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Some real USAAF heavy weight vehicles!!


P Marriott

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Beautiful trailer N.O.S.

 

I am sure the neighbors love you!

 

Attached are a couple of pictures of the same type of trailer in use at the Poltava Russia airfield during Operation Frantic Joe (15th AAF shuttle raid June 2, 1944). My Dad piloted a B-17 on that mission.

 

Bill

op_frantic_tanker_01.jpg

op_frantic_tanker_02.jpg

op_frantic_tanker_03.jpg

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Beautiful trailer N.O.S.

 

Well, the easy option would be to put some gaiters and air in the tyres, spray all over with protective varnish and tie down a few flapping bits - voila, an "as found" tanker :-D Only kidding....

 

Thanks very much for the photos, Bill - I'm collecting copies of what few pics have appeared in books and on the web, and am currently trawling BG Association sites to see what else there is hidden away. Unfortunately most of the pics do not show much detail.

 

Your pictures show how an interesting use of the second trailer - each tank held 4,000 gallons, and if a B17 held 2,500 then the tankers used without trailers must have done a lot of trips, couldn't even fill two planes up at a time. I've not seen evidence that second trailers and dollies were used in England.

 

Anyone else with pics, do please join in! :tup::

 

abn deuce, 4,000 gallons capacity. There are 2 compartments - 1 the shallow front and tapered section, 2 the main tank. Bafle plates (almost entirely across) at each tank support (bands) through which someone has neatly gas-axed some doorways. The lids (one for each tank) are a work of art - just look at the quadrant gearing on the locking bars. The lid surround neatly unclips with 4 levers to allow access. Bet you wish you hadn't asked now :cool2:

DSC02689.JPG

Edited by N.O.S.
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I thought of this film too - is the tanker the same as N.O.S's?

 

Don't think so Jack. The Duel one is all faired in around the wheels and over the delivery pipes. No side ladder on the Duel one either and the rear locker is not present.

But one old Amercian tanker looks like another at first glance.

TRUCK_PICS_036-1004x763.jpg

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Look what I stumbled across boys when I was watching a video of the B-17 flight at Bentwaters in July.

 

Its original colour archive film of the 78th Fighter Group at Duxford in WWII, but stick with in and see what vehicles make an appearance at the end - especially at time 5.48.

 

This truly is amazingly rare film. Not only is it obvious that is it Duxford, easily recognised by the hangars, some of which still remain today, but how often do USAAF Military vehicles ever feature (in any great numbers) on WWII colour film footage.

 

I would love to get hold of the original film, get it tidied-up, digitally enhanced and be able to see all the unit markings that are stencilled onto the vehicle bumpers. Interesting to see that all the Dodge Weapons Carriers and Command Car's are the non-winch varieties, something I have long believed to be true, as I have yet to see any photographs taken on 8th AF bases showing Command Car's with winches, which is why when I was looking for a Command Car, I made sure mine was the WC-56 - shown below!

 

Dodge.jpg

http://www.vimeo.com/1712518

Edited by M5Clive
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Re. Clive's video footage link - this site is regarded by my pc security suite as being in the same league as multimap and hmvftv, i.e. I can't see it :argh:. Tried all sorts, still nothing. What am I missing out on please? Is it what I think it is? :cool2:

Edited by N.O.S.
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Great pictures Paul.

 

As you can see from those excellent pictures, those rigs really were big for there day - In fact they are big by today's standards as well.

 

Cds

 

So if they are still a big rig by today's tankers what would they carry Gallons wise as compared to a modern road artic tanker ??

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Guest catweazle (Banned Member)
Re. Clive's video footage link - this site is regarded by my pc security suite as being in the same league as multimap and hmvftv, i.e. I can't see it :argh:. Tried all sorts, still nothing. What am I missing out on please? Is it what I think it is? :cool2:

Have you seen it,its remarkable footage,i like his other stuff as well.You need a thing called electrickery for your pc,its no good keep feeding it coal.

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That colour pic is absolutely excellent - there is enough material on this thread for a book in its own right!

 

I can see a trip up to Norfolk shortly to inspect this wagon-train NOS........! I'm really excited about this project - It really is going to be something truly unique - All credit to you for taking it on and to the contributors of this thread that have provided such a wealth of information.

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Hi there

 

Is this the fuel bowser that was advertised for sale in one of the classic commercial magazines a few years back?? It will certainly be a show stopper being towed by the Autocar.

 

These are amazing trailers and were commonplace on all USAAF bomber bases during the war. There is a 4000 gallon bowser being restored somewhere in France, I did have a website address for it. I will try to find it and post it.

 

So who is going to restore a Federal F1 tractor unit and a 2000 gallon bowser??

 

Army cars USA recently had a 2000 gallon bowser for sale at $6000 that was in excellant shape just needing a paint job.

Edited by P Marriott
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