Automotive

The Unsung Heroes: 10 Military Vehicles That Helped the Allies Win WWII

Maria - June 9, 2016

Heavy artillery, endless rounds of ammunition and caches of weapons aren’t the only useful resources to help win a war. The troops in combat during WWII needed some remarkable vehicles to sustain them throughout their journey across long distances, as well as on the battlefield. Here are ten of the most capable vehicles used throughout WWII, the unsung heroes of the war effort.

10. The Original Bantam BRC Jeep

While the original Jeep was the Bantam prototype, the Willys MB Jeeps were quickly produced for the military specifically in the beginning of WWII. The United States Army and the Allies overall used these lightweight vehicles as their primary, 4×4 transportation on the road. Bantam initially had control of making these Jeeps, but afterward, he couldn’t keep up with the rapid production of wartime vehicles. With this in mind and also their limited design and production facilities, the army recruited Willys and Ford to provide a vehicle similar to Bantam’s design.

Shortly thereafter, the Ford “Pygmy” and the Willys “Quad” four-wheel vehicles were born, resulting in 640,000 Jeeps prepared for use during the war. The BRC was then no longer required by the US Army as it was ‘non-standard.’ The Bantams already in service were passed to the British and Russian armies under the terms of the Lend-Lease Act.

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9. The GMC CCKW Truck

Army cargo trucks were essential during the war period, and each GMC CCKW truck was 2 ½ tons of helpful transportation. These were heavily used in service to the Allied troops, hauling tons of supplies to the front lines. Each truck could come equipped with various amenities, such as an open or closed cab, a short or long wheelbase, and specialty models were produced as needed. The commercial closed cab design was in widespread use at the beginning of the war, but the open cab layout with canvas roofs shortly became the favored vehicle as they were easier to build.

Manufactured by the GMC firm after the US Army sent a request to interested American manufacturers in 1941, this truck sat high to allow for navigation over uneven terrain, water, and mud and became a numerous component of the Allied cause. During the war, the truck proved itself reliable, powerful, and portable along the many fronts involved. With its production ending in 1945, the GMC CCKW truck saw actions in Europe and the Pacific.

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8. The LCVP/Higgins Boat

The LCVP, an acronym for “Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel,” was a landing craft that was highly functional in amphibious landings. Andrew Higgins modeled them based on boats used in marshes and swamplands and were generally built with plywood. These barge-like vessels could transport up to 36 men to shore at one time, and up to 20,000 were produced by Higgins Industries. Dwight D. Eisenhower praised the Higgins boats for their efficiency and claimed they were crucial to the Allied victory.

Initially, Higgins had difficulty getting the attention of the military. But with persistence and a superior product, he designed a special craft to carry infantry platoons and jeeps to shore. This boat that became crucially useful in every major American amphibious operation in the European and Pacific theaters was the main reason Higgin became very well-established, not only winning huge government contracts but also competing with the more established shipyards of the Northeast.

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7. The Douglas C-47 Skytrain

Military aircraft were vital to the WWII war effort, and the Douglas C-47 Skytrain (designated as the “Dakota” by the Royal Air Force) was an aircraft model used consistently by the Allies. In fact, these models continue to be in front-line service to this day. The Allied campaigns in Guadalcanal, as well as in the Burmese and New Guinea jungles, swore by these aircraft, as the planes helped them to counter strike against the lighter-traveling mobility of the Japanese army. The C-47s were generally used in paratrooper operations but were also used to haul supplies and fuel to the front lines.

With its major modifications being a reinforced fuselage floor and an addition of a large cargo door, this supply plane could carry up to 6,000 pounds of cargo and hold a fully assembled jeep or a 37 mm cannon. When used for troop transport, it could carry 28 soldiers in full combat gear, and when used as a medical airlift plane, it could accommodate 14 stretcher patients and three nurses.

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6. The Aircraft Carrier

Since airpower played such a significant role in WWII, the aircraft carrier was an essential vessel in the overall war effort. The flexibility and efficiency of the aircraft carriers helped make the newly-designed aircraft a main focal point in warfare. Naval aviation was crucial for both sides during the war, so producing fleets of aircraft carriers was of utmost importance. And no greater naval event in history is more well-known than the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, which goes to show the immense power a military force can attain with a fleet of aircraft carriers at their disposal.

One of the most talented Navy experts and strategists in history was Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who played a significant role in U.S. victory in the Pacific theater during WWII. He is honored to have launched the USS. Nimitz. Afterward, nine other Nimitz-Class carriers were launched, finally replacing the Enterprise class, the world’s first class of nuclear carriers. Historically, these enormous ships have been the world’s most dominant and capable warships.

