wi -p

WAR DEPARTMENT
1 TECHNICAL MANUAL

.
<,

DRIVER'S
MANUAL

WAR DEPARTMENT NOVEMBER 1944

)

DRIVER'S CERTIFICATE
19.
SUBJECT: Driver's Manual.
TO: The Motor Transport Officer.
1. I acknowledge receipt of one Driver's Manual, covering the
operation and maintenance of Government vehicles.
2. a. 1 have carefully read and understand this Driver's Manual.
b. I will follow its instructions and advice to the best of my
ability. ,

c. I will keep the Manual with me for information and ready

reference whenever I am driving.

( Sifrnature & Grade)

( Organization )
NOTE — When you receive this copy of the Driver's Manual, read it
carefully. Ask your non-commissioned officers about anything which
is not clear. Then tear out this card, sign it, and give it to your
first sergeant or truck-master.
 TM 21-305

31-305
C 1

fUAL
t S "O^D^*"
CHANGES] T^J/WAE DEPARTMENT \
No. 1 J WASHINGTON 25^D. C., 7 November
TM 21-305, 30 November 1944, is changed as follows :

79. THEATER OF OPERATIONS. In war, the * * *

takes risks needlessly. Drivers must be especially
careful in the combat zone because of the enemy's
tactics in mine warfare. The enemy places
mines wherever he believes our troops will go.
To prevent damaging vehicles and to reduce cas
ualties, the following points must be strictly
observed:
a. Drive only on roads posted clear of mines.
b. Obey all mine warning signs.
c. Allow no one to ride on running boards.
d. Never pull off the road onto shoulders or
nearby areas without making sure they are clear
of mines.
e. Sandbag the floor of the driver's compart
ment. If a front wheel hits a mine, properly
arranged sandbags partially absorb the force of
the explosion and thus reduce the effect on any
one riding in the vehicle. They also stop frag
ments from coming up through the floor and
673408°— 45
 2

causing casualties. This has saved many men

from injury or death.
(1) Methods of sandbagging various vehicles
are shown in figure 32.1. Fill the sandbag's
with dry, loose, nonpacking soil or fine sand.
Place them where they do not interfere with the
clutch and brake pedals.
(2) Replace worn bags promptly. Whenever
the filling gets hard or packed, refill the bags.
Each time the bags are changed or refilled clean
and if necessary repaint the floor.

Figure 32.1. Method of sandbagging %-ton truck.

 TM 21-305-

(3) To prevent damage caused by overloading,

remove sandbags when in unmined areas.
[AG 300.7 (7 Jul45)]
BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR I

OFFICIAL : G. C. MARSHALL
EDWARD F. WITSELL Chief of Staff
Major General
Acting The Adjutant General

DISTRIBUTION :

AAF (5) ; AGF (10) ASF (2) ; T of Opns

; (10) ;

AAF Comd (5) ; S Div ASF (1) GH ; (10) ;

Gen & Sp Sv Sch (5) ;ROTO (3) ; Tng C (10) ;

A (10) ; CHQ (10) ; D (5) ; B (5) ; R (10) ; Bn
(16);C(5);W(5);G(5);S(5);LS(5).
Refer to FM 21-6 for explanation of distribution
formula.
 TM 21-305
"^ C 2

TECHNICAL MANUAL
p
DRIVER'S MANUAL
LI-1-1"

CHANGES 1 DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY/

No. 2
}
WASHINGTON 25, D. C., .77 June 1952

TM 21-305, 30 November 1944, is changed as

follows :

103. Always Stop and Investigate

No matter how * * * not to stop. All motor

vehicle accidents regardless of circumstances will
be reported by or for the driver on Standard Form
91 (Operator's Report of Motor Vehicle Accident).
A driver will refrain from expressing an opinion
orally or in writing to claimants or their agents
as to liability, investigation findings, or the possi
bility of claim approval. Army driver personnel
will not complete insurance company accident re
port forms except where the Army driver is the
insured.

110. Making Out an Accident Report

If you are * * * the crash occurred. To help

you report this vital information, the Army has fur
nished you with Standard Form 91 (Operator's Re
~
port of Motor Vehicle

AGO 4213C— June 951000'

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AGO 4213C 3
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AGO 4213C
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Motor Vehicle Accident.
[AG 300.7 (19 May 52)]

AGO 4213C
OFFICIAL : J. LAWTON COLLINS
WM. E. BERGIN Chief of Staff
Major General, USA United States Army
The Adjutant General

DISTRIBUTION :

Active Army:
Tech Svc (1) ; Tech Svc Bd (2) ; AFF
(40) ;
AA Comd (2) ; OS Maj Comd (5) ; Base
Comd (5) ; MDW (5) ; Log Comd (5) ;
A (20) ; CHQ (15) ; Div (10) ; Brig (2) ;
Eegt (5) ; Bn (5) ; Co (5) ; FT (2) ; Sch
(20);PMS&T (l);Dep(5);Hosp (2);
ETC (2) ; POE (2) ;PRGR (2) ; Ars
(2) ; Mil Dist (3) ; Mil Mis (1) ; Arma
(1).
NG: Same as Active Army.
ORC ': Same as Active Army.
For explanation of distribution formula, see SR
310-90-1.

AGO 4213C
U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1952
WAR DEPARTMENT TECHNICAL MANUAL
TM 21-305
This manual supersedes TM 10-460, 6 May 1942,
including Cl, IS March 1943.

DRIVER'S
MANUAL

WAR DEPARTMENT NOVEMBER 1944

UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE,
WASHINGTON : 1944

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington 25, D. C.

 WAR DEPARTMENT,
WASHINGTON 25, D. C., 30 NOVEMBER 1944.

TM 21-305, Driver's Manual, is published for the in

formation and guidance of all concerned.
[A.G. 300.7 (9 Oct 44).]
BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR:

G. C. MARSHALL,
Chief of Staff.

OFFICIAL:
J. A. ULIO,
Major General,
The Adjutant General.

DISTRIBUTION:
Armies (10); Corps (10); £ &: H (2).
 CONTENTS

Paragraphs Page
Chapter 1. You and Your Vehicle 1-3 1

Chapter 2. Protecting Your Vehicle

from Abuse 4-16 4

Chapter 3. Getting There Safely.

Section I. Whenever you are driving 17-35 21
II. Driving solo 36-52 45
777. Driving in a motor march
column 53-61 63

Chapter 4. Difficult Terrain: Bad Roads

and Cross Country Driving 62-78 75

Chapter 5. Safe Driving in Warfare or

Maneuvers 79-85 95

Chapter 6. Four Hidden Enemies .... 86-91 103

Chapter 7. Preventive Maintenance 92-98 111

Chapter 8. If Something Goes Wrong 99-110 128

Appendix. An Accident Report, Prop

erly Filled Out 136
 fhil manual supersedes TM 10-460, 6 May IStt,
including 01, 18 March ISiS.

CHAPTER 1

YOU AND YOUR VEHICLE

1 YOU are a soldier-driver. You have an important and

.
responsible job in operating a motor vehicle. The Army
depends on its drivers for the mobility it needs to win
a war.
Soldier-drivers have tough jobs because they drive
under tough conditions. It you expect to do this type of
driving without getting hurt and without causing injur
ies or damage, you must be not only qualified, but also
dependable.
a. Your operator's permit. No one may operate a
military motor vehicle who has not been issued an Army
Motor Vehicle Operator's Permit.
You received your permit after you had passed an
examination showing that you could operate and main
tain your vehicle properly. But having passed the exam
ination doesn't mean that you won't forget anything.
This manual is to help you not to forget; to help you
improve yourself as a driver. Study it. Keep it and your
driver's permit with you whenever you drive. You may
be required to show them at almost any time.
1
 Marked on your permit are the classes of vehicles
which you are authorized to drive. You are not allowed
to drive any others.
You can keep your permit only so long as you drive
safely and sensibly.
b. Your physical condition. You were proved to be
physically fit when you entered the Army. However, even
a qualified and ordinarily fit driver may become tem
porarily unfit because of fatigue, illness, injury or drink.
If you are ever temporarily unfit, use sense — don't drive.
Alcohol and gasoline. "Alcohol and gasoline do
c.
not mix." In one quarter of the fatal motor vehicle
accidents which were studied recently, one or more of
the drivers had been drinking. A soldier may get in
trouble for being intoxicated, but driving a motor vehicle
while intoxicated is a far more serious offense.
d. Relief for drivers. When you have an assistant
driver available, the easiest course is to have him take
over if you become temporarily unfit. If you have none,
ask your immediate superior for relief.
No matter what the cause of your temporary unfitness,
be sure that you make those in authority realize that you
are trying to protect life and property. If your imme
diate superior will not act, go higher, if necessary.
e. Pulling to side of road to rest. If you are operat
ing outside of a march column, and have no assistant
driver when you find yourself temporarily unfit, it is best
to pull over to the right side of the road, well clear of
all traffic, and rest until you are fit. If the delay will be
long, you should communicate, if possible, with the offi
2
cer under whose direction you are operating, or one of
his assistants.

2. YOUR VEHICLE is a carefully engineered piece of ma

chinery, easy to operate but easier to damage or destroy
by carelessness and neglect. Even the "jeep" (i/^-ton
truck) is a high-powered machine. Treat it with respect.

3. YOU AND YOUR VEHICLE. As a soldier you pay par

ticular attention to your equipment, clothes, and rifle or
pistol. You take personal pride in keeping them clean,
neat, orderly, and always ready to use. This same pride
and desire for personal recognition should encourage you
to take care of your assigned vehicle and its equipment
intelligently and regularly. Carelessness or indifference
in using and maintaining your vehicle leads to unneces
sary work, delay, and a bad record as a soldier.
You are responsible for the safe operation and proper
care of your vehicle. So be smart —don't let it down
and it won't let you down.
 CHAPTER 2

PROTECTING YOUR VEHICLE FROM ABUSE

4. HELPFUL REMINDERS. You know how to drive well.

However, here are some reminders that you'll find very
useful in protecting your vehicle from abuse.

5. FAULTY STARTING may injure the vehicle. a. long-

continued cranking of the engine with the starting motor
discharges the battery very rapidly and may shorten its
life. You should not keep your foot on the starter for
periods longer than 10 or 15 seconds.
By disengaging the clutch when you use the starter,
you reduce the load on the starting motor and on the
battery.
If the engine fails to start after being cranked several
times, check the whole fuel line for leaks or stoppage and
check the ignition system for loose connections or short
circuits. Running down your battery won't start the en
gine, if the engine isn't getting fuel or spark.
b. Racing a cold engine. It takes time for the oil in
a cold engine to circulate to all parts. If
the engine is
raced while cold, this underlubrication may cause serious
damage to bearings, cylinders or pistons. Therefore, do
not race a cold engine.
c. Using the choke. When you pull out the choke it
gives more gasoline to the carburetor. To start your
engine when it is cold, use the choke, but use it as little
4
as possible so as to avoid flooding the carburetor or
diluting oil with gasoline. Whenever possible, start
•warming up your engine far enough ahead of time that
you won't have to run your vehicle with the choke out.
The warm-up period may vary from half a
necessary
minute to half an hour according to the weather.

6. GEARS. Shifting gears on a motor vehicle permits

enough turning effort to be applied to the wheels for the
load, grade, speed, or road conditions under which the
vehicle is traveling. Allowing the engine to labor is a
most effective means of burning out crankshaft bearings.
Therefore, use sound judgment in selecting the proper
gear. Always drive in a gear that will allow you to
accelerate, if necessary.
It
is exceedingly bad practice to wait until the last
minute to shift gears. The experienced driver, antici
pating the need for changing gears, shifts in time to keep
his vehicle from losing momentum.

7. SELECTING SPEEDS WITH THE TRANSFER CASE. a.

Two-speed transfer case. When the going is good, that
is, on most hard pavements, leave the transfer case in
high range and shift gears in the transmission only. Use
the low range of the transfer case whenever driving off
the road or when the going is tough — that is, for rough
terrain, mud, sand, and steep grades — again shifting
gears in the transmission only. Caution: Be sure to en
gage front axle drive before shifting into low range.
If your transfer case is in high range and you have to
shift to low range, slow down almost to a standstill, and
shift by double clutching (par. 8d). You can shift from
low range to high range at any usual speed. -.....,

b. Three-speed transfer ease. A limited number of

Army vehicles have three-speed transfer cases. :

Use the low range (underdrive) for the same driving

conditions as the low range in the two-speed transfer
case, and shift to it in the same way.
Use the high range (direct drive) for fully loaded
vehicles on hard surfaced roads in rolling country. You
can shift to this range at any usual speed.
Use the overdrive range on hard surfaced roads, for
lightly loaded vehicles in rolling country or for fully
loaded vehicles in flat country. If you are an inexperi
enced driver, slow the vehicle almost to a standstill
before you shift, but if you are expert, you may be able
to do it at greater speed.

8. USING THE CLUTCH, a. Get the "clutch feel". The

clutch provides a means of applying the engine power to
the wheels smoothly and gradually.
Get the "feel" of your clutch; that is, know just where
it starts to engage, how far the pedal travels until it
is;

fully engaged, how much slack there in the pedal, and

is

how fast you should let the clutch in.

b. The clutch in starting. When starting to drive the
.

vehicle, let the pedal come back to the point of engage

ment and then engage the clutch gradually, at the same
time depressing the accelerator at a rate sufficient to
maintain the speed of the engine.
 e. The clutch and the gearshift. When you shift from
one gear to another, engage the clutch smoothly — though
more rapidly than when starting, because in this case
the clutch does not have to slip (as it does when starting)
if you have shifted properly.
d. Double clutching. Good drivers often use double
clutching to engage the gears smoothly by synchronizing
the speeds of the gears before engagement. Shifting to a
lower speed by double clutching is done as follows: (1)
Remove foot from accelerator; (2) depress the clutch
pedal; (3) move the gearshift lever to neutral position;
(4) release the clutch and at the same time (5) depress
the accelerator until the engine speeds up somewhat;
(6) depress the clutch pedal; (7) move the gearshift lever
to the next lower speed; (8) release the clutch pedal and
at the same time (9) depress the accelerator to maintain
the speed of the engine as the load is again connected
to it by the engagement of the clutch. (See fig. 1.)
The procedure the same for shifting to higher
is

speed, except that the engine not accelerated while the

is

gears are in neutral.

Double clutching sounds rather complicated but
it

becomes almost automatic with practice.

e. Don't "ride" the clutch. Keep your foot off the
clutch except when starting, stopping, or shifting. Even
a slight continued pressure on the clutch pedal wears out
the facings and throwout bearing of the clutch. For the
same reason, when stopped on hill, never slip your
a

clutch to prevent your vehicle from rolling back. Use

your brakes instead.
7
9. MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM SPEEDS. Your vehicle is
not designed to operate above a specified maximum
speed, or below a specified minimum speed, in each gear.
a. Maximum speeds. The caution plate (fig. 2) shows
maximum speeds for each gear. (These are given as the
maximum engine rpm for any gear if the vehicle is
equipped with a tachometer.)
Excessive speeds will damage the engine. These can
occur when your vehicle is coasting downhill in gear or
when the governor is not working properly. Further
more, operating at maximum speed or "against the gov
ernor" is risky because you have no reserve speed if you
suddenly need to accelerate to avoid an accident. So,
keep below the maximum shown for each gear.
b. Minimum speeds. Operating at too low an engine
speed, or allowing the engine to "labor," overloads the
engine and will damage it. Shift gears before the engine
starts to labor, and save the engine.

10. BRAKING. The purpose of the brakes is to reduce

speed, stop the vehicle, and hold it in place when stopped.
a. Use engine as brake. (1) Whenever you apply
brakes, heat is generated and some of the lining is worn
away. If you hold them on continuously, the brake lin
ing may be burned. Save your brakes by using your
engine to slow your vehicle down, and your brakes
merely to assist the engine. Think ahead. Begin to slow
down early by taking your foot off the accelerator while
leaving the clutch engaged* Then apply the brakes
firmly but gradually so as to stop quickly but without
*
Figure 1. Double clutching.
 F MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE ROAD SPEEDS *
IN THE FOLLOWING GEAR POSITIONS
TRANSMISSION TRANSFER CASE IN
IN HIGH RANGE LOW RANGE
OVERDRIVE 45 20
DIRECT 37 16

THIRD 20 9

SECOND 10 4

FIRST 6 2 .

REVERSE 6 2

^
BASED
6-6-1
ON 2750
AXLE
R.P M. ENGINE
RATIOS 7.50-2O
MAXIMUM
TIRES
SPEED
j
Figure 2. Typical caution plate.

shock to the vehicle or jarring the load. Remember that

increasing the load increases the stopping distance.
..
(2) Leave the clutch engaged until your vehicle has
almost stopped. With a little practice you will learn
just when to disengage it to keep the engine from stall
ing. This does not mean that the engine will be used
as a brake by shifting to a lower gear for normal stops
such as stop signs or traffic lights.
b. Hand brake. The hand brake is designed to hold
the vehicle when it is not moving. Do not use it to stop
or to slow down unless necessary. The foot brake is far
more effective and won't crack an axle shaft or a pro
peller shaft.
10
11. BRAKING A TRAILER. If a trailer or artillery weapon
is attached to your vehicle, safe braking requires addi
tional care, especially on down grades.
a. Jackknifing. When the momentum of your tractor
(towing vehicle) is reduced, the trailer has a tendency to
"run up" on the tractor. The greater the load on the
trailer, the greater is that tendency. This might jack-
knife your vehicle — that is, cause the trailer to swing to
one side of the tractor and fold up on it like the action
of the blade of a jackknife when you close it. This may
throw the vehicle out of control and cause a serious
accident.
When you use only your engine or your tractor brakes
to slow down, there is no braking power on the trailer
wheels, and Jackknifing may occur.
Heavy trailers have brakes to reduce the momentum
and avoid Jackknifing, but if your trailer has no brakes,
it is especially important to apply tractor brakes gradu
ally.
b. Hand-controlled trailer brake. Some trailers and
artillery weapons are equipped with brakes which you
operate by a hand lever in the driver's cab. These work
independently of the tractor brakes. Thus you can avoid
Jackknifing by applying your hand-operated trailer
brakes first, so that you reduce the trailer momentum
sooner than the tractor momentum.
You should do this whether you brake the tractor by
engine or by brakes. But don't use the trailer brakes as
an "anchor" by habitually applying them when they are
not needed.
11
 c. Automatically controlled trailer brakes. On many
tractor-trailer combinations the brakes are so designed
that the tractor and trailer brakes operate together. The
tractor brakes are mechanically prevented from .operat
ing ahead of those on the trailer. This will automatic
ally avoid jackknifing when you use the brakes, but not
when you use only the engine as a brake. You must al
ways use the brakes at least enough to keep your trailer
in control.
d. Know your tractor-trailer combination. From the
above you will realize that even an experienced driver
must know more than just how his trailer brakes work.
He must get their "feel" before he can handle a trailer
safely. To be safe, be sure you know your trailer.

