Dodge WC51/WC52 “Beeps” ¾-ton 4×4 Truck, Weapons Carrier

The Dodge WC series, sometimes nicknamed “Beeps”, was a range of light military trucks produced by Dodge during World War II.  The series included weapon carriers, telephone installation trucks, ambulances, reconnaissance vehicles, mobile workshops and command cars.  They were replaced after the war by the Dodge M-series of vehicles.  WC was a Dodge model code: W for 1941 and C for half-ton rating.  The C code was retained for the ¾ ton and 1½ ton 6×6 Dodges.

The Dodge WC series were essentially built in two generations.  From 1940 to early 1942, almost 82,400 of the ½-ton 4×4 Dodge trucks were built — initially called the VC series, but the great majority (from 1941) in the WC series, and in more variants.  Contrary to what the nomenclature would suggest, the 1941 WC models were a direct evolution of the 1940 VC models, retaining the US Army’s G-505 Ordnance Corps Supply Catalog number.

The Dodge G-502 ¾ ton 4×4 trucks were first introduced in late 1941.  Standard vehicles in the ¾ ton 4×4 class were the WC-51 / WC-52 Weapons Carrier, Telephone Installation Trucks, WC-53 Carryall, and the WC-54 Ambulance.  In the cargo trucks, the WC51 was identical to the WC52 but did not have the front bumper-mounted winch.

In 1942, the payload was uprated, and the trucks grew into the G-502 ¾-ton 4×4 Truck (Dodge) and the G-507 1½‑ton 6×6 personnel and cargo truck (Dodge) — confusingly retaining the Dodge WC model code.  Although the ³⁄₄‑tons featured significant design improvements, they did retain some 80% interchangeable components and service parts with the ¹⁄₂‑ton models — a vital Army requirement, for field maintenance and operability of the trucks.

Dodge was the US Army’s main supplier of ¹⁄₂‑ton trucks, and its sole supplier of both ¾‑ton trucks and 1¹⁄₂‑ton 6×6 trucks in World War II.  With over a quarter million units built through August 1945, the G-502 ¾‑tons were the most common variants in the WC‑series.

WC-51 Truck, Cargo, 3/4 ton, 4×4 w/o Winch Dodge (G502) Weapons Carrier.  123,541 were built.  The open cab pickup could be fitted with an optional M24A1 machine gun mount, which bolted across the front of the bed.  The mount could carry the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle, the M1919 Browning machine gun, or the M2 Browning machine gun.

WC-52 Truck, Cargo, 3/4 ton, 4×4 w/Winch Dodge (G502) Weapons Carriers was identical to the WC-51, but fitted with a Braden MU 2 7,500lb / 3,402kg capacity winch at the front bumper.  59,114 built.

Product Highlights:

– Option to build either a WC-51 or WC-52

– With or without M24A1 gun mount

– M2 Browning MG included

– With or without tarpaulin cover

– 3 figures (driver, passenger, and MG gunner) included

– Optional stowage included