Willys MB (Jeep)

Willys MB (Jeep) History

Perhaps no other WWII US Army vehicle is as iconic as the wartime "jeep" (except maybe the M3 Half Track and M4 Sherman). Hundreds of thousands of this vehicle were produced and proved to be one of the most versatile and reliable platforms in warfare. The vehicle can be used wherever it is needed and on multiple fronts in different climates. The system proved to be very popular around the world, with heavy use after the war, making it one of the most successful military vehicles of all time.

Many U.S. allies purchased the collection, and many remain in private hands today. While today's comfortable civilian road jeeps exist for the younger generation (only under the brand name), the WWII "jeeps" were a whole different beast, with the rugged, rugged and dependable nature of many military personnel who may have lived or died.

The deterioration of the situation in Europe in the 1930s culminated in the German invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939 officially marking the beginning of World War II. So far, the U.S. military has been content with neutrality, and its military budget has been kept within a manageable range. It was thought that if Germany attempted to invade France again (as in World War I), it would be defeated by one of the largest and most modern European powers.

However, that belief turned to terror when France fell to Germany in just a few weeks in May-June 1940. The situation in Europe has officially entered a critical juncture. The once-reliable French "buffer zone" crossed the Atlantic Ocean, and the United States and Britain both missed.

For the former, no consideration was given to modernizing the army in any conceivable way, and the budget soon followed.

The U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps (a logistics-oriented branch of the Army) requires a 4x4 Command and Reconnaissance (C&R) light vehicle. The need for such vehicles arose as early as the 1920s, when large, bulky and bulky armored vehicles were still in vogue. Formal requirements were established in June 1940 for a 1,300-pound all-terrain system in the 1/4 ton shipping range. Dimensions should follow military specifications for good ground clearance, overall compactness, portability, and a versatile design.

The main caveat to this requirement is the requirement that a full pilot vehicle (prototype) be completed within 50 days of contract signing. In return, secure wealth through potentially lucrative long-term contracts with the U.S. Army.

This requirement applies to about 135 potential applicants, with only three answers - American-Bantam (Bantam), Willys-Overland (Willys) and Ford Motor Company (Ford).

Bantam, which has been through tough times in the civilian auto segment, has seen the most gains, while Ford is already committed to civilian and military programs and can afford to lose C&R contracts. Willys has already shaken up the auto industry around the world, and limited production capacity has given it a long road to success. Because Bantam was the only company to tackle the "less than 50 days" challenge with its proposal, it was rightfully awarded a U.S.

Army contract to produce the pilot vehicle.

Bantam responded with a design created by consulting engineer Karl Probst. Priced at ?2,000, this one has strong performance qualities thanks to its 45bhp Continental petrol engine. The U.S. Army ignored weight issues and focused on designing robust vehicle systems, culminating in a contract for 69 Pilot-based vehicles. Delivery of these copies was planned in early 1941.

Uncertain about Bantam's mass production capabilities, the US Army felt it would be appropriate to hand over Bantam design work to Willys and Ford, who of course responded with their own working prototypes, all based on Bantam's designs. The Willys Submission ("Type A" or "MA") was powered by an in-house 60-horsepower "Go Devil" gasoline engine and weighed 2,500 pounds.

The Ford Submission ("Government Pygmy" or "GP") is powered by an in-house Fordson 40hp gasoline engine and weighs 2,200 pounds. By using the Bantam design, both Willys and Ford's pilot vehicles look very similar to the originals.

Now that the three designs have been completed and all meet U.S. Army standards, all three participants requested 1,500 examples of active field unit evaluations. Delivered from April 1941 and after extensive testing, it was Willys' design that resonated most with employees. In July 1941, a divided army finalized and officially selected Willis' design, ordering 16,000 of the models as "Type B" (or "MB").

Its long-form name would become "Truck, Quarter Ton, 4x4" and the nickname "Jeep," although at this point it was associated with many types of vehicles, eventually sticking to the design over time.

The finished Willys MB features a Willy-Overland "Go Devil" 4-cylinder 60 hp engine. The engine, based on the original Willys-Overland car design, produced just 48 hp - although a twist on the engineer's desk soon squeezed more power out of the small layout. The design of the chassis, frame and vehicle components proved to be robust, impressing U.S.

