Jeep waterproofing/ fording picture taken in March 1944

Post your jeep photos, Pre or Post restoration. Bragging Photos etc. Also LIFE jeep photos.
Mark Jesic
G-Brigadier General
G-Brigadier General
Posts: 2473
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2016 4:56 am
Location: Birmingham, England

Re: Jeep waterproofing/ fording picture taken in March1944

Post by Mark Jesic » Sun May 13, 2018 4:25 am

Yves, in England, at Torcross in Devon, there is a Sherman tank on a plynth. It is a memorial for all the soldiers lost in Exercise Tiger ( i dont know if you have heard of this as the story was covered up for years ). The tank was on the sea bed for 40 years, and fishermen were moaning that their nets were snagging on something. They sent a couple of SCUBA divers down and found this tank fully intact on the sea bed. A local after years of trying, his name was Ken Small, managed to buy this tank from the American army, and funded the salvage of it. They raised it from 60ft of water ,and floated it back to the shore. Bulldozers were hired to pull it off the beach, when the most amazing thing happened. The wheels started turning. Apparently it had been heavily greased, so they done a good maintenance job on it. When it was put on its plynth, they found out why it sank. Someone had forgot to put the engine cover back on. There was a book written about this story by the guy who salvaged it. It is called "The Forgotten Dead" by Ken Small. If you get a copy it is a really worthwhile read. :)


User avatar
YLG80
G-Lieutenant General
G-Lieutenant General
Posts: 4095
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:45 am
Location: near Namur, Belgium
Contact:

Re: Jeep waterproofing/ fording picture taken in March1944

Post by YLG80 » Sun May 13, 2018 8:23 am

What a story! I ignored it :o !
I'm going to read that book, easy to find via a giant online merchant :)!
I hope that the crew could escape from that tank.
Thanks for that information.
Yves
Ford GPW 1943 - Louisville - DoD 12-7-43
serial 164794

Mark Jesic
G-Brigadier General
G-Brigadier General
Posts: 2473
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2016 4:56 am
Location: Birmingham, England

Re: Jeep waterproofing/ fording picture taken in March1944

Post by Mark Jesic » Sun May 13, 2018 12:45 pm

Yves, there were no traces of any crew found in the tank. As for not putting the engine cover (inspection plate) back on, it takes 2 men an hour to put back on. How the hell did they miss that one. The author Ken Small, died some years ago, i met him once and he was a really nice guy. The tank cost him his marriage (i think). Let me know how you get on with the book, i checked on e=bay and Amazon, and plenty are available, enjoy. :D

User avatar
YLG80
G-Lieutenant General
G-Lieutenant General
Posts: 4095
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:45 am
Location: near Namur, Belgium
Contact:

Re: Jeep waterproofing/ fording picture taken in March1944

Post by YLG80 » Mon May 14, 2018 12:18 am

Hi Mark
I've ordered the 60th Anniversary book edition.
Yes, it's hard to believe that the engine compartment cover was left open by the crew.
Nobody would have remarked that issue during the preparation.
Most probably the engine cover was forced open by the shock when the tank had hit the seabed after sinking.
Yves
Last edited by YLG80 on Mon May 14, 2018 4:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
Ford GPW 1943 - Louisville - DoD 12-7-43
serial 164794

User avatar
YLG80
G-Lieutenant General
G-Lieutenant General
Posts: 4095
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:45 am
Location: near Namur, Belgium
Contact:

Re: Jeep waterproofing/ fording picture taken in March1944

Post by YLG80 » Mon May 14, 2018 2:21 am

By evidence the sunk-in-action tank discovered by Ken Small was not prepared with the M4 fording kit.
I've found that picture of the tank when it was pulled out of the sea.
Ken Small_M4_TANK_DEVON_TIGER_EXERCISE.jpg
Ken Small_M4_TANK_DEVON_TIGER_EXERCISE.jpg (62.77 KiB) Viewed 1452 times
None of the evident fording accessories are visible, i.e the sealed gun shields.
M4_Fording.jpg
M4_Fording.jpg (65.92 KiB) Viewed 1452 times

