Dodge T214-WC52 «Beep», Truck, ¾ ton, 4×4, Weapons Carrier, w/Winch
ROCO 1:87 Scale Vehicle Review
Dodge Weapons Carrier serving with a US Infantry or Armoured Division. Vehicles like this one filled important transport roles at all levels of a formation, from Heavy Weapons Platoons to higher echelon Headquarters. Light trucks were fast and manœuvrable enough to keep up with troops advancing across difficult terrain, they had more load capacity than a Jeep and their low silhouette made them much less conspicuous than a full-sized truck. The Weapons Carrier was popularly known as the Beep, probably because it appeared like a big or beefed-up Jeep.
Weapons Carriers formed the basis of many wartime conversion like the 4×4 Command Field Sedan (WC53), Ambulance (WC54), 37 mm Gun Motor Carriage (WC55), Command Reconnaissance Truck (WC56), Radio Truck, Signal Corps Light Maintainance and Installation Truck (WC59), Emergency Repair Truck (WC60), and Ambulance KD (WC64) which had a collapsible body (knock-down) to facilitate air transport.
Contents
- Dodge T214-WC52, with canvas top
- Type: Truck, ¾ ton, 4×4, Weapons Carrier, w/Winch
- Wheelbase: 2.49 m
- Length: 4.45 m
- Width: 1.99 m
- Height: 1.58 m, 2.07 m with top
- Weight: 2554 kg
- Load: Driver and 7 Passengers
Evaluation
Scale model with much raised detail, removable top and folding windshield.
Cheap source of an important vehicle for wargamers.
Fully assembled vehicle. Wheels need to be immobilized to prevent the vehicle from rolling around on wargame terrain pieces.
High quality model, minimal flash.
True HO scale, compatible with model railroad equipment.
Historical Employment
- USA Weapons Carrier 1942–1950
- Canadian Truck, 15-cwt, 4×4, GS, APT 1942
- Lend-lease Weapons Carriers used by Soviet forces 1942–1945
- Nato
Possible Conversions
- Truck, ¾ ton, 4×4, Ambulance, KD (Dodge T214-WC64)
- M6 Gun Motor Carriage with 37 mm Anti-Tank Gun
Jeeps and Weapons Carriers became an important part of the US Army motor pool, they provided excellent tactical mobility at platoon, company and battalion level. ROCO’s Beep is the only available vehicle of this type on the market. It is an accurate and very attractive model of the ¾ ton Weapons Carrier, requiring no assembly. Historic simulation gamers need many of these versatile trucks to tow light guns and to motorize machine gun and mortar sections.