Ford GPA n° 8946

The Ford GPA 'Seep' (aka Seagoing Jeep), was the amphibious version of the Ford GPW Jeep. The picture shows the Ford GPA trials in the Detroit area.

The vehicle of this page is the n° 8946, it was delivered, as part of the second contract of 2104 vehicles, the 27th of February 1943.

Sea jeeps. The Army's most flexible new machine of the war, a Ford-built amphibian reconnaissance car, carrying soldiers equipped for combat duty takes to the water in special tests staged recently in the Detroit area. This picture shows how the new transportation arm propelling itself as a boat to the opposite shore. The boat steers in the water the same as on land - Source Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Photograph Collection, Reproduction number LC-USE6-D-009986

When designing and building the GPA, Ford utilized many of the exact same parts that the Ford GPW did. The GPA had an interior similar to that of the MB/GPW jeeps, although the driver's compartment had almost twice as many control levers: 2WD/4WD, hi-range/lo-range, capstan winch (on the bows), propeller deployment and rudder control. After a direct comparison of the two company's prototypes, Ford received a contract for production starting in 1942.

The steering wheel shows the name of PVT J.C. Perry of the  755th Tank Battalion, involved in the ANZIO Landing. The 755th Tank Battalion started the fight the 15th December 1943 between Naples and Foggia then it was assigned to the 5th Army under the French Expeditionary Force. It was also in the Cassino area. After the 25th April 1945, the BTN was in Legnano and used to escort the German POW of the 34th Division to the POW Camp in Ghedi.

The last news of J.C. Perry è Lake Charles coming from the Luisiana, an old newspaper of one Anzio Landing Veteran Association reports condolence  about a next of keen.