12. ATTACHING A TRAILER. Trailed loads should be

attached to the tractor by a lunette (on the trailed load)
placed in a pintle hook (on the tractor). Make sure that
the pintle latch is closed and secured before you move
the trailed load. (See fig. 3.)

13. BACKING A TRAILER requires knowledge of your

tractor-trailer combination, practice and skill. When
you first try to back with a trailed load, take it easy. Be
sure you have plenty of room.
In backing a trailer to the right, the driver first manip
ulates his vehicle as though beginning a turn to the left.
This action starts the trailer moving toward the driver's
right. In backing a trailer to the left, the driver first
manipulates his vehicle as though beginning a turn to
12
 Figure 3. Pintle hook and lunette.

the right. This action starts the trailer moving toward

the left. Thus a skillful driver is able to back a towed
load into a narrow space. (See fig. 4.)
Until you are fully competent and fully familiar with
your own particular combination, always have another
man watch when you back it to warn you before the
trailer becomes so cramped that it might cause damage.
The 1-ton trailer requires particular skill —be careful
with it.
13
 Figure 4. Backing a semitrailer.

14. FRONT-AXLE DRIVE. a. Use front-axle drive only

as needed. When a front-axle drive is engaged, the
average speed of the front pair of wheels is the same. as
the average speed of each pair driven by the rear-axle
drive. Therefore, if the front or rear tires are worn or
underinflated, their circumference is less than the cir
cumference of the others, and one pair or the other must
14
slip a little to cover the same distance. That wears
tires.
Your front-axle drive provides additional traction
as in soft mud or snow, and on very

it it,
when you need
steep grades, but unnecessary on dry hard roads, and

is
its use wears tires and mechanism. It ordinarily used

is
only in off-the-road operation.
So save your tires, and save the transfer case and front-
axle mechanism from unnecessary wear and tear. Keep
the front-axle drive disengaged when you don't need it.
Then both the front-axle drive and the front tires will
probably be able to pull you out of tight, spot when

a
you do need it.
b. Know your front-axle drive. It impossible to

is
shift into the low range of the transfer case without
engaging the front-axle drive. Engage the front-axle
drive first and then shift the transfer case.
You can engage or disengage the front-axle drive at
any usual speed and in some vehicles at a stop. If you
cannot do this with reasonable effort while the vehicle
probably one of those front-axle drives
is

stopped,
is
it

that can be engaged or disengaged only while the vehicle

in motion. Don't bend or break the control lever —
is

try driving the vehicle.

It generally more difficult to disengage the front-axle
is

drive than to engage it. You can engage the front-axle

drive without excessive effort you do right. If you
if

it

can't shift readily while operating the vehicle, drive with

the wheels turned or cramped until you can. Don't try
to tear the shift handle out by its roots.

IB
 You can usually disengage the front-axle drive readily
while operating the vehicle. If you still have difficulty,
run the vehicle over a rough surface or bump on the
road or run the right tires on a rough shoulder of the
road until you complete the shift. This should make it
easy.

15. SAFE OPERATION ON HILLS. It is risky to change

gears while climbing a hill. Therefore, the safest pro
cedure is to select the proper gear before starting up.
However, should it be necessary to go to a still lower
gear, make the shift before the engine slows down to a
stalling point.
Do not depend on your brakes alone on a steep hill.
If the road is slippery, and your vehicle starts to slide
with the brakes set, you will lose control because you
cannot steer with the wheels locked. By using a lower
gear and leaving the clutch engaged causing the driving
wheels to turn the engine, you will have the effect of
brakes, yet the wheels revolve freely enough to permit
steering control.
a. Uphill. If you stall the engine while climbing a
steep hill and must back down, apply the foot brake,
set the hand brake, disengage the clutch, and shift
quickly into reverse.
If
the vehicle does not slide or roll, start the engine
while the clutch is still disengaged and engage the clutch
while releasing the brakes.
If
the vehicle slides or rolls while the clutch is dis
engaged, reengage it immediately after shifting into
U
reverse and release the brakes. If the engine does not
start turning immediately, use the starter to relieve strain
on the gears. Then back down.
b. Downhill. As a trained driver, you know that the
engine can be used for braking. However, it should be
supplemented by liberal use of foot brakes. Failure to
keep the vehicle within proper speed limits may ruin the
engine and transmission. To use your engine as a
brake, proceed as follows:
(1) When you approach a down grade, first select a
suitable gear. A good rule for driving downhill is to
use the same gear in which you would drive up the same
hill. Have the gear engaged before the vehicle starts
down, and then observe the following instructions:
(a) Keep the vehicle under complete control at all
times. Men's lives may depend upon your actions.
(6) Never exceed the maximum permissible speed
limit for the particular gear selected.
(c) Reduce speed by liberal use of the foot
brakes,
constantly checking your speedometer readings. Keep
the vehicle within the speed limit as shown on the
caution plate.
(d) Remember that the possibility of overspeeding is
greater when the vehicle is loaded.
(e) Remember that especial care must be exercised
when weather and road conditions are unfavorable.
(2) As long as you keep your foot off the
accelerator,
the engine will resist the tendency of your vehicle to roll
faster, because the wheels will be driving the engine
through the clutch, instead of the engine driving the
17
wheels. The result is effective and safe braking. . ...
If the braking power of your engine isn't enough to
keep your vehicle at a safe speed, use the foot brake also.
c. Be kind to your brakes. In using the foot brakes
on hills you should take the following precautions to
prevent skidding, or overheated brakes:
(1) Apply the brakes firmly but not abruptly. Abrupt
application with full force may lock the wheels and
cause your vehicle to slip or skid out of control.
(2) Apply the brakes at intervals, only as you need
them.
d. Coasting downhill with the clutch out or with the
transmission in neutral, or attempting to change gears
after you have started downhill is dangerous. A vehicle
gains momentum rapidly on down grades. If the trans
mission is in neutral, the speed may be too great to mesh
the gears. The vehicle may then get out of control,
become a runaway, and not only spoil your reputation
as a good driver, but endanger life and property. Do
not coast downhill with the clutch disengaged.
Never step on the starter while the vehicle is rolling
backward and gears are engaged, even though you are
holding the clutch pedal down. Go into neutral before
using the starter. ;

e. Runaway vehicles. If the braking effects of both

the engine and the brakes fail to hold your vehicle and
it starts to run out of control down a hill, the last resort
is to ditch the vehicle, running it off the road against a
bank if possible, at a sharp angle. This must be done
promptly, before the runaway vehicle has gained too
18
much speed. By prompt ditching in such an emergency,
you may prevent a much more serious accident.
f. Look out for excessive "revs" while going downhill.
Your engine probably has a governor that limits the
rpm under ordinary circumstances. But when you are
going down a hill and using your engine as a brake, the
governor doesn't help.
What happens is this: The wheels are connected with
the engine. Thus the momentum of your vehicle causes
the engine to turn over more rapidly, and the lower the
gear you are using, the faster your engine is forced to
turn over in proportion to the speed of your vehicle.
Hence, when you are driving downhill in a low gear,
if you let your vehicle roll too fast, the engine may easily
be turned over so rapidly that it can't stand the strain.
Bearings may burn out. Parts may fly apart. This sad
fate has happened to many an Army vehicle — with a
poor driver.
Avoid that. When going down a hill, notice what
gear is engaged. Read the caution plate on your panel.
Use the foot brakes, as needed, to keep your vehicle down
to or below the maximum speed shown for that gear.

16. DRIVING TIPS. Good driving demands that you

keep the following in mind:
a. Shut off the engine. Idling the engine for long
periods when the vehicle is not in motion wastes fuel.
It is contrary to Army regulations. Never leave your
vehicle unattended with the engine running.
b. If s not a ship. If you must drive through water,

19
go slowly and steadily, so that you won't splash water
over the engine and stall it.
c. It's not a tank. When one vehicle pushes another,
the view of the man who controls the forward movement
is obstructed by the vehicle head. That may cause
accidents.
It is safer to pull vehicles than push them. Push only
when no other practicable course is open.
Except in an emergency, do not use your vehicle to
tow another unless both are provided with suitable and
safe apparatus for towing.
d. Protect the tires. Turn
the front wheels as little
as possible when your vehicle is standing still, to avoid

wearing the tires and straining the steering mechanism.

Scraping curbs or tree stumps will damage the side-
walls, which are the weakest parts of the tires.
e. Adjustments. Driving a vehicle that is out of ad
justment will only cause more damage. Look out for
signs of trouble. For example, a thumping in the steer
ing gear may indicate that it is loose. If a correct adjust
ment is not made soon, the steering gear teeth may
become pitted or broken off, ruining the steering as
sembly. Such a condition can put the entire vehicle
out of service. Your preventive maintenance services
(see ch. 7) outline the way to keep your vehicle in good
order.

20
 CHAPTER 3

GETTING THERE SAFELY

Section I. WHENEVER YOU ARE DRIVING

17. MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS WEAKEN OUR WAR

EFFORT. Thirty-four thousand five hundred people
were killed in motor vehicle accidents in the United
States in 1940. That is more than the number killed by
air raids on England in the whole first year of the second
World War, and is equal to more than two whole
divisions of troops. (Sec fig. 5.)

Figure 5. Accident casualties.

 One and a half million people were injured in all
kinds of motor vehicle accidents during the same year.
That is equal to several field armies.
A recent study of the records of one maintenance unit
of the Army showed that more than 80 percent of the
Vehicles being repaired were out of service be'Causef of
accidents.
So, in addition to taking care of your own skin, you
can see that keeping motor vehicle accidents from reduc
ing our national effectiveness is a real job.
Only you — the individual soldier-driver —can do the
trick for the Army.

18. CLEAR SIGNALS ARE ESSENTIAL TO SAFETY. a.

The average driver doesn't want to smash his vehicle or
yours. He will be careful to avoid a crash if you give
him a reasonable chance. However, he is not a mind
reader. Let him know what you are going to do. Co
ordinate your intended movements with the speed of
your vehicle. If you plan to make a turn at an intersec
tion, start slowing your vehicle down and enter the
correct lane of traffic in ample time to avoid crowding
vehicles in other lanes. Signal whenever you intend to
change direction, stop, or slow down, materially. By so
doing, you may prevent the other driver from crashing
into you.
Make your signals clear and definite. Give them in
ample time. Make them last long enough, so that the
other driver will see them. Remember he may not be
looking all the time.
22
 b. The following signals will clearly indicate your
intentions. They are widely used. Therefore they are
sure to be understood by the other fellow and will help
you avoid trouble. (See fig. 6.)
(1) Right turn. Extend left arm at an angle of 45°
above horizontal.
(2) Left turn. Extend left arm straight out.
(3) Slow or stop. Extend left arm at an angle of 45°
below horizontal.
(4) Passing. Sound your horn before passing another
vehicle except when darkness makes it possible to warn
by flicking your headlight beams.

men TDM

IOT1UW

STOP n sum

Figure 6. Hand signals.

23
19. SIGNALS DO NOT RELIEVE YOU OF RESPONSIBILITY.
If there is a collision, the crash will be just as bad, the
damage just as great, and the injuries just as painful,
whether you have signaled or not. So even if you have
signaled, watch the other fellow, and play safe. He may
not have seen your signal.

20. SLOWING DOWN AND STOPPING. a. Safety.

Can you imagine how it would feel to be riding in a
fast-moving motor vehicle that could not be slowed or
stopped? Sooner or later you would end up in a crash.
That is certainl Just as certainly, you'll have a crash
even though your vehicle has excellent brakes, if you
can't make every stop within the necessary time and
distance.
Do you think that braking is an instantaneous act?
Look at figure 7. Remember that the vehicle rolls on
while you are making up your mind to stop and keeps
rolling while you are moving your foot to the brake and
depressing the pedal. It will surprise you to know how
far you roll before you can apply your brake. Note that
your vehicle goes 18 feet while you are reacting and stop
ping it from a speed of 10 miles per hour, but it travels
10 times as far when you try to stop it from 45 miles
per hour.
To avoid crashes, allow plenty of time and plenty of
space in which to make your stop.
b. Quick stops. The ability to make a quick stop in
an emergency may save your life. You should test your
brakes and test yourself to be sure that you can stop so
24
quickly that you almost "stand her on her nose."
But the driver who makes sudden stops a general prac
tice is a poor driver. He is just asking for an accident.
The driver behind you may not be as quick as you are.

j CD REACTION TIME

! Hi APPLYING BRAKES

70
414 FEET

Figure 7(1). Stopping distances under most favorable road condi

tions, based on effective brakes and driving on a straight, level,
smooth, hard-surface, dry highway.
25
 If you You arc You will You will So you will
go traveling travel travel travel a
this this this this total of this
many many many many man>y
MILES TEET FEET BEFOREMOKE FEET FEET
PER XAOH YOU CAN GET
BEFOBE TOUB BEFORE
HOUB SECOND YOUR FOOT ON BRAKES CAN YOU CAN
THE BBAKE* STOP YOU STOP

10 15 11 7 18
15 22 16 15 31
20 30 22 28 50
25 37 27 43 70
30 44 33 62 95
35 51 38 84 122
40 59 44 109 153
45 66 49 135 184
SO 73 55 172 227
55 81 60 210 270
60 88 66 248 314
70 103 77 337 414

* Average reaction time of 0.75 second.

These figures are for average reaction time and good brakes.
The total stopping distance from 30 m.p.h. for a person with 2-
seoond reaction time, driving a car with four brakes, would be H8
plus 100, or 1S6 feet (or nearly twice the distance given above).

Figure 7(2). It takes time to stop.

His brakes may not be as good. Even if you signal, you

may get rammed from the rear if you stop suddenly.
Sudden stops may also throw passengers forward and
injure them. Sudden stops may cause your load to shift,
resulting in damage or trouble for you.
Even when you test your brakes to be sure that you can
stop suddenly in an emergency, be sure that no one is
near enough to ram you from behind, and that any pas'
sengers or load are "set" and won't be thrown around.
Always look in the mirror before slowing or stopping.
24
21. SAFETY IN OVERTAKING AND PASSING. a. Nor-
mal method of passing. The accepted rules of the road
require you to pass on the left of a vehicle which you are
overtaking. Signal by day with your horn, and by night
.by flicking your lights. However, in heavy traffic where
cars are constantly passing and drivers constantly alert,
or when the military situation requires silence, it may be
undesirable to use the horn. In a well lighted city
street, the signal may be omitted.
b. In heavy traffic. When you are driving in very
heavy traffic, with two or more continuous columns pro
ceeding in the same direction, one column* may move
faster than the others, or may move when the others are
halted. In such case, it is safest to stay in your own
column, and proceed at its pace, regardless of whether
you pass on the right or on the left of other columns.
c. When the driver ahead signals a left turn. When
a driver ahead of you has signaled that he is going to
make a left turn, and pulls to the left, you can pass safely
on his right, provided you proceed with caution and can
see that no vehicle is approaching on the intersecting
road.
d. There is always danger in passing. If in order to
overtake and pass another vehicle, you have to drive into
a lane in which traffic is moving in the opposite direc
tion, you must be extremely cautious and skillful in esti-

* To conform to long established military usage, the military term

"column" is used to describe a formation in which units are one behind
the other, instead of the civilian term "line," which the Army reserves
for a formation in which the different elements are abreast of each other.
Similarly, "distance" is used to express space between units in column,
while "interval" is used to express space between, units in line (FM 22—5).
27
mating distances and judging speeds. A mistake in
judgment may cause a head-on collision with another
vehicle. (See fig. 8.) Head-on collisions are no joke.
Use care and avoid them. ,

Be sure that you can see, that you have plenty of

room and plenty of time to get by, before you try to over
take and pass another vehicle.

Figure 8. Don't pass on blind curves.

28
 e. You're blind when you pass at intersections.
When you overtake and correctly pass another vehicle
on its left, the vehicle which you are passing cuts off your
sight toward the right. (See fig. 9.) Hence, to avoid col
lisions, don't pass where someone may shoot out of a
blind space at your right. That means don't pass at
intersections.

Figure 9. Don't pass at intersections.

 When a driver signals and slows or stops his vehicle
for a left turn, and you pass it on the right, the vehicle
which you are passing now creates a blind space at your
left. The only way to be safe is to slow down enough
so that you can "stop on a dime" if necessary. Pass
only after you are sure nothing is coming on the cross
road. *
f. Avoid passing on blind hills and curves. No
driver can see through a hill— so neither you nor the fel
low, coming up the other slope knows that the two
vehicles are approaching each other. It's just as hard
to see around a curve and just as dangerous to pretend
you can. So don't pass on blind hills or blind curves.
The only exception is where there are two or more
clearly defined lanes marked for traffic in your direction.
g. Give the other fellow room. To avoid sideswip-
ing or forcing him into a ditch, wait, after passing, until
you get well ahead of him before pulling back into col
umn. Don't "cut in." Give extra room when you have
a trailed load. Trailed loads sometimes bounce.

22. LET THE OTHER FELLOW PASS YOU SAFELY. When

you are passing another vehicle, you hope the driver of
that vehicle will give you room to get back in column.
When he is doing the passing, give him the same break.
Don't speed up and keep him in the other lane where he
may collide with a car coming in the opposite direction
or be forced to cut in on you.

