To Be Captured Or Not To Be???

QUOTE: Originally posted by AikinutNY If the other guys would not leave the keys in the ignition the GI's would not steal them. A GI who does not have a vehicle and is walking will when the opportunity presents itself take anything, even LandRovers, and use them for transportation and besides if you wreck it or blow the engine up no one really cares.

..I'd care..

If the other guys would not leave the keys in the ignition the GI's would not steal them. A GI who does not have a vehicle and is walking will when the opportunity presents itself take anything, even LandRovers, and use them for transportation and besides if you wreck it or blow the engine up no one really cares.

I know that I would not trade a M1 for an Iraqi T-72/62/55 any day, unless it was made of gold.

When the M-16 was first used in combat it was not really ready for use unike the AK-47 that had it's bugs worked out already. I used a M-60 on a gun truck for five months before I got shipped back to the States in 1973.

I think everyone at one time or another used the other guys stuff. I've seen German tanks with Soviet markings, a B-24 Liberator with swastikas all over it, saw a Tiger once in OD Green with a pretty white star on it's side.

ya never know, a general might have got himself one for a joy ride through france... curses i gave away another good diorama idea lol.

I've seen allied troops driving captured german vehicles including kubelwagens and kettenkraftrads as well

This is slightly OT, but there is a book out (Concord I think) that shows German vehicles repainted and put to use by Soviet forces. I have also seen pictures from Normandy of german soldiers riding in jeeps, often with prisoners in them as well.

I’ve got a few books with captured Kubelwagens and Sd.Kfz 251s
As Gunny Highway said Improvise and overcome

what is the website for the national archives is there one? can you download photos?

To that end I carried a AK 47 on my frist tour in Nam. We were told to use any thing that worked for us. The AK was a better weapon than the M16 then. G.I.s like to improvize any way and if it works use it. -----------Stephen

I'd say most of the fighting in 1945 occurred in Germany. Most of France was liberated.

I saw a picture once were 4 soldiers driving in a captured Kubal wagon. I can't think of the name of the book though.
mark956

Nah, they just prefer quality (Land Rover) over quantity (Hummer)

As you realize, I drive a Land Rover

It's actually quite high. The national archives are loaded with pictures of US soldiers using captured equipment. Even in Desert Storm our maintenance platoon was running around in captured land rovers. GI's love the other guy's stuff.