160-502: The Dodge WC series (nicknamed " Beeps ") is a prolific range of light 4WD and medium 6WD military utility trucks , produced by Chrysler under the Dodge and Fargo marques during World War II . Together with the 1 ⁄ 4 -ton jeeps produced by Willys and Ford , the Dodge 1 ⁄ 2 ‑ton G-505 and 3 ⁄ 4 ‑ton G-502 trucks made up nearly all of
320-447: A 160 in (4.06 m) wheelbase. After a modest production of 516 units of the WF-31, at least 9,500 Dodge WF-32 trucks were built, mostly for lend-lease to Russia. The 1940 VC-series Dodge 1 ⁄ 2 -ton 4x4s were well liked but considered only an interim solution, because they were essentially a modified civilian truck. At the outset of World War II a more military design
480-605: A 143 in (363 cm) wheelbase, and the 1938 RF-40 and 1939 TF-40 four-wheel drives were the first for which Dodge moved to separate engineering codes, in the T-200 range (T-200 and T-201 respectively). However, Dodge also eagerly pursued military contracts for half-ton four-by-fours at the same time. The smaller size had outperformed the 1 1 ⁄ 2 -ton 4x4 during testing in 1938, and Dodge had invested greatly in half- to one-ton trucks in prior years. In 1936, Dodge's light, car-based trucks had been crucially redesigned — abandoning
640-440: A 4x4 half-ton in 1939, and began production in earnest in 1940 — both 4x4 half-tons, as well as 1 1 ⁄ 2 -ton 4x4 and 4x2 trucks. On all 1940 trucks, front sheetmetal was mostly identical to the commercial VC and VF models of that year, with the addition of a big brush guard mounted in front of the grille and headlights. Except for the addition of 4-wheel drive, and custom bodies on the 1 ⁄ 2 ‑ton command cars,
800-642: A combat role. This unit included junior Army officers who would serve as senior leaders in the Civil War; including Jesse Reno and Benjamin Huger . During the war, the Ordnance Department furnished 90 million pounds of lead, 13 million pounds of artillery projectiles, and 26 million pounds of powder for a Union Army of over 1 million soldiers. However, despite the growth of the Army, the Ordnance Department did not grow in
960-530: A common platform in such a variety of designs, with payloads ranging from 1 ⁄ 2 ‑ton to 1 1 ⁄ 2 ‑tons, had no equal in its time, and is seen as an extraordinary feat of the WWII American auto industry. The name of this article would at first suggest a focus on models that are indeed called Dodge WC-numbers, either 4x4 or 6x6. However, the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps' central Standard Nomenclature List (SNL) Supply Catalog , covering
1120-573: A common symbol used by the military. Ordnance officers began wearing the symbol in 1832 and have been wearing it ever since. There have been a multiplicity of designs throughout the years, but the current design was adopted in 1936. The plaque design has the branch insignia, letters, and rim in gold. The background is crimson. The regimental insignia for the Ordnance Corps is a gold color metal and enamel device 1 1/8 inches in height overall consisting of two gray antique cannons in saltire on
1280-463: A completely redesigned line of pickups and trucks – the art-deco styled, Dodge T-, V-, and W-Series "Job-Rated" trucks, available in an unprecedented number of sizes, payload rates and configurations, aiming the trucks to fit every different job. Well before the onset of World War II, it was clear that the USA needed to update its military. The Quartermaster Corps (Q.C.), responsible at the time for providing
1440-473: A corresponding manner. By the end of the war, it numbered only 64 officers and approximately 600 soldiers, officially. Yet, to support the ordnance needs of the Army, officers and soldiers who had civilian experience in ordnance responsibilities (i.e. blacksmiths, etc ...) were assigned additional duty in their units, so that every unit, company-echelon and above, had someone assigned in ordnance responsibilities. For those few ordnance officers who had been part of
1600-404: A dual-ratio transfer-case. The low ratio on the 6x6, T‑223 transfer case gave a 1.5 : 1 reduction instead of the direct drive (1 : 1) high gear. The first batch of 1940, small half-ton (G‑505) Dodge VC models, (Dodge code T‑202) received a 201 cu in (3.3 L), 79 horsepower engine, well above their initial commercial rating of 70 hp on
1760-454: A focus on Russian and Chinese ordnance. In Vietnam, the capabilities of Explosive Ordnance Disposal became increasingly important due to the nature of a war with no front lines. EOD and other ordnance units work under the auspices of the 1st Logistical Command , which divided the country into four support zones. Despite the difficult circumstances, the operational readiness rates increased and by 1969 exceeded those of previous wars. In 1962
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#17328595583321920-464: A government demand for a four-wheel-drive passenger vehicle. The modern Geländewagen such as the Mercedes-Benz G-Class still feature some of the attributes, with the exception of fully independent suspension, since it can compromise ground clearance. The Unimog is also a result of Mercedes 4x4 technology. The first Russian-produced four-wheel-drive vehicle, also in part for civilian use, was
2080-573: A mechanical differential between the front and rear axles. An example of this is the dual-motor variant of the Tesla Model S , which controls the torque distribution between its two motors electronically. According to the SAE International standard J1952, AWD is the preferred term for all the systems described above. The standard subdivides AWD systems into three categories. Part-time AWD systems require driver intervention to couple and decouple
2240-434: A militarized commercial 1 1 ⁄ 2 -ton, rear-wheel drive truck in 1940 — initially Dodge's model VF-31, cargo (engineering code T-98) under the government SNL number G-618 . The 4x2 model VF-31 was succeeded by the model WF-31 (internally T-118) for 1941 (closed cab tractor) and 1942 (cab and chassis) — both on a 135 in (3.43 m) wheelbase — and the 1942 model WF-32, closed cab, stake and platform cargo truck, on
2400-532: A new internal technical code: T-202. Manufacturing of the half-ton Dodge VC-models (SNL number G-505 ) began in 1940, making these the U.S. Army's first ever light-duty, mass-produced 4-wheel drive trucks. The soldiers also called the light command reconnaissance vehicles "jeeps," but this was also common with several other vehicles at the time. — before that term migrated to the quarter-tons, starting gradually in 1941. A total of 4,640 VC models were built across six variants – mostly pick-ups and reconnaissance cars. On
2560-530: A production GT sports car. While most 4WD systems split torque evenly, the Jensen split torque roughly 40% front, 60% rear by gearing the front and rear at different ratios. American Motors Corporation (AMC) acquired Kaiser's Jeep Division in 1970 and quickly upgraded and expanded the entire line of off-road 4WD vehicles. With its added roadworthiness, the top-range full-sized Grand Wagoneer continued to compete with traditional luxury cars . Partially hand-built, it
2720-592: A quarter million units built through August 1945, the G-502 3 ⁄ 4 ‑tons were the most common variants in the WC‑;series. After the war, Dodge developed the 3 ⁄ 4 -ton WC‑series into the civilian 4×4 Dodge Power Wagon ; and in 1951, the WCs were replaced by the very similar 3 ⁄ 4 ‑ton 4x4 Dodge M-series vehicles . Though the majority of Dodges built were 'Weapons Carriers', "WC"
2880-442: A redesigned WC‑series of 4x4 trucks, uprated to 3 ⁄ 4 ‑ton off-road capacity, and their SNL code changed to G-502 . The 3 ⁄ 4 ‑ton featured a lower profile truck bed that could seat eight troops, plus under seat stowage compartments; while service-parts remained 80 percent interchangeable with the existing 1 ⁄ 2 ‑ton series. Maintaining 80% service parts interchangeability with
3040-411: A series of half-ton trucks, while GM / Chevrolet was instead going to become the standard supplier for 1 1 ⁄ 2 -ton trucks. Dodge successfully outbid GMC's 1939 ACK-101 half-ton truck, as well as Marmon-Herrington, who could not retrofit in the required volume or price, not to mention International's M-1-4 half-ton truck, which wasn't built until 1941, for the U.S. Marine Corps . So, when in
3200-533: A total of 41,674 units made by 1928. Daimler-Benz also has a history in four-wheel drive. After the Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft had built a four-wheel-driven vehicle called Dernburg-Wagen , also equipped with four-wheel steering , in 1907, that was used by German colonial civil servant, Bernhard Dernburg, in Namibia ; Mercedes and BMW, in 1926, introduced some rather sophisticated four-wheel drives,
