Oshkosh Motor Truck Corporation in World War Two
Oshkosh, WI
May 1, 1917 - August 27, 1918 as Wisconsin Duplex Auto Company (Incorporated in Clintonville, WI)
August 28, 1918 - February 2, 1930 as Oshkosh Motor Truck Manufacturing Company (Located in Oshkosh, WI)
February 3, 1930 - March 19, 1967 as Oshkosh Motor Truck Corporation
March 20, 1967 - Present as Oshkosh Corporation

This page updated 9-16-2023.

Author's Note:  This page is a prime example of one thing leading to another.  One afternoon while watching a YouTube video of  the Oorlogsmuseum at Overloon, The Netherlands, I realized there was a Navy truck in the display that I could not identify.  Further investigation identified it as an Oshkosh W-709-C-T-5.  More searching on the internet produced some photos of the vehicle along with a copy of the Operation and Maintenance Manual for the W-709-C-T-5 that was for sale at a reasonable cost.  I immediately purchased the Manual and was on my way to starting this web page. 

Things change.  In 2023, the Oorlogsmuseum at Overloon, The Netherlands sold the W-709-C-T-5 to the National Museum of Military Vehicles in Dubois, WY.  Once I became aware that the W-709-C-T-5 was back home in the United States, I made the trip to Dubois, WY to see this one-of-a-kind truck.  I had been procrastinating on making the trip to the National Museum of Military Vehicles due to the time and distance involved.  The arrival of the W-709-C-T-5 at the museum convinced me it was time to make the trip.  There are twenty-one more photos of this truck in the W-709-C-T-5 Navy Truck portion of this website.  Author's photo added 9-16-2023.

The Oshkosh Motor Truck Corporation did not keep any retrievable records of its participation during World War Two.  This is typical of many companies as the war was just a brief interlude in their normal business operations.  This is acknowledged in the only history of the company that was put together by the late Clarence Jungwirth in his excellent and comprehensive book "A History of the Oshkosh Motor Truck Corp."  Mr. Jungwirth's book reflects the lack of records and notes that the company built snow blowers and wreckers for the war effort.  

With the assistance of Jeff Lakaszcyck, vintage truck historian and photographer, and Tim Wright, Oshkosh truck historian, I have been able to put a lot of the puzzle pieces together on what the Oshkosh Motor Truck Corporation built during World War Two.  The reader will note that this page still shows a level of uncertainty about some of the company's war products.  Hopefully, more information will be unearthed to help remove these uncertainties.

One thing that is certain is where and how the initial idea that eventually developed into the Oshkosh Motor Truck Corporation got its start.  This is where the story begins.

This former machine shop in Clintonville, WI is where the concept of power to all four wheels, or four-wheel drive, was conceived in 1908.  This eventually led to the founding of the Oshkosh Motor Truck Corporation nine years later.  This is also where the FWD Corporation began, which was the first manufacturer of four-wheel drive vehicles.  Author's photo.

The information on the historical marker is accurate as far as it goes.  However, it does not mention that William Besserdich left the Four Wheel Drive Auto Company and then formed what became today's Oshkosh Corporation.  But the sign is in Clintonville, WI, home of FWD and the FWD Museum.  When this historical marker was erected in 1960, the two companies were competitors in a limited market.  FWD lost market share and eventfully purchased Seagrave and began making fire apparatus in Clintonville.  Oshkosh obtained several key military contracts and became a dominant manufacturer of all wheel drive vehicles for the military.  Author's photo.

In 1908 the Badger Four Wheel Drive Auto Company, under the direction of Mr. Zachow and Mr. Besserdich, built the first ever four-wheel drive vehicle named the "Battleship" as stated on the historical marker.  Another ten cars were built but the market was not receptive to a four-wheel car at the time.  Therefore, the company moved into producing trucks, which was a path taken by several other car companies early in the history of the automobile.

Today the machine shop where four-wheel and all-wheel drive were invented is part of the FWD Seagrave Museum located in Clintonville.  Author's photo.

