CHAPTER XXI
THE AMBULANCE CHASSIS
Since chassis for motor ambulances were
manufactured for the Medical Department during the
World War by one producing plant a and the bodies for them
were manufactured by several other
plants, it is essential in the interests of clarity to consider these
parts of the motor ambulance
separately and as a preliminary to the consideration of other features
of the subject of motor
ambulances which have a general application.
Following the declaration of war on April 6, 1917,
when the question arose as to the selection of
a model for the Army motor ambulance advantage was taken of the fact
that the General Motors
Truck Co., of Pontiac, Mich., had profited by the lessons learned on
the Mexican border in 1916,
where light ambulances had quickly perished, and had earnestly
endeavored to remedy the
defects developed in their chassis. They had succeeded, meanwhile, in
producing a much
improved vehicle--a new ¾-ton truck chassis, which was called model 16.1 The drawings and
specifications of this vehicle were submitted to the Medical Department
ambulance board on
April 18, 1917, for consideration. They were found to be satisfactory.
As the company promised
prompt delivery, in quantity, the Surgeon General decided to adopt this
model as the standard for
all motor ambulances to be used in our Army.
At the request of the Surgeon General the
Secretary of War, on April 14, 1917, authorized the
purchase of 200 motor ambulance chassis from funds then available to
the Medical Department.2 Accordingly, contract was made April 25, 1917, with the General
Motors Truck Co. for 89
model 15 chassis at $995 each and 111 model 16 chassis at $1,117.3 Delivery of the model 15
chassis was completed by July 5, 1918.4 Shipment of
these chassis was made to the Richs-Marbaker Co.’s plant in
Philadelphia, Pa., for the mounting of bodies made by that company on
a previous contract, and they were held there in storage.5 Delivery of the model 16 chassis began
in August and was completed on the 17th of that month.4
A contract for 2,000 chassis, model 16, ¾-ton, at
$1,203.04 each, was made with the General
Motors Truck Co. June 14, 1917.6 It was stipulated in the
contract that deliveries should begin
not later than July 20, 1917, and that construction should proceed at
such a rate that 1,000
chassis would be ready for shipment by September 1, 1917. The remaining
1,000 were to be
shipped by September 25, 1917. A supplemental contract added 2,000
heaters, at $1.56 each.
The Government agreed to assist the contractor as much as practicable
in securing the needed
materials.
______________________________________________________________________________
a Except Ford ambulances. These were manufactured
primarily for the U. S. Army ambulance
service for service with the French Army, and are considered separately
in Chap. XXIII.
338
IMPROVEMENTS
In December, 1917, a conference was held in
Washington between representatives of a number
of the best known spring makers and representatives of the Medical
Department for the purpose
of designing an ambulance spring with easier riding qualities than the
one previously furnished.7 Work on this subject had already been undertaken independently by
the Medical Department
ambulance inspector at Pontiac, Mich.8 A spring with
greatly improved riding qualities was
developed at this conference and incorporated in the ambulance on the
new contract.8 The new
spring, while conforming in a general way in size and appearance to the
one in use, was made of
better steel and was provided with a short stiff rebound leaf placed
above the main leaf of the
spring. In addition, Gabriel snubbers were added.
FIG. 15 - G.M.C. chassis, model ‘16
The chassis, under the contract of March 3, 1918,
and its supplemental agreements, had many
improvements over those on the former contracts, good as they were
thought to be. The majority
of the changes and improvements are described in the following
agreement of December 23,
1917, between representatives of the General Motors Truck Co. and those
of the Surgeon
General’s Office: 9
1. Springs.
- The
springs to be used on the new order of chassis are to be those laid
down or covered by the
approved specifications of the Medical Department, which will be those
decided on by the committee present at the
recent conference on springs.
2. Starting
device. - The motor must be made to start satisfactorily.
At present
the starting of the engine is very
unsatisfactory, and the General Motors Co. is to work in cooperation
with the Surgeon General’s Office to better the
starting of the engine. Mr. Whitton<
339
is to take the initiative and to work
in conjunction with Captain Browne to remedy the difficulty. There is
to be no
charge added to the price agreed upon for this work. This work must not
be delayed, but improvement must be made
immediately.