23. WOULD YOU DRIVE BLINDFOLDED? No man in his

right senses would drive blindfolded. Yet you are just
30
about as bad off when your vision is cut off by hills,
buildings, trees, signs, fences, or other obstructions.
Even a windshield sticker may be dangerous.
a. Keep your eyes open. Unfortunately you can't
avoid blind places. They are all over the country. Sup
pose someone suddenly comes from behind that obstruc
tion to your line of sight. Can you stop?
At least you can be prepared. You can be sure that
you are on the proper side of the road; you can proceed
cautiously, alert, and ready to act quickly if necessary
to avoid a collision.
b. Scrape off that sticker. A 2y2-ton truck may be
hidden by a 2i/2-inch windshield sticker in your line of
sight when the truck is so close that even at 25 miles per
hour you can't stop in time. Scrape that sticker off.
Put any required sticker well out of your line of sight.
24. YOU CAN LOOK ONLY ONE WAY AT A TIME. To
avoid crashes, keep your eyes on the road. Don't make
the same mistake as the driver in figure 10. LOOK
where you are going.

25. NEGOTIATING THAT CURVE. a. Centrifugal force

is fighting you. If you attach a string to a weight and
swing it rapidly around your head, it will go in circles
as long string holds. But if the string is not strong
as the
enough, it will break. The weight will no longer fol
low the curve but will fly off in a straight line like the
weight in a hammer-throwing contest. That is an exam
ple of centrifugal force.
Similarly, when your vehicle first starts to take a curve,
31
its forward momentum tries to make it continue in a
straight line. As it turns, centrifugal force tries to make
it fly off the curve like the weight from the string. (See
fig. 11.) But, like the string, the friction of your tires on

Figure JO. Keep your eyes on the road.

Figure 11. Momentum tries to carry you ahead in a straight line.

the ground holds your vehicle and makes it go forward

around the curve. If
the friction is strong enough, the
vehicle will stay on the curve (unless its load is top
heavy, in which case it may turn over). But if the cen
trifugal force is stronger than the friction, your vehicle
will fly off the road like the weight when the string
breaks.
33
 Centrifugal force depends upon speed. If you swing
that weight on the string slowly, the centrifugal force
is not strong enough to break the string. Even i£ you
let go of the string, the weight will not fly far. Swing it
very rapidly and let go, however, and the weight will fly
off with great force.
So it is with your vehicle. For example, when an
11,000-pound truck turns a curve with a radius of 500
feet, at 20 miles an hour, the friction which holds it in
the circle must overcome a centrifugal force of only 583
pounds. At 30 miles per hour, however, the centrifugal
force is 1,312 pounds, and at 50 miles per hour it is
3,644 pounds — more than six times as great as at a 20-
mile speed. As with the weight on the string, the instant
centrifugal force becomes stronger than the friction
which holds your vehicle on the turn, the vehicle will
fly off the curve.
b. How to round the curve. When you are approach
ing a curve it is impossible for your eye alone to let you
judge accurately the speed at which you can "take it,"
without running off the road. Hence, the thing to do
is to slow down before entering the curve, to a speed at
which you have absolutely no doubt of safety. That
will be a speed considerably less than that at which you
can get around safely. So as you start around the curve,
and get its "feel," it is all right to increase your speed
gradually, provided you do not accelerate rapidly
enough to risk "flying off." Make sure that you will
not have to take your foot off the accelerator. To slow

34
down, or apply brakes or coast after entering the curve
may cause skidding.
Well-banked curves can be taken at fairly high speeds
—unless they are banked the wrong way (outside lower
than the inside). These are doubly dangerous. Be espe
cially careful on wet asphalt, icy roads, or other slippery
surfaces.

26. STOPPING A SKID. If

your vehicle starts skidding
in spite of all precautions, turn the front wheels in the
same direction as the skid and slow down gradually, as
shown in figure 12. The skid will be worse if you apply

Figure 12. Turn your front wheels into the skid.

35
brakes, or suddenly take your foot off the gas, or turn
the wheels in the opposite direction from the skid.
When the vehicle stops skidding, apply power grad
ually to bring it back to the proper position on the road.

27. BACKING. When you back, even for a short dis

tance, have your assistant driver, or any other person
available, get out and signal whether or not all is clear.
If no one is available, get out of the cab and make sure
that no one, and nothing, is behind you before you back
up. You may prevent damage to your vehicle or even
save a life.

28. USING SIDE LANES TO TURN. When you use a

traveled side lane or a driveway to gain space in making
a turn, you will be safer if you back in the least dan
gerous direction. For example, back into an unused
driveway. Then you can come out front first and see
where you are going.

29. LOW BRIDGE. For the safety of your vehicle, your

load, or your passengers, make sure that you know just
how high it is.
Many bridges and tunnels have the clearance marked
in feet and inches. At these points, if you know how
much overhead clearance you need, you will be safe and
will not be delayed.
Whenever a bridge, or other overhead structure looks
low, have your assistant driver, if any, get out and watch
the clearance, signaling to you whether it is safe to
3*
proceed. Whether you have an assistant driver or not,
advance very slowly until you are sure you can clear.

30. BRIDGE LOADS. Keep in mind the weight of your

vehicle and load. It may be too heavy for some bridges
or culverts. Most such structures have signs prominently
displaying the maximum load they will hold. Remember
it is better to ford a stream or go around to another bridge
than to crash through one that is unsafe.
Also remember that the bridge or culvert may hold the
weight of one loaded vehicle, but not two.

31. HALTING AND PARKING. a. Avoid halting or

parking in dangerous places. How many times have
you come around a curve or a corner and had occasion
to remark "That's a fool place to park." Parking in the
wrong place always creates an accident hazard.
Here are some examples of "fool" places to park:
Blocking a main highway.
On curves.
On narrow roads.
On bridges.
In defiles.
Near crests of hills (any place on a hill is none too
good for parking).
At intersections.
At road junctions.
Blocking driveways.
The place to park safely and conveniently is well to the
right side of the road —off die pavement if possible, where
37
oncoming drivers can see you and have plenty of room
to pass— or in a field or vehicle park.
Sometimes mechanical trouble, ground or road con
ditions, or other reasons, make it necessary to halt in a
dangerous place. In such cases, place guards, "flags or
other available signals so that all who approach will have
ample warning. Flares or other lights, if available, should
be used at night except in a blackout. Move the vehicle
to a safe place as soon as practicable.

b. In vehicle park. Whenever your vehicle is in a

vehicle park with others be sure that driving lanes are
kept open so that any driver can easily move his vehicle
without the need for moving any others. Watch this
especially when you have a trailer.

Safety of personnel when halted or parked. (1)

c.
To be safe from being struck by passing vehicles, you
and any others over whom you have control should keep
off the road, to the right.
(2) Do not stand between two parked vehicles when
either is in preparation to be started, as the gears may
be engaged, causing vehicles to be placed in motion
immediately.
(3) Never attempt to clean an engine while the engine
is in operation; serious accidents may result.
(4) When changing tires or working on your vehicle,
be sure that you are in a safe place, if possible, clear of
all traffic.
(5) Be sure to check under vehicle before moving it.
Personnel may be sleeping or working under vehicle.
M
 d. Toil light must be visible. Except in blackouts,
when you halt at night, make sure your vehicle's tail
lamps are lighted and that they are not covered in any
way —as by a dropped tail board or by a person standing
in front of them. If your lights have failed, devise some
other warning. .... ': .

e. Parking on hills. Improper parking on hills is.

dangerous. Possible result: A driverless, runaway vehicle
and a bad crash.
One sure safeguard against such crashes is not to park
on a hill —but that is not alway practicable.
When parking, the hand brake should always be set —
but on a hill you can't be sure it will hold.
As an easy safeguard against a runaway, turn your
wheels so that the vehicle will coast into a curb if the
brakes give way. If you are headed downhill, the front
part of the front wheel should be turned toward the curb,
but not resting against the curb. The weight of the
vehicle may damage the tire, wheel or steering mechan
ism. Parking, headed downhill, with the front wheel
against the curb carrying the weight .of the vehicle will
necessitate backing the vehicle before forward movement
can be resumed. (See fig. 13.)
If you are headed uphill, the rear part of the front
wheel should be turned toward the curb. When there
is no curb, you can guard against a runaway by blocking
the wheels with large rocks, tree limbs, or chocks. This
is better practice than leaving the vehicle in gear. If your
vehicle is bumped while in gear it is more likely to be
damaged. . . . .. .
.
-.

39
 PARKING PARKING DOWNHILL PARKING

WITHOUT CURB UPHILL

B
DOWNHILL

IJ
Figure 13. Parking on a hill.
id
Sometimes xvhere the road is sufficiently wide, or where
there is suitable parking space along the roadside, you
can protect the vehicle by parking it at right angle to the
grade. Such practice, however, is not suitable on steep
grades; it throws the load and the vehicle off balance
and it may strain or even upset it.
When you cannot take any of the above precautions,
the only safe course is to remain in the vehicle. It is
not safe to rely on your hand brake to hold an unattended
vehicle on a hill.
40
32. ANIMALS, even the smartest ones, would be con
sidered morons if they were human beings. You can't
count on their not running in front of you, and you
can't count on their getting out of the way.
Many a driver has gone into the ditch or hit a pole
trying to avoid running over some animal.
Naturally you don't want to run over and kill any
animal, but remember that human lives (including your
own) are more valuable than those of animals. If you are
forced to choose between hitting a small animal and
risking human lives, then hit the animal. However, don't
tackle too big a beast. Hitting a cow or a horse or a
hog may seriously damage your vehicle or even upset it.
You can probably avoid the need for making the un
pleasant choice by using care when you suspect that
animals are near. Some states have no fencing laws and
cattle may be almost anywhere. In others, "cattle pass"
signs warn you that cattle may cross the road at that
point. Slow downl

33. FOGS. When it is very foggy, airplanes stop flying,

steamships proceed at very low speed and constantly
sound a fog horn. Fogs are dangerous because they keep
us from seeing. They are particularly dangerous at night.
With your headlights on, the little droplets of water that
constitute a fog reflect the light back into your eyes.
You can reduce the dazzling reflection of fog by tilting
your headlights down and opening your windshield, or by
using parking or other dimmer lights when available.
But the only way to be reasonably safe in heavy fog
41
is to go slowly. Just creep along. Be prepared to stop
almost instantly. In heavy daylight fogs turn on your
headlamps unless there is danger of being seen by the
enemy.

34. NIGHT DRIVING WITH LIGHTS. a. Night driving

is dangerous. Night driving is much more dangerous
than driving in daylight, largely because even the best
headlamps do not enable you to see as clearly and as
far as you can in daylight.
b. Avoid "Overdriving your headlights." At night,
on roads without street lamps, you rely on your head
lamps. If you can stop within the distance that you can
see ahead, all is well. If, however, you CANNOT stop
within the distance that you can sec ahead, it means that
you are "driving blind." Sooner or later there WILL be
something hidden in that blackness ahead, and since you
cannot stop within the distance remaining after you see
it, a crash is practically certain.
Therefore, when driving at night, go slowly. Be sure
you are not "overdriving your headlights." Be sure you
can stop within the distance that you can see. You will
then have a good chance of avoiding the otherwise even
tual crash. Don't drive "blind."
c. Headlight glare. The pupils of your eyes open
wider in the dark, in an effort to get more light so you
can see better. When the light gets brighter, the pupils
contract in an effort to avoid getting too much light.
But this is not an instantaneous operation. You will
realize this if you recall that when you first enter a dark
42
enecl movie theater from the daylight you have a hard
time seeing. At first, it seems very dark, but in a few
moments you find you can see well. Later, when you
come out into bright sunlight, your eyes are dazzled until
they have become accustomed to the light.
It takes your eyes quite a while to adjust themselves
to sudden changes in light intensity.
Hence, when you are driving along in comparative
darkness and a car with bright headlights approaches in
the opposite direction, your vision is somewhat impaired,
even when the oncoming driver uses his passing beam.
When the glare is severe, you may even have an instant
of total blindness. After the other car has passed, the
impairment continues because your eyes, which have
partly adjusted themselves to the light, take time to
readjust themselves to the dark.
Tests indicate that the impairment of your vision
lasts from 4 to 8 seconds after the other vehicle passes,
and that is plenty long enough to hit a pedestrian or
anything else that is in the way.
d. Reducing glare danger. You can reduce the
danger of accident from glare in the following ways:
Use your own passing beam whenever you approach
a car coming from the opposite direction. Do this as
soon as you think your beam is in the other fellow's eyes.
Don't wait until he is on top of you. When driving on
well-lighted city streets, always use the passing beam.
(See fig. 14.)
If necessary, signal the other fellow to do likewise
by flicking your lights (alternating the beams rapidly).
43
 RIGHT

uiS*™SCT&
1 @®
Figure 14. Dim your lights to approaching vehicles.

Keep your windshield very clean.

As the other fellow approaches, do not look at his
headlights. Rather look at the right lane of the road,
and drive where you are looking. By not looking at his
headlights, your eyes get less glare and have less adjust
ing to do. And above all, knowing you can't see as far
at night, reduce your speed.
e. Road conditions. Another reason for driving
slowly at night is the fact that, even with your head
lights, it is difficult to judge road conditions. If a
shadow looks like a hole or an obstruction, it can't hurt
you, but if a hole or an obstruction looks like a shadow,
it may be "just too bad."

35. HAND CRANKING. Be sure the transmission is in

neutral and the hand brake securely set before you hand
crank your engine. Then the vehicle won't run over
you when the engine starts.
 Hold the crank securely. If
it slips out of your hand,
it may swing around and break your arm.
Keep your thumb and fingers together — not on oppo
site sides of the crank handle —so that the hand won't
be injured if the crank kicks back.
Make sure there is room to swing the handle without
knocking or cutting your hand.

Section II. DRIVING SOLO

36. GENERAL. This section certain good

contains
driving practices which apply especially when you are
driving solo, that is, not in a motor column. They are
all sound, common sense measures. For your own pro
tection, therefore, you should also apply them even
when you are driving in a motor column, unless they
conflict with the column operation or the orders of the
column commander and his assistant.

37. FINDING YOUR WAY. If you expect to "get there"

safely when driving solo, of course you will have to know
where "there" is, and what kind of roads or cross coun
try routes you will have to follow. This means that you
should be familiar with how locations are found on an
Army map and familiar with some of the commonly
used map symbols.
a. "Read Right Up." You can easily locate any point
on an Army map from a simple, numbered designation
if you understand the grid. The grid is formed by rul
45
ing off the map with numbered north-and-south lines
and numbered east-and-west lines. (See fig. 15.) The
point where these lines cross is known by the numbers
of the two lines, reading first to the right and then up.

2.5-1.6

Figure 75. Locating a point on a grid.

"Read right up." As you can see, point 2-1 is at the
point where line 2 (reading to the right) and line 1
(reading up) cross.
Actually, you will very seldom be looking for a point
that falls exactly at the crossing of two of these lines.
Instead of being told to drive to location 2-2, you may
be directed to 2.5-1.6. This is just as easy to find. Again,
"read right up." The only difference is that you now lo
cate line 2 (reading to the right), and continue to a
point five-tenths of the way from there to line 3. Then
locate line 1 (reading up), and continue to a point six-
tenths of the way to line 2. The location is shown in
figure 15. Although you won't find the tenths marked
on a real grid map, you can easily space them off for
yourself.
b. Estimating the distance. Maps are drawn to
scale, so that by measuring the distance on the map you
can estimate the distance on the ground. This scale
may be indicated by a simple note such as "3 inches
equals 1 mile," which means that 3 inches on the map
is equal to 1 mile on the ground. You can then use a
3-inch strip of paper as a ruler to measure the number
of miles on the map. Sometimes, instead of such a note,
a ruler is printed on the map for you. Another method
of showing the scale is by a fraction, for instance:
•63g60 , or 1: 63,360. Either of these fractions tells
you that 1 unit of distance on the map is equal to
63,360 on the ground — for instance, 1 inch on the map
is equal to 63,360 inches on the ground, which is equal
to 5,280 feet or 1 mile.

47
 Strip maps, which show only the route you are to
e.
drive do not have grids, and may not have scales. (See
fig. 16.)
d. Map symbols. Army maps are marked with a
standardized set of symbols which will help you find
your way. They tell you the kind of road, show bridges,
lords, ferries, and railroad crossings; and give you the
locations of landmarks, in addition to much other use
ful information. Study the symbols shown in figures 17
and 18, so that you will recognize them on a map.
e. Know the country in which you are operating.
When you are stationed at an unfamiliar location, make
it a point to become acquainted with the landmarks and
geographical features of that area. This will greatly aid
you in using maps or in operating without maps.

38. "RULES OF THE ROAD" have been gradually built

up because it has been found that they are not only the
safer ways but also the more convenient. Some rules of
the road are prescribed by law. Others are simply
courtesy, good manners, and common sense. Any driver
who does not know and comply with the rules of the road
not only endangers himself and others —he also betrays
himself as an inferior driver, as "green," ignorant, or
lacking in common sense. Some of the rules of the road
are given in paragraphs 39 to 52, inclusive.

39. KEEP TO THE RIGHT. When driving on a two-lane

road, stay on the right half except when necessary to'
drive to the left while passing slower-moving or parked
4t
o oo o
o o oooo T
ooooo o
o oo o a o
ooo o o o
o ooo o o
o oo o o o

Figure 16. A strip map.

49
vehicles. On a road with more than two lanes, keep in
the right lane all the time except when passing or pre
paring to make a left turn. Do not drive on the left half
of the road, even for passing, if the highway has four

ft*

Figure 17. Landmarks.

1. Buildings. 6. Barbed wire fence.

2. Schoolhouse. 1. Smooth wire fence.
3. Hospital. ». Stone fence.
4. Cemetery (USA). 9. Hedge fence.
5. Cemetery. 10. Worm fence.
SO
Figure 18. Some map symbols for roads and bridges.

1. Primary roads. 7. Trail.

2. Secondary roads. 8. Footpath.
3. Other surfacer roads. 9. Double track railroad,
4. Dirt road. normal gage. -

5. Single track railroad, 10. Crossings.

wide gage. 11. Bridges.
6. Single track railroad,
narrow gage.
51
lanes or more. The only exceptions to these rules are:
a. When there is heavy traffic so that there are two
or more steady columns going the same way (in which
case, stay in your own column).
b. When there is an almost continuous column of cars
parked in the right lane (in which case you must, of
course, run to their left).

