DODGE WC-52

The Dodge WC series is a range of light 4WD and medium 6WD military utility trucks, produced by Chrysler under the Dodge and Fargo marques during World War II. Together with the 1⁄4-ton jeeps produced by Willys and Ford, the Dodge 1⁄2‑tons and 3⁄4‑tons made up nearly all of the light 4WD trucks supplied to the U.S. military in WWII – with Dodge contributing some 337,500 4WD units.

The Dodge WC series were essentially built in two generations. From 1940 to early 1942, almost 82,400 of the 1⁄2‑ton 4×4 Dodge trucks were built — initially called the VC series, but the great majority (from 1941) in the WC series, and in more variants. Contrary to what Dodge's nomenclature suggested, the 1941 WC models were a direct evolution of the 1940 VC models, retaining the U.S. Army's G-505 Ordnance Corps Supply Catalog number.

In 1942, the payload was uprated, and the trucks became the shorter G-502, 3⁄4‑ton, 4×4 Truck (Dodge), and the longer 1943, G-507, 11⁄2‑ton, 6x6 personnel and cargo truck (Dodge) — confusingly retaining Dodge WC model codes. Although the 3⁄4‑tons featured significant design improvements, they did retain some 80% interchangeable components and service parts with the 1⁄2‑ton models — a vital Army requirement, for field maintenance and operability of the trucks.

Dodge was the U.S Army's main supplier of 1⁄2‑ton trucks, and its sole supplier of both 3⁄4‑ton trucks and 11⁄2‑ton 6x6 trucks in World War II. With over a quarter million units built through August 1945, the G-502 3⁄4‑tons were the most common variants in the WC‑series.
After the war, Dodge developed the 3⁄4-ton WC‑series into the civilian 4×4 Dodge Power Wagon and in 1951, the WCs were replaced by the very similar 3⁄4‑ton 4x4 Dodge M-Series vehicles.

Throughout the war, Dodge was the U.S. Army's sole producer of 3⁄4‑ton trucks, and built a total of 255,193 of these across all variants from April 1942 to August 1945. Standard vehicles in the 3⁄4‑ton 4x4 class were the WC-51 / WC-52 Weapons Carrier, WC-56 /-57 /-58 (Radio) Command Reconnaissance, WC-53 Carry‑all, and the WC-54 Ambulance. In the cargo/troop and command trucks, the WC-52 and WC-57 are identical to the WC-51 and WC-56, but with a longer frame, extending to carry the protruding front bumper with front-mounted winch.

Engines and drivetrain

All engines were liquid-cooled, straight-six Chrysler flathead gasoline engines, mated to four-speed manual transmissions and a single-range transfer-case offering part-time four-wheel drive. Only the T203 and the T223 configurations applied in the 11⁄2‑ton VF-400 models, and in the G-507 6×6 trucks had a dual-ratio transfer-case.

Specifications

• Drive: four-wheel drive — except for WC-36 to WC-39 and WC-47 to WC-50
• Wheelbase: 116 in (295 cm) – both on four-wheel and two-wheel drive models
  • except 123 in (312 cm) for ambulances and phone line / emergency repair trucks
• Track width: 59+3⁄8 in (151 cm) front – 61+3⁄8 in (156 cm) rear
  • except 55+3⁄4 in (142 cm) front track on rear-wheel drive models
• Tires: 7.50×16
• Brakes: Hydraulic
• Engine: 6 cylinder, in-line
• Transmission: manual, 4 forward / 1 reverse
• Transfer case: Single speed