3. Spark
and
throttle. - The spark lever and the throttle, and the
sector
from which they move, are to be marked so
as to distinguish between the spark lever and the throttle, and to
indicate the direction of the spark advance and also
when the throttle is open and when closed. These improvements are to be
made to the approval of the Surgeon
General’s representative, and a sample sent to the Surgeon General’s
Office.
4. Governors.
- The same governor as is being used--i. e., the Monarch--is to be used
on
the chassis under the new
contract. Part of the starting trouble is due to the governor. A new
intake elbow may help to solve the difficulty.
5. Gasoline
tank attachment. - The gasoline tank is to continue to be attached
to the body. If it were attached to the
chassis, it would render it difficult to remove the bodies for repairs
and would also weaken the support.
6. Tire
irons. - The sample tire irons submitted are worthless. They were
designed on 35-inch circle and should have been
dimensioned to a nonskid tread tire. The words “fit to nonskid tire”
should be
put on the cut on direction sheet. Two sets of the new tire irons arc
to go with each chassis, one to be placed on
either side of the ambulance. They are to be shipped in a box with the
chassis. The General Motors Truck Co. is to
receive $5.30 for each extra set of tire irons. Without a written
order, the General Motors Co. is advised to order
1,000 sets of tire irons. A supplementary contract for these and
probably more will be made within a few weeks. The
Surgeon General’s Office will need at least 1,000 sets for the overseas
shipments which have gone, and at least
1,000 additional sets, so the General Motors Co. will be safe in
anticipating the contract by ordering immediately
1,000 sets.
7. Front
wheels. - Front wheels of the chassis under new contract
are
to be the same as specified under the former
contract. A radial, self-contained bearing would be an improvement.
8. Rims. - The rims for the chassis under new contract are to be the same as those
specified under the old contract.
9. Transmission
lever ball. - The ball on the gear shift lever on the new
chassis is to be metal instead of hard rubber
to prevent breakage. It is to be forged on, but until a reasonable
opportunity is given the General Motors Co. to
change the die for the lever, it may be screwed on and fastened with a
pin. Before adoption, it must receive the
approval of the representative of the Medical Department at the factory.
10. Inspection,
testing, and procedure at the factory- Inspection and test must be
made at the direction and to the
approval of the representative of the Surgeon General’s Office at the
General Motor Truck Co’s. factory. In order to
check overseas shipments, inspection thereof may be conducted as
follows: This representative, or one of his men,
may take out at random any machine ready boxed for shipment, have it
placed in a clear space selected by the
Surgeon General’s representative, unpacked according to his directions,
set up according to his directions for his
inspection. When it receives his approval, it is to be taken apart and
reboxed. If the chassis inspected in this manner
is found to be defective, more frequent examination will be necessary,
and if many imperfectly packed machines are
found, the Surgeon General’s representative may require every box to be
opened.
11. Dash
choke
control. - A dash choke control was discussed as a probable
addition
to the chassis under the new
contract, but it was decided not to install it, as with such choke
control the ordinary driver floods the cylinder with
gasoline which destroys the effect of the oil and adds to the wear of
the cylinders.
12. Storage. - The Surgeon General’s representative stated that the Medical Department
desires the General Motors
Co. to provide for a maximum storage capacity for 500 chassis for three
months. The representative of the General
Motors Co. stated that the company could not do this without building
additional sheds, and that this would make it
necessary for them to add to the contract price named. It was finally
agreed that without extra charge the General
Motors Co. will store not to exceed 200 chassis for a period not to
exceed three months.
340
13. Quantity
production. - The representatives of the General Motors
Co.
stated that the company could easily
produce 200 chassis every month, including February. If desired by the
Surgeon General’s Office, the company can
produce 500 chassis per month. It was finally agreed that the company
is to produce and deliver 400 chassis in
February, 400 in March, and 200 in April, on or before the 15th of the
month. It was understood that the delivery
need not be uniform daily.
14. The total
number ordered . - The total number of chassis to be covered by
the
contract is to be 1,000, with an
option given to the Surgeon General’s Office of ordering an additional
500 or 1,000 to be delivered at the rate of 400
a month. This option is to be exercised on or before March 25, and the
company agrees to build any extra chassis
ordered under this option at the same price as specified for the 1,000
covered by the contract, plus any actual
increase in cost occasioned by necessary advances in the price paid by
the company for the materials and labor used
in the production of the chassis ordered. Any such advances are to be
proved to the commanding officer and
approved by him. The price under contract is to be $1,224 per chassis.