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5. The Supermarine Spitfire plane

As the Royal Air Force’s most favored one-seater fighter aircraft, these planes were heavily-produced for immediate action during WWII. Different wing configurations gave these aircraft a wider range of uses, so it was the only British fighter plane to be mass-produced in the time of war. The Spitfire received a lot of attention during the Battle of Britain, despite the fact that the Hawker Hurricane planes did most of the heavy lifting against the Luftwaffe. But its higher performance and greater victory numbers made this model a hero of the skies during the war.

In 1934, the Air Ministry requested a for a high-performance fighter with an armament of eight wing-mounted 0.303-inch (7.7-mm) machine guns. After consideration, Reginald Mitchell of Supermarine Ltd was handed the contract and designed the Spitfire. As a direct descendant of a series of floatplanes designed by Mitchell to compete for the coveted Schneider Trophy in the 1920s performed exceptionally in high altitudes.

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4. The Liberty Ship

The Liberty ship is a symbol of US efficiency in industrial production during wartime. Used as cargo ships, these vessels were actually constructed with a simple design, at a low cost – all great factors for mass production. Initially, the British had this concept in mind, and this class of cargo ship was created to meet British orders for replacements after the German U-boats attacked their previous vessels. In high demand, over eighteen American shipyards successfully built 2,710 Liberty ships between the years 1941-1945, a staggering feat to say the least.

Constructed by the United States Maritime Commission in World War II, the Liberty ships were 441 feet long and 56 feet wide and nicknamed “ugly ducklings” by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. It could carry over 9,000 tons of cargo, plus airplanes, tanks, and locomotives lashed to its deck. Moreover, 2,840 jeeps, 440 tanks, or 230 million rounds of rifle ammunition could also be carried using the Liberty.

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3. The Sherman Tank

The US and other Western Allies favored these reliable and easily-mobile battle tanks. The Medium Tank (M4) Sherman was cheap to produce, so they were readily available due to a greater number of them being made than any other tank. This tank, named by the British in honor of the American Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman, was distributed by the thousands through the Lend-Lease Program to the British Commonwealth, as well as the Soviet Union. The M4s were also vastly superior to other tanks because they could bypass transport restrictions and limitations posed by some roads, bridges ports, etc. due to their smaller size and mobility.

Originally manufactured to replace the M3 “Grant/Lee” medium tank, the first Shermans were produced in 1942. Some early productions of this tank saw combat in North Africa in 1943. Even though thoroughly outclassed by the Tiger, Panther, and King Tiger tanks, this model proved itself superior and effective against the German Mk II and Mk IV Panzers. They were notorious for their flammability thus nicknamed “Ronsons” after a lighter with the slogan “lights every time.”

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2. The P-51 Mustang fighter plane

The North American fighter plane was certainly something to behold. A long-range, single-seat fighter aircraft, the P-51 model planes were used by the US Eighth Air Force after 1943, helping to escort bombers in German raids, while Merlin-powered Mustangs served the Allied efforts as fighter-bombers. Not only were 15,000 built during wartime, but they claimed over 4,950 enemy aircraft.

While the North American Aviation (NAA) designed the Mustang, its construction was a response to a request from the British Purchasing Commission for license-built Curtiss P-40 fighters. The Mustang made a name for itself on various occasions. It was the first single-engine plane from Britain to penetrate Germany, especially reaching Berlin. Also, the first to be flown by heavy bombers over the Ploiesti oil fields in Romania, and first to make a major-scale, all-fighter sweep specifically to hunt down the dwindling Luftwaffe.

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1. The DUKW

Modifications of already-amazing vehicles can create even more amazing results. This is proven true by the DUKW, a six-wheel-drive amphibious modification vehicle of the CCKW trucks that were already heavily-used on land. They could still transport goods and troops as efficiently as the trucks, yet could be mobile over both land and water, making this one stellar military vehicle. DUKWs proved excellent at crossing beaches in record time and were vital to amphibious warfare. They played a significant role in the D-Day invasion of Normandy, as well as countless other operations, and were used by all Allied forces throughout the war.

Developed by the United States Army during World War II, the DUKW commonly known as the ‘ducks’ was equipped with a hull pump that could move 260 gallons of water a minute as well as a hand pump that could move 50 gallons a minute. Initially, the United States produced 20,000 DUKWs during World War II, 2000 of which were provided to the British through lend-lease. These vehicles were first used in Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily in 1943.

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