3360-399: A two-door roadster, a two-door pickup truck, and a four-door phaeton, all equipped with a transfer case that engaged the front wheels, powered by a 1.3-litre, two-cylinder, air-cooled OHV V-twin engine. The 1937 Mercedes-Benz G5 and BMW 325 4×4 featured full-time four-wheel drive, four-wheel steering, three locking differentials, and fully independent suspension. They were produced because of
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#17328595583323520-451: A very small niche-market, only filled by after-market conversions, primarily by Marmon-Herrington . By June 1940 the Q.C. had tested and approved its first three standard commercial based, all-wheel drive trucks: the 1 1 ⁄ 2 -ton 4x4 Dodge , the GMC 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 -ton 6x6 and a Mack 6-ton 6x6 . With regards to Dodge however, the U.S. military reconsidered its preferences for
3680-412: A wheel is slipping, and only activates when wheel slip is detected. Therefore, typically no mechanism exists to actively prevent wheel slip (i.e., locking the differential in advance of wheel slip is not possible); rather, the system is designed to expressly permit wheel slip to occur, and then to attempt to send torque to the wheels with the best traction. If preventing all-wheel slip is a requirement, this
3840-406: A white disc behind an encircling scroll in the form of a buckle red belt with, between the intersecting cannons and the belt, a black antique bomb, its scarlet flames issuing at the top of the device from behind the belt, which bears the inscription "ORDNANCE CORPS U.S.A." in gold letters. It is worn on the right side of the uniform, above any unit citations. The crossed cannons are representative of
4000-582: A winch — on the WC‑series the winch equipped versions were actually built on a different, longer frame. On the 1 1 ⁄ 2 -ton rated VF-400 series trucks, the PTO-driven winch had a 10,000 pound capacity, but added almost 1,000 pounds to the vehicles weight, reducing the payload to 2400 pounds. Numbers separated by a comma indicate similar models but with different secondary details. All engines were liquid-cooled, gasoline, straight-six Chrysler flathead engines . Recommended fuel octane rating for
4160-402: A winch, and the second code, in bold print, to the same vehicle, on a longer frame, holding a front winch , typically resulting in a 10 in (25 cm) longer front overhang, and distinctly reduced approach angle. Not only were the winches driven by a power take-off from the engine, but unlike the later Dodge M-series trucks, on which an extension was bolted to the frame when mounting
4320-423: Is a limiting design. The architecture of an AWD/4WD system can be described by showing its possible operating modes. A single vehicle may have the ability to operate in multiple modes depending on driver selection. The different modes are: In addition to these basic modes, some implementations can combine these modes. The system could have a clutch across the center differential, for example, capable of modulating
4480-441: Is distributed to all four wheels, a third or 'center' differential can be used to distribute power between the front and rear axles. The described system handles extremely well, as it is able to accommodate various forces of movement and distribute power evenly and smoothly, making slippage unlikely. Once it does slip, however, recovery is difficult. If the left front wheel of a 4WD vehicle slips on an icy patch of road, for instance,
4640-458: Is exceeded at the low-traction side. A fairly recent innovation in automobiles is electronic traction control . It typically uses a vehicle's braking system to slow a spinning wheel. This forced slowing emulates the function of a limited-slip differential, and by using the brakes more aggressively to ensure wheels are being driven at the same speed, can also emulate a locking differential. This technique normally requires wheel sensors to detect when
4800-460: Is much less acceptable for 4WD vehicles, because 4WD vehicles have twice as many wheels with which to lose traction, increasing the likelihood that it may happen. 4WD vehicles may also be more likely to drive on surfaces with reduced traction. However, since torque is divided between four wheels rather than two, each wheel receives roughly half the torque of a 2WD vehicle, reducing the potential for wheel slip. Many differentials have no way of limiting
4960-412: Is typically linked via a transfer case providing an additional output drive shaft and, in many instances, additional gear ranges . A four-wheel drive vehicle with torque supplied to both axles is described as "all-wheel drive" (AWD). However, "four-wheel drive" typically refers to a set of specific components and functions, and intended off-road application, which generally complies with modern use of
Dodge WC series - Misplaced Pages Continue
5120-669: The 1 ⁄ 2 ‑ton 4x4 Dodge trucks were built — initially called the VC series, but the great majority, from 1941, in the WC series, and in more variants. Contrary to what Dodge's nomenclature suggested, the 1941 WC models were a direct evolution of the 1940 VC models, retaining the U.S. Army's G-505 Ordnance Corps Supply Catalog number . For 1942, the trucks bodies and chassis were largely redesigned – heavier frames and drivetrains uprated them to carry 3 ⁄ 4 ‑tons off-road. And widening their tracks, while greatly shortening
5280-427: The 1 ⁄ 2 ‑ton models was of great value to both the field mechanics, and spare parts supply chain logistics. It also meant that production of the 3 ⁄ 4 ‑ton models could start very quickly, and they could be quickly deployed. The 1 ⁄ 2 ‑ton, G-505 WC‑trucks remained in various uses to the end of World War II – from 1943 as "limited standard" vehicles. Throughout
5440-555: The 3 ⁄ 4 ‑tons improvements meant substantial design changes, they did retain some 80% interchangeable components and service parts with the 1 ⁄ 2 ‑ton models — a vital Army requirement, for field maintenance and operability of the trucks. Dodge was the U.S. Army 's main supplier of 1 ⁄ 2 ‑ton trucks, and its sole supplier of both 3 ⁄ 4 ‑ton trucks and 1 1 ⁄ 2 ‑ton 6x6 trucks in World War ;II. With over
5600-485: The 3 ⁄ 4 -tons and the new 1 1 ⁄ 2 -tons, benefiting both the uniformity and ease of production of all the different models, as well as the 3 ⁄ 4 ‑tons, making them even more rugged from then on. Amphibious Twelve G-614 half-ton capacity, 4x4, XAC-2 / ex perimental ' A qua- C heetah', amphibious vehicles were built in 1942, by the Amphibian Car Corporation . One unit
5760-664: The American Expeditionary Force in France. During World War II , the Ordnance Department was responsible for roughly half of all Army procurement, $ 34 billion. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's 'Arsenal of Democracy' depended on the Ordnance Department to become a reality. Ordnance Department strength increased from 334 officers to 24,000 officers, 4,000 enlisted to 325,000 enlisted, and 27,088 civilians to 262,000 civilians. Ordnance soldiers and civilians worked across
5920-557: The Canadian Military Pattern trucks , of which 4x4s were by far the most prevalent of their various driveline configurations. All told, North America built about 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 million 4x4 driven vehicles during the war, Availability of certain critical components, such transfer cases and especially constant-velocity joints affected development. Though not used much on commercial vehicles, all-wheel drive vehicles all needed these; and they would use two or three times
6080-613: The GAZ-61 , developed in the Soviet Union in 1938. "Civilian use" may be a bit of a misnomer, as most, if not all, were used by the Soviet government and military (as command cars), but the GAZ-61-73 version is the first four-wheel-drive vehicle with a normal closed sedan body. Elements of the chassis were used in subsequent military vehicles such as the 1940 GAZ-64 and the 1943 GAZ-67 , as well as
6240-469: The Quartermaster Corps and Transportation Corps , it forms a critical component of the U.S. Army logistics system. The U.S. Army Ordnance Corps mission is to support the development, production, acquisition, and sustainment of weapon systems , ammunition , missiles , electronics , and ground mobility materiel during peace and war to provide combat power to the U.S. Army. The officer in charge of
6400-503: The United States Army Ordnance Munitions and Electronic Maintenance School from Redstone Arsenal into a single training facility based at Fort Lee, Virginia as a part of the 2005 Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC) decision. With an entirely new campus dedicated to the training of all ranks of ordnance soldiers and civilians, the Ordnance Corps maintains its commitment to the life-cycle sustainment of
6560-687: The University of Pennsylvania 's Moore School of Electrical Engineering was established as a substation of Aberdeen Proving Ground under the code name "Project PX". On 15 February 1946, the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer ( ENIAC ), the world's first general-purpose electronic computer, was formally dedicated. ENIAC was designed to calculate artillery firing tables for the United States Army Ballistic Research Laboratory . The ENIAC's first use
