USMC using a USN jeep

[Bob N]

Above is a crop of a picture I found last year.


Now in my estimation this is the most interesting part of the photograph. This is clearly marked as a US Navy vehicle.

USN
24467
Also note, the "S" to the left on the cowl. This is blue drab! The "S" was used to designate vehicles that had been tested and passed for radio suppression. This was equipment/parts added to the vehicle to help keep it from interfering with radios by eliminating static. You can also spot what may be blue drab to the right of the registration number. Also note the dark area immediately next to the USN and registration number. Perhaps the USA and registration numbers have been blacked out prior to painting with USN numbers?

More USN photos are here.

[Mike W.]

Bob - I agree completely that the jeeps you have pictured were Army contract jeeps that went to the Navy at some time and had their Army numbers blacked out. What I have to wonder about is all of the jeeps were done the same way and the numbers seem to be close to each other so was this a group of Army contract jeeps diverted to the Navy and remarked or was this done on base and they had a block of numbers to assign to their vehicles as they got them.

And yes the Marines drove Navy marked vehicles and probably still do but they didn't always like it.

[Mark Tombleson]

I will post this again... seems appropriate.

Three kinds of jeeps were used by the Navy.

1. Contract jeeps, i.e. MB-NOM, MB-NOM-12, MB-NAVY-MZ-1, MB-NAVY-MZ-2, MB-NB. To date it appears contract documents have yet to be found on Navy jeeps. We know they were produced, but in most cases not how many.
There was a Navy order for Ford GP's, a 1/2 dozen or so........ Painted the same as the one USMC GP..........Lusterless Olive Drab.

2. Jeeps under contract with the Army that were diverted under some kind of agreement with the Navy.
This includes 50 MA http://g503.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=19081
653 GPW made in 1942 under QMC contract 11424 and 1310 MB in 1945 under ORD 33-019-3339.
So far the only difference between a standard jeep and these diverted jeeps may be in lieu of a USA number at the factory, these jeeps may have had USN marked on them or unmarked at all.

3. Jeeps obtained by the Navy/USMC by whatever means from the Army, used as Navy jeeps.

The Navy sometime used inventory tags, dash tags, to keep track of jeeps on a base, but this may be post war, or maybe for stateside jeeps.

So, how to tell if your jeep was first used by the Navy. It is a case by case issue. Certain features were used on Navy jeeps, hooks and rings. Obviously if your jeep was painted forest green or one of the Navy greys, then it may have been used by the Navy. Dash tags and other similar radio equipment tags may still be on the jeep. Navy or USMC numbers on the hood or above and below the side grab bars may be under layers of paint.

After looking at the current serial numbers on G503 I would venture to guess that the 1310 jeeps fit somewhere between MB 458700 and 460010. These are jeeps as noted under 2 above.

Navy jeeps when marked as such seem to have registration (serial) numbers from 5000+/- (revised) at the start of the war and 300000 at the end.

USMC jeeps seem to be marked 37000+/- to around 110000.

I want to add that I agree with Mike, the USA number was blacked out and the USN number applied... leaving the "S" as is.

As for the USMC driving Navy jeeps, the USMC was a Department of the Navy. The official logo decals of the time period reflect that, though I have a number of jeep photos with the decal that just shows the United States Marine Corps on the top without the Navy notation.

[Bob N]

As for the USMC driving Navy jeeps, the USMC was a Department of the Navy. The official logo decals of the time period reflect that, though I have a number of jeep photos with the decal that just shows the United States Marine Corps on the top without the Navy notation.

Did you mean stencils? Or did the Navy AND MC use decals during WW2?

[Mark Tombleson]

Here is a decal. Note the anchor is opposite of usual. This is Washington 1946, but I have ones dating back to WWII.



Here is the standard decal... 1954 is when they were standardized, I think.



I believe all contracts for anything in the USMC went thru the Navy. Is this correct?

[lucakiki]

Now in my estimation this is the most interesting part of the photograph.
Also note, the "S" to the left on the cowl. This is blue drab! The "S" was used to designate vehicles that had been tested and passed for radio suppression. This was equipment/parts added to the vehicle to help keep it from interfering with radios by eliminating static. You can also spot what may be blue drab to the right of the registration number. Also note the dark area immediately next to the USN and registration number. Perhaps the USA and registration numbers have been blacked out prior to painting with USN numbers?

Now that is really interesting! One learns something new every day.

[rotxxyyzz]

Here is a decal. Note the anchor is opposite of usual. This is Washington 1946, but I have ones dating back to WWII.



?

Great pic!

Pics of USMC jeeps are rarely seen - some more to share?

Thomas

[Mike W.]

I believe all contracts for anything in the USMC went thru the Navy. Is this correct?

Normally yes although I'm sure there were unique situations that went around that and I believe the CG was the same way as they were under Navy control during the war. If you look at some of the WW2 CG trucks for example they were the same as the Navy ones and NOT a truck or brand used by the Army, the IH trucks come to mind here.