40. DON'T HOG THE ROAD. Sometimes a road is too

narrow for two vehicles to pass easily. When this is true,
a driver trying to pass you may go into the ditch or
strike a pole unless you give him extra room. Don't
hog the road. (See fig. 19.) If a man from the front
approaches, or a man from the rear signals to pass,
pull over, and if necessary, stop. Do more than let him
pass —let him pass safely. Let him get back in column.

41. LEFT TURNS. When making a left turn, do not "cut

the corner." Insofar as you can, keep to the right of an
imaginary pole at the center of the intersection, unless
local traffic rules or conditions make it clearly desirable
to drive to the left of the center. When there are two
columns of traffic, carefully maneuver into the left col
umn before making your turn.

42. RIGHT-OF-WAY. "Here lies the body of Jonathan

Hay, who died defending his right-of-way." If you want
to be sure of avoiding Jonathan's fate, give the right-
of-way to anyone who wants it. Remember that the other
fellow may not know the rules of right-of-way, or he may
be one of those who try to bluff their way through, right

52
or no right, or a driver from a State or country which
has different rules and customs, or just "asleep at the
switch." A collision is no fun, even when you have the
right-of-way. The one safe rule is to keep your vehicle
in control and be ready to stop, no matter who has the
right-of-way technically.
The rules for the right-of-way make driving safe only
by telling you when to GIVE right-of-way to others.
They increase your danger if they cause you to TAKE
right-of-way. Even though you are sure that the right

Figure 19. Don't hog the road.

53
of-way is yours, that is not enough. You must also be
sure that the other fellow knows it's yours —and that he
acts accordingly.
Traffic regulations in the United States are more nearly
uniform than they used to be, but they still are not
entirely uniform. In foreign countries they vary greatly.
Generally, however, you will find that the following
practices lessen the danger of collision.
a. Give the right-of-way to all vehicles approaching
from your right.
b. Give the right-of-way to all vehicles on a main
highway or boulevard which you are crossing or entering
(no matter whether they come from the right or left).
c. Come to a full stop; and give the right-of-way
wherever there is a stop sign.
d. Give the right-of-way to all pedestrians, everywhere,
at all times, unless you are sure that they have extended
it to you. Give it whether they are crossing at intersec
tions, walking along ihe highway, or even "jaywalking."
In 1 year, 12,500 pedestrians were killed, and 260,000
pedestrians were injured by motor vehicles. The drivers
of those vehicles each felt the same sick feeling when
his vehicle struck the pedestrian — no matter whose fault
it was.
Be a sport. When a light changes, give pedestrians a
chance to get across without scaring them half to death.
e. Give the right-of-way to persons on bicycles. Expect
that children on bicycles may do the wrong thing.
Control your vehicle accordingly.
f. Give the right-of-way to any driver making, or sig
H
naling for, a left turn at an intersection.
g. Give the right-of-way to all police and fire depart
ment vehicles, ambulances, and other emergency vehicles.
When they approach, pull over to the right, to the curb
or edge of the road, ii possible, clear of any intersections,
and stop until they have passed. Sometimes in heavy
traffic you cannot do this. If so, comply as nearly as
you can.
h. Give all rights-of-way indicated by signs, traffic
lights, or signals from individuals.
i. Give the right-of-way to a driver who is endeavoring
to pass you from behind and when he is trying to get back
into* column.
j. Give the right-of-way to every driver who has not
shown clear signs of giving it to you. In brief, to be safe,
remember this rule: "The other fellow always has the
right-of-way."
k. Military or civil police have the authority to modify
the rules of right-of-way for special reasons. Obey their
signals.

43. OBEY TRAFFIC DIRECTIONS which are given in

various ways. The most general are:
a. Traffic lights.
Red "Stop."
Yellow "Caution — Prepare to stop."
Green "Go ahead with care."
Flashing red
or yellow. ."Stop, look, and proceed with care."
b. Traffic police, who signal or tell you what to do.
 c. Signs, giving directions or information, such as:
Keep right.
Slow.
Stop.
RR crossing.
No parking.
One way traffic.
School.
Dangerous hill —Trucks go in low gear.
Speed limit 25 miles.
Often this information is shown in simple diagrams,
such as arrows or cross marks, like those shown in figure
20, which indicate dangerous curves or intersections. In
some states these symbols are marked with the highest
safe speed for that curve or intersection. In most states,
the shape of the sign has a meaning, as shown in figure 20.
Learn to read the road.
Such directions have been provided by authorities who
know the conditions you face, to warn you against some
danger. Take their word for it. Observe and comply
with all such directions.

44. CROSSING RAILROAD TRACKS. Locomotives have

little respect for your right-of-way. More than three
thousand motor vehicles were wrecked by locomotives in
a single year. And the locomotive is likely to do a
thorough job.
To avoid these severe accidents, always STOP, LOOK.
AND LISTEN at a railroad crossing not protected by a
watchman or an automatic signal.
W
 ROAD
WORK

FRESH FRESH SLIPPERY LOOSC SOfT

TAR OIL WHEH WET STONE SHOUIOERJ

SQUARE SIGNS MEAN CAUTION

DIAMOND SIGNS MEAN REDUCE SPEED

OCTAGONAL SIGNS ROUND SIGNS MEAN

MEAN STOP RAILROAD CROSSINGS

Figure 20. Road signs.

57
 But do not rely too much on gates, crossing watch
men, or signals. It's your life. Take care of it yourself.
Wait until the vehicle ahead has cleared the track
by the full length of your vehicle before you drive on
the track. Otherwise, if the vehicle ahead should stop
or stall, you may find yourself on the tracks, unable to
move, and out of luck.
When you have been waiting for a train to pass, and
it has finally done so, be sure that there is not another
train coming on another track before you try to cross.

45. SPEED INCREASES DANGER IN FOUR WAYS. One

quarter of all fatal motor vehicle accidents in the United
States involve excessive speed by one or more drivers.
(See fig. 21.) High speed increases danger in four ways:
a. High speed makes it more difficult to stop in an
emergency.
b. High speed makes it harder to take a curve, or to
change direction to avoid collision.
e. High speed causes vehicles to approach each other
more rapidly, and gives both drivers less time to act.
d. High speed makes the impact of collision more
severe. Speed limits are intended to reduce these hazards.
Army men have two sets of speed regulations: those
imposed by military authority (including the maximum
speeds prescribed for your vehicle and listed on the cau
tion plate); and those imposed by civil law, with which
the Army cooperates. You should therefore know the
motor vehicle laws of the states in which you operate,
and obey the speed limits of those states, as well as the
58
speed limits of the Army. Thus you will avoid penalties
as well as accidents.
Slow down at night, or on bad or slippery roads, at
intersections, at curves, in fog, in heavy traffic, and at
any other time or place which speed makes more dan
gerous.

AT 69 MPH

figure 21, The lower the speed the less the crash.
46. FOLLOWING OTHER VEHICLES. The vehicle ahead
of you may have better brakes than yours. The driver
may not signal. To avoid the danger of ramming him,
keep a safe distance behind. A good way of estimating
this is the general rule suggested for driving in column
(see par. 60).

47. PASSING STANDING VEHICLES. When you pass a

parked vehicle, there are two dangers to watch for. First,
the vehicle obstructs your vision. A pedestrian, particu
larly a child, may step from behind it directly into your
path. Second, it may suddenly pull from the curb into
your path with insufficient warning.
There isn't much you can do about these dangers ex
cept to keep alert, so be sure to do that. Expect a stand
ing vehicle to pull out suddenly. Expect a child to run
or a pedestrian to walk from behind parked vehicles.
Drive slowly enough that if these things happen, you can
stop in time.

48. SCHOOL BUSSES. When a school bus stops, you too

should always come to a full stop. On a narrow (two-
lane) road, stop even though the bus is headed in the
opposite direction. Do not move on again until (1) the
school bus moves on, or (2) you get a signal to continue
from the school bus driver or police. If you pass a
standing bus, proceed very slowly until you have cleared
it. Don't kill a child.

49. HORN BLOWING. When you hear a "horn-tooting"

driver, you can be pretty sure that he is an inexperienced
60
driver. Good drivers don't use their horns for driving
— they use their brakes. A sudden blast of your horn
may startle another person and make him lose his head
so that he does the wrong thing; you thereby cause an
accident. Don't try to scare people out of your way with
your horn. Use your horn only when you need it for
a warning.

50. HOLD THAT WHEEL Even on a good straight road

you may strike a stone or a break in the pavement that
suddenly deflects your front wheels, so hold that steering
wheel with a firm but relaxed grip. Keep it in your
control. Use both hands.

51. CROSSWALKS, a. Keep clear of crosswalks when

you halt at an intersection, so that you do not obstruct
pedestrians' right-of-way. (See fig. 22.) Blocking their
way is chiseling —and worse, because they may be injured
by vehicles they cannot see if they have to dart around
your vehicle.
b. Approach crosswalks with caution. A pedestrian
may dash into one without giving you the same cour
tesy. Remember the pedestrian in crosswalks has the
right-of-way.

52. FIRE HYDRANTS. Firemen must act quickly to pre

vent a blaze from getting out of control. So don't delay
them. Park at least 15 feet away from the nearest fire
plug.

*f
 WRONG

RIGHT

Figure 22. Keep crossings clear.

42
Section III. DRIVING IN A MOTOR MARCH COLUMN

53. CONTROL BY THE COLUMN COMMANDER. When

you are driving in a march column, your column com
mander controls your speed, the distance between ve
hicles, routes, traffic precautions and other details, with
the assistance of his officers and noncommissioned officers.

54. YOUR RESPONSIBILITY IN A MARCH COLUMN.

Even though you are driving in a military march col
umn, you, the driver, are still responsible for the safe
operation of your own vehicle. The fact that you are
part of a column does not lessen the need for you to be
alert and careful. When driving a single vehicle, you
control your own speed and direction. In a march col
umn, you are expected to maintain your place and still
avoid accidents. Your responsibilities are not lessened —
they are increased. USE AND OBEY HAND SIGNALS.

55. THE COLUMN COMMANDER WANTS SAFE OPERA

TION. The column commander expects you to do every
thing that is necessary for the safety of your vehicle and
its passengers or cargo. He wants you to maintain your

position in column, but he expects you to realize that a

slight delay is better than a crash and an indefinitely
long delay.
Normally the orders of the column commander are
designed to help you maintain your place safely in col
umn, avoiding accidents, damage, and bodily injuries.
.

63
Only when the military situation makes it imperative,
will the column commander require you to assume risks.

56. OBSERVE GENERAL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS. Most

safety precautions apply equally well whether you are
driving in a march column or not. While in column,
the speeds, distances, and details may be regulated by a
higher authority. But other responsibilities remain
yours as a driver. For example, you still carry out your
preventive maintenance services, you still take care to
avoid sudden stops, and, perhaps most important, you
still give the proper signals.
The in column is to ob
best way to avoid accidents
serve carefully every safety precaution which does not
conflict with the orders of the column commander.
You will be able to drive more safely in column if you
understand the general precautions usually taken, as
well as your own responsibilities. Paragraphs 57 to 61,
inclusive, will give you an idea of some important points
in safe march column operations.

57. RIGHT-OF-WAY OF A SMALL MOTOR MARCH

COLUMN. Except in special military necessity, each
vehicle of a small motor march column extends the same
right-of-way as individual vehicles, unless the column is
accompanied by a police escort to block off traffic.

58. RIGHT-OF-WAY OF A LARGE MOTOR MARCH

COLUMN. Large march columns running on a march
order schedule might be frequently split and theff sched
ule disrupted if they observed all the customary practices
64
 traffic signal lights, etc. To keep in
as to right-of-way,
tact and on time, a large motor column must proceed
steadily, without unscheduled interruptions.
a. Area control. One of the best ways of preventing
intersection collisions with motor columns lies in area
control. Under this plan the route and time schedule
is furnished to civil or military police authorities in a
given area, who arrange to divert or block off cross
traffic. This may be done from a distance of several
blocks off the motor march route if the convoy is large.
It may otherwise be done by stationing police at inter
sections or by arranging for the column to have green
traffic lights throughout the area, or both. This is in
addition to any accompanying police escorts. The area
control police do not accompany the column, but re
main at their posts like ordinary civil traffic police.
Obviously this method is workable only in areas where
sufficient police, either civil or military, are available.
b. Accompanying police. Civil or military police on
motorcycles or in small cars, should precede a motor col
umn far enough to clear the road and halt all cross
traffic in time to let the head of the column pass safely.
One or more police should remain at each intersection
until the last vehicle in the convoy has cleared; then
they pass at a reasonable speed to the column head,
ready to guard the next cross road.
c. Guides (or route markers) and guards, may be
dropped from a vehicle which precedes the column.
Rear vehicles pick up these guides or guards, and at the
first appropriate halt proceed to the head of the column
65
so that the men may be dropped off again. The vehicles
at the head of the column, when empty, halt until the
column has passed, so that they can pick the men up.
In small convoys, these men rejoin their proper vehicles
by foot at the first halt that allows them time to transfer.
• d. Closing up in cities. In cities and elsewhere in
heavy traffic where speed is reduced, it is safe for vehicles
to run closer together, presenting to cross traffic an al
most solid column. Under such conditions it is almost
impossible for a civilian motorist not to realize that a
military motor column is crossing an intersection. This
materially reduces the danger of collisions. However, if
the close distances are not maintained, a civilian may get
the impression that the column has passed, when it is
only interrupted. He may then attempt to cross, and
crash into the vehicle which lagged. Hence, when close
distance is adopted as a safety precaution, the prescrtbed
distances must be rigidly maintained.
Close distances are not safe when the column runs at
higher speeds, because sudden slowing or stopping may
cause the vehicles to pile up.
e. When no orders have been issued as to right-of-
way. In a motor column, in the absence of orders to
the contrary from the column commander, you must —
(1) Obey all local, State, or military traffic regulations,
traffic signs, and signals.
(2) Drive through a signal light controlled intersec
tion only under the following conditions:
(a) When light is green.
(b) When light is flashing or fixed yellow.
66
 (c) When a guard (or civil or military police), who is
controlling or regulating traffic at the intersection, sig
nals all clear.
(d) When light is not operating.
(3) At all times, operate at such a speed and
in such a
manner that you have proper control over your vehicle.
f. Railroad crossings. Police or military guards
should be stationed at all railroad crossings while a motor
column is passing over the tracks. Their duty is to halt
the column in plenty of time if a train is approaching.
But these precautions do not relieve you, as a driver,
of the responsibility for making sure that all is clear
before you cross railroad tracks.

59. FASTER-MOVING VEHICLES. When an "outside"

vehicle not under control of the column commander
breaks into the column, it may lag behind the vehicle
it is following and cause vehicles in the column to lose
distance. This will produce the undesirable "accordion"
effect in which the length and spacing of the column is
constantly changing. It increases danger of accident.
When the highway is wide enough and the police
escort is sufficient, this danger may be prevented by keep
ing the column in the right lane, and compelling all other
vehicles to keep out of it.
However, in military operations there are usually many
military vehicles, such as staff officers' cars or motorcycles,
which must proceed in the same direction as the convoy
but at greater speed. Frequently there are also civilian
vehicles whose drivers are in a hurry. If there are not
47
enough lanes and enough police to keep such vehicles in
a different column, you as a driver should permit all such
overtaking vehicles to pass freely. Keep well to the right
Give them plenty of room to pass you and to fall in ahead
of you in the column if necessary. An overtaking vehicle
which cannot get back in column, or is delayed in getting
back, may side-swipe you or collide head-on with a
vehicle coming in the opposite direction.
60. SAFE DISTANCES IN COLUMN are determined by
road and weather conditions, and by the need for space
enough to stop without rear-end collisions, and to let
faster-moving vehicles pull into the column after passing.
If you have no other orders you will find that it is a
good general rule to keep, as nearly as you can, a distance
in yards which is twice the rate of speed at which you are
driving. If you are running at 25 miles per hour, leave
50 yards' distance between your vehicle and the one just
ahead. For a 30-mile speed allow 60 yards; for 35 miles,
70 yards, etc.Remember this is yards, not feet.
But do you know what 50 or 60 or 70 yards looks like?
To avoid accidents you must not only know what dis
tances are prescribed, but also be able to judge these
distances.
You can accomplish this more easily if you will practice
estimating distance now and then. Take some known
distance, like the length of a truck or the distance
between telegraph poles, and observe carefully how that
distance looks to you. Try this in different lights, day,
night, dusk, etc., and you will soon be a good estimator
of distance. This ability helps in many ways in the Army.
68
61. SIGNALS recommended for motor march use are:

ATTENTION
Extend arm full length above the head, palm to front,
and move it a few inches slowly from side to side several
times.

START ENGINES
Simulate cranking by describing circles in front of body
•with right arm, fist closed.

READY TO START
Face leader, and extend arm vertically, fingers extended
and joined, palm toward the leader.
FORWARD MARCH
Raise arm vertically, palm to front and lower it to
horizontal position in direction of march.

STOP ENGINES
Cross arms in front of body at waist and move them
sharply to sides. Repeat several times.

DECREASE SPEED
Extend left arm at side at an angle of 45 degrees below
the horizontal.

ASSEMBLE
Extend arm vertically, palm front, fingers extended and
joined, and move it to describe large horizontal circles
slowly about the head.
69
 figure 2). Motor march signals.

SIMI DICKS turn 10 SIMI

ASSEMU •mm WHEH nun mutts sna

IO SIMI

70
FORWARD MICH SIOP WINES DECREASE SPtf I

WOT IUM mm
SIMU.IANEOUSLT

n
 REPORT WHEN READY TO START
Extend arm vertically, fingers extended and joined.

INCREASE SPEED
Carry closed fist to shoulder and thrust it upward
several times to full extent of arm.

MOUNT
Extend arm horizontally at side, palm up, and wave
it upward several times.

DISMOUNT
Extend arm horizontally at side, palm down, and wave
it downward.

TURN AROUND SIMULTANEOUSLY

Extend both arms horizontally toward drivers and
describe small vertical circles, then signal "Forward
March" in the desired new direction.
When given from the cab of a vehicle, the signal to
turn around simultaneously is this: Extend arm down
ward at a 45-degree angle, palm toward the front, and
describe small circles with the arm.

