I was in the US Marine Corps back from 1993 to 1997, I was in Motor Transport, it's crazy to think of all the stuff the Hummers had that were basically invented back in WW2 just for the jeep!! Great video and wonderful info. Thanks for sharing. Semper Fi from an old Marine.
I enlisted in the Michigan Army National Guard when I was in high school. (I did the Split Training Program and that let me join when I was 17 y/o and go to Basic between my junior and senior years) Anyway, it was 1989 and my unit still had Jeeps! I once had to ride in one from Annual Training back to our Armory. It was only 180 miles but it took 6.5 hours to drive in that jeep! It was a loud, uncomfortable, cold and drafty ride. But, I loved driving that Jeep off road!
I joined the Marine Corps in 1976 and I too was in Motor T and I ended up being the dispatcher and the jeep school instructor and we used to have a ball off roading those jeeps. They were M151A1 and A2's, but my primary vehicle was the Gamma Goat M561 6 wheeled vehicle that floats! Anyhow Semper Fi!
The blackout lights fitted in place of the headlamps on US vehicles (not just jeeps) in the ETO were British Butler WD units, my very original Dodge WC-52 had them.
@-oiiio-3993 yeah, main issue is don't have the money right now for one, and got Jo where to store it in winter. I live in Connecticut, and during winter they salt the roads, and dont want the salt to ruin the frame/undercarriage. Could get a storage unit but again, finances.
The blackout lights work pretty well, but unfortunately it is almost impossible to catch the real view on video. Having been in the Army for a long time, I used them quite extensively and you really do get used to them. The hardest part is if you are going from regular lighting to blackout lighting. In that case it takes a little bit of time before your eyes make the adjustment. Naturally, if it is raining hard or foggy, the view is a little worse. Great video!
A world filled with electric lights means very few people understand night vision any more. Most people would be surprised at how much they could see if they only gave their eyes enough time to adjust to the dark
@@danielstickney2400 Well said. Many times at night, or in heavy snow or fog, I would turn off my headlights and just go with the running lights and after just a few minutes I could see quite well.
When it’s black as ####, ones night vision can get quite good, until some jerk lights a cigarette. And remember, at night a vehicle or convoy wants to move slow to cut down on noise. A slow convoy with good light and sound discipline can go by troops that are quite close by, and be undetected. I’ve been on both sides of that. ^_*
Official title for the wire cutter evidently was the 'Anti Decapitation Device' and again,...i've read that the Germans learnt the trick of stretching wire across the roads from the French Resistance !!!!
My father, who died when I was ten, said that they would string piano wire across a road to stop the German motorcycle couriers to capture maps and documents. And if the courier was going fast enough, it would decapitate him. I don't know what my father did in the war, only a few comments he made. He was from Ohio and was raised speaking German at home.
@@elfthreefiveseven1297 The wire doesn't have to actually decapitate the driver / passengers. It would do enough damage to the trachea that it would disable them. They might not die right away, but they would be out of the fight.
@@Jeeps-kh1hb Good question. I "think" it changed color. The GI's also had a...not sure what to call it. A thing that attached sort of over the shoulder and around the arm that did the same thing. Soon as they hit the beach most of them threw them away along with their gas mask. I've often wondered if the German Generals let the Allied Generals know somehow that gas wouldn't ever be used because they didn't want it used against them...
Did a search and you are correct. The yellow paint would turn red if chemicals were in the area. Would hate to be the guy who threw away his mask and then watched the paint become red.
@@larrybrown1824 I did not know about the detection paper. But German generals didn’t want to use chemical gas because in WWI, it often came back and was a problem for there own troops. People forget that at the time of D Day, both the British and Americans had already been combat with German forces elsewhere. They knew enough to make a guess at the odds of encountering any chemical weapons.
One way to black out the headlights was to smear them with a heavy layer of GAA, general automotive grease. 5 gallon GI gas cans have the smaller opening on top and take a plug in fuel nozel. Cans with the larger opening are water-cans, usually with a black rubber gasket and a painted white interior.
There were mirror covers issued. Since they were small bits, they were often lost. British jeeps ass standard had the bridge marker over one service headlight and a British blackout driving light in the other. British jeeps also had a Lucas convoy light focused on the read differential cover which were painted white and sometimes had the British formation number stenciled on the pumpkin. Radio installation varied widely by need. Navy's and Marines had different models. Ground radios we're very different from air radios for close air support.
The jeep in the picture is carrying one water and two gas cans. US water cans had big caps to distinguish them from the gas cans and make them easier to fill and dump. The original German and British cans all had small caps because they were made with vertical joints, which meant you had to be careful if you didn't want water in your carburetor or gasoline in your soup. US cans were made with horizontal joints which allowed the water cans to have bigger caps. The US cans also had screw on caps which were cheaper than the German and British cam lock caps but tended to be leaky and a bugger to pour if you didn't have a spout because the cans didn't have necks.
When they put the higher power radios in jeeps, they upgraded to a 12 volt electrical system or installed a 12v generator on the PTO. Jeep PTO's had other uses but we see much about them.
