F4U Corsair vignette

[rtbrd]

Not sure if this is the correct place for the question or not but I guess I will find out.
I'm in the process of making the 1/32 Tamiya F4U-1A Corsair (Kit 60325) and hope to do vignette of it on a carrier deck being towed by a Willys MB jeep. I have the carrier deck in hand and also a 1/35 Tamiya jeep. My problem is finding photos of a jeep doing its job. I found two so far, black and white but I cannot discern much detail on the jeep. I did get a photo of one on either the Essex or Lexington in color from the National Archives so I pretty much know the color but again even this photo does not lend itself to showing the jeep details.
It would be most appreciated if anyone can supply some info on these rare birds. Locations of photos would be great but anything that will lend insight would be of immense help.

 

[fubar57]

Got a few hits with this search.... Willys MB jeep on carrier deck - Google Search

USA - Follow Me Jeeps

www.nevingtonwarmuseum.com

 

[rtbrd]

Interesting, never came across that page. However these appear to be Army or at least USAAF jeeps but they do show some of the details I'm looking for. My guess is the Navy guys didn't do much in the way of making mods to the structure itself, more than likely just piss on it and paint it.
I see two photos of use on a carrier. One in the Life photo but the plane in the pic eludes me. To my knowledge the Navy never flew twin engine planes off a carrier during WWII (Doolittle being an exception). The jeep shown appears to be one of the three wheel type. I have read about them but have never seen a photo of one (but have now).
The two yellow ones are no doubt carrier based tugs and I wonder if they might be three wheelers also (and my answer is yes they are).
If you look a the rear of the jeeps in the above two photos you will notice they only show a drivers seat and the rear seat is completely missing. The hoods (bonnets) have also been modified. Need to check if these were used in WWII, the Corsair taking off looks kinda like it has Korea era markings.
Attached is the photo I got from the National Archives and as can be seen it surely a standard type jeep.

I followed your picture link and went from hardly any info to information overload.

Thanks bunches. OH BOY a whole new subject to study.

 

[Wurger]

the source: the net.

 

[R Leonard]

If it helps you any with USN types, Wurger's supplied photos are . . .

The first photo shows a TBM with wings folded
The second photo shows same
The third, an SB2C-4
Fourth, a wrecked F4U-1
Fifth, the shot-up tail end of an F4U
Sixth photo shows an F6F-3 (note curiously the plain star and circle national insignia on underside of right wing)
Seventh photo shows an F4U-1D and because of the F6Fs in the background is WW2 vintage

Something to remember, when jeeps first showed up on carrier decks they were, ahhh, borrowed, yeah, that the word, borrowed. Later, when their efficacy was noted, they were issued.

All of the markings shown in the above photos one through six are also WW2 vintage.

Syd Bottomley operated, land, launch, repeat, a PBJ (the USN B-25) off USS Shangri-La in November 1944. Charlie Lane in an F7F got the same treatment that day, not to mention Bob Elder in a modified P-51D. None of any of the photos I've seen of these events show any jeeps involved or even in the background. There was only one of these planes being operated at a time, my suspicion is that for at least Bottomley's PBJ and Lane's F7F they kept the deck as clear as possible. I've read that the F7F and the P-51 were first to land and were then struck below while the PBJ went through its evolutions. Came up afterwards for their turns at bat. Jeeps would have been handy to move them around on the hanger deck.

Bob Elder was a dive bomber pilot at Coral Sea and Syd Bottomley and Charlie Lane were SBD drivers at Midway.

I don't believe the three wheeled jeeps came out until after the war and were special built under contract. Here 3 wheeled | eWillys you can see some with F9F jets. From what I see these three wheelers were slightly shorter that the four wheeled standard.

 

[rtbrd]

Thanks guys. Wurger's photos give a good deal of the detail I am interested in. The Tamiya jeep I have is an Army version which is going to need some work to make it look like a deck tug. His photo's also show the tow gear being attached to both the main landing gear and the tail wheel which is quite helpful as I am not sure which way to go. I'm thinking the tail wheel as it will require less scratch build which I still need quite a more practice at.

There is such a wealth of knowledge here, it is amazing.

 

[Wurger]

And a next I found ...

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