Military vehicles - USA: books - history and technology

American Cars, Trucks and Motorcycles of World War I - Illustrate'd Histories of 225 Manufacturers

World War I had an enormous impact on American civilian motor vehicle manufacturers, contributing to the success of some and the failure of others. Beginning with the 1916 Punitive Expedition against Pancho Villa, this history shows how over 200 manufacturers contributed to the war effort, many benefiting strongly from government contracts to produce vehicles for military use. It examines how military mechanization and the automotive industry developed symbiotically, each affecting the other in profound ways.

Industrialized warfare didn't necessarily mean efficient production - standardization and mass production techniques were still in their infancy, and some manufacturers were better positioned to take advantage of the crucible of war.

WW2 Allied Vehicles (1939-1945) - Brooklands Military Portfolio

Brooklands Portfolio book on allied military vehicles from the years 1939-1945. Describes the Humber Staff and Scout Cars, Morris Mk I, Daimler Scout and Armored Car, Jeeps, amphibious vehicles, American Staff Cars, DUKWs, half-tracks and Austin Light Utilities.

The articles, taken from contemporary British and American magazines, provide much information about history, variants and technology.

Click here to know more about the Brooklands Portfolio books

United States Standard Military Motor Vehicles (War Department September 1943 edition of TM 9-2800)

This book is a re-issue of the War Departments September 1943 edition of TM 9-2800. This technical manual was the primary US Army reference work of the period and listed data and illustrations of all US Army vehicles in operation at that time.

This edition includes a new supplement that contains details of additional US Army vehicles that were omitted from the September 1943 edition. As a further aid, the nomenclature of a number of vehicles has been updated.

Includes TM 9-803, TM 9-1803A, TM 9-1803B, etc.

United States Military Vehicles 1941-1945: Amphibians, LVTs, Motorcycles, Trucks, Half-Tracks, Armor, Tanks, Weasels, Scout Cars

Brooklands Portfolio book about American military vehicles from the period 1941-1945. Describes amphibious vehicles, LVT's, motorcycles, trucks, half-tracks, armoured vehicles, tanks, Weasels and Scout Cars.
The 27 articles, taken from contemporary editions of Popular Science, Popular Mechanics and Mechanix Illustrated give much information about history, variants, use and technology.

Les Véhicules Alliés du D-Day

Le débarquement allié en Normandie reste à ce jour l'opération militaire la plus importante de l'histoire. Le jour J et l'immense bataille qui s'en suivit a en effet mobilisé des hommes et du matériel que l'on ne peut compter que par milliers, sans oublier le rôle déterminant du fantassin au cours du débarquement.

"Véhicules alliés du D-Day" met en avant l'extrême mécanisation de cette armée alliée qui se déplace rarement à pied. En effet, la première des grandes victoires remportées par les Alliés est avant tout une bataille logistique.
Des dizaines de milliers de véhicules de tous tonnages vont s'étirer en immenses convois le long des grands axes français pour permettre aux divisions d'infanterie et blindées de bousculer l'ennemi jusqu'aux portes du Reich.

De la simple motocyclette au char d'assaut, de la Jeep au GMC, en passant par le half-track et les engins spéciaux, c'est tout l'arsenal militaire américain et britannique qui débarque en quelques jours sur les plages de Normandie que vous retrouverez dans cet ouvrage. La Libération de la France et celle d'une grande partie de l'Europe est avant tout la victoire du moteur à explosion...

Les véhicules des transmissions de l'U.S. Army

La standardisation du charroi de l'armée américaine prendra du temps avant d'aboutir au début des années quarante. Parallèlement sont mis au point des matériels de transmission modernes et puissants, qu'il faut rendre mobiles. Parmi les grandes familles de véhicules de l'US Army, on trouve donc des camions, camions-ateliers, camionnettes et remorques conçus par le Signal Corps, décrits dans leur détail technique et illustrés par des centaines de photos d'époque.

Table des matières

1. Introduction.
2. Genèse des "Model K".
3. Les radars.
4. Les radios.
5. Les véhicules multi-usages.
6. Les véhicules spécialisés.
7. Les remorques spécialisées.
8. La téléphonie.
9. Les particularités.

U.S. Army 1944 - Les marquages des véhicules 1944

Les marques authentiques pour les camions, les jeeps et les chars américains de la Seconde Guerre mondiale ont toujours été un sujet délicat et complexe, car il est étroitement lié à l'organisation de l'armée américaine.
Ce guide est conçu comme un outil simple destiné aux collectionneurs de véhicules historiques ainsi qu'aux maquettistes afin de les aider dans la restauration de leurs machines ou la réalisation de modèles réduits fidèles.
Après une description des types d'engins et de véhicules produits par l'Arsenal de la Démocratie, dont ceux que l'on peut trouver dans les collections et musées, plusieurs chapitres abondamment illustrés de photos d'époque et de dessins explicatifs en couleurs entrent dans le détail de l'organisation des unités, des marques de nationalité et d'unité, des numéros d'immatriculation et du camouflage.