Great video's been watching alot! I'm an armour modeller I build accurate scale models so having your video's is great for adding that extra detail to my model builds for our war and peace model show in October! Maybe even add a deep wadding kit to my model now
You mentioned the location of the radio. This was also partially based on the duty of the jeep. On the side you have it mounted if recon configuration, this gives the passenger easy access to the radio without having to move out of the seat, also when the jeep is parked it can give both the driver and passenger access since the jeep is always parked in a position which can allow easy escape. When the jeep radio is mounted behind the passenger this is in command vehicle configuration, this is used to provide the commanding officer (most commonly a Major or higher) to sit in the passenger seat with his aide seated behind the driver to use the radio, this way the officer could speak with his aide face to face. Other configures include gun Jeeps and cargo jeeps (Ie: ammo, fuel, etc.) you would likely see the radio on an extended platform giving the gunner more room for movement and in the cargo configuration more room for cargo. Thought you might passenger side radio in a recon jeep this is commonly due to needing a rapid replacement vehicle and that is the one that was provided.
*They also made a small trailer for the pintle hook in the rear, I have seen pictures with the jeep carrying 5 guys and another 4 sitting on top of supplies in the trailer, though the rear axle didn't look too happy LOL.*
Something else that many people don't know about American military vehicles, the tires. the tread of the tires is non directional. Meaning that when the vehicle goes across soft terrain it leaves tread marks, but these tires have a tread pattern that is the same in either direction, so that the enemies could not determine your direction of travel.
That only works if the Jeeps are going in a straight line. Make a turn and you can tell the difference in the circle the tires make. Back axle cuts the corner.
That's just another urban legend that refuses to die about an imaginary problem that could be easily solved by mounting the tires differently front to rear. The real reason for the unidirectional tires is the U.S. Army determined through extensive testing at Aberdeen that the practical advantages of unidirectional tires outweighed the theoretical advantages of directional tires. The directional tire worked better in some conditions, worse in others, and the unidirectional tires meant you only had to stock one type of tire in each size.
Around here there were some blue painted Jeeps used by the Navy Shore Patrol-salilor cops. There were lots of Jeeps in civilian service postwar here. New cars were unavailable until about 1950
my uncle was docked with a cargo ship when a blue jeep showed up and the driver pulled a battery wire and the steering wheel off before going inside- so the guys dropped a cargo net and dropped her in an empty hole. They drove that thing for a year before a sharp eyed fuel dump guy caught them
also for deep water fording, my grandfather said that some jeeps had a generator bracket that allows easy and temp loosening of the fan belt. to reduce the chance of the fan splashing water all over the engine and stalling out as a result. after the deep water fording, pull over and make the fan belt tight again via the correct notch in the generator mount
Mine has a hole and flap in the bonnet directly above the carburettor and also has a 2 inch hole below the driver's side marker light where the exhaust used to exit through the front grill. great vid Matt !
@@Greendot319 I've seen only a few photographs of the exhaust trough the grill in the Australian War memorial Archives....It wasn't limited to Australian Jeeps. Although Australian Jeeps have some interesting modifications that weren't done anywhere else ( reinforced rear spring hanger mounts, steering bell crank reinforcement) being two obvious examples. But there are plenty of really good images of the deep water fording kits and Australian diggers driving Jeeps underwater (completely submerged) in Wewak, Borneo, New guinea......Over 2000 images of Jeeps in the field. Incredible visual resource.....Have a look www.awm.gov.au/
As to fording, don't forget the driver's and passenger side floorboards had a covered opening to let water in so the Jeep wouldn't float. My 1956 CJ5 had them with "Open for fording" stenciled next to them.
Had the chance to have a few ww2 trucks (jeeps and some WCs) out in the middle of nowhere We tried driving through some fields with zero light pollution and the Black Outs You get used to them and you can see decent (as long as you dont have bad eyes to begin with)
Interesting question. It would make sense if it were lowered some. I have a mountain bike with hybrid tires, and when I take it on the mb trails it makes a huge difference on the sandy areas if the tp is lowered even just a tad bit.
I wouldn’t imagine it would make a difference. The sidewalls were so stiff you didn’t get much width advantage by deflating them. Maybe not great for sand but awesome if you need to make a getaway after receiving a flat while being attacked. Or maybe my tires were just so old they didn’t blob out when I got a flat lol
If you want to see a lot of this in person check out D-Day Ohio in Conneaut. It is the largest D-Day reenactment in America. 3rd Thursday to Saturday in August.
I was in the Army and drove APCs, Jeeps , HMMMVs and other tactical vehicles with blackout drive. You didn't want to go too fast but you could about between 10 to 20 mph,
( so profile pic is my Dad's 1943 MB. He had just bought it at auction at a Mexican stone quarry, 1972 (he still has it, canvas top, Corvette Red (school bus _orange_ enamel in 1970s thru 1990s), and now with 1950 USMC trailer in matching red paint) No bent hood for snorkel -- it was in North Africa. It has a 2nd gas tank under the passenger seat, and a twist knob on dash to switch which tank you are pulling from, and a toggle to switch the single fuel gauge btwn tanks I learned to drive on it, initially in 2WD Lo Range in a pasture. 2WD Lo must have been popular for convoys, or maneuvering trailers -- an ability missing on later 4wd trucks where 2wd only works in Hi; 4wd in Hi or Lo so I have been similarly teaching the daughter to drive recently, in 1995 Land Rover Disco 1, Lo Range Open Center Differential, so parking lot pavement is fine I also use Lo Range Open Center diff for maneuvering our 1958 ham-can camping trailer, and can do it for starts on a steep hill, since you can triple-clutch btwn say Lo 3rd to Hi 1st while moving I last drove Dad's MB in ~2010, but I recall it also having a neutral spot on the Hi/Lo lever (seperate from the 2WD/4WD lever == 3 gear shifts, folks), so the same rolling Lo to Hi triple-clutch is possible Note the MB has no synchro on 1st, so double-clutching when down-shifting 2nd to 1st That double-clutching skill has been good for the Disco, since 2nd has a worn out synchro, and 3rd has any iffy one...