Today, four-wheel and all-wheel drive are commonplace.  Now four-wheel drive is pretty much standard equipment on pickup trucks, and many SUVs are equipped with all-wheel drive.  For this to have happened, Otto Zachow and William Besserdich first created the concept and initial design in this building.  For those of us who drive trucks with four-wheel drive and SUVs with all-wheel drive, we are indebted to Mr. Zachow and Mr. Besserdich.  Author's photo.

Otto Zachow and William Besserdich were the only persons in 1908 to own an automobile in Clintonville.  One day the two took several friends for a ride in their 1908 Reo and promptly got struck in the muddy country road that was appropriate for horses but not for the new automobile.  The riders then assisted the pair in getting the vehicle out of the mire and going again.

Getting stuck in the mud was fortuitous because William Besserdich realized that not only was the vehicle pushed from the rear but also pulled from the front.  He realized that if power could be applied to the front wheels to pull the vehicle, it would be better able to negotiate the unpaved roads of the era.  When they returned to the machine shop, he explained his idea to Otto Zachow and the four-wheel drive concept was born. 

Both Mr. Zachow and Mr. Besserdich left the company they created.  Otto Zachow left in 1912.  William Besserdich stayed another two years.  Differences of opinion with the company's president, Walter Owen, and an engineer, Mr. Battenberg, caused his departure.  In 1914 he sold his shares in the Four Wheel Drive Auto Company and moved on.

William Besserdich then teamed up with Bernhard Mosling, an established businessman in Clintonville.  The two formed the Wisconsin Duplex Auto Company in Clintonville and set up shop in Mr. Mosling's mercantile store.  However, the Four Wheel Drive Auto Company dominated the business atmosphere in Clintonville.  Therefore, the first vehicle built by the fledgling company in 1917 was a one-ton 4x4 built at the Andrews Motor Manufacturing under the guidance of William Besserdich.  This four-wheel drive truck was named "Old Betsy."

How cool is this?  "Old Betsy" still exists and is owned by the Oshkosh Corporation.  Photo courtesy of Tim Wright.

In 1917 the Wisconsin Duplex Auto Company moved to Oshkosh, WI where the business environment was more friendly.  In honor of being welcomed into the community, Mr. Mosling and Mr. Besserdich renamed the company The Oshkosh Motor Truck Manufacturing Corporation.  It has been in Oshkosh ever since and has been an important source of jobs for the community after which it is named.

As part of the partnership in forming the Wisconsin Duplex Auto Company, William Besserdich sold his part of this patent to Bernhard Mosling for $2,000.  Patent 1,111,728 issued September 29, 1914, shows Mr. Mosling as a co-inventor.

The new company's first factory in the town of Oshkosh was at the corner of  High and Forest Avenues.  Today this area is the location of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.  Forest Avenue no longer exists. 

The original factory was not adequate, so this new construction was completed in December 1920 at the intersection of Oregon Street and 23rd Avenue in Oshkosh.  There are no trees nor shrubbery in front of it.

This more recent photo shows a tree and new windows along the front of the building.

Later, the plant had trees and shrubbery around it.  This picture represents the Oshkosh plant as it looked during World War Two.  The photo is looking southwest with Oregon Street running north and south in front of the building.  Those who have been to the EAA Convention every July in Oshkosh will note how Wittman Field has gone from a grass field to the modern airport it is today.

The plant in 1987.  A new office building has been added, as it now extends out to Oregon Street and the roof has been changed.  The power plant is gone, and a new factory addition has been added to the south side of the building.  Wittman Field is now looking like the modern airport visitors see when visiting the EAA convention.  This building still exists along with a new factory that has been built to the south of this area.  Trucks have been built in this location for 100 years.

Oshkosh Motor Truck, Inc. won the Army-Navy "E" Award one time during World War Two.

Oshkosh Motor Truck, Inc. World War Two Products:  Oshkosh Truck is only officially credited with providing 151 vehicles to the U.S. military in World War Two.  These are the two different groups of trucks shown in Table 1 which totaled 151 7-1/2-ton trucks accepted by Army Ordnance on behalf of the U.S. Navy.  Other historical sources indicate that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers purchased 75 Oshkosh 7-1/2-ton 4x4s for snow blowers.  These were W-709-C15s.

