for all of their 80 inch wheelbase vehicles.
GPW was Government, 80", (built to) _Willys (pattern).
Ford's GP had competed with Willys MA (Military, first contract) and Bantam BRC (Bantam Reconnaissance Car) vehicles during prototype testing .
Willys Overland won the contract for what Ordnance designated, Truck, 1/4 Ton, 4X4, G503 of which Willys built over 360,000 as Model MB (Military, second contract) and Ford was subcontracted to produce over 280,000 of their GPW model by war's end.
Most MA. GP, BRC, and other 'pre standard' vehicles were sent to Lend Lease partners overseas as soon as the standard MB / GPW vehicles (G503) became available.
'Jeep' was a term commonly applied to new, untested, 'gadgets', equipment, vehicles by soldiers of the Ordnance Department going back at least to the first world war. It was first applied to the _Truck, 1/4 Ton, 4X4, G503_ in early 1941.
From _New World Encyclopedia:_
_Early in 1941, Willys-Overland demonstrated the vehicle's ability by having it drive up the U.S. Capitol steps, driven by Willy's test driver, Irving "Red" Haussman, who had recently heard soldiers at Fort Holabird calling it a "jeep." When asked by syndicated columnist Katherine Hillyer for the Washington Daily News (or by a bystander, according to another account) what it was called, Irving answered, "It's a jeep."_
_Katherine Hillyer's article was published on February 20, 1941, around the nation and included a picture of the vehicle with the caption:_
_LAWMAKERS TAKE A RIDE-With Senator Meade, of New York, at the wheel, and Representative Thomas, of New Jersey, sitting beside him, one of the Army's new scout cars, known as "jeeps" or "quads," climbs up the Capitol steps in a demonstration yesterday. Soldiers in the rear seat for gunners were unperturbed.
This exposure caused all other jeep references to fade, leaving the 4x4 truck with the name._
The vehicle demonstrated and photographed was an early prototype Willys 'Quad' (as designated by Willys Overland).
General George S. Patton commonly and frequently referred to the 1/4 Ton G503 as 'Peeps' and to the larger Dodge 3/4 Ton 'WC' as 'Jeeps'. His autobigraphy, _War as I Knew It,_ confirms this.
The American trucks were 6X6 for the most part, the French trucks were almost all 2WD. This was critical at different times and places.
A wonderful vehicle. Dad had one for years. It was our Gator of today. I do miss it. The new Nam Version would roll over to ease. Different undercarriage.
Still have my original army license for the M-151A2 Jeep……would buy one today if I found one in great condition.
Vehicles of the M151 series are not at all common on the civilian market as most were 'demilled' (torch cut into sections) by DRMO prior to selling them as surplus.
Many that can be found have been welded back together.
@@-oiiio-3993 Yes, I was told something similar to that back in the 90’s when I first thought of looking for one.
@@donaldmartin4980 They're around, but not easy to find. The 'put together' ones are fine if done properly.
@@donaldmartin4980 M151A2: th-cam.com/video/bozRe9SsFIQ/w-d-xo.html
I just found a 'site with three M151 listed for sale, two A2's with trailer at nearly $20k each, one A1near $13k.
Eastern
Surplus
.
net
Prior to WW II America was known for producing lots of automobiles. When FDR invited the major manufacturing giants of America to become a part of the overall plan to defeat the Axis Powers, they went to work designing which included various vehicles. Some are being mentioned in this documentary. Also, they were encouraged to make a profit while innovating transportation and rapid movement. I admire the Jeep & 2 1/2 Ton Truck. Thanks.
GM and Exxon formed Ethyl corporation adding lead to gasoline and poisoning the entire world. Lead significantly lowers human IQ which partially explains the precipitous drop with the boomers.
@@NoPrivateProperty 🙏
Ironically, Ford did not make a profit after all the stuff they made for the war effort.
Never thought about that. At least they were still in operation after the War to provide the world with Fords. Where would America have been without some of the Classics like the Econoline Van and the F 150. Ironic now we look at Toyota & Honda as the innovators.
I drive a Subaru and I'm looking for an older E Series Van. Owned Ford Pickups and a Toyota Tundra 2008. Ironic. Thanks.
I lived outside of Toledo, Ohio and the subdivision I lived in was originally a testing ground for Jeep. Doing some exploring we'd find pieces of Jeeps scattered about. That was the early 60s.
So Jeeps used to disintegrate right from the get-go?
So not a modern trend then....
@@JohnSmith-yv6eq Testing grounds are used to find a vehicle's point(s) of failure, fool.
