Ford Navy bomb service truck

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Tony Smith

to which I replied that (as you rightly pointed out) as it was not a 4x4 truck in your picture, it was not the G85 M1, but the G109 M1.

Ahh, OK

So are you saying:

• G85 M1 Bomb Service Truck is a 4x4 truck?
• G109 M1 Bomb Service Truck is a 4x2 truck?

I'd say it is not conclusive as two of the other G85 M1 Bomb Service trucks, the Yellow truck & coach AC-25 (1942) and Diamond T 201 3S, are 4x2 trucks.


> Yellow truck & coach AC-25
gmc ac251 bomb service truck 0919 0915.jpg


> Diamond T 201 Bomb Service Truck, 50 built in 1942
666d625f-2e95-4457-8620-0e41.jpg

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Here's another picture, courtesy of Military Vehicles Magazine which brought this topic back to top for me.

1942 caption: "For Tojo -- Bad News from Guadalcanal"
GUADALCANAL, SOLOMON ISLANDS -- With operational flights against Japanese ships and bases almost a daily affair, bomb loading crews of Marines on Guadalcanal airport are a busy lot. In this remarkable photo, bombs are being taken from "bomb gardens" concealed in palm trees, loaded on trailers and trundled onto the airport to be placed on U.S. Marine, Navy and Army bombers.

91491435_2992323840826796_7398706304144900096_n.jpg

[David Doyle]

The photo with the number 76443-B in the lower right corner is a Ford model 11-T-S bomb service truck.
The similar looking Ford with the headlights mounted above the fenders rather than sunk into them is a Ford model 11-Y-S bomb service truck.
The above information is per the notes accompanying those photos in the collection of the Benson Ford Archives.

Best wishes,
David Doyle
www.DavidDoyleBooks.com

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by David Doyle

The above information is per the notes accompanying those photos in the collection of the Benson Ford Archives.

Hello David, thanks for that info!

The similar looking Ford with the headlights mounted above the fenders rather than sunk into them is a Ford model 11-Y-S bomb service truck.

11-Y refers to a Ford 1941 model 8-cylinder 90-hp 122" w.b. 1 Ton Truck chassis. The -S probably refers to "Special"?

M1_Ford_bomb_service.jpg

Originally Posted by David Doyle

The photo with the number 76443-B in the lower right corner is a Ford model 11-T-S bomb service truck.

11-T refers to a Ford 1941 model 8-cylinder 90-hp 134" w.b. 1½ Ton Truck. The -S probably refers to "Special"?

Of course this is a 1942 model, the designation for the same chassis in model year 1942 is 21-T. As said, clearly there was some evolution in Ford's 4x2 Bomb Truck while the Ordnance Dept. didn't amend their data. Interesting to see they opted for a beefed up chassis which could take ½ Ton more.

Ford bomb service 0715 1.jpg

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Here's another picture, courtesy of Military Vehicles Magazine which brought this topic back to top for me.

Here's another from the same source, this is a Ford 11-T-S (1942 model) M1 Bomb Service Truck.
"1942-dated press photo of a Navy Ford M1 bomb service truck being used to load bags of cement somewhere in the Pacific".

190061_406732319385974_432802375_n.jpg


And two via André Margage:

Ford 11-Y-S (1941 model) M1 Bomb Service Truck delivering bombs to a Douglas B-18 Bolo:

80305876_10218261413319529_5381660817219387392_n.jpg


Ford 11-T-S (1942 model) M1 Bomb Service Trucks bringing up torpedoes to load Grumman Avengers:

35387792_10214308027167346_8878133825343848448_o.jpg

[Sergey Egorov]

Page from Ordnance Pamphlet 865 Aviation Ordnance Equipment Catalog (1944).

[Lang]

So much better for crew comfort and access unlike the more photographed Ford GTB Bomb Truck with the passenger jammed in sideways.