207 Ford GPA (Seep) Amphibious Vehicle (1942)

Ford GPA (Seep) Amphibious Vehicle (1942-43) Engine 2290cc S4 Willys Go Devil
Production 12,778
USA Military Number 703860-S
FORD USA SET
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623789312836...

After the highly successful colaboration between Willys, Ford and Bantam to design and build a common genral purpose vehicle, which of course became the Jeep. The US Motor Transport Board set up a project for the design of a simular vehicle to also fulfil an amphibibious role. esignated "QMC-4 1/4 Ton Truck Light Amphibian" the vehicles specification included an 80 inch wheelbase and it would be a smaller four wheel vehicle than the successful DUKW.

Roderick Stephens Jr. of Sparkman & Stephens Inc. yacht designers was asked to design a shape for a 2,700-pound (1,200 kg) amphibious jeep, in the same vein as his design for the DUKW six-wheel-drive amphibious truck. Stephens' hull design looked like a miniature version of that of the DUKW, and just like it, the 'Seep' was going to have a screw propeller, driven by a power take-off, operating in a dedicated tunnel faired into the rear end bodywork, as well as a proper rudder. Rival bids were tendered by Marmon-Herrington and Ford. The winning Ford entry came in some 400 pounds lighter than that of Marmon-Herrington with a sturdy chassis and internal frame and with a more or less standard automobile type welded sheet steel outer body. The GPA's design was based on the Willys MB and Ford GPW standard Jeeps as much as possible, using many of the same parts. The GPA had an interior similar to that of the MB/GPW jeeps, but with many more controls, for 2 and 4 wheel drive, hi and low range a capstan winch on the bows, propeller deployment and rudder control.

In contrast to the DUKW, the GPA did not perform well in the field, although the prototype had weighed in at 400lbs less than its competitor at 2600lbs the production version had grown to 3500lbs as a result it sat lower than anticipated in the water and its cargo weight had to be restricted as well as the craft being only able to handle lighly choppy waters. The GPA's intended use of ferrying troops and cargo from ships off-shore, over a beach and continuing inland, was therefore very limited. On land, the vehicle was too heavy and its body too unwieldy to be popular with the soldiers. GPAs would frequently get stuck in shallow waters, where the regular Willys MB's water fording abilities allowed it to drive straight through.

An estimated 12,700 were signed off before production was halted in 1943.

GPAs participated in the Sicily landings of September 1943 after a small number were used in action earlier in North Africa. Some also saw service the Pacific theatre. Under the Lend-Lease programme, some 4,486 GPAs were sent to US Allies. The largest recipients were the Soviet Union which received 3,520 and the British Commonwealth which received 852 GPAs

Diolch yn fawr am 69,124,907 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mwynhewch ac arhoswch yn ddiogel

Thank you 69,124,907 amazing views, enjoy and stay safe

Shot 19.10.2018 at Donington Park - the final week of the Donington Collection Ref 137-207

Taken in: UK / England / North West Leicestershire / Isley Walton (show map)

Taken on: October 19, 2018

Tags:

Ford

USA

1940's

1941

FordGPA

Seep

Amphibious

RoderickStephens

Sparkman+Stephens

Military

Army

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Sets appears in: • Ford USA • Years 1940-49 more » • Donington Collection 2018 « less

Groups appears in: • Automobiles • Classic Fords more » • AutomotivePhoto • Military Vehicles • Donington Park • Flickr Automotive • 1,000,000 Car Photos • Cars from the Past: Classic Cars • Motor Vehicles • Any kind of vehicles • AUTOS-Paparazzi - 30/60 opted out • Auto Almanac • TODO CLASICOS • Ford Trucks 1940 - 1947 • Cars of the 1940's • VEHICLES THAT TURN YOUR HEAD • Ford Cars • The classic car club of Great Britain • ALL CARS AND ANY TRANSPORTATION FROM AROUND THE WORLD! • Military Jeeps etc. • Oldtimer part view - Oldtimer-Details - No 30/60 limit ! • Cars, planes, motorbikes, boats, trains and trucks of the whole • CAR SPOTTERS Guide (See Discussion Board) • Classic Vehicles - Young and Old • Fan de voitures • On Wheels • *Auto Retro* • Scarce Cars • The World of Motoring 2 • Vintage & Veteran Vehicles • Motocicletas y automóviles de ayer. • Yesterday's cars (Automóviles de ayer). • automobilo • Amphibious Transportation - Civilian & Military « less

Camera: Canon EOS 100D, f/5.6, 1/40 sec, 21mm, ISO 2500 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS 100D
Aperture:	f/5.6
Exposure Time:	0.025 sec (1/40)
Focal Length:	21mm
ISO:	2500
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Microsoft Windows Photo Gallery 6.0.6000.16386
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