Here’s another nail in the coffin of those we thought the American troops didn’t have access to welding units. Usually second echelon maintenance units would be equipped with either gas or arc welding units. This jeep has a gas welding set up rigged to the back of the jeep. The spare has been moved to the drivers’ side rear. A reel has been added to mount the gas hoses.
Here is an onboard arc welder which has been installed instead of the passenger front seat. It includes a “generator capable of supply 40 to 250 amps current, sufficient for handling electrodes up to 1/4″. Power is supplied by the jeep engine itself, which is engaged with a generator belt by a hand-operated clutch. A governor keeps the engine speed constant during welding.”
Repair crews working under fire must be ready to drop their welding electrodes and grab their Garands.”
Source: Jeffrey Bajczyk and Popular Science May, 1945.