With the inevitability of the US getting involved in WWII, the Army realized that it would need a lot of modern equipment. As it was planned for the majority of the army to be motorized, this meant a variety of trucks. Near the upper end of the spectrum were the 4 ton 6x6 vehicles. In order to make things easier for manufacturers, it was decided to standardize as much as possible when it came to common stuff like truck beds and wheels, for example.

Though initially in competition with trucks from White, Autocar, and LaFrance, the Diamond T was the clear winner. Initially built with a hard top cab, most of the vehicles produced had a soft top as it was easier to fold the windscreen and the top, producing more usable space for things when it came to shipping the trucks overseas.

The trucks underwent minor modifications throughout its production life, though none were really major. Some trucks were modified for other roles such as a mobile photo lab, water trucks, dump trucks, and wreckers. Many were outfitted with winches on the front, but not all. Of the thousands of these trucks built, most stayed with US forces, though several hundred were provided to Allies, most of those going to the Soviets.

In addition to the trucks, Diamond T also built M3 halftracks. These were pretty much the same as those built by other manufacturers to the point where parts were interchangeable. Again, a number of variants were built including Gun Motor Carriages, though they saw little action.

As with other books in this series, this is primarily a photo book as much as a history and you are treated to lots of photos, some of the period ones in color. There is also a very detailed look at the vehicle itself thanks to some fine period illustrations. These Casemate Illustrated Specials make for a great read and equally welcome reference. Highly recommended to all.

July 2022

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