Another outstanding video, Matt! Thank you. I do wonder if those wire cutters would really cut wire though. Maybe their best attribute would be to give the driver notice that he just hit a wire and needs to hit the brakes as fast as possible. Certainly better than not having anything up front!
hit the brakes???? really made me smile I put one through the NJ auto inspection and the tester insisted on driving--- he ran right through the testing area. I used both feet on the pedal and passed. great fun and back then (late 70's) you could get them for about $700.
I've heard that the biggest danger to jeep crews was actually fallen telegraph and power cables which often draped across the roads when poles or buildings collapsed
Thanks for your videos. Most interesting. How about a video commenting of the SAS modified Jeeps with I believe two 303 in the back and perhaps a Bren gun or a .30cal in the front passenger side as well as other armed WWII jeeps such as those used by the LRDG ? Thanks
Interesting and entertaining video, many thanks. I have an rc model of what is supposed to be a Willys but they've mixed up with a few Ford details in there! And I must agree, you have to put gear all over the place to look realistic. I particularly like the way they tied the radio antenna to the front of the jeep in a big curve from the back...
I heard about an interesting feature that was on some of those WW2 Jeeps. I don’t know if this was on all of them, and this was word of mouth. I heard that one of the headlights had a special mounting that allowed it to be turned upwards and swiveled backwards to face the engine to illuminate it during field repairs. Once again I’ve only heard of that feature, but it sounds interesting and I have yet to see if that can be confirmed.
The headlamps are hinged and held down with butterfly nuts to allow them to be flipped up to be used as engine inspection lamps. This is a standard feature.
Both headlights had the feature on all 'Jeeps' (Truck, 1/4 Ton, 4X4, G503) with the stamped steel grille. They cold also be swiveled outward as spotlights.
The rear blackout markers on my M151A2 had the means to determine distance while driving in a convoy two lights side by side - correct interval, one light - too far, four lights - too close. (If my memory isn't fading) Did they have that back in WW2?
A World War II veteran remarked to me years ago that they never drove their Jeeps with the windscreen up. Even in the rain, or when there was very little light at all, it was still often enough light 4 German sniper to shoot through that windscreen at whoever was behind it. This almost always guaranteed a casualty.
2 of my friends had jeeps...and I often hung out at parts place that sold jeep parts. As a teenager I remember a local jeep dealer that had several WW2 jeeps for sale. I have never seen any of these accessories.
Somewhere I have that multi-volume Wars sets that has pictures day-by-day of World War II. One of the pictures shows a prototype in which the bar goes up from the bumper and arcs all the way over to the rear bumper. Thewirecutter angle is directly above the head of the driver in that one. And it is a substantial piece of metal oh, so that there is no question as to whether that wire would be cut.
1. Front mounted Wire Cutter. 2. Canvas covers over reflective surfaces. (windshield, headlights, etc.) 3. Extra Blackout lamps. 4. Deep Water Fording Kit. (Air intake, exhaust, venting pipes.) 5. Extra Jerry Cans of water/gasoline, useful equipment, etc.
re: wire cutter; yes the Germans did put wires across the road BUT one of the big problems was our own telephone wires. People who watch movies think of WW2 command and control being via radio, but a large amount of comms were carried on the telephone. Not everybody was careful about where they hung their wires and, as you demonstrated, the night visibility wasn't good. A lot of GIs were hurt by our own phone wires.
I've heard this before and I think you are right Gary, I have found no reports of decap due to wires I think there may have been one or two but in general it is the fear of it and the danger from overhanging obstacles
Great video. Do you think you will do a full walk around series like the 5 video series from your first project? Its great material. You need the hot weather radiator extension tank next!
Not sure Ben, don't know if it would appeal to regular viewers that much? I could do I suppose! The desert cooling catch tank is an idea, I suppose ill have to get one so we can try it at least!
My dad was standing on the back of a moving truck in Italy using his one hand as a megaphone to shout to another soldier when a wire strung across the road slid up the back of his wrist rather than his neck, caught on his helmet and flipped him all the way off the truck skinning the back of his hand. He was in the Custer Division.
On my dad's farm, they filled the tractor tires with water for extra weight for traction. Did they do that to any of the jeeps or other trucks, or was lighter better in war?
I dont know whether they do that exactly to war trucks/jeep. However, one thing I know is that tractors need to be heavy so it can plow the land it's running on, while trucks/jeeps need to be light enough so they wont bog down in mud. So my guess they didn't put water in tires for jeeps. They'd probably use shovels, logs, ropes and man power if they do lose traction and bog down
Cats eye. Lamp. Later had a turn indicator. And about 30 to40 min before night driving. We would set in a dark place.. and also had guide men at turn points. And parking spots/Rallye points
I served in a mortar platoon, and drove the armored personnel carrier. You could hear us coming from a long ways away! Today’s equipment is to big , noisy, and bulky! That little old jeep is tops in my book! We should be doing going back to smaller equipment!
Hi Greendot, Nice video and jeep :) Do you know what material the intake was made of and what colour it was? I've been looking for a while now, but haven't been able to find out anything. Kind regards
Black rubber wire wrapped, unfortunately cant remember the diameter off my head (will find out tomorrow) but the modern equivalents are not cheap, you're looking at £150 for the length for a jeep!
