World War II Truck Mounted Cranes

In the time period that included World War II, truck mounted cranes were produced for the U.S. military by combining a truck chassis with a crane unit,often the Model E from Quick-Way Truck Shovel Co. of Denver, CO. The truck mounted cranes were used by combat engineers, SeaBees, bridging and artillery units as well as for general purpose lifting and recovery.

U.S. Army truck mounted crane on the bank of the Seine River, France, 1944
U.S. Army truck mounted crane on the bank of the Seine River, France, 1944.

Today in WW II: 7 Jul 1937 Full scale war begins between Japan and China, the Second Sino-Japanese War.  More ↓
7 Jul 1941 Britain turns over the defense of Iceland to the United States.
Visit the Olive-Drab.com World War II Timeline for day-by-day events 1939-1945! See also WW2 Books.

World War II Truck Mounted Cranes

The primary Truck Mounted Crane vehicles during World War II were:

Kurt Laughlin provided this information on the Track-Link Forum about the manuals for World War II era U.S. Army truck mounted cranes:

  • TM 5-1174 Crane, truck-mounted, gasoline, 3/8 cu yd, Quickway, Model E, with IH Model U-9 power unit
  • TM 5-8058 Crane, truck-mounted bridge erector, hydraulic operated, Daybrook, Model M-11A
  • TM 5-8060 Crane, truck-mounted, bridge erector, hydraulic operated, Daybrook, Model M-11
  • TM 5-8062 Steel treadway bridge equipment, truck body and hydraulic crane (Model M-11)
  • TM 5-8064 Crane, truck-mounted, bridge erector, hydraulic operated, Heil, Model M-11A

Many other truck mounted cranes were procured by the U.S. military during World War II, for example:

  • Thew Lorain Moto-Crane, U.S. Navy shipyard crane
  • Insley crane with boom -- dragline or clamshell -- U.S. Navy and USMC, mounted on IH M5-H6 with Reo gas engine

The trucks are in these manuals:

  • TM 9-813 6-ton, 6x6 truck (White, Corbitt, and Brockway)
  • TM 10-1220 White 666 (?)
  • TM 10-1676 Brockway truck, Models 146-S, 156-IU, 166-S, 260-A, B666

Truck mounted crane and DUKW at POL dump on the beach during April 1944 training exercises at Slapton Sands, Devon, England, in preparation for the D-Day invasion that followed in June
Truck mounted crane and DUKW at POL dump on the beach during April 1944 training exercises at Slapton Sands, Devon, England, in preparation for the D-Day invasion that followed in June.

Brockway Model C666 and F666, 6 ton 6x6 (G547) with Quickway revolving crane
Brockway Model C666 and F666, 6 ton 6x6 (G547) with Quickway revolving crane. The truck chassis is the same as the Corbitt / White 6 ton 6x6.