Yves
Ford GPW 1943 - Louisville - DoD 12-7-43
serial 164794

User avatar
YLG80
G-Lieutenant General
G-Lieutenant General
Posts: 4095
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:45 am
Location: near Namur, Belgium
Contact:

Re: Jeep waterproofing/ fording picture taken in March1944

Post by YLG80 » Mon May 14, 2018 3:58 am

Incredible.
There is a movie of that Tiger Exercise in Devon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhU5YYFCo9A

They have used cuts from that movie to show how it really happened in Normandy on D-Day.
This is a rush of that film showing a part of that Tiger exercise.
It shows at least a tank with the fording kit with amazing details.
Devon_Tiger_exercise_1944.jpg
(100.73 KiB) Downloaded 345 times
While sailing towards the beach, the tank turret is opened (of course).
This could explain why the tank has sunk rapidly when the LST has been hit by a German torpedo.
The film has amazing sequences taken directly from the tank turret.
Image6.jpg
(129.75 KiB) Downloaded 345 times
We can clearly see the air intake stack from the fording kit.
The film ends up on the tank landing on the beach, turret open.

Perhaps the fording kit has been torn off by storms during the 60 years.
And the opened turret explains why the crew could escape from the tank.
Yves
Ford GPW 1943 - Louisville - DoD 12-7-43
serial 164794

Mark Jesic
G-Brigadier General
G-Brigadier General
Posts: 2473
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2016 4:56 am
Location: Birmingham, England

Re: Jeep waterproofing/ fording picture taken in March1944

Post by Mark Jesic » Mon May 14, 2018 9:00 am

Many thanks for that reply Yves, i know you will enjoy the book. The loss of 946 men there was catastrophic, and could have been avoided. With all the equipment the Americans had on, they put their life preservers on around their waistlines. Unfortunately when they jumped into the sea, it made them top heavy, hence this sad loss. I still cant understand the cover-up, but hey, dont most Governments cover things up, ours does. :roll:

User avatar
Silly's MB
G-Brigadier General
G-Brigadier General
Posts: 2044
Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2010 12:53 am
Location: North East Hampshire, UK

Re: Jeep waterproofing/ fording picture taken in March1944

Post by Silly's MB » Mon May 14, 2018 12:18 pm

Hi Yves, there is a good shot of the tanks on this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1LQIldyOWI
Limited access.
1942 August Willys MB
Complete MVMTS 100% sourced in the ETO

Empty vessels make the most noise .......

User avatar
YLG80
G-Lieutenant General
G-Lieutenant General
Posts: 4095
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:45 am
Location: near Namur, Belgium
Contact:

Re: Jeep waterproofing/ fording picture taken in March1944

Post by YLG80 » Mon May 14, 2018 12:54 pm

@ Silly's MB
Thank you very much! That's really an excellent film!As Mark mentioned they are testing the tanks in flat water…
It was really different on D-Day.
Yves
Ford GPW 1943 - Louisville - DoD 12-7-43
serial 164794

User avatar
Silly's MB
G-Brigadier General
G-Brigadier General
Posts: 2044
Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2010 12:53 am
Location: North East Hampshire, UK

Re: Jeep waterproofing/ fording picture taken in March1944

Post by Silly's MB » Mon May 14, 2018 1:41 pm

The big problem with the weather was for the US Duplex Drive tanks on Omaha when they were released too far out. For the vehicles landing on the beach with waterproofing the weather was not such a problem and losses were much less.

I believe the Operation Tiger Sherman was on a landing craft which was sunk by an E boat which is how it happened to be 60 feet deep but I may be wrong.

I think the jeep water proofing was designed to help in 3 feet 6 inches so about a 1m deep. Plus a 30cm bow wave. Many of the problems were due to landing in water too deep or the engine being too hot when entering the water. They were also issued with a cleaning kit which was essentially paraffin/kerosene to get the AWC off. The points and spark plug also needed to be re-set after leaving the water.

Here is a great image
Waterproofing instructions.jpg
Waterproofing instructions.jpg (77.27 KiB) Viewed 1422 times
Limited access.
1942 August Willys MB
Complete MVMTS 100% sourced in the ETO

Empty vessels make the most noise .......