They were made at the Ford plant in Norfolk va
@@bobbyplummer4415 From fordmotorhistory:
By the time Ford was ready to start producing jeeps in large numbers, however, the U.S. was at war, and much of the space at the Rouge plant was taken producing other ordnance for the war effort. Ford therefore proposed that the Ordnance Department allow the company to assemble jeeps at its Chester, Dallas, Louisville, and Richmond branch plants. According to a Ford analysis, this introduced a certain inefficiency to the company's overall jeep operation. The government was asking Ford to make 350 jeeps per day. One of those branch plants could have handled the task, but instead the work was spread among several plants working at less than capacity. Ford acknowledged, on the other hand, the advantage accrued to the government. Most of the jeeps were assembled on the coasts, so the government incurred less cost shipping finished vehicles to port facilities.
Ford's Rouge plant produced the first seventy-seven of the company's jeeps with Willys engines in January 1942. The following month, while the Rouge plant turned-out 1,460 jeeps, Chester, Dallas, Louisville, and Richmond branches got their jeep assembly lines underway. Chester produced 184 jeeps in February 1942, Dallas produced 197, Louisville 107, and Richmond 170. In March, all the plants were producing at about their intended capacity, and the company produced 8,920 jeeps. The following month. Ford set its overall record of jeeps produced in a single month: 11,159 vehicles. The Chester and Richmond plants also set their individual plant records in April 1942: 2,425 and 2,000 respectively. The Rouge plant ceased assembling jeeps in September 1942, with a brief resumption in mid-1943. Chester ceased producing jeeps in January 1943. The Edgewater branch assembled 1,333 jeeps in early 1943. The Dallas, Louisville, and Richmond plants continued assembling the quarter-ton trucks until the Ford contract ended in July 1945. During that period of production. Ford manufactured its own Willys engines, as well as axles, drive shafts, and some of the springs, transmissions, and bodies, at the Rouge and the Lincoln plants. It made the little bits of trim at the Highland Park plant. Ford purchased all the other components of the jeeps it made, including frames, wheels, steering gears, and brakes, from suppliers who also supplied Willys. The following table shows the totals for each of the Ford plants that made jeeps during the war:
Ford Motor Company Jeeps in WWII by plant
Rouge (includes 4,458 experimental vehicles before the GPW contract) 26,017
Chester 18,533
Dallas 93,748
Edgewater 1,333
Lousville 93,364
Richmond 49,359
I lived on Willys Parkway in Toledo. Jeep factory was down the road.
@42:45 German automobiles STILL have that problem almost 80 years later. Their cars are engineering & technological marvels but they’re hilariously over engineered with redundant engines and redundant computers that break and make the car inoperable. There is nothing more infuriating than having a car that won’t work because of some ridiculous & unnecessary engine that broke. Why/how they haven’t come to this realization is beyond me.
Now they are made to disintegrate shortly after the warranty period....
look at BMW plastic parts cooling system failures....
BMW is still that way if it's well taken care of Mercedes specifically Karl Benz was the first practical inventor of cars if they broke down so quick as you state nobody would be driving Mercedes around yes they're a bit pricey but the only issues that have surfaced was when they started building in the US if you want a good German car get it made in Germany by Mercedes BMWs are too expensive in the states they'll never run as good as Mercedes at the end of the day
@@JohnSmith-yv6eq that's a blanket statement though it always depends on the specific model but it is quite true with BMWs they have purposefully made hosing that does actually disintegrate after so many years whereas MB are a whole different philosophy they take great pride I'm their work the only big issues I've found is the US made MB tend to have interior trim molds peel away but it's not an issue to people that just want the vehicle to last more than the average wealthy car lease guy nowadays it's fair to say all Car makers have been that way as well 100k miles there goes the alternator another 20k miles later the AC stops working etc
The Dukw was awsome only problem is no reserve bouncy if you take water on it sinks like conoe with layer of sinderblocks once water is coming over sided it's done the go right to bottom like bulldozer or tank would if I where to make one now I'd make it ribboat model
ah yes, the kubelwagon, based on the civilian vw beetle, which had a design requirement of being able to mount a machine gun to the hood.
Jeep is based off the Volkswagen Kübelwagen.
@@drewcifer8489 The Jeep existed before the Kubelwagen. What became the Jeep was originally prototyped and developed by American Bantam, not Willys, who, thanks to war time politics, took it over (there are many other examples of such).
@@drewcifer8489 No, it was not. The VW and 'Jeep' evolved entirely independent of each other and the two vehicles could scarcely be more different in their engineering, design, execution, or origin.
'Jeep' began as designers from American Austin approached the U.S. Army in the late 1920s with the notion that they needed a 'light reconnaissance car'.
Successor company American Bantam was still working with Army representatives to interest them in the project as late as 1940 when, to their surprise, a bid was put out to dozens of manufacturers to submit prototypes of what Austin / Bantam had been trying to sell to the government for over a decade.
The result was that only Bantam and Willys Overland responded to the (very restrictive) bid, Bantam submitted the first (and closest to specification) prototype in October of 1940, Willys delivered theirs a couple of weeks later, and Ford was brought in (arm twisted) by Ordnance to submit their prototype.
