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FIRE TRUCKS AT WAR

Class 300

1942 Chevrolet-Darley 4x2

1942 Chevrolet-Darley 4x4

1941 Ford-Darley

Class 325

The Class 325 was designed for all around fire protection in isolated areas with little or no water
supply. It was the most widely used fire truck in theater of operations and thousands we built.
It was built on the Dodge, Chevrolet and Ford 1 1/2 ton 4x2 and the Chevrolet 4x4 chassis. Bodies
were manufactured by most of the major fire apparatus manufactures. The truck was equipped with
a front mounted 300 gpm pump and a 300 gal. water tank. Duel hose reels, each carrying 150 ft. of
1 in. hose were mounted below the platform type body. The Class 325 was used to combat structural
and brush fires at stateside and overseas areas and could be used in lieu of the Class 300 as
needed.

H. Smith Collection

1942 Chevrolet-Maxim 4x4

1942 Ford-Maxim 4x2

J. Calderone Collection

1943 Ford-Darley 4x2

1942 Ford-Hahn 4x2

Class 335

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Are Always Welcomed
milfireguy@comcast.net

The Class 300 fire truck was supplied primarily to Army Camps that might be subject to
forest or brush fires. It was built on the Chevrolet and Ford 4x2 chassis and the Chevrolet
4x4 chassis. The bodies were manufactured by Darley, Central and American Fire
apparatus. The truck was equipped with a 300 gpm front mounted centrifugal pump and
carried a 250 gal water tank. Duel hose lines each carrying 150 ft of 1 in hose were
mounted atop the hose body. The unit was equipped with standard brush firefighting tools
and the hose body could carry 1000 ft of 1 1/2 in hose.

The Class 335 had it's beginnings in 1943 when a hybrid fire truck was created by the members of the 1208th
Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon in Algiers, North Africa. An 800 gallon water tank was mounted on the standard GM
CCKW 2 1/2 ton cargo truck and the pump, piping, tools, hose and other fire fighting equipment from a Class 325 was
added and proved quite successful.

The Corps of Engineers adapted this idea and contracted with General-Detroit in March 1945 to build 50 conversion
kits to modify other CCKWs into fire fighting vehicles, this kit became the Class 335. This kit conversion was
especially designed to convert the standard 2 1/2 ton, 6x6 into a satisfactory piece of fire fighting equipment. The
truck body was constructed of steel and included a 640 gallon water tank, together with supports, wood slat hose
bed, tool compartment, running boards, a portion of the hooks and brackets for mounting tools and all bolts, nuts,
washers and screws needed for mounting the body on the chassis. Included in the kit was the rear step assembly
and frame extension for mounting a 300 gpm centrifugal fire pump on the front end of the chassis. The conversion kit
was intended for installation in the field and all fire fighting equipment, including hose reels would be removed from a
Class 325 and used to equip the converted vehicle. These vehicles retained their original Army serial numbers as
seen in the following pictures.

Class 335 General Detroit on a 1945 GM CCKW chassis. 1950s view
from the Johnson Air Force Base, Japan USA 4684606

Class 335 General Detroit on a 1945 GM CCKW chassis.
Pusan Korea, 1950, 546th Engineer Fire Fighting Company
USA 4916086