Dodge WC question

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Jan, Eduard,

Thanks for bringing up this interesting conversion which I have never seen before.

I would hazard a guess that the Soviets converted a number of Dodge weapon carriers into staff cars for high ranking officers. As suggested, a coach built job of an wooden frame clad in sheet metal, topped of with a canvas convertible top. That was the way these things were built back then, the construction method is nothing exotic.

Here's hoping more information comes to light one day.

Hanno

[Jan Mostek]

To Eduar Sorokin, re. Dodge above.
Hi Eduard, look at the body shape, it is different, so I am almost sure it is not the same although it might be from the same "body builder".

[Jan Mostek]

To Jeff Gordon.

yes, I agree that the body is simple enough to be made "in the field" by handy bodybuilder or mechanic from wooden lathes and sheet metal.
Concerning the photo quality, unfortunately I am not able to give you much better detail than the enclosed one. It seems the rear body does not fit 100%, which would mean the rear body was realy taken over from something, but where? Note also the visible bolt head on the front door column, it seems to be on the location where is the connecting bolt also on original Dodge.
Cheers over the ocean, Jan.

[Lynn Eades]

Jan's photo shows a curved top line to the body Eduard's one is a straight line.
Both are quite different styles. They even appear to have the different styles of tyre profiles (were both types of tyre available during the war?)
Gordon, I would suggest earlier T214, based on shock absorber linkages, and pre rubber shortage (looks to have no canvas roll seal at the windscreen to cowl)

[gordon]

You might be right about the shocks and the rubber Lynn.

I was looking at the blackout light, 'wire-on' later standard grille guards, no Dodge badge, stuff like that, which would put it after the middle of 1942 for me. Early or late is relative.

Looking at the bodywork, it doesn't shout Russian to me. Any chance it was done in Czechoslovakia ? It is much more like something you would find on a Tatra, and of course the Germans kept the Tatra facilities up and running so they would be capable of that.

[Lynn Eades]

Gordon, I have no knowledge of the European side. What do you think about it being a post war build? What about an early Volvo effort? It appears very minimalistic, but well done.

With regards the Dodge donor, yes I would say mid 42 (which in my books, I would call early for a 3/4 ton WC) I believe the Dodge badge, no blackout light, and the two symetrical headlight guards, to be all very early.
Bart Vanderveen's article on the WC55 (Wheels and Tracks) shows three of them on a beach on a pacific island, and at least one had symetrical headlight guards. If it wasn't for that picture, I would have said they were only on experimental models. I have (It's in pieces) a 6th August 42. built WW55.(ex Marine Corps)
I have no recall of when the grill construction changed.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by gordon

Looking at the bodywork, it doesn't shout Russian to me. Any chance it was done in Czechoslovakia ? It is much more like something you would find on a Tatra, and of course the Germans kept the Tatra facilities up and running so they would be capable of that.

Gordon, agree. What it shouts is German "Umbau-wagen", both in style (slanted rear edge of doors) and practice. The Germans had a habit of converting perfectly usable trucks into their Kfz. 12 or 15 body style. Picture below shows a converted Bedford MW, you will notice the similarities.

But the big question in this case is: where would the Germans have captured a mid-war Dodge WC52? The other allied trucks were mostly captured in Europe during the Blitzkrieg, after which there were time and resources available in the occupied countries for these conversions. Later during the war I cannot see the Germans devoting time and resources to these type of conversions.

H.

[gordon]

Lynn, I've had a couple of early Dodges, up to about July '42, that had symettrical grilles. Other features included no rifle rack or pioneer rack ( not invented yet )

Hanno,

I'd suggest this was rebuilt immediately post war somewhere like a Czech facility that was building U-Wagens for the Germans a year or two previously, hence the equipment, facilities, and style.

I'd also suggest that the Weapon Carrier must have been almost new as I can't see a dent, ding, or scratch in the front metal, which isn't common.