There has been a few posts over the recent weeks about the different WW2 era D7 variants.

In addition to the well known 7M and 3T series tractors, I'm aware that the 4T series was built for the European theatre of operations and the 6T series for the pacific (this this correct?) a limited number of fully armoured tractors (less than 200) 1T1XXX were also produced for the D-Day landings - several still survive in the UK, but most were converted back to agricultural specification after the war. Only 1 example is known to have survived with it's armour and blade intact.

Did Caterpillar produce all of the 4T and 6T tractors in house, or did they sublet production in total or in part?

Were both the 4T's and 3T's in production at the same time or did one precede the other?

We have numerous examples of 4T's in preservation in the UK and I've been made aware of at least 1 6T that has survived in the UK.

I know some of the D7s were assembled here in Berwick in north eastern Pa. at the old AC&F railroad car factory & was a real boomer in the 2nd. world war & tanks were there biggest production as I remember it as I was in high school at the time. They employed 100s of people and I lived about 40 miles from there & they even ran bus service for the men employed there from the area by me & along the way to the factory. I have no idea which serial number they were but could have been the 4T as would be closest to the European war. At the dealer shop the 4Ts were the only ones I can recall that ever came in the shop after the war & only a hand full at that.

The D7 6T116 that I learned on and ran for 12 years was picked up on the dock at San Francisco and never made it overseas. I found 6T 114 just 35 miles away. catskinner

Can any one confirm the total number of 6T's built and the years of manufacture?

Presumably you would expect it to be the same as the 4T i.e. 1944 to 1945?

Was the 3T in production at the same time as the 4T & 6T or did it follow on afterwards?

The Cat SNID book says the 3T went in production in 1944 so that would have been in the seond half of the war.

D7 6t0001-6t1054 -1945, 4t0001-4t5260-1944, 4t5261-4t9999-1945, 3t0001-3t28058-1944-1955, 9m0001-7m9999 -1940-1944, 1t1001-1138- 1943

Keep in mind most everything made in USA Was shipped to Europe and then then later to other countries and Pacific Is. to defend others. Very lttle was left behind (tractors,trucks,cars,tires,fuel,planes,ect) We had no war here,so it would be safe to say most all armored stuff was shipped never coming back .(never PAID for either) But we do have many 4Ts that were probaly built or being built after the end of wartime and never shipped just sent to dealers, painted yellow and sold to farmers and construction co. that couldn't buy durring war. And if anybody wants to restore a nice 4T Dozer with all the Milt tags I would be very glad to sell them one.

SJ, Willie & Catskinner,

Thanks for your information, that's exactly the answers I hoped to get when I posted the question.

I take issue with Willie regarding U.S. equipment production during W2, as never being PAID for. This is a highly erroneous statement, and needs refuting.

The essence of U.S. WW2 aid to Britain, and her Allies is encompassed in the Lend-Lease Act passed by Congress on Feb 23, 1942.
This Act allowed for supplies in every form, to be delivered to Britain and her Allies, on the basis that it was to be LEASED (i.e. - paid for, in some form), but ownership of mechanical assets was never to be transferred to the Allied nations - but they were to be RETURNED to America at completion of WW2.

Payment of goods, was not necessarily to be totally in dollar form .. but was determined it could be in the form of support to U.S. forces, by way of shipping, accommodation, food, bases, and infrastructure of the host country.
Note that vast amounts of actual $$ were also paid to the U.S. in lease payments for equipment supplied.

Note also, that the U.S. Govt insisted on mutual support from those countries she supported .. in the form of extremely lengthy accommodation, often virtually free, for areas for strategic U.S. bases, worldwide. The U.S. even demanded that some regions, such as Islands, be transferred to U.S. ownership. The island of Diego Garcia is but one.

There is no question that U.S. support for the Allies was a crucial factor during WW2 .. and that in particular, U.S. mechanised equipment, and airplanes provided a big technical advantage .. but often, only the overwhelming numbers of U.S. production were the biggest factor.

Take note that the U.S. produced 90,000 airplanes during WW2, and the Japs only produced 30,000 .. so the odds are stacked against the people with the lowest numbers.

It's interesting also to note, that even after the dropping of A-bombs on the Japs, they still wanted to keep fighting .. and U.S. intelligence was stunned to find, after Japans surrender, that the Japs had secreted away 2,500 planes, all prepared for total Kamikaze attacks that would have prolonged the War for years.

Bear in mind, that all the U.S.-produced, mechanised equipment, that survived WW2, would have been returned to the U.S. .. except for 2 factors ..

1. The major U.S. Industrialists (read, every CEO of every major U.S. manufacturer) .. appalled at what the return of vast amounts of War equipment, in good working condition .. would do to their potential post-War sales .. put pressure on the U.S. Govt, to ensure that the equipment was largely destroyed, or sold off, overseas, to ensure it never returned to the U.S., to pose a threat to post-War new equipment sales ..

2. All shipping (in fact anything that could float) was tied up, for up to 18 mths to 2 yrs after the dropping of the A-bombs on Japan .. for the exclusive use of returning U.S. forces to their homeland. A sizeable % of this shipping belonged to the nations that were given Lend-Lease equipment.
This led to the factor, that virtually no shipping was available, to ship equipment back to the U.S., either.

Stories such as "Million Dollar Point" story, on the island of Vanuatu, are typical of the "on-the-spot", intransigent decision-making, by U.S. Military leaders in charge of the equipment .. that decided the fate of the equipment was dumping in the ocean .. as against any other considered option.

No-one in the Allied nations, will ever say that Americas efforts during WW2 were not appreciated .. and the memorials to U.S. forces, in those countries .. and the U.S Forces efforts against aggressor nations, stand testimonial to that well-appreciated, and costly help ..
However, to state outright .. that no Lend-lease equipment was ever paid for .. is a statement that shows much ignorance on the part of the person stating it ..

The Lend-Lease Act of Feb 23, 1942 .. www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/decade/decade04.htm

1944 Pamphlet detailing Lend-Lease support .. www.historians.org/projects/giroundtable...Lease/LendLease2.htm

i have a 4T572 that was used to build the railroad to lynn lake then a control dam for the hydro electric project. to read more click on.

kingofobsolete.ca/Newsletter17.htm

thansk
KoO
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