Hanno, do't forget please that there is no evidence that suggests that any more than the 50 Ford F15s that were
taken to France in June 1940 were wasted in this way. I say 'wasted' because these vehicles were urgently required by the Canadian forces and represented the first output of the CMD in Southampton; yet they were sent to France and were lost. I have no evidence that any C15s went to France although they were issued to the Canadian forces. This is from my thesis. Basically there were two batches of CKD 15-cwt 4 x 2 trucks, 175 units x 2 being F15 and C15 chassis with one being built-up as a 'pattern'.
Quote:
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We now know that the first Canadian forces’ deliveries of Southampton-assembled trucks was of eight 15-cwt. Trucks, noted in an official Report dated the week ending 18 May 1940 and the succeeding week’s report noted that 344 15-cwt. Trucks had been delivered to date. ....It is also now known that the first issues of Southampton-assembled trucks to Canadian units were made in early June 1940, including those sent to and destroyed in France [at least 50]. Detailed study of photographs suggests that issues were from the 174 C.K.D. Ford F.15 deliveries and deducting these from the 344 supplied suggests that the total included the 174 Chevrolet C.15 C.K.D. trucks..
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See Report 046 for the original information.
http://www.forces.gc.ca/hr/dhh/histo...hq_e.asp?cat=1
I am still uncertain as to whether any N African-captured CMPs would have been shipped back for conversion to Umbau-Wagen or whether they were rebuilt locally. I just cannot see why the Wehrmacht would have done so! We know that GM and Ford in Antwerp, plus Ford in Amsterdam and Poissy had initially large 'contracts' to refurbish thousands of ex-BEF vehicles and engines. This was in anticipation of the invasion of the Soviet Union. There would surely have not been the capacity to take on any ex-North African captured vehicles? The refurb programme as it transpired was hopelessly over-optimistic but there were thousands of Chevrolets used by the Germans in the invasion nevertheless.
Can I stick my neck up above the parapet and suggest that there were at most 50 F15 Umbau-Wagen therefore at least initially? It occurred to me that CMPs assembled in Alexandria could have been sent to Greece! That would certainly explain why there were more captured and then converted. Regrettably I have little knowledge of the Greek campaign. Bart Vanderveen published a photo supposedly in Athens in WHEELS & TRACKS of Chevrolet WA trucks, with Egypt-style WD numbers being driven by British Army personnel but does not date the photo...1941 or 1944/5?