Remember to Like and Subscribe for more jeepy content! Help support more great jeep videos by joining me on Patreon! www.patreon.com/greendot319 Canvas from Allied Forces Canvas: www.alliedforcesltd.com Paint 50/50 Mix and Mat 1 from Universal jeep supplies shop.universaljeepsupplies.co.uk
The biggest killer of people in Jeep’s was speed. This was so in WWII, Korea with the M38 and later in Vietnam with the M151. The Jeep was not a highway vehicle and worked best when moving at the speed of a fast walk or slow motor March.
I’ve probably got a thousand miles of driving b/o. Should explain the markers and why they are shaped the way they are. If you see lights 100-200m. Triangles 75-100m. Separate lights (four)25-50m. Triangles with small flag pole under 25m. It’s been a few years so my meter range may be off a bit. b/o also dims interior lights. I have a Mahindra Roxor and I’m going to put blackouts on it!
My understanding is that the wire cutter was meant to deflect random wires across a road, such as commo wires. Not piano wire stretched across a road to cut off peoples' heads. That's something of an urban legend.
Saw the missing Jerry cans right off. Or do you in the U.K. spell it Gerry can? I just discovered this channel, and I'm a big WWII "buff". Well perhaps amateur historian is a more suitable term. Its sorta like being a car racing buff. You like the cars, the drivers, and the action. But you dont like the accidents and carnage that comes with them.
All that waterproofing was mostly done for driving trough the saltwater of the sea... When you're in country your biggest (often only) problem was hydro locking the engine.. the rest worked just fine if you dried it of after going through something .. But saltwater really killed the electric system....(having them things with a Diesel engine would have life much simpler.)
If you have good night vision that means a good eyesight at night that night driving late does help but still you can't see far that's why during world war II they used to cut slits or paint the headlight over and have just one little slit showing that'll give him enough late so they can see and still black out enough to where enemy can't really spot you all that well but they can spot you if they know what to look for
@@Greendot319looking forward to the vid, are you planning on any more live sessions?. Enjoyed the last one. I'm on the road now, minus a windscreen lol love catching the flies aha.
@@Greendot319 Cant wait to see it, did you see my comment abt marker lights and blkout lights? Would be great to see a vid done on the and demonstrate how well they all worked?
Please, would it be possible to subtitle in Spanish to understand all the great videos you make. I'm sure a lot of Jeep enthusiasts will appreciate it.
UA-cam has a subtitle option. Click the gear-symbol (“Settings” bottom of screen), select “Subtitle”, then “English (auto generated)” Now select “English (auto generated) -Yes, again. Then select “Auto Translate”, where you will see a list of languages to choose from. Cheers.
Covers on jeeps in 1944 are quite superfluous. As the German soldiers said:‘ if a plane is green it’s British, if it’s diver it’s American and if you can’t see it at all it’s german😂 ( not existent)
I was in the US Marine Corps back from 1993 to 1997, I was in Motor Transport, it's crazy to think of all the stuff the Hummers had that were basically invented back in WW2 just for the jeep!! Great video and wonderful info. Thanks for sharing. Semper Fi from an old Marine.
Thanks for your service jerry and God Bless
I enlisted in the Michigan Army National Guard when I was in high school. (I did the Split Training Program and that let me join when I was 17 y/o and go to Basic between my junior and senior years) Anyway, it was 1989 and my unit still had Jeeps! I once had to ride in one from Annual Training back to our Armory. It was only 180 miles but it took 6.5 hours to drive in that jeep! It was a loud, uncomfortable, cold and drafty ride. But, I loved driving that Jeep off road!
I joined the Marine Corps in 1976 and I too was in Motor T and I ended up being the dispatcher and the jeep school instructor and we used to have a ball off roading those jeeps. They were M151A1 and A2's, but my primary vehicle was the Gamma Goat M561 6 wheeled vehicle that floats! Anyhow Semper Fi!
The blackout lights fitted in place of the headlamps on US vehicles (not just jeeps) in the ETO were British Butler WD units, my very original Dodge WC-52 had them.
Thanks Matt
As someone who has a soft spot for the willy's jeep and wanting to own one at some point, this has been a very informative video
Do it!
I bought a restored MB last year.
@-oiiio-3993 yeah, main issue is don't have the money right now for one, and got Jo where to store it in winter. I live in Connecticut, and during winter they salt the roads, and dont want the salt to ruin the frame/undercarriage. Could get a storage unit but again, finances.
@@brennanvilcheck9469 Someday, perhaps.
The blackout lights work pretty well, but unfortunately it is almost impossible to catch the real view on video. Having been in the Army for a long time, I used them quite extensively and you really do get used to them. The hardest part is if you are going from regular lighting to blackout lighting. In that case it takes a little bit of time before your eyes make the adjustment. Naturally, if it is raining hard or foggy, the view is a little worse.
Great video!
A world filled with electric lights means very few people understand night vision any more. Most people would be surprised at how much they could see if they only gave their eyes enough time to adjust to the dark
@@danielstickney2400 Well said. Many times at night, or in heavy snow or fog, I would turn off my headlights and just go with the running lights and after just a few minutes I could see quite well.
When it’s black as ####, ones night vision can get quite good, until some jerk lights a cigarette. And remember, at night a vehicle or convoy wants to move slow to cut down on noise. A slow convoy with good light and sound discipline can go by troops that are quite close by, and be undetected. I’ve been on both sides of that. ^_*
I’m loving all the history and photos in this video!
Great!
I've learned more about the Jeep watching your videos than anywhere else. Thanks for explaining things- So many channels assume you already know.