Dodge WC series - Misplaced Pages Continue
6720-773: The WC-52 and WC-57 are identical to the WC-51 and WC-56 , but have a longer frame, extending further forward to the protruding front bumper with front-mounted winch. After the U.S. Army reorganized from using eight-troop rifle squads to twelve-men squads, a whole squad could no longer be carried as a unit in a single 3 ⁄ 4 ‑ton, 4x4, WC-51 or WC-52 truck. At the direction of Major General Courtney Hodges , Chief of Infantry, these G-502 troop- and weapons-carriers were therefore stretched in 1943, with an additional driven rear axle, to derive 48 in (1.22 m) longer 6-wheel drive , 1 1 ⁄ 2 ‑ton trucks. Using
6880-526: The WC-62 and WC-63 cargo, troop and weapons carriers, to move whole 12-troop squad teams per vehicle. Despite having individual drive-shafts from the transfer-case to each rear axle, there is no way to disengage one of the rear axles to achieve 6x2 drive. The G-507 runs in either 6x4 or 6x6 configuration. The WC-63 was (just like the WC-52) equipped with a longer frame, housing an engine power take-off drive-shaft from
7040-531: The k. u. k. Hofwagenfabrik Ludwig Lohner & Co. in Vienna in 1899, presented to the public during the 1900 World Exhibition in Paris. The vehicle was a series hybrid car that used an electric hub motor at each wheel, powered by batteries, which were in turn charged by a gasoline-engine generator. It was clumsily heavy, and due to its unusual status, the so-called Lohner–Porsche is not frequently given its credit as
7200-596: The light 4WD trucks supplied to the U.S. military in WWII – with Dodge contributing some 337,500 4WD units (over half as many as the jeep). Contrary to the versatility of the highly standardized jeep, which was mostly achieved through field modification, the Dodge WC‑;series came in many different, purpose-built, but mechanically uniform variants from the factory, much akin to the later family of High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles . The WC series evolved out of, and
7360-578: The 1920s. Today in North America, the term is applied to both heavy vehicles and light passenger vehicles. When referring to heavy vehicles, the term is increasingly applied to mean "permanent multiple-wheel drive" on 2×2 , 4×4, 6×6, or 8×8 drive-train systems that include a differential between the front and rear drive shafts. This is often coupled with some sort of antislip technology, increasingly hydraulics-based, that allows differentials to spin at different speeds, but still be capable of transferring
7520-405: The 1939 T-series 'Job-rated' trucks . Dodge developed their first four-wheel drive truck in 1934, requested by the U.S. Army — an experimental 1 1 ⁄ 2 ton rated model, designated K-39-X-4(USA), of which 796 units were ordered, in multiple configurations. Timken supplied driven front axles and transfer-cases, which were added to a militarized commercial truck. The Timken transfer case
7680-419: The 1939 TC half-tons. The four-speed gearbox fitted, was a stock option on the civilian Dodges, and so were oil filters, oil-bath air cleaners, and heavy-duty generators. The 1941 model-year T‑207-series trucks were again classed as G-505 half-tons, but these were powered by a 218 cu in (3.6 L) straight-six of 85 hp, taken from Dodge's 3 ⁄ 4 - and one-ton commercial trucks. When
7840-453: The 1939 commercial model TE-30 cab , with a brush-guard fitted in front of the grille and headlights — but with a Dodge developed front driving axle, directional, cross-country tires, and a military cargo body. Importantly, one thousand of the VF-400 series cargo trucks were equipped with a power take-off , gear-driven Braden model MU 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) capacity winch — a feature that
8000-554: The 1941 WC models were updated to T‑211 specifications, that initially remained so – but later T‑211s, and all of the final G‑505 half-ton WC series (the T‑;215s), got a 230 cu in (3.8 L) L-head of 92 hp (SAE gross). Four-wheel drive A four-wheel drive , also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD , is a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and
8160-421: The 6WDs. The chassis and certain other components were strengthened in the design of the new, longer, double the payload rated models, and many of these changes were incorporated back into subsequent production of the 3 ⁄ 4 -ton G-502 models as well. Although this caused some inconsistency in the mechanical uniformity of the 3 ⁄ 4 -tons, it did keep parts the same as much as possible between
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#17328595583328320-647: The American Four Wheel Drive Auto Company (FWD) of Wisconsin , founded in 1908. (not to be confused with the term "FWD" as an initialism for front-wheel-drive ) Along with the 1 1 ⁄ 2 - and 2-ton Nash Quad (see below), the 3-ton FWD Model B became a standard military four-wheel-drive truck for the U.S. Army in World War I. Some 16,000 FWD Model B trucks were built for the British and American armies during World War I – about half by FWD and
8480-840: The American continent. The head of the Ordnance Corps Branch is the Chief of Ordnance. In addition, the Ordnance Corps Command Sergeant Major and the Ordnance Corps Chief Warrant Officer assist the Chief of Ordnance with the supervising of the health, training, and welfare of the Soldiers, Warrant Officers, and Officers of the Ordnance Branch. In addition, the Chief of Ordnance holds a secondary hat as
8640-408: The Army's materiel from cradle to grave, providing ammunition, and protecting the Army's forces through EOD operations. The Ordnance Corps branch insignia is represented by the "shell and flame". It is considered to be the oldest branch insignia in the U.S. Army. This symbol has been used since the 17th century by various armies of Western Europe, including British and French forces, and was considered
8800-487: The Army's organization and doctrine. The Ordnance Center and School trained personnel in ammunition handling, maintenance, and Explosive Ordnance Disposal and was under the direction of Continental Army Command (CONARC). The Ordnance Corps was reestablished on 28 October 1985. In 2008, the Ordnance Corps consolidated the Ordnance Mechanical Maintenance School from Aberdeen Proving Ground and
8960-543: The Army), were a continuation of their experimental pre-war predecessors, the RF-40(-X) and TF-40(-X) (or T-200 / T-201), still riding on a chassis of the same 143 in (3.63 m) wheelbase. Production consisted of just over 6,000 closed cab, open bed cargo trucks, plus just under 400 dump-trucks. Like on the 1 ⁄ 2 -ton VC-series, the 1940 VF-400 1 1 ⁄ 2 -ton models simply used civilian front sheet-metal, based on
9120-557: The Chief of Artillery. He was the civilian in charge of ordnance support for Washington's army in the field. By the end of the American Revolution, every brigade had ordnance personnel, usually civilian, providing munitions support to the soldiers in the field. In 1776, the Board of War and Ordnance was established to oversee the conduct of the war. This board selected Benjamin Flower to be
9280-416: The Chief of Ordnance from 1938 to 1942. On land and on the sea and in the air We've gotta be there, we've gotta be there America is sounding her alarm We've gotta have arms, we've gotta have arms Arms for the love of America! They speak in a foreign land, with weapons in every hand Whatever they try, we've gotta reply In language that they understand Arms for the love of America! And for
9440-519: The Commissary General of Military Stores. Benjamin Flower was given the rank of Colonel and served in that capacity throughout the American Revolution. The Commissary General of Military Stores was an echelon above the Commissary of Military Stores in the field. His responsibility was to recruit and train artificers , establish ordnance facilities, and to distribute arms and ammunition to the army in
9600-559: The Corps stand out in the eyes of their seniors, peers and subordinates alike. On 26 February 1628 the Court of Assistants in London, England directed that "five pieces of ordnance and a great quantity of other arms and great shot" belonging to a settlement near modern-day Salem, Massachusetts be placed under the control of Mr. Samuel Sharpe, making him the first European "Master Gunner of our Ordnance" on
9760-523: The Dodge half-ton VC and WC trucks were part of the Army G-505 series. Some 77,750 four-wheel drive 1 ⁄ 2 ‑ton WC numbered trucks were produced from late 1940 to early 1942, under War Department contracts. Additionally, aside from the fully military 4WD models, a small total of 1,542 two-wheel drive units retaining civilian sheet-metal were also supplied to the U.S. military, bearing WC model numbers in this same range. These models carried
