Small Scale Military Headquarters

I know some of you guys have already customized the 1 1/2 ton Dodges.

Has anybody dremeled off the .50 cal mount or removed the top down to the seat backs?? Or added a complete canvas top? Has anyone reversed the spare tire in its mount?

A few of my shots of our real WC-63.

http://community.webshots.com/album/266328157YxLBAq

TTT

I am kinda doing a "forced custom". I ordered from Toys and Swords, opened the box, and found the rear-view mirror, all three machine gun supports, and the entire canopy support frame broken off. But, I didn't raise too much of a stink, because I was going to remove the machine gun and canvas cover anyways. I am going to leave the seatbacks on for the guys in the back.

Question for TTT: what kind of fuel dispensers did they use for motor pools in WWII? I have some 1:18 Wayne gas pumps that I'm wondering if they can be repainted for use in a dioramma.

Is there any way the canvas top can be removed from the bars? I'd like to either take it off altogether or put a full down canvas top on, which i will make from some kind of mat'l (still thinking).

Looking on mine, if you remove the canvass piece, which is possible, there won't be any cross bars as those are molded into the canvass piece. Only poles. You can sort of see what it would look like in the demo pictures for the XD USMC contest on the 21c website.

well that's not too bad. Should be easy to make some cross bars out of sprue or something. I would prefer a full down canvas top and once i make one it will cover and join lines and other minor gliches with the cross pieces. I've always liked the look of a convoy truck with the canvas down. I suspect 21c molded it rolled up so it's easier to play with/access the interior but i'm going to make mine top down and load it with supplies.

TTT or anyone else that knows: what would a truck like this typically carry as supplies. I mean would it be a mish mash of various items or would it be just fuel or just ammo or just food etc. Seems to me it would make sense that each truck had a specific cargo to haul on it's manifest but i don't know how organized it was back then. I'd like to do it up as a supply truck that was used in europe in '44 hauling cargo from the normandy to deep inland...

How many of these trucks would actually carry the .50 cal? If it was for air defence i can't see any great need for it given that the luftwaffe was practically non-existant by then and any fighters that were around were going after the bomber streams not strafing convoy trucks..

The vertical supports for the canvas top are just glued in holes in the canvas top. I pulled it off, since it doesn't look right without the machine gun support. I'm planning on doing this with it.

http://www.autogallery.org.ru/k/da/42dd ... bilede.jpg

I also found a site that showed the canvas top and vertical supports stored in the back (on a restored one). That may be in the future.

Fuel dispensers - Up to around 1944 fuel was added via pumps (either power or manual) from 55 gallon drums or 5 gallon cans with detachable nozzles on the can. Around 1944 vehicles used larger gas tank openings that you could pour gas straight from the can into the tank. Hand and power pumps continued use from 55 gallon drums.

Use - Ton and a halfs hauled a mix of cargo. It was mostly used to transport anti-tank guns and the entire crew with ammo and personal items. When needed, it hauled anything but heavy stuff like engines and drums of fuel in large numbers were transported mostly in 2 1/2 trucks and larger 4 tonners and 7 1/2 ton White's. Same for ammo, artillery shells usually stuck to the really big trucks while .30 & .50 cal ammo could be carried anywhere.

Canvas - Canvas was in use depending on how close to the front the truck was operating and the weather. A canvas top limits movement off the truck for personnel caught in a fire fight. It goes without saying severe weather had guys take the gamble to stay out of the wind. The canvas to cover a 10 foot bed was cumbersome and heavy. Once it came off, usually it stayed off.

Ring mount - Remember guys, when D-Day happened these guys had no idea what they would be faced with. They used the ring mount just in case, and much later they discarded to mount. There was a ratio of so many trucks with the .50 versus no guns. I'm not sure what it was, I believe it was 1 in 4 with the gun.

TTT

And I agree the full canvas looks better. Check out my other pictures of the WC-62 pulling our 57mm anti-tank gun with the full canvas.

My opinion is that no rig looked sweeter without treads or wings.

TTT

How common was it to roll up the canvas top, like in 21c's model? Seems to me the logical way to go as you can leave it up for quick egress in a fire fight or roll it down in cold weather. Removing it altogether pretty much eliminates one of those options.

Where can one find pictures of you truck/at gun combo?

You rock, TTT. Thanks for all the info.

Aferguson:

Sorry I almost missed your question on where you can see the combo of the WC-62 and the 57mm anti-tank gun. My webshots site has a few pictures:

http://community.webshots.com/album/263941044HBZJmz

We had alot of fun with it. To make the gun legal, a hole had been cut in the breech the size of the barrel. We used it one year with reenactors and to simulate firing we droped ashcan firecrackers down the breech. Made a neat noise.

Sure would like to see one in 1:18.

TTT

I told a mate about the Dodge;he bought a couple and customised one http://groups.msn.com/KiwiRCTankCombat/ ... &PhotoID=9 Nice!

Try:

http://groups.msn.com/KiwiRCTankCombat/ ... PhotoID=96

Looks great. I am tempted to do one. Also look at his other stuff:

http://groups.msn.com/KiwiRCTankCombat/ ... ield.msnw?

MK

Nice dios.

Thats a nice looking custom.

Hmm... the link takes me to the MSN Groups page, but no pictures load up... any ideas?

It seems to be playing up a bit today
http://groups.msn.com/KiwiRCTankCombat/ ... field.msnw

Got it to work. Thanks.

Those custom tanks are pretty cool and thats a wonderfully huge setup! Some of the vehicles are obviously 21c, but how were the rest made? Kitbashing or built from scratch? There's some interesting possibilities for future 21c WWII armor.

Hi guys,,, I am the one that did that Ambulance and good parts of the battlefield you see,,,, We are an rc Tank club with that portable 25x30 field

All tanks are full rc and lots of them non rc tank turn into full options!
softskin vehicules are mostly die cast modified,,,like the German Truck is from Highway 61... !!

and the dioramas with figurines from 21st and Dragon!!

you can see more pics at the following web site

www.model-art.com....click Club Champlain..click Armored division (divisiion terrestre0..

do no hesitate to conctact me if you have more questions,,,

los!! JC

Thanks for coming here JC,its a bit hard for me to answer questions about your gear.The reason I have the Canadian pics on my site is because I want to show our club members what we should be aiming for in NZ.

Threetoughtrucks wrote:I know some of you guys have already customized the 1 1/2 ton Dodges.

Has anybody dremeled off the .50 cal mount or removed the top down to the seat backs?? Or added a complete canvas top? Has anyone reversed the spare tire in its mount?

A few of my shots of our real WC-63.

http://community.webshots.com/album/266328157YxLBAq

TTT

Is that a 105A2 trailer you're pulling with the Dodge? If so, where can I get one. That thing is way cool!