America's New Army Carrier is built low to dodge the foe
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Outstanding Capabilities of a New Six-wheel-drive Machine for Carrying Cargo and Troops
SOME facts have recently been released concerning the American Army's new six-wheel-drive cargo and troop carrier, which is now in volume production at the Dodge -army-truck plant, This new vehicle is a bigger edition of the Dodge-built four-wheeldrive weapons carriers and command reconnaissance cars which are already in use' on many battlefields. It if capable of carrying up. to 16 men, with supplies. It can also mount larger cannon than the four-wheel-drive machine.
Noteworthy is the fact that, despite the new vehicle's larger size and 'greater power, about 96 per cent. of its parts are interchangeable with those of the smaller four-wheel-drive vehicle—a highly desirable feature in military equipment. .
On repeated trials at testing grounds and at military camps throughoutthe United States, the new six-wheel-drive
cargo and troop 'carrier has proved its ability successfully to meet rigid, Government requirements.
So well protected are its vital parts that the vehicle can go through water and mud nearly 3 ft. deepe without the risk of faltering on the part of the engine; and with little apparent effort. Because of its concentric-bowl carburetter it can climb or 'descend steep gradients with the same efficiency A s on level ground; even when fully loaded, it can climb gradients as steep as 62 per cent.
The ability of the vnicle to weave in and. out of steep ditches and mud craters results partly from its " high flotation," and from the fact that it is as wide as it is high. The same feature coupled with tyre pressures lowered to 8 lb., enables it to crust shifting desert sands without difficulty.
Equally important are developments, details of which cannot fully be told just now, for protectin the mechanism of the chassis from, thcr e dust and grit of the desert, and to enable it to func. tion in the sub-zero temperatures of the Arctic. Indicative of the many improvements made by the Dodge concern, working in/ Aclose co-operation with military personnel, is the fact that the `frames and axles of this vehicle can readily withstand any limes the, original, allowable stresses of machines of this type and capacity.
Another important feature. is the extremely low silhouette of ."the vehicle. By lowering the overall height, and at the same time raising the road clearance so that jagged rocks or protruding stumps are not obstacles to speedy travel, the new cargo and troop carrier can approach much closer to enemy lines without being detected, , and can almost be hidden from view in tall grass. The need for effecting quick maintenance, possibly far away from service depots, was anticipated and provided for in the design and construction of this vehicle. For example, the brake drums can be reached with a simple, wrench, and cleaned in 10 minutes, an operation that took 2 hours and 35 minutes on earlier-type lorries.
In many instances, the .vehicle is replacing both smaller and larger cargo and troop carriers, particularly in the . infantry. One ot its greatest assets is -that it possesses practically the same speed, manceuvrability, and low • silhouette of smaller vehicles, whilst it can carry loads of both men and supplies, almost as /arge as the bigger. Army trucks.