Wartime records show that Ford produced over 15,000 GTB-series trucks during their run and these were supplied through five variant types to all US services. The "GTB" represented the original cargo hauling truck designation while the US Navy recognized these as the "GTBA". The "GTBB, Wrecker" was a limited-run series which saw as little as 50 units manufactured. The "GTBS" was a US Navy mark intended for bomb service management and came complete with a heavy duty crane facility. The "GTBC" was nothing more than an improved form of the GTBS for the US Navy. All versions (save for the GTBS) arrived with 20-inch dual-rear road wheels and all GTB trucks were painted to the "Ocean Gray" US Navy specification. The GTB, GTBB, and GTBS were used by all services of the US military - US Army versions painted in the traditional "OD Green" while proving limited in overall numbers delivered when compared to USN/USMC numbers.
GTB vehicles proved the right truck for the mission at hand and thousands made the "one-way" journey into China as many were then handed over to Chinese allies once their mission was completed. The Ledo Road, officially opened in January of 1945, managed to bring 129,000 tons of supplies from India to awaiting elements in China. While airlifts proved drastically more effective to the road alternative in the long run, the road no less played its part in the conflict. By the end of the war, the situation had change so much so that the Ledo Road initiative became overshadowed by the airdrop/airlift campaigns.
Many GTBs survived World War 2 to see extended service lives in the upcoming Korean War (1950-1953). It was not until 1967 that final US Navy forms were categorized as surplus. Private collectors have since taken to restoring remaining GTBs as wartime classics while others fell to modifications as farm industry implements.
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