After severe testing of all three submissions, small contracts were put out to the three MFR's for revised prototypes before the contract was awarded to Willys Overland with Ford as subcontractor for the _Truck, 1/4 Ton, 4X4, G503_ of which Willys produced over 360,0000 of their Model MB and Ford over 280,000 of their Model GPW buy war's end.
Bantam got a subcontract to build 1/4 ton trailers on the Willys pattern.
Neither Volkswagen nor any of their products had anything at all to do with it.
Never heard about this truck being called the Jimmy.I always heard it called the deuce & a half for 2 & 1/2 ton cargo capacity.
Really enjoyed the video, but I feel I was mislead by the title! Yes the Jeep was covered, but much of the video was on the amphibious vehicle and the Harley Davidson motorcycle!
So many Heros....
Was that the Medal of Honor Allied Assault menu music @ 28:30?
There was never a 4 wheel drive kubelwagon.
No, I think you may be correct there, but there was an amphibious version called a "Schwimmwagen", which was 4 wheel drive and could do the boating thing
@@majormanfredrex The Schwimmwagen was a much better amphibian than was the Ford GPA, or 'Seep'.
@@-oiiio-3993 I agree. I also think the Kubelwagen was more waterproof than the Jeep.
@@majormanfredrex
Absolutely.
Remember the TV ads for VW from the mid 1960s where a 'Beetle' was driven across a pond?
GP was 'Fordspeak' for Government, 80" wheelbase as 'P' was Ford's designation for all of their 80 inch wheelbase vehicles.
GPW was Government, 80", (built to) Willys (pattern).
Ford's GP had competed with Willys MA (Military, first contract) and Bantam BRC (Bantam Reconnaissance Car) vehicles during prototype testing .
Willys Overland won the contract for what Ordnance designated, Truck, 1/4 Ton, 4X4, G503 of which Willys built over 360,000 as Model MB (Military, second contract) and Ford was subcontracted to produce over 280,000 of their GPW model by war's end.
Most MA, GP, BRC, and other 'pre standard' vehicles were sent to Lend Lease partners overseas as soon as the standard MB / GPW vehicles (G503) became available.
'Jeep' was a term commonly applied to new, untested, 'gadgets', equipment, vehicles by soldiers of the Ordnance Department going back at least to the first world war. It was first applied to the Truck, 1/4 Ton, 4X4, G503 in early 1941.
From New World Encyclopedia:
Early in 1941, Willys-Overland demonstrated the vehicle's ability by having it drive up the U.S. Capitol steps, driven by Willy's test driver, Irving "Red" Haussman, who had recently heard soldiers at Fort Holabird calling it a "jeep." When asked by syndicated columnist Katherine Hillyer for the Washington Daily News (or by a bystander, according to another account) what it was called, Irving answered, "It's a jeep."
Katherine Hillyer's article was published on February 20, 1941, around the nation and included a picture of the vehicle with the caption:
_LAWMAKERS TAKE A RIDE-With Senator Meade, of New York, at the wheel, and Representative Thomas, of New Jersey, sitting beside him, one of the Army's new scout cars, known as "jeeps" or "quads," climbs up the Capitol steps in a demonstration yesterday. Soldiers in the rear seat for gunners were unperturbed.
This exposure caused all other jeep references to fade, leaving the 4x4 truck with the name._
The vehicle demonstrated and photographed was an early prototype Willys 'Quad' (as designated by Willys Overland).
General George S. Patton commonly and frequently referred to the 1/4 Ton G503 as 'Peeps' and to the larger Dodge 3/4 Ton 'WC' as 'Jeeps'. His autobigraphy, War as I Knew It, confirms this.
My father was a WWII veteran- US Army Air Corps- don't know if it's true, but he told me that the Jeep name, GPW. was called Jeep- from short pronouncing Gee and Pee, and from the Popeye cartoon strip character, Eugene the Jeep.
I take it the propeller shaft on the DUKW was driven of the PTO on the transfer case?😂
Very old 2-1/2-ton truck joke: "How many Soldiers can you get on a deuce-and-a-half?" Answer: "All of them."
My dad said everyone wanted the Willys and not the FORD model.
The 'standard' Willys MB and Ford GPW were almost entirely identical, had complete parts interchange, Ford GPW had Willys engines.
The 'pre standard' Ford GP did have some differences including a Ford Model N tractor engine. Most of them, along with Willys MA and Bantam BRC vehicles, were sent to Lend Lease partners as soon as the 'standard' MB/GPW (Truck, 1/4 Ton, 4X4, G503) became available.
@@-oiiio-3993 All I can tell you is that the GI's in Europe thought the Fords were less reliable.
Impossible Groove Machines!