If storage of the chassis is made on wheels,
the Surgeon General’s Office is to arrange for inspection and payment
before the machines are boxed and shipped.
The company is to box and load on cars the stored machines whenever
ordered to do so by the Surgeon General’s
Office, without extra charge.
15. Rear
fender irons. - The rear fender irons of the present
chassis
are too short and the body now bottoms
frequently in the fenders. The new contract is to provide for longer
fender irons made so as to raise the fenders
toward the top of the body.
16. Heaters. - The
heaters for the ambulances are to be furnished by the Surgeon General’s
Office, and the General
Motors Co. is to attach them to the chassis. The labor of attaching
that part of the heater attachment which fastens on
the chasis is to be done by the company without extra charge, and any
materials not furnished with the heater and
required to be used in fastening the same to the chassis are to be
furnished by the company without extra charge. The
heaters are to be boxed with the chassis without extra charge.
17. The company is
to send a trained man or men to Louisville, or to any other place in
this country where serious
difficulties and emergencies in connection with the operation of their
trucks purchased by the Medical Department
arise, to assist in the solution of the same. The decision as to the
necessity for such action is to rest entirely with the
Surgeon General’s Office.
18. Bond. - If the contract requires a bond to be given by the company, the price
of the bond is to be added to the
contract.
19. War excise
tax. - The 3 per cent war excise tax on the value of each
motor vehicle sold and any increase thereof
levied on the sales covered by this contract is to be added to the
price hereinbefore named.
20. Insurance. -
The company is to insure the stored chassis and to provide a watchman
to patrol the storehouse.
The Government is to reimburse the company for the premiums on this
insurance and for the wages of the
watchman.
21. Cancellation
claims. - The cancellation clause in the regular contract form is
to
be stricken out.
22. Improved
design and
equipment. - Any desired additions to equipment, over and above
those specified, are to be
made by the company on the order of the Surgeon General’s Office, and
the company is to receive, in addition to the
compensation hereinbefore named, the cost of such addition plus 10 per
cent thereof.
23. Acceleration
of deliveries. - The company agrees to do everything in its power,
at the direction of the Surgeon
General’s Office, to force deliveries. The order must be gotten out
even though getting it out on time adds to the
expense of production by the company.
24. Extra
tires. - It is understood that there are to be no extra tires
furnished with the chassis.
25. Floor
board. - The floor board is to be removable.
MODEL AA CHASSIS
With a view of standardizing the light ¾-ton
truck and increasing the range of facilities for its
manufacture, the Quartermaster General had four sample chassis built
according to a standard
design. They were built at four
341
different automobile factories. The Quartermaster General advised
the Surgeon General in
December, 1917, that this chassis would be ready for test about January
15 and that it was his
intention to turn one of them over to the Medical Department for test
and experiment if that
department desired it. It was expected that the Medical Department
would use a large number of
such a chassis and should have an opportunity to experiment with it
before it went into
production. It was suggested that a suitable body be prepared in time
to be installed on the
chassis at the factory. This standard chassis was designated model AA.10 By the time this
standard AA chassis was available for delivery the new AA body had been
completed and was
ready for mounting. The chassis was given a careful, thorough, and
extensive test by the
personnel of the Medical Department experimental station in Washington.
The conclusions
reached with regard to this sample AA chassis are contained in the
following extract from a
report made to the Acting Quartermaster General, March 25, 1918:11
In general,
information is forwarded that, at the time when original conferences
upon this AA chassis were held, a
schedule for experimental work, and for subsequent quantity production,
as well as the original designs laid down,
were such as to appeal to the Medical Department for a possible use in
connection with motor ambulance service.
The time already
lost, and the apparent impossibility of getting a satisfactory design
in the quantity production for
some months yet, together with changes in design which have been made,
and which are of critical importance to the
Medical Department, when consideration is made of interchangeability of
chassis parts already provided in large
quantities, and ambulance bodies already produced and under contract
for covering practically the entire medical
requirement for the next year--all have critical bearing upon the
advisability of the Medical Department considering
the change over to this chassis at such time as production is begun.