Des informations nouvelles sur les codes d'embarquement employés lors du débarquement en Normandie sont en évidence, ainsi que les règlements applicables aux véhicules des forces aériennes.
Un ouvrage indispensable par sa simplicité d'emploi et son contenu informatif, pour la première fois sur le sujet en langue française.

Table des matières

1. L'Arsenal de la Démocratie.
2. La ComZ, le Red Ball Express.
3. L'organisation de l'U.S. Army.
4. Les marques communes : l'immatriculation, les marques nationales d'identification, les marques d'emploi, les ambulances, la Military Police, les Clubmobile.
5. Les marques d'unité : exemples de marques d'unité par type d'engin, les forces aériennes, les marques tactiques propres à certaines divisions, les Unit Serial Numbers.
6. Le camouflage : annexes.

U.S. Army Vehicle Markings 1944

Everyone is familiar with the iconic WWII Jeep, its green paintwork annotated with white letters, numbers and symbols. Unintelligible to the casual observer, these markings were integral to the organization of the U.S. Army on the move in 1944.
This uniquely detailed guide covers all the markings used on American tanks and tracked vehicles, lorries and jeeps to denote their unit and classification, plus tactical markings and the debarkation codes used in the Normandy landings.

Hundreds of contemporary photographs are paired with precise color diagrams to show exactly how markings appeared on vehicles, including the exact measurements of markings, and explaining all the different variations in use. A final chapter covers the variations of camouflage used on vehicles.
The perfect reference book for modelers, collectors, and restorers of historic vehicles, and a fascinating guide to anyone wanting to use WWII photographs to aid their research.

Ford in the Service of America - Mass Production for the Military During the World Wars

This is the history of the Ford Motor Company's achievements and products during World Wars I and II. It demonstrates how, in addition to well-known contributions like jeeps, Eagle Boats and B-24 Liberators, Ford also produced key items ranging from squad tents and the ultra precision gun director to tanks and aircraft engines. Details on each product and how Ford produced it are included. During both wars, the automotive giant used precision manufacturing methods and innovative designs and procedures to increase quantity and quality while lowering production costs.

U.S. Vehicles and Heavy Weapons of the Vietnam War

The ground war in Vietnam pitted a myriad of American tanks, artillery, APC and trucks against not only the weapons of Communist North Vietnam, but also the terrain. Through archival images, the arsenal of the US Army and USMC are revisited.
From the iconic M113 APC to the M48A3 tank, M551 Armored Reconnaissance/Airborne Assault Vehicle, M151 and M54 trucks, M50 Ontos, M107 and M109 artillery, and M42 Duster, the complete array of vehicles fielded is shown.

This book, the first in a series on the US military's weapons, vehicles, aircraft, and naval vessels of the Vietnam War, offers a highly illustrated reference for this wishing to delve deeper into this conflict.

US Army Combat Engineer Vehicles (1980 to the Present)

The struggle for armored dominance sometimes overshadows the vital and unsung heroes of the battlefield: the engineers. Combat engineer vehicles spearhead armored attacks, breach obstacles, and prepare defenses.
Born of necessity, these amazing vehicles have developed from humble beginnings to technological and mechanical marvels. After a slow and unimaginative start, the US Army has developed and fielded some of the most prolific and advanced combat engineer vehicles ever used.

This book provides a rare look at these amazing machines and the crews that operated them. Vehicles covered are:
- the M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle;
- Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge;
- M9 Armored Combat Earthmover;
- M9 ACE and M60 AVLB;
- M1132 Stryker Engineer Squad Vehicle;
- M2 Bradley, Wolverine, and Assault Breaching Vehicle;
- and Grizzly and Panther 2, as well as experimental and limited-use vehicles.

Along with providing technical information, author Jeffrey DeRosa analyzes the operational effectiveness of each vehicle.

Harley-Davidson WLA: The Main US Military Motorcycle of World War II (Legends of Warfare)

The story of an iconic model in the long history of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, the WLA, which was used by Allied forces during WWII, is told for the first time. Developed for the US Army's mechanized cavalry, it became the leading US military motorcycle of the war. It served the US armed services as a messenger and military police vehicle.

The Red Army's motorcycle battalions, reconnaissance units of its tank armies, also used them as their primary vehicle. The armies of Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, China, and Brazil also made use of the model and its variants. It is known today as the "Liberator".

Discover the history and stories of individuals who rode this icon to war and why the model is now a favorite among civilian collectors.