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Canadian Military Pattern truck
Canadian Military Pattern (CMP) trucks were mutually coherent ranges of military trucks, compliant with British Army specifications, made in large numbers, and in several classes and numerous versions, by Canada's branches of the U.S. 'Big Three' auto-makers during World War II. They were primarily intended for use by the armies of the British Commonwealth allies, but also served in other British Empire units.
Canadian factories produced some 850,000 vehicles in World War II, including about 50,000 armoured vehicles, self-propelled guns and tanks. However, of greatest significance was the huge number of trucks and light-wheeled vehicles – over 800,000 – produced by Ford, GM and Chrysler of Canada.
Until the currency restrictions of the late 1940s, the Canadian automotive industry provided a significant number of vehicles for British Empire countries. Under the "Imperial Preference" scheme, those territories reduced import duties on Canadian products, usually made by Canadian subsidiaries of the big U.S. auto manufacturers. In the late 1930s, to prepare for war, Canada started drawing up standard designs, which involved a unique and historic design-and-production collaboration between rival giant car-makers, especially Ford Canada and GM of Canada.
Canadian Military Pattern trucks not only motorized the forces of Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, but were also sent to the Soviet Union after the German invasion, as part of Canada's Gift and Mutual Aid program to the Allies, comparable to the U.S. Lend-Lease Act.
During the war, CMP trucks saw service around the world: in the North African campaign, the Allied invasion of Sicily, the Italian Campaign, the Eastern Front, the Burma campaign, the Philippines, the liberation of Northwest Europe, and the Western Allied invasion of Germany. CMP trucks also served in post-war conflicts in Indonesia, French Indochina, and the Portuguese colonies in Africa.
The United Kingdom's official History of the Second World War called Canada's war-time production of soft-skinned trucks, including the CMP class, the country's most important contribution to Allied victory. Canada's trucks are considered to have "put the British Army on wheels". In the North African Campaign, the British Eighth Army fought Panzer Army Africa using almost exclusively CMP trucks, and the Allied progress from Sicily through Italy and France depended heavily on the Canadian trucks. By the end of the war, Canada's vast supply of trucks provided a vehicle for every three soldiers in the field — compared to one vehicle per seven American soldiers — making it the most mobile army in the world.
The rise to power in Germany of Hitler and the Nazi party in 1933 led to discussions in the mid-1930s between the British War Office and the Canadian Army concerning the possible production of military vehicles in Canada. During the First World War, Canadian land forces had participated as a corps in the British Army. In any future conflict it was assumed that Canadian forces would again be tightly integrated with those of the Mother Country, and so it would be essential that Canadian-manufactured equipment be compatible with British standards and specifications.
Early in 1937, the Ford Motor Company of Canada and General Motors of Canada Ltd were each invited by the Canadian Department of National Defence to produce a Canadian prototype of a 15-hundredweight (cwt) (¾-ton U.S.) payload rating, light infantry truck similar to the Morris CS8 that had then been recently adopted by the British War Office.[page needed] By 1938, Canadian military authorities had shifted their interest to heavier 4x4 and 6x4 designs. In that year, Ford and General Motors of Canada Limited were invited to produce prototypes of a 6x4 medium artillery tractor derived from the British 6x4 Scammell Pioneer. By 1939, plans had been prepared for the mass production in Canada of a range of military vehicles based on fairly strict CMP British specifications. These trucks were originally designated "Department of National Defence (DND) Pattern"; however, when production volumes increased and it became clear that the Canadian-built vehicles were to serve widely in the forces of other countries, the class of trucks was redesignated "Canadian Military Pattern" (CMP). At the outbreak of World War II, Canada's large and modern automobile industry was shifted over to the production of military vehicles, outproducing Germany.
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Canadian Military Pattern truck
Canadian Military Pattern (CMP) trucks were mutually coherent ranges of military trucks, compliant with British Army specifications, made in large numbers, and in several classes and numerous versions, by Canada's branches of the U.S. 'Big Three' auto-makers during World War II. They were primarily intended for use by the armies of the British Commonwealth allies, but also served in other British Empire units.
Canadian factories produced some 850,000 vehicles in World War II, including about 50,000 armoured vehicles, self-propelled guns and tanks. However, of greatest significance was the huge number of trucks and light-wheeled vehicles – over 800,000 – produced by Ford, GM and Chrysler of Canada.
Until the currency restrictions of the late 1940s, the Canadian automotive industry provided a significant number of vehicles for British Empire countries. Under the "Imperial Preference" scheme, those territories reduced import duties on Canadian products, usually made by Canadian subsidiaries of the big U.S. auto manufacturers. In the late 1930s, to prepare for war, Canada started drawing up standard designs, which involved a unique and historic design-and-production collaboration between rival giant car-makers, especially Ford Canada and GM of Canada.
Canadian Military Pattern trucks not only motorized the forces of Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, but were also sent to the Soviet Union after the German invasion, as part of Canada's Gift and Mutual Aid program to the Allies, comparable to the U.S. Lend-Lease Act.
During the war, CMP trucks saw service around the world: in the North African campaign, the Allied invasion of Sicily, the Italian Campaign, the Eastern Front, the Burma campaign, the Philippines, the liberation of Northwest Europe, and the Western Allied invasion of Germany. CMP trucks also served in post-war conflicts in Indonesia, French Indochina, and the Portuguese colonies in Africa.
The United Kingdom's official History of the Second World War called Canada's war-time production of soft-skinned trucks, including the CMP class, the country's most important contribution to Allied victory. Canada's trucks are considered to have "put the British Army on wheels". In the North African Campaign, the British Eighth Army fought Panzer Army Africa using almost exclusively CMP trucks, and the Allied progress from Sicily through Italy and France depended heavily on the Canadian trucks. By the end of the war, Canada's vast supply of trucks provided a vehicle for every three soldiers in the field — compared to one vehicle per seven American soldiers — making it the most mobile army in the world.
The rise to power in Germany of Hitler and the Nazi party in 1933 led to discussions in the mid-1930s between the British War Office and the Canadian Army concerning the possible production of military vehicles in Canada. During the First World War, Canadian land forces had participated as a corps in the British Army. In any future conflict it was assumed that Canadian forces would again be tightly integrated with those of the Mother Country, and so it would be essential that Canadian-manufactured equipment be compatible with British standards and specifications.
Early in 1937, the Ford Motor Company of Canada and General Motors of Canada Ltd were each invited by the Canadian Department of National Defence to produce a Canadian prototype of a 15-hundredweight (cwt) (¾-ton U.S.) payload rating, light infantry truck similar to the Morris CS8 that had then been recently adopted by the British War Office.[page needed] By 1938, Canadian military authorities had shifted their interest to heavier 4x4 and 6x4 designs. In that year, Ford and General Motors of Canada Limited were invited to produce prototypes of a 6x4 medium artillery tractor derived from the British 6x4 Scammell Pioneer. By 1939, plans had been prepared for the mass production in Canada of a range of military vehicles based on fairly strict CMP British specifications. These trucks were originally designated "Department of National Defence (DND) Pattern"; however, when production volumes increased and it became clear that the Canadian-built vehicles were to serve widely in the forces of other countries, the class of trucks was redesignated "Canadian Military Pattern" (CMP). At the outbreak of World War II, Canada's large and modern automobile industry was shifted over to the production of military vehicles, outproducing Germany.