The following signals are uniform, whether given from

the cab or from the ground (see fig. 24):

PASS AND KEEP GOING: Extend left arm hori

zontally at side and move hand to describe small circles
toward the front.
72
 .

PASS AND KEEP GOING

OPEN UP

Figure 24. Signals from the cab.

 CLOSE UP: Extend left arm horizontally at side,
palm toward the front, and describe a 2-foot circle.

OPEN UP: Extend left arm horizontally at side, palm

toward the front, and describe a 90° arc downward
several times.

IMMEDIATE DANGER (AIR OR MECHANIZED

ATTACK): Use three long blasts of a whistle, vehicle
horn, siren, or klaxon, repeated several times; or three
equally spaced shots with rifle, carbine, or pistol; or
three short bursts of fire from machine or submachine
gun. In daylight, point in the direction of the impend
ing danger; at night, supplement the alarm by voice
warning to indicate the direction of danger.
Whenever a march column is halted on a curve, on the
downgrade of a hill, or wherever some drivers cannot
see the signals, signals may be relayed along the column
or transmitted by messengers to all concerned.
In addition to these, you should also learn all signals
authorized in the manuals of your arm of service. Any
such signals not in conflict with the above may be
adapted for use in motor marches.

74
 CHAPTER 4

DIFFICULT TERRAIN: BAD ROADS AND

CROSS COUNTRY DRIVING

62. GENERAL. Almost all drivers sometimes have to

use bad roads or drive on snow and ice. But you, as a
soldier-driver, must expect that you will have to drive
on bad roads much more often than a civilian and drive
cross country on no roads at all.
The chief aids to driving on difficult terrain are low
gears which give your vehicle great pulling ability, front
axle drive, traction devices, chains, winches, snatch blocks,
and ropes.

63. FRONT-AXLE DRIVE. Usually you will need the

driving power of all axles to cross plowed fields, stretches
of mud, deep snow, sand, or similar difficult terrain.
Always engage the front-axle drive before the vehicle
leaves hard surface road to go across difficult ground.
If you let your vehicle become stuck while driving with
the rear wheels only, it is usually too late to engage the
front axle drive and you may be unable to pull out
without aid.

64. CHAINS OR TRACTION DEVICES as supplied for your

vehicle should always be with it. Keep them clean, oiled
and free from rust, and properly adjusted, ready for
immediate use whenever you need them.
75
 Always install your chains or traction device before you
enter the ground on which you think you will need them.
But don't put them on too soon or keep them on when
the need has passed. Using them without reason wears
them and may also damage roads.
a. Chains. You will find chains helpful in mud,
sand, snow, or slush. They have little, if any, value in
preventing a sideslip on an icy, or hard and slippery
road. They do little good when operating over ice which
is so hard that they will not "bite" it.
Here are some general rules for using chains: Install
your chains right side out, that is, with the open ends
of the cross links out. Inside out they will damage the
tires because the insides of the cross links are flat and
the outsides are sharp. Adjust your chains loose enough
to creep but not loose enough to strike the body of the
vehicle or be pulled off. Fairly loose adjustment will
make the chains give better traction and will wear the
tires less than a tight adjustment.
When you lay the chains out on the ground before
running the wheels on them, have the clasps toward the
rear. Otherwise, they may loosen and come off.
If you are installing chains on a vehicle with an all-
wheel drive, you should put at least one chain on each
wheel, single or dual, to prevent unnecessary strain on
the driving mechanism. -

When you have only one chain for a dual wheel, you
should install it on the outside tire.
b. Traction devices, if you have them, are useful for
giving your vehicle many of the cross-country abilities of
76
a half-track tractor. Make sure that you know just how
to install them.
If you cannot tighten an individual-wheel traction
device enough to prevent the wheel from slipping inside
it, chain the device to the wheel.
When you apply traction devices on a 6 x 6 truck,
it is usually preferable to use an oval-band coupling
around the middle and rear wheels rather than individual
devices on each of those wheels. This makes your truck
a half-track vehicle with exceptionally low ground pres
sure so it will not sink in easily. (See fig. 25.)

Figure 25. Oval-band coupling traction device.

77
65. WINCHES -USE THE WINCH PROPERLY. « a. Don't
abuse it. It takes a lot of experience to understand
completely the uses of the winch and the principles of
rigging which are involved in its use. If you. are not
thoroughly familiar with winches, therefore, it is best

SLIDING JAW CLUTCH HANDLE

GEAR CASE
FILLER PLUG

TOW HOOK

WINCH PROPELLER
SHAFT

WORM HOUSING OIL

DRAIN PLUG SH

UNIVERSAL JOINT

Figure 26. A front-mounted winch.

78
for you to depend upon a senior for direction and super
vision, except in emergency. A few fundamentals as to
winches are given here. Consult the maintenance manual
of your vehicle for the details of how to operate and
maintain your particular winch.
b. Look out for snapped cables. When a strong steel
cable is tightened it may break, flying back like a whip
with force enough to kill a man or to cost him his leg.
Everybody should therefore stand clear before the winch
cable is tightened. All newer front-mounted winches
are provided with shear pins (fig. 26) as a precaution
against overloading the winch or snapping the cable.
The shear pin is located in the yoke of the universal
joint that drives the winch worm-gear shaft. When the
winch is overloaded, the shear pin is supposed to break
instead of the cable. Never use makeshift pins of un
known strength to replace broken shear pins; if the pin
is too strong, the cable may snap and injure somebody.
Use only the manufacturer's soft metal pins, made to
fit the hole without forcing.
Don't depend on the shear pin for protection. Even
with a shear pin, a kinked, frayed, damaged, or weak
cable may snap.
Older center-mounted winches have no shear pins.
Handle them with great care. Remember that a broken
cable whipping through the air can be deadly.
c. Tips on winch operation. (1) Always depress the
clutch pedal of the vehicle (disengage the clutch) before
changing gears in the winch power take-off. Figure 27
shows the positions of the power take-off lever for (lif
7?
 mil
REVERSE NEUTRAL H1CH

WINCH POWER
TAKE-OFF LEVER

Figure 27. Winch control lever in cab.

ferent winch speeds of one make of truck. Always consult

the winch and power take-off name plate in cab of your
particular truck for the correct lever positions, as these
positions vary with different makes of trucks. When the
\vinch is not being used, lock the lever in neutral position
.with the hinged latch on the floor board.

(2) Do not operate the winch with an engine speed

exceeding 1,000 rpm (about 14 throttle).
(3) Use the high speed of the winch for light loads and
for reeling in the cable. Use the low speed for heavy
loads. The winch can be stopped almost instantly by
disengaging the vehicle clutch.
SO
 (4) Pay out the cable by disengaging the sliding-jaw
clutch, controlled by a lever (fig. 26) and pulling out the
cable by hand. Use the reverse gear only for easing the
strain on the winch cable or for lowering a load downhill.
(5) Never race the vehicle engine when winding the
.winch cable, especially when it has a light load or no
load.
d. Prevent cable abuse. Never bend the wire cable
at a sharp angle. In taking up slack, straighten out all
kinks and twists. Do not tie knots in the cable except
for emergency repair. Do not rig the cable around an
angle or permit tractors or vehicles with metal tires to
run over it. These forms of abuse flatten the cable, ex
pose the manila hemp core, and permit water to enter,
causing internal rust and weakening the cable.
Do not wind the cable on the winch drum rapidly or
without a load because it may kink.
After using the winch, have one person, or preferably
two, pull back on the cable while it is wound slowly and
evenly on the drum. Your assistant stows the chain by
passing it through the left tow hook and across the
bumper and hooking it to the right tow hook. Turn
the winch slowly until your assistant signals you that
the chain is taut. Stop the winch immediately by de
pressing the clutch pedal. Then put the power take-off
lever in neutral and lock it in place with the hinged
latch.
e. Prevent rust. Keep the winch cable coated with
engine oil to prevent rust.
66. REDUCING STRAIN ON A WINCH RIG. a. Anchor
the vehicle. When using the winch for a difficult pull,
hold your vehicle in place by the brakes or wheel blocks,
or anchor it to a tree ground anchor or "deadman,"
usually by the pintle hook. ,' '
. .

b. Anchor the cable. If there is any choice, select an

anchor (tree, pole, etc.) that requires a long winch cable
and the least possible angle to pull. Attach the winch-
cable chain low on the tree, pole, or stake to avoid
breaking it off or uprooting it.
c. Use snatch block. When practicable, do not use
your winch for pulling your own vehicle without passing
the winch cable through a snatch block secured to the
anchor, as shown in figure 28. This rig is much better
than attaching* the end of the cable directly, to the an
chor, as the double pull lessens the strain on the cable
and eases the jerks. Cable used single for heavy loads is
often frayed or broken or otherwise damaged. ..
.

d. Pull from front. The winch cable, when under

strain, should extend directly to the front, although a
.

slight angular pull to the side is permissible.

If the cable pulls downward at an angle of more than
20° below the level of the frame of the winch-equipped
truck, the front axle and tires may be overloaded.
e. Attaching winch rope. There are three methods
of attaching winch rope, depending upon equipment
available.
(1) Attach a chain or rope to the two tow hooks with
a spreader bar to divide the pull equally between the
two hooks, and attach the winch cable hook as shown.
12
 SNATCH BLOCK

SPREADER BAR

Figure 2S. Rig with spreader bar.

(2) If
a spreader bar is not available, attach the chain
or rope in the following manner: Pass the rope or chain
under the bumper bar, up over the side rail, then down
under the bumper bar: then attach the rope or chain to
the tow hook or to itself (fig. 29). Steel cable should
not be wrapped around the bumper bar, as the cable
would be deformed or broken.

SNATCH BLOCK

Figure 29. Rig u'itli chain passed under the bumper bar.

83
 (3) If
neither of the above methods can be followed,
the winch cable hook 'should be attached to one of the
tow hooks as shown in figure 30. Tow the vehicle care
fully, especially on slippery terrain, when using this
method or when the chain or rope is wrapped around
the bumper bar, keeping in mind the "slewing" (one
sided) tendency caused by the off-center pull.

SNATCH BLOCK

Figure 30. Rig without spreader bar.

Caution: Under no circumstances should the winch

cable be passed through one tow hook and attached to
the other tow hook, because this will damage the hooks,
bumper bar, cable, and is dangerous to personnel.
f. Avoid jerks.
Always take up load strains gradually.
Jerking may damage the cable, winch, vehicle, and load.
•

67. MUD AND SAND. Practically every vehicle used by

the Army has enough power in lowest gear to pull out of
mud or sand, provided it gets traction. Pull out slowly
84
in low gear. If
you can't pull out, it is best to use your
winch, or get aid from another vehicle on solid ground.
Don't spin your wheels. Don't "rock out." It puts a
strain on your vehicle and, even if you get out, probably
digs deeper so that the going will be even tougher for the
vehicle which follows you.

68. FORDING STREAMS. In cross country driving and

sometimes on country roads, you may have to ford
streams. Before attempting this, you should know how
deep the water is. Measure depths and condition of
roadway if necessary. If it is not deep enough to wet
your vehicle's electrical equipment the vehicle can cross
the ford under its own power, provided, of course, that
it is otherwise passable.
Cross slowly, driving in lowest gear. If the ford is deep
enough for the spinnig fan blades to catch water, loosen
the fan belt before crossing. Otherwise, they may throw
water over the electrical units.
If you drive your vehicle much in sandy or muddy
water, you should make sure that the brakes are inspected
and cleaned of sand and mud as soon afterward as pos
sible. After driving through water, the brakes may be
tested and dried by depressing the brake pedal momen
tarily at intervals while the vehicle is in motion.

69. SWAMPS AND SOFT-BOTTOM STREAMS. If you

have to cross a swamp or ford a soft-bottom stream or
deep mud hole, you can increase the ground support by
placing boards, brush, or other similar materials under
95
the wheels or tracks. Pine is not well suited for this pur
pose. The bark wears off and leaves a slippery surface.
Oak gives good results. Someone will have to hold this
material down until at least one vehicle has passed over
and forced it into the mud.

70. STEEP GRADES, a. Steep downgrades. Make sure

that your lowest gear is engaged before attempting to
drive down any grade over 30 per cent.
b. Steep upgrades. Before driving up a steep grade,
also make sure that the lowest gear is engaged. (See fig.
31.) If the traction is poor you may have to use a winch.
With the aid of a winch cable fastened to a tree or to a
"deadman," or to other vehicles, your vehicle can pull
itself up the grade. If your truck has no winch, you
may get help from, one that has. In the absence of a
winch, ordinary block and tackle may be used.

71. DRIVING OVER HILLTOPS. When you drive over

the top of a hill, if there is a sharp descent on the other
side and you have too much speed, your front wheels
may jump off the ground and come down with a bang.
This is pretty tough on your vehicle and may cause you
a lot of trouble. Pass over the crest of the hill slowly
so that it will not happen.

72. CROSSING DITCHES. You can cross small shallow

ditches easily merely by shifting into a low gear and pro
ceeding slowly. Enter obliquely, so that one wheel leaves
the ditch as the other wheel on the same axle enters it.
In crossing deep ditches, engage the lowest forward.
86
 5 FT.
100 FEET

100 FEET

SOFT.

100 FEET

45 a

100 FEET

Figure 31. How steep is the gradet

87
gear. On the way down, keep the clutch engaged. When
you reach the bottom, release the brake and accelerate
the motor enough to keep rolling, as you go up the other
side. If the ditch is deep and has very steep sides, you
may have to cut away the tops of the banks before
attempting to cross.

73. CROSSING TRENCHES. You can cross narrow

trenches by building a makeshift bridge of any suitable
and available material, such as channel iron, logs, poles
or planks, but remember that your truck is heavy and you
may not be an engineer. Where possible, get an officer's
advice before trying to build a bridge that must support
your vehicle.
especially with wide trenches, you can
Sometimes,
break down the sides, partly fill in the bottom and cross
as you would cross a ditch.

74. HARD RUTS OR TRACKS CAN THROW YOU. Hard

ruts (frozen or sun baked) can throw your vehicle out of
control or pull off a tire. Either may start a skid. When
you can, keep out of hard ruts and car tracks. Ride the
ridges.

75. SOFT RUTS. It is often all right to drive in soft

ruts, in loose soil, sand or mud. Soft ruts increase trac
tion and are much less dangerous than hard ruts.

76. WOODED COUNTRY. Woods help to screen you

and your vehicle from air observation, but they also pre
sent certain problems which you must consider.

88
 a. Look ouf for stumps. A tree stump which is too
high can cause serious damage to the axles and other low
parts of your vehicle if you straddle it. Any stumps will
injure your tires if you scrape them. Try to avoid these
dangers when in woods or cut woods.
b. Low limbs. When you must drive through wooded
country, whether on country roads or cross country, low
hanging limbs may break your top bows. It is usually
best to remove the top and all top bows for field opera
tion. Keep alert and remove limbs which may hit your
cab or load.
e. Timber on road. Heavy timber which blocks the
road may often be crossed by piling dirt or other mate
rial on each side of the timber so as to permit your ve
hicle to climb up one side and down the other.
d. Rocks and boulders present the same difficulties as
tree stumps and you should take the same precautions.

77. WINTER CONDITIONS, a. Driving on ice or hard

snow. On ice or on hard snow, particularly if it is
smooth, there is great danger of skidding or slipping and
a serious accident. The best way to be safe is to drive
with great care. Go slowly.
If you are on a road which slopes toward the side
ditches, it may be helpful to straddle the crown in order
to avoid sliding to the side (fig. 32). Obviously in such
a center-of-the-road position you will have to be ex
tremely careful to avoid crashing into other traffic.
On slippery ground, avoid rocks, car tracks, and other
objects which might throw your vehicle sidewise and
89
 Figure 32. Ruling /lie crown of lite road.

start a skid. Avoid sudden stops, sudden turns, and sutl-

den speeding up or slowing down. Any sudden change
in the vehicle's momentum may start your vehicle slip
ping and skidding.
b. Lower tire pressure on ice, hard snow, or sand.
By letting some of the air out of your tires, you increase
their area of contact with the road and get more traction.
This is often helpful when driving on ice, hard-packed
snow, or sand, but you should do it only in an emergency.
If you have lowered the pressure in your tires, be sure
to pump them up to full pressure just as soon as the need
for low pressure is over.
c. Starting on smooth ice or snow. When starting
on smooth ice or snow, shift into second or third gear,
rather than low, engage the clutch gradually, and do not
90
accelerate the engine more than is necessary to keep it
from stalling. The wheels will spin less than if you used
low gear and you will be more likely to start.
d. Cooling system. Be sure you have enough anti
freeze to prevent your radiator from freezing. If not,
you may have to drain the cooling system when your
vehicle is not in use, or run the engine sufficiently to
keep the coolant from freezing. A cardboard or similar
radiator cover will help to prevent freezing.
e. Oil. Remember that oil thickens in cold weather.
It will make the engine harder to start. Sometimes tow
ing or pushing your vehicle, with the gears and clutch
engaged, may be a better way to start your engine than
running your battery down by excessive cranking.
Under extreme arctic conditions with temperature
many degrees below zero, it may be necessary to run your
engine frequently day and night to keep the oil fluid
enough; sometimes it may be desirable to drain the oil
from the crankcase, and keep it in a warmer place while
the vehicle is not in use.
f. Use of blanket. Blankets or other covers will help
to keep the engine warm after operation and aid it in
warming up in starting.
g. Brakes. Wet brake linings can freeze to the drums
when the temperature falls below 32°. Frozen brakes
are difficult to release. Therefore, avoid leaving brakes
set overnight under these conditions. If necessary, block
the wheels instead, or leave the vehicle in gear.
h. Parking. Remember that if you park your vehicle
in mud or slush, the wheels can be "frozen in" when it
gets colder, causing you hard work and delay. If freez
ing is likely, try to park in a dry spot. If you can't find
a dry spot, make one by placing any suitable and avail
able dry material on the ground, or dig down and clear
the mud and slush from under your vehicle. If wheels
are "frozen in" do not attempt to drive away to brake
loose. This may seriously weaken and damage tires at
a point where adherence through freezing has taken
place. Use the tools of your pioneer kit to free the tires.
Be careful not to damage the tire sidewall.