Table 2 shows that between 1940 and 1945 Oshkosh Motor Truck built 1,255 trucks.  Subtracting out the 151 that were built for the U.S. Navy and the 75 for the Corps of Engineers still leaves 1,029 that also could have been built for the military.  The July 1944 advertisement below "War is still our Number One Job"  states that the War Production Board allowed the company to build a limited number of civilian trucks.  This implies that all of the trucks built from early 1942, when civilian truck production ceased, up through mid-July 1944 were for military use only.  In many cases, these were slightly modified W-series trucks ordered as wreckers or as snow blowers for military air fields. 

The U.S. Army "Summary Report of Acceptances, Tank-Automotive Material, 1940-1945" is the most complete and comprehensive record of vehicles produced during World War Two.  However, it is only a small part of the story.  The U.S. Navy had its own procurement system for purchasing equipment and vehicles of which there are no known records.  Both the USAAF and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also ordered their own vehicles outside of the Army Ordnance purchasing.  What is really strange is that the 151 W-series trucks ordered for Navy use against Army Corps of Engineering specifications were recorded by Army Ordnance in its summary.

Early in World War Two, the USAAF purchased a number of W-709 Oshkosh chassis with Gar Wood 5-ton swinging booms.  These were standard W-709 chassis which had been modified for military use with a robust brush guard to protect the headlights and radiator.  These were being used by the USAAF in the South Pacific in late 1942 and in England at about the same time. 

There is also evidence that early in World War Two the U.S. Navy ordered an undetermined number of 7-1/2-ton, 4x4 W-709-C-T-5 tractors.  The Army Corps of Engineers purchased snow blowers throughout the war to keep airfields in operation year around.  It also used Oshkosh dump trucks as snow plows during the war.

These 151 trucks were all built for the U.S. Navy.  The Summary Report of Acceptances document clearly states this. 

One difference between the standard W-series trucks and those ordered to U.S. Army Corps of Engineering standards was the engine.  Normal W-series trucks were powered by Hercules RXC engines with 128 hp.  The Army Corps of Engineers instead specified Continental 22R engines with 145 hp. 

Table 3 shows that the company had $5,099,000 in total major contracts.  With the exception of one Navy contract for $293,000 worth of trucks, the remainder of the contracts were for the Army Corps of Engineers.  However, several of the Army Corps of Engineers' contracts provided dump trucks and truck chassis to the U.S. Navy.

Table 2 shows that the Oshkosh Motor Truck Corporation built 1,255 trucks between 1940 and 1945.  However, Table 3 shows that major contracts were not awarded to the company until December 1941 with production production completed until November 1945.  Table 2A shows that the Oshkosh Motor Truck Corporation produced 1,145 trucks between 1942 and 1945.  Dividing this into the total value of the major contracts from Table 3 of $5,099,000 gives an average cost of $4,453 for each truck Oshkosh produced during World War Two.

Oshkosh Wreckers in World War Two:  The USAAF purchased W-709 series trucks early or even before World War Two for use as 7-1/2-ton 4x4 wreckers.  These were powered by a Hercules RXC six-cylinder engine producing 128 hp.  The trucks were quickly modified with a brush guard for the radiator and headlights.  A Gar Wood five-ton crane along with stabilizing jacks were added.  The truck was also equipped with a fifth-wheel for pulling a trailer.  With these additions, Oshkosh Motor Truck was able to provide much needed heavy-duty wreckers for the military early in World War Two.  

This is the port of Noumea, New Caledonia in the southwest Pacific, which is 700 miles east of Australia.  American forces occupied it in 1942 to prevent the Japanese from using it as a base during the war.  In September 1942, Lockheed P-38 fighters were transported to the docks at Noumea.  Two P-38s have been loaded onto trailers pulled by Oshkosh W-709 wreckers.  The radiator and headlight brush guard is visible on the wrecker in the right of the photo.  The Oshkosh nameplate and insignia are also visible on vehicle.  There are three lights attached to a bracket on the cab and a blackout light on the passenger side headlight.  Also in this photo is a Chevrolet 1-1/2-ton 4x4 dump truck.  Image courtesy of Jeff Lakaszcyck.

