| The first Crash Truck produced at the Quartermaster Depot, Fort Holabird in Baltimore, MD. It was built on a 1 1/2 ton, 4x4 chassis and was powered by a 73 HP Franklin Engine. The truck was equipped with a small capacity rotary gear pump and held 100 gals. of water. Cans of foam powder were carried atop the vehicle and a mechanical foam maker was mounted on the right running board. Foam was produced by adding the powdered foam mixture into the foam maker. The truck carried a small number of tools for rescue work. Records indicate that only two of these small trucks were built. W-503 and W-504. Number 503 was assigned to the Carlisile Barracks in PA while number 504 saw service at the Randolf Army Air Field, TX |
| 1932 Holabird built Early Class 100 Crash Truck USA W-503 |
| The Class 100 Crash Truck was built in 1934 at the QMC Depot in Baltimore. Special provisions were made for producing effective foam and carbon dioxide gas for fighting gasoline and oil fires involving aircraft. It was built on a special 6x4 chassis and was powered by a 130 hp. motor. The 100 gpm. single stage centrifugal pump was mounted on the chassis and operated through a power take-off from the motor. The water tank held 300 gals. Foam was produced through special foam making aspirating nozzles, supplied from a 30 gal. foam tank or a powder type foam maker. Four fifty pound carbon dioxide cylinders were mounted in the body of the vehicle and attached to a hose reel carrying 100 ft. of 1/2 in. high pressure hose attached to a discharge nozzle. Four types of portable fire extinguishers along with numberous hand rescue tools were also carried. There are no records on just how many of these rigs were built. Over 30 have been documented from pictures and Army Service Command records. |
| 1939 Class 100 Holabird 6x4 Crash Truck |
| Class 110 |
| Class 110 Holabird built Crash Truck |
| Class 125 |
| The Class 125 Crash Truck was built on the Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, International and Mack 4x2 Chassis. Bodies were manufactured by Mack, Seagrave, General Pacific, John Bean and General. It was equipped with the Hardie Imperial Model LCXA midship mounted mulit-cylinder piston pump having a capacity of 50-60 gpm. at 600 lbs. pump pressure. Rigs produced by John Bean were equipped the Bean Royal 55 pump. The water tank held 300 gals. and the foam tank held 20 gals. Three 100 ft. 3/4 in. high pressure lines were stored in the rear of the vehicle or on reels atop the hose body. The truck was equipped with hand tools for rescue work. Unofficial records and research indicated about 999 Class 125's were produced |
| Mack Trucks produced 100 Class 125 Crash Trucks on the Chevrolet chassis under War Department contract W-2337-eng-1099 from 12 March 1943 thru 31 Dec 1943 at the Long Island City Plant. |
| 1942 International-Bean |
| 1942 Ford-General |
| 1942 Dodge-Bean |
| 1942 Mack-Mack USA 502471 |
| The Class 110 crash truck was built on the Chevrolet 4x4 chassis at the Motor Transport Shop, Camp Holabird, Baltimore and the Memphis Quartermaster Depot, Memphis. An additional 42 were constructed by the Oren Fire Apparatus Co. The Army produced trucks can be identified by a metal plaque stamped "Model 110 QMC" which covered the embossed the sides of the hood. The Class 110 was equipped with a 100 gpm centrifugal power take-off pump and a 250 gallon water tank. Foam liquid was premixed in the water tank and the mixture was supplied to the fire through 2, 100 foot 1 1/2 hose lines. Four fifty pound Carbon Dioxide cylinders were mounted in the body of the truck and attached to a hose reel at the rear of the vehicle. The hose reel carried 100 feet of 1/2 inch high pressure line and attached to a CO2 discharge horn. The 110 was equipped with a portable fire extinguisher and numerous hand tools for rescue work. |
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| Mack Trucks produced 200 of the Type 25 Class 125 Crash Trucks at its Long Island City plant from 1 July 1942 thru 5 April 1943. Built under War Department contract W-978-eng-6398 the trucks carried Mack chassis #s 25 S 1010 to 1209 and USA #s 502469-502668 |
| HARDIE PUMPS ad from WWII Type 25 Mack Class 125 USA 502471 |
Fire Trucks at War
