Hood markings on sept. 1942 WC56 ???

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thierryb
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Hood markings on sept. 1942 WC56 ???

Post by thierryb »

Hello,

I’m asking your opinion on the correct size and colour that would for the hood numbers of a September 1942 WC56 Command Car. I would like her being marked as when she left the factory end pf 1942.
So what would be correct: 2 or 4 inches in size? Blue or white numbers?
Same question for the star on the hood: with or without circle?

Many thanks in advance, Thierry.
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Re: Hood markings on sept. 1942 WC56 ???

Post by Florence »

Hello Thierry,

regarding to the AR 850-5 from 5. August 1942 it should be blue-drab lusterless enamel, 2 inches high. For details see section III Vehicles. Here is a scan of the AR:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/3788687/1942- ... ngs-AR8505

For a factory vehicle from end of 1942 I would go without a circle around the star. Maybe even without a star (remembering a factory photo with numbers but without star on WC). And without toolrack and no jerrycans.

Love that plain style. My CC already had the toolrack and jerrycanholders in place, otherwise I would have done it that way.

Greetings
Sylvia
WC58 - 4229/933 July 1942 - Commander George
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Re: Hood markings on sept. 1942 WC56 ???

Post by Florence »

this one, found in the Library of Congress:
Detroit, Michigan (vicinity). Chrysler Corporation Dodge truck plant.
Side by side and end to end of Dodge Army trucks, produced daily,
stand in the yards waiting for the final touches that make them effective
fighting vehicles.

Siegel, Arthur S., photographer.

CREATED/PUBLISHED
1942 Aug.?
Image


Image
WC58 - 4229/933 July 1942 - Commander George
http://www.command-car.com
Dedicated to Dodge Command Car and Dodge Ambulance of WW2


Dodge Build Card collection:
http://www.command-car.com/technik/tech ... cards.html
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Re: Hood markings on sept. 1942 WC56 ???

Post by Kiwi »

brilliant images. Thank you Sylvia....a field of WCs
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Re: Hood markings on sept. 1942 WC56 ???

Post by straight six »

Sylvia,
Thanks for posting those two pictures of WC's, however if you look carefully, they are WC55's. Note the cut down lazybacks, no locker lids and the additional stowage brackets on the tailgates.
Found this one of a CC recently, note date,and the fitment of a blackout light. Markings are faint, but I reckon they are 2", blue drab.
Keith
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1942 Chevy LAAT
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Re: Hood markings on sept. 1942 WC56 ???

Post by Kiwi »

...and from the same series of images I would think...

Image

apologies if this has already been posted, it very probably has.
Brent.
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Re: Hood markings on sept. 1942 WC56 ???

Post by Jim M »

Great pictures! Row upon row of spare parts :lol:
If those WCs were not -55, my WC 51 could be sitting somewhere in that mix. The build date on mine is 26 Aug 42.

Jim M
proud owner of a 1942 WC 51 and now a 1942 WC 56!
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Re: Hood markings on sept. 1942 WC56 ???

Post by MikeKB »

Wow, I just located my WC51 in picture #2, on Sylvia's reply. It is the WC in row #3, at the far right. You can just see the top of the windshield :wink:

Just kidding, I wish it was that easy :lol:

Thanks for the photos :thumbup:

Mike
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Re: Hood markings on sept. 1942 WC56 ???

Post by thierryb »

Many thansk for your help, Sylvia :thumbup:

I Think I will go with blue-drab lusterless enamel, 2 inches high marking and a star without a circle on the hood.


Thierry.
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Re: Hood markings on sept. 1942 WC56 ???

Post by max51d »

I bought my WC56 about 5 years back and would now like to narrow down what hood numbers and unit marking I could use. It was built on the 17th April 1944 and the VIN is 817 04028. Would appreciate your advice?
Many thanks,
Max
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Re: Hood markings on sept. 1942 WC56 ???

Post by juan15 »

Hola,

I do not have the data to answer exactly, however I will explain a possibility to calculate the registration number and then you decide.

The data that I know are: in 1942 14009 units were delivered, in 1943 they were 3887 and in 1944 they were 3260 units.

Total 21156 units of model WC-56.

According to the Acceptance Rapport, these 21,156 units were delivered under three orders:

A.- 374-2741 / 11422 with 14,652 units and another 62 more for the Navy, total 14,714. But the Acceptance Rapport indicates that under this order were delivered: Year 42 = 14009 and Year 43 = 2987, total 16.996. As you can see there is a difference and I have no answer.

B.- 374-2799 / 13596 with 1035 units, but according to the Acceptance Rapport 900 units were delivered. I have no answer either.

C.- 374/6322 with three sub-orders: C-1: 6338 units, C-2: 820 units, C-3: 5925 units. But 3260 units were delivered.

