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Posted on 10/11/2004 11:31:54 PM PDT by SAMWolf
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support. The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer. If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions. We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.
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  One of the least known Studebaker wartime products is the M-29 Cargo Carrier (nicknamed Weasel). Studebaker sources say that company engineers designed the Weasel in cooperation with the War Department, but a more exciting Saturday Evening Post story traced its origin to a Winston Churchill request for a vehicle suitable for use in a planned invasion of Norway. It is clear that Studebaker accepted the assignment in May of 1942 and built the first working model in 34 days of feverish activity.  A camouflaged weasel pulls a treaded trailer loaded with Tenth Mountain Division troops over a snow-packed road at Camp Hale, Colorado. (1943) Note: that this is a T15/M28 Weasel" The Weasel was then loaded in complete secrecy and taken to the icy conditions in British Columbia to be tested. Churchill had requested that the new vehicle had to travel 25 m.p.h., over snow, climb at an angle of 30 degrees, have a turning radius of 12 feet or less and have a range of 225 miles. On top of these specifications, the vehicle had to be light enough to be carried on a cargo plane and be able to be dropped by parachute into enemy territory.  When the Weasel reached British Columbia it was thoroughly tested, and after several design and product problems, it performed well. The final corrected version was unveiled before military officials in 1942. The Weasel was put up against every known military snow vehicle available and it met or exceeded in every task. Final approval was granted and the Weasel was put into production.  The Weasel was equipped with a Studebaker Champion six cylinder engine, clutch and transmission. Changes were made in the engine’s generator, starter, manifold and distributor, but it was basically the same as the automobile’s engine. The Weasel was low and oblong and ran on tank-type tracks. There were 3 passenger seats in the rear of the vehicle and the engine was placed to the right of the driver. The accelerator was foot operated as was the clutch with the same placement as it would be in a standard automobile. Steering and braking was accomplished by two levers situated between the driver’s legs. Each lever was linked to a brake on one side of the rear steering differential. The right hand lever would brake the right hand driving sprocket and turn the Weasel right. The direct opposite happened when you used the left hand lever.  After getting the Weasel into production, the military once again changed their minds. An invasion of Norway was cancelled, however North Africa would be the next area of attention. With North Africa now being considered for invasion, there was some concern as to whether the Weasel was also good in heat and sand. Tests on the Weasel began again, this time at the Indiana dunes along Lake Michigan. Surprisingly, the Weasel performed just as well in sand as it had in the snow of Canada. Another challenge given to the Studebaker engineers was that now the Weasel had to be able to float and navigate through water. After some difficult design problems, a bow was designed and added to the front of the Weasel, as well as two rudders placed at the rear so that the craft could be steered.  The new and redesigned Weasel now completed testing in the waters of the St. Joseph River in South Bend and the muddy bogs on Long Island, New York. Once again, the Weasel proved very worthy and production was restarted.  Side shot of M29c Weasel #40186744. Good details, especially of the rudder controls, stowed boat hook, and folded back surf guard. The Weasel saw action in nearly all of the theaters of World War II. It carried supplies and men through almost all types of terrain and weather. It went ashore on Normandy, it was with the U.S. Army during the breakthrough at St. Lo., the Battle of the Bulge and in the mud of the Roer and the Rhine. One of the best uses for the Weasel came in the Pacific where it proved invaluable in the volcanic earth of Iwo Jima.  The Weasel was Studebaker’s last wartime product when the last one came off the line (number 15,124) on August 31, 1945. How did the Weasel get its name?  The Army calls it the M-29, but GI Joe knows the newest military personnel and supply carrier as the “Weasel.”  Weasels used by the french in Vietnam Although nature’s weasel has little social standing, reasoned GI Joe in selecting the nickname, he is considerable of a fighter. The weasel will tackle an enemy many times his weight. He strikes stealthily and swiftly. He is a crafty stalker of prey, taking full advantage of terrain. Snow, swamp, sand, mountains—nothing bothers him once he makes up his mind to get going.  A weasel is tipped over onto its side on a snowbank along the side of a road. A Tenth Mountain Division soldier surveys the situation. Two ski by on the road while others ski past on an elevated path above the snowbank. (1943-1944) Note: later model M29 with 20" tracks and mudguard The M-29, in the hands of the same GI Joe, fits snugly into the animal’s character. It is compact and low-slung. It is fast and sure-footed. Dressed in combat camouflage for either Summer or Winter backgrounds, the vehicle can escape detection at short distances. 