Information is
forwarded that in the original conferences, at which technical automo
bile representatives of the
various departments were present, the importance was appreciated of the
fact that the Medical Department would
perhaps be the largest user of this chassis, and that
interchangeability of critical chassis parts, and of bodies for this
chassis, were of prime importance. Since the designs were begun, at
least four gentlemen have had active executive direction of this work, and, without
further conferences or close personal cooperation, it is quite natural
that the
original considerations which were critical in determining certain
important features have been overlooked in
subsequent development.
The following
specific points deserve consideration:
(1) The latest
proposal for spring dimensions, while no doubt making for easier riding
qualities, is regarded as
unnecessary, even for first-class ambulance service. The lack of
Interchangeability of springs upon this job and the
present ambulance job means that the entire spring supply being carried
in spare parts “B” equipment with each
ambulance company, and already shipped overseas, must be applicable to
the new chassis, necessitating a complete
duplication of all spring supply.
(2) The latest
proposal of the use of 36 by 6 tires, front and rear, may cause
interference with both old and new
design ambulance bodies, and will at least necessitate two complete
stocks of tires. No consultation has been had on
this change, but information comes indirectly that the change is made
because of tires already carried overseas by
the Signal Corps, and because certain tire manufacturers made this
recommendation. Information is forwarded that
the Medical Department regards the matter of critical importance, in
view of the fact that this department already has
thousands of spare tires provided in this country and overseas of the
original 35 by 5 size, that we have had
assurances from tire manufacturers of satisfactory mileage, and already
have sufficient data to show excellent
results.
342
(3) Information comes indirectly to
this department that the use of radius rods and torque tube, which was
requested
by the various War Department representatives at the original
conferences, has been discarded in favor of the
Hotchkiss drive, which was discussed pro and con at these conferences
and not approved. In order to cheek the
opinion of the engineers of the Medical Department, within the last
three months this department has taken this
matter up personally with four of the most prominent engineers in the
United States, all of whom have had extensive
experience with touring car and pleasure car Hotchkiss drive designs,
as well as the recommended radius rod and
torque tube construction, and whose opinion, therefore, can be given
weight, with the following result: Three of
these engineers recommend the use of the radius rods and torque tube,
feeling that, for war service, this
construction is as least as good as any possible Hotchkiss drive
construction, and all three being of the opinion that
their use will provide an additional safety factor. One felt that a
Hotchkiss drive might be designed for a truck which
would equal the design using radius rods and torque tube.
(4) The question is
raised at this time, whether, since the Medical Department has already
in service, or in
immediate production, 3,100 of these ¾-ton chassis, and has in
contemplation the immediate ordering of 1,000 or
2,000 more, and since it is understood that there are practically no
jobs of this type in the service of the other
departments, in quantity-- whether it would not be possible to adopt
this type as the standard for the various
departments which now contemplate limited use of the same. Information
is forwarded that, after severe winter
service at the various camps, this chassis has been found to be mainly
satisfactory, and inasmuch as it is only an
assembled job at best, containing a combination of the various best
units assembled by the General Motors Truck
Co. at their Pontiac factory, its manufacture in quantities such as to
cover the needs of the various departments,
could readily be undertaken by any companies in position to handle the
AA job. This question is raised in the full
realization of the seriousness of the problem confronting the Medical
Department in changing horses at this time
directly in the middle of the stream, and it is not made without
appreciating the detail changes in the design worked
up for the AA chassis, which would be of prime consideration if the use
of this type of chassis in the service were
just being begun.
(5) The tests
already conducted upon the AA chassis, by engineers in charge of motor
ambulance work for the
Medical Department, have developed the following suggestions, which
are forwarded:
* * * * * *
(a) Grease leaks have
developed in the rear right wheel, due to defective packing. (b) The
support of the complete
steering column is not sufficiently rigid. (c) Maximum
governor’s speed required for ambulance service is 20 miles
per hour. (d) Starting is defective. (e) Radiator tubes
vibrate critically at about 25 miles per hour in such way as to promise
serious consequences. (f) Clutch and break pedals are crowded too close to steering column. (g) Gasoline tank drain pet cock located directly
above exhaust pipe. (h) Grease cups on springs, etc., are
quickly broken, and the cover springs easily torn off and
covers lost. (i) The clutch spring tension is too heavy for
anything like continuous operation. (j) The starting crank is
too long, causing interference when cranking. (k) The filler
cap on radiator is too much involved. A more simple
method of designing is recommended. (1) The oil gauge location
on the motor is inaccessible. (m) The running
boards should be dropped 1 ½ inches to permit carrying of necessary
ambulance first-aid and food boxes. The
running board lower tire carrier can be made 1½ inches less in
depth, so that ground clearance at this point remains
the same. (n) A deeper frame section or frame reinforcement on
this job is recommended. (o) Spring brackets, front
and rear, have objectionable offsets and weak sections. (p) The gear
shift from “first” to “low” is abnormal, due to
the low step between these two gears. While agreeing that a high gear
ratio is desirable, it is believed that the
interval between shifts should be changed. (q) Riding qualities of the
rear end have been quite disappointing, not
comparing with the results of the old G. M. C. chassis for the Medical
Department with the same springs. Careful
study of the proportioning and structure of the radius rods, torque
tube, rear springs, and rear axle might explain the
trouble, but the Medical Department has not yet undertaken the same.