Official title for the wire cutter evidently was the 'Anti Decapitation Device' and again,...i've read that the Germans learnt the trick of stretching wire across the roads from the French Resistance !!!!
The French resistance was a very small organisation, indeed, in relation to the French collaboration.
@@brendanhere.6400 It just takes one person to string a wire.
My father, who died when I was ten, said that they would string piano wire across a road to stop the German motorcycle couriers to capture maps and documents. And if the courier was going fast enough, it would decapitate him. I don't know what my father did in the war, only a few comments he made. He was from Ohio and was raised speaking German at home.
@@elfthreefiveseven1297 The wire doesn't have to actually decapitate the driver / passengers. It would do enough damage to the trachea that it would disable them. They might not die right away, but they would be out of the fight.
On the Andy Griffith Show, Aunt Bee considered stretching a wire when Barney Fife was being annoying on his surplus RJ300 motocycle.
It's always a great sight to see eight or ten Willys Jeeps driving in convoy in Normandy around D- Day anniversaries.
One feature used just for the D-Day landings was the chemical detection paint on the hood star. I think you have your's painted that way...
Did it change colors or just more of a contrast thing? If a chemical landed on it the residue would stand out more?
@@Jeeps-kh1hb Good question. I "think" it changed color. The GI's also had a...not sure what to call it. A thing that attached sort of over the shoulder and around the arm that did the same thing. Soon as they hit the beach most of them threw them away along with their gas mask. I've often wondered if the German Generals let the Allied Generals know somehow that gas wouldn't ever be used because they didn't want it used against them...
Did a search and you are correct. The yellow paint would turn red if chemicals were in the area.
Would hate to be the guy who threw away his mask and then watched the paint become red.
@@larrybrown1824 sorry, forgot to tag you on my reply.
@@larrybrown1824 I did not know about the detection paper. But German generals didn’t want to use chemical gas because in WWI, it often came back and was a problem for there own troops. People forget that at the time of D Day, both the British and Americans had already been combat with German forces elsewhere. They knew enough to make a guess at the odds of encountering any chemical weapons.
Amazing Jeep Willys, love the canvas for the headlights, greetings from Holland.
Glad you like it!
One way to black out the headlights was to smear them with a heavy layer of GAA, general automotive grease. 5 gallon GI gas cans have the smaller opening on top and take a plug in fuel nozel. Cans with the larger opening are water-cans, usually with a black rubber gasket and a painted white interior.
I intend purchasing a Jeep in the near future, & find this & your other videos most interesting & helpful.
Thank you. Paul Lucas. ( Cardiff)
There were mirror covers issued. Since they were small bits, they were often lost. British jeeps ass standard had the bridge marker over one service headlight and a British blackout driving light in the other. British jeeps also had a Lucas convoy light focused on the read differential cover which were painted white and sometimes had the British formation number stenciled on the pumpkin.
Radio installation varied widely by need. Navy's and Marines had different models. Ground radios we're very different from air radios for close air support.
I greatly enjoy watching your videos, entertaining & educational, keep up the great work!
Thanks a lot, I appreciate your support
So fascinating I just love the tour and the history lesson
Cheers mate
USA!!
We had similar wire cutters on our jeeps (Truck, utility, ¼-ton, M-151A1) in Vietnam as well. Same problem, same solution.
“Beautiful machine”…I like that… Very true!
Very enjoyable video! Both of my parents rode in them during the war.
#Both
excellent
You did a DAMNED impressive job on this video! I'm now a subscriber - fantastic job mate!
The jeep in the picture is carrying one water and two gas cans. US water cans had big caps to distinguish them from the gas cans and make them easier to fill and dump. The original German and British cans all had small caps because they were made with vertical joints, which meant you had to be careful if you didn't want water in your carburetor or gasoline in your soup. US cans were made with horizontal joints which allowed the water cans to have bigger caps. The US cans also had screw on caps which were cheaper than the German and British cam lock caps but tended to be leaky and a bugger to pour if you didn't have a spout because the cans didn't have necks.
When they put the higher power radios in jeeps, they upgraded to a 12 volt electrical system or installed a 12v generator on the PTO. Jeep PTO's had other uses but we see much about them.
very true, PTO jeeps are rarely seen and often converted back to 'stock'
Great video's been watching alot! I'm an armour modeller I build accurate scale models so having your video's is great for adding that extra detail to my model builds for our war and peace model show in October! Maybe even add a deep wadding kit to my model now
Love your videos. So very informative. Keep up the great work!
You mentioned the location of the radio. This was also partially based on the duty of the jeep. On the side you have it mounted if recon configuration, this gives the passenger easy access to the radio without having to move out of the seat, also when the jeep is parked it can give both the driver and passenger access since the jeep is always parked in a position which can allow easy escape. When the jeep radio is mounted behind the passenger this is in command vehicle configuration, this is used to provide the commanding officer (most commonly a Major or higher) to sit in the passenger seat with his aide seated behind the driver to use the radio, this way the officer could speak with his aide face to face. Other configures include gun Jeeps and cargo jeeps (Ie: ammo, fuel, etc.) you would likely see the radio on an extended platform giving the gunner more room for movement and in the cargo configuration more room for cargo. Thought you might passenger side radio in a recon jeep this is commonly due to needing a rapid replacement vehicle and that is the one that was provided.
*They also made a small trailer for the pintle hook in the rear, I have seen pictures with the jeep carrying 5 guys and another 4 sitting on top of supplies in the trailer, though the rear axle didn't look too happy LOL.*
Trailers were Willys MB-T, Bantam T-3 and other specialized models.
