WwII

“If the Shoe Fits”… A Brief History of the MB/GPW

The year is 1940. The Army needs a new recruit. This recruit is to become a 2,450 pound, 6.00/16 tire mounted, “combat” wheeled, multi-faceted, reconnaissance master, known as “Jeep”. The story goes like this: The Army Quartermaster decides to handle the creation of the “Jeep” by ordering different suppliers to manufacture pilot vehicles for testing. (The virtual testing “hell” the US Army put these off-road vehicles through is alone enough to make anyone a proud Jeep owner!) The results, once in, proved that the 61-horsepowed “Go-Devil” Willys Quad (pilot vehicle’s name) was the right choice for our men in harm’s way. The Army decides that they need these 4×4 dream machines (with military modifications), and they need a lot, now. They negotiate a deal between the designers of the Willys MB and Ford company to create both the Willy MB and Ford GPW (G=Government contract, P=1/4 ton 80″ wheel base recon car 4×4, and W=Willys design motor). The Army stipulates that all the parts (from both manufacturers) must be interchangeable. This, from a field perspective, would make it possible for soldiers to salvage parts from either model to get the vehicle running in a tight situation.

Willys MB and Ford-built GPW, given their interchangeability, can easily be mistaken for the same vehicle. There ARE differences between the two, however. The easiest way to distinguish your vehicle between the two models is to look at the cross member under the radiator. The Ford-built GPW is readily identified by its inverted U-shaped front frame cross member, while the Willys MB uses a tubular brace. Check the engine block for a serial number starting with either “MB” or “GPW” to identify the motor. On earlier models, the left side of the rear panel has “Ford” or “Willys” stamped into it. The rear wheel well tool boxes have either a rectangular (Ford) or a circular (Willys) depression where the lock button is installed. It may be frustrating to try to pin down your model, however, as many of these vehicles have been known to have different manufacturers for the engine, frame and tub! Whatever your “configuration”, these historical gems are a pleasure to own!

Below is a great video produced by Modern Marvels about the history surrounding the inception of the jeep and its testing:

Willys MB ,1942-1945, produced 335,531 stamped grille MB’s.

(Photo submitted by Itsuro Shirasaka)

Willys MB produced 25,808 slat grille MB’s (Oct. 1941 – June 1942).

(Photo submitted by Scott Wingate)

Ford GPW, 1942-1945, produced 277,896 GPW’s.

(Photo submitted by Darko Subat)

Kaiser Willys carries a large selection of military and civilian jeep parts.

Abandoned WWII Tank is pulled from its tomb after 62 years in the mud!

WWII Russian tank with German markings uncovered after 62 years. WWII Buffs will find this interesting – Even after 62 years (and a little tinkering), they were able to fire up the Diesel engine!

A Komatsu D375A-2 bulldozer pulled the abandoned tank from its tomb under the boggy bank of a lake near Johvi, Estonia . The Soviet-built T34/76A tank had been resting at the bottom of the lake for 56 years. According to its specifications, it’s a 27-ton machine, with a top speed of 53km/hr.

From February to September 1944, heavy battles were fought in the narrow, 50 km-wide, Narva Front in the northeastern part of Estonia . Over 100,000 men were killed and 300,000 men were wounded there. During battles in the summer of 1944, the tank was captured from the Soviet army and used by the German army. (This is the reason that there are German markings painted on the tank’s exterior.)

At that time, a local boy walking by the lake, Kurtna Matasjarv, noticed tank tracks leading into the lake but not coming out anywhere. For two months he saw air bubbles emerging from the lake. This gave him reason to believe that there must be an armored vehicle at the lake’s bottom. A few years ago, he told the story to the leader of the local war history club ‘Otsing’. Together with other club members, Mr. Igor Shedunov initiated diving expeditions to the bottom of the lake about a year ago. At the depth of 7 meter they discovered the tank resting under a 3 meter layer of peat. Enthusiasts from the club, under Mr. Shedunov’s leadership, decided to pull the tank out.

In September of 2000, they turned to Mr. Aleksander Borovkovthe, manager of the Narva Open Pit company AS Eesti Polevkivi, to rent the company’s Komatsu D375A-2 bulldozer. (Currently used at the pit, the Komatsu dozer was manufactured in 1995 and has recorded 19,000 operating hours without major repairs.)

The pulling operation began at 09:00 and was concluded at 15:00, with several technical breaks. The weight of the tank, combined with the travel incline, made for a pulling operation that required significant muscle. The D375A-2 handled the operation with power and style. The weight of the fully-armed tank was around 30 tons, so the active force required to retrieve it was similar. A main requirement for the 68-ton dozer was to have enough weight to prevent slippage while moving up the hill.

After the tank surfaced, it turned out to be a ‘trophy tank’ that had been captured by the German Army in the course of the battle at Sinimaed (Blue Hills) about six weeks before it was sunk in the lake. Altogether, 116 shells were found on board. Remarkably, the tank was in good condition, with NO RUST, and all systems (except the engine) in working condition. This is a very rare machine, especially considering that it fought both on the Russian and the German sides. Plans are underway to fully restore the tank. It will be displayed at a war history museum in the Gorodenko village on the left bank of the River Narv.