Article Type: Military History
Article Date: June 06, 2001
The Stage Is Set
During the WWII era a much-needed item destined for the combat arena produced in the continental United States usually began its journey on a Liberty ship bound for Great Britain or Pearl Harbor. The passage to England and Russia, at least, was dangerous as soon as the ship left port. U-boats off the Atlantic coast lay in wait for targets and sank many ships in sight of their harbors.
Once arriving in Hawaii, England or North Africa the items probably went by air to more distant islands in the Pacific, to Fortress Europe or into the dessert. At forward supply depots the goods were usually hauled by truck as far forward as possible to the combat troops. The reverse procedure unfolded for combat production in Germany and Japan. And once Russia moved her manufacturing eastward everything had to commence a westward trek.
The Isle of Malta provides an excellent example. We certainly do not discount the efforts made by combat personnel but their possession of the island would not have lasted if vital supplies had not reached them. It is also a big factor in why the German thrust in the Western Dessert failed since supply lines across the Mediterranean were effectively cut. Ultimately, all combat fronts were affected in the same way—the Axis supply routes and vehicles were destroyed and those of the Allies were not.
On The Seas
The Liberty ship concept was the name given to the EC2 type ship designed for "War Emergency" construction by the U.S. Maritime Commission during World War II. The SS Patrick Henry, launched on Sept. 27, 1941, was the first in class of 2,751 Liberty ships built to a modular, mass-produced layout. The 250,000 parts were pre-fabricated throughout the U.S. by sub-contractors. 250-ton sections were welded together in about 70 days. The all time record build was the SS Robert E. Peary was constructed in just four and a half days! A Liberty ship cost under $2,000,000.
 |
Armed Cargo Ship  |
The Liberty was 441 feet long and 56 feet wide. They had a three-cylinder, reciprocating steam engine fed by two oil-burning boilers and produced 2,500 hp for a speed of 11 knots. Her five cargo holds could carry over 9,000 tons plus airplanes, tanks, and locomotives lashed to its deck. A Liberty could carry 2,840 jeeps, 440 tanks, or 230 million rounds of small arms ammo. But there was no glamour in plodding slowly along in a convoy with little defense waiting for a torpedo from a lurking U-boat. The crew of about 44 - 55 officers and men was constantly waiting to exhale.
The British and German Merchant Marine was not engaged in the same, massive ferrying of supplies over long distances as the Liberty ships but, in general terms, their freighters were similar in size and purpose.
Tankers of generally similar size transported much-needed fuels and remained prime submarine targets on all sides since thousands of gallons of gas and oil deprived to an enemy could mean curtailed combat operations.
For a complete web site about Liberty ships including surviving ships you can visit today, click HERE.
The Japanese fleet of Marus (merchant ships) was sizable with a total of 4,152,361 tons produced, (the US produced 33,993,230 tons of merchant vessels) until US submarines began eradicating them. They were vital for bringing cargos home for war production. With their demise no more raw materials from the Asian continent fed the Japanese war machine. By contrast Allied transports in the Pacific were not priority targets for the thinly spread Japanese subs. They attempted to concentrate on warships when they could be found. It is probable that they did not have enough submarines for a realistic assault on transport shipping at any rate.
But to serve garrisons on isolated island strongholds, several large submarines were constructed for that intent. The D-1s and D-2s comprised of thirteen "I-boats" and were built from 1943-44 though 104 were planned. The 248' vessels displaced 2,215 tons and could dive to only 245' carrying her 75 officers and men plus 110 troops and two landing craft with 82 tons of cargo. The two 1,850 shp diesels were complimented with two 1,200 shp electrics good for only 13 knots surfaced and 6.5 knots submerged. Their bunkers carried enough fuel for 15,000 miles at 10 knots. Only four survived the war. The Imperial Japanese Navy page has more info.