Great video! Motivating meet to do more stuff with my old '43 gal. Thanks!
That’s a VERY nice Jeep. 👍
Something else that many people don't know about American military vehicles, the tires. the tread of the tires is non directional. Meaning that when the vehicle goes across soft terrain it leaves tread marks, but these tires have a tread pattern that is the same in either direction, so that the enemies could not determine your direction of travel.
That only works if the Jeeps are going in a straight line. Make a turn and you can tell the difference in the circle the tires make. Back axle cuts the corner.
@@samiam619 yes you can tell it made a turn. But you still don't know what direction it was going.
That's just another urban legend that refuses to die about an imaginary problem that could be easily solved by mounting the tires differently front to rear. The real reason for the unidirectional tires is the U.S. Army determined through extensive testing at Aberdeen that the practical advantages of unidirectional tires outweighed the theoretical advantages of directional tires. The directional tire worked better in some conditions, worse in others, and the unidirectional tires meant you only had to stock one type of tire in each size.
Around here there were some blue painted Jeeps used by the Navy Shore Patrol-salilor cops. There were lots of Jeeps in civilian service postwar here. New cars were unavailable until about 1950
my uncle was docked with a cargo ship when a blue jeep showed up and the driver pulled a battery wire and the steering wheel off before going inside- so the guys dropped a cargo net and dropped her in an empty hole. They drove that thing for a year before a sharp eyed fuel dump guy caught them
also for deep water fording, my grandfather said that some jeeps had a generator bracket that allows easy and temp loosening of the fan belt. to reduce the chance of the fan splashing water all over the engine and stalling out as a result. after the deep water fording, pull over and make the fan belt tight again via the correct notch in the generator mount
Nope, it didn't happen
@@travisdavis3974 Yes, it did.
My restored Willys MB has that bracket.
Mine has a hole and flap in the bonnet directly above the carburettor and also has a 2 inch hole below the driver's side marker light where the exhaust used to exit through the front grill. great vid Matt !
Thanks, you can see in some of the photos, that little hole over the carb it important!
@@Greendot319 I've seen only a few photographs of the exhaust trough the grill in the Australian War memorial Archives....It wasn't limited to Australian Jeeps. Although Australian Jeeps have some interesting modifications that weren't done anywhere else ( reinforced rear spring hanger mounts, steering bell crank reinforcement) being two obvious examples. But there are plenty of really good images of the deep water fording kits and Australian diggers driving Jeeps underwater (completely submerged) in Wewak, Borneo, New guinea......Over 2000 images of Jeeps in the field. Incredible visual resource.....Have a look www.awm.gov.au/
As to fording, don't forget the driver's and passenger side floorboards had a covered opening to let water in so the Jeep wouldn't float. My 1956 CJ5 had them with "Open for fording" stenciled next to them.
13:18 - fantastic photo! Really well done video.
thank you for your service.
Had the chance to have a few ww2 trucks (jeeps and some WCs) out in the middle of nowhere
We tried driving through some fields with zero light pollution and the Black Outs
You get used to them and you can see decent (as long as you dont have bad eyes to begin with)
I’d be curious to know if tire pressure was considered for DDay landing…eg. was it lowered to navigate beach sand
interesting point, haven't thought about it before!
Interesting question. It would make sense if it were lowered some. I have a mountain bike with hybrid tires, and when I take it on the mb trails it makes a huge difference on the sandy areas if the tp is lowered even just a tad bit.
I wouldn’t imagine it would make a difference. The sidewalls were so stiff you didn’t get much width advantage by deflating them. Maybe not great for sand but awesome if you need to make a getaway after receiving a flat while being attacked. Or maybe my tires were just so old they didn’t blob out when I got a flat lol
For sand tire pressure was lowered to 10 psi.
@@doncarlton4858 Thanks for follow-up…appreciate the confirmation…
If you want to see a lot of this in person check out D-Day Ohio in Conneaut. It is the largest D-Day reenactment in America. 3rd Thursday to Saturday in August.
I would be fascinated to see and hear a demonstration of that wire cutting post at work
I was in the Army and drove APCs, Jeeps , HMMMVs and other tactical vehicles with blackout drive. You didn't want to go too fast but you could about between 10 to 20 mph,
Great video with jeep trivia! Love this stuff! But... Isn't there supposed to be a hand shovel on it somewhere? Also an axe.
You’re doing great! Keep up the good work partner 👍🏼
( so profile pic is my Dad's 1943 MB. He had just bought it at auction at a Mexican stone quarry, 1972
(he still has it, canvas top, Corvette Red
(school bus _orange_ enamel in 1970s thru 1990s), and now with 1950 USMC trailer in matching red paint)
No bent hood for snorkel -- it was in North Africa. It has a 2nd gas tank under the passenger seat, and a twist knob on dash to switch which tank you are pulling from, and a toggle to switch the single fuel gauge btwn tanks
I learned to drive on it, initially in 2WD Lo Range in a pasture. 2WD Lo must have been popular for convoys, or maneuvering trailers -- an ability missing on later 4wd trucks where 2wd only works in Hi; 4wd in Hi or Lo
so I have been similarly teaching the daughter to drive recently, in 1995 Land Rover Disco 1, Lo Range Open Center Differential, so parking lot pavement is fine
I also use Lo Range Open Center diff for maneuvering our 1958 ham-can camping trailer, and can do it for starts on a steep hill, since you can triple-clutch btwn say Lo 3rd to Hi 1st while moving
I last drove Dad's MB in ~2010, but I recall it also having a neutral spot on the Hi/Lo lever
(seperate from the 2WD/4WD lever == 3 gear shifts, folks),
so the same rolling Lo to Hi triple-clutch is possible
Note the MB has no synchro on 1st, so double-clutching when down-shifting 2nd to 1st
That double-clutching skill has been good for the Disco, since 2nd has a worn out synchro, and 3rd has any iffy one...