Mark Jesic
G-Brigadier General
G-Brigadier General
Posts: 2473
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2016 4:56 am
Location: Birmingham, England

Re: Jeep waterproofing/ fording picture taken in March1944

Post by Mark Jesic » Tue May 15, 2018 3:12 am

SillyMB, the Sherman was dropped into the water, but it was nothing to do with the E-boat attack, as i said to Yves, they forgot to put the engine plate back on. You made aninteresting point about the electrics being cleaned after vehicles had been in salt water, i presumed this was for every vehicle.

User avatar
Silly's MB
G-Brigadier General
G-Brigadier General
Posts: 2044
Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2010 12:53 am
Location: North East Hampshire, UK

Re: Jeep waterproofing/ fording picture taken in March1944

Post by Silly's MB » Tue May 15, 2018 4:44 am

Thanks Mark , I will have to get the book !

Most vehicles were issued with kit for de-waterproofing but often gasoline was used.

Interestingly nearly all the materials for waterproofing were supplied from the UK, it was just the air intake hoses that came from the USA.
Limited access.
1942 August Willys MB
Complete MVMTS 100% sourced in the ETO

Empty vessels make the most noise .......

Mark Jesic
G-Brigadier General
G-Brigadier General
Posts: 2473
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2016 4:56 am
Location: Birmingham, England

Re: Jeep waterproofing/ fording picture taken in March1944

Post by Mark Jesic » Tue May 15, 2018 5:56 am

The reply and information is appreciated, thanks. This has turned into a really interesting post.

User avatar
YLG80
G-Lieutenant General
G-Lieutenant General
Posts: 4095
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:45 am
Location: near Namur, Belgium
Contact:

Re: Jeep waterproofing/ fording picture taken in March1944

Post by YLG80 » Wed May 16, 2018 9:17 am

Back to the jeep waterproofing.
Here are, step by step, the operations to waterproof the jeep with a picture for each step.
This is really A TASK. There are 3 phases.
This can be useful for those who want to drive their jeep in a river, or a lake.
Yes I've seen a video on youtube of a crazy guy driving his jeep on thin ice on a lake. You can imagine what happened.

The images are extracted from a demo film taken during WWII at the occasion of an exercise.

Prior to start, a picture of a jeep running deep in the sea. Amazing.
0-Jeep-touring-in-water-near-the-ship.jpg
(110.47 KiB) Downloaded 276 times
PHASE 1
Did you think to the fire extinguisher?? Not me. Don't forget to apply AWC on both sides :)!
1a-fire_extinguisher_waterproofing.jpg
1a-fire_extinguisher_waterproofing.jpg (43.85 KiB) Viewed 1381 times
1b-fire-extinguisher_waterproofing_bottom.jpg
1b-fire-extinguisher_waterproofing_bottom.jpg (42.63 KiB) Viewed 1381 times
Ford GPW 1943 - Louisville - DoD 12-7-43
serial 164794

User avatar
YLG80
G-Lieutenant General
G-Lieutenant General
Posts: 4095
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:45 am
Location: near Namur, Belgium
Contact:

Re: Jeep waterproofing/ fording picture taken in March1944

Post by YLG80 » Wed May 16, 2018 9:20 am

Phase 1 : partially waterproofing the distributor. Will be completed in phase 2.
2-distributor-waterproofing.jpg
2-distributor-waterproofing.jpg (45.97 KiB) Viewed 1381 times
Phase 1 : Dash panel lamps
3-dash-panel-lamps-waterproofing.jpg
3-dash-panel-lamps-waterproofing.jpg (41.95 KiB) Viewed 1381 times
Phase 1 : Under dash panel, the gauges and speedo.
4-under-dashpanel-speedo-and-guages.jpg
4-under-dashpanel-speedo-and-guages.jpg (44.2 KiB) Viewed 1381 times
Ford GPW 1943 - Louisville - DoD 12-7-43
serial 164794


Post Reply

Return to “- PHOTO GALLERY -”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 33 guests