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#17328595583329920-690: The G-507, T-223, 6x6 trucks. In 1940 the Army revised its range of standard, payload-based, general-purpose truck classes: a 1 ⁄ 4 -ton "small truck" requirement was added, (these became famous as the WW II 'jeeps' , after many other nicknames); and after buying over 80,000 1 ⁄ 2 -ton trucks from Dodge, the U.S. Army instead wanted 3 ⁄ 4 -ton rigs – and some more heavy categories were specified. The Quartermaster General wanted to start direct negotiations with Dodge, GM and Mack for certain models immediately, but not until after February 1941 could
10080-557: The G1, the G4, and G4 following. Mercedes and BMW developed this further in 1937. The American Marmon-Herrington Company was founded in 1931 to serve a growing market for moderately priced four-wheel-drive vehicles. Marmon-Herrington specialized in converting Ford trucks to four-wheel drive and got off to a successful start by procuring contracts for military and commercial aircraft refueling trucks, 4×4 chassis for towing light weaponry, and an order from
10240-496: The Iraqi Pipeline Company for what were the largest trucks built at the time. The early Marmon-Herringtons proved to be the exception to the rule — 4WD cars and trucks developed in the 1930s were mainly built for governments, with (future) warfare applications in mind. Dodge developed its first four-wheel-drive truck in 1934 — a military 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 ton designated K-39-X-4(USA), of which 796 units were built for
10400-489: The J1952 standard notes secondary classifications resulting in a total of eight systems, designated as: Two wheels fixed to the same axle (but on the opposite axle ends) need to turn at different speeds as a vehicle goes around a curve. The reason is that the wheel that is located on the inner side of the curve needs to travel less distance than the opposite wheel for the same duration of time. However, if both wheels are connected to
10560-597: The Jeep, and also inline-four powered, the Land Rover appeared at the Amsterdam Motor Show in 1948. Originally conceived as a stop-gap product for the struggling Rover car company, despite chronic underinvestment, it succeeded far better than their passenger cars. Inspired by a Willys MB – the ubiquitous WWII "jeep" – that was frequently run off-road on the farm belonging to chief engineer Maurice Wilks , Land Rover developed
10720-621: The Massachusetts Bay Colony appointed in 1629 as Master Gunner of Ordnance. By 1645, the Massachusetts Bay Colony had a permanent Surveyor of Ordnance officer. By the time of the American Revolution, every colony had their own ordnance organization responsible for the procurement, distribution, supply, storage, and maintenance of munitions for the colony. In July 1775, Ezekiel Cheever was appointed by General George Washington as Commissary of Artillery Stores, soon to be called Commissary of Military Stores with Major General Henry Knox ,
10880-486: The Model 30/35 tourer, in 1914. It was stronger and more high quality than the ubiquitous Ford Model T , and in 1916, Dodge cars proved their durability, both in the 1910s U.S.–Mexico Border War — the U.S. military's first operation to use truck convoys, as well as in World War I, when some 12,800 Dodge cars and light trucks were used, primarily as ambulances and repair trucks., but also as staff and reconnaissance vehicles. All
11040-529: The North American market, the term generally refers to a system optimized for off-road driving conditions. The term "4WD" is typically designated for vehicles equipped with a transfer case that switches between 2WD and 4WD operating modes, either manually or automatically. All-wheel drive (AWD) was historically synonymous with "four-wheel drive" on four-wheeled vehicles, and six-wheel drive on 6×6s , and so on, being used in that fashion at least as early as
11200-405: The Ordnance Branch gained its third core competency, Bomb Disposal (renamed Explosive Ordnance Disposal after WWII) added to its previous missions of ammunition handling and maintenance. By war's end, there were more than 2,200 ordnance units of approximately 40 types, ranging in size from squads to regiments. Beginning in 1942, with the authorization of the Chief of Ordnance, a computing branch at
11360-536: The Ordnance Corps and the office of the Chief of Ordnance were disestablished. The Ordnance Branch (along with the Transportation and Quartermaster Branches) was placed under the supervision of the Army's Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics. Army Materiel Command assumed responsibility for Ordnance's historical tasks of research and development; procurement, production, and storage; and technical intelligence. Combat Development Command assumed responsibility for developing
11520-511: The Ordnance Corps's early relationship to the Artillery. The flaming bomb, also known as the shell and flame, represents the armament of days gone by, while the energy it connotes is applicable to the weapons of our own day. The cannoneer's belt, which encircles the flaming bomb and crossed cannons, is embossed with the words "ORDNANCE CORPS U.S.A." and represents the traditional association between munitions and armament. The white background symbolizes
11680-567: The Ordnance Corps's motto, "ARMAMENT FOR PEACE". As an Ordnance Soldier of the United States Army, I will utilize every available talent and means to ensure that superior mobility, firepower, and communications are advantages enjoyed by the United States Army over its enemies. As an Ordnance Soldier, I fully understand my duty to perform under adverse conditions and I will continually strive to perfect my craft. I will remain flexible so that I can meet any emergency. In my conduct, I will abide by
11840-463: The Ordnance Department and forms of returns and reports". Wadsworth also took great care in establishing and supervising the training of officers who would join the Ordnance Department. Coming from West Point, these officers, such as Alfred Mordecai and George Bomford , were highly trained in mechanical and chemical engineering and were among the highest ranking of graduating cadets from West Point. These new ordnance officers were usually detailed to
12000-461: The Ordnance Department during the latter 19th century. In 1874, the first dedicated proving ground was established at Sandy Hook, New Jersey . Watervliet Arsenal was chosen as the location for the first federal cannon foundry in 1887 and a seacoast cannon shop was added in 1889. Even though World War I had been raging in Europe for nearly three years, the Ordnance Department had to play catch-up when
12160-511: The Quartermaster Corps choose manufacturers directly, based on their engineering and production capabilities. One deciding factor had to do with availability of certain critical components, like transfer cases and especially constant-velocity joints , not often used on commercial trucks until then, but all-wheel drive vehicles all needed these, to drive their front wheels smoothly. Additionally, all-wheel drive trucks needed two or three times
12320-640: The SNL-code G-613 , and brought the total number of half-ton WC‑series up to some 79,300 units, and the grand total of all half-tonners (VC and WC; 4WD and 2WD) to almost 84,000. From August 1941, the Dodge T-211 models received the uprated 92 hp (gross) engine, that was from then on fitted to all WC trucks produced through August 1945: the T-215 half-tons, all of the G-502, 3 ⁄ 4 -ton models, as well as
12480-586: The Soldier's code. In my support mission in the field, I will use every available skill to maintain superiority; I will always be tactically and technically proficient As an Ordnance soldier, I have no greater task. The words and music to Arms for the Love of America were originally composed by Irving Berlin and published by the Army Ordnance Association in 1941. It was dedicated to Major General C.M. Wesson ,
12640-484: The Springfield or Harpers Ferry Armory, or to one of the various arsenals across the growing country, to conduct scientific and industrial experiments in metallurgy, chemistry, or one of the allied engineering fields. In 1832, the Ordnance Department established the non-commissioned officer rank of Ordnance Sergeant to be in charge of the ordnance stores at any of the growing number of Army forts and establishments across
12800-543: The T‑212 'D8A' and the T‑236 '3/4 Ton APT' (for 'Air PorTable') respectively; and further production of T-203 variants became indicated as both the T-203B, and as the WF series. By contrast, Chrysler / Dodge Canada built another 165,000 mostly three-ton trucks, a hasty addition to the production of Canadian Military Pattern trucks, that were more closely derived from the commercial Dodge T-, V-, and W-Series trucks, and
