Small Scale Military Headquarters

http://www.ashevillediecast.com/cart.ph ... ory_id=365

I'm sure both the Americans and Germans used some variant of this in the War. Yes, Virginia, the Krauts had many Ford trucks. Other references to this one call it 1:18.

you can find something like that in 1/18 not 1/19.

Gary, what are you thinking in regards to the bed? Stake, covered or ...

I seem to recall that the woofer/hun did one of these a while back and it turned out really well though I think he went with the stock bed length and wheels.

Hun, ya out there?

the russians used trucks that were copies of the '31 Ford, the zis 5 and zis 6. The zis 6 was one of the common katyusha toting trucks, especially in the first 2 1/2 years of the war.

Jackpot!

http://www.autogallery.org.ru/gfordde.htm

grunt1, what scale and make is that Ford?
Did you do the conversion? Great work if you did.
I have the Schiffer book Ford at War, which covers only German Fords. They used everything they could get their hands on.

Sorry for the confusion, that's not mine. It's just a Ford Maultier I found on the web when I was trying to find some ideas that could be done with that 1:19 Ford you found before I came across that Russian/German Ford link.

Gary:

The truck you show is a 1/2 ton light truck. Very few, if any straight civilian trucks were used in WW2. Most of the Ford and Chevy cargo trucks were 1 1/2 ton or larger. They had dual wheels on one axle in the rear. As they got into 2,3,4 tons they got quite a bit larger and usually had two axles with duals on the rear.

I don't doubt the military did aquire some light duty civilian trucks for use in far, far rear bases. The Brits and Italians were the only ones I know of that used light trucks in service in front areas.

The 1 1/2 ton trucks on the market now in die-cast 1/16 are the closest we can get to a decent sized cargo truck. Those are Chevy and Fords.

I can't find a reference to the very nice Ford 1 1/2 ton trucks as Grunt1 supplied us with in Ruskie Lend Lease service. but I don't doubt they were used.

My first antique 1/1 vehicle was a 1945 Ford F5 1 1/2 ton truck. Body style on the F5 trucks didn't change from '41 to '45. Chamged in '46. I always thought it would make a great MV.
My Ford 1 1/2 ton:

My Chevy 1 1/2 ton:

Never restored the Chevy but it was military.
Great MV's for 1/18..

TTT

I don't think Solido makes vehicles in 1:19 scale, since they have a huge line of vintage and modern automobiles in 1:18 scale. I have a few of their Ford trucks and cars. Although the trucks have American company logos (Texaco) on them, they have a nice potential for kit bashing. It would be nice to have some road tires for them instead of the whitewalls.

The Ford truck made by Golden Wheels could be 1:19 scale as they seem slightly smaller to the other vehicles in my collection.

Perhaps a letter writting campaign to Solido could inspire more vintage European vehicles? I'm sure the Germans requisitioned quite a few. They did use Citreons as staff cars.

We have concentrated our efforts on 21st Century, BBI and Admiral for aircraft and armor. We as a group should consider a campaign of lobbying the 1:18 scale die-cast automobile manufacturers to start making items (or at least vehicles we can kitbash)......I'd love to have an Opel Blitz or Mercedes Benz truck. Or even some fire engines/crash wagons, fuel bowsers...etc.

Cheers

Here is my 3 ton Ford in 1:16 scale. Did it last year. Look for "German Vehicles of WW2" by Frank. I think it is on Amazon. It is a great source of info about German soft skin trucks...

TJ

Krieglok:

Did your terrific German 3T Ford start life as a "Highway 61" civvie Ford?

Just a great looking truck.

TTT

Threetoughtrucks wrote:Krieglok:
Just a great looking truck.

TTT

Amen!

KL, awesome work (again)..

Every time I see your truck I get very excited that 21C might produce one in 1:18. Have to believe it had some influence on their decision to produce one in 1:32..

Happen to have any WIP shots of this project?

Yes, it was a 1 1/2 ton civilian Ford which looks just like the three ton(lighter suspension). The dead givaway that it is a US built truck as opposed to a German built Ford, is the two piece windshield. Some day I will do another and make the windshield right (one flat piece like the Opel). If you open the doors, the pale yellow paint can be seen in places. I picked it up from Motor Mint I think. It was a great start platform for the conversion. The only thing that I didnt scratch build was the actual jerry can which came from a 21st halftrack. I may have some WIP shots. I will have to scrounge around for them.

Thanks for the compliments by the way. I hate to keep posting this same photo everytime the discussion comes up as I am afraid of it being "stale". But then again, there may be people that have not seen it yet...

TJ

In 1943 the lend lease Studebaker 2 1/2 ton truck became the standard GAU (Main Artillery Directorate) mount for the "Katyusha" MRL. Some 1800 were produced by the end of the war.