The headlights were protected over with brush guards and the spare tire was mounted in a cut out section of the body behind the driver's side. This could allow for quick access of the spare if needed (as opposed to a traditional underneath mounting which would have been subject to hits from off road obstructions. A rear mounting of the spare was not possible simply due to a lack of space. The roof was deliberately made high and curved to allow the medic and wounded to move around to some degree and some stowage space was available for medical supplies as well. A "jerry" gas can and a canvas water bag was mounted on the passenger side fender. When the vehicle ran into environmental troubles on the road or cross-country, Dodge affixed a tool rack along the rear passenger side that contained your typical "pioneer tools" needed in war - a shovel, pick and ax to help dislodge the vehicle.
US Army ambulances were painted over in the standard Army flat olive drab color scheme and were further marked with the usual registration numbers and globally-recognized Geneva Red Cross insignias painted on the sides of the body and on the rear doors as well as the roof. Those countries who signed the Geneva accords were expected to not molest any vehicle showing the Red Cross if they were unarmed - though in wartime, this was not always an honored expectation.
Dodge saw a need for a new line of military vehicles based on feedback from the frontlines. The decision was to redesign the 1/2-ton truck as the new series Model 1942 G502 WC T214 Dodge 3/4-ton 4x4 truck. Dodge got the contract by designing the majority of the parts for the 3/4-ton to be interchangeable with the deployed 1/4-ton trucks. The new design was fitted with a wide flat hood, larger tires and a strengthened undercarriage. Another bonus was that the new 3/4-ton used the same 6-cylinder engine as in the 1/2-ton so parts were interchangeable. The interior Carlisle insert was eliminated and the seats and supports were bolted directly to the steel side panels. The rear ventilation system was doubled in size and a new interior heating system was added on trucks headed to the European Theater where the winters became another enemy of Allied soldiers. The 3/4-ton was wider with a lower profile and, with its larger tires fitted on combat rims, maintained much improved off road traction. The overall improvements to the 3/4-ton increased its payload capacity by 50% over that of the 1/2-ton model.
Some 22,857 of the 3/4-ton ambulances were built and deployed.
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