How To: Ford CMP "Blitz" miscellany

[Jacques Reed]

Hi Ken,

Thanks for that info. I had considered modifying the tarp to use on my F-15A but that goes against my grain for preservation of military artifacts. Let me think about it, but I may consider moving it on so it fits the appropriate vehicle without modifications. Just would like to find the nice heavy canvas used to make it without having to buy a container load of it from India.

Thanks for that info on the disk. I used my old friend Paint.net and taking measurements from the photo of the original and working out proportions I am 98% certain the disk is 7-1/2" diameter on the one under the right side headlight. As you noted, they obviously used larger diameter ones to fill the aperture where they placed the disk inside the headlight housing.

Will confirm the diameter and gauge of the steel when I receive the one Tony kindly offered me.

All the best,

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Jacques Reed

Thanks for that info on the disk. I used my old friend Paint.net and taking measurements from the photo of the original and working out proportions I am 98% certain the disk is 7-1/2" diameter on the one under the right side headlight. As you noted, they obviously used larger diameter ones to fill the aperture where they placed the disk inside the headlight housing.

Will confirm the diameter and gauge of the steel when I receive the one Tony kindly offered me.

The Canadian bridge classification disk was the same. At the factory, it was fitted in the headlight aperture. In theatre, if a need for a second headlight arose, the disk was moved to another spot and the headlight was fitted in the aperture.

Local assembly from Completely Kocked Down (CKD) kits meant the bare minimum of parts were shipped overseas unassembled, all the other parts which could be sourced locally, were. I reckon a simple disk was not shipped from Canada but made in Australia. So the gauge and diameter may well differ. I don't even know if Australian assembled trucks only had one headlight from the assembly line or two. In case of the latter the diameter of the disk didn't matter as it did not need to fulfill the function to block off the empty headlight aperture.


HTH,
Hanno

[Jacques Reed]

Hi Hanno,

I cannot verify if Australian built CMP's were originally fitted with only one headlight but I have never seen an extant Australian assembled Ford CMP with just one. Hopefully others more knowledgeable can confirm it.

Wartime photos seem to show two headlights fitted in Aussie built trucks.

The brackets that holds the disk on my Australian built cab is spot-welded to the cowl which indicates a factory fitment rather than a field modification so the disk was always intended to be displayed there. At 5" between centres of mounting holes this would help to account for a different sized disk if locally sourced.

Cheers,

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Jacques,

The late 1960s/ early 1970s saw the intro of such vehicles as Ford XY utilities with bows and high canvas canopies. Not sure of the dimensions, but they were described as 'Truck Utility 3/4 ton CL with high canopy'. Maybe that is worth looking at as a possible application of the canopy you have.

The bridge sign on Aust military vehicles was originally painted directly on the right front of the vehicle in an irregular shape approximating an 8 inch circle. This later translated to an 8 inch disc fixed to the front right of the vehicle, painted yellow with the bridge weight painted on in black. The spec stated it had to be visible and readable to an observer from a certain distance - I think 50 yards. The bridge plate was the same colour as the plate affixed to the bridges themselves, so that the driver would equate the signage as having the same meaning. A driver approaching a bridge with a lesser number on the bridge plate of the bridge than the number on his truck bridge plate was not permitted to cross under most circumstances.

The gauge of the steel disc appears to have varied, (along with the diameter), with what I believe to have been original discs in 16#, 18# and 20# being observed by me over the years. All were simple, raw edged discs without any pressing like the later discs fixed to Land Rovers etc, or rolled edge.

Bridge discs were not supplied in the CMP inventory of parts from Canada, but were part of the local production. The disc was never fitted to the headlamp 'socket' of Australian-assembled/manufactured CMPs, as the Aust Army requirement was always for two functional headlamps.

The bridge weight for a 15cwt CMP varied with the vehicle type. For GS 4x4 CMP vehicles, the sign was '4', being the maximum gross laden weight rounded to even tons. For CMP signals office & office CMP trucks in 4x4, the bridge weight was '5'.

The MVFS specification goes a step further, stating '3' for unladen and '4' for laden for the CMP 15-cwt GS 4x4, and for 4x2 six seater utilities, the bridge sign was '4' unladen and '5' laden. Of course, the unladen spec is irrelevant to the marking of the bridge plate, which by necessity has to reflect the gross laden weight.

Hope that all makes sense.

Mike

[Jacques Reed]

Hi Mike,

That is great! Makes great sense and fully explains it all. I have seen it painted on the right front cowl as per photo but I think it is not original but a later owners handiwork. Originally it was very bright and clear but twenty years out in the weather has taken its toll.

