The Ford GPA was an amphibious jeep developed by Ford during World War II. It was designed to meet the military’s need for a versatile vehicle that could operate both on land and in water.
The Ford GPA was based on the design of the Willys MB, a widely-used jeep during the war. However, the Ford GPA had several modifications to make it suitable for amphibious operations. It featured a sealed hull, a propeller, and a rudder, allowing it to navigate through water. Its four-wheel drive system allowed it to tackle various terrains, including beaches, rivers, and swamps.
The GPA had a top speed of around 6 miles per hour (9.7 kilometers per hour) in the water and approximately 50 miles per hour (80 kilometers per hour) on land. It could carry up to four passengers, including the driver, and was equipped with a foldable windshield, a canvas top, and a rear-mounted machine gun could be mounted for defensive purposes.
Although the Ford GPA showed promise, it had some limitations. Its performance in the water was affected by rough seas and strong currents, and its bulkiness made it less agile than dedicated landing craft. Additionally, its complex design made maintenance and repairs challenging.
Almost 13,000 Ford GPAs were produced during the War. While primarily used by the United States military in various amphibious operations, including the D-Day invasion of Normandy in 1944, they were also used by the Allies.
Several were used by the British during the Normandy landings, and given my interest in Sword Beach I decided to model this one on a vehicle used by 5 Beach Group.
WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS IN 20mm?
There are several kits and models now available of this little beauty, including Academy, Milicast, Raventhorpe and 3D printed. I’ve gone for the Raventhorpe resin ‘ready to roll’ version so it’ll be more robust on the wargame table. However this one comes with the windscreen down, so if you want to model your Ford GPA with windscreen up you’ll need to convert this one or go with one of the kits.
BRINGING THE MODEL ALIVE
I’ve followed my now tried and tested recipe for British vehicles for Normandy which you can see you can see here.
So there we go, another vehicle done for Sword. This one nearly completes the Beach Group HQ. If you’re interested, I’ve completed other Beach Group vehicles including D7 Armoured Dozers here.
Now what’s next…
WARGAME DESPATCHES 