343
Extensive and comprehensive tests of the ¾-ton
chassis of different makes and designs,
including the AA and the General Motors Co. chassis, were made during
the late spring of 1918.
As a result of these tests, it was decided to adopt the General Motors
Co. model 16 design as the
standard AA truck. This was done in order that other manufacturers
might be put upon the work.
Inasmuch as the purchase of all motor chassis had devolved meanwhile
upon the Motor
Transport Service, that service planned to let contracts on July 27,
1918, for 5,000 AA chassis in
addition to those already ordered from the General Motors Truck Co. It
was intended to place
these contracts with at least three other companies.12 This
number was increased later to 7,200
distributed among 13 factories.13 It appears, however, that
none of these factories came into
production before the cessation of hostilities and all the contracts
were canceled.13 While the
majority of these chassis were intended for use by the Quartermaster
Corps, a part of them were
intended to meet increased ambulance requirements.
NEW CONTRACTS
GENERAL MOTORS TRUCK COMPANY
The estimated requirements of the Medical
Department for motor ambulances during the first
year of the World War, prepared about the time of our entry into the
conflict, were 4,500 such
vehicles. This number was based on an estimate of 70 ambulances per
division from front to
rear, allowing 25 per cent additional for replacements and providing
extras for emergencies. The
estimate included ambulances for three motorized ambulance companies
with each division, for
an evacuation ambulance convoy for each two divisions, and for the
ambulances needed at base
and general hospitals both in the line of communications and in the
home territory. By the end of
1917 a more adequate conception of the military situation and its
resultant needs was had by the
War Department. The strength of the Army was being rapidly augmented.
To meet the
ambulance needs of this expansion it early became evident that motor
ambulances would be
required in ever-increasing number. The original estimates were revised
in November, 1917, and
again in January, 1918.14 The latter were the more
comprehensive. A summary of the machines
previously purchased, available under existing contracts, and those
required to be produced June
30, 1919,14 appears below. It will be seen that the
production of chassis was the chief factor in
determining the number of motor ambulances in the field.
Estimates
covering United States
standard ambulances required
by the Medical Department, United States Army
344
Estimates
covering United States standard ambulances required by the Medical
Department, United States Army - continued
The original contracts of April 25, 1917, and
June 14, 1917, with the General Motors Truck Co.
for 200 and 2,000 chassis, respectively, were completed before March
15, 1918.15 During the
production of these chassis a number of minor changes and improvements
in design had been
made, but more were needed. The General Motors Truck Co. was advised in
November, 1917,
that if satisfactory changes in several details of design and
satisfactory procedure, production,
and storage agreements could be reached, an order for an additional
1,000 ambulance chassis
would be given it.16 Satisfactory agreement having been
reached, a contract was entered into
February 16, 1918,
345
for 1,000 chassis with option on part of the Government to increase
that number to 3,700.17 A
production rate of 200 to 500 chassis per month was stipulated. The
price to be paid for the first
1,000 chassis was $1,224 per chassis. The contract contained a
provision for an increase in price
to cover Federal taxes and increases in cost of materials and labor on
all orders in excess of the
1,000 chassis. The option to increase the number of chassis was
exercised by the Government.
An order for 1,700 chassis under this option was placed in April, 1918,18 and a supplemental
agreement was entered into July 25, 1918, to cover the order.17 A
second order for the remaining
1,000 chassis was placed with the company in June, 1918,18 but this order does not appear to
have been covered by a supplemental agreement. The prices paid on these
orders were 800
at$1,277.92, 900 at $1,286.17, and 1,000 at $1,311.89 plus 3
percent war tax.
