Book Review: M29 Weasel Tracked Cargo Carrier & Variants (Images of War)
Conceived as part of a Top Secret project to disrupt Nazi Germany’s atomic bomb program, the hastily developed Studebaker Weasel went on to one of, if not THE most successful of the wartime all-terrain vehicles.
M29 Weasel Tracked Cargo Carrier & Variants (Images of War), by David Doyle (ISBN 978-1526743565, Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS; www.pen-and-sword.co.uk or direct from the author at www.DavidDoyleBooks.com. Soft cover, 146 pages, illustrated throughout, 2019, $22.95).
Conceived as part of a Top Secret project to disrupt Nazi Germany’s atomic bomb program, the hastily developed Studebaker Weasel went on to one of, if not THE most successful of the wartime all-terrain vehicles. Designed with light weight to facilitate both air-dropping and efficient, high-speed operation in the snow, the vehicles were soon found to have excellent performance in the mud.
Always amphibious, the later models were equipped with flotation tanks on each end and dual rudders in the rear for even more efficient operation in the water. Weasels were used on numerous fronts during WWII, were once again deployed in Korea, by the French in Vietnam, and numerous outposts during the Cold War.
These pages provide an overview of the development, and a detailed look at the deployment and the machines themselves, of these iconic, all-terrain vehicles. For Weasel enthusiasts, there has always been a lack of printed references. Finally, this book is a major step in filling that gap in military vehicle history. It combines expert, well-vetted commentary and captions with historic images and color photos of restored examples of T15/M24s, T24/M29s, and M29Cs.
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John Adams-Graf ("JAG" to most) is the editor of Military Trader and Military Vehicles Magazine. He has been a military collector for his entire life. The son of a WWII veteran, his writings carry many lessons from the Greatest Generation. JAG has authored several books, including multiple editions of Warman's WWII Collectibles, Civil War Collectibles, and the Standard Catalog of Civil War Firearms. He is a passionate shooter, wood-splitter, kayaker, and WWI AEF Tank Corps collector.