P-38 number thirty is being pulled through the streets of Noumea on the way to the American airfield outside of town.  The seams on the aircraft have been taped to keep the salt air from corroding the inside of the aircraft during ocean transit.  Sandbags have been added to the front of the engine nacelles to give the aircraft the proper balance. 

An American sailor is on the Gar Wood crane while American airmen ride on the center section of the P-38.  The rear section of the W-709 chassis has the fifth wheel located behind the crane.  Image courtesy of Jeff Lakaszcyck.

An Oshkosh W-709 Army Air Force wrecker with its P-38 in tow is negotiating a turn in downtown Noumea while another waits its turn.  Image courtesy of Jeff Lakaszcyck.

This W-709 wrecker arrived at the airfield with its P-38.  The P-38s will be lifted off the trailers and then re-assembled by adding the wings and engines by Army Air Force mechanics.  Note that there are three small lights on a bracket on top of the cab and a blackout light is on the right headlight.  Image courtesy of Jeff Lakaszcyck.

This advertisement from the "Commercial Car Journal" contains the best photo of an Oshkosh W-709-C15 wrecker known to exist.  This shows the brush guard, the blackout light on the driver's side of the vehicle, and the three lights on the cab.  It also has a running light on the fender.  This photo and those from New Caledonia show what appear to be turn signals on top of the fenders.  Image courtesy of  Tim Wright. 

The Oshkosh W-709-C-15 Snow Blower:

This is the cover of the Operation and Maintenance Manual for the Oshkosh W-709C-15 mounting Model TU-3 Sno-Go snow blowers ordered by the Army Corps of Engineers.  There is no date for the manual, but the Engineers appeared to have an open contract with Oshkosh for trucks, as the contract is the same as the one shown for tractor trucks for the U.S. Navy  shown below.

The title from the Operation and Maintenance Manual specifies a Continental engine.  This is no doubt the 22R that is specified in the Operation and Maintenance Manual for Navy trucks below.  The normal engine for the W-709 was the Hercules RXC six-cylinder engine producing 128 hp.  The Army Corps of Engineers wanted the 145 hp in the Continental 22R engines for its trucks purchased from Oshkosh. 

This is the only documented evidence for the use of snow blowers for the military.  A historical source indicates that in 1944 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ordered 75 units for this purpose.  This may be the documentation for that order or a previous one.  The Army Engineers would have been purchasing snow blowers, even before the war started, with the buildup of military bases in northern climates.  Image courtesy of  Tim Wright. 

Image courtesy of  Tim Wright. 

 
This is a former 1945 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers W-709-C15 serial number 2472.  Table 2 indicates this truck was built in 1945.  It may well be from the  previously mentioned 1944 order or another later order.  The Klauer Manufacturing Sno-Go was built in November 1943.  This truck is owned by the Gushee family and was photographed by Jeff Lakaszcyck.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Lakaszcyck.

The snow blower has "US CE" painted on it.  There is also a bracket with three amber lights on it, as seen on several of the USAAF wreckers.  Photo courtesy of Jeff Lakaszcyck.

This Oshkosh W-709 snowplow was purchased by the U.S. Corps of Engineers in 1943.  Image courtesy of Tim Wright added 1-10-2021.

 This truck is serial number 1826.  Note the top speed is 29 mph.  Image courtesy of Tim Wright added 1-10-2021.

 Image courtesy of Tim Wright added 1-10-2021.

  Image courtesy of Tim Wright added 1-10-2021.

  Image courtesy of Tim Wright added 1-10-2021.

The Oshkosh W-709-C-T-5 U.S. Navy Tractor Truck:  There is more documentation and current photos on this World War Two Oshkosh truck than any of the others it built for the military during World War Two.  Several pages of the Operation and Maintenance Manual for the vehicle are shown below. 

There were two contracts for this vehicle.  One for 43 units and one of 32, equaling the 75 accepted and noted in Army Ordnance records and tabulated in Table 1. 

