Heya, Folks,

I've been building the Tamiya Komatsu G40 bulldozer. Great build --- quick and fun, which is a nice change (especially since I do not normally do 1/48th scale subjects).

A friend of mine has said that these dozers were not very common and that it was not likely that the Marines (or by extension, the Seebees) would have been seen operating the vehicles, which is how I want to display mine...

Does anyone have any pictures or references showing Marines or Seebees using the captured Komatsu dozers in the Pacific?

Thanks, Folks!

Regards and Aloha,

Johnny B.

Hi Johnny

I don't know much about the US marines or the Seabee's, but i do know a fair bit about old Plant / Bulldozers (im training to be a Plant Fitter)

Personally I would say that it would be very unlikely that the G40 was ever used by the Marines or the Seabees, as there a fair amount of of Caterpillar D4's, D6's, D7's and D8's in service also there were a fair amount of Allis Chalmers HD30's etc and International Haverster TD-15's in service with the Marines and the Seabee's, Many of these machines were armored.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:D-7_Armoured_Bulldozer.jpg

But I guess it is very, very possible that one or two G40's were captured and put to good use, it would make sense especially in an enviroment like the pacific where resources were limited.

Sorry not to be of much help, but hopefully the info ive given might be of help at somepoint

Matt

Hey Johnny, Try googling up Guadalcanal 1942. The Marines used captured equipment to finish the airfield there and you might find what you are looking for.

Talking about Guadalcanal, it appears that the lone dozer used there at the begining of the campaign was a US one not a captured Japanese one..

From ibiblio.com :

"One R-4 bulldozer--actually an angle-dozer--was landed by the 1st Pioneer Battalion, and the yeoman service performed by this lone piece of power equipment in the hands of one Corporal Cates, its skilled proprietor--no one else was allowed to operate it--seems worthy of a place in the record. Cates drove that dozer from morning till night, he automatically ceased whatever task he was performing when condition RED sounded and headed for the airfield ready to fill bomb craters on the strip. He buried dead Japs, worked the roads and prepared bridge bank seats, cleared the Kukum beach for unloading operations, pulled, tugged, and towed all manner of things. That lovely R-4 finally fell apart like the one hoss shay, never to run again, some time in late October. "

You can have a look here for some informations about captured Japanese equipment on the island...

HTH

Frenchy