That cowl does not have the brackets for the disk even though it is from an Australian bodied vehicle.

Will look into Ford XY utes in Army service regarding the canvas canopy.

Cheers,

[Mike Cecil]

Jacques,

The inclusion of the two little brackets on the front cowl depends on the date of production and the make. You don't seem to see them in images until some time in 1943, so I suggest a design change happened during the first half of 1943, but I'd have to do some more study of images to confirm that belief, and have not found any documents supporting that theory. Of course, imported trucks from the early cab 13 supply contracts (such the in the 55xxx series) were CDN made and did not have the little brackets.

Both Ford and Holden were supplying utes with high canopies to the Army around that time (late 60/early 70s). A scan of the later volumes of AWM126 will give you a good idea of what was being purchased during the period up to 1972.

Mike

[Jacques Reed]

Hi Mike,

Again, thanks for your great help. Your wealth of military history knowledge is astonishing!

I will persist with the front mounted disk as I believe the truck is about 1944 production so it would be in keeping. Original cowl had a lot of wastage, dents, and the top front crossmember missing but a better intact one came along. Both have the spot welded on brackets for the disk.

I have never found a chassis serial number at the places mentioned in this forum, top of the right side frame near the front engine crossmember or on the vertical side below it. It has entered my mind that perhaps it was assembled from parts post-war and never issued a s/n. Could that be a possibility?

Wheels were stamped 1943 and the round gauges led me to believe it is late war but who knows.

Will keep searching for the vehicle the canopy fits based on yours and Ken's leads.

Many thanks again.

Jacques

[Jacques Reed]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

Hi Jacques,

The gauge of the steel disc appears to have varied, (along with the diameter), with what I believe to have been original discs in 16#, 18# and 20# being observed by me over the years. All were simple, raw edged discs without any pressing like the later discs fixed to Land Rovers etc, or rolled edge.

Bridge discs were not supplied in the CMP inventory of parts from Canada, but were part of the local production. The disc was never fitted to the headlamp 'socket' of Australian-assembled/manufactured CMPs, as the Aust Army requirement was always for two functional headlamps.

The bridge weight for a 15cwt CMP varied with the vehicle type. For GS 4x4 CMP vehicles, the sign was '4', being the maximum gross laden weight rounded to even tons. For CMP signals office & office CMP trucks in 4x4, the bridge weight was '5'.

The MVFS specification goes a step further, stating '3' for unladen and '4' for laden for the CMP 15-cwt GS 4x4, and for 4x2 six seater utilities, the bridge sign was '4' unladen and '5' laden. Of course, the unladen spec is irrelevant to the marking of the bridge plate, which by necessity has to reflect the gross laden weight.

Hope that all makes sense.

Mike

Thanks again Mike,

And my great thanks goes to Tony Baker who kindly sent me the attached bridge classification disk. With all that is happening in his life health wise, the effort is even more appreciated as he has enough things on his plate than bothering about passing on a bit of old steel to a fellow collector.

As Mike said, they were locally produced so there were variations in diameter and steel gauge but as I am sure this is 100% original it is worth noting its dimensions. I am in no doubt there are other variations.

It is exactly 7-1/2" diameter with 5" BC of the mounting holes which are 3/16" diameter. This one is made from 16 gauge steel which is in keeping with other items on the truck made of 16 gauge steel such as the tool box and tyre chain boxes.

Of interest, after I soaked it in phosphoric acid to clean up the rust stains, the disk was entirely painted in camouflage light earth colour, even over the number. A bit of light wet sanding on what looks like a Ishihara test for colour blindness shows a number "6" under the light earth. The number is exactly 4" high. It is almost a shame to remove the original paint and number as I need to change it to a 4 according to Mikes info. for my F-15A. I also noted it was originally painted yellow on both sides.

Hope this is of some interest to fellow Australian CMP truck restorers.

Cheers,

[Mike K]

Regarding the bridge discs, I have a example apparently salvaged from a Morris.
This disc has a shaped edge , thus giving it extra rigidity .

Years ago we found the remains of a WOT2 in a wrecking yard in Nth Victoria. We salvaged the bridge disc off the Wot2 , and this disc has the same shaped edge and the WOT part number stamped on .

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Jacques,

There were several vehicles that were classed '6' (laden), such as Platform lorries, some breakdown lorries, the kitchen lorry and so on.

CMP 3 ton GS trucks were classed '7', machinery trucks were '8'.

If it were me, I'd be keeping the original 'as is' and replicating it for the F15A.

Mike K: Nice finds, Mike. These sound like bridge plates from British-sourced vehicles not assembled locally, so imported with the British pattern plate with the rolled edge already fitted.

Mike