WINTER DECEMBER 1944/WINTER DECEMBER 2017

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Joe Gopan
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WINTER DECEMBER 1944/WINTER DECEMBER 2017

Post by Joe Gopan » Thu Dec 14, 2017 4:12 am

I always take a little time to remember those who took part in the Battle of The Bulge where soldiers and their equipment were experiencing extreme cold. We rarely hear about how the vehicles performed in that battle. There are not many WWII veterans around to ask. We know that Tanks were equipped with their "Little Joe" generators and that there were cold starting aids for the Wheeled Vehicles.
Not much out there on how the equipment performed in that cold. Gotta do a little research to see what Ordnance reports from the field might be available from that campaign.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO


Dr Deuce
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Re: WINTER DECEMBER 1944/WINTER DECEMBER 2017

Post by Dr Deuce » Thu Dec 14, 2017 7:44 am

As part of my honoring all WW2 Veterans, all my HMVs that could have been used by the Combat Engineers are labeled as 219st Combat Engineers. That group stated behind at the Battle of the Bulge and blew up the river bridges in the Germans faces though many times these Engineers paid for this with their lives. One of the German Commanders called them "those darn Engineers..." The 291st wore that name as a badge of honor!

The 291st was also part of the Combat Engineering group that built the Pontoon bridge at Remagen over the Rhine next to the famous bridge by the same name that was captured intact, though damaged. The Germans threw every weapon they had to try and destroy the original bridge and the pontoon bridge the 291st was building. The damaged bridge finally collapsed leaving only the pontoon bridge to continue allowing the US to put wheeled and tracked vehicles across the Rhine.

I had the honor of speaking to Col Pergin of the 291st a few years ago before he passed away. I had sent him a picture of all my 291st HMVs. He was very pleased and grateful for that. I told him the gratefulness was mine for what they had done in WW2!

There are videos about them out there and on the AHC channel, you can watch it on-demand.
Stephen Keith AKA Dr Deuce
www.ww2movievehicles,com


9 CCKWs 6x6

7 Chevys 4x4

Joe Gopan
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Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2008 12:37 pm
Location: Proving Ground

Re: WINTER DECEMBER 1944/WINTER DECEMBER 2017

Post by Joe Gopan » Thu Dec 14, 2017 9:14 am

Cold was a factor. My CCKW has sat a month, I tried it today at 22 Degrees F, It started in 30 seconds, the MB, less than 10 seconds at the same temp. Am sure those trained to operate them in WWII had similar experience starting them. Also sure that booster cables and tow chains were in demand. Am considering installing a set of defrosters on my windshield just for looks during winter storage.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO


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