The specified engine is a Continental 145 hp 22R, not the normal RXC engines used in the W-Series trucks.  Oshkosh built its own transfer case.  The trucks had Ross Gear and Tool  twin lever, twin cam follower, T-series steering gears, and Auto-Lite electrical systems.

The Oshkosh Motor Truck W-709-C-T-5.  Note the type of side vents for the engine on this vehicle and that there is a blackout light mounted to the headlight.

This drawing not only shows the lubrication points but the layout of the drive train.  This is a generic drawing, as the W-709-C-T-5 had twin wheels on the rear axle.

The electrical wiring is simple and straight forward.  The cranking motor, generator, regulator, distributor, and coil were provided by Auto-Lite.  The drawing shows that both headlights have blackout lamps on them.

This is the Oshkosh-produced transfer case.  It is described as an 8-inch sub-transmission, two-speed assembly number 010166.

The U.S. Navy Oshkosh W-709-C-T-5 Tractor Truck at the National Museum of Military Vehicles in Dubois, WY:  Below are nineteen of my photos of this vehicle inside and outside of the museum's restoration shop.  If I was going to drive 1,493 miles one way to see this truck, I was not going to take one or two photos of it.  I was going to photo-document this vehicle to the best of my ability.  Unlike many of the trucks and armored vehicles the museum owns, this one will not be put on display.  Because this is an operational vehicle, it will be stored and then brought out for parades during holiday events in Dubois.  I was lucky enough to find this vehicle still in the restoration shop, as it was awaiting the replacement of the driver's side door window. 

This truck was one of 75 ordered by the Army Corps of Engineers on behalf of the U.S. Navy.  It was accepted for service in 1944.  Author's photo added 9-16-2023.

Author's photo added 9-16-2023.

I could not find a data plate on the vehicle and I forgot to look for the serial number on the frame.  After returning home Mr. Tim Wright, Oshkosh truck historian, informed me that the serial number would most likely be located on the frame in the front right wheel well.  I contacted Mr. Guy Lavoie in the restoration shop and requested that he see if he could find the serial number.  He was successful.  This image shows the model number on the frame.  Photo courtesy of Mr. Guy Lavoie added 9-16-2023.

This Oshkosh W-709-C-T-5 is serial number 2042 which indicates that this truck was built in 1944.  The Oshkosh Motor Truck Company built serial numbers 1904 through 2320 in 1944.  Photo courtesy of Mr. Guy Lavoie added 9-16-2023.

Author's photo added 9-16-2023.

The glass in the driver's side door was broken upon arrival from the Netherlands.  The museum was in the process of having the glass cut for replacement.  Author's photo added 9-16-2023.

This is the inside panel of the driver's side door.  Author's photo added 9-16-2023.

Author's photo added 9-16-2023.

Author's photo added 9-16-2023.

The odometer has 277 miles on it.  Author's photo added 9-16-2023.

The Oshkosh W-709-C-T-5 came equipped with a Ross Gear of Lafayette, IN cam and lever steering gear system.  Author's photo added 9-16-2023. 

This photo shows the passenger side door with the panel installed.  Note the leather strap that keeps the door from opening too far.  Author's photo added 9-16-2023.

Author's photo added 9-16-2023.

Author's photo added 9-16-2023.

As noted previously, this is an operational truck.  Mr. Guy Lavoie backed the truck outside for me.  Author's photo added 9-16-2023.

Author's photo added 9-16-2023.

Author's photo added 9-16-2023.

Author's photo added 9-16-2023.

Author's photo added 9-16-2023.

Author's photo added 9-16-2023.

This truck and trailer are two of 500 vehicles owned by the National Museum of Military Vehicles.  The museum staff showed great hospitality during my visit and went out of their way to assist me.  I especially want to thank Mr. Guy Lavoie, restoration shop supervisor, for taking time out of his busy work schedule to be my guide for a day at the museum.  Author's photo added 9-16-2023.

The Oshkosh W-709 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Dump Truck:  This World War Two era U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dump truck also did double duty as a snow plow.  This particular truck was part of a large estate auction of 400 vehicles held in Kansas in 2018.  While most of the vehicles auctioned off were civilian cars and trucks, there was also a half-track and Autocar U-7144 in the collection.