12960-413: The U.S. Army further batches of 1 1 ⁄ 2 ‑ton 4x4 trucks in 1938, 1939 and 1940. In 1938, a batch of 1,700 experimental RF-40-X-4(USA) trucks were procured, and a further 292 experimental units, typed TF-40-X-4(USA) in 1939 – the first to be built, based on Dodge's new for 1939 T-, V-, and W-Series trucks. All of the 1 1 ⁄ 2 -ton Army 4x4s, including the 800 trucks of 1934, rode on
13120-428: The U.S. Army in several configurations. Timken supplied front axles and transfer cases, added to militarized a civilian truck. The Timken transfer case was the first part-time design, that allowed the driver to engage or disengage four-wheel drive using a lever inside the cab. In spite of the limited 1930s U.S. military budgets, the '34 truck was liked well-enough that a more modern 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 ton truck
13280-435: The U.S. Army. The act also created a new position, the Commissary General of Ordnance. Colonel Decius Wadsworth , former Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, was chosen as the Commissary General of Ordnance. The act also directed the new Commissary General of Ordnance, soon renamed to Chief of Ordnance, to "enlist artisans and laborers to direct the inspection and proof of all cannon and small arms to direct
13440-435: The U.S. Government established a system of constructing the factories but contracting out their operation. By the war's end, 326 Government facilities were operating under the auspices of contractors. This practice would be employed even more successfully during World War II. By the end of the war, the Ordnance Department numbered 5,954 officers and 62,047 enlisted soldiers, with 22,700 of those officers and soldiers serving in
13600-461: The United States entered the war. With only 97 officers and 1,241 enlisted soldiers, the department had a myriad of problems to overcome: However, by the end of the war, it had solved all these problems, matured as an organization, and adapted to modern, mechanized warfare. It established an embryonic process for echelon-based maintenance for field units, a tradition of ordnance education at one of
13760-469: The VC trucks remained in use until the end of the war. The Dodge VC models were built a year ahead, and in a slightly greater number than any of the pre-standard quarter-ton jeeps that followed. In 1940, Dodge also built 6,472 four-wheel drive 1 1 ⁄ 2 -ton trucks, under two U.S. contracts – one awarded to Dodge, and one to Fargo. The models VF-401 to VF-407 (or engine/tech type T-203 by Dodge – and G-621 by
13920-619: The WC ;series, conveys both by its title, "SNL G-657 – Master Parts List, Dodge Trucks" , as well as by the explicit types list on its second page , that (because of the large amount of shared parts and components), the family of vehicles must at least be considered to include the: Additionally, close variants of the T-207 WC-1, and of the T-214 WC-51/WC-52, were derived and made in Canada, as
14080-518: The amount of driven axles, meaning more gears to cut for all the differentials. Produced until the war by a just a few specialized firms with limited capacity – from spring 1942, Ford, Dodge and Chevrolet joined in fabricating these in mass quantity, and Dodge were experienced in making quality, precision parts, since the earliest beginnings of the company. While the Army bought many half-ton WC series trucks, Dodge had to replace them with new 3 ⁄ 4 ‑ton trucks. In late 1941, Dodge introduced
14240-480: The amount of engine power that gets sent to their attached output shafts. As a result, if a tire loses traction on acceleration, either because of a low-traction situation (e.g., driving on gravel or ice) or the engine power overcomes available traction, the tire that is not slipping receives little or no power from the engine. In very low-traction situations, this can prevent the vehicle from moving at all. To overcome this, several designs of differentials can either limit
14400-442: The amount of slip (these are called 'limited-slip' differentials) or temporarily lock the two output shafts together to ensure that engine power reaches all driven wheels equally. Locking differentials work by temporarily locking together a differential's output shafts, causing all wheels to turn at the same rate, providing torque in case of slippage. This is generally used for the center differential, which distributes power between
14560-614: The branch for doctrine, training, and professional development purposes is the Chief of Ordnance . The current Chief of Ordnance is Brigadier General Robin Montgomery. During the colonial era in America, each colony was responsible for its own supply of ordnance material and its own personnel to supervise it. The first written record of an ordnance officer in British colonial America was Samuel Sharpe in
14720-444: The build-up for the war almost immediately after this. Although in 1936, a Marmon-Herrington converted half-ton Ford had become the Army's first light 4-wheel drive, and the Army had initially standardized Dodge's 4x4 trucks in the 1 1 ⁄ 2 -ton class — following Dodge's push for building 1 ⁄ 2 ‑tons, after mid 1940 the Army decided they preferred Dodge to build the light-duty four-wheel drives, contracting for
14880-473: The complete front-engine, four-wheel-drive system. The AMC Eagle was offered as a sedan , coupe , and station wagon with permanent automatic all-wheel drive passenger models. The new Eagles combined Jeep technology with an existing and proven AMC passenger automobile platform . They ushered a whole new product category of "sport-utility" or crossover SUV . AMC's Eagles came with the comfort and high-level appointments expected of regular passenger models and used
15040-407: The construction of gun carriages equipments implements and ammunition to make estimates and contracts for and purchases of ordnance supplies and stores and to issue them to the army to exact from armories and arsenals quarterly returns of property and to receive from all responsible officers reports of damages to ordnance materiel to establish ordnance depots to prepare regulations for the government of
15200-470: The conventional belief that all the extra weight, costs and mechanical complexity of adding 4-wheel-drive wouldn't be worth it on any general purpose military vehicle with an off-highway payload capacity, below the (up to that point) standard 1 1 ⁄ 2 ‑ton Army cargo unit. Mirroring the civilian market, where the use of all-wheel drive was practically non-existent in anything below 1 1 ⁄ 2 -ton payload vehicles. Light-duty off-roaders were
15360-606: The country. This rank will remain until the reorganization of the Army under the National Defense Act of 1920 . During the Mexican–American War , the Ordnance Department established the Ordnance Rocket and Howitzer Battery to service the then new M1841 12-pound howitzers and Hale war rockets, which had not yet entered Army service and were still being tested. This was the only Ordnance unit established primarily for
15520-409: The differential to the wheel, at different speeds. The differential does this by distributing angular force (in the form of torque ) evenly, while distributing angular velocity (turning speed) such that the average for the two output shafts is equal to that of the differential ring gear . When powered, each axle requires a differential to distribute power between the left and right sides. When power
15680-530: The driver of getting out to lock hubs and having to manually select between 2WD and 4WD modes, it dominated all other makes in FIA rally competition. Gene Henderson and Ken Pogue won the Press-on-Regardless Rally FIA championship with a Quadra Trac-equipped Jeep in 1972. American Motors introduced the innovative Eagle for the 1980 model year. These were the first American mass-production cars to use
15840-572: The early years of the war, they relied significantly on Lend-Lease vehicles, provided by the western allies. In 1943, they launched a further-developed version: the GAZ-67 . By contrast, the Axis powers ' closest equivalent to the jeep, the VW Kübelwagen , of which only some 50,000 were built, though being equipped with portal gear hubs, only had rear-wheel drive. Willys introduced the model CJ-2A in 1945,
16000-860: The field. In 1777, a powder magazine was established at Carlisle, Pennsylvania and a foundry at Springfield, Massachusetts . In the early years of the 19th century, the ordnance profession played a key role in the burgeoning industrial revolution in America. In 1794, President Washington established the two federal armories; the Springfield Armory in Massachusetts and the Harpers Ferry Armory in Virginia. At these locations, early developments and innovations striving towards interchangeable parts were achieved. Inventors such as Thomas Blanchard , Simeon North , John Hall , and Eli Whitney would perfect