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"Select a Restore Point" opens. Select the pre-SP2 donwload date within the calender frame you chose as your restore point. Click on the name you called your restore point and then "Next.
Read the warnings on the "Confirm Restore Point Selection" window. If you're satisfied with your decision, click "next".
System logs you off, shutdown and then does "system restore" Upon clompletion Windows restarts.
I hope this helps.
Hi manna
Hmmmm, Weasels, WW-II, how about a WW-II era close up :-)
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
Good mornin', snippy
On This Day In History
Birthdates which occurred on October 12:
1350 Dimitri "Donskoi" Ivanovitch, great monarch of Vladimir-Soezdal
1537 Edward VI king of England (1547-53)
1798 Pedro I 1st emperor of Brazil (1822-31), king of Portugal
1815 William Joseph Hardee, Lt Gen (Confederate Army), died in 1873
1822 Joseph Haydn Potter, Brig General (Union volunteers), died in 1892
1840 Helena Modjeska Poland, Shakespearian actress (Juliet)/anti-Russian
1860 Elmer A Sperry inventor (gyrocompass)
1866 Ramsay MacDonald (L) British PM (1924, 1929-35)
1894 Dr Charles Hodge Calif, NYU professor (Answers for Americans)
1896 Eugenio Montale Italy, poet/translator (Xenia-Nobel 1975)
1906 Joe Cronin baseball (Pirates, Red Sox, Senators, MVP 1930, AL Pres)
1921 Jaroslav Drobny Czech, hockey (Oly-gold-1948), tennis (Wimb-1954)
1923 Jean Nidetch Brooklyn, founded Weight Watchers
1926 Hans Liebold Germany, auto racer (Nardo, Italy)
1932 Dick Gregory comedian/political activist/dietician (Bahamian Diet)
1932 Jake Garn (Sen-R-Ut)/astronaut (STS 51D)
1935 Luciano Pavarotti Modena Italy, operatic tenor (Yes, Giorgio)
1936 Tony Kubek shortstop (NY Yankees)/sportscaster (NBC-TV)
1947 Chris Wallace Chic Ill, newscaster (Fox News Sunday)
1948 Rick Parfitt rocker (Status Quo-The Wanderer)
1950 Susan Anton Oak Glen Calif, actress (Golden Girl, Spring Fever)
1968 Adam Rich NYC, actor (Nicholas-8 is Enough, Code Red, Gun Shy)
1969 Nancy Ann Kerrigan, Woburn Mass, figure skater (Olympics-silver-1994)
1970 Kimberly Hoskins Yuma Arizona, Miss Arizona-America (1991)
1970 Kirk Cameron Panorama City Calif, actor (Mike-Growing Pains)
Morning Neil.
From what I understand there are still Weasels out there for sale. It does look like it's be a blast to drive.
Morning Aeronaut
Morning E.G.C.
No fog today, at least not around my house.
Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger.
Sounds like my last job. ;-)
Thanks E.G.C.
Useful info. You going to try SP2 yet?
A DC-3, one of the worlds classic planes and the basis for the C-47.
Morning Cannoneer No. 4!!
And once again did nothing about it other than use it as a photo op to talk tough.
Morning PE.
OOOOOOO! An A-10!!
Morning Feather.
Nice of you to rush home in time for Treadhead Tuesday. ;-)
LOL!! Can't miss one episode!!
Cool Flag-o-gram today!
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