78. DRIVING IN DESERTS, SAND, OR DUST. Desert or

desertrlike driving, with its sand storms and dust clouds,
presents special difficulties, both from difficult terrain,
and dirty air.
a. Deflate tires for better traction. When the sand
is soft and the going hard, you can get greater traction
by deflating the tires so as to get slightly more surface in
contact with the ground. Deflating them too far, how
ever, injures the tires and should be avoided. Be sure
that the tires are not kept underinflated any longer than
is necessary.
b. Carburetor air cleaner. This is a device for clean
ing the air before it goes into your carburetor. If the
outside air is full of dust and sand, the air cleaner will
soon become overburdened and dirt may enter and dam
age your rings, pistons, cylinders and valves. There is
a quantity of oil in the lower base of the unit to collect
the heavy particles which fall out of the air before it
passes through an oil-soaked wire mesh to take out the
finer particles When a vehicle is operating in sand and
dust storms the mesh must be kept clean and the oil level
must be maintained. This means checking the oil level
every day and cleaning the mesh every day. Under ex
tremely dusty conditions it may be necessary to change
several times a day. If you do not know how, ask your
noncommissioned officer to show you.
c. Breather-pipe-cap air cleaner. The cap which
you remove to pour oil into the crankcase contains an
air cleaner also. When it is very sandy or very dusty, this
air cleaner must be cleaned daily or as frequently as
needed. Remove; wash in dry-cleaning solvent, diesel
fuel oil, or other suitable cleaning agent; soak in oil; and
reinstall.
d. Oil filter. Your truck contains an oil filter which
removes grit or other foreign particles from the oil. It
is important, therefore, that filters be drained and the
cartridge changed at the mileage or time intervals pre
scribed by War Department Lubrication Orders and
Technical Manuals. It is particularly important that
,you examine your oil filter frequently.
e. Fresh oil. You should take great care to protect
clean oil from dust and sand in the air at all times, espe
cially when it is being poured into the crankcase, or
when it is otherwise exposed. If necessary, you can pro
tect it against dust-bearing or sand-bearing winds by
setting up canvas screens. You can make these from
tarpaulins. Don't set the filler can down in the dirt
while you open the hood. Keep measures and containers
clean.

93
 f. Excessive heat. When driving in extremely hot
weather, do not remove the sides of the hood because
this reduces the efficiency of the fan. If the engine over
heats, consult the officer or noncommissioned officer in
charge of your unit.
Keep your radiator free of bugs, grass, leaves or any
thing else that clogs the air spaces.
Ask your noncommissioned officer about any plate or
similar obstruction which cuts off air and keeps the radia
tor from cooling effectively. Insignia plates on radiators
not only reduce the cooling effect but may give infor
mation to the enemy.
Watch your fan belt carefully. Be sure that the fan
is operating properly with the belt at proper tension —
not too loose and not too tight.

94,
 CHAPTER 5

SAFE DRIVING IN WARFARE OR MANEUVERS

79. THEATER OF OPERATIONS. In war, the area in

which a military campaign is conducted is called a "the
ater of operations." Here enemy action and unusual
emergencies add new hazards to those which you nor
mally face when you drive a motor vehicle.
Some men get the idea that because war involves dan
gerous acts, it is "smart" to be reckless all the time under
war conditions.
Quite to the contrary, the more we suffer by enemy
action, and the more we are compelled to take risks, the
more we need to avoid losing men and property through
carelessness or recklessness. A hero takes risks when he
hopes to gain a worthy objective; only a fool takes risks
needlessly.

80. SIMULATED WAR CONDITIONS. Many of the tasks

which we must do in a theater of operations call for
experience and skill — acquired only by practice. To get
that practice we hold field exercises or maneuvers to
simulate, or pretend, war conditions.
In these, also, some men get the idea that because they
are pretending that war conditions exist, they should be
reckless. These men too are wrong.
Armies on maneuvers, in war or peace, do not actually
try to kill the soldiers of the "enemy" army. They do
91
not actually try to destroy the "enemy's" equipment or
supplies. In fact, they take care to see that these losses
do not occur.
In the same way, even though maneuvers may require
you to do things which involve some extra risk, such as
"blackout" driving at night, there is all the more reason
for you to be careful. Take no unnecessary risk.

81. SPECIAL TRAFFIC REGULATIONS. In a real or im

aginary theater of operations, and elsewhere if needed,
you will find special traffic regulations, usually including
a traffic "circulation plan."
These special regulations vary greatly. An attempt is
made to have as few of them as possible. However, the
greater the traffic and the fewer and poorer the roads,
the greater the need for special plans to avoid confusion,
delays, and accidents.
Under these regulations, military police are stationed
at crossroads and junctions; many signs are posted giving
special information; many roads are limited to one-way-
traffic, others have traffic moving only in one direction
during certain hours and only in the opposite direction
during other hours.
You may find that the traffic circulation plan at night
is entirely different from the one used by day.
If
there is much enemy air activity (real or simulated),
you may find that your outfit, instead of proceeding as
a unit, sends out trucks individually at intervals. You
may therefore be given a copy of a circulation map show
ing just which roads you may use, and when. Then you
96
 willbe very much on your own.
You may find that the roads are congested with troops
marching on foot, with artillery, or even with civilian
refugees moving to the rear. Certain roads are usually
reserved for the artillery at stated times.
You may find that the right side of the road has been
reserved for troops marching on foot, and that vehicles
are required to keep to the left; or, sometimes, the exact
reverse may be true.

82. OBSERVE AND COMPLY WITH ALL REGULATIONS.

Whatever the special regulations may be, they are all
made to insure that all troops and all supplies get there
safely and on time.
If you do not comply with some of these special regu
lations you may cause accidents and delay. Delay may
interfere with the tactical operations, thus causing un
necessary casualties in action.
Your own safety, well as the safe conduct of all
as
traffic, demands that you learn all special regulations and
carefully comply with them. Stay off roads on .which
you don't belong.

83. FOREIGN RULES OF THE ROAD. a. Rules differ.

In some countries the rules of the road differ from those
f in the United States. For example, in many nations,
including some of our own possessions, it is customary
to drive to the left of the road. When United States
troops occupy such territory, orders are usually issued
stating whether the local rules of the road or our own

»7
will apply. When we have large forces occupying an
area, our own customs may be installed, but when our
forces are few, compared with the inhabitants or troops
of that foreign country, our troops will probably follow
local customs.
b. Foreign customs create a hazard. Regardless of
whether the driving customs of the United States or
those of the foreign country are in effect when you are
on duty abroad, the difference between them creates a
hazard. It is hard to break long-established practices
which have become almost habits.
If the foreign customs are in effect, you will have to
keep constantly alert to avoid absent-mindedly doing as
you would in the United States.
If
the United States customs are put into effect, local
drivers may forget and revert to their own practices.
In either case, you must keep constantly alert to avoid
accidents due to the difference in rules of the road.

84. GENERAL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS APPLY. When

you are in a real or imaginary theater of operations, or
on foreign soil, you will be fully informed of all special
regulations which may apply to you.
To be as safe as possible, apply the same safety meas
ures you would apply in normal driving except those
which conflict with the special instructions. . , .

85. BLACKOUT DRIVING, a. Need for blackout driving.

In war, when it is necessary to keep all movements secret
and free from enemy observations, motor vehicles must

ft
usually move at night, with safety blackout lights only.
This blackout driving requires experience and skill. It
is therefore necessary that you practice it in maneuvers
so that you can operate in actual war at night without
lights.
b. Blackout lamps. Modern military vehicles are
equipped with blackout lamps, which make driving in
the dark considerably safer. Blackout lamps are placed
on both the front and rear of modern military vehicles.
They do not illuminate the road, but they do show the
position of a vehicle as much as 800 feet ahead of you or
behind you, depending on the weather, making it easier
to drive in column and reducing the danger of collision,
but cannot be seen from an airplane higher than 400 feet.
c. Blackout lamps indicate distances. Blackout
lamps are so designed that you can tell when you get too
close to the vehicle ahead. The standard U. S. Army
lamps work as follows:
(1) Rear lamps. These are divided into four parts,
which appear to you as one light, when you are 180 feet
or more from the vehicle ahead. At distances between
180 and 60 feet (GO to 20 yards) there seems to be two
points of light, and at distances of 60 feet (20 yards) and
less you see four points of light (see fig. 33).
One point of light informs you that you are pretty far
behind the fellow ahead; two lights assure you, "O. K.,
you are following at a moderate distance," and four lights
scream "LOOK OUTJ You're getting too close for black
out driving!"
(2) Front lamps. The front lamps are slightly differ
ent. Each lamp is divided into two parts. When you
look at it from a distance of 60 feet or more, it appears
to be one light. When you are within 60 feet, you see
two lights which warn you, "Look out! That vehicle is
getting pretty close."
d. Other blackout lamps. Under the stress of war
you may find several other designs of blackout lamps. It

MORE THAN 180 FEET

BETWEEN 180 AND 60 FEET

LESS THAN 60 FEET

Figure 33. Rear blackout lights.
may even be necessary to use some vehicles not equipped
with blackoutlights.
e. Know the blackout conditions. The blackout
lamps make driving in the dark easier and safer than
many people believe. There are also many nights when
moonlight is bright enough that you can see rather
clearly. However, it is important that you know the
exact conditions under which you are driving and act
accordingly.
Make it a point to be sure what kind of blackout
lamps, if any, are being used and what distances are
indicated by their varying appearance.

MORE THAN 60 FEET

LESS THAN 60 FEET

Figure 34, Front blackout lights.

101
 f. Reducing risk in blackout driving. Obviously the
first safeguard in blackout driving is greatly reduced
speed. When you first attempt blackout operation, there
fore, have plenty of room and drive at a crawl.
Watch the rear blackout lights of the vehicle ahead, if
you are driving in a column. It will serve as a pilot, be
cause where it has gone safely, you can go with caution.
You can see better if you open your windshield.
When practicable, post a man in the rear part o£ your
vehicle to warn the driver who follows, if he comes too
close. The warning must be given in a way which con
forms with the existing blackout regulations. A screened
flashlight might be permitted in the hands of a trained
and reliable man. If not, a white handkerchief or some
other white object will usually do.
If the vehicle which is following is equipped with for
ward blackout lights, he will spot it more easily. But
even if the vehicle has no lamps, an alert "rear guard"
can usually make it out at a reasonable distance, because
few nights are totally dark.
g. Blackout driving light. The blackout driving
light is mounted on the left fender to the left of the
headlight. This light is controlled by a push-pull type
switch on the instrument panel (marked B. O. Drive)
with the main light switch in "blackout" position. The
blackout driving light furnishes a diffused light beam to
permit limited illumination when driving under black
out conditions.

-
 CHAPTER 6

FOUR HIDDEN ENEMIES

86. FIRE. Every motor-propelled vehicle must be

equipped with an approved type of fire extinguisher. If
yours doesn't have one, see your noncommissioned officer
and get one.
Shut off the engine before refueling. Do not spill
gasoline on a hot exhaust pipe.
Water used on a gasoline or oil fire spreads the flame.
If you don't have enough fire extinguishers, throw sand
or dirt on a blaze of this kind. This will smother it.
Gasoline vapor may catch on fire even when the spark
or flame is several feet from the liquid gasoline. There
fore, if fire is near, do not fill a gasoline tank or work
on a carburetor or fuel system. This means no smoking
in any inclosed room containing gasoline, or outdoors
within 25 feet of exposed gasoline. If you need light to
perform the work, an electric light is the sensible and
safe thing to use. Don't use open flame or lanterns.
Oily or greasy rags kept in your vehicle increase the
fire hazard. Get rid of them.
Don't spill oil on the engine when filling the crank-
case.
Use kerosene, rather than gasoline, when cleaning oil
and grease from metal parts of your vehicle.
103
87. RISKY RIDING. a. Mounting and dismounting.
When you are transporting individuals or troops, cau
tion the individuals or the officer or noncommissioned
officer in charge of the troops that it is unsafe for anyone
to mount or dismount from your vehicle except when
it is stopped. They should dismount one at a time.
b. Driver's seat. In an emergency you need room
enough to act with all the speed of which you are ca
pable. Therefore, be sure that the driver's seat is not
crowded. Standard military vehicles have room for only
two people on the driver's scat (yourself and one other).
To be safe, don't allow any more on the seat.
c. Unauthorized passengers. Do not permit unau
thorized persons to ride in your vehicle.
d. Tail gate. When troops or other passengers are
getting on a truck, or particularly when they are getting
off, open the vehicle's tail gate so that they will be less
likely to trip and fall (fig. 35). But don't leave it. open.
Your passengers or load will be safer if you close the tail
gate before starting and so will the tail gate. Make k a
practice to keep the tail gate opened while the vehicle
is loading or unloading and closed while the vehicle is
moving.
e. Keep passengers in safe positions. You may be
compelled to drive very close to other vehicles or objects
during your trip, or someone may bump you from the
rear. Don't let your passengers get hurt. Permit no one
to ride with his head, arms, legs, or any part of his body
protruding from the sides or rear of your vehicle.
For similar reasons, and also to prevent passengers from
104
 WRONG

Figure 35. Open tall gate before allowing passengers to dismount.

falling off or being thrown off, permit no one to ride on

your running board, fenders, hood, or tail gate.
Warn all passengers not to stand except when your
vehicle is halted, because if you start, stop, or turn sud
10$
denly, or have a collision, they might be thrown off bal
ance and possibly out of the vehicle. Always keep the
safety strap hooked while transporting troops. -

88. UNSAFE LOADING, a. Load cargo safely. An im

properly loaded cargo may shift or fall off. It may even
cause a truck to overturn on a curve, in an accident, or
on uneven ground.
b. Protruding loads. Whenever possible, avoid loads
which stick out over the driver's seat, or beyond the tail
of your truck. Loads which stick out over the side, so
that your vehicle requires a wider lane than usual, are
especially dangerous.
If a load unavoidably extends more than 2 or feet
3
beyond the rear of the truck, mark it on the end so that
others will plainly see it. In daylight a red cloth at least
12 inches square is preferable; at night, a lighted red
lantern. Don't use green; it means "all clear" instead
of "danger."

89. HOW TO LOAD. To get the best results from your

vehicle, its capacity and cargo space must be used effi
ciently, and therefore you must know something about
loads and loading. Except under unusual circumstances,
it job to load and unload cargoes, but
is not part of your
you are responsible for making sure of the following:- .

a. Do not exceed maximum authorized load. Maxi

mum pay loads and maximum tow loads for road opera-,
tions as well as for cross country operations, are shown
on plates on your instrument panel. Do not permit your
IM
vehicle to be loaded beyond these maximums except in
emergencies, and then only by order of proper authority.
b. How to know when you have sufficient load.
You do not need to weigh your truck or to know the
weight of your cargo in order to judge when it is loaded
to the maximum. Learn the position of the rear springs
•when you know the vehicle is loaded to the authorized
maximum. Then when the springs sink below that po
sition, you will know that the vehicle is overloaded or
that the springs have become weak.
c. Proper location and distribution of load. To
carry its maximum cargo and to do it safely, your vehicle
must be correctly loaded. If the load is unbalanced, the
vehicle may overturn or at least become more difficult
to handle. One loose piece of cargo may release an entire
load. You should observe the following principles:
(1) Heavy supplies should be placed at the bottom of
the load and evenly distributed throughout the body of
the truck.
(2) The cargo should be carefully built up so as to
avoid shifting (fig. 36).
(3) If your load is too high, it may cause swaying and
danger of overturning, and will make the vehicle hard to
handle. Avoid this by keeping the load low.
(4) If your vehicle is not covered, place a tarpaulin
over the cargo as a protection against sun, dust, or rain.
I

d. Make the load secure. A load which extends

above the top of the vehicle body should be securely
lashed. Two 60-foot ropes will do the job. Lash-hooks
or rings are usually provided on the bodies of cargo

107
 RIGHT WRONG

figure 36. Proper and improper loading.

carrying vehicles. You should lash your load as shcrvvn

in figure 37.

(1) Fasten the end of one rope to one of the front lash-
hooks or rings (Al).
(2) Pass the rope diagonally across the top of the load
through or under the second rope support on the other
side (A2), and pull the rope tight.
(3) Pass the rope diagonally back across the top of the
load to the first side through or under the third rope
support on that side (A3) and pull the rope tight.
(4) Continue the process until you have reached the
rear of the truck, and then fasten the end of the rope
securely (A4 and A5).
(5) Using the second rope, start at the other front cor
ner of the truck and repeat the procedure using alternate
lash-hooks or rings (B1-B2-B3-B4-B5).
108
 e. Watch your load in transit. After your vehicle has
been loaded, you are responsible for the safety of the
load until you have reached your destination and un
loaded the cargo. Keep alert to make sure nothing goes
wrong.

90. SPECIAL CAUTIONS IN LOADING, a. Ammunition

is explosive. Handle it with care. No smoking. Watch
out for overloading; ammunition is heavy.
b. Baled goods are best loaded on the bed of the
truck. Place large and heavy bales always on bottom.
c. Barrels (with heads or empty) should be loaded on
their sides, pyramided.
d. Barrels (without heads or covered with burlap)
should be stood upright, on their solid ends.
e. Gas shells. As a precaution against being over
come by leaking gas, carry a gas mask whenever you are
transporting gas shells. Remember also that a gas mask

Figure 37. How lo lash a load.

109
 it is right at hand when you need it
is no good unless
and you know how to put it on quickly.
f. Gasoline drums which leak should be reported be
fore loading. If your truck or trailer is carrying gasoline,
it should have a chain trailing from a metal part so that
it drags on the ground with a few inches to spare. This
lessens danger of fire from static electricity.
g. Inflammable rubbish. If your truck is loaded with
inflammable rubbish, such as excelsior, paper, or pack
ing material, unload it, if practicable, before parking
for the night.
h. Sacked goods should be pyramided and "tied" to
gether by crossing the sacks.