The truck still has its military paint with USA registration number on it.  It looks to be in relatively good shape, considering it is almost eighty years old and has spent some time outside.  Photo via Jeff Lakaszcyck.

Photo via Jeff Lakaszcyck.

The Corps of Engineers required the name plate to be painted the same as the rest of the truck.  Photo via Jeff Lakaszcyck.

The first of the five digits in the registration number signified that this was a heavy truck or tractor over five tons of capacity.  Photo via Jeff Lakaszcyck.

The  split windshield and the three amber lights on a bracket are the same as the Navy truck at Overloon.  Photo via Jeff Lakaszcyck.

Photo via Jeff Lakaszcyck.

The truck has a heater which is unusual for military vehicles.  This was no doubt part of the civilian version of the truck and the Army Engineers left it in knowing it would be useful in cold climates.  Photo via Jeff Lakaszcyck.

The engine is the Continental 22R, preferred by the Army Engineers for its added horsepower.  Photo via Jeff Lakaszcyck.

This is a July 1944 Oshkosh magazine advertisement.  There are 52 trucks in the photo.  Nine are dump trucks, which could be part of the order for seventy-six U.S. Navy 7-1/2-ton dump trucks.  They could also be dump trucks for the Army Corps of Engineers like the one shown above.  The other 43 appear to be W-709-C15s that will become snow blowers for the U.S. Corp of Army Engineers.  In 1944 the company built 417 trucks.  The 52 shown here represent 12% of the year's production.  It would have taken six weeks for the Oshkosh Motor Truck Corporation to build these. 

With 43 out of 75 snow blower trucks in this July 1944 photo, it would strongly suggest that the Gushee family's W709-C-15 was part of another order for the Corps of Engineers.  Image courtesy of Tim Wright.

The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV):  In August 2015 Oshkosh won the competition to produce the JLTV as a partial replacement to the Humvee.  To date, over 18,000 have been ordered from the company.

This pre-production prototype is on display at the Army Transportation Museum at Fort Eustis, VA.  Author's photo added 11-7-2021.

Author's photo added 11-7-2021.

The Humvee replaced the venerable Jeep which had many versions over its 40 year history with the U.S. military.  Here is the Jeep family in chronological order at the Army Transportation Museum.  Author's photo added 11-7-2021.

This photo shows both the Jeep and Humvee families.  Maybe someday, the museum will add a retired JLTV next to the Humvees.   The concept of a light tactical vehicle has had to change with the times.  Author's photo added 11-7-2021.

Current USMC Oshkosh Vehicles:  While visiting the 2019 MCAS Beaufort Airshow, I found the following three Oshkosh Truck Corporation vehicles on display.  All were 7-ton 6x6 Medium Tactical Vehicle armored trucks.

Author's photo.

Author's photo.

This one is a model AMK-27-A-1-7 cargo truck with a manufacture date of 12-2001.  Author's photo.

Author's photo.

The wrecker version on display was an AMK-36 with winch built during 11-2004.  Author's photo. 

This one is a similar cargo truck but is model AMK-23 that was manufactured during 9-2013.  Author's photo. 

Author's photo. 

Retired Oshkosh Truck Corporation Military Trucks:

This Oshkosh Corporation M1070 Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET) is on display at the Military Veterans Museum in Oshkosh, WI.  The museum has registered the vehicle.  The museum is on the southwest side of Wittman Regional Airport and the Oshkosh Corporation is northeast of the airport.  This truck is five miles from where it and 4,500 others were built.  Author's photo. 

Author's photo.

Author's photo.

The following photos were taken at the Russell Military Museum in Zion, IL.  The museum also purchases surplus military equipment for resale.

This is the first of the HETs and is an M911 built in the 1970s.  Author's photo.

Author's photo.

This M1070 HET in desert camouflage was also out in the equipment yard at the museum.  Author's photo.

This Oshkosh M1070 HET is painted in European camouflage.  Author's photo.

 Author's photo.

This Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) M978A4 fuel truck is also in the yard at the museum.  Author's photo.