Another outstanding video, Matt! Thank you. I do wonder if those wire cutters would really cut wire though. Maybe their best attribute would be to give the driver notice that he just hit a wire and needs to hit the brakes as fast as possible. Certainly better than not having anything up front!
Thanks Tom, I'm going to test the wire cutter out and film it, if it goes well youtube if not then live leak I suppose!
hit the brakes???? really made me smile I put one through the NJ auto inspection and the tester insisted on driving--- he ran right through the testing area. I used both feet on the pedal and passed. great fun and back then (late 70's) you could get them for about $700.
I've heard that the biggest danger to jeep crews was actually fallen telegraph and power cables which often draped across the roads when poles or buildings collapsed
That sounds very plausible Mark. I am looking for first hand accounts of the wire cutter actually being used!
Probably the biggest danger of WW2 jeeps is they are prone to flip over. That's what happened on the tv show Rat Patrol.
Thanks for your videos. Most interesting. How about a video commenting of the SAS modified Jeeps with I believe two 303 in the back and perhaps a Bren gun or a .30cal in the front passenger side as well as other armed WWII jeeps such as those used by the LRDG ? Thanks
The loaded up Jeeps look nice, all the stuff and gear cluttering them gives some interesting ideas.
Interesting and entertaining video, many thanks. I have an rc model of what is supposed to be a Willys but they've mixed up with a few Ford details in there!
And I must agree, you have to put gear all over the place to look realistic. I particularly like the way they tied the radio antenna to the front of the jeep in a big curve from the back...
I heard about an interesting feature that was on some of those WW2 Jeeps. I don’t know if this was on all of them, and this was word of mouth. I heard that one of the headlights had a special mounting that allowed it to be turned upwards and swiveled backwards to face the engine to illuminate it during field repairs. Once again I’ve only heard of that feature, but it sounds interesting and I have yet to see if that can be confirmed.
The headlamps are hinged and held down with butterfly nuts to allow them to be flipped up to be used as engine inspection lamps. This is a standard feature.
Both headlights had the feature on all 'Jeeps' (Truck, 1/4 Ton, 4X4, G503) with the stamped steel grille.
They cold also be swiveled outward as spotlights.
The rear blackout markers on my M151A2 had the means to determine distance while driving in a convoy two lights side by side - correct interval, one light - too far, four lights - too close. (If my memory isn't fading) Did they have that back in WW2?
Thats it Joe, same thing!
A World War II veteran remarked to me years ago that they never drove their Jeeps with the windscreen up. Even in the rain, or when there was very little light at all, it was still often enough light 4 German sniper to shoot through that windscreen at whoever was behind it. This almost always guaranteed a casualty.
Could the can do spirit have taken hold and old used food tins been attached to the headlamp buckets?
2 of my friends had jeeps...and I often hung out at parts place that sold jeep parts. As a teenager I remember a local jeep dealer that had several WW2 jeeps for sale. I have never seen any of these accessories.
Somewhere I have that multi-volume Wars sets that has pictures day-by-day of World War II. One of the pictures shows a prototype in which the bar goes up from the bumper and arcs all the way over to the rear bumper. Thewirecutter angle is directly above the head of the driver in that one. And it is a substantial piece of metal oh, so that there is no question as to whether that wire would be cut.
1. Front mounted Wire Cutter.
2. Canvas covers over reflective surfaces. (windshield, headlights, etc.)
3. Extra Blackout lamps.
4. Deep Water Fording Kit. (Air intake, exhaust, venting pipes.)
5. Extra Jerry Cans of water/gasoline, useful equipment, etc.
The blackout light for the headlights was a mod with a cover and hood that screws over the lens
re: wire cutter; yes the Germans did put wires across the road BUT one of the big problems was our own telephone wires. People who watch movies think of WW2 command and control being via radio, but a large amount of comms were carried on the telephone. Not everybody was careful about where they hung their wires and, as you demonstrated, the night visibility wasn't good. A lot of GIs were hurt by our own phone wires.
I've heard this before and I think you are right Gary, I have found no reports of decap due to wires I think there may have been one or two but in general it is the fear of it and the danger from overhanging obstacles
Always wanted one... Thank you for sharing!
Great video. Do you think you will do a full walk around series like the 5 video series from your first project? Its great material.
You need the hot weather radiator extension tank next!
Not sure Ben, don't know if it would appeal to regular viewers that much? I could do I suppose! The desert cooling catch tank is an idea, I suppose ill have to get one so we can try it at least!
My dad was standing on the back of a moving truck in Italy using his one hand as a megaphone to shout to another soldier when a wire strung across the road slid up the back of his wrist rather than his neck, caught on his helmet and flipped him all the way off the truck skinning the back of his hand. He was in the Custer Division.
On my dad's farm, they filled the tractor tires with water for extra weight for traction. Did they do that to any of the jeeps or other trucks, or was lighter better in war?
I dont know whether they do that exactly to war trucks/jeep. However, one thing I know is that tractors need to be heavy so it can plow the land it's running on, while trucks/jeeps need to be light enough so they wont bog down in mud.
