Introduction

R073 M38A1

Wings and Wheels Productions (WWP) will be familiar to many already, they have an excellent range of photographic walkabouts of various vehicles that are useful to modellers, vehicle enthusiasts and restorers alike. The book is specifically intended as a photo manual for modellers.

This is a look at one of the recent releases covering the M38A1 Jeep and Militarized CJ5 Variants.

The book

The book measures just over 9 ½ inches by 9 inches and is finished in a high gloss fashion, and consists of 107 pages of good quality colour photographs and short texts. Jeeps have always been popular with modellers so for those interested in the M38A1 this should prove a very useful reference.

The opening text on page 2 sets the scene for the vehicle, produced between 1953 and 1959. Pages 4 through to 11 show a range of privately owned vehicles and M38A1 variants.

The walkabout starts on page 12 and begins the technical chapter. The vehicle in focus here is that owned by Mr. Lubos Doubek in the Czech Republic

Each part of the vehicle is photographed in detail from the front lights through to the deep fording set. A number of possible armament and radio options are covered along with detailed photographs of the engine, radiator details and axle details. There are examples of the gear box restoration on the chassis only.

This is followed by detailed photographs of the M38A1C held in the Marshall Museum in Overloon and details of the M40A1 recoilless rifle breech details are included on pages 72 and 75.

Pages 76 to 85 show details of Mark Hazzard’s IDF Scout Car CJ5 and the remaining pages 86 through to 101 show details of IDF gear, ammo boxes and the FN MAG. The final pages 102 to 105 show IDF M606 Jeeps, with 106 to 107 showing CJ5s/M606s converted to carry the M40A1 106mm recoilless rifle.

Conclusion

Great quality photographs and close up detail of a very interesting range of vehicles/equipment. The vehicle saw service during the Vietnam War and extensive use with the IDF so the content covers a wide time frame and contains much that should be of interest to modellers.

As well as detailed pictures of the vehicle supplemented in most of the sections are exploded diagrams of the composition of the various parts which you are viewing which should be useful.

I like the overall quality of these books and the way they are laid out for easy reference.