In The Air
 |
| C-47 Fly-In 1944 |
Once the goods got to a staging depot they might go by air to the next point. In WWII this was more often than not accomplished by the venerable Douglas C-47 Skytrain. Called the Dakota in Great Britain and the Lisunov Li-2 in Russia (2,000 were built there) the C-47 was seen everywhere. Even the Japanese had license for Nakajima to build them and produced 485 as the L2D2 "Tabby."
10,349 were built in the USA developed from the Douglas DC-3 commercial airliner. With a sturdier landing gear, floor and a cargo door on the port side the two 1,200 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 air cooled radials could haul 28 combat troops, 18 wounded on litters or 10,000 lbs of cargo with its 95' wingspan at a maximum of 26,000 lbs. weight. Though speed was not essential, the C-47 could manage 229 mph at 7,500 feet and travel 1,500 miles though they cruised as slow as 140 mph. Her ceiling was 24,000 feet and climb rate was a reasonable 1,130 fpm.
Nicknamed the "Gooney Bird" by her beloved crews the aircraft towed gliders on D-Day and launched paratroopers. One even claimed a Zero!
Lt. Col Carroll Glines and Lt. Col. Wendell Moseley piloted a C-47 through North Africa in most of the above-mentioned duties. The crew and plane was overseas for two years when they were transferred to the mountainous China-Burma-India Theater.
On a routine cargo run they were attacked by two Zeros. The first pass ended in an aborted firing run since the Gooney was very close to the ground. The second Zero dived and Glines jammed the throttles forward coaxing the last ounce out of the war weary bird. It provided a slight burst of speed. They figured the Zero was trying to ram them since he didn't swerve at all. He would have hit them dead center but the acceleration caused him to clip the rudder instead making the C-47 shudder and shake.
"The Jap plane, after he hit us, kept right on going and we watched him explode as he hit the side of a mountain," Glines recalled. With no rudder control the pair considered climbing and bailing out. ". . . but I moved the controls some more and between the elevators and ailerons we seemed to be able to control the old bird." The C-47 made her destination. The second Zero had thankfully disappeared seeing the fate of his buddy.
 |
| A Ju 52 Still Flying Today |
The Luftwaffe depended heavily upon its version of the C-47, the tri-motored Junker Ju 52, sometimes called "Iron Annie" or "Tin Goose." Professor Hugo Junkers had a long line of all metal, low-wing transports to his credit when the Ju 52 first flew in 1930 as a single-engine aircraft with the two wing-mounted motors added in 1932.
The Ju 52/3M equaled the C-47's 95' wingspan but was much more modest in all other specifications when it entered Luftwaffe service in 1934. It had three BMW 123H radials of 770 hp each allowing a typical cruise of 154 mph with a top end of 185 mph. The ceiling was 18,000 feet and range was 995 miles maximum for the loaded 24,000 lb. plane. Close to 5,000 were built through war's end. Surviving units served post-war airlines until one remaining plane was found flying with an airline in Ecuador in 1966.
In Luftwaffe service it vainly attempted to supply the beleaguered Germans in Russia's harsh climate running the gauntlet of VVS fighters. It attempted to supply Rommel in North Africa through the teeth of Allied firepower. Like the C-47 it carried ammo, fuel drums, paratroopers and anything that could fit through its small port side door excepting vehicles.
On The Ground
There was one US-built vehicle that had a counterpart in every army in the world—the Deuce-and-a-Half—the 2 1/2 ton truck. These vehicles came in two basic configurations. The three-axle, ten wheeled trucks were either 6X4 or 6X6 with the two rear axles driven or all three driven. Over 800,000 were built from 1941-45 with the vast majority being 6X6 for better traction in off-road use. GMC assembled 562,750. Federal, International, and Studebaker built the remainder with Studebaker constructing the Lend-Lease vehicles. The familiar front end of the 1941 GMC 6X6 was the origin of the nickname "Jimmy," as GMCs are referred to today.
 |
| A Typical Deuce |
The GMC 270 6-cylinder 269.5 cu in engine with 104 bhp at 3,000 rpm powered the trucks. That power was transmitted to the drive wheels via a Timken or Chevrolet dual-range axle and 5-speed transmission in effect giving ten gear ratios forward and one reverse. The 256.25" vehicle sat on a 164" wheelbase. It stood 110" high and 88" wide weighing in at 10,350 lbs.