16160-519: The first all-military design Dodge developed in the build-up to full mobilization for World War II, and they were the U.S. Army's first standard light 4x4 trucks — prior to the quarter-tons — when the U.S. formally declared war in December 1941. Soldiers would sometimes call the new vehicles 'jeeps', as was still common practice before the term migrated to the yet to be introduced Willys and Ford 1 ⁄ 4 -tons, and eventually stuck to those. Both
16320-486: The first four-wheel driven automobile. The world's first four-wheel-drive car directly powered by an internal-combustion engine, and the first with a front-engine, four-wheel-drive layout , was the Dutch Spyker 60 H.P., Commissioned for the Paris to Madrid race of 1903, it was presented that year by brothers Jacobus and Hendrik-Jan Spijker of Amsterdam . The two-seat sports car featured permanent four-wheel drive and
16480-474: The first full-production four-wheel-drive vehicle for sale in the general marketplace. Due to the ubiquitous World War II Jeep's success, its rugged utilitarianism set the pattern for many four-wheel-drive vehicles to come. Dodge also started production of the civilian 4WD Power Wagon trucks, for the 1946 model year. Both the Willys and the Dodge were developed directly from their WW II predecessors. Equally boxy to
16640-868: The first group of seven rocket scientists arrived at Fort Strong , New York and then moving to Fort Bliss , Texas , in January 1946. In 1949, the German scientists were transferred from the White Sands Missile Range Fort Bliss Range Complex to the Redstone Arsenal Ordnance Rocket Center . Per the Army Reorganization Act of 1950, the Ordnance Department was renamed the Ordnance Corps . With
16800-690: The forerunner of the designs that followed from other manufacturers. The automobile press at the time tested the traction of the Eagles and described it as far superior to the Subaru's and that it could beat many so-called off-road vehicles. Four Wheeler magazine concluded that the AMC Eagle was "The beginning of a new generation of cars." The Eagles were popular (particularly in the snowbelt ), had towing capacity, and came in several equipment levels including sport and luxury trims. Two additional models were added in 1981,
16960-400: The front and the rear axles. While a drivetrain that turns all wheels equally would normally fight the driver and cause handling problems, this is not a concern when wheels are slipping. Some designs use gearing to create a small rotational difference that hastens torque transfer. A typical Torsen II differential can deliver up to twice as much torque to the high-traction side before traction
17120-452: The front axle torque from a full-time mode with the 30:70 torque split of the center differential to the 0:100 torque split of the 2WD mode. In 1893, before the establishment of the modern automotive industry in Britain, English engineer Bramah Joseph Diplock patented a four-wheel drive system for a steam-powered traction engine , including four-wheel steering and three differentials , which
17280-532: The front two in front-wheel drive or the rear two in rear-wheel drive . Similarly, a 6×4 vehicle has three axles, two of which provide torque to two axle ends each. If this vehicle were a truck with dual rear wheels on two rear axles, so actually having ten wheels, its configuration would still be formulated as 6x4. During World War II, the U.S. military would typically use spaces and a capital 'X' – as "4 X 2" or "6 X 4". Four-wheel drive (4WD) refers to vehicles with two axles providing torque to four axle ends. In
17440-702: The globe, in places as diverse as Iceland, Iran, the Pacific Islands, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. Aberdeen Proving Ground expanded exponentially and headquartered The Ordnance School, the Ordnance Replacement Training Center, the new Bomb Disposal School, and the Ordnance Unit Training Center. The ordnance mission in the field operated on a scale never experienced previously by the Ordnance Department. During World War II,
17600-445: The grille — the WC‑series came with wide-open, almost flat fenders that prevented mud build-up, clogging rotation of the wheels — as well as a redesigned, sloping nose with an integrated, round, grated grille / brush-guard. A new ambulance with a fully enclosed, all-steel box rear body was designed, on a longer, 123 inch wheelbase; and PTO-driven winches were now fitted to some models. The 1 ⁄ 2 ‑ton WC models were
17760-404: The inclusion or exclusion of a low-range gear. On-demand AWD systems drive the secondary axle via an active or passive coupling device or "by an independently powered drive system". The standard notes that in some cases, the secondary drive system may also provide the primary vehicle propulsion. An example is a hybrid AWD vehicle where the primary axle is driven by an internal combustion engine and
17920-420: The initial T-207 WC half-tons was just 60–65, going by the dashboard data plate. The side-valve engines were mated to drive-trains of four-speed manual transmissions and a single-range transfer case , offering part-time four-wheel drive . Only the drive-trains in the 1 1 ⁄ 2 ‑ton models, the 1940 T‑203, VF-400 trucks, and the 1943–1945, G-507 , T‑223 six-wheel drives , had
18080-403: The last of Dodge's 1 1 ⁄ 2 -ton 4x4 trucks for the war. Although the Army had steadily taken the bulk of its trucks in this category from Dodge / Fargo up til then, further production of 1 1 ⁄ 2 -ton 4x4 trucks was instead awarded to GM's Chevrolet G506 , which became the standard in this segment for the rest of the war. Aside from four-wheel drive trucks, production started for
18240-437: The later 1930s and the 1940s. Crucial developments for Dodge were the switch to specific truck-frames and bodies in 1935, for a new, 1936 model-year truck generation. The dedicated truck frames were heavier and stronger than the lighter passenger-car chassis. In 1938, Dodge opened a very large new factory , dedicated to truck manufacturing, and later that same year, Dodge introduced a drastically redesigned new truck line-up again:
18400-551: The love of every mother's cherished one Who's depending on the work that must be done By the force behind the force behind the gun The purpose of the Ordnance Order of Samuel Sharpe is to recognize those individuals who have served the United States Army Ordnance Corps with demonstrated integrity, moral character and professional competence over a sustained period of time. And whose selfless contributions to
18560-606: The methods and means for mass production. Growing out of the technical innovations of the arms industry, these methods would be widely adopted by American industry by the middle of the 19th century, establishing what has become known as the American system of manufacturing . On 14 May 1812, as part of the preparation for the War of 1812 , Congress established the Ordnance Department. It was responsible for arms and ammunition production, acquisition, distribution, and storage or ordnance materiel for
18720-415: The military on a large scale, four-wheel drive and all-wheel-drive vehicles had not found their place. The World War II Jeep , originally developed by American Bantam , but mass-produced by Willys and Ford, became the best-known four-wheel-drive vehicle in the world during the war. The American Dodge WC series and Chevrolet G506 4x4 variants were also produced by the hundreds of thousands, as well as
18880-426: The military with non-combat vehicles, moved to standardize truck designs, and by 1939, as the war in Europe erupted, the Army had settled on five payload-based general-purpose, cross-country truck classes: 1 ⁄ 2 -ton , 1 1 ⁄ 2 -ton , 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 -, 4- and 7 + 1 ⁄ 2 -ton . Introduction of a 1 ⁄ 2 ‑ton standard 4WD class meant a significant doctrine shift, away from
19040-455: The more refined yet still off-road capable luxury 4WD Range Rover in the 1970s. With the acquisition of the "Jeep" name in 1950, Willys had cornered the brand. Its successor, Kaiser Jeep , introduced a revolutionary 4WD wagon called the Wagoneer in 1963. Not only was it technically innovative, with independent front suspension and the first automatic transmission coupled to 4WD, but also it
19200-462: The number of driven axles, meaning more gears to cut for all the differentials. Produced up to the war by a few specialized firms with limited capacity, from spring 1942, Ford, Dodge, and Chevrolet joined in fabricating these in a quantity more than a 100-fold greater than in 1939. Although Russia had their own jeep-like vehicle (the GAZ-64) up and running in 1940, a year earlier than the American jeep, in
19360-425: The off-road technology for an extra margin of safety and traction. The Eagle's thick viscous fluid center differential provided a quiet and smooth transfer of power that was directed proportionally to the axle with the greatest traction. This was a true full-time system operating only in four-wheel drive without undue wear on suspension or driveline components. No low range was used in the transfer case. This became