I’m thinking about writing a book about ww2 vehicles, but I don’t really know what to write. Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas?
The early VW Thing!
The duks are still in use in wisconsin dells as tour vehicle's
My country the USA .. has truly made the most important vehicles and aircraft of the past 150 years .. the C-47 is also a hero of WW2 and Korea
Jeep still made to this today
Unsung? What about Spike Jones? He was singing about them in 1942.
The unsung hero is the md30 dodge power wagon or the Studebaker 6x6 the jeep and the duck are probably the most famous vehicles of the Era especially the jeep
It's funny how they keep saying D-U-K-W when G.I.s just called duck.
As always, an interesting program, particularly geared to non-veterans I would say. There must’ve been something wrong with the labeling of what I just saw, as there was nothing in it about the jeep, which was my primary interest, and, it was much shorter than indicated,
mostly commercials in fact.
Regarding the duck, it was well detailed, although I thought you should’ve included the fact that the area around the seals was damaged, very easily, which turned them into a swimmer rather than a floater. This is undoubtedly behind many of the tragic accidents from the leftover vehicles being employed for sightseeing.
I know, the commercials are important, and for sites such as this that I follow, I eagerly give them a look. Understanding that you have nothing to do with the placement, or the quality of the commercials, I must say this program reached a new low, and they particularly struck to me, as I was watching the program while working on the cars, and found myself having to get up and go and stop them as they were unwatchable. I think I’m going to standoff for a while or perhaps a preview the content better
Jeep segment begins at 14:30 .
Ford's GP did not indicate 'Government Purpose', 'General Purpose', or anything like it. That was/is a common assumption and has no basis in fact.
Ford internal documentation from late 1940 verifies that the 'P' was Ford's internal code for vehicles with eighty inch wheelbase.
The 'pre standard' Ford vehicles were :
G - Government
P - 80" wheelbase Scout Car
Ford's subcontracted production of the Truck, 1/4 Ton, 4X4, G503 (Willys Overland had won the contract) was:
G - Government
P - 80" wheelbase
W - (built to) Willys pattern
Willys pre standard vehicles were:
M - Military
A - First contract
Willys' standard G503 vehicles were:
M - Military
B - Second contract
Without a roll bar they could be death traps if they should turn over.
I had an uncle I never met who was a carpenter in the Army. He was stationed in Nevada at the Nellis test range in the 1950s building the houses you see being blown up in those atomic test footage. While coming back from the jobsite one afternoon the jeep he was riding in was passing a truck going the other way as they met on a small culvert crossing a drainage ditch . The driver miscalculated how much clearance and the jeep rolled into the ditch and my uncle's neck was broke.
Or at least that's what the Army told my grandmother. Who knows what they were doing out at that test range seeing the effects of atomic bombs on buildings. Maybe they wanted to see the effects on humans too?
@15:55 After Bantam "lost" the big orders to Willys Overland NOT to Willys and Ford (as mentioned)....
(Bantam, Willys and Ford already produced 1500 or so jeeps). After these first small orders, the larger orders were given to Willys Overland, They could also not meet the demand and Ford Motor Company was addressed to also produce a copy of the Willys Overland designed jeep under licence.
There was a cartoon character called jeep, that could go anywhere! German's like the jeep, except for it's rotten gas milage, 9.5 mpg compared to Kublwagon 36 mpg!
At time stamp 20:16 there is a twin engine aircraft dressed in British markings and invasion stripes. It has egg shaped twin vertical tails and a nose wheel, does anyone know what this type is?
So did Bantam continue to make Jeeps along with Willys and Ford?
They made trailers for the Jeeps made by the two companies that basically stole Bantam's design...
and then they persuaded the War Department that Bantam deserved no royalties ("War need; patriotism".....)
while Ford and Willys made huge profits....
I want a truck like that.
Fit those with M2s and you have an assault capability.
soldier proof im using this from now on just have to replace soldier with marine lol
We could & should have a modern version. Simple requirements. Same wheel base. 300 mile range, 4x4 2 passenger in front, utility body in rear. Built on a chassis to allow body mod & ease of repair. 4 wheel independent suspension. High torque 90 hp j4 diesel or electric
Those reenactors really add a touch of class to an otherwise informative and educational documentary. I really enjoyed watching that farb take a manly drag off his cigarette, then crush it with his boot, right on the ground! Wow, that was so enjoyable, I'm glad they showed that farb take a manly drag off his cigarette and then crush it dramatically on the ground. Again and again. How dramatic!
The GMC 270 ci engine that powered the Red Ball Express is the engine that won the war, not the Merlin. Half a million were built. There were far more than 6000 GMC trucks throughout the war.
I wonder if any of these vehicles would had been driven over 10K miles during the whole WWII.
Fun to watch, but I'm amazed how much information is incorrect in this video.