M-5 Bomb Trailer Restoration

[Second Air Force]

Here's some inspiration.[/quote]

Django, I have been using this photo taken by Charles Chandler as my inspiration:

The airplane is Devilish Snooks and the photo was taken at the 40th Group home base at Chakulia, India. I'd sure like to have that bomb loading truck under my tree in a couple of weeks. (You listening, Santa?)

About all I've done to the trailer is cut all the corroded deck bolts off. Next it's off to the media blaster! I'll start laying out the toolbox after the holidays.


Scott

[Robbie Roberts]

Just a really stupid hint on paint; I recently discovered that that camouflage paint they sell at Wal-Mart: the flat OD stuff made by Krylon (I think) -works great if you give it a coating of clear matte paint over the od flat! Looks just like WWII OD, and for a lot less cost than a lot of the military paint places want! I now use it for lots of od stuff...

Robbie

[Second Air Force]

I found the same thing out, Robbie! I used Krylon O.D. on the inside of the wheels and it looks nearly identical to the remaining, good, original paint under the trailer frame. I'll still use the Gillespie paint for the overall finish, but this Krylon looks like it'll work great for touch-ups.

Scott

[Django]

Did you start on the boxes yet?

[MattP38]

Great thread. It's nice that more and more info is surfacing on the Saginaw M5. Now if only I could find one to tow behind my car

[Second Air Force]

Django,

I haven't started on the box yet. I still don't know the gauge of sheet steel that was used on the box, though I do have all other dimensions. I've queried a couple of folks about that subject but haven't heard back yet.

MattP38,

There are actually a fair number of M-5s around, it is just a matter of finding them. The G503 website "1/2 Ton Trailer" forum has a couple of posts about bomb trailers coming up on Govt. Surplus sales in the past few years! As far as towing them goes, the darned thing is heavy, even empty. It weighs over a ton empty with a 5,000 pound payload, something that I'm sure was NEVER exceeded in the field . As evidence, here is a photo of Ordnance men loading an M-5:

Notice how the main frame and forward frame are bowed from the load. I guess no one read the data plate before going to work.

Scott

[RAMC181]

I'm gathering quite a few photos of M-5 trailers together lately.



Plenty to see here.... from the clamps and chains etc. on the trailer, the M-6 Truck hiding in the background, fuze tubes being loaded into the toolbox, to the shelving made up from old bomb fin transit frames.

More to come,
PB

[MattP38]

Django,

I haven't started on the box yet. I still don't know the gauge of sheet steel that was used on the box, though I do have all other dimensions. I've queried a couple of folks about that subject but haven't heard back yet.

MattP38,

There are actually a fair number of M-5s around, it is just a matter of finding them. The G503 website "1/2 Ton Trailer" forum has a couple of posts about bomb trailers coming up on Govt. Surplus sales in the past few years! As far as towing them goes, the darned thing is heavy, even empty. It weighs over a ton empty with a 5,000 pound payload, something that I'm sure was NEVER exceeded in the field . As evidence, here is a photo of Ordnance men loading an M-5:

Notice how the main frame and forward frame are bowed from the load. I guess no one read the data plate before going to work.

Scott

Scott, thanks for that heads up! I am in school full time and I'm not sure I could set aside the extra $$$ for an M-5. Finding detail photos is the difficult bit, especially of the hitch itself. The example Dayton has is quite lovely and in pristine shape. I would love to get some walk around photos of their example. HA! I think they ALWAYS exceeded those loads, unintentionally or otherwise Are there photos of a Cletrac towning an M-5 or two? I would think one of those could two a fleet of M-5s?

RAMC181, nice photo! If either of you are willing to share pictures, let me know. I would like to add to my folder.

[Second Air Force]

PB,
The photo you posted is a great reference for the fin holder pins and chains, not to mention all the other details it reveals, such as the bomb cradles clamped to the rails with the large wingnuts. Do you know which Bomb Group or Service Group the men and machines were assigned to?

Matt,
I can take all the photos you want of the hitch on our trailer. Ours was never modified from original with the exception of the fuse storage box being removed. I'd be glad to share photos, especially wartime "in action" close-ups.

Scott

[RAMC181]

Hi Scott,

Glad to hear it's a useful picture.
The photo shows personnel of the 353rd Fighter Group at RAF Raydon, Essex, in April 1944.

TTFN,
PB

[RAMC181]

More photos.
I have hi-res versions of most of these, if anyone needs any closeups.

784th Bomb Squadron, 466th Bomb Group, RAF Attlebridge:


381st Bomb Group, RAF Ridgewell, September 1943:


401st Bomb Squadron, 91st Bomb Group, RAF Bassingbourn:

[RAMC181]

91st Bomb Group, RAF Bassingbourn:








392nd Bomb Group, RAF Wendling:

[RAMC181]

379th Bomb Group, RAF Kimbolton, 6th June 1944:


353rd Fighter Group, RAF Raydon. (Note thick side and rear panels on this M-5):


322nd Bomb Squadron, 91st Bomb Group, RAF Bassingbourn, September 1943:


427th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, RAF Molesworth:


535th Bomb Squadron, 381st Bomb Group, RAF Ridgewell:








532nd Bomb Squadron, 381st Bomb Group, RAF Ridgewell:


TTFN,
PB

[Second Air Force]

Those are some great "in theatre" shots! The location of the Group/Squadron assignment on the storage box front will be a help when we get around to painting our trailer.

You referenced the trailer with the deeper rear and side rails--I am still learning a lot about the various M-5 changes, but I believe that trailer is the third design. The trailers with the transverse hitch spring and five-hole main wheels are first design. That is the type we're restoring:

Second design has the spring longitudinally mounted with a bit different drawbar and eight-hole wheels:

The third design also has the longitudinal hitch spring, eight hole wheels, and the deeper frame as in your 353rd Fighter Group photo.

Great photos, only a few of which I already had!
Scott

[RAMC181]

There's this third-pattern trailer advertised (with two others + parts) over on the Vehicles of Victory website:



I'd love to get hold of one, I've only seen one in the UK and I'm not entirely sure that was "resident" either.

All the best,
Paul