1940's Studebaker M29 Weasel Cargo Carrier (Wireless Set No.19) The Muckleburgh Military Collection.
Military operations showed the U.S Army needed a vehicle to move over snow for Commando Operations in Norway. In 1943 the Studebaker M29 Cargo Carrier, better known, as a Weasel was introduced. This was a lightweight vehicle with 15 or 20 inch tracks that was good for travelling over soft snow but had limited carrying capacity.
The original design with the engine at the back was soon altered to the conventional layout with the engine at the front and the drive sprockets at the rear. This gave better distribution of weight and improved space so more cargo or passengers could be carried. Next came an amphibious version with buoyancy chambers, twin rudders coupled to the steering controls and propulsion in the water by the tracks. The standard Weasel could be quickly converted in the field if required and both versions could be dropped by parachute.
Weasel's remained in service with the U.S, British and other countries in to the late 1960's. Not only were they used in Artic Operations in the Second World War but later in Korea and Vietnam. The Museum's example M29 was acquired in 1987 from Norway.
Specifications -
▪︎Engine: Studebaker 6-cylinder petrol, 70bhp
▪︎Speed (land): 36mph
▪︎Range: 175 miles
▪︎Speed (water): 4mph
▪︎Weight: 2.6 tons
▪︎Crew: 2 - 4.
Information from The Muckleburgh Military Collection.
Wireless Set No.19 -
The designs for this transceiver were developed by RSRE and Pye in 1940 and after producing a number of Mk.I equipments it then continued in development, emerging as the Mk.II in 1941 and finally the Mk.III in 1942. The sets were used by the British Army up to the early 1950's and by Canadian Divisions during WWII. Besides being built in the UK, the sets were also produced by a number of different manufacturers in Canada and the USA. Once designs had been customised for ease of sourcing American components, by liaison between Pye and a four man Canadian team, the firms selected to manufacture the sets were Northern Electric, Canadian Marconi and RCA Victor in Canada, and Zenith, RCA and Philco in the US.
Many Mk.II versions were made for the ''Lend-lease'' program in which much military materiel including not only smaller items such as these but also aircraft such as the Spitfire were sent to Russia to combat Nazi aggression. As a result of this programme many of the No. 19 sets still around have dual English and Russian legends on their front panels. Physical dimensions are 17.5" x 8.5" x 12.5" and it weighs in at 40lb. A range of ancillary equipment was used with the set, including dynamotor based power supply, ATU and whip aerial, combined headphones/mic and sometimes a high power amplifier.
Performance wasn't wonderful, as the set used grid modulation which reduced the range, compared with the more beefy technique of plate modulation. However it should be remembered that the set had a limited design performance in keeping with its intended operational use. As the set covered three amateur radio bands (160, 80 and 40 metres) it was popular in the 1950's when the availability of commercial equipment was limited and expensive and of course the norm was amplitude modulation in those pre-SSB days.
Using the set on ''Top Band'' the high end of which was just achievable, the set provided HF inter-tank and tank-to-HQ R/T, CW and MCW comms, over the band 2-8MHz and had a range of 10 miles R/T or 15 miles CW. The VHF inter-tank set used the ''super-regenerative'' technique and had a range of 1000 yards using a small band centred on 235MHz.
There is also an intercom facility, using a pair of 6V6's, for the tank crews. The HF part, the ‘A’ set, has an integral mechanical feature enabling, by means of a ‘flick’ switch to rapidly change between two frequencies. Use of the VHF part, the ‘B’ set, was phased out in the 1950's as the Larkspur range of VHF FM equipment came into service. The Royal Armoured Corps replaced their latest modified No. 19 Sets with the very similar C12 in the mid-50's and this in turn later by the newer C13.
Information sourced from - www.radiomuseum.co.uk/ws19.html
1940's Studebaker M29 Weasel Cargo Carrier (Wireless Set No.19) The Muckleburgh Military Collection.
Military operations showed the U.S Army needed a vehicle to move over snow for Commando Operations in Norway. In 1943 the Studebaker M29 Cargo Carrier, better known, as a Weasel was introduced. This was a lightweight vehicle with 15 or 20 inch tracks that was good for travelling over soft snow but had limited carrying capacity.
The original design with the engine at the back was soon altered to the conventional layout with the engine at the front and the drive sprockets at the rear. This gave better distribution of weight and improved space so more cargo or passengers could be carried. Next came an amphibious version with buoyancy chambers, twin rudders coupled to the steering controls and propulsion in the water by the tracks. The standard Weasel could be quickly converted in the field if required and both versions could be dropped by parachute.
Weasel's remained in service with the U.S, British and other countries in to the late 1960's. Not only were they used in Artic Operations in the Second World War but later in Korea and Vietnam. The Museum's example M29 was acquired in 1987 from Norway.
Specifications -
▪︎Engine: Studebaker 6-cylinder petrol, 70bhp
▪︎Speed (land): 36mph
▪︎Range: 175 miles
▪︎Speed (water): 4mph
▪︎Weight: 2.6 tons
▪︎Crew: 2 - 4.
Information from The Muckleburgh Military Collection.
Wireless Set No.19 -
The designs for this transceiver were developed by RSRE and Pye in 1940 and after producing a number of Mk.I equipments it then continued in development, emerging as the Mk.II in 1941 and finally the Mk.III in 1942. The sets were used by the British Army up to the early 1950's and by Canadian Divisions during WWII. Besides being built in the UK, the sets were also produced by a number of different manufacturers in Canada and the USA. Once designs had been customised for ease of sourcing American components, by liaison between Pye and a four man Canadian team, the firms selected to manufacture the sets were Northern Electric, Canadian Marconi and RCA Victor in Canada, and Zenith, RCA and Philco in the US.
Many Mk.II versions were made for the ''Lend-lease'' program in which much military materiel including not only smaller items such as these but also aircraft such as the Spitfire were sent to Russia to combat Nazi aggression. As a result of this programme many of the No. 19 sets still around have dual English and Russian legends on their front panels. Physical dimensions are 17.5" x 8.5" x 12.5" and it weighs in at 40lb. A range of ancillary equipment was used with the set, including dynamotor based power supply, ATU and whip aerial, combined headphones/mic and sometimes a high power amplifier.
Performance wasn't wonderful, as the set used grid modulation which reduced the range, compared with the more beefy technique of plate modulation. However it should be remembered that the set had a limited design performance in keeping with its intended operational use. As the set covered three amateur radio bands (160, 80 and 40 metres) it was popular in the 1950's when the availability of commercial equipment was limited and expensive and of course the norm was amplitude modulation in those pre-SSB days.
Using the set on ''Top Band'' the high end of which was just achievable, the set provided HF inter-tank and tank-to-HQ R/T, CW and MCW comms, over the band 2-8MHz and had a range of 10 miles R/T or 15 miles CW. The VHF inter-tank set used the ''super-regenerative'' technique and had a range of 1000 yards using a small band centred on 235MHz.
There is also an intercom facility, using a pair of 6V6's, for the tank crews. The HF part, the ‘A’ set, has an integral mechanical feature enabling, by means of a ‘flick’ switch to rapidly change between two frequencies. Use of the VHF part, the ‘B’ set, was phased out in the 1950's as the Larkspur range of VHF FM equipment came into service. The Royal Armoured Corps replaced their latest modified No. 19 Sets with the very similar C12 in the mid-50's and this in turn later by the newer C13.
Information sourced from - www.radiomuseum.co.uk/ws19.html