pre-WW2 Army Dodge

Tony Smith · #1 22-08-05, 05:07

On e-bay at the moment is this shot. Can anyone ID the trucks? Note the driven front axle has 6 stud wheels. (PS Check out this sellers other photos, some nice ones there).

Keith Webb · #2 22-08-05, 06:12

Tony, are they Internationals?

The name plate on the side looks like it may be...

cliff · #3 22-08-05, 08:02

Tony year to me appears to be 1932 - 1935. Thought they were Fords for a moment but the rear hinged cab doors have thrown me off that track.

They could be Dodge's as Dodge trucks had the name plate on the side of the bonnet similar to those vehicles and the US Army used a lot of Dodge trucks in this size range up until the war.

cheers
Cliff

EDIT. it is a 1934 one ton Dodge in my opinion after doing a little research. The giveaway is the way the doors are hung as only Dodge was using the 'suicide doors' at that stage. Ford, Chev international etc were all front hung doors.

Tony Smith · #4 22-08-05, 14:38

And the apparently driven front axle? Were Dodge making 4x4 trucks for the US Army or would this be a conversion kit from Marmon-Herrington or similar?

Bill Murray · #5 22-08-05, 14:55

Morning Lads:
Dodge 1934 Model w/Marmon Herrington 4X4 conversion.
Made in a relatively small series. All were gone by the beginning of the war as far as I can find. Replaced by the 1940 series of various 4X4 Dodges.
Cheers
Bill

gordon · #6 22-08-05, 15:39

I have a few illustrations of very similar trucks with open cabs, including one with a USA number that's quite close (USA W-34491) but no reference illustrations of the closed cab units.

I'm not 100% whether the trucks pictured are 4 x 4 or 4 x 2. If they are 4 x2 I have the manual for them here;

Special Cargo 4 x 2 Light Truck
Capacity, 3000lbs
Bid No. 398-35-12
Dodge Sales Symbol KH-31-USA
Serial Nos. 8,820,101 and up

... dated November 1934.

Gordon

Bill Murray · #7 22-08-05, 15:54

Gordon:
Is it possible for you to post the photos??
Photos of these trucks are rather hard to come by and would be nice to see.
Bill

gordon · #8 22-08-05, 16:15

This was borrowed from Fred Crismon's excellent

"US MILITARY WHEELED VEHICLES"

At first glance it doesn't look that similar, but if you swap the shortened cargo body and winch for a longer one and give it a hard cab.... Note the long hood nameplate too.

Unfortunately the 1934 manual appears typed ( not even printed or lithographed or whatever) and does not contain the list of USA numbers that you would expect on any later military contract.

Gordon

Bill Murray · #9 22-08-05, 17:20

Thanks Gordon:
I have the book as well, so if you have any "loose" photos, that would be nice too.
Cheers
Bill

Bill Murray · #10 22-08-05, 19:08

Couple of course corrections:

I neglected to mention that Dodge did a couple of other series before the 1940 major effort, namely in 1937 and 1939.

Also, Fred Crismon indicates the front wheel driven axle was of Dodge manufacture not MH which I have read elsewhere. I would think Fred is correct for the US models but I am equally sure that export units that went to Europe and elsewhere were MH equipped.
Bill

gordon · #11 22-08-05, 19:32

I think this is a survivor of the type originally pictured. 1934 model 1.5 ton Military. I'm still not sure if we are talking 4 x 4 or 4 x 2, as most of the pictures so far are low enough to be conventional 4 x 2's I think.

Gordon

Tony Smith · #12 10-09-05, 18:28

4x2 Dodge KH-31 on e-bay, apparently with ALCAN Highway service.

gordon · #13 10-09-05, 18:56

I had a look at all the 'as found' images.

It's not as original as the blue one up above that Wes found, in that it has the engine from an equivalent 1939 one point five ton and the back body is either from a 1940 VF or a Chevrolet 1.5 ton. I'd guess that both were added during a 1944 army rebuild so it isn't exactly thrown together like a farmyard conversion.

David (the owner) paid a decent pile of money for it and hauled it home a thousand miles or so - it isn't going to be cheap but it is nice.

Gordon

David DeWeese · #14 21-02-07, 05:27

....this pre-war stuff still shows up now and then in fairly complete form here in the U.S., if you are looking for it. I bought the Dodge KH-31 shown above from a man in Montana who thought it was an old "U.S. Forestry Service" truck. This 1934 Chev Military truck was just aquired by me off eBay, and the owner had no idea what it was. Can't get image to post full size for some reason, so just click on it to enlarge.

David DeWeese · #15 20-02-11, 15:25

Hi,
Another one of these followed me home this weekend. Not as nice as the first one I had, but much cheaper and here in Texas just a couple of hours drive from me.
Going to be tough to keep focused on the C8 with this around the shop.

Thanks, David

gordon · #16 20-02-11, 19:50

December '34 KH 31, David sent me some images;

gordon