Army officials. The whole vehicle is also lower than the acquisition cost of competitors in the test, so the long-term purchase of tens of thousands of steps is almost certain. Overall, the MB is a fairly conventional system, with unassisted steering via a conventional wheel-and-post approach, right front driver placement, and a side passenger and three other rear seats on a bench extending the width of the vehicle. Passengers provide seats.

The manual transmission is controlled by a floor-mounted joystick. The engine is mounted in a front compartment accessed via a hinged hood (as opposed to the prototype's circular hood, which was made flat for additional onboard storage options), while the windshield can be folded down to lower the drive/transport configuration. At each extreme corner of the chassis, the wheels are arranged on two axles and spring fully up. An optional tarpaulin can be attached to structural components for protection from the elements. The general "Jeep" image is derived from the vertical grille slats and high-mounted round headlights.

It operates at speeds of up to 65 miles per hour on ideal surfaces and has an operating range of approximately 300 miles.

In October 1941, the U.S. Army became suspicious of Willys' single-factory manufacturing capabilities and invited the Ford Motor Company to use its extensive manufacturing resources to expand Jeep production. Ford will produce the Willys MB with the same specs (albeit an operating weight of 2,160 pounds) and dimensions, while using its own engine (the Fordson Model N makes 46 horsepower at 3,600 rpm).

Since the original Ford template was called "GP", Willis' replica was named "GPW" in Ford lingo.

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese Navy launched a surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, drawing the United States into World War I.

In practice, the Willys MB and its imitators proved to be excellent commercial and utility vehicles. You can perform a variety of roles on the battlefield, including personnel transport, cargo transport, weapons transport, patrol, reconnaissance, security, police, crowd control, command and control, VIP transport, artillery reconnaissance and medical waste transport. In addition, specially designed A trailer (ironically made by Bantam) for hauling cargo (up to 1,000 pounds) can be attached to the rear of the fuselage. Willie MB Jeeps have fought wherever the United States and its allies fightfrom campaigns in Africa to Europe, the Aleutians and the Pacific.

The vehicle has proven to be remarkably reliable, capable of traversing the harshest terrain imaginable -- transporting everyone from company cooks to commanders -- whenever it's needed. If the Jeep has any tactical limitation, it's the lack of anti-roll bars, which can be fatal to the crew if the vehicle overturns. It also lacks true amphibious qualities, limited by ground clearance.

It also provides no protection for the crew from small arms fire. Also, the machine is almost error free.

In size, the vehicle achieves a relatively compact 11 feet wide by 5 feet and a height of 3.5 feet with the windshield down - allowing it to be transported by powered aircraft or unpowered gliders. Jeeps have been dropped by gliders in several high-profile operations.

It is also easily transported by US Navy ships. The actual War model weighs 2,450 pounds, can tow more than 800 pounds and, in extreme cases, can carry more than the five officially listed passengers.

The rear passenger area also accommodates mounts for various machine guns and recoilless rifles, instantly arming the "go anywhere, do anything" jeep in direct contact with enemy forces.

Along with Willys and Ford, total Jeep production reached 634,569 units for the U.S. military and all allied nations. As a result, Willys-Overland produced 354,569 such models, with Ford handling the rest. In 1950, the "Jeep" name was registered as the official property of Willis-Overland to protect its use as a generic label.

Under the Lend-Lease agreement, at least 20,000 were destined for the Soviet Union. The Soviets appreciated the discontinuation of these light machines, and they unabashedly copied them as the "GAZ-67" series. Another wartime ally, France, became an admirer of the jeep and used it heavily during and after the war.

Before the Korean War (1950-1953), they obtained licensed production rights, which brought another 40,000 vehicles called the M201 Vehicle de Liaison Tout Terrain (VLTT). These are made by Hotchkiss-Brandt.

While the Willys MB and Ford GP were in service well beyond WWII, both were officially replaced by the Willys M38 and M38A1 models (Willys MC and MD, respectively), which became the standard jeeps for the U.S. military during the Korean War . The series produced a total of 140,000 copies. In 1953, Willis officially merged with Kaiser Industries to become the Willis Motor Company.

This name remained until 1963, when the company was renamed Kaiser-Jeep Corporation. Although the Vietnam War-era M151 "MUTT" appeared, the M38 was the last "true Jeep" with WWII links.

Today, the legacy of the Jeep in service with the U.S. Army lives on in the Humvee utility vehicle.

Specification

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