19520-433: The officer or enlisted ordnance schools, a new proving ground at Aberdeen, Maryland , and a plan to coordinate production and mobilize industry. The Ordnance Department established 13 Ordnance districts across the country that had the authority to deal directly with industry and award contracts. By the end of the war, almost 8,000 plants were working on Ordnance contracts. To offset industry's reluctance to build new plants,
19680-528: The one hand, these 1 ⁄ 2 ‑ton VC trucks proved so successful, that much greater quantities were immediately ordered, and they were further developed into the G-505 , 1 ⁄ 2 ‑ton WC models built in 1941. On the other hand, an even lighter and smaller 4x4 truck was needed: a quarter-ton , that would soon replace the Dodges as the U.S.' lightest 4x4 military trucks. Although no longer standard,
19840-613: The outbreak of the Korean War , the Ordnance Corps largely re-established its successful procedures from World War II. It reactivated the various schools and units at Aberdeen Proving Ground, which had been dis-established following the end of World War II, to serve the Korea effort. It continued its tradition of echeloned-based maintenance and increased the rapidity of maintenance and ammunition supply and repair. Explosive Ordnance Disposal , formerly Bomb Disposal Squads, improved their procedures with
20000-568: The postwar GAZ-69 , and the properly civilian GAZ-M-72, based on the rear-wheel drive GAZ-20 "Victory" and built from 1955 to 1958. Soviet civilian life did not allow the proliferation of civilian products such as the Jeep in North America, but through the 1960s, the technology of Soviet 4×4 vehicles stayed on par with British, German, and American models, even exceeding it in some aspects, and for military purposes just as actively developed, produced, and used. Until "go-anywhere" vehicles were needed for
20160-642: The pre-war Army, several of them accepted line positions, such as Major Generals Oliver O. Howard and Jesse Reno . Most, however, remained in the Ordnance Department and rose in rank to serve as ordnance officers at one of the various arsenals or senior ordnance command for the Union Army, i.e. in the Army of the Potomac . About half of the ordnance officers left to join the Confederacy, including its sole Chief of Ordnance during
20320-542: The rest by other licensed manufacturers. Only about 20% of the trucks built were four-wheel drives, but the 4x4s were more often on the front lines. About 11,500 of the Jeffery / Nash Quad trucks were built for similar use between 1913 and 1919. The Quad not only came with four-wheel-drive and four-wheel brakes, but also featured four-wheel steering. The Quad was one of the first successful four-wheel drive vehicles ever to be made, and its production continued for 15 years with
20480-411: The same technical configuration by a common 'T-' number, and their individual model numbers starting with two letters, like 'WC-'. The U.S. Army simply considered the 1941 half-ton Dodge WC series as evolutions of the initial 1940 VC series – all within the half-ton, 4x4, SNL G-505 truck range. In the case of two model codes separated by a slash , the first code refers to the vehicle without
20640-489: The same axle driveshaft, they always have to spin at the same speed relative to each other. When going around a curve, this either forces one of the wheels to slip, if possible, to balance the apparent distance covered, or creates uncomfortable and mechanically stressful wheel hop. To prevent this, the wheels are allowed to turn at different speeds using a mechanical or hydraulic differential . This allows one driveshaft to independently drive two output shafts, axles that go from
20800-446: The same engine, gearbox, and cockpit, and sharing much of the other mechanicals, plus near-identical front-half sheet-metal as the 3 ⁄ 4 -tons, the new 6x6, G-507 , 1 1 ⁄ 2 ‑tons' main difference was the use of a dual-range transfer-case, sourced out of the prior 1940, 1 1 ⁄ 2 ‑ton VF-400 models, instead of the single-speed box of the 1 ⁄ 2 -tons and 3 ⁄ 4 -tons. The result were
20960-612: The same is true for the 15,000 ' parts bin special ' (T-234) "Burma Road" trucks , ordered by Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek , at the time an ally against Japan . Dodge had been the United States military's primary supplier of light wheeled vehicles, since before the U.S. joined the First World War . After starting business in 1900, producing precision engine and chassis components for other car builders in Detroit — Ford and Oldsmobile chief among these — Dodge introduced their first car,
21120-491: The secondary axle from the primarily driven axle, and these systems do not have a center differential (or similar device). The definition notes that part-time systems may have a low range. Full-time AWD systems drive both front and rear axles at all times via a center (interaxle) differential. The torque split of that differential may be fixed or variable depending on the type of center differential. This system can be used on any surface at any speed. The definition does not address
21280-412: The secondary axle is driven by an electric motor. When the internal combustion engine is shut off, the secondary, electrically driven axle is the only driven axle. On-demand systems function primarily with only one powered axle until torque is required by the second axle. At that point, either a passive or active coupling sends torque to the secondary axle. In addition to the above primary classifications,
21440-440: The slipping wheel spins faster than the other wheels due to the lower traction at that wheel. Since a differential applies equal torque to each half-shaft, power is reduced at the other wheels, even if they have good traction. This problem can happen in both 2WD and 4WD vehicles, whenever a driven wheel is placed on a surface with little traction or raised off the ground. The simplistic design works acceptably well for 2WD vehicles. It
21600-474: The subcompact SX/4 and Kammback. A manual transmission and a front axle-disconnect feature were also made available for greater fuel economy. During 1981 and 1982, a unique convertible was added to the line. The Eagle's monocoque body was reinforced for the conversion and had a steel targa bar with a removable fiberglass roof section. The Eagle station wagon remained in production for one model year after Chrysler acquired AMC in 1987. Total AMC Eagle production
21760-424: The summer of 1940 the largest government truck contract awarded went to Chrysler's Dodge / Fargo Division, for more than 14,000 (mostly) 4x4 trucks, this was in the midst of the transition, and thus included both orders for 1 ⁄ 2 ‑ton and 1 1 ⁄ 2 ‑ton trucks, as GM / Chevy still needed to tool up for mass-producing 4WD 1 1 ⁄ 2 -tonners. Dodge had started developing designs for
21920-460: The term "all-wheel drive" with additional subclassifications that cover all types of AWD/4WD/4x4 systems found on production vehicles. "Four-by-four" or "4×4" is frequently used to refer to a class of vehicles in general. Syntactically, the first figure indicates the total number of axle ends and the second indicates the number of axle ends that are powered. Accordingly, 4×2 means a four-wheel vehicle that transmits engine torque to only two axle ends:
22080-453: The terminology. Four-wheel-drive systems were developed in many different markets and used in many different vehicle platforms . There is no universally accepted set of terminology that describes the various architectures and functions. The terms used by various manufacturers often reflect marketing rather than engineering considerations or significant technical differences between systems. SAE International 's standard J1952 recommends only
22240-544: The torque from a wheel with poor traction to one with better. Typical AWD systems work well on all surfaces, but are not intended for more extreme off-road use. When used to describe AWD systems in light passenger vehicles, it refers to a system that applies torque to all four wheels (permanently or on-demand) or is targeted at improving on-road traction and performance (particularly in inclement conditions), rather than for off-road applications. Some all-wheel drive electric vehicles use one motor for each axle, thereby eliminating
22400-481: The transfer-case forward, to drive a Braden MU2 winch, mounted on a 10 in (25 cm) more protruding front-bumper, reducing the approach angle. The winch capacity was originally rated at 5,000 lb (2,270 kg) pull-strength, but in late 1943 the wire rope size was upgraded from 3 ⁄ 8 in (9.5 mm) to 7 ⁄ 16 in (11 mm), the capacity rating was raised to 7,500 lb (3,400 kg), both on 3 ⁄ 4 ‑tons and
