navy vets last cargo haul

42cckw · Post by **42cckw** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 10:30 am

I had a navy vet who knows I like military vehicles tell me about the last time they hauled cargo accross the pond,they were not yet half way there when they recieved orders to return to NYC the war in europe was over (boy did we get drunk) . On the way back they were ordered to dump there cargo into the sea :

He told me they used the ships hoist crane and started with the deck cargo of bulldozers and 2 1/2 ton trucks

swung them out over the side and ka plunk! . Next they opened the cargo hatches one at a time and emptied the holds, brand new jeeps, trucks , dodges, and more bulldozers, even jeep generators

. The only thing they brought back was a cargo hold of new replacement aircraft engines. He said it took them most of the return trip to dump everything

and to this day there is on a strait line from halfway out in the atlantic to NYC a steady row of then new military vehicles lined up on the sea floor, how very very sad!!

JIM 42CCKW

armydriver · Post by **armydriver** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 6:49 pm

Great story and very sad and wasteful but then that same type of destruction of WWII material was carried out all over the world. I have heard stories of taking explosives and blowing the engines off of lines of B17's in Germany before cutting them up to be melted down.
That is why the Commememarative Air Force( originally the Confederate Air Force before they became politically correct) came about. The systematic destruction of WWII airplanes by the government and no one was saving any for historical purposes. In fact the Air Force had to ask the CAF for a B-25 for their WWII display at the review field at Lackland AFB because they had no more in inventory. The CAF obliged with an airplane that had airframe corrosion so bad that she could not be made safely flyable again.
At Kelly AFB just ten years ago at the DRMO depot they auctioned off 100 M 151 Mutts. The two guys that won the bid was under the impression that the jeeps would be cut in half as part of the demil process learned that the jeeps were lined up and a armoured personel carrier was driven over them and they were smashed. Their dreams of selling welded back together jeeps went out the window. They were suddenly in the parts business.

armydriver · Post by **armydriver** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 7:00 pm

An added post script to this posting is to acknowledge the importance of our European friends and those in Central and South America that continued to use WWII vehicles and aircraft well into the eighties. If it were not for the supply of trucks and parts from Europe today, our hobby would not be extensive as it is today as we used up so much of the surplus equipment, then scrapped it ourselves.
WWII airplanes have been brought ouf o central and South America for the past 20 years because of continous use of them in those coountries. That has kept the flying museums in the states supplied with aircraft that were non existant in the states. Not too long ago an SBD Dauntless was found in South America and brought back to be restored to flying condition. A P-36 found in central America was at the Randolph AFB airshow this past November. Thank goodness for other countries that continued to use our WWII weapons of war.

joel gopan · Post by **joel gopan** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 7:46 pm

The M-151s were ordered crushed by the DRMO so that those who would try to circumvent Gov't instructions would not. M-151 Jeeps in the hands of well trained GIs were relatively safe to operate, but there are no laws about being foolish in Civilian Life and in untrained hands M-151 Series truckscould bite. Sounds stupid, but it was a wise move.

armydriver · Post by **armydriver** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 8:06 pm

Why were so many M151's sold complete through surplus or later cut in half, only to be welded back together? Was the improper use of these trucks after they were sold complete or welded the impudice for the government to order the crushing? I am not questioning your post, just wondering if there were a lot of injuries or deaths caused from the improper use of the M151's turned loose into the civilian market and that this prompted the government move.

oldreliable9_47 · Post by **oldreliable9_47** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 10:37 pm

sadly enough were a nation full of those who dont care about history. I am fumed at the news report coming out of San Fransisco yesterday, they would not let the decommissioned USS IOWA (BB-61) into port for a commerative celebration....

ANYWAY to add to a vet story here... a good friend of mine will be 89 this year and served in the 1st Div..he told me when the war was over they were awaitng to board the big boat home when several jeeps including the one he drove for a year was simply pushed in the the med sea..around merseille, france..he said it actually brought tears to his eyes and remembers it well..