Designed in less than six months a short while before the United States entered the war in December 1941, in all 650 000 jeeps were built of which almost 175 000 were delivered to the Allied armies as part of the Lend-Lease agreement. The Free French paratroopers were the first to use jeeps - during the Special Air Service raids in the Western Desert. But it was from April 1943 onwards that the jeeps starting arriving in droves in the ports at Algiers and Casablanca as part of the re-armament agreements. These funny little cars won over the French with their good handling and their ability to get over the worst obstacles. Wherever the French army was, there were the jeeps. They transported top brass, carried radios, were equipped with automatic or anti-tank weapons, evacuated casualties from the battle zones over difficult terrain. They were equipped with loudspeakers to harangue the crowds and the technicians even thought of getting them to do mine detecting. Other builders thought they could replace them but they failed. They just had to build them under licence until they just disappeared after sixty years of loyal service.

TEXT IN FRENCH

About the Author:

After pursuing a career in the French army, Paul Gaujac is now devoting himself to his second vocation, that of military historian. He is especially the author of le Debarquement de Provence, Le CEF en Italie, L'Armee Francaise 1943-1956, and Les Troupes Coloniales Dans La Campagne De France.

French Language