And finally there is another data: The month of April 1944 was the last month of delivery, with 555 units, although we must make a small observation and is that in 1944 55 units of model WC-57 were delivered, but I do not know the month, it could be any of the four months of that year 1944.

According to all these data, your car WC-56, delivered in April 1944, corresponds to those 500 to 555 units.

Therefore it is your turn to choose, I do not know, between the orders C-1, C-2 or C-3.

The logic indicates that it is the C-1, but I do not know.

In the event that you choose the C-1, we should do: 6338 units, but 3260 were delivered. Therefore, in this order the military record begins at number 20458967.

20458967 + 3260 = 20462227. Since your car is one of the last 555, we would be between: 20462227 - 555 = 20461672

Therefore your vehicle would be between: 20461672 to 20462227.

U.S.A. - (20461672 to 20462227) - S

As it is mid-April, I would lean towards the middle, +/-....

U.S.A. - 20461922 - S "Hood number". (Sorry for my English).

There are other calculation possibilities but this one that I have explained to you is fine, do you agree?.

As you can see, Max, there is a lot to study and know yet.

B.R.,

Juan.
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Re: Hood markings on sept. 1942 WC56 ???

Post by max51d »

Juan,
Many thanks for the info, much appreciated. I bought the WC56 from 4 vets in Georgia, US. Three had passed on and the last one went into a home. Their hood numbers did not make sense because they did not begin with 20. The current hood number is USA 160760. The front has a yellow disk with a black 5 on the grill. There is also a red rectangle with 3 white stars(3 star general). On the left side of the bumper it has INF-87 and on the right side HQ-401. Both ends of the bumper are also painted white which I am told is incorrect. I don't know if the markings or some of the markings represented the unit one of them was in or if they had done some research or if it was just all made up! I see that you also add a -S after the hood number, is this not only for the radio car version and stands for Suppression?
Juan, thanks again for your help.
Max
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Re: Hood markings on sept. 1942 WC56 ???

Post by juan15 »

Hola Max,

The hood number 160760, I do not know what vehicle it belongs to. The only thing I can tell you is that it does not belong to a Dodge.

That number could correspond to a small trailer Willys MBT. But on these subjects I know very little

Effectively the hoods numbers of the WC-56 model, start with 20. Attention, I say model WC-56, o.k.?.

"The front has a yellow disk with a black 5 on the grill". The Bridge Classification, in a Dodge WC-56 is a 4, is what I know.

"There is also a red rectangle with 3 white stars(3 star general). On the left side of the bumper it has INF-87 and on the right side HQ-401".

Phew! How complicated! for me...

If we imagine that it is the 87th Infantry Division, we find a complex infantry division, since it changed several times.

INF-87, I do not know.

I have to find a solution and I am inclined that the former owners were looking for General Patton. That's why the three stars.

Now let's find a more real solution ...

Your Dodge surrendered to the army in April 1944.

Let's imagine that it was sent to the 87th Infantry Division on those dates, since the invasion was imminent (Normandy).

On those dates the 87 ID belonged to the XII US Corps, of the 3rd Army of Lieutenant General Patton.

Therefore we have: 87 I or 3A or 3A-X, but on the right side of the front bumper, No! On the left side.

1.- If you want to keep the three stars of General Patton, I would choose 3A-X. The A is really a triangle.

2.- If you want to keep the 87 ID, I would choose 87 I. Then you would have to put, for example 87-CIC, " 87 I - 87-CIC" but here, without stars of general

3.- Although there is another third solution: 3A - 87-I. The A is really a triangle. but here, a two-star general.

In the first case: on the left side, you have to put HQ-1.

In the second case, you would have to put H or B or A and a number, although I would put HQ-3.

In the third case and if you want two-star general, you have to put HQ-1.

Anyway, Max, I know very little about this topic and surely there is someone else who can tell us other things.

"a -S after the hood number, is this not only for the radio car version and stands for Suppression?"

S is the vehicle carrying radio installation antiparasitic. The model WC-56 carries this installation, all WC-56.

"Both ends of the bumper are also painted white which I am told is incorrect."

The correct answer I do not know. I can say that I have pictures, few, of that time, that have a white painted on the lateral ends of the bumper.

Help call for English speaking specialists ... Help!... I want to learn too...

B.R., Juan.
Last edited by juan15 on Sun Sep 02, 2018 6:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
max51d
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Re: Hood markings on sept. 1942 WC56 ???

Post by max51d »

Juan,

Thanks yet again for the info, your English is great.

Max
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Re: Hood markings on sept. 1942 WC56 ???

Post by Jim M »

Coming in late to this, but would like to add that you would be very hard pressed to find a more informed group of individuals who know Dodges forward and backwards!
They, this Forum, has come to my rescue many times over the years in my rebuilds of a 1942 WC 51 (Aug) and shortly a 1942 WC 56 (Jul)!
Thank you all!

Jim M
proud owner of a 1942 WC 51 and now a 1942 WC 56!
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