22560-459: The trucks followed the 1939 procurement doctrine, to "use commercial trucks with only a few modifications such as brush guards and towing pintles to fit them for military use." The first of the 1 ⁄ 2 -ton, 4x4, VC series military trucks were based on Dodge's 1939 commercial, one-ton rated model TC -series . The military VC models kept the same wheelbase and got the same civilian engine upgrade for 1940, but gained four-wheel drive, and
22720-482: The use of passenger car frames, instead for the first time built on distinct, modern truck-style chassis, with the frame-rails welded to the cross-members on their half-ton to one-ton rated trucks. Additionally, Dodge had built their all new, very large Warren Truck Assembly plant in Michigan, specifically for mass-production of light and medium trucks, opened in 1938. Then, for the 1939 model year, Dodge again presented
22880-774: The war, Josiah Gorgas . By 1872, the Ordnance Department reflected the Army's return to a small peacetime status with 50 officers, 475 enlisted soldiers, and 1,738 civilian workers. Despite this constriction, the Ordnance Department continued its tradition of technological innovation and increased professionalism. Ordnance officers, including the Chiefs of Ordnance – Stephen Vincent Benet , Daniel Flagler , Adelbert Rinaldo Buffington – refined, improved, and even invented new ordnance materiel. Steel breech-loading artillery, machine gun development, smokeless powder, improved gun carriages, officer promotion via examination, and training through apprenticeship at government arsenals and shops characterized
23040-503: The war, Dodge was the U.S. Army's sole producer of 3 ⁄ 4 ‑ton trucks, and built a total of 255,193 of these, across all variants, from April 1942 to August 1945. Standard vehicles in the 3 ⁄ 4 ‑ton 4x4 class were the WC-51 / WC-52 Weapons Carrier, WC-56 /-57 /-58 (Radio) Command Reconnaissance, WC-53 Carry‑all, and the WC-54 Ambulance. In the mass-produced cargo/troop and command trucks,
23200-460: The wheelbase on the main models, plus lowering the bodies' center of gravity, gave them a much more square stance, with a much better break-over angle and side-slope stability. The trucks thus became the shorter G-502 , 3 ⁄ 4 ‑ton, 4×4 truck (Dodge) , and from 1943 also the longer , stretched G-507 , 1 1 ⁄ 2 ‑ton, 6x6 personnel and cargo truck (Dodge) — all while retaining Dodge WC model codes. Although
23360-499: The while, Dodge maintained its reputation for high quality truck, transmission, and motor parts they kept making for other successful manufacturers. Dodge civilian, commercial trucks were at first largely based on their passenger cars, offering light- and medium-duty trucks, like pick‑ups, station hacks , panel vans, and carry-alls . Dodge's passenger-car chassis were sturdy enough for such trucks, from their 1914 introduction. But Dodge expanded into medium-heavy duty trucks during
23520-579: Was almost 200,000 vehicles. United States Army Ordnance Corps The United States Army Ordnance Corps , formerly the United States Army Ordnance Department , is a sustainment branch of the United States Army , headquartered at Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia . The broad mission of the Ordnance Corps is to supply Army combat units with weapons and ammunition, including at times, their procurements and maintenance. Along with
23680-770: Was also the first car equipped with a six-cylinder engine, as well as four-wheel braking. Later used as a hill-climb racer, it is now an exhibit in the Louwman Museum (the former Nationaal Automobiel Museum) in the Hague , the Netherlands. Designs for four-wheel drive in America first came from the Twyford Motor Car Company . The Reynolds-Alberta Museum has a four-wheel-drive vehicle, named " Michigan ", from 1905 in unrestored storage. The first four-wheel-drive vehicles to go into mass production were built by (what became)
23840-499: Was built, based on the 1 1 ⁄ 2 ‑ton, 6x6, Dodge WC-62 . This table provides the relations between U.S. military and Dodge identification numbers, related to chassis payload classification in U.S. tons (907 kg), wheels and drive, and description of body / vehicle type, in accordance with the U.S. Army Ordnance Standard Nomenclature List (SNL) vehicle catalog . The U.S. government used vehicle (group) numbers starting with 'G-', whereas Dodge indicated models sharing
24000-451: Was carried over on many of the subsequent 1 ⁄ 2 -ton and 1 1 ⁄ 2 -ton WC series models, directly from 1941. And although the light-duty WC models that followed, did not receive the VF-400's two-speed transfer cases, these did return on the 1 1 ⁄ 2 -ton 6x6 trucks, the WC-62 and WC-63 . An ambulance model, VF-407 , was also designed, but only three units were built, likely experimental. These proved to be
24160-590: Was developed, and 1,700 RF-40-X-4(USA) trucks were produced in 1938, and 292 TF-40-X-4(USA) in 1939. Starting in 1936, Japanese company Tokyu Kurogane Kogyo built roughly 4,700 four-wheel-drive roadsters, called the Kurogane Type 95 reconnaissance car, used by the Imperial Japanese Army from 1937 until 1944, during the Second Sino-Japanese War . Three different bodystyles were manufactured –
24320-461: Was equipped and finished as a regular passenger automobile. In effect, it was the ancestor of the modern SUV . The luxury AMC or Buick V8 -powered Super Wagoneer produced from 1966 to 1969 raised the bar even higher. Jensen applied the Formula Ferguson (FF) full-time all-wheel-drive system to 318 units of their Jensen FF built from 1966 to 1971, marking the first time 4WD was used in
24480-590: Was in calculations for the hydrogen bomb . In August 1945, Colonel Holger Toftoy , head of the Rocket Branch of the Research and Development Division of the US Army's Ordnance Department, offered initial one-year contracts to German rocket scientists as part of Operation Paperclip , a program used to recruit the scientists from Nazi Germany for employment by the United States; 127 of them accepted. In September 1945,
24640-421: Was laid out. Dodge evolved the 1940 VC‑1 to VC‑6 into the equally half-ton rated WC series of military light trucks, produced in 38 model variants, of which 30 were four-wheel driven, in varying amounts — thousands of some models were produced, while only a few of some others were made. Where the military VC‑series still used much civilian sheet-metal, distinguished by a brush-guard in front of
24800-637: Was not abbreviated from this, but a regular Dodge model code – initially "W" for 1941, and "C" for a nominal half-ton payload rating. However, the "WC" model code was simply retained after 1941 — for both the 3 ⁄ 4 -ton , as well as the 1 1 ⁄ 2 ‑ton rated 6x6 Dodges. All in all, not counting mechanically related variants, the WC series alone involved 52 model versions (thirty 1 ⁄ 2 ‑ton 4×4, eight 1 ⁄ 2 ‑ton 4×2, twelve 3 ⁄ 4 ‑ton 4×4, and two 1 1 ⁄ 2 ‑ton 6×6 models). Creating vehicles of
24960-417: Was part of a more extended family of trucks, with great mechanical parts commonality, that included open- and closed-cab cargo, troops and weapons carriers, (radio) command, and reconnaissance cars, ambulances, carry-alls, panel vans , and mobile telephone installation and (emergency) field workshop trucks. The Dodge WC series were essentially built in two generations. From 1940 to early 1942, almost 82,400 of
25120-443: Was relatively unchanged during its production through 1991, even after Chrysler 's buyout of AMC. Subaru introduced the category-expanding Leone in 1972, an inexpensive compact station wagon with a light-duty, part-time four-wheel-drive system that could not be engaged on dry pavement. In September, AMC introduced Quadra Trac full-time AWD for the 1973 model year Jeep Cherokee and Wagoneer. Due to full-time AWD, which relieved
25280-455: Was submitted to Britain for testing, (under Lend-Lease), and the remaining eleven were subsequently rebuilt by the same firm, as G-552 , XAC-3, amphibious 3/4‑ton trucks. Both the 1 ⁄ 2 ‑tons and the 3 ⁄ 4 ‑tons were built based on Dodge WC series mechanicals. The vehicles performed well in testing, but neither Britain nor the U.S. decided to standardize them. Armored A single armored car prototype
25440-425: Was subsequently built. The development also incorporated Bramah's Pedrail wheel system in what was one of the first four-wheel drive automobiles to display an intentional ability to travel on challenging road surfaces. It stemmed from Bramagh's previous idea of developing an engine that would reduce the amount of damage to public roads. Ferdinand Porsche designed and built a four-wheel-driven electric vehicle for
25600-411: Was the first part-time design, that allowed the driver to engage or disengage four-wheel drive using a lever inside the cabin. In spite of the limited 1930s U.S. military budgets, the 1934 trucks served well enough that, after a couple of years, Dodge received further Army contracts for 1 1 ⁄ 2 ‑ton, 4-wheel drive trucks, and these were further developed from the late thirties. Dodge built
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