So my guess they didn't put water in tires for jeeps. They'd probably use shovels, logs, ropes and man power if they do lose traction and bog down
Cats eye. Lamp. Later had a turn indicator. And about 30 to40 min before night driving. We would set in a dark place.. and also had guide men at turn points. And parking spots/Rallye points
We used sand bags for headlight covers.
Very interesting, thank you.
thumbsup
I served in a mortar platoon, and drove the armored personnel carrier. You could hear us coming from a long ways away! Today’s equipment is to big , noisy, and bulky! That little old jeep is tops in my book! We should be doing going back to smaller equipment!
Rock..star
Kobir..ahmed
I bet you can drive that jeep in the dark with night vision real good
Una gloria siempre lo digo el Willys 👍👏👏👏✌️✌️✌️😶🇺🇸🇬🇧
Thanks.
Hi Greendot,
Nice video and jeep :)
Do you know what material the intake was made of and what colour it was?
I've been looking for a while now, but haven't been able to find out anything.
Kind regards
Black rubber wire wrapped, unfortunately cant remember the diameter off my head (will find out tomorrow) but the modern equivalents are not cheap, you're looking at £150 for the length for a jeep!
Thank you, again.
You are more than welcome sir
Where can I buy one ?!. James Somerset 🇬🇧✌
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The biggest killer of people in Jeep’s was speed. This was so in WWII, Korea with the M38 and later in Vietnam with the M151. The Jeep was not a highway vehicle and worked best when moving at the speed of a fast walk or slow motor March.
They put sandbags under the seats to absorb the concussion from land mines.
I have spent many tiring hours driving in blackout drive convoys
Out of interest the wire cutter was later fitted on the Series 1 Land Rover to be used in other combat jones.
Nice, didnt know that
Hello
I searching for a Long Time for a big Blackout Drivelight for my MB. Have you any contacts ?
Thanks
Thank you.
Hah! Just noticed your “come hither” message on the tub.
;) Historical markings would you believe!
Great videos, keep it up!
Beautiful J
I’ve probably got a thousand miles of driving b/o. Should explain the markers and why they are shaped the way they are. If you see lights 100-200m. Triangles 75-100m.
Separate lights (four)25-50m.
Triangles with small flag pole under 25m.
It’s been a few years so my meter range may be off a bit.
b/o also dims interior lights.
I have a Mahindra Roxor and I’m going to put blackouts on it!
Great 👍👍👍
three cans on the back of jeep where two fuel and one water.you can tell by the lids.
German stick grenade sits quite nicely in handle behind the passenger seat
Great Video
what paint did you use on your jeep?
shop.universaljeepsupplies.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=53
Where is your WWII wrist watch?
My understanding is that the wire cutter was meant to deflect random wires across a road, such as commo wires. Not piano wire stretched across a road to cut off peoples' heads. That's something of an urban legend.
Saw the missing Jerry cans right off. Or do you in the U.K. spell it Gerry can? I just discovered this channel, and I'm a big WWII "buff". Well perhaps amateur historian is a more suitable term. Its sorta like being a car racing buff. You like the cars, the drivers, and the action. But you dont like the accidents and carnage that comes with them.
All that waterproofing was mostly done for driving trough the saltwater of the sea...
When you're in country your biggest (often only) problem was hydro locking the engine..
the rest worked just fine if you dried it of after going through something .. But saltwater really killed the electric system....(having them things with a Diesel engine would have life much simpler.)
If you have good night vision that means a good eyesight at night that night driving late does help but still you can't see far that's why during world war II they used to cut slits or paint the headlight over and have just one little slit showing that'll give him enough late so they can see and still black out enough to where enemy can't really spot you all that well but they can spot you if they know what to look for
Please do a show on vw schwimmwagon
Hope you've got the asbestos putty for waterproofing ready lolol
Strangely enough I do......
@@Greendot319looking forward to the vid, are you planning on any more live sessions?. Enjoyed the last one. I'm on the road now, minus a windscreen lol love catching the flies aha.
@@USAAFLANGFORDLODGEHC yep tonight at 7 for this video, its a good one! Enjoy the drive, went out for a short one earlier Normandy style!
@@Greendot319 Cant wait to see it, did you see my comment abt marker lights and blkout lights? Would be great to see a vid done on the and demonstrate how well they all worked?
@@USAAFLANGFORDLODGEHC Will you'll just have to be patient, who knows what is in this video!
Asbestos waterproofing. Bless their hearts.
Please, would it be possible to subtitle in Spanish to understand all the great videos you make. I'm sure a lot of Jeep enthusiasts will appreciate it.
UA-cam has a subtitle option. Click the gear-symbol (“Settings” bottom of screen), select “Subtitle”, then “English (auto generated)” Now select “English (auto generated) -Yes, again. Then select “Auto Translate”, where you will see a list of languages to choose from. Cheers.
@@OrangPasien thank you
You'll find some helicopters have wire cutters just in front of their rotor hub for the same purpose.
Complicated stuff.breaks more often. That's why panzers broke down so often.
The Best American hero 1941 steel soldier he is today 2022
Covers on jeeps in 1944 are quite superfluous. As the German soldiers said:‘ if a plane is green it’s British, if it’s diver it’s American and if you can’t see it at all it’s german😂 ( not existent)
It was a real workhorse
Another “soldier” who’s an expert on Soldiering. Ya gotta love armchair enthusiasts. 🇺🇸