AFV Photos
Modeling the U.S. Army in WWII


The best reference for a modeler is to be able to see the actual vehicle you are building, either through historical photos, technical manuals, or present-day photos of restored vehicles. There are a few things to remember, however:

  • If the vehicle has been restored, any new paint or replacement parts may not be 100% accurate.

  • If it hasn’t been restored, there may still be significant changes depending on the history of the particular vehicle. Following WWII, many American AFVs were sold or given to the armies of other nations, which made their own modifications. Even WWII equipment that saw use by the US in Korea may have been modified yet presented as being a WWII relic.

  • As historical photos will attest, there were countless official and unofficial field modifications made to vehicles during the war. Maintenance pools and crews would use whatever materials were at hand to improve stowage capabilities. Halftracks and reconnaissance jeeps in particular had improvised baskets and shelves to stow equipment. Shermans were seen with a variety of bars welded to turrets so crew could hang their gear.

The links below will take you to some photos I’ve shot at military expositions at Fort Snelling in Minneapolis, Minnesota; at a Veteran’s Day parade in St. Paul, Minnesota; the Patton Museum at Fort Knox, Kentucky; and the Victory Museum in Auburn, Indiana. There are also contributions from fellow modelers Kurt Laughlin, Mike Powell, Michael Bedard, Scott Taylor, Derek Brown and Matt Riesmeyer.

These pages may be slower to load because of the number and sizes of images on them. Click on each thumbnail and a larger version of the image will open in a new browser window for your convenience.

Tracked Vehicles

Halftracks M7 Priest Howitzer Motor Carriage
M3 Lee / Grant M8 Howitzer Motor Carriage
M3A1 Stuart M12 Gun Motor Carriage
M3A3 Stuart M36 Gun Motor Carriage
M4 Sherman Family M24 Chaffee - 1st Division Museum
M4A3E2 Sherman "Jumbo" M24 Chaffee - Ropkey Museum
M4A3E8 105mm Sherman M32 Tank Recovery Vehicle
POA-CWS-H1 Sherman Flame Tank M40 Self-propelled Howitzer
M5 Stuart  
M5A1 Stuart  
M5 High Speed Tractor  

Wheeled Vehicles

Willys Jeep WLA 45 Harley Davidson Motorcycle
1/4-Ton Amphibian Truck GMC 2 1/2 Ton 6x6 Cargo Truck
2 1/2 Ton 6x6 DUKW Ordnance Maintenance Truck, 2 1/2 Ton
M3A1 White Scout Car WC54 Dodge Ambulance

Towed Artillery and Anti-tank Guns

37mm Anti-tank Gun 155mm Howitzer M1A2
75mm Pack Howitzer M8 (Airborne) 4.5-in. Gun M1
105mm Howitzer

NOTE: All rights to the contemporary photos on this site are held by their respective owners (photographer and/or modeler). These photos are provided as a service to modelers for their private use. Manufacturers may use them as reference sources without the consent of the photographer, but it is requested that the photographer be informed of such use and given credit as a reference source in any listing of of the manufacturer's references, as on instruction sheets. Manufacturers may not use these photos for illustration purposes, including, but not limited to,instruction sheets, box art (whether as a photograph or as the basis of an artistic rendering), or in any form of advertising or promotion without the expressed consent of the copyright owner. Any questions about this policy may be referred to the Webmaster (see Feedback page).

 

Modeling the U.S. Army in WWII © Timothy S. Streeter