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Old 07-05-07, 12:58
Kuno Kuno is offline
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Default Postwar CMP

I know I take now the risc of being kicked out of that forum. But I would like to ask one question to te "Canadians":

After producing about 750'000 miltary vehicles during WW2 it is obvious that many companies in Canada became involved in the "vehicle business" (not to forget all those local suppliers of parts) and thousands of people had to be recruited to join the manufacturing of these trucks.

What has happened after WW2 then? Naturally the demand of CMPS went down dramatically (already after 1943, when the British did not loose so many of them any more to the "Afrikakorps" )

But still; the trained people were available, the assembly plants existing etc.

Did the "canadian truc production" just shrink to zero? Or has the field left over to the US-companies?

Where is the CMP of the 2nd. Generation?
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Old 07-05-07, 14:58
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Hello Kuno.

I will try to explain to you the history as I know it.

Canada went into full scale civilian vehilce production after WW2 to fill the needs of the populace for new cars and trucks. Production lines ceased producing civvy cars in around early 1942.

After the war, Canada's military decided to adopt the American styled military vehicles, commonly known as M-series.
I believe the idea was to streamline the vehicle types used by close allies such as the US and Canada, especially under the newly formed NATO pact and United Nations agreements.

I also believe that there was a certain degree of political and economic pressure to buy American made products. I am unsure of all the reasonings behind this, maybe someone could fill in the blanks.
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Old 07-05-07, 15:28
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Also, to a large degree, many of the wartime manufacturing workforce were women, who were simply expected to return to a domestic role, both to provide jobs for the returning men, and because of the decreased need for maximum production. This suited many women just fine, but also offended others who enjoyed their financial independence.
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Old 08-05-07, 16:48
Gunner Gunner is offline
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Hi Guys:

Just to clear up the political pressure angle... not so: Gen Guy Simmonds was our post war CGS and he wisely saw that Canada's economic and industrial future were tied directly to Cousin Jonathan to the South. It made no sense for Canada to continue manufacturing hybrid vehicles of UK specification and North American production techniques (our beloved CMPs).

Thus the family of SMPs (Standardised Military Pattern) were born. At the time the decision was taken, it looked like the US were to standardise on the M135 by GM so Simond's staff had GM Canada produce the M135Cdn family (look underneath and its amazing how similar it is to a C60X! ). The light truck question was easy... the precursor to the M37 family was already in production in Canada in the form of the D3/4APT so Dodge got the M37Cdn contract. This left Ford Canada with production capability so the M38Cdn and M38A1Cdn both went to Ford Canada.

These vehicles were not mindless copies of the US originals... Canada was deeply involved in their design and especially in cold weather testing. Some differences between US and Canadian models: all weather cabs with metal roofs, cold starting kit including primer pumps, USMC style tiedowns on all vehs (all our stuff had to be air/sea transportable); larger engines in the case of the M37Cdn family; etc, etc.

Larger vehicles were purchased directly (the M39 family) with Canadian specified modifications as above or were custom built in Canada.

We did the same with artillery, building Canadian versions of the 105mm M101 (the C1 and C2) and the 155mm M114 (the C1- sometimes called the M114A1Cdn) to replace the much loved 25 pounder and 5.5 inch gun.

The benefits of having common supply and technical lines with our US allies cannot be ignored. The greatest loss when we stepped away from the CMPs, was the enormous commonality in parts from 8 Cwt to 60 Cwt. That and having the "gnarliest" looking military vehicles in the world!



Cheers!

Mike
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