Literally every conceivable type of service platform was mounted behind the cab. They had benches for troops, tanks for water or fuel, dump beds, searchlights, wrecker cranes and fifty caliber ring-mount AA guns. A convoy of these babies was a welcome sight to troops awaiting ammo, food and mail, motor pool chiefs needing spare parts and fuel, and infantrymen getting a much-deserved ride forward to keep them fresh for combat.
The British equivalent of the 2 1/2-tonner was the 3-ton 4X2 built by a large number of manufacturers. Among them were models from Bedford, Leyland, Comer, Austin and Morris. Figures for the Comer Q4 state relative weight around 7,000 lbs on a 165" wheelbase. Length was 292" width was 84" and height was 119". The Commer 250.5 cu in 6-cylinder pumped out 81 bhp at 3,200 rpm. All the same variety of body platforms were mounted on the chassis as seen in the American truck with some 390,000 built by VE day.
 |
| Commer Q4 |
 |
| Büssing-NAG- North Africa |
The Wehrmacht never enjoyed the production capabilities of the Allies. Their generally similar 6X4 and 6X6 trucks were produced by Mercedes-Benz, Henschel and Büssing-NAG. With an average weight of 9,500 lbs, the length was some 285" with a 181" wheelbase. Width and height were 92" and 112" accordingly. Power came from a BN C4 diesel of 90 bhp at 1,250 rpm mated to a 5-speed transmission. Like its Allied equivalents, a wealth of cabs and service platforms behind them evolved for all conceivable uses.
Another form of transportation we usually don't immediately think of connected with combat is rail. During WWII trains moved material and products for the war effort everywhere. Steam was the universal rail power of the world. Trains were prime targets to Allied pilots bent on slowing down the flow of supplies in a given theatre of war. If the locomotive was stopped the cars behind would not get to the enemy. So strafing an engine as a target-of-opportunity was standard practice.
20mm rounds certainly stopped them but .50 caliber API put a lot of holes in a locomotive too. Once the boiler was breached and steam began escaping the trip was over. Logistically the enemy had a hard time to continue the movement of material. Trucks and men would have to be diverted to descend on the train to unload it if it was in accessible terrain. If the locomotive was a destroyed hulk sitting on the track another engine would have to be sent with a crane to remove the wreck and probably repair torn up track as well. All this took time and men assisting the overall war effort. When possible flak cars were attached to trains so their 20mm AA batteries could provide some defense against marauding fighters. Check out the video series called War Trains.
Unsung Heroes
The transportation of vital raw material for the war industry or the industry's finished products was an unsung and dangerous occupation. Vehicles employed for this effort on all sides were unarmed and often unescorted making them easy targets. We must acknowledge that these people and vehicles were as important as their brothers in combat. Good supply officers able to sometimes "liberate" needed items for their outfits were more valuable than a good combat marksman.
Useful Web Sites
Bibliography
- Cooke, David C.
Transport Planes That Made History
G.P. Putman's Sons, NY, 1959
- Davies, J.B.
Great Campaigns of WWII
Phoebus Publishing Co, London, 1980
- Munson, Kenneth
Bombers, Patrol & Transport Aircraft
The MacMillian Co. NY, 1966
- Munson, Kenneth
Civil Airliners
The MacMillian Co. NY, 1967
- Sharpe, Michael, Scutts, Jerry & March, Dan
Aircraft of World War II
PRC Publishing Ltd, London, 1999
- Sunderman, James, F.
World War II in the Air
Franklin Watts, Inc., NY, 1962
- Vanderveen, Bart H.
Fighting Vehicles Directory WWII
Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd., London, 1969