PRODUCTION
Troubles with motors and transmissions had been
experienced under former contracts, resulting
in annoying delays. The same complaint continued during the early days
of production under the
new contract. Difficulties in assembly developed in the factory and
required drastic action on the
part of the Medical Department representative at the factories. Delays
were encountered in
receiving parts from subsidiary manufacturers.20 Production
under the new contract did not
begin until the week of April 20, 1918.21 Defects in the
motors being received, even then,
retarded production.20 Production on the new contract
and its two increases were as follows:
April, 377; May, 361; June, 427; July, 342; August, 509; September,
923; October, 761. Total
3,700.22
For various reasons the stipulated rate of
production could not be maintained. The rate of
production actually accomplished was as follows: August 7 to September
10, 1917, 208;
September 11 to October 1, 492; October 2 to November 3, 563; November
5 to 28, 202;
November 30, 1917, to January 3, 1918, 259; January 4 to 19, 103;
February 2 to 28, 104; March
1 to 16, 74; total, 2,000.23
STORAGE PENDING DISTRIBUTION
One of the difficulties encountered in ambulance
production was that of storage pending
distribution. Chassis boxed or standing are bulky units and require
storage out of the ordinary.
The huge boxes of the boxed chassis, weighing 4,000 pounds, could be
handled only by power-operated machinery. Either overhead cranes or
steam derricks were required for the purpose.
Early in September, 1917, the plant of the General
Motors Truck Co. became congested with
assembled chassis.24 The motor ambulance supply depot was
also crowded with unassembled
vehicles and demanded cessation of shipments. There were 127 carloads
of material on the
tracks in Louisville and many more enroute.25 Tonnage for
overseas shipments could not be had.
Relief of some sort from this acute congestion was necessary. Storage
must be found.
Pontiac, Detroit, and adjacent territory as far as
Buffalo, N. Y.,
were canvassed for storage
facilities, but no covered storage at a reasonable rate could be found.26 It was finally decided to
box all chassis in excess of the 900
346
required by the ambulance depot and store them in the open protected by
tar paper and canvas.
Space for this purpose was found at Watertown, N. Y., in the plant of
the H. H. Babcock Co.
That company agreed to receive, unload, store, and reload the boxed
chassis at $5 each, plus the
cost of insurance.26
FIG.16.
- This and Figure 17 show a method of boxing G.M.C. chassis for
shipment.
Ambulance shipments overseas were to be made at the
rate of 120 completed ambulances per
month. Such a schedule necessitated the storage of approximately 600
boxed chassis. It was
decided to send that number to Watertown. Arrangements accordingly were
made October 1,
1917.27 Shipments thereto began October 6, 1917, with 13
carloads of 6
chassis each.28 By the
end of the month 252 chassis had been shipped.29 By the end
of October, 1918, the congestion
both at the General Motors Truck Co. plant and at the
ambulance supply depot had been cleared. Shipments to Louisville and
overseas increased and
production of chassis fell off. No further storage difficulties were
experienced. By the end of
January, 1918, 516 chassis had been forwarded, and shipment ceased. 30
FACTORY SHIPMENTS OF BOXED CHASSIS
The first lot shipped from the factory under the
February, 1918, contract consisted of 96 chassis
and went forward April 27, 1918. Subsequent shipments on this contract,
so far as can be
determined from records available, were as follows: April, 112; May,
381; June, 395; July, 199;
August, 578; September (first 10 days), 302. This gives a total
shipment of 1,967 chassis, of
which
347
1,828 went to ports of embarkation. The remaining 139 chassis were
shipped for domestic use.31
A report from the office of the chief of embarkation
service, November 13, 1918, indicated that
approximately 1,395 General Motors Co. chassis were at ports of
embarkation, 243 were in
transit, and 311 had been released for shipment but not placed in
transit.32 This would indicate
that approximately, 700 of the 3,700 chassis on these contracts
actually found their way to France.
Of the number of chassis produced under the
supplemental contracts of April 25, 1917, and June
14,1918, 36 of the model l5and 1,O94 33 of the model l6,
boxed for export, were forwarded to
ports of embarkation, or a total of 1,130.
