Book Review of
U.S. Army Signal Corps Vehicles 1941-45
Author: Didier Andres
Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 978-1-64624-064-0
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $37.95
ISBN: 978-1-64624-064-0
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $37.95
HISTORY:
The U.S. Army Signal Corps was at the forefront of the technological development of communications throughout WWII. Tasked with coordinating all American military activities, the Signal Corps initially had to rely on a communications landline network, covering some 1.3 million kilometers.
This was soon overtaken by radio communications, however adaptation remained a priority within the U.S. Army Signal Corps – for when landline networks were unavailable or radio silence had to be observed.
Almost every large piece of Signal Corps equipment required wheeled transport and over a hundred vehicles and trailers would be specially designed, many associated with one particular radio or radar installation.
THE BOOK:
Casemate Publishers is predominantly a distributor of books by many companies. However, this book is by them. Casemate is based in Pennsylvania, USA.
The book is hard-bound of 164 pages (4 pages are blank) in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
This comprehensive and fully illustrated account describes in technical detail all the vehicles needed to move, use and maintain the communications equipment vital to the success of the U.S. Army during WWII – including specialized vehicles such as telephone repair trucks , mobile telephone switchboards, and homing-pigeon units.
Packed with 346 black and white photos and 2 color period ones and diagrams, providing a wealth of visual information for the historian, modeler or researcher.
The cover art shows 4 black and white photos.
The one at the top is an azimuth antenna. It indicated the direction and the speed of the target.
At the left, on the bottom, is a photo of K-56 truck in the background and in the company of a lot of brass, Major General Spencer B. Alkin, Chief Signal Officer, is having the rudiments of the SCR-268 explained to him. The scene took place on December 7, 1943, during an inspection tour in Australia.
The top photo to the right shows a series of K30Bs and K-62s sold as Army surplus at Fort Meade, May 26, 1948. After the war these supplies were much sought after.
The bottom photo on the right shows two horse-drawn cable carts at Camp Fuston, October 1942. They can be considered the forerunners of the RL-26 reel units.
The back cover shows 4 more black and white wartime photos.
The top one is the first K-44 telephone maintenance truck with basic angular bodywork. Apart from this, as in the Marmon-Harrington E5-4s, the ground auger operated on the ground, directly linked to the machine.
The 2nd one down shows the HO-17 shelter installed in the hull of a DUKW amphibious truck. It is set up with the front directed forward of the driver’s seat. On the rear deck there are two protective caissons for the small generators to power the SCR-299. Shown in Bristol, England.
The 3rd photo down shows the setting up of the SCR-584 in the Philippines, 1945. Apart from the protective ditch that had to be dug, only half an hour was needed to set up this type of radar, compared to the hours needed for the old SCR-268,
The bottom photo shows a line-up of K-30Bs and K-62s. Much sought for after the war.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Didier Andres was born in 1959 in Verviers, Belgium. He is passionate about military history, in particular American vehicles of WWII. He has accumulated an impressive collection of technical documents and photographs on the subject, which he has shared through his writing both of books and magazines, over the last two decades.
This book will be of great interest to modelers, military historians and researchers alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All Casemate books can be viewed on their website at:
The U.S. Army Signal Corps was at the forefront of the technological development of communications throughout WWII. Tasked with coordinating all American military activities, the Signal Corps initially had to rely on a communications landline network, covering some 1.3 million kilometers.
This was soon overtaken by radio communications, however adaptation remained a priority within the U.S. Army Signal Corps – for when landline networks were unavailable or radio silence had to be observed.
Almost every large piece of Signal Corps equipment required wheeled transport and over a hundred vehicles and trailers would be specially designed, many associated with one particular radio or radar installation.
THE BOOK:
Casemate Publishers is predominantly a distributor of books by many companies. However, this book is by them. Casemate is based in Pennsylvania, USA.
The book is hard-bound of 164 pages (4 pages are blank) in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
This comprehensive and fully illustrated account describes in technical detail all the vehicles needed to move, use and maintain the communications equipment vital to the success of the U.S. Army during WWII – including specialized vehicles such as telephone repair trucks , mobile telephone switchboards, and homing-pigeon units.
Packed with 346 black and white photos and 2 color period ones and diagrams, providing a wealth of visual information for the historian, modeler or researcher.
The cover art shows 4 black and white photos.
The one at the top is an azimuth antenna. It indicated the direction and the speed of the target.
At the left, on the bottom, is a photo of K-56 truck in the background and in the company of a lot of brass, Major General Spencer B. Alkin, Chief Signal Officer, is having the rudiments of the SCR-268 explained to him. The scene took place on December 7, 1943, during an inspection tour in Australia.
The top photo to the right shows a series of K30Bs and K-62s sold as Army surplus at Fort Meade, May 26, 1948. After the war these supplies were much sought after.
The bottom photo on the right shows two horse-drawn cable carts at Camp Fuston, October 1942. They can be considered the forerunners of the RL-26 reel units.
The back cover shows 4 more black and white wartime photos.
The top one is the first K-44 telephone maintenance truck with basic angular bodywork. Apart from this, as in the Marmon-Harrington E5-4s, the ground auger operated on the ground, directly linked to the machine.
The 2nd one down shows the HO-17 shelter installed in the hull of a DUKW amphibious truck. It is set up with the front directed forward of the driver’s seat. On the rear deck there are two protective caissons for the small generators to power the SCR-299. Shown in Bristol, England.
The 3rd photo down shows the setting up of the SCR-584 in the Philippines, 1945. Apart from the protective ditch that had to be dug, only half an hour was needed to set up this type of radar, compared to the hours needed for the old SCR-268,
The bottom photo shows a line-up of K-30Bs and K-62s. Much sought for after the war.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Didier Andres was born in 1959 in Verviers, Belgium. He is passionate about military history, in particular American vehicles of WWII. He has accumulated an impressive collection of technical documents and photographs on the subject, which he has shared through his writing both of books and magazines, over the last two decades.
This book will be of great interest to modelers, military historians and researchers alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All Casemate books can be viewed on their website at:
Recommended.