91. CARBON MONOXIDE. Every minute your engine

is running, quantities of carbon monoxide — a deadly,
odorless, colorless gas — are pouring out of the exhaust
pipe. Carbon monoxide is really dangerous; it strikes
without warning. If you run a gasoline engine in a
closed garage or shop, you may poison or kill yourself
or your companions.
Always drive with your cab window or ventilator at
least partly open, regardless of the weather. Carbon
monoxide may leak into the cab. When you have pas
sengers in the rear, keep the front tarpaulin flap open to
protect them from carbon monoxide.
Anyone poisoned by carbon monoxide gas should be
removed to the open air and warmth and artificial
respiration should be applied at once. Get medical
assistance immediately.
no
 CHAPTER 7

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE

92. PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE IS ESSENTIAL TO VIC

TORY IN WAR. As a soldier, you realize that rapid
movement of an army is more important today than ever
before in conducting a successful military campaign.
The rapid blows of armored forces must be supported by
fast-moving infantry and artillery, and these mobile
troops must have an equally mobile supply. -All this:i«
possible with motor vehicles, provided they keep rolling.
Preventive maintenance is the only means by which
motor vehicles can be kept rolling.
As a soldier-driver, you are the foundation upon which
all preventive maintenance depends. It is your job to
do those things which prevent your vehicle from break
ing down.
Therefore, five different preventive maintenance serv
ices have been prescribed for you to perform. They will
be found in War Department Form 48 (Driver's Trip
Ticket and P.M. Service Record). You have been, or
will be, trained in how to carry them out.
They will help you- to remember the important things;
The following suggestions are based upon information
found in TM 9-2810.
Ill
93. PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE SERVICE BEFORE OP
ERATION. Although you inspect and service your
vehicle thoroughly after each tour of operation, there is
always chance that something might happen to it before
you use it again. A slow leak may have deflated one of
the tires; an oil or gas leak may have created a fire
hazard or left your vehicle without fuel or lubricant;
someone might have bumped into it during the night;
or there may have been an act of sabotage. For this reason
Daily Before Operation Preventive Maintenance Service
has been designed merely as a quick check to make sure
that the vehicle is still in as good order as you left it.
This before operation check is a matter of only a few
moments. Many of the items can be covered by a mere
glance. But it does give you the satisfaction of feeling
confidence that your vehicle remains in the same good
condition in which you placed it. It includes —
1. Tampering and 11. Glass and rv
damage mirrors
2. Fire extinguishers 12. Lamps and
3. Fuel, oil and water reflectors
4. Accessories and 13. Wheel and flange
drives nuts
5. Air brake tanks 14. Tires and/or tracks
6. Leaks; general 15. Springs and sus
7. Engine warm-up pensions
8. Choke or primer 16. Steering linkage
9. Instruments 17. Fenders and
10. Horn and W/S bumpers
wipers

112
 18. Towing connep- ... 22. Engine operation
tions 23. Driver's permit and
Body, load and form 26
'
19. ,
...
tarps 24. Amphibian services
20. Decontaminator 25. During operation
21. Tools and equip- . check
.

ment
Tampering and damage. Check for any injury to
vehicle, equipment or armament. Raise hood and
check for signs of sabotage such as loosened or dam
aged accessories or drives.
Fire, extinguisher. Check for tight mounting, full
charge, corroded nozzles, and closed valves.
Fuel, oil and water. Check amounts. Any changes
in levels since previous service indicate tampering
or leaks. . . . ... .

Accessories and drives. Check carburetors,

genera
tors, regulators, starting motors, tans and shrouds
and fuel, water pumps for looseness and for leaks.
Check belts for wear.
Air Check for ..damage and security of
brake tanks.
tanks and air line connections. Drain tanks and
close petcocks.
Leaks; general. Check vehicle and ground under
vehicle for oil, fuel, water, gear oil, or brake fluid
leaks.
Engine warm-up. Start and note whether
engine ,

starter has adequate cranking speed and engages,

and disengages properly.
If oil gauge does not indicate within ten seconds,
113
 stop engine and report. DON'T RACE ENGINE;
set throttle so that engine will run at fast idle dur
ing warm-up period.
8. Choke or primer. While starting engine check oper
ation of choke or primer for looseness and wear.
9. Instruments.
Oil pressure gauge
Ammeter
Fuel gauge
Temperature gauge
Voltmeter, tachometer, and air brake pressure
so equipped).
(if

gauge
If the above instruments fail to indicate properly, stop
the engine and investigate the cause and report it.

10. Horns and windshield wipers. Tactical situation

permitting, horn.
test Check wiper arms, blades
and contact with windshield.
11. Glass and rear vision mirrors. Clean windshield
and door glass. Air mirror properly and check for
damage to frames or brackets.
12. Lamps and reflectors. Tactical situation permitting;
check operation of all switches and see that all
lamps light. See that lamps and reflectors are secure
and that lenses are clean and not broken.
13. Wheel and flange nuts. See that they are all present
and secure.
14. Tires and/or tracks. All tires should be gaged and
properly inflated and spares properly secured in
their carriers.
114
 Springs and suspensions. Check for abnormal sag,
broken or shifted leaves, loose or missing rebound
clips, eye/bolts, U-bolts, or shackles.
Steering lifikage. Check Pitman arm and steering
linkage for looseness and bent parts. Check gear
box for security and leakage.
1 7. Fenders and bumpers. Check for looseness and
damage.
18. Towing connections. Make sure that truck tractor
fifth wheel, or pintle and lunette are in safe operat
ing condition and that all locking devices are secure.
Report any damage or deficiency.
19. Body, load, and tarps. Check body for damaged,
loose, or missing parts. Inspect cargo for damage,
shifting and proper distribution; tarpaulin for
security, damage, and protection of load.
20. Decontaminator. Must be in good condition,
securely mounted and fully charged.
2 1 . Tools and equipment. See that tools and equip
ment belonging with the vehicle are present, service
able, and properly mounted or stowed.
22. Engine operation. Normal operating temperature
may be assumed when engine will idle with the
choke fully released and the oil pressure gauge indi
cated near normal operating pressure, accelerate
engine and note any unusual noises or operating
characteristics which would indicate trouble.
23. Driver's permit and Form 26. Do not operate
vehicle without operator's permit. Accident report
Form 26 must be present in vehicle and legible.
115
24. Amphibian services (land operation).Perform oper
ation 1 to 23 which apply to amphibians. Amphib
ian services (water operation). Preventive mainte
nance procedures for water operation should be
obtained from vehicle maintenance manual.
Note: Before starting engine, open the ventilator or
hatches and be sure that all hull compartments are clear
of fuel drippings and fumes.
25. During operation check. The during operation
check should be started immediately, as soon as the
vehicle is put in motion.

94. PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE SERVICE DURING OP

ERATION. Many of the defects, which a vehicle may
have, can be detected only while the vehicle is actually
in operation. You may save an accident or prevent
serious damage to your vehicle by keeping constantly
alert for signs of any such defect. This is the purpose
of "During Operation Service." When you start out in
the morning you can test the steering gear, brakes, and
clutch; then you will be fairly confident that they will
not give you trouble during the day's operation. During
the entire march you may avoid trouble by listening
carefully to the sound of your motor, by observing your
instruments, and by noting in general how the vehicle
responds to your will.
26. Steering brakes 29. Transmission
27. Foot and hand 30. Transfer
brakes 31. Engine and
28. Clutch controls
IK
 32. Instruments
33. Steering gear
34. Running gear
35. Body and trailer
36. Guns: mountings, and elevating, transversing,
gyro and firing controls
37. Amphibian services
26. Steering brakes. Full track vehicles only. (See
Manufacturer's Manual.)
27. Foot and hand brakes. Foot brakes should operate
smoothly without pulling the vehicle to one side,
leaving a reserve of pedal travel available. When
the vehicle is stopped on an incline the hand brake
should keep it from rolling. When in motion the
hand brake should be fully released.
28. Clutch. Clutch should not chatter or squeal during
engagement or slip when fully engaged. Pedal
should have free travel before it begins to disengage
clutch.
29. Transmission. Gears should shift smoothly, operate
quietly, not creep out of mesh during operation.
30. Transfer. Check this unit same as transmission.
3 - Engine and controls.
1 Report any misfiring, unusual
noise, tendency to stall or overheat, unusual exhaust
smoke or lack of usual power. Report if engine
doesn't respond to controls or if controls appear
to be out of adjustment.
32. Instruments. Observe the reading of all instruments
frequently during operation to see whether they are
indicating properly.
117
33. Steering gear. There should be no looseness, bind
ing, pulling to one side, wandering, shimmy, or un
usual noise.
34. Running gear. Listen for unusual noises from
wheels, axles or suspension parts that would indi
cate looseness or damage.
35. Body and trailer. The driver should be on the alert
for shifting load, sagging or tilting of the vehicle,
loose tarpaulin or curtains or unusual weaving of
towed load.
36. Guns: Mountings and elevating, traversing, gyro,
and firing controls. During operation before actual
combat, check gun controls and mechanisms for
proper response.
37. Amphibian services (land operation). Perform op
erations 26 to 36 which apply to amphibians. Am
phibian services (water operation). Preventive main
tenance procedures, for water operation should be
obtained from vehicle maintenance manual.

118
95. PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE SERVICE AT HALT.
At each halt of sufficient duration you have an oppor
tunity to observe certain items which may not have been
evident while you were running. These are listed under
At Halt Service.
38. Fuel, oil and 45. Tires and/or
water tracks
39. Temperatures: 46. Leaks; general
hubs, brake 47. Accessories and
drums, trans belts
fer, transmis 48. Air cleaners
sion and axles 49. Fenders and
40. Axle and transfer bumpers
vents 50. Towing connec
41. Propeller shafts tions
42. Strings and 51. Body, load and
suspensions tarps
43. Steering linkage 52. Appearance and
44. Wheel and flange glass
nuts 53. Amphibian
services
38. Fuel, oil, and water. Check amount. See that it is
adequate to operate the vehicle safely until the next
scheduled halt.
39. Temperature. Hubs, brake drums, transfer, trans
mission and axles. Cautiously touch each brake
drum and wheel hub. If drum is too hot, shoes may
be dragging, if too cold brake may not be function
ing. If hub is too hot, bearings may be improperly
lubricated or adjusted. Check transfer, transmis
sion and driving axles for overheating or oil leaks.
119
40. Axle and transfer vents. See that vents are not
clogged or damaged.
41. Propeller shafts. Check for looseness, damage, and
oil leaks.
42. Springs and suspensions. Check for broken leaves,
loose clips, U-bolts, eye-bolts, shackles, shock ab
sorber linkage, and torque rods. On bogie suspen
sions check arms, links, pins, wheels, for looseness
and damage.
43. Steering linkage. Examine steering mechanism, for
damage or looseness and investigate any irregulari
ties noted during operation.
44. Wheel and flange nuts. See that all wheel mount
ing, rim nuts, and axle flange nuts are present and
secure.
45. Tires and/or tracks. Check for flats and damage
and remove stones from treads and between duals.
46. Leaks, general. Check under hood and beneath
vehicle for indication of oil, water, fuel, gear lubri
cants, or brake fluid leaks.
47. Accessories and belts. Check to see that fan and
generator are secure, that water pump does not leak,
that belts are adjusted correctly and are not frayed.
48. Air Cleaners. See that air cleaners and breather caps
are in condition to deliver clean air.
49. Fenders and bumpers. Check these items for loose
ness and damage.
50. Towing connections. Check all locking devices for
security. Check for frayed or broken cables, and
damaged or missing parts.
120
51. Body, loads and tarpaulins. Inspect vehicle and
trailed loads for shitting; also check tarpaulins for
security and damage.
52. Appearance and glass. Clean windshield, door, and
window glass, rear-vision mirror, and lamp lenses
and inspect for damage.
53. Amphibian service (land operation). Perform serv
ices 38 to 52 which apply to amphibians. Amphib
ian services (water operation). (See vehicle main
tenance manual.)

96. PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE SERVICE AFTER OP

ERATION. You are a soldier and a member of an army,
and an army must be able to act at any time, on a
moment's notice. Therefore, when your vehicle comes
in, you must make sure that it will be ready to roll when
ever necessary. This is the purpose of preventive mainte
nance service, which you perform after each tour o£
operation. (See TM 9-2810, Motor Vehicle Inspection
and Preventive Maintenance Services). It includes —
54. Fuel, oil, and 59. Lamps and
water reflectors
55. Engine operation 60. Fire extin-
56. Instruments guishers
57. Horn and W/S 61. Decontaminator
*
wipers 62. Battery and
58. Glass and RV voltmeter
mirrors

* Those items marked by an asterisk (*) require additional

weekly services.
121
 *
63. Accessories and 78. Body, load and
belts tarps
64. 'Electrical 79. Armor and front
wiring roller
65. *Air cleaners and 80. Vision devices
breather caps 81. Turret, and gun:
66. *Fuel filters mountings,
67. Engine controls and elevating,
68. "Tires and/or gyro, transvers-
tracks ing, and firing
* controls
69. Springs and
suspensions 82. *Tighten; wheel,
70. Steering linkage rim, axle drive
71. Propeller shafts, flange and
center bearing spring U-bolt
and vent nuts.
*Axle and 83. * Lubricate as
72.
transfer vents needed
73. Leaks: general 84. *Clean engine
74. Gear oil levels and vehicle
75. *Air brake tanks 85. *Tools and
76. Fenders and equipment
bumpers 86. *Amphibian
77. "Towing services
connections

54. Fuel, oil, and water. Check levels and replenish as

necessary. Also replenish auxiliary supply. If un
usual amount of any item is needed, check cause and
report condition.
122
55. Engine operation. Check engine at idle speed for
smoothness of operation. Accelerate and decelerate
engine and note any miss, backfire, or unusual noise
that might indicate worn parts, loose mountings, in
correct fuel mixture, or faulty ignition.
56. Instruments. Check all instruments to see that they
are securely mounted, properly connected and un
damaged. Report any case where an instrument
does not function properly.
57. Horns and windshield wipers. Tactical situation
permitting, check horn. Check wiper arms, blades,
and contact with windshield.
58. Glass and rear vision mirrors. Clean rear vision
mirrors, windshield, and door glass. Aim mirrors
properly and check for damaged frames or brackets.
59. Lamps and reflectors. Tactical situation permitting
check operation of all switches and see that all lamps
light. See that lamps and reflectors are secure and
that lenses are clean and not broken.
GO. Fire extinguisher. Check for tight mounting, cor
roded nozzles, closed valves and full charge. If the
extinguisher has been used, report it for refill or re
placement.
fil. Decontaminator. Must be in good condition,
securely mounted and fully charged.
62. *Rattery and voltmeter. See that battery is clean,
secure and not leaking and that electrolyte is at
proper level. Cables and vent caps should be clean
and secure. Voltmeter should register at least nomi
nal battery rating.
123
63. * Accessories and belts.
Check carburetor, generator,
regulator, starting motor, fan, shroud, fuel and
waterpumps for leaks or failure, check belts for ad
justment and wear.
64. *Electrical wiring. See that all ignition wiring is
securely connected, clean and undamaged.
65. *Air cleaners and breather caps. See that air clean
ers and breather caps are clean, oil free of dirt, and
up to proper level.
66. *Fuel filter. Check fuel filter for leaks.
67. Engine controls. Check control .linkage for wear
and proper operation.
68. *Tires and/ or tracks. Remove all nails, glass, or
stones' from tires or between duals. Check tires for
cuts, tread wear, position of valve stems. Replace
missing valve caps.
69. *Springs and suspensions. Check springs for abnor
mal sag, broken or shifted leaves, loose or missing,
rebound clips, eyebolts, U-bolts, or shackles. Also
check torque rods.
70. Steering linkage. Check steering linkage for bent,
loose or missing parts. Also check steering knuckle
and gear-box for leaks.
71. Propeller shafts and centerbearing. Check for loose
mountings and worn parts, lubricant leaks or clogged
vents.
72. *Axle and transfer vents. See that breather vents
are present and free from mud.
73. Leaks, general. Check engine and under vehicle for
leaks. Trace any fuel, oil, water or brake fluid leaks,

124
 and correct or report them.
74. Gear oil levels. Check axle housing and gear-boxes
for lubricant level. Should be level with plug hole
when hot, or inch below when cold.

i/2
*Air brake tanks. Drairi tanks, check air line con
nections for leaks.
Fenders and bumpers. See that fenders and bumpers
are secure and in good condition.
*Towing connections. Check tow hooks, truck trac
tor fifth wheel, or pintle and lunette for looseness
and damage. See that safety chains, brake and elec
trical connections are properly secured to both
vehicle and trailer.
Body, load and tarpaulins. Check body for damage,
loose or missing parts. Check load for even distribu
tion and tarpaulins for security, damage, and protec
tion of load against the elements.
79. Front roller or winch. See that roller lubricated,
is

surface clean and protected from rust.

80- Vision devices.
81- Turret and gun, mounting, elevating and traversing,
gyro, and firing controls. (See TM 9-2810.)
82. *Tighten wheel, rims, axle drive flange and spring
U-bolt nuts. Check tightness of wheel mounting,
rim, axle flange and spring U-bolt nuts. See that
inner duals are tight by loosening the outer nuts and
tightening inner nuts, retighten outer nuts securely.
Report any damage or missing parts.
83. Lubricate as needed. Inspect spring shackles and
steering linkage, lubricate needed.
if

125
84. *CIcan engine and vehicle. Clean inside of cab and
body, remove dirt or grease from engine.
85. * Tools and equipment. See that all tools and equip
ment assigned to the vehicle are present and in
usable condition, properly mounted or packed.
86. * Amphibian services. Land operation — Perform 54
to 85 which apply to amphibians. Water operation
— preventive maintenance procedures should be ob
tained from vehicle maintenance manual.

97. WEEKLY SERVICE. To keep your vehicle operating

smoothly, you will need to check, tighten, and service
certain important units approximately once a week. This
is also the time for cleaning the vehicle inside and out,
and doing any other work necessary to give it a good
military appearance. This weekly service therefore in
cludes those items marked with an asterisk in para
graph 96.