FIG. 17
It would appear, therefore, that only about 2,830
boxed chassis reached France. It is not known
how many standing ambulances were shipped, but it is believed that
their numbers were not
great.
REFERENCES
(1) Letter from the sales manager,
General Motors Truck Co., Pontiac, Mich., to Maj. R. E. Noble, M. C.,
chairman, motor
ambulance board, April 11, 1917. Subject: Model 16 ¾-ton chassis. On file,
Record Room, S. G. O., 153,155.-30.
(2) Letter from the Surgeon General
to The Adjutant General, April 7, 1917. Subject: Purchase of G. M. C.
chassis, and the
First Indorsement thereon, April 14, 1917. On file, Finance and Supply
Division, S. G. O., 11,220.-190.
348
(3)
Contract between Lieut. Col. C.
R. Darnall, M. C., and the General Motors Truck Co., April 25, 1917. On
file,
Finance and Supply Division, S. G. O., Motor Transport Contracts,
13,420-F.
(4) Schedule of deliveries attached
to contract of April 25, 1917, with the General Motors Truck Co. On
file,
Finance and Supply Division, S. G. O., Motor Transport Contract,
13,420-F.
(5) Correspondence between the
Surgeon General to the officer in charge, Field Medical Supply Depot,
Washington, D. C., and the Quartermaster General, September 21,
1916-October 18, 1916. Subject: Storage of motor
ambulance bodies. On file, Finance and Supply Division, S. G. O.,
11,220.-86.-86-1.
(6) Contract between Lieut. Col. C.
R. Darnall, M. C., and the General Motors Truck Co., for 2,000 chassis,
dated
June 14, 1917. On file, Finance and Supply Division, S. G. O., Motor
Transport Contracts, 285.
(7) Report of the activities of the
motor ambulance section of the Surgeon General’s Office, June 28, 1918,
unsigned. On file, Finance and Supply Division, S. G. O., 490 Memo./310.
(8) Letter from the officer in
charge, Sanitary Corps, N. A., General Motors Truck Co. Plant, Pontiac,
Mich., to the
Surgeon General, December 17, 1917. Subject: Springs. On
file, Finance and Supply Division, S. G. O., 511-570 M. A. P./B.
(9) Report of conference on the
purchase of G. M. C. chassis for ambulances, December 23, 1917.
On file, Finance and Supply Division, S. G. O., 239
W.T.F./31.
(10)
Letter from the Quartermaster
General, to Major Fishleigh, Motor Car Department, Medical Corps, U. S. A.,
December 4, 1917. Subject: Medical body for AA truck. On file
Finance and Supply Division
S. G. O., 750-594 Q. M. G./54.
(11) Letter from the Surgeon General
to the Quartermaster General of the Army, March 25, 1918. Subject: AA
chassis. On file, Finance and Supply Division, S. G.
O., 750-594 Q.M.G./110.
(12) Letter from Statistics Branch,
General Staff, to Maj. W. T. Fishleigh, July 15, 1918. Subject:
Synopsis of
contracts for motor vehicles. On file, Finance and Supply Division, S. G. O.,239 W.T.F./40.
(13) America’s Munitions, 1917-18.
Government Printing Office, 1919, 502.
(14) Estimates covering U. S.
standard ambulances required by the Medical Department, U. S. Army,
January 20,
1918, by Maj. Walter T. Fishleigh, Sanitary Corps, N. A. On file,
Finance and Supply Division, S. G. O., Motor
Transport Estimates.
(15) Weekly report from the
commanding officer, Sanitary Corps, N. A., General Motors Truck Co., to
the Surgeon
General, U. S. Army, March 11, 1918. On file, Financeand
SupplyDivision,
S. G. O., Pontiac Weekly Reports, 101 A.B.B./178.
(16) Letter from the Surgeon General
to Capt. A. B. Browne, Sanitary Corps, N. A., Pontiac, Mich., November
24,
1917. Subject; Additional model, 16 orders. On file, Financeand Supply Division, S. G.
O., 511-570/B.
(17) Contract of February 16, 1918,
between Maj. John P. Fletcher, M. C., and the General Motors Truck Co.,
Pontiac, Mich., for 1, 000 model 16 G. M. C. chassis. On file,
Miscellaneous Section, Finance Department, S. G. O.
(18) Memorandum from Maj. W. T.
