Hi,
I've seen some WCs with a MG ring, some without. Was this ring always mounted on all WC62/63 or only on some special series? I've found no detailed informations in the web.
Thanks for your help.
I have a wc 51 if i remeber right the ring style gun mount was only put on the WC 62/63 6X6 truck but it was a opsion not ever truck got one the WC51/52 have a pedistal stlye MG mount that bolts to the bed. Go to this site forum.ww2dodge.com its all about the dodge WC
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1943 Willis w/MBT trailer
1943 WC-51 (under restoration)
1953 XM105E3 (USMC)
1970 M35A2 W/W, W/M66 (USMC)("S.N.A.F.U Express")
1993 M101A2
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"If you wish for peace, prepare for war"
There is a WWII photos of a WC51 with a M50 ring mount (WC62/63) in the ETO somewhere on the web. I saw it last year. It definitely was done in the field as ring mounts were for the 1.5 ton Dodges not the 3/4 ton models.
The WC51/52 should have a M24A1 or A2 version. You can easily modify a M24A3 version (M37) back into the M24A2 WC version. (many M24A2 were converted to M24A3 for the M37s).
Can't say for 100%, but I believe that the only WC set up in design with a MG ring was the WC 55 gun truck. They were later rebuilt them into WC 51/52's. The WC 55 carried a 37mm gun in back with a special mount & frame supports.
Any pic ya see with a WC and a MG ring was a field mod. The WC had MG's mounted everywhere. Patton's CC had a 50 mounted on it's PS runningboard, up front by the fender. I've seen a pic of a 50 mounted on the front bumper of a WC 51. It was used as an anti aircraft gun at some obscure ETO airfield.
WC55 with a M50 ring mount? It would have severely limited the 37mm M3 gun's arc of fire. If you look at a WC55 and then a ring mount off a WC62/63 - you will immediately see why the mount was not used for the WC55. Also, the M50 ring mount came out over 2 years after the WC55 - so not a factory setup. Also, the M50 ring mount (uses the M49 ring) was designed specificly for the 1.5 ton WC. Finally, the M50 was authorized for the WC62/63 in 1944 per Organization Control Manual (OCM) 24052 issued April 22, 1944. Prior to that, the WC62/63 was only authorized for the M24A2 mount just like the WC 51/52/55, which mounted to the front of the cargo bed, see OCM 22263 issued December 2, 1943. Actually - I found a Life photo from Italy 1944 of a WC55 showing what I meant about lack of room for the M24a bed mg mount or the M50 support legs for a ring mount with the 37mm gun in place. http://images.google.com/hosted/life...a3df6ee60b38e5
And yes, there is that oddball photo of the 1942 desert (unsure if it was Nevada or CA) training with a WC55 with a 50 cal mounted on a post on the front bumper with the gunner hanging off it. The mg post seems to be a unique mount - as it does not appear to be referenced in the huge WW2 ordinance mount manual covering all authorized mg mounts used in WW2 (the version through 1943 is TM 9-224 - Portrayal Press has it for purchase. [At Wayne's request I deleted the link to the Steelsoldiers site for it.]). Maybe the post mount was a custom fab for a publicity photo?
The WC55 was found to be abdismal failure against German armor in North Africa, so almost all converted to WC52 cargo carriers. However, some WC55's made it to the ETO - the web has a great shot of 10 or so lined up on a French road loaded to the gills with supplies shortly after D-Day.
This is from an ad of what happens when someone adds a M24 to a Wc55. You can see the M24 mount with the 50 cal MG does not fit with the 37mm AT gun. You would have to somehow sit on the 37mm gun shield/breech to man the M2 facing forward and totally forget abut aiming the machine gun towards the rear of the truck - it would not have sufficient clearance from the 37mm gun. IMHO a civilian owner added the M24a2 to the WC55 for fun.
I cropped the original picture and cleaned it up in Photoshop in order to bring out as much detail as possible. The photo was small and at low resolution and I used a special program to make it bigger, which helped a little.
Machine gun ring on WC
