C

FIRE TRUCKS AT WAR

Class 135

The Class 135 Crash Truck was the most widely used crash truck in the
theater of operations. It was built on the Ford and International 4x2 and
Chevrolet 4x4 chassis. The bodies were manufactured by General,
American LaFrance, Central, Approved, Mack, Darley and Oren. It was
similar in appearance to the Class 325 but was equipped with a front
mounted high pressure pump. The truck held 300 gals. of water and 20 gals.
of foam. Duel hose reels carrying 150 ft. of 3/4 in. high pressure hose were
mounted below the platform type body. A third reel was mounted to the rear
of the truck. Another version of the Class 135 appeared near the end of the
war. It was equipped with an AmLaFr midship mounted pump. Foam and
high pressure nozzles were supplied. The Class 135 carried hand tools for
rescue work. Unofficial records and research indicate that about 1958 of the
Class 135s were produced. 4x2 rigs 942, 4x4 rigs 1016

1943 Ford-Darley 4x2

1943 Chevrolet-Mack 4x4

1942 International-Central 4x2

Data plate from a American LaFrance
Class 135 AmLaFr Reg # 2037
Delivered 11- 43

W. S. Darley personnel testing their Class 135 Crash Trucks.

Class 150

Sterling-Cardox

Reo-Cardox
Dionne Collection

Mack-Cardox Prototype

Class 155

1944 Kenworth-Mack USA 508025 Truck served at the Camp Springs AAF

Mack Model 19 Class 155 prototype

1944 Brockway-American LaFrance

The Class 150 Crash Truck was built on the Reo and Sterling, 6x6, 7 ton chassis and the body and fire fighting
equipment was manufactured by the Cardox Corp. Equipped with 6,000 pounds of CO2 and 300 gallons of foam
premix it could discharge both agents individually or in combination. The vehicle was equipped with an hydraulic
overhead boom and front grill nozzles. (CO2 and foam) Nozzle operations were controlled from within the cab
through hydraulic joysticks. The ground sweep bumper also contained CO2 and foam nozzles. There were four
CO2 hand lines on the truck, two located on large hose reels each holding 100 feet of 1 in high pressure hose and
two 100 foot 5/8 in lines coiled in a hose bed located over the rear wheels. These two lines were attached to 5 foot
long piercing nozzles that could be jabbed into the aircraft. Foam was discharged by pressurizing the foam tank
with CO2. Foam nozzles were located on the boom, front grill and ground sweep bumper. Two 100 foot 1 in foam
lines were also coiled in a hose bed located over the rear wheels. An early version of the Class 150 was built by
Cardox on the Mack, NM, 6x6, 71/2 ton chassis.

Class 140

With the development of larger and larger aircraft necessitating the carrying of greater quanties of gasoline and oil, it
was found that the Class 125 and Class 135 crash trucks were totally inadequate to cope with fires involving these
larger aircraft. Information received from the Theater of Operations substantiated these findings. In addition to their
limited extinguishing capacity, some were mounted on 1 1/2 ton, 4x2 commercial chassis, while others were
mounted on 1 1/2 ton, 4x4 Army chassis. Off road mobility of those trucks had not proved satisfactory. In view of
the above limitations, the COE, in early 1944 started to plan the development of a new truck, to be known as the
Class 140, mounted on a 2 1/2 ton, 6x6 standard Army chassis. It would be equipped with a 650-700 gallon water
tank, two turret nozzles, and three hose lines, each 100 feet in length. Two of the hose lines would be suitable for
use with high pressure nozzles, and the other would be used for foam application. Auxiliary
items such as fire axes, ladders, buckets, gauges, controls, alarms, lights, and miscellaneous extinguishers of the
type and size consistent with a crash vehicle would be carried. The fire pump would be capable of supplying 300
gallons per minute at 600 pounds per square inch. It was hoped that the new vehicle would replace the Class 125
and Class 135, and if found adequate, may also eplace the Class 155. By June, 1944, the COE had scrapped the
project sighting a new crash truck should also be capable of applying large quantities of CO2 to be effective.

The Corps of Engineers started planning in 1943 and by June a prototype Class 155 built by Mack Trucks, Inc. on
the Mack Model L, Type 19, 4x2 chassis had been constructed. The truck was equipped with a midship mounted
pump, carried 1000 gallons of water, with two turrets nozzles mounted atop the body. During July, the protype
traveled to Dow Field, ME, LaGuardia Field, NY and Washington National Airport in DC, where it was
demonstrated to military personnel. During testing it was discovered the truck did not perform well as it lacked in
off-road operation and the midship mounted pump prevented pump and roll capability.

By September 1943 the Corps of Engineers had redsigned the Class 155 and contracts were awarded for the
contruction of the vehicle on the Kenworth, 6 ton, 6x6, Model 572 and the Brockway, 6 ton, 6x6, Model 666,
chassis. Mack Truck built bodies on both the Kenworth Model 572 and Brockway Model B666 bridge erecting
chassis, these trucks were equiped with a Hale Model ZEY, 325 gpm, 600 psi high pressure pump, powered by a
Continental 6-cylinder motor. American LaFrance constructed bodies on the Brockway Model F666 and B666
chassis and they were equipped with a American LaFrance Model 155, 2 stage high centrifigal pump rated 250
gpm at 600 psi powered by the American LaFrance 12-cylinder motor.

All versions of the Class 155 were equipped with a 1000 gallon water tank and a pair of manually operated high
pressure turrets mounted atop the vehicle. Starting buttons and throttle controls for the pump engine were located
at the driver's seat and on the deck at the forward turret position. On the left side of the dash, in the driver's
compartment, was a valve which controlled two seat spray nozzles mounted on either side of the windshield. The
purpose of those sray nozzles was to protect the driver with a wall of water in case the wind blew flames towards
him. The turret nozzles could be changed from straight stream to fog by moving a small lever near the tip of the
pipe. Two 100 foot lengths of high pressure, 3/4 in. hose were carried in hose trays located over the rear wheels
and were equipped with hand held fog nozzles. A third 100 ft line was carried in a open compartment in the body of
the truck behind the cab. The 155 was also equipped with various firefighting tools including, 16 ft A-frame folding
ladder, Army crash tool kit, axe, pike pole, fog applicators, fire extinguishers and 100 ft rope with grapnel hook.

Postwar, the trucks were modified for foam operation by the addition of a foam tank, mounted atop the vehicle and
a foam proportioning device. Fog/foam nozzles were added to the turrets and ground sweep nozzles were
attached to the front bumpers.

While the Class 155 served well at stateside Army airfields, research indicates that only one of the 155s served
overseas during the war with the 2085th Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon in India.

1944 Brockway-Mack