Welcome to the WWII Forums! Log in or Sign up to interact with the community.

The Versatile Jeep

Discussion in 'Military Vehicles Used During WWII' started by Half Track, Oct 18, 2018.

  1. Half Track

    Half Track Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 28, 2017
    Messages:
    1,597
    Likes Received:
    874
    Location:
    Chambersburg Pennsylvania
    OpanaPointer likes this.
  2. von Poop

    von Poop Waspish

    Joined:
    Apr 21, 2006
    Messages:
    6,300
    Likes Received:
    1,919
    Location:
    Perfidious Albion
    Half Track likes this.
  3. LRusso216

    LRusso216 Graybeard Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jan 5, 2009
    Messages:
    14,288
    Likes Received:
    2,605
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    Bill Mauldin had a lot of images on the Jeep. These two are among my favorites.
     
    Half Track likes this.
  4. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2008
    Messages:
    18,250
    Likes Received:
    5,669
    Okay, is there a Rogue who DOESN'T know somebody who is or was rebuilding a Jeep? :cool:
     
  5. KodiakBeer

    KodiakBeer Member

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2012
    Messages:
    6,329
    Likes Received:
    1,712
    Location:
    The Arid Zone
    How about that new Liz Warren Special Edition Jeep? It's an all-white Cherokee!

    Sorry, couldn't help myself...

    .
     
    George Patton likes this.
  6. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WWII Veteran

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 2007
    Messages:
    692
    Likes Received:
    587
    I always loved the Jeep in WW2 and often wrote about it on ww2talk.com, as in this case:

    I've written before about my brief love affair with the Willys Jeep but another strong memory comes to mind about the Jeep's value to various Armies, during and after WW2.

    My last year overseas was spent at Opicina near Trieste and right on the Jugoslav border.

    In the evenings, if we didn’t want to go into Trieste itself ,we would use one of the local bars which had a mixed clientele of civilians and British servicemen.

    One night I was in the bar with a few friends and got drawn into a conversation between them and two civilians who were sharing our table, during which it became fairly obvious we were being propositioned as to our willingness to sell any Army goods.

    To my annoyance, someone revealed to the civvies that I was a Tech Corporal of a Tank Squadron and, as such, was involved in the control of vehicles and spares.

    The attention of the civvies immediately switched to me and I was bluntly asked if I could supply any vehicle parts and particularly Jeep parts.

    I was happy to point out that I was a devout coward who valued my Army position far too much to be involved in any such shenanigans and, even more importantly for me, was just about to go home after nearly four years overseas service.

    I was, however, sufficiently intrigued to want to know who these gentlemen were and in minutes they openly admitted that they were with the Jugoslav Forces and were desperately looking for Jeep parts, as the British had stopped supplying them.

    When one of them said they were in the market for an actual working Jeep I openly laughed and said "Even if someone was prepared to sell you a Jeep you would never be able to get it over the border because of all the road blocks"

    He laughed back at me and said " The Jeep would be driven just round the corner, stripped down to its smallest parts and literally carried over the hill to the other side where it would be re-assembled and driven away!"

    Ron
     
    lwd, USMCPrice, George Patton and 2 others like this.
  7. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2008
    Messages:
    18,250
    Likes Received:
    5,669
     
  8. gtblackwell

    gtblackwell Member Emeritus

    Joined:
    Jul 4, 2006
    Messages:
    2,271
    Likes Received:
    678
    Location:
    Auburn, Alabama, US
    A great story, Ron, made better because it is from one who was there. I was lucky that my dad bought one Army surplus from an Airbase in Alabama when I was about 13. Not in good shape but we kept it running for 5-6 years and more important learmed a lot of first-hand mechanics!.

    Good to hear from you,

    Gaines
     
  9. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2008
    Messages:
    18,250
    Likes Received:
    5,669
    When I was 8 (1959) I saw a jeep being used as a tractor. It was pulling a three bottom plow. First time I ever saw a Jeep. The owner, my grandmother's neighbor, took me for a ride while he went on about the history of the Jeep. Some of it swooshed me then.
     
  10. T. A. Gardner

    T. A. Gardner Genuine Chief

    Joined:
    Aug 5, 2003
    Messages:
    6,131
    Likes Received:
    894
    Location:
    Phoenix Arizona
    An odd variant that apparently only the US Coast Guard used, was the Invader Jeep. Lengthened to carry a squad of men.

    [​IMG]
     
  11. tom!

    tom! recruit

    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2004
    Messages:
    282
    Likes Received:
    39
    Hi.

    Th japanese army was so impressed from the characteristics and possibilities of the Jeep that they ordered the company Toyoda (later renamed to Toyota) to develop a similar vehicle based on Bantam Jeeps captured on the Philippines. The vehicle was introduced in 1944 as "Type 4 0,5t Compact Truck", factory designation was "AK10".

    jap jeep toyota ak-10 syo ki 2.jpg

    Yours

    tom! ;)
     
  12. Carronade

    Carronade Ace

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 2010
    Messages:
    3,278
    Likes Received:
    846
    Legend has it that an American submarine carried a disassembled jeep for use in liberty ports.
     
  13. Ricky

    Ricky Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 10, 2004
    Messages:
    11,974
    Likes Received:
    105
    Location:
    Luton, UK

Share This Page