Fishleigh, Sanitary Corps, N. A., to Col. Edwin P. Wolfe, M. C., April
10,
1918. Subject: Additional G. M. C. ambulance chassis. On file,
Finance and Supply Division, S. G. O.,
490 memo. /277.
349
(19) Letter from the Surgeon General to
Maj.
J. P. Fletcher, M. C., Louisville, Ky., June 5, 1918. Subject:
Increase
of ambulance chassis order. On file, Finance and Supply Division,
S. G.O.,
713-440/342.
(20) Weekly reports from commanding
officer, Sanitary Corps, N. A., General Motors Truck Co., to the
Surgeon General for
the weeks ending March 11, 1918, to June10,
1918. On file, Finance and Supply
Division, S. G. O., Pontiac Weekly Reports, 101 A. B. B. /178.
(21) Weekly report of April 22, 1918,
from the commanding officer, Sanitary Corps, Pontiac, Mich., to the
Surgeon
General. On file, Finance and Supply Division, S. G. O., Pontiac
Weekly
Reports, 101 A. B. B./178.
(22) Letter from the General Motors
Truck Co., by W. F. Maybury, to the Surgeon General, U. S. Army, July
26,
1918. Subject: Ambulance chassis production. On file, Record Room, S.
G. O., 451.8-1.
(23) Schedule of deliveries attached
to contract of June 14, 1917, with the General Motors Truck Co. for
2,000
model 16 chassis. On file, Finance and Supply Division, S. G. O.,
Motor Transport Contracts, 285.
(24) Telegram from the General Motors
Truck Co., Pontiac, Mich., to the
Surgeon General, September 11, 1917, for
relief from congestion of assembled chassis in factory. On file, Finance and Supply
Division, S.
G. O.,
267/
9.
(25) Letter from Maj. John P.
Fletcher, M. C., Motor Ambulance Supply Depot, Louisville Ky., to
Lieut. Col.
Edwin P. Wolfe, M. C., S. G. O., September 15, 1917. Subject: Excess chassis shipments. On file,
Finance and Supply Division, S. G. O., 713-440/47.
(26) Telegram
from Capt. A. B. Browne, Sanitary Corps, to Maj. W. T. Fishleigh,
Sanitary Corps, S. G. O.,
September 28, 1917. Subject: Storage of chassis. On file, Finance and Supply Division, S. G.
O., 511-570/B.
(27) Letter from the H. H. Babcock
Co., to the Quartermaster, Eastern Department, October 1, 1917,
relative to
storage of boxed chassis. On file, Finance and Supply Division,
S. G.
O., 45-H. H. B./16.
(28) Letter from
Capt. A. B. Browne, Sanitary Corps, Pontiac, Mich., to the Surgeon
General, October 13, 1917.
Subject: Weekly report. On file, Finance and Supply Division, S. G. O., 101-A.B.B./178.
(29) Letter from the officer in
charge, General Motors Truck Co. Plant, Pontiac, Mich., to the Surgeon
General,
October 29, 1917. Subject: Weekly report. On file, Finance and Supply Division, S. G.
O., 101-A. B. B./178.
(30) Letter from
the officer in charge, Sanitary Corps, N. A., General Motors Truck Co.
Plant, Pontiac, Mich., to
the Surgeon General, January 28, 1918. Subject: Weekly report. On file, Finance
and Supply Division, S. G.
O., 101-A. B. B./178.
(31) Letters from the commanding
officer, Sanitary Corps, Pontiac, Mich., during the period April 22,
1918, to September
11, 1918, to the Surgeon General and to the Motor Transport Corps,
District
Officer, Detroit, Mich. Subject: Weekly reports, and trimonthly
reports. On file, Finance and Supply Division, S. G. O., Pontiac
Reports, 101-A. B. B./178.
350
(32)
Memorandum for Colonel Wolfe
from Capt. F. J. Murray, Sanitary Corps, November 13, 1918. Subject: G.
M.
C. situation. On file, Finance and Supply Division. S.G.O., Pontiac Weekly
Reports, 750-519
M. T. C./17.
(33) Letter
from the commanding officer, Sanitary Corps, General Motors Truck Co.
Plant, April 15, 1918, to the Surgeon
General, Subject: Weekly report. On file, Finance and Supply Division, S.G.O., Pontiac Weekly
Reports, 101-A. B. B./178.
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