WC56 Dodge Command Car, 3/4 ton, 4x4

Dodge produced a total of 21,156 WC-56 3/4 ton 4x4 Command Car vehicles from 1942 to 1944, part of the Dodge 3/4 ton WC series of trucks. The Command Car was used for transporting officers and for reconnaissance missions. Its distinctive profile made it a target, however, one of the reasons production was soon phased out.

The WC-56 differs from the WC-57 Command Reconnaissance Car in that the WC-57 was equipped with a winch. The WC-58 Radio Car is identical to the WC-56 or WC-57 but has provisions for a radio set to be mounted in the rear seat area.

The Olive-Drab.com Gallery has a photo of Lt. Gen. Patton with his WC-56 or WC-57 Command Car.

American and French officers review troops from a WC-56 Dodge Command Car during World War II
American and French officers review troops from a WC-56 Dodge Command Car during World War II.

Today in WW II: 23 Feb 1942 Japanese submarine I-17 attacks a coastal oil refinery at Santa Barbara, CA. 17 high-explosive shells cause insignificant damage.  More ↓
23 Feb 1944 US forces achieve victory in the Battle of Eniwetok Atoll, in the Pacific Marshall Islands.
23 Feb 1945 US Marines from 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division captured the summit of Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima, after days of intense fighting. Without realizing its significance, Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal snapped the world famous Iwo Jima flag photo.
23 Feb 1945 Allied Forces cross the Roer River [Operation Grenade].
Visit the Olive-Drab.com World War II Timeline for day-by-day events 1939-1945! See also WW2 Books.

Dodge WC-56 Truck, Command Reconnaissance, 3/4 ton, 4x4 w/o winch (G-502)

Find additional photos and hi-res versions of the WC-56 3/4-ton Command Car at the Olive-Drab Military Mashup.

Dodge WC-56 Command Car, 3/4 ton, 4x4 w/o winch Photo Gallery

Dodge WC-56 Truck, Command Reconnaissance, 3/4 ton, 4x4 w/o winch (G-502)
Dodge WC-56 Truck, Command Reconnaissance, 3/4 ton, 4x4 w/o winch (G-502). Photo: "Baby" courtesy of Deryk Walker.

Securing a WC-56 Dodge 3/4 ton 4x4 Command Car in an automobile transport boxcar, Detroit, MI, vicinity, August 1942.
Securing a WC-56 Dodge 3/4 ton 4x4 Command Car in an automobile transport boxcar, Detroit, MI, vicinity, August 1942.

WC-56 Dodge 3/4 ton 4x4 Command Car at Dodge factory undergoing final inspection of lubrication, springs, axles, and the entire undercarriage, Detroit, MI vicinity, August 1942.
WC-56 Dodge 3/4 ton 4x4 Command Car at Dodge factory undergoing final inspection of lubrication, springs, axles, and the entire undercarriage, Detroit, MI vicinity, August 1942.

General George S. Patton, Jr. standing in a WC-56 Dodge 3/4 ton 4x4 Command Car during a Ward Bonds rally and parade in Los Angeles, CA, 9 June 1945.
General George S. Patton, Jr. standing in a WC-56 Dodge 3/4 ton 4x4 Command Car during a Ward Bonds rally and parade in Los Angeles, CA, 9 June 1945. This photo is available in high resolution in the Olive-Drab.com Gallery.

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