What is this Lunette from then?

CCKW Trailer Technical and Repair Questions. Restricted to Trailers pulled by CCKW's /Chevy's/ and other 10 wheel trucks.
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Gordon_M
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What is this Lunette from then?

Post by Gordon_M »

Just picked this up. It was bought from Thomson and Doxey in Southport, north of England, about twenty years back and that owner couldn't find a use for it.

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... it's about 18" long, 8" wide, and 7" high, weighs no less than 50lbs, maybe as much as 60. Mounts on four 3/4" holes on 4" by 4" centres, and has " ORD-D 76899 " cast onto the bottom ? face.

I'd guess from the mounting lugs on the rear face that they slot into either very thick plate or armour.

Only thing I could come up with would be for some sort of big towed artillery piece, but it could be for a plain trailer, so I'm posting this here.

Any ideas? Closest match I can find is the M7 G221 type towbar for Directors, Searchlight, and Smoke Generator trailer, which is visually similar but seems to mount differently.
Gordon from Scotland
Bill_Wolf
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Re: What is this Lunette from then?

Post by Bill_Wolf »

Gordon,

I agree with the artillery assumption.

Below is a couple of pictures of the hitch and mounting of the G221 family. They are similar but your new prize is different.

The only other guess would be something that is pulled by some type of ground tug. Most trailer side rings I have seen are height adjustable. Some of the Navy and AAF ground equipment had fixed height as it was always towed by the same type of tug/tractor equipment. Such as the Bomber engine hoist/crane.

This certainly is a puzzle that needs to be solved.

Bill

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1945 GMC DUKW
1942 Chevy 125 Crash Truck from Dow AAFB,
1944 Chevy 325 Fire Truck
1942 WC-54 Ambulance
1944 M29C Weasel (x6)
1945 CCKW 353 A2 Open Cab "Air-portable"
1943 M5 High Speed Tractor
1942 Sperry Searchlight setup with GE Generator
1942 M-1 Fruehauf Searchlight Trailer (G221)
1942 M-17 Fruehauf Quad 50 Trailer (G221)
1942 M-10 Ammo Trailer (x3)
194? Steel Ben Hur (x4) 194? Wood Ben Hur (x2)
1945 Case VAIW-3 Aircraft Tug
1943 Case VAI USAAF with Mower
1944 Clark CA-1 Airborne Dozer
1944 PE-95G, 1944 PE-99B
Gordon_M
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Re: What is this Lunette from then?

Post by Gordon_M »

Thanks Bill, ceratainly a family resemblance in the hitch type, but not the same, as you say.

The big locating lugs on the front of the hitch suggest to me that it locks into thick plate to stop the hitch from twisting, but at 18" it isn't long enough to be a whole towbar.

Hmm, still thinking.

Gordon
Gordon from Scotland
dr deuce
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Re: What is this Lunette from then?

Post by dr deuce »

M5 Bomb Trailer. I have 2
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Dr Deuce Over 50,000 driven miles in a CCKW
1942 CCKW closed cab shopvan
1943 CCKW closed cab cargo w/M32 MG mount
1944 CCKW open cab LeRoi Kompressor
1944 CCKW open cab F1 Aircraft fueler tanker
1945 CCKW open cab cargo w/artic cab
1942 Chev cargo
1942 Chev K51 Panel
1944 Chev M6 Bomb Truck
1942 GPW Jeep
http://home.comcast.net/~cckw/wsb/html/ ... 59870.html
Gordon_M
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Re: What is this Lunette from then?

Post by Gordon_M »

Thanks Steve,

now should I weld it to something or should I go out a nd try to find a cheap M5 with no lunette?

Gordon
Gordon from Scotland
dr deuce
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Re: What is this Lunette from then?

Post by dr deuce »

Find an M5... :)


BTW: If you look at the "elevation mechanism" on my BT #2, and you happen to have a BT manual, you will see that this is different from the two types shown in the manual.

Originally I thought it was a civy mod, but I have seen a picture of another one like it and it looks too professional to be a mod.
Dr Deuce Over 50,000 driven miles in a CCKW
1942 CCKW closed cab shopvan
1943 CCKW closed cab cargo w/M32 MG mount
1944 CCKW open cab LeRoi Kompressor
1944 CCKW open cab F1 Aircraft fueler tanker
1945 CCKW open cab cargo w/artic cab
1942 Chev cargo
1942 Chev K51 Panel
1944 Chev M6 Bomb Truck
1942 GPW Jeep
http://home.comcast.net/~cckw/wsb/html/ ... 59870.html
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