98. LUBRICATION. The first essential to the operation

of a military motor vehicle is that it be in readiness to
operate at all times, and at a moment's notice, and that
it be in such mechanical condition that it will get
through to its destination with the cargo intact. Conse
quently, your responsibility as a driver does not end in
the proficient operation of your vehicle. You must also
know how to keep that vehicle in such condition that it
is always ready to go. Lubrication is one of the impor
tant means of maintaining the vehicle in this condition.
The grease gun and oil can furnished with the vehicle
126
are intended for use by the driver. It is your responsi
bility to lubricate the vehicle at the proper time, with
the proper lubricants in accordance with lubrication in
structions, and not to rely on second echelon mainte
nance for this service. By doing your job well, main
tenance and repairs will be kept to a minimum and your
vehicle prepared to complete its assignment.
Different makes and models of vehicles requires dif
ferent kinds of lubrication and at different points. You
have a maintenance manual and War Department Lubri
cation Orders for the vehicle to which you are assigned
and the details for proper lubrication of that vehicle are
contained in those manuals and orders. You should
study these details carefully.
They will be given in the form of a chart. Find the
chart that applies to your vehicle, and learn to read it.

ir
 CHAPTER 8

IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG

99. SOME TROUBLE MAY ARISE. If you carefully carry

out the preventive maintenance services outlined in this
manual, and if you drive carefully and safely, nothing
whatsoever is likely to go wrong. However, in spite of
all that you can do, something beyond your control may
cause mechanical trouble or accident.

100. WHAT TO DO. a. How serious is the trouble?

When you were trained in preventive maintenance, you
were instructed to note certain defects when they occur.
This means that faults which are not serious enough to
injure the vehicle immediately, should be corrected as
soon as you have the opportunity— probably at the end
of the day's or night's operation. Although defects noted
are not important enough to justify dropping out of a
motor march for emergency repairs, they should not be
ignored, for they may soon grow to serious proportions.
On the other hand, you were instructed to report im
mediately certain more serious faults which if neglected
would quickly disable the vehicle.
If you know that your vehicle's trouble is not serious,
NOTE IT; if you know that it is serious, or if you are in
doubt, REPORT IMMEDIATELY.
b. How should you report? Report promptly any
trouble to your squad or section leader, or to the nearest
128
officer or noncommissioned officer of your march unit if
he is available. If not, you may report a serious defect
to him by telephone, messenger, or any other practicable
manner.
If it is impracticable for you to make a report, use
your best judgment as how you should act, remembering
those two cardinal principles, "Keep 'em rolling" and
"Get there."

101. IF YOU ARE IN A MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT.

Suppose that in spite of your care, you are involved in a
motor vehicle accident. Then what should you do?
There are some steps you can take to protect your own
interests and those of the Government, as well as aiding
any others who may be involved.

102. WHAT IS AN ACCIDENT? To be sure that there is

no mistake as to what an accident is, let's define it. An
accident is a "mishap resulting in injury to a person or
animal, or damage to a thing." Note that the definition
does not specify how much damage or injury is required
to call it an accident. Great or trivial as the damage
may be, any mishap which causes the slightest injury or
damage to any person, or any animal, or any tiling is an
accident.

103. ALWAYS STOP AND INVESTIGATE. No matter how

slight the accident, always stop and investigate it. Under
the general policy of the Army, you should cooperate
with the civil law, which in most places requires you to
129
stop, whether the accident be a serious crash or the
slightest scratching of a fender. The only exception to
this rule might be in actual combat, or in case of evident
military necessity, when you are operating under definite
orders not to stop.

104. TAKE PRECAUTION AGAINST FURTHER ACCIDENT.

After a motor vehicle accident, the vehicle or vehicles
involved are frequently in dangerous locations and often
a crowd collects in the road. Many times another acci
dent, perhaps even more serious than the first, occurs
when another vehicle crashes into the wreck or persons
in a crowd.
To prevent additional accidents, damage, or injury,
the first thing to do is to be sure guards, flares or lights
(except in a blackout), or flags are posted to warn all
other traffic to proceed with caution. If civil or military
police are present they will probably direct traffic. If
troops are present, ask some of them to act as guards. If
neither are present, ask any civilian.

105. AID TO INJURED. Give immediate first aid to any

who are injured. If more than one person is injured, it
may be best to get assistance in giving first aid, and to
supervise the work of your assistants so that all get
prompt and proper attention.

106. PRECAUTIONS AGAINST FIRE. In motor vehicle

accidents there is the danger of spilled gasoline. Gaso

130
line exposed to the air creates a highly inflammable vapor
which means great danger of fire. Avoid this danger by
cutting off engines and stopping all smoking whenever
there is spilled gasoline or whenever vehicles are badly
wrecked. Permit no open flame within 25 feet of the
week.

107. SUMMON THE PROPER AUTHORITIES, a. Doctor

or ambulance. If anyone appears to be injured, sum
mon the nearest doctor or ambulance, military or civil,
whichever can be secured in the least time. Military
personnel having only moderate injuries should be sent
to a military hospital when practicable.
b. Fire department. If fire breaks out and you cannot
stop it with a fire extinguisher or with sand, send for the
fire department.
c. Civil police. Most State laws require that police
be summoned in cases of motor vehicle accidents. The
Army cooperates with civil authorities in such matters.
If civil police are not on hand, send for them.
d. Military police. If you are in an area controlled
by military police and think they are needed for traffic
control or to handle crowds, send for military police, or
ask the highest ranking, person present to do it. ...,

108. USING SEPARATE MESSENGERS. When there are

enough people available, you may be able to get needed
aid more quickly by sending different messengers to sum
mon doctors, firemen, and police, as may be needed.

131
109. REPORTING BY TELEPHONE. Whenever practi
cable, report the accident to your commanding officer by
telephone, just as soon as you have finished your urgent
duties on the scene of the accident. If an assistant driver
is present, you can probably have him phone while you
are attending to other matters. In an emergency, you
can usually get permission to use some nearby telephone,
without charge. Your unit headquarters will accept a
collect toll charge if you must report an accident by
long-distance phone, or will reimburse you for the cost
of a local call.

110. MAKING OUT AN ACCIDENT REPORT if you are

involved in a crash is necessary for your protection, as
well as the Government's. Naturally, if the accident was
not your fault, you don't want to be blamed. Even if it
was your fault, you don't want somebody else to exagger
ate it later because you didn't report the facts and the
witnesses' names when the crash occurred. To help you
report this vital information, the Army has furnished
you with Standard Form No. 26 (Driver's Report, Acci
dent, Motor Transportation).
This form explains itself well enough that if you will
study the sample report filled out in the appendix, and
remember the following tips, you aren't likely to go
wrong.
a. Keep your head. Give first aid to those who need
it; take precautions against fire and further accident;
and then get your information for the report from the
people who could help you before they have left.
132
 b. Keep your temper. Be courteous to people when
you ask for information. Don't bother to argue with the
other driver; it won't get you anywhere. If the fault was
his, an investigating officer will decide that later.
c. Secure hard-to-get facts first. (1) The first facts
to get are those which you get by questioning other
people, because these people may not wait for you. For
example, glancing at your report form, you will see that
you need to get names and addresses of all other people
involved, and of all witnesses. Don't delay. Get this
information while you can.
(2) Next, get the facts that you can secure only by
studying the scene of the accident. Even though most
of the other people have gone, you should not leave until
you have carefully noted the condition of the road, the
position of the vehicles, the amount of damage, and any
other facts that you can't get after you have left the scene
of the accident.
(3) Fill in items such as your own name, the make of
your vehicle, etc. (which you know or can easily get)
after you have done everything else— perhaps even after
you have left the scene of the crash.
d. Be exact. Be sure that your report gives a clear
idea of what actually -happened. Your diagram of the
accident (question 16) should show exactly where the
vehicles were before and after the crash, exactly what
obstacles blocked either driver's view of line of travel.
Every name should be spelled exactly right, every street
address or pole described exactly by number. State ex
actly what damage you can see (as "crushed right rear
133
wheel, bent or broken axle, crumpled fender") but do
not guess at damages that you cannot see, and do not
guess at the value of damaged property.
If somebody claims that you have damaged property
of his, but you cannot see the damage, note only that he
"claims bent frame" or whatever it is. Do the same way
with injuries —report cuts, burns, broken bones, etc., of
which you are certain, and note only that a person claims
an injury when you have no way of knowing the truth-
such as a strained back or internal injuries. If you can
not get the exact information on some item, write "un
known," to show that you didn't overlook it
e. Use morepaper if necessary. Don't think that
the small amount of space on this form should limit you.
Ifyou need more space, use a separate sheet of paper to
answer a question; write' "See attached" in the question
on your report, and attach the extra sheets firmly to the
report form.
f. Check each item. Remember that you are an agent
of the United States Government. As you fill in each
item of the report, check it against what you can see
about you and against your own common sense. When
the other driver gives you his name, sec that it is the
same as the name on his driver's permit. If not, find out
why. Ifsomebody gives you an address that you think
is incorrect or does not exist, question him further, as
tactfully as you can. If you have reason to doubt any
information which you write on your report, be sure to
call attention to your doubts by a note.

134
 g. Check the entire report. After you have finished,
look over the entire report arid make, sure that it is com
plete and accurate. If the investigating officer can secure
a good picture of the accident from the information you
have given him, you cart expect a fair deal from him.
Place yourself in his position. Do all your answers make
sense? Do they all say what you meant to say? If so,
sign your report and turn it over to the commanding
officer or to the officer or noncommissioned officer in
cliarge, without unnecessary delay.

135
 APPENDIX

AN ACCIDENT REPORT, PROPERLY FILLED OUT

The accident report, Standard Form 26 (Driver's Re

port —Accident, Motor Transportation), which has been
reproduced on the following pages, shows you how one
driver who was unluckily involved in an accident filled
out his report form.
Notice that he has done a good job. He has written
clearly, has supplied all information necessary to under
stand WHO was in the accident, WHAT happened,
WHEN and WHERE it happened, and HOW it hap
pened. From this report, the investigating officer will
be able to determine WHY the accident occurred, and
WHO was responsible. Whoever was to blame, turning;
in a clear, understandable report will help you.
Naturally, if you have an accident, the names, ad
dresses, numbers, diagrams, and other information will
be all different from those shown in figure 38. But if
you are careful to get the information exactly and write
it clearly, you should be able to turn in a report equally
as good as this.
And, by the way — is there an accident report in your
vehicle now?

136
 Standard form No. *»
Approved by the President
June 10, 1927

DRIVER'S REPORT—ACCIDENT
MOTOR TRANSPORTATION

INSTRUCTIONS TO DRIVERS
la ease ol injury to person or damage to property:
A. Stop car and render such essistance as may be needed.
B. FiD oat this form, ON THE SPOT, so far as possible.
C. Deliver this report promptly to your immediate superior.
Failure to observe these instructions will result in disciplinary
action.

1. Name of Oovernmeu,. driver:

^^
2. Stationed at
3. Make and type of Government vehicle

4. Service

5. Name and address of owner of other vehicle (or owner of

property

8. Name and address of driver of other vehicle

$0mftWJKlA)lGlU>.i^
7. License of other vehicle: State

NO. .

8. Place of accident : City ^

Street
M—ISM
137
 0. Date of accident l».li Hour '113 1C
10. Names and addresses at persona Injured ; nature of Injuriesi

u.
*R. (I

u. to Government velilcle ---------

»H
u

12. Describe damage to privately owned vehicle, or other

property :

138
13, What signal waa given ty each driver prior to accident?

14. Statecondltlou of light, weather, and roadway : J?jU*£e......

15. Explain how accident happened :

______

18. Label streets and indicate measurements ; show the position

of each vehicle at the time of the accident and show by
dotted lines the course of each vehicle just before ana
Just after the collision.

Indicate points
of compass
N. E. S. W.
 17. Was an Investigation made by a policeman (civil W Bffl-
tary)? MlAJ. Jf ...
K*mc~$3^^to3Lto NO.
—
* Precinct or
18. Names and addresses of persona other than driver In Gov
ernment car:

19. Names and addresses of other witnesses :

Lwut.,>4^^

( Signature of driver)

I certify that the above report was delivered to me on

the ~J-^L __ day of ..KVft O*.

at £&£$. ____ ._. o'clock .

(Signature of officer In charge)

.Q..WLC ,
tltief
(Official

._.............
(Government department or establishment)
NOTE.— TM* report 11100111 be attached to report of InwOaWlBa OOccr.

140
 INDEX

Paragraph Page
Accidents:
Definition 102 129
Making Out Report 110 132
Motor Vehicle —
Instructions 101 129
Weaken "War Effort 17 21

Precautions Against further ... 104 130

Stop and Investigate 103 129
Alcohol and Gasoline Ic 2
Animals 32 41
Authorities, Summon Proper 107 131

Backing 27 36
Blackout Driving 85 98
Know 85e 101

Reducing Risk 85f 102

Blind Hills, Avoid Passing : 21f 30
Braking 10 8
Hand Brake lOb 10
Use Engine As Brake :...:.. lOa 8
Bridges, Low 29 36

Cables:
Anchoring 66b 82
Preventing Abuse 65d 81

Snapped, Look Out For 65b 79

Carbon Monoxide 91 110
Centrifugal Force, Fighting You 25a 33
Chains 64 75
Cleaners:
Breather-pipe-cap Air 78c 93
Carbureter Air 78b 92
141
 Paragraph Past
Clutch:
Don't "Ride" 8e 7
Double Clutching 8d .7
Get "Clutch Feel" 8a 6
In Starting 8b 6
Using 8 6
Clutch and Gearshift 8c 7
Column Commander, Control 53 63
Columns, Safe Distances 60 68
Cranking, Hand 35 44
Crossings, Railroad 58f 67
Crosswalks 51 61
Curves:
Avoid Passing 21f 30
How to Round 25b 34
Negotiating 25 31

Deserts, Sand or Dust, Driving 78 92

Distances, Estimating 37b 47
Ditches, Crossing 72 &>

Driving Tips 16 20

Faulty Starting 5 4
Long Continued Cranking of Engine 5a 4
Racing a Cold Engine 5b 4
Using the Choke 5c . 4
Filters, Oil 78d 93
Finding Your Way 37 45
Fire 86 103
Hydrants 52 61
Precautions 106 13O
Fogs 33 41
Front-Axle Drive 14 14
63 75
Know Your Mb 15
Use Only As Needed 14a 14
T42
 Paragraph Page

Gate, Tail 87d 104

Gears 6 5
Glare:
Danger, Reducing 34d 43
Headlight S4c 42
Grades, Steep 70 86
Guides and Guards 58c 65

Hazards, Creation, Foreign Customs 83b 98

Headlights, Avoid "Overdriving" 34b 42
Heat, Excessive 78f 94
Hills:
Be Kind To Your Brakes 15c 18
Coasting Downhill 15e 18
Downhill Ijb 17
Excessive "revs" Going Downhill 15f 19
Parking 31e 39
Runaway Vehicles 15e 18
Safe Operation 15 16
Uphill 15a 16
Hilltops, Driving Over 71 86
Horn Blowing 49 60

Injured, Aid 105 130

Intersections, Passing 21e 29

Keep To The Right 39 4f

Driver Ahead Signals 21c 5K

Lamps, Blackout 85b, d 91

Left Turns 41 52
Lights, Blackout Driving 85g 102
Loading:
Drums, Gasoline 90f 110
Instructions 89 106
Rubbish, Inflammable 90g 110

143
 Paragraph Page

Shells, Gas 90e 109

Special Cautions 90 109
Unsafe 88 106
Loads:
'.'...,

:,.
Bridge .
...'.'...'.}... 30 37
Protruding 88b 106
Lubrication 98 126

Map Symbols 37d 48

'.

March Column, Your Responsibility 54 63

Messengers, Using Separate 108 131
Mud and Sand 67 84

Night Driving, With Lights 34 42

:

Oil, Fresh 78e 93

Operators:
Permit la

1
Physical Condition lb

2 2
,.,,..
,

Relief for Drivers ld,e

Parking:
Avoid in Dangerous Places ..'.'.'.'.'.'...'.'..., 31 37
On Hills ,._, ,,,,,,,..,.,.-.... 31e 39
Passengers:
Keeping in Safe Positions 87e 104
Unauthorized ...;... 87c 104
Passing:
Always Danger 21d 27
Normal Methods 21a 27
Personnel, Safety When Halted or Parked 31c 38
Police:
Accompanying 58b 65
Civil 107c 131
Military 107d 131
Preventive Maintenance, Essential to Victory... 92 111

144
 Paragraph Page

Railroad Tracks, Crossing 44 56

"Read Right Up" 37a 45
Reminders, helpful 4 4
Reports, Accident 110 132
Rest, Pulling to side of road le 2
Riding, risky 87 104
Right-of-Way 42,57,58 52,64
Risks, Blackout Driving 85£ 102
Road, don't hog 40 52
Rules of the road 38, 83 48,97
Rust, preventing 65e 81
Ruts:
Hard 74 88
Soft 75 68

Safe operations 55 63
Safety:
Overtaking and passing 21 27
Passing 22 30
Precautions 56, 84 64,98
Seat, driver's 87h 104
School busses 48 60
Selecting speeds 7 5
Service:
After operations 96 121
At halt 95 119
Before operations 93 112
During operations 94 116
Weekly 97 126
Signals 18,19,61 22, 24, 69
Skidding 26 35
Slowing down and stopping 20 24
Snatch block, use 66c 82
Speed, increases, dangers 45 58
Speeds, maximum and minimum 9 8

145
 Paragraph Page

Stickers 23 30
Stops, quick 20h 24
Streams, fording 68 85
Stumps,looking out for 76a 89
Swamps and soft-bottom streams 68 85

Tail light visibility 31d 39

Telephone, reporting 109 132
Terrain, difficult 62 75
Theater ef operations, safe driving 79 95
Tips, driving 16 19
Tires:
Deflation for better traction 78a 92
Protection 16d 20
Traffic:
Directions 43 45
Heavy 21b 27
Regulations 81, 82 96, 97
Traction devices 64 75
Trailers 11,12 11,12
Trenches, crossing 73 88
Trouble instructions 100 128
Trouble mechanical or accidental 99 128
Turning, using side lanes 28 36

Vehicles:
Faster, moving 59 67
Following 46 60
Passing 47 60

War Conditions, simulated safe driving 80 95

Winches, proper use 65 78 «
Winch Rig, reducing strain 66 82
Winter conditions 77 89
Wooded country 76 88
You and your vehicle 3 3
146

.fr U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1944 617

 YOUR ACCIDENT REPORT
KEEP
